to caress his abdomen and fiddle in the fine line of hair that ran from his navel to the hollow in his chest.
Then she lowered her head and ran her tongue over the same muscled ridges her fingers had just traced. He flinched and let out a desperate moan. She smiled.
“Faster, sweetheart. Ride me faster.”
His hands urged her on as his movements became desperate. He was close. She could feel the swell as he grew more rigid inside her.
She did as he asked, wanting to give him back the pleasure he’d given her.
He closed his eyes tight and arched into her. His fingers pressed into the flesh of her hips as he surged one last time. He cried out as he erupted, and satisfaction gripped her.
“Come here,” he muttered as he gathered her in his arms.
He pulled her down to him until her cheek pressed against his chest. He kissed the top of her head and ran gentle fingers through her hair.
“You are an incredible, incredible woman, Ellie.”
She smiled against his chest. Then she raised her head so she could kiss him. A yawn escaped her as she burrowed back underneath his chin.
“Are you staying over?” she asked. She hadn’t considered whether or not he’d stay the night or want to. It seemed senseless for him to go home at this hour.
He continued stroking her hair. “Do you want me to?”
“Mmm hmmm.”
“Then I’m staying. Can’t think of anything better than to wake up with you all curled up in my arms.”
A warm, happy glow lit her cheeks. She couldn’t imagine anything better either.
Chapter Eight
Ellie opened her eyes and yawned broadly. She stretched and curled deeper into the bed. Jake had gotten up early and gone in to work after issuing strict instructions for her to take the day off. Then he’d made some rather lewd remarks about what he’d like to do on his lunch break.
She grinned and glanced over at her bedside clock. It was still early, and she had plenty of time before Jake would pop back in. A long bath. And breakfast. She was starving.
Her body protested as she moved to get out of bed. She was sore from her and Jake’s lovemaking, but damn had it been worth every second.
As she walked by the TV, she flipped it on then went to rummage in her closet for something to wear. She liked the noise. She didn’t deal well with silence.
But when she heard Ray Hatcher’s name, she froze. Slowly, she turned around and walked to the door of her closet. She shouldn’t let it affect her. She should pay no attention, but hearing his name still had the power to knock her off balance.
She stood frozen, staring at the object of her nightmares on screen. He was smiling, but then he’d always been charming. He looked young and carefree, like a twenty-something instead of a thirty-something “old” NFL quarterback.
He was being interviewed. Her ears picked up that much. The host was abuzz with the news of Ray’s contract extension. Several minutes passed as she stared dumbly at the screen.
Then she heard her name, and horror crawled over her, clouding her mind in a flash of fear and hatred. The interviewer was asking about Ray’s marriage and the bastard, the bastard, sat there and let the lies roll off his lips as easily as if he were talking about the weather.
Infidelity. Adultery. He was crushed. He loved Ellie, and it had devastated him when he discovered their marriage was in ruins.
Her hand flew to her mouth as the host donned an appropriate expression of pity as they discussed the intimate details of Ray’s private life.
But things were looking up. He’d found a new love interest. His career was back on track after a shaky few years. He’d moved past his ex-wife’s transgression.
Oh God, she was going to vomit.
She ran for the bathroom, tears streaming down her face. How could he? How could he destroy the only thing she had left? Her integrity. The knowledge that she had done nothing but love the wrong man.
She threw herself at the toilet and dry heaved as her stomach rolled and protested.
There had been plenty of speculation surrounding Ellie’s divorce from the local golden boy. Lots of stares and whispers, but the locals never had anything to back up their idle murmurings. Until now.
She forgot about a bath. Breakfast. Jake. Nothing mattered but getting out of the house. The walls were closing around her, stifling her, smothering her.
She stumbled to the sink and threw cold water on her face. She hastily pulled her hair back into a ponytail and secured it with a rubber band. Then she went into the bedroom to yank on some clothing.
Ray still stared at her from the TV. She picked up a vase from her dresser and hurled it at the offending image. The vase and the TV screen shattered on impact, and she had the satisfaction of seeing Ray’s face disappear.
She shoved her feet into a pair of loafers, grabbed her purse from the dresser and headed out to her car. The cool air rushed over her cheeks as she stepped outside. She shivered slightly. She hadn’t stopped to get a jacket.
Her hands wrapped around the steering wheel. She had no memory of getting into the car or starting it. She backed from her driveway with no sense of direction or purpose. She needed to escape. And so she ran.
“He said what?” Jake all but yelled into his cell phone. “You’ve got to be shitting me. If this is some sort of joke, Luke, it ain’t funny.”
“I wouldn’t fuck with you or Ellie over something like this,” Luke said. “Ellie wasn’t in this morning when I hit the office. I’m hoping you have something to do with that and not Ray.”
Jake dragged a hand through his hair and started for his truck. “Goddamn. I hope she hasn’t seen it. Not that it fucking matters. It’ll be all over town by tonight.”
Luke sighed over the phone. “I didn’t see the show, but Gracie did. She called me awhile ago. She said he really did a number on Ellie.”
“Fuck! That slimy little bastard. I’d like nothing better than to kick his ass right now.”
“Calm down, Jake. I didn’t call to piss you off. I was hoping you knew where Ellie was and if she was okay.”
“I’m heading over there now. I told her to take the day off. She was home when I left this morning. Hopefully she’s still there sleeping in.”
“Okay, man. Let me know if there’s something I can do.”
“Thanks, Luke.”
Jake slapped the cell phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket. He closed his eyes and swore. Why now? Why when he was so close to making Ellie happy again did Ray have to wreck everything?
Even if Ellie hadn’t seen the show, how the hell could he possibly keep her from finding out? They lived in small town, Texas, for God’s sake. It was the small town motto. Know thy neighbor as thy self.
He got behind the wheel of his truck and drove as fast as he could to Ellie’s. Halfway there, he spotted Wes Hoffman’s squad car. Wes flashed his lights at him as he tore by, and Jake flipped him the bird. Luckily it wasn’t a different cop or he’d have been pulled over.
His cell phone rang a few seconds later. He dug it out of his pocket keeping one hand on the wheel and glanced at the LCD screen. Wes.
“Yeah,” Jake said as he put the phone to his ear.
“Where you going in such a hurry?” Wes asked. “Be damned glad I met my quota of tickets this month or I’d write your ass up.”
Usually Jake would have grinned and given him hell right back, but he wasn’t in the mood.
“It’s Ellie,” he said. “I don’t have time to get into it. If you want the story, holler at Luke.”
There was a short pause. “Is there anything I can do?”
“No, but I appreciate it. I’ll talk at you later.”
Jake hung up and tossed the phone aside. He knew Wes felt a lot of responsibility for what had gone on with Ellie, but it was hardly Wes’s fault. It was the dumbass cop on duty the night Ellie had asked for help. Jeremy and Wes both had been torn up when they found out that Ellie had gone to
the police and basically been ignored.
It wasn’t long after that the cop who had handled Ellie’s complaint had left. Jake was certain Wes and Jeremy had a lot to do with that.
A few minutes later, he pulled into Ellie’s driveway only to see her car gone. He frowned. They’d made plans to have lunch together. Maybe she was out on a quick errand. He hoped like hell she hadn’t seen the story.
He got out and walked in to see if she’d left him a note. He didn’t find one on the coffee table or the kitchen table. When he stuck his head in the bedroom, he knew without a doubt she’d seen the show. Shards of glass littered the floor and the TV screen was completely busted out.
He swore viciously even as fear clutched at his chest. Where had she gone? Why hadn’t she called him? He could only imagine how upset she was.
A dull ache invaded his temples. Did she not trust him enough to run to him? Or was she too busy running away?
He hurried back out to his truck and climbed in. He picked up his phone and punched in Luke’s number.
“Ellie saw it. No doubt in my mind,” he said when Luke picked up.
He quickly explained the scene in her bedroom and that her car was gone.
Luke swore. “I haven’t seen her, but I’ll be on the lookout.”
“If you see her, make her stay put. Then call me.”