“Aaliyah…”
“You can’t protect me, O, and we both know this. You can’t protect me because protecting me means you would have to stand up to your father and we both know who really rules the Ellison clan.” Aaliyah snatched her hand back and stood up. “Thank you for the publicity for my show but we’re done here.” She began to walk away.
“Have you ever known me to take no for an answer?” Ocean’s deep voice stopped Aaliyah. “Because if you know me as well as you do, this isn’t over between us. Hate to burst your bubble, but the fun has just started.”
Aaliyah turned around and faced her ex. “Why are you doing this? You can have your pick of any woman out there! You can choose one that would look great on your arm, wouldn’t give you any problems, and will be everything an Ellison should be. Why are you doing this?”
“Because I love you,” he said it with such authority, Aaliyah visibly shivered, “and contrary to your anger, you love me, too, and you want this to work.”
Aaliyah hated how he read her like a librarian. “O, you’re being ridicu—”
“I’m flying you to D.C. next month on your days off so we can talk more and it’ll give the press another story to get mad at in the meantime.” He walked up to her and cupped her head within his hands. He swept his lips over hers again and Aaliyah didn’t try to fight it.
Heat took over Aaliyah’s body as she held onto Ocean’s muscular arms to keep from falling. Their tongues tangled and danced, and she felt his smooth hardness poke from his workout shorts. Her body tingled with unbridled pleasure and tightened when she felt Ocean reached down and cupped her ass.
He suddenly pulled away and Aaliyah was left wanting and hungry for him. “Next month.” His voice was low and sharp. “And if you still want to dump me in person, at least you had a free mini-vaca to my work. Security is already at your home and Watercolors right now fighting off the press.” He kissed her hard again and slapped her ass. “Be good, Liyah. The world is now watching us.”
