Holding Read online

  “Make sure you catch me,” she says.

  “I got you, beautiful.” I lean over the balcony and get as far from it as I can without losing my balance. Clutching the ledge, I hold the other hand out in offering, as I watch my girlfriend quite possibly swing to her death.

  If I had any way of getting over to her window without falling, I would be there in a heartbeat. But the distance that separates us is too much for me to make up. Ella’s only chance of this working is for her climb out the window and use the makeshift rope she fashioned out of what appear to be clothes and blankets to meet me halfway.

  “Ella, listen to me. Rock your hips until you get enough motion on the line to swing to over to me.”

  She does as I instruct, and I gasp at the sight of her dangling from a clothesline that could rip apart at any moment. This has to be one of the dumbest things either of us has done. I wish I could come up with something less dangerous. If the usual brains of this operation couldn’t come up with a better plan, then I’m not going to find one either.

  Ella manages to get a good rhythm going, her body so close that it only takes a few more swings before I can reach out and grab her.

  “Let go,” I whisper into her ear. “I got you.”

  The clothes slip from between her fingers, and her head tilts back so that our eyes meet. I drag her over the edge of the balcony and into my arms.

  “Shawn,” she cries, pressing her face into my chest. Her body trembles from the cold and the tears that stream down her face.

  Palming the back of her head with one hand, I use the other to hook around her back and pull her closer so that I can warm her up. “Everything will be okay now, Ella,” I say, softly. “I’m here. It’s okay, sweetheart. We will finish this together.”

  She peeks up at me, her eyes puffy and full of tears. “I love you, Shawn, more than you can ever know. I want you to know that in case something happens.”

  Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, I gaze into her eyes and smile. “I love you, too, Ella. I wanted to tell you how much you mean to me under different circumstances, but nothing ever goes according to plan when it comes to us, does it?”

  She shakes her head, speaking as her teeth chatter. “Nope. I’m usually running from something. But you are always here, waiting for me.”

  “I would spend the rest of my life chasing after you, Ella. You were worth the wait.”

  “Stupid boys.” She wipes the tears from her cheeks. “You are going to make me cry all over again.”

  “How about we get off this balcony, and I take you someplace safe?”

  Ella smiles. “That sounds perfect.”

  Getting both of us to the ground without a scratch was no easy feat. With Ella on my back and her arms around my neck, just about choking me, I had a hell of a time maneuvering the trip down. But I somehow managed to pull it off to sneak Ella back onto Mrs. F’s property and inside the house.

  “I feel guilty,” Mrs. F says, sipping her tea. “If I had known that lunatic had you locked inside that house, I would have called the police. I should have known something was wrong when you didn’t come back the next day to return the dress. But I didn’t want to go over there again and cause a scene that could make things worse for you.”

  “You have nothing to feel guilty about.” Ella slides her hand across the table and clutches Mrs. F’s wrist with a smile. “No one knew what was going on over there. Of all the things Clarissa has done to me, that was the worst. Even I could not have predicted that she would stoop to a new low. I’m here with both of you and safe now.”

  “I’m glad you reconsidered my offer to live here, my dear.”

  “Thank you for taking me in.” Ella retracts her hand and sits back in her chair. “I have something to show you that I could use your help with.” She removes a white envelope from her pocket and unfolds the papers inside, before handing them over to Mrs. F.

  Mrs. F is quiet as she studies the papers, and my curiosity gets the best of me. Ella moves her hand from the table and rests it on my knee. I cup my hand over hers and squeeze it. Whatever has Mrs. F so speechless, with her eyes as wide as her mouth, must be important.

  “Where did you find this?” Mrs. F glances up from the paper and locks onto Ella, shaking her head in disbelief.

  “I found it inside the old footlocker my dad had from when he was in the Marines. I thought Clarissa had sold everything he owned, but it turns out I was wrong. It was inside the attic closet, and it wasn’t even locked.”

  She narrows her eyes at Ella. “That seems odd, given the situation with Clarissa. When your dad came home from the service, he stored all of his medals and prized possessions inside. I doubt she even knows the trunk is in the house.”

  “But why would she keep the room locked if she didn’t know?”

  “You’ve lived with Clarissa for the last ten years. Do you honestly think she would have left the one thing that could cost her everything somewhere for you to find it? Think about it, dear. She has no idea this exists.”

  “We need to contest my dad’s will. Can you help me?”

  Mrs. F sets the papers onto the table and takes another sip from her cup. This woman sure loves her tea. “Yes, of course. I will call the family attorney in the morning to start the proceedings. Keep in mind that contesting a will takes time. If Clarissa fights this, and she will, you may have a very long wait until you see a cent of your father’s estate.”

  Ella stares down and into her teacup, deflated and as if it holds the answer to her problem. “I have waited this long to get some closure. I can wait a little while longer.”

  “This could take years, my dear. I will have my lawyer file the papers in the morning. You should take a bath and get in bed. I’m sure you can use some sleep after everything you have been through this week.”

  Ella turns her head to me and gives me a worried look. I’m nervous for her, too, but also excited that she no longer has to live under the same roof as Clarissa.

  “I thought I would stay with Shawn tonight,” Ella says, her gaze shifting back to Mrs. F.

  “Oh, okay. Well, you have a room here for whenever you want to come back.”

  “It’s just for the night. We haven’t seen each other all week, and I’d like to stay with him for the night.”

  Full of surprises tonight, I almost forget that Ella is the sweet girl I met in the tutoring center a few months ago. So many things have changed for us in a short amount of time.

  “I’m assuming that is okay with you,” she says to me. “With all the excitement, I forgot to ask.”

  “Yeah, of course.” I thread my fingers between hers and keep our intertwined hands rested on my thigh.

  I have Ella back. She told me she loves me. I told her how much I love her. And I plan to show her every day just how much she means to me.

  Chapter Twenty

  Ella

  Instead of spending the night at Shawn’s fraternity house, he drove to Penn’s Landing and booked us a room at the Hyatt. He had insisted he do this for me since his brothers are throwing another rager, and he wanted me to get a good night sleep, after all the ones I missed this week. But I have other plans than sleeping. After spending this time apart from Shawn and seeing how far he will go to save me, I want this to be the night we take our relationship to the next level.

  We were both still freezing our asses off when we stepped inside the room. It overlooks the Delaware River, giving us a perfect view of the Camden Waterfront. The setting is perfect, and when Shawn guides me into the bathroom to fix me a shower, I demand that he comes in with me. I’m not wasting any more of my time being the good girl or playing it safe. I did that for years, and look where that had gotten me.

  Shawn is the first naked man I have seen in person, and Dear, Lord someone save me. Between his chiseled arms, well-defined shoulders, and his massive cock, Shawn is doing things between my legs that I need him to handle.

  I bite down on my bottom lip when he moves i
n front of me and slides his hands onto my waist, staring into my eyes with the same greed I saw the night of our date.

  “Are you sure about this, Ella?”

  I nod, nervous about standing in front of Shawn naked and vulnerable. But it’s the good kind of nerves that get the blood pumping and my heart pounding. “I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life.”

  I press my palm against his chest, and Shawn takes a step back to guide us beneath the water. We share an intense moment before he reaches behind me to grab a tiny bottle of shampoo from the ledge.

  “Turn around,” he orders, and I do as he says.

  I lean back against his chest, with his length digging into my ass, making this more erotic than any shower I ever had, as he rubs the liquid into my hair. This is another first for me. I consider myself lucky to have experienced so many life-altering moments with the man I love and who loves me back.

  He massages my scalp, the soapy water sliding down my face and onto my chest. I close my eyes and moan, my nipples hardening with each touch. I’m ready to beg Shawn to stop playing with my hair because I want him to reach between my legs and take care of the throbbing between them.

  After Shawn finishes with my hair, he rubs soap down my back and arms, taking his time with my breasts, as he bends down to kiss my neck. Growing more impatient, I take his hand and slide it down my stomach. Despite the temperature in the shower, my body feels as though it is on fire. And Shawn is responsible.

  Staring up at his steel blue eyes that pierce right through me, I suck in a deep breath and let it out. “I’m ready, Shawn. I don’t want to wait another second.”

  He knows what I want. No more words are necessary. Shawn helps me wash my body, dipping his fingers between my legs to tease me before he spins me around and cups my face in his hands. “I’m so glad I have you back, Ella. You have no idea all the crazy things that were running through my head this week.”

  “I can imagine. But all that matters is that we are here with each other.”

  “We can wait a few days to give you some time to decompress from everything.”

  “Waiting is no longer an option for me, Shawn. Our time apart only made me realize that I want to live in the moment with you. I don’t want to waste another second.”

  “I wanted this night to be special for you. Now, it will be tied a bad memory.”

  “It’s not.” I cover his hands with mine and hold his gaze. “What I will remember of this night is that you climbed up the side of my house to save me, that you told me you love me, and now, we’re about doing something together that I want to share with you. If someone had told me when I snuck out to come to your party that we would be here right now, I would have said they were crazy. To me, you were always unattainable and too popular to give me the time of day. But I was wrong about you. I have been wrong about a lot of things lately, and giving you my virginity is not one of them.”

  He answers with his actions, and once our tongues collide, I know that choosing him was one of the best decisions I’d ever made. Lost in this moment, I don’t want our lips to separate when he backs away from me. Out of breath and overcome with so many emotions, my chest feels tight. The hot water is not helping. Neither is what Shawn is doing to my body.

  I stare into his eyes, and my mouth opens wide, as he reaches between my legs. He rolls the pad of his thumb over my clit before he slips his finger inside my wetness. Leaving a trail of kisses from my neck to my breasts, Shawn takes his time exploring my body, before he takes my nipple in his mouth and tugs on it with his teeth.

  As I come undone, I grab hold of his shoulders to stabilize myself, my body writhing beneath him. It takes me a few seconds before I can function again.

  “How about we take this into the bedroom?” He asks, sliding his fingers from inside me.

  “Uh-huh,” I choke out, barely able to stand or speak from the mind-blowing orgasm that owned my body.

  After we get out of the shower, Shawn wraps a towel around me and leads me by the hand to the bed. He dries the remaining water from my skin and drops the towel onto the floor, licking his lips as he appraises my body. This is the moment I have waited for since the night I’d kissed Shawn in the back hallway of his fraternity house.

  “You are so beautiful, Ella.” Shawn tucks a wet strand of hair behind my ear and smiles.

  “I’m lucky to have you,” I whisper.

  He shakes his head. “No, I’m the lucky one.” Shawn dips his head lower and plants a soft kiss on my lips. “I love you, Ella. I love you so much.”

  “I love you, too, Shawn.”

  Slipping his hand behind my back, he lowers me onto the mattress, and then, he positions himself between my legs. I suck in a deep breath, preparing myself for his size. With big shoulders, arms, and calves, I wasn’t at all surprised that every part of him was just as huge. But this is my first time, and holy shit I am nervous about him fitting inside me.

  I close my eyes and wait, hoping it will get better before it gets worse since I have no idea what to expect.

  Finch runs his thumb along my jaw. “Ella, open your eyes.” When I do as he asks, he continues, “It’s okay. I’m going to take things slow.”

  “I trust you,” I say and dig my heel into his ass.

  He takes his cock in his hand, giving himself a few strokes before he presses the head against my entrance. Teasing me, he rubs along my folds to coat his skin with my juices. I’m dying with anticipation, my body set on fire from the adrenaline that courses through my veins. Once Shawn inches himself inside me, my mind goes blank from the pain. I tilt my head to the side and shut my eyes but only for a second.

  As promised, he takes it slow, the pain lessening with each movement. “That wasn’t so bad,” I mutter.

  He leans forward, placing his elbows on both sides of my head. “I’m only halfway in,” he breathes against my lips before he kisses me. “It’s not a race, and I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You’re not.” I moan the words. “Keep going. I won’t break.”

  Listening to me, Shawn fills me all the way, causing me to cry out in pain. I dig my fingernails into his back and bite down on my bottom lip. My body tingles from all the pleasure points Shawn hits all at once.

  My moans turn to screams when he quickens his pace, digging his fingers into my hips. He’s less gentle than before, and I encourage him not to stop. As my body relaxes, working in a rhythmic motion along with his, he lifts my leg over his shoulder, sliding deeper inside me.

  “You okay, babe?” He studies my face, waiting for me to nod.

  “Mmm…” That’s all I manage to get out, and my lack of a response brings the cutest smile to his face.

  He sucks in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling with each groan that escapes his lips. I have never seen him so focused before, his eyes full of hunger and determination.

  My muscles tighten around him, just as he picks up the pace, and I come undone beneath him. Chills shoot straight through my body, followed by a wave of heat that spreads from my cheeks to my toes. After I come again, it’s not much longer before Shawn loses control.

  He collapses on top of me and kisses my lips before rolling onto the mattress next to me. Neither of us can speak, still out of breath. I rest my head on his chest, and Shawn hooks his arm around me.

  “How are you feeling?” He plants soft kisses on my forehead.

  “I don’t know, ask me in ten minutes,” I joke, and we both laugh.

  “You said it was okay to keep going. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”

  “No, you were perfect. This night was perfect. I’m glad I waited for you, Shawn. You made this night special for me.”

  He sits up enough to cup my face in his big hand and slips his tongue into my mouth. “I love you,” he mutters between kisses.

  Finally, everything in my life is falling into place, and it all started with Shawn. I could never have predicted that my one hundred day countdown to freedom would ever
involve the man of my dreams. All I’d wanted was one kiss. I remind myself every day how lucky I am that my man is not the type to give up easily.

  “True or false?” I ask once our lips separate. He smiles at my words and the game he’d started. “You want to go again?”

  “You know it, babe,” he says with a wink. “But you should probably give yourself some time.”

  “I don’t need it.” I reach over to grab his cock in my hand and give him a few pumps. He was already hard before I touched him.

  Shawn makes a hissing sound as I glide my hand down his sensitive skin, feeling every inch of him between my fingers. His groans of pleasure and the pure look of ecstasy in his eyes go straight to my core. After all the times Shawn has made me come, I want to do the same for him. But he has other plans.

  In one swift motion, he pins me down and positions himself between my legs, making me lose my train of thought once he’s inside me. I follow the advice Shawn has given me in the past and just live in the moment. No more thinking. I relax and sink into him, as he owns my body over and over again.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Shawn

  With graduation around the corner, my grades are up, and it’s all because of Ella. After all the hard work, we plan to take this weekend to relax and enjoy what time we have left of the school year. Ella hadn’t experienced much before we had met me, but freedom has done her wonders.

  Spring Formal was never a big deal for me. In previous years, I would take whatever chick didn’t annoy me too much and drown myself in alcohol and sex. Not until Ella showed me different sides to both life and myself did I realize that I was missing so many things.

  Sitting next to Ella at dinner, I squeeze her hand under the table and smile. She returns my gesture, despite looking as though she wants to puke. All week, Ella was a nervous wreck about hanging out with my fraternity brothers and their dates. You can tell which of my brothers have serious girlfriends by how we divided ourselves up between the tables. Half of the long dining room in the mountain lodge is calm, while the other side is an extension of my house on a Saturday night.