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

  “He’s on his way.”

  Bertha’s voice was raspy. “I’m fine. I-I just couldn’t catch my breath.”

  Ellis sat down on the side of his grandmother’s bed. “We’ll let your doctor be the judge of that.”

  “Everyone stop overreacting. I'm all right.” She looked down at Haven’s feet. “Where are your shoes?”

  She shrugged. “I didn’t really have time to put any on.”

  Ellis had been so worried that he hadn’t even noticed that Haven was in a little black swimsuit wrapped only in a towel. At a different time, he would have admired her curves.

  Bertha was feeling somewhat guilty but only a little. There was nothing like a near emergency to bring two people together. “I’m sorry I worried everyone.”

  Haven sat on the other side of the bed. “We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

  Bertha frowned. “It’s almost ten o’clock. Why are you still in your pajamas, Ellis?”

  Haven remembered seeing the blonde in the background of the guesthouse. It was one thing to talk about the women he dated. It was quite another to see it. She felt something in her gut. It wasn’t actually jealously, but Haven didn’t like it.

  He cleared his throat. “No reason. I slept in.”

  Bertha had a pretty good idea why Ellis was in the guesthouse until late morning. Her guilt evaporated, and she thought maybe she should have stepped in sooner.

  Ellis and Haven sat with Ms. McKenna until Dr. Lawrence arrived. He ushered them out of the room as soon as he arrived to examine her.

  Ellis stood with his back up against the wall. His head was thrown back, and his eyes were closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

  Haven nervously chewed the inside of her cheek waiting for the doctor’s word.

  “I can’t lose her, not yet. I need more time.” She had never heard Ellis sound so vulnerable. He was always so confident about everything.

  The fear in his voice was strong. Haven felt an overwhelming desire to comfort him. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist laying her head on his bare chest. Slowly, Ellis lowered his head and buried his face into her hair holding her body close. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent. Something about Haven was soothing.

  She whispered into his chest. “Ms. McKenna is tough. She’s going to be fine.” She could only pray that reality would mirror her words as she held him in her arms.

  Moments later, Dr. Lawrence stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. “Ellis?” They quickly separated eager for news. “Your grandmother is okay. She might be battling a little cold but nothing a little rest and relaxation won’t fix.”

  “Can I see her?”

  “Of course. Try not to keep her too long. Remember, she needs her rest.” He tapped Ellis on his shoulder. Reiterating his point, he said, “She’s fine. Don’t worry. I’ll see myself out.”

  Ellis’ back was to Haven when he blew out a very long breath. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  He turned gazing into an honest pair of eyes. “For looking out for my grandmother.”

  Now that the scare was over, a new awareness permeated the air. For the first time, they realized that each of them was barely clothed. They stood in the hallway almost naked, making it impossible to ignore the spark of attraction. Haven felt exposed underneath his scrutiny. Her skin prickled. She was nervous in a way she hadn’t been with him and attempted a smile. “You go inside and visit with your grandmother. I’ll go change and see her in a few hours.”

  Ellis nodded ignoring the energy in the air. As he went inside to check on his grandmother, he couldn’t help but think that seeing Haven half naked would make thoughts of her, not only different, but a lot more intense.

  *****

  It had been two weeks since Ms. McKenna’s episode. Miraculously, she seemed healthier than ever. Today, she was visiting with some women from her country club. Haven used the free time to finish a paper. She was in the McKenna library when Ellis came into the room. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  Haven looked up from the computer. “Been here for almost an hour. What’s up?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m sort of in a bind. I need your help.”

  “Of course, if I can.”

  “Do you have plans tonight?”

  “Dylan asked to go to the movies. He’s been persistent, so, I thought maybe I’d let him finally take me out.”

  “Dylan, huh? How’s that going?” Ellis swallowed down what he thought might be a bit of jealousy.

  Haven twisted her lips over to the side. “A lot slower than he would like. Anyway, I don’t want to talk about him. What do you need?”

  “I need a date for a charity event tonight.”

  “You?” She teased. “Need a date? Mr. ‘I’m a big deal?’ "

  “I had plans on attending alone, but recently, I found out the daughter of the event organizer is going to be in town. This woman has never been able to take no for an answer. Honestly, I don’t have the patience to deal with it. If this wasn’t my mother’s favorite event and I didn’t sit on the board, I wouldn’t go. I’d just send them a check.”

  “It’s tonight?”

  “Yeah. I know it’s short notice and a lot to ask.”

  “Ellis, I'm not sure if you’re aware of this, but I am a woman.”

  He knew all right. Ellis hadn’t been able to think of much else since the day Haven pressed her soft curves into his body. Still, he knew better than to cross the line.

  Haven was still talking. “You can’t just spring an invitation like this on someone. There are things women have to do to get ready. It can take weeks of planning. For example, I don’t have anything to wear, and I’m sure I can’t get an appointment with my hairstylist. She’s always booked up. Even I have to schedule my time with her weeks in advance.”

  He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Take my black card. Go buy whatever you need and call your stylist. Tell her I’ll pay her double whatever her average Friday receipts are. Hell, triple it if she’s difficult but don’t tell her that.”

  “Ellis, that’s a lot of money.”

  “I don’t care. I need a date. By the way, it’s a roaring twenties theme. Can you be ready by eight?”

  “Come ooonnnnn—Are you serious?!”

  “What?”

  “You’re asking for the impossible.” Haven checked her watch. “You’re giving me like five hours to get ready.”

  “That’s not enough time? I can pick you up at nine but no later than that.” His cheeky smile sealed the deal.

  “Ugh. You’re impossible! Let me start making some phone calls. I have no idea where I’m going to get a roaring twenties themed dress, but I’ll do my best.” She pointed her finger at him. “If I look like Cinderella before her fairy godmother’s makeover, don’t blame me.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind. I knew I could count on you.” He grabbed her by the shoulders and placed a kiss on her cheek. “You’re the best.” Ellis backed out of the room. “If you run into a roadblock text me, and I’ll call some people I know.”

  Haven watched him leave. Something was changing inside of her when it came to him. Her pulse would quicken the moment he was around. Considering, she had one foot in a relationship with Dylan, and Ellis had no intention of settling down, spending more personal time with him probably wasn’t a good idea.

  Chapter 14

  The limo pulled up in front of Haven’s apartment. It was the first time Ellis had been to her place. The quaint little neighborhood seemed to be a hipster-type community with twenty-something-year-olds milling about and walking to and from. He supposed if someone Haven’s age had to live in an apartment this might be the place to be.

  She texted him earlier to let him know she was all set. He checked the apartment number on his phone as he took the elevator to the eleventh floor. Ellis had gone back and forth in his mind about extending the invite to her for this
charity event.

  He honestly didn’t need a date. But, without her, Ellis would spend the entire night dodging Aurora Wellstone’s advances. It had been a colossal mistake to take her out a few years ago. She was already clingy, but sleeping with her would have made it impossible to get rid of her. He could only thank God for the good sense for not having slept with her. If her father hadn’t been such good friends with his parents, Ellis would have shut her down more harshly than he already had. To maintain that relationship, he’d remained cordial.

  As far as tonight, Ellis figured having a buffer to run interference might not be a bad idea, but it didn’t have to be Haven. There were any number of beauties he could have called. However, she was the most appealing. Ellis wouldn’t have to give unnecessary praise, stroke her ego, or make her feel as if she were the only woman in the world to get through the evening. She had zero expectations of him.

  You know that’s not the only reason you asked her—you’re attracted to her. That nagging little thought wouldn’t stay buried in the back of his mind. It continued to make unwanted appearances at inopportune moments. Ellis rolled his head around to loosen up his muscles. Tonight could either be incredibly fun or a clusterfuck.

  The elevator doors opened, and Ellis walked off looking for apartment number 3B. Once he found her door, he realized that weird feeling in the pit of his stomach was nerves. He shook his head and smiled to himself. Damn, man. This isn’t even a real date. It’s Haven. Get it together.

  Ellis knocked—three quick taps on the door. He heard several locks being undone before it opened.

  The smile on his face froze. His mouth suddenly felt like cotton. The wind had literally been knocked right out of him.

  Haven saw the expression on his face and immediately thought something wasn’t right. She glanced down at her outfit to see if something was out of place. “Is . . . is something wrong?”

  Ellis recovered quickly and was able to form what he thought was a friendly smile. “Umm . . . no. Not at all.” What he really wanted to say was that she looked hot, mouth-watering, and sexy as hell.

  “Oh. Okay.” She released a breath. “Come on in. I just have to grab my wrap. It’s cold outside.” Haven had spent a fortune, at least by her standards, trying not to embarrass Ellis in front of all of his social and business associates. She was more than pleased with her efforts, until now. The look on his face didn’t say he liked her outfit. Initially, it was shock she saw on his face, and now, it was a mask. Haven couldn’t tell what he was thinking. She could only hope he wouldn’t kill her when she told him about the price tag.

  Ellis walked into her small apartment and looked around to keep from focusing on her. “I wasn’t expecting you to find something on such short notice that fit tonight’s theme.”

  “Yeah, me too. I’ve been running around ever since you asked me to this shindig. I hadn't had a moment to catch my breath and was literally just putting on my shoes when you knocked. I’m not complaining. I figured I owed you one for helping me with my car and all.” Haven was rambling, and she knew it. She didn’t want to examine it too much, but she was both nervous and excited.

  Ellis frowned. “How did you get your hair like that? Did you cut it?” He hoped not. He thought it would be a shame that someone wouldn’t have an opportunity to run their fingers through it.

  She touched her soft curls. Her coarse but long and wavy hair had been pinned up in such a way to look like an exact replica of the shorter-length hairstyle Dorothy Dandridge wore in the movie, Carmen. Only Haven’s hair was adorned with a white silk ribbon and feather that wrapped around her head like a crown. Somehow, her stylist was able to intertwine it with a rose and pearls the exact same color. “No. But, I do think about cutting my hair off all the time. Unfortunately, I haven’t been brave enough to do it. This style is purely the magic of my stylist.”

  “It’s nice.” It was nice, but Ellis was glad it was only a hairstyle.

  At least Haven knew he thought her hair was okay. She had to admit to herself; she was a bit disappointed in his reaction. “Well . . . I hope you remember that when I tell you how much I racked up on your credit card. This dress alone was almost four hundred dollars and the shoes . . . I won’t even say!” She twirled around in a circle.

  Ellis didn’t want to burst her bubble, but he had shoes that cost more than that. However, the three-tiered, beaded and fringed, black mini-dress looked incredible on her. It more than showcased her toned legs and curvy hips. In all honesty, Ellis was more of a breast kind of man, and Haven more than satisfied that part for him, but damn those legs. He would buy her an entire closet of those shoes the way they looked on her. He wondered how they would feel wrapped around him. No. No. No. She’s just a friend. He needed to continue to repeat that to himself over and over again until he believed it.

  His eyes traveled up Haven’s body just in time to see her smirk and a dimple Ellis hadn’t ever noticed appeared. “But, these . . .” She twirled the long strings of pearls. “were dirt cheap. I found them at a vintage store.”

  He nodded. “Good to know.”

  At his sarcastic tone, Haven tilted her head and put her hands on her hips. “Believe it or not, I did at least try to be economical.” She then giggled like a child. “But, it’s not every day a girl is told to hit the stores and buy whatever she wants.”

  “I suppose not.” Ellis didn’t realize it, but his tone was rather dry.

  Haven walked over and took her faux-fur wrap from off the hook on the wall behind the door and glanced back over her shoulder at Ellis. “It’s not like I’m fishing for compliments or anything, but you do at least like my outfit right?”

  Her ass was on full display. The dress hitched up just a little higher as she reached for her wrap. God was punishing him. As soon as they made it back to the limo, Ellis was going to need a stiff drink. He cleared his throat. Fortunately for him, his voice never betrayed anything he was thinking. He kept his tone even. “I’m sorry. I thought I told you that. Yes, you look stunning.”

  Haven’s face lit up with a smile that stretched a mile wide. “You don’t look so bad ya’self, Mista!” Haven not only liked his look, she loved it. Ellis wore a black, pinstripe, three-piece suit just like the gangstas in the movies. “I love that Al Capone look on you. It’s perfect.” Her stomach was doing little flips as if this was a real date or something. It wasn’t, and she had to remember that.

  For the first time since Ellis walked through the door, he relaxed and genuinely smiled. Her words shouldn’t have had that effect on him, but they did. He helped her with her wrap then opened the door. As Haven walked through it, he held his arm out for her. “If I’m old Al, then you’re my Mae Capone, and you’d better be careful. Now . . . C’mon, lady, let’s go and have fun.”

  The excitement in Haven’s voice was unmistakable as she spoke and looped her arm through his. “I haven’t been out in a while. I hope I remember how.”

  “Then we definitely are going to let loose and turn all the way up!”

  *****

  Ellis hadn’t had as good a time as he was having at a charity event in years. He thought Haven might feel a little uncomfortable being around people in his world, but she fit right in. Not only did she fit in, but she also shined. Everyone he introduced her to seemed enchanted by her. She was witty, funny, and knowledgeable about current events unlike many of his dates.

  Ellis was beyond impressed. Even more so, considering they’d done nothing but stand around talking and shaking hands with the power behind the money ever since dinner ended a couple of hours ago.

  He leaned over to whisper into her ear. Damn, she smelled good. Ellis chastised himself. You’ve kept it together this long. Don’t mess up now. “As soon as they announce the amount of money raised during the silent auction we can leave.”

  Haven looked up into his face and for a moment their eyes locked. She smiled and responded just a little breathlessly. “Okay.”

  He did it to her again. I
t never ceased to amaze her how Ellis could just turn on the charm at the drop of a hat. She clearly understood why he’d been able to keep a harem of girlfriends—although he wouldn’t call them that.

  Someone tapped Ellis on the back. “McKenna! I’ve been trying to have a word with you all night.” The booming voice of Jack Wellstone, the organizer of the event, grabbed his attention.

  “Mr. Wellstone! Helluva an event you’ve put on here.”

  “Yes, it is. We’ve had a very successful night in no small part due to your generous donation.”

  “You know you can always count on the McKenna’s to do all we can to support the Cure for Cancer Research Foundation.”

  “We’re always grateful. Your parents would be so proud.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “What I really want to know is who your gorgeous date is? She’s been the talk of the event and seems to have enchanted everyone she’s met.” Jack looked around Ellis to Haven.

  Ellis pulled Haven into his side and rested his hand on the small of her back.

  Haven shivered.

  Jack noticed, but his only response was to raise an eyebrow. He’d never seen Ellis appear to stake a claim on a woman before.

  “Mr. Wellstone, this is Haven Shaw.”

  Haven smiled and reached her hand out to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you, sir.”

  A raven-haired woman sidled up next to Jack. She spoke with a southern drawl; however, her eyes never left Ellis’s line of sight. “Daddy, are you monopolizing Ellis’ time?” The woman completely ignored Haven.

  Jack picked up his daughter’s hand, kissed and patted it. He knew the way that Ellis had looked at Haven and the way Haven returned his glances. His poor daughter didn’t stand a chance. “I’m doing no such thing, Aurora. Ellis here was just introducing me to his girlfriend, Haven Shaw.”

  Ellis said nothing to correct him.

  “Girlfriend? Ellis?” She laughed. “Everybody knows Ellis doesn’t do the girlfriend thing.”

  Finally, Ellis responded. “As with everything, Aurora. Things change. I’ve already introduced Haven to your father. Haven, this is Aurora Wellstone.”