Final Play (Matchplay Series) by Dakota Madison Read Free Book Online Page B

into her eyes. “Just promise me that you’ll never allow me to do anything that you don’t want to do, okay?”
    She nodded. “I promise.”
    On the walk back to Ella’s house, I put my arm around her shoulder and she nestled against my chest. I was already starting to crave the feeling of having her warm body snuggled against mine.
    I made sure to steer us so that we were taking the long route back to her place. I just couldn’t fathom having to drop her off and go back to my apartment alone. Then I had to mentally kick myself for being so ridiculous. How could I be falling so quickly and deeply for a girl that I’d only known a few days? If another guy had told me that happened to him, I would have immediately labeled him a fool. How could I possibly be feeling all of the things I was feeling for someone I had only known a short period of time? It completely defied all reason.
    But I couldn’t deny how I felt. As unreasonable as the fee lings were, I still had them and they were still real.
    When we got to Ella’s door, I panicked. What if Steel tried to crash at her place tonight and she was afraid to tell him no again? It made me sick to my stomach to think about Ella being with anyone else but me.
    “I’ll talk to Steel. Now. I’m going right now.” I felt as surprised as Ella looked by my statement.
    She leaned up and whispered “Thank you,” into my ear. Then she placed a soft kiss on my cheek.
    More. There it was again. That one word reverberating through my head.
    I pulled Ella close and kissed her. This time, it wasn’t a soft kiss. It was needy and filled with desire. When Ella let out a soft moan, it fueled my desire even more and I could feel myself getting hard as I plunged my tongue deep into her mouth.
    As we stood outside her door continuing our make-out session, I was glad that she lived on a very quiet street.
    “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?” Ella asked breat hlessly.
    At that moment, I wanted Ella more than I wanted air but I planned on sticking with my vow to take things slowly.
    I brushed the hair away from her face. “I want to come in. I truly do. But I’m not going to. Not right now.”
    Ella nodded but I could see sadness in her eyes. I placed a nother soft kiss on her lips but when I looked at her again, the sadness was still there. “What’s wrong?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing.”
    There was something going on and I needed to know what it was. “Ella, please tell me why you look so sad.”
    “Because I know you probably won’t come back.” She wiped at a stray tear that had escaped down her face.
    I placed my hand on her cheek and she looked up at me with her wet eyes. “Why would you say that?” I asked.
    “Just call it a hunch.” Her voice sounded pained.
    “You’re wrong. Nothing is going to keep m e away from you, Ella. I’ll be here every day, if you’ll let me.”
    “Don’t make promises you won’t keep.”
    How could I tell her I was already all in? I thought it would scare her but maybe it was exactly what she needed to hear. “Ella, I don’t make promise if I’m not going to keep them and I promise you, I’ll be back. What time do you want me here knocking on your front door?”
    I could see the faintest hint of a smile cross her face. “Would you like to come over for dinner?”
    “That depends,” I teased. “Are you going to buy groceries?”
    “Maybe we can go shopping together. Then we can get wha tever you want.”
    “It’s a date,” I agreed.
    ***
         On the way back to my apartment, I decided to make a quick stop at Arts² to see if I could have a conversation with Steel. I wanted to tell him I had absolutely no respect for a guy who used women the way he used Ella. He obviously didn’t care about her. He just used her body to satisfy his own needs. It made me sick to think that she allowed him to use her because she was afraid of him.
    When I entered Arts², I noticed the smells weren’t quite as pungent.