A Reservation for One (Untamed Love Series Book 1) Read online

  “Nice to meet you.” Haven hated her on sight but did her best to mask it, not just from them but herself too.

  “Interesting.” Aurora’s eyes narrowed as she looked from Ellis to Haven. “Nice to meet you darlin’.”

  Haven knew she didn’t mean it. Not one word of it. Still, Aurora scrutinized the two of them as if determining if she could believe her own eyes. “Well, suga, I’ve got rounds to make. Ellis, it was good seeing you again. If life gets a little boring, don’t hesitate to give me a holla’.” She turned to Haven for an uncomfortable few moments to emphasize her point, then, like a hurricane, Aurora walked away. Seconds later, so did an embarrassed Jack Wellstone.

  “Wow. You dated her?” Aurora left a bad taste in Haven’s mouth.

  “We didn’t actually date per se.”

  “I guess it’s like that for all men.” An image of Dylan flashed through her mind.

  “Like what?”

  “Difficult to see past a fat ass and a smile.”

  The entire carefree mood shifted, and Ellis wanted to change it back. As soon as the words left Haven’s mouth, the auction clock displayed two-million and twenty-three thousand dollars. The event was a success and raised an insane amount of money.

  “How about we get out of here and go get some real food?”

  Haven perked up. “Something fattening?”

  He laughed. “I know the perfect spot.” Ellis took Haven by the hand and led her out of the building.

  Chapter 15

  Ellis chose the Monaco restaurant for dinner. It was intimate, served fantastic food, and had a live band with a dance floor. Reservations were hard to come by and usually took weeks to get a table. Tonight was no different. There wasn’t an empty seat in the place, and the dance floor was packed tight.

  Fortunately, Ellis knew the owner, and they were seated right away. Haven wasn’t your spur of the moment kind of girl. She was a woman who liked order and with order typically came planning. But, on a scale of one to ten, for a day that wasn’t planned, she was having a fantastic time. Ellis was charming, sweet, and much too sexy for his own damn good.

  Ellis was having similar thoughts. It was easy being with Haven. She had the cutest laugh and didn’t have any motives for wanting to be with him tonight, other than, he’d asked her. It didn’t hurt that she was easy on the eyes. Real easy. Haven was hella sexy without even trying to be, and that alone set her apart from most women. The more he thought about it, Ellis couldn’t remember the last time he had enjoyed a night out this much with a woman.

  He was about to pour Haven another glass of wine when she put her hand over the top. “I swear, if you don’t want me dancing on tables, you might not want to do that.”

  He looked at her crossed legs. “I don’t know with those killer legs; I might.”

  Haven’s lips turned up into a radiant smile. “Are you flirting with me, Mr. McKenna?”

  “Only if you want me to.” He raised an eyebrow. “If you let me pour you another glass of wine, whatever happens from this point on, you could always blame it on the alcohol.”

  “Hmm . . . interesting.” Slowly, Haven removed her hand from her glass. “Maybe one more won’t hurt.”

  “Your wish is my command, Princess.” His own smile widened, and he found it difficult to take his eyes off of her while filling the glass.

  What was wrong with a little flirting amongst friends? Haven felt both warm and giddy. Only, was that how it was supposed to feel? She wasn’t sure but was having such a good time. She decided to just go with the flow. As the night went on, and the longer they talked, their personal space began to get smaller. So small, in fact, it was as if they were the only two people in the room.

  An hour later, Haven’s face hurt from smiling so hard. Ellis was genuinely keeping her entertained as they sat next to each other in a cozy little booth. He was more animated than she’d ever seen. It probably had something to do with the several large glasses of wine they’d consumed. Both of them were more than a little relaxed.

  Haven took a final bite of tiramisu then tossed her napkin onto the table. “That was so good. I can’t eat another bite. I’ll be on the treadmill for at least two hours tomorrow.”

  Ellis’ inhibitions were almost entirely gone when he responded. “Believe me. Your body is insane. You’re perfect.”

  Haven wasn’t sure, but his tone had changed. Something in his eyes said this wasn’t like the light flirting from earlier. She wondered what going down that path would be like but decided to take the safe route with her response. “That’s sweet of you to say. I’m decent, but I wouldn’t be if I didn’t workout.”

  Ellis took another sip of his wine to keep from saying something he knew he shouldn’t have. Something like that there were many more pleasurable ways he could help her burn off quite a few calories. The longer they were together, the harder it was to keep things like that from coming out of his mouth.

  His eyes darkened. She saw it when it happened. This game they were playing was definitely changing to something altogether different.

  Haven tried to swallow her nerves. Her stomach was doing somersaults. She was nervous.

  He knew it.

  They were sitting so close their heads were almost touching. Haven fidgeted in her seat. She attempted to mask her nervous energy by putting her elbows on the table and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. However, it was when she looked into his face that sent things over the edge. Haven was unable to tear her gaze away from his eyes. Now, she understood how women fell completely under his spell. He was like a damn vampire so alluring and captivating.

  The pull to want to get a little closer was strong. Her mouth parted slightly as she took a deep breath.

  Like a magnet, he followed the movement. The unspoken tension between them was thick.

  Haven tried, seemingly in vain, to calm her nerves by saying the first thing that popped into her head. “Before I forget, thank you for inviting me tonight. The fundraiser, dinner, and everything. I had an excellent time.” She sobered a little as she thought about the past. “The last couple of years have been . . . I don’t know the right words to use, but hell would be close. I haven’t had a lot to smile about.”

  Ellis didn’t want to lose the look he saw in her eyes only moments ago. He would do his damnedest not to. “I’m happy I had a small part in making you laugh. But, you know what? It’s still early, and you’re talking as if the night’s over. It’s not. I’m confident I can give you plenty more to smile about.” Not only could he make her smile but moan too. He had no doubt about it.

  Haven tilted her head to the side. “Really, now?” Her smile was back.

  He stood and held out his hand. “Let me show you. Dance with me.”

  She didn’t hesitate. However, as soon as Haven stood, she immediately knew that the wine had more of an effect on her than she had initially thought. Feeling a bit tipsy, it was probably a bad idea to do anything but go home. Instead of listening to her inner voice, she placed the tips of her fingers in Ellis’ hands and let him guide her out to the dance floor.

  Haven had no choice but to stick close. It was loud, and people were squished together like sardines in a tin can. Still, the music was hypnotic, and as she got into the rhythm, Haven swayed her hips to the beat. Floating on a cloud couldn’t begin to describe her feelings of exhilaration and freedom.

  Haven was also impressed at how well Ellis moved. Why she was surprised was beyond her, considering he seemed to be a natural at everything. They were little more than a few inches apart, respectable given the amount of people who surrounded them, but that all changed when the song did.

  His eyes were intense.

  Haven’s eyes sparkled.

  Ellis pulled her close. The mere contact from dancing made her body tingle. She had to remember that’s all it was—a dance.

  Haven turned around so that she didn’t have to stare directly into his eyes. Hers might reveal more than she’d been willing to acknow
ledge. She just needed a moment to get herself together.

  Her back was to his front as she moved in tune with the pulsing beat. The touch of his hands on her body guaranteed the music probably wouldn’t be the only thing throbbing. Do not pass go, Haven, that’s dangerous territory. Who was she kidding? Haven had passed that imaginary threshold hours ago.

  Ellis kept his hands on her hips while moving closer then closer until he put his body on hers. Once they connected, he began to grind against her. There was that vampire thing again. The lure to follow his lead.

  She sucked her bottom lip in between her teeth. The push and pull of their bodies on the dance floor were more than a little sexual. It was food for her starving soul and body—simply delicious.

  Ellis felt it too because it wasn’t long before a bulge began to form in his pants. Each time their bodies touched, Haven felt him swell until it was impossible to ignore the fact that he had a raging hard-on.

  She guessed what they were doing could be considered dancing, but he was making her body sing a high note. Between the wine and the sexual chemistry, Haven was emboldened to push the boundaries a little further and decided to leave her inhibitions somewhere else. She upped the ante as she moved more aggressively to the rhythm and rolled her hips into him.

  Haven raised her arms above her head before lowering one of them behind her and encircled it around his neck capturing his head in an embrace meant to keep him close. She leaned her own head backward exposing the soft side of her neck to him.

  Ellis’ lips hovered just above her tender flesh while his hands traveled up her body until they came to the sides of her breasts. Haven’s nipples hardened, and she heated up a few more degrees. Her mind raced. She thought, touch me. Haven wanted to feel his hands on her. Her breath stopped when his thumbs came close but didn’t caress her insanely sensitive breasts the way she wanted.

  His lips moved just above her ear. “Damn, you feel good.” Ellis wasn’t sure if she’d heard him.

  She heard every word. “Then, touch me like you mean it.” With her free hand, Haven placed it on top of his and dragged it down to the tops of her thighs and just underneath her fringed dress to ensure he understood her meaning—if he wanted to explore a little further, Haven was game.

  Ellis used his fingers to circle around the lace of her thigh-high stocking. No one could ever say he wasn’t a curious sort. After a brief hesitation, he slid his hands in between her thighs.

  Haven bit down on her lip.

  When he touched her sensitive flesh through her lace panty, she shivered all over and ground into him even harder. Haven wanted more. She gasped, “Yasssss.”

  Ellis continued to run his fingers up and down the center of her now swollen sex. His voice was rough. “Little girl, you have no idea what you’re asking for. You’re playing with fire. I’ll break you.”

  Haven was tired of always being the good girl, the responsible one. Tonight, she wanted to play with a little fire. “Maybe I want to be broken.”

  He moaned at her open invitation. “I want to pound you so hard until I feel you exploding and pulsing all over me.”

  Haven’s body was humming. She was breathless. “Okay.” Her hands slowly made their way to that bulge in the front of his pants. She squeezed. “I think we want the same things.”

  Ellis closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

  She could barely catch her breath. Haven turned around in Ellis’s arms and touched her lips to his. However, he took over and captured her mouth in a kiss. It was hot, hungry, and needy as he thrust his tongue deep into her mouth and down her throat. Just as eager, and greedily, Haven kissed him back.

  During their heart-pounding, heart-stopping kiss, the music stopped. It took a while for the two of them to realize it. Reluctantly, they pulled away from each other.

  She touched the tips of her fingers to her lips then whispered, “I’m on fire.”

  His voice was husky. “Let’s go.”

  *****

  They paid the bill and grabbed their things in record time. As soon as they entered the back of the limo, neither of them could keep their hands off of the other.

  Ellis somehow had the presence of mind to raise the privacy window. Their kisses continued to be urgent as they devoured one another.

  He pressed her down onto the back seat and lifted her dress up around her waist never breaking their kiss. Mixed in between their harsh breathing was a ripping noise. Ellis was so eager that the scrap of material Haven once called panties was torn off and thrown on the floor.

  Ellis maneuvered himself in between her soft caramel thighs—pressing his hardness into her center. He’d often wondered how her legs would feel wrapped around him. After lifting them by the underside of her knees, and wrapping them around his waist, he finally had his answer. Perfect.

  Haven crossed her legs at the ankles. It was apparent, those thigh-high stockings and heels were going to stay on. She managed to unzip Ellis’ pants and reach inside the waistband of his briefs to touch him. He was like silk wrapped around steel. A large piece of steel. Her hands could barely close around him. However, the moment her fingers got a good grip, his eyes rolled back, and his head fell backward. His mouth parted.

  Ellis thought he might explode on the spot. Her touch was unlike anything he’d ever experienced. There was no comparison.

  The car quickly filled up with their sighs and moans until a voice came over the intercom. “Mr. McKenna, we’ve reached our destination.”

  Ellis found it hard to breathe through his nose. His eyes, intense, came back into focus as they stared down into heated ones. He was in an impossible situation. Haven’s sex lay displayed before him glistening like a tasty morsel waiting for his touch. Her hand still gripped him as she slowly moved it up and down.

  Ellis hissed. “Damn.”

  Begrudgingly, Haven released him. An impish but sexy as hell grin appeared on her face when she spoke. “We can finish this inside, or we can finish this now.”

  Ellis was hard as a rock, but still able to have a moment of clarity. What in the hell was he doing? He couldn’t believe he’d acted on his desire for Haven. Making love to her had disaster written all over it. She was a sweet but confused woman. He wasn’t either of those things. All he could offer her was unforgettable sex. His body said, “Do it.” Take her right here and now. But, his conscious showed up at the worst possible moment. Ellis was really starting to care about Haven. This was not how you treat someone you cared about.

  Haven was still caught up in the euphoria of what was happening between them. Her eyes were heavily hooded. “Can you have him pick you up in the morning?”

  It took a herculean effort, but Ellis sat back—all the way back on his haunches. Haven unhooked her legs from around his waist while he dragged her dress down. “This is probably not a good idea.”

  Haven blinked a few times. Was she hearing him correctly? Her body was ready to combust instantaneously. Her voice was hoarse. “And you’re just now figuring this out? In this moment?”

  He ran his hand across his face. Bad idea. It smelled of her. “I know, and I’m sorry. I allowed my body to take over rational thinking. I want you like I need to take my next breath, but we can’t do this.”

  “You allowed?” Confusion was written all over her.

  “I like you—a lot. But, if we do this, you know me. I don’t do relationships or commitments, and I don’t want to hurt you. If I didn’t give a shit about you, I’d take you right here and now.”

  Her pride was stung. “What makes you think I want a relationship?”

  “Because that’s the type of woman you are. I can give you some damn good sex, but you want the fairytale. I can’t give you that.”

  Out of nowhere, thoughts of Dylan flashed into her head along with the fear that maybe he was right about her. Maybe no one else wanted her. Embarrassed Haven hurried to fix her clothing and got out of the car. Ellis did the same and followed her out toward the apartment building.
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br />   She was doing her best to keep it together. “You don’t need to follow me. I can manage on my own.”

  “I’m not going to let you go inside alone this time of night.”

  She snapped. “I don’t need you to protect me. I can take care of myself—in all ways.”

  Ellis could kick his own ass for allowing things to get so far out of control. What started out as a little flirting and dirty dancing between friends had spun out of control. He might have just ruined their friendship. He didn’t say a word, only continued to walk behind her.

  When the elevator opened to her floor, Haven rushed out. Although she moved quickly and wanted to run, she kept her back ramrod straight while digging for her keys.

  Her hands were shaking so badly that Ellis covered hers with his. Their eyes met and held. Haven’s mouth parted as her chest rose and fell. His eyes immediately went to her full lips that were still swollen from his kisses.

  As if a magnetic force guided them, he leaned in and gently pressed his mouth against hers then pulled back touching his forehead to hers. Ellis sounded pained. “Haven, I care about you and would hurt myself before I intentionally hurt you. Please forgive me.”

  Haven swallowed hard. Could she fault him for being honest and upfront? No, she couldn’t. Haven took a deep breath and whispered, “You feel how you feel. There’s nothing to forgive.” She pulled away, quickly found her keys, and opened her door.

  Her smile was weak. “I’ll see you on Monday.” When she shut the door, Haven closed her eyes and leaned up against it just as Ellis stood on the other side hands spread flat against the door wondering if he’d made a mistake.

  He didn’t need to wonder. Yes, he’d made a big mistake.

  Chapter 16

  Ellis sat in his grandfather’s office, in his old, worn leather chair, with his eyes closed unable to focus. He’d been sitting like that for hours. What the hell, man? He’d been unable to get Haven off of his mind the entire weekend. There was a line in the sand, and he’d crossed it. He wasn’t sure if they could go back. But, Ellis had to make the effort.