Bachelor Untamed - Brenda Jackson [51]
The fear of that one word, of even thinking it again, had him pulling back, stepping away. “I need to go,” he said, pulling in a deep breath. “Go on inside, Ellie.”
She looked at him, seemed to study his features a moment, before turning and walking up the steps. It was only after she was inside and the door was closed that he leaned back against the oak tree to release the breath he’d been holding. Spending time at his own place, instead of over here, was probably the best thing. He was beginning to act stupidly and think foolishly, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. He was a Bachelor in Demand, the last of what seemed to be a dying breed, and he intended to remain that way for life. And no woman, not even someone like Ellie, would make him forget it.
Unable to sleep, Ellie sat in her darkened bedroom and gazed out the window at the house next door. It seemed every room in Uriel’s house was lit, which meant everyone was still up and moving around. She knew it had to be close to three in the morning.
When she’d returned home, after taking a shower and changing into a nightgown, she had pulled out her laptop and had typed several scenes, amazing herself at how easily her thoughts had flowed. She had even glanced over her shoulder a few times to make sure her aunt wasn’t there somewhere, guiding her fingers across the keyboard, generating the thoughts going through her mind that she was transferring into her laptop. It seemed so easy to continue to read Grant’s mind, to see the hard stone around his heart slowly being chipped away. She would admit that he was a complicated man, but he was a man worth loving, and she was glad Tamara knew that.
As before, Ellie wasn’t ready to write any lovemaking scenes just yet, although she’d already been inspired by Uriel. Her aunt had done more than connect two bodies in bed, she had created a masterpiece with words enticing the reader to feel, to discover, from the very first kiss. She couldn’t attempt to even try to follow in her aunt’s footsteps until she felt the time was right.
Sighing deeply, Ellie moved away from the window and crawled back into bed. Funny how after one night, her bed seemed so lonely without Uriel in it. But his masculine scent was embedded in the sheets and the pillow where he had placed his head. She pulled it to her, breathed in deeply, and for the moment she was content.
Chapter 14
“And what if we told you we’ve decided to stay with you another week, U?” Xavier asked, grinning as Uriel walked them out to their car.
Uriel frowned. “Then I would tell the four of you to check into a hotel,” he said bluntly.
Winston glanced through the trees at the house next door. He then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, if you won’t put us up for awhile, maybe L will,” he said smiling.
Uriel didn’t crack a smile. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and said, “Go ahead, W, and try me. I haven’t kicked your ass in a long time.”
“Sounds like somebody won’t be a bachelor on demand pretty soon,” York said, chuckling.
Uriel’s frown deepened. “If so, I don’t know who that will be, because I’m staying put. There’s nothing different with what’s going on with me and Ellie than with any other woman I’ve dated. This is no big deal, so why are you making it one?”
Virgil shook his head. “No, U, you’re making it one, and what’s so sad is that you haven’t realized it yet. You didn’t pick any woman to mess around with, you picked L. Even if we thought it was okay, and really not any of our business—which I have to admit it’s not—you still have Ms. Mable to deal with.”
Uriel lifted a brow. “Ms. Mable?”
Virgil nodded.
Uriel rolled