Beautiful Disaster (The Bet) (33 page)

Big boss? Little boss? Was she being kidnapped by members of the Mafia? Ellie's mind raced, this seemed so surreal!

When the van finally came to a stop, Ellie did not know whether to be elated or wary that they had arrived at their supposed destination. She wasn't given a moment more to contemplate her situation as they unceremoniously dragged her out of the van and one of them hoisted her on his shoulders.

With every jarring step the man took, Ellie felt her teeth rattle in her head. She was grateful when it finally ended and she was set down on a chair.

Blindfolded, bound and not a clue as to what was happening or where she was, Ellie did not know whether to cry or laugh at the monumental joke that was her life. Her legs shook from all the pent up anxiety. The door clicked closed at her right and Ellie's legs doubled in speed.

I don't want to die...I don't want to die...I don't want to die.

It was a mantra meant to make her feel better but instead tears formed beneath the blindfold. They slid down the corners of her flaring nostrils and were immediately swallowed by the gag.

With a few silent words exchanged with Vinny and Frankie at the door, Nicholas palmed the aureate handle and disappeared in the dimly lit comforts of the room. Instantly his eyes searched and found his quarry and he was ensnared. Ellie's invisible leash tugged him forward. One step, two steps and another brought him close. He paused, taking a moment to rein in the urge to grab, hold, devour and never let go. He needed to be in control, had to remain stable or Nicholas feared he would wash them both away with his emotions.

Upon Nicholas's favorite brocade chair, Ellie sat. Her legs furiously bounced up and down, her bound hands set upon her legs moved in similar rhythm. The blindfold he'd asked Vinny and Frankie to use was firmly tied across a face. A face Nicholas knew quite well, unblemished, and as exquisite as the body it was attached to. She was the closest thing to perfection.

This woman, so soft, so kind, so everything he was not was the only person Nicholas trusted, loved and would kill and die for. Ellie was his everything, his reason for breathing...his purpose. Without Ellie Holbrook, there was no Nicholas Grayson, simple as that.

He was in front of her now, the need to have her in his arms, nearly overwhelming. He stooped down, his face inches away from the side of her neck, he breathed deep.

Home.

He raised his hands behind her head to remove the gag and he kissed her; chaste, sweet, a greeting of flesh.

"Shhh---"

"P-please d-don't do t-this...please..."

"Shhh---" He licked at her cheeks, tasting her tears.

"Let---let me go and I swear I won't say anything to anyone..."

Nicholas smiled, always the martyr his lover.

Taking pity, Nicholas removed the blindfold, it whispered along her skin as it fell away. He watched her blink, once, twice, three times as her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the room, then focused on his face.

Hazel eyes widened incredulously.

"Nicholas?" while she gaped, he took the opportunity to untie her hands and feet. "Nicky?"

"Yeah babe, it's me."

She was in his arms in seconds, clinging to him like a lifeline. "Oh, God, Nicky!"

"Shh, it's alright, Ellie. It’s okay now." He brushed her tears away in his attempt to comfort her.

Ellie pulled away and grabbed Nicholas's face. "I love you, I love you so much! Please, don't leave me again...you can't leave me again." She kissed him then, desperate, frenzied, her emotions pouring out of her and into him.

When they came up for air, Ellie took a moment to touch him, the gentle pads of her fingers coasting across his forehead. She brushed his overgrown fringe out of his eyes. Her fingers trailed down the patrician nose that flared slightly on the sides and finally down to full supple lips that were still wet and warm from their kiss.

Nicholas stood silently still, allowing her the perusal and when it was over, he kissed the tips of her fingers.

"You don't know how much I've missed you." She poignantly whispered, meeting his darkened gaze.

He interlaced their fingers and leaned his head down, their noses touched and he smiled. "Not as much as I’ve missed you."

The undaunted look in his eyes brought fresh tears to Ellie's own. She wanted to pinch herself to see if she was dreaming, but his lips on hers, his warm breath sweeping against her face made her realize this was very real, he was very real and in her arms...alive.

"I'm sorry...I so sorry, Nicky. If I had listened to you...if…"

Nicholas silenced her with a kiss. "This night is only for us. Nothing and none else matters tonight, please give me that, Ellie. Will you do that for me?"

How could she possibly say or do otherwise, with those stormy grey eyes peering into her soul? Ellie didn't think it was possible to deny Nicholas anything right now.

"Just you and me?"

"Just you and me tonight and always."

Chapter
Thirteen

The snow silently fell outside, blanketing the grounds and softening the stark structure that was known as Jacobs Manor. Just a few yards behind the manor was a cabin belonging to the late Abigail Jacobs. With the snow it painted a picturesque image of a winter wonderland.

This was where the nephew of one Terran Jacobs temporarily resided. Having arrived last evening with nothing but the weight of a thousand weary men on his young shoulders, he had only asked that Terran provide him with temporary housing so he could gather his thoughts and escape the countless spies his father had pinned on him.

Terran of course as ruthless and severe as he was with his students, could never deny Nicholas anything. The boy was practically the son he’d never had with his deceased wife and of course Abigail would've never forgiven him had he denied their nephew shelter from the callous antics of his tyrannical father.

He was aware of the situation going on with his nephew. Though Nicholas only contacted him when absolutely necessary, he had informed Terran of what was happening in his life when he had arrived.

Terran's opinion on the entire debacle was for Nicholas to cut his losses and start anew at Princeton in the fall, but his nephew was anything if not stubborn. So, Terran provided what was needed and silently watched from the sidelines.

Charles would eventually call him with the demand that he not interfere and Terran couldn't wait to tell his older brother to cheerfully go to hell. Any opportunity to twist the bastard's nose was after all a favorite pastime. Maybe that was why he allowed Nicholas to run amuck, Terran silently reasoned as he tipped his coffee mug back. The fact that Nicholas's rebellious nature annoyed his father was most definitely an attribute Terran liked in his nephew.

Terran's hatred for his egocentric bastard went back to a few years when Abigail had fallen ill, a malady of the heart that could've been repaired with the right funds. Working on a teacher's salary did not provide those funds, even with what little they'd saved in the bank, it hadn't been nearly enough. He was a proud man and the fact that he'd had to prostrate himself before his brother had been the most humiliating experience of his life.

But for his darling Abigail, Terran would've done anything. So he'd beseeched Charles to lend him the funds, provide him his team of brilliant physicians to cure his wife. Who knew that Charles would've denied him outright? Certainly not Terran as he'd stood there nearly sickened by his brother’s rejection. The reason he'd given was that he'd been aware of Terran's brief liaison with Sonya when they'd all been at Princeton.

Despite that the relationship occurred long before Charles and Sonya were wed, Charles had silently held that grudge against him. That act of vengeance had caused Abigail her life and Terran had been heartbroken and furious.

That fury remained to this day---ten years after the fact. Charles was a vile, despicable man who needed to be hung, drawn and quartered and Terran knew that it was only a matter a time before his heir did them all the favor. He had time---Nicholas would not disappoint him.

"No I'm fine...yeah...don't worry about me...yeah I'll see you tomorrow. Love you too. Give Sophie a kiss for me."

Nicholas watched Ellie hang up the phone, his smile unwavering as he took in flushed cheeks. He'd missed her blushes.

They'd finished eating a light snack of Camembert cheese, an assortment of small fruits and were now huddled in front of the fireplace in the master bedroom, cups of warm cider in their hands while absently basking in the warmth of the dancing fire. It was a moment of absolute bliss that Nicholas had to wonder if it was real. He'd had dreams like this, where everything was captured in perfection, their time together, beautiful. But then it would all shatter around him and he would be left standing with nothing but the consuming ache of missing her.

"I still can't believe you’re here. I'm afraid I'm going to open my eyes and it would've all been a dream." Ellie said softly, her thoughts echoing his own and he grinned.

"Have you become a mind reader in my absence?" At Ellie's puzzled expression, Nicholas elaborated. "I was just thinking the same thing."

"Great minds." Ellie took a sip from her cup; she'd forgotten how piercing those eyes could be.

"Great minds indeed." Nicholas lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. He drew near, gaze intent. "I've missed you, Ellie, more than you know." Voice a low rasp he stroked his thumb across her lips. Seated so close, there was no air between them. Their kiss, soft and lingering was a blow to his senses, the emotions of the past month charging through his core like electricity. The desire burning in Nicholas was hot enough to burn them both and he gathered Ellie close, his arm spanning her waist, he pulled her practically on his lap.

The kiss turned hard, forceful and demanding and Nicholas was gladdened to feel Ellie's fervent response. She parted her lips, inviting his tongue inside, eager to taste him after so long. Twining her arms around his neck, Ellie moaned as he snaked a hand beneath her sweater and cups cupped her breast through the lace bra. She broke the kiss, gasping for air as he pinched and rolled a nipple between his fingers; she bit her bottom lip to keep the moans at bay. 

"Ellie," He whispered hotly against her cheek, heavy lidded, gaze perforating, she felt his passion growing ever longer against her stomach. He took off her sweater in a blink, leaving her partially naked to his roving eyes. "God, you're beautiful." And she believed him because his gaze was on fire, there was nothing in there but what he saw of her.

Ellie kissed him then before another breath could be taken and she's just as forceful as he'd been earlier, she wanted to feel him naked against her skin. Feel the warmth of his skin radiating red hot beneath her fingertips, feel the solidness of his frame on top of her as they both climbed the ridges of ecstasy long denied.

Ellie loved the sounds she elicited from him as she nibbled on his earlobe. On her knees between his parted legs she felt his hands in her hair, encouraging her to take her fill. With practiced patience she opened the buttons on his shirt, taking great pains in torturing them both.

Passion and desire were quick in deserting her however when she finally saw the dressing covering his midsection. With quivering hands she pushed the dress shirt off his broad shoulders. Grief and guilt pushed her back on her folded legs as she took in the damages caused. Looking at him, seeing the layers of gauzy material wrapped around Nicholas's abdomen slammed home the reality that her boyfriend had been shot, had been practically at death's door.

Nicholas had almost died.

It was real. The gravity of it all brought tears to Ellie's eyes. She'd almost lost him.

"Hey...Hey..." Nicholas settled a hand beneath her chin, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. "Ellie, baby, look at me." Watery hazel eyes focused on him, Ellie blinked and her tears fell, Nicholas kissed them away. "It's all right, Ellie, I'm fine now, it looks a lot worse than it is. I'm here with you, I promise you that." He kissed her nose and grinned. "I'm way too stubborn to die so easily and besides, I don't think Hell can hold me from coming back to you. Deal with it, babe, you're stuck with me."

"Damn." She quipped through her tears and smiled in spite of them when Nicholas threw his head back and laughed, warming her insides. He embraced her, pulling her to his lap he lowered his head and hungrily devoured her awaiting lips.

There really was no need for words after that. The soundtrack of their love, sweet, desperate and labored echoed off the bedroom walls as their bodies moved in unison, dancing a dance as old as time itself.

"Good morning."

Morning found Ellie huddled deep within the blankets, a delicious feeling of rightness ran through her as she drew back the sheets. The sight of Nicholas greeted her; partially naked he stood at the foot of the bed with a white towel around his hips.  Ellie bit the inside of her cheek when he flashed a smile and raked a hand through his damp hair.  God, she could get used to this, she thought silently, wrapping the bed sheet around herself as she attempted to rise.

"Morning." She tossed her legs over the bed and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear.