Final Play (Matchplay Series) (5 page)

She gave me that look again, the one that said I was asking another completely ridiculous question. “We’re having lunch,” she stated.

“Here?” I must have sounded completely baffled because I was. I expected to arrive at a diner or café
, not someone’s home.

She leaned close to my ear and whispered, “It’s my house.”

Between her closeness to me, and her soft breath on my neck, I felt like I was struck with a bolt of electricity, as every nerve ending in my body came to life. “This is your house,” I said lamely as the pieces of the puzzle started coming together.

She shrugged. “You said you wanted lunch.”

Ella unlocked the door and we both entered her house. The inside was in even lovelier than the exterior. The open beamed ceilings and hardwood floors looked newly restored as did the wooden mantles over the exposed-stone fireplace. I was amazed to see there were even some small carvings in the wood trim. But the most incredible part of the living area was the beautiful stained glass panels in the picture windows.

“Your place is great,” I stated as I took in the details of the architecture and finishing touches.

“I can’t take too much credit for it. I’ve only lived here a few months. When I bought the place it was already remodeled.”

“The previous owner did a great job.”

“I’ll let him know you said that,” she replied and that made me wonder if the former owner was another one of her past—I wasn’t sure what to call them since she insisted she didn’t have any boyfriends— lovers?

Ella grabbed my hand and she gave me a coy smile. Without saying another word, she pulled me towards what I assumed was the end of the house where the bedrooms were. We were certai
nly not headed toward the kitchen.

When she pulled me into a grand looking Master bedroom, I froze. All sorts of thoughts suddenly crowded my already
over-crowded mind. The foremost of those thoughts was:
this is not what I expected
and
it’s not what I wanted
.

Don’t get me wrong, I crave sex as much as any guy. But it was way too soon and I truly wanted to get to know Ella before we jumped into anything physical. I hoped she didn’t think when I suggested lunch that i
t was some kind of code for getting her in bed. I really just wanted to grab a bite to eat and talk.

“What’s wrong?” Ella’s brow was furrowed.

I gulped. I had never found myself in such a precarious position and I wasn’t sure exactly how to proceed. I quickly decided the direct and honest approach was the best course of action.

Before I could reply, Ella’s hands were on my chest and she was gazing up at me with her magnificent blue eyes. She mome
ntarily took my breath away and I was caught up in the sparkle of her gaze.

I had to shake my head to bring myself back to reality and the fact that her hands were quickly making their way down my body toward my belt buckle. I carefully grabbed both of her wrists and stopped her from unbuckling my belt.

When I slowly shook my head, a look of confusion spread across her face. “I thought that’s what you came here for.”

There was so much wrong with that statement, I wasn’t even sure where to begin. “You’re
the one who brought me here, Ella. I thought we were getting lunch.”

She crinkled her nose and she seemed to be thinking about what I said. “You’re right. I guess I just assumed you wanted to get laid.”

I choked. “Why would you assume that?”

She frowned. “That’s what all guys want.”

I grabbed Ella’s hand and led her to the oversized Cinderella bed. I sat her down and I sat down next to her. “Tell me why you’ve never had a boyfriend.”

She swallowed then averted my gaze. “If you’re hungry, I could make us peanut butter and marshmallow sandwiches. I may also have a can of tomato soup kicking around somewhere. I’m not much of an eater, so I don’t keep a lot in the house.”

“Ella, please look at me.”

“And I already ate all the deviled eggs I snatched from the wedding,” she added.

I knew she was trying to avoid my question but I wasn’t going to let her off the hook. “Ella, please look at me.”

She heaved a sigh then looked up at me through her long lashes.

“I am hungry,” I said. “But I think we need to talk first. Okay?”

She crinkled her nose again then finally agreed.

“I’m not sure what happened in the past with the other fifty-eight guys and I’m not sure why you say you’ve never had a boyfriend. But I don’t just want to be fifty-nine. I don’t want to be some random guy you hook up with because you think you have to or you think that’s what I want. I want to get to know you, Ella. Maybe even be your boyfriend. It’s not that I don’t find you incredibly, overwhelmingly attractive. I do. You utterly captivate me and you take my breath away whenever I see you. But I want more than just sex. Does that make sense?”

I could see a teardrop escape down Ella’s pale cheek. I fought the urge to wipe it away. Why did I have an overwhelming desire to somehow wipe away all the pain I saw in her sad eyes? But of course, that would be impossible.

Ella cleared her throat. “Guys like to have fun with me. They tell me I’m a good time. But they don’t stick around. I know it’s not their fault. I’m just not the kind of girl that guys want for the long haul.”

The depth of pain I saw in her eyes was almost unbearable. It made my chest ache. I blinked a little more rapidly to keep my own tears at bay. I didn’t want Ella to think I was some kind of sensitive sap even though that’s exactly what I am. I like to at least perpetuate the illusion of being somewhat masculine.
Especially after seeing Steel. If that guy has a sensitive side, he keeps it well hidden.

“Maybe you haven’t given any guys a chance to really get to know you,” I ventured.

She looked down at her ivory-colored lace bedspread and outlined some of the embroidered flowers with her index finger. “What are you really doing here, Lucas?”

Before I could stop myself, I grabbed her index finger and held it. When she glanced up at me and our eyes locked, the energy that surged between us was so intense, I gasped. I had never kissed a girl on a first date, and this wasn’t even date. For
the first time in my life, I allowed my instincts, rather than my rational mind, to control my body. I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Ella’s lips.

At that moment, I finally understood why cartoon characters who kissed always had an explosion of stars above their heads. When my lips touched Ella’s, I was overtaken by an eruption of feelings and senses that threatened to completely consume me. And for the first time in my life, my chaotic mind was silent except for a single thought: more. I was overwhelmed with the desire to have more of Ella. I wanted more of her lips on mine. I wanted more of her touch. I wanted more of her looking up at me through her long lashes. The urge to feel her, and touch her and taste her was so overpowering, I felt I could be consumed by it.

As badly as I wanted Ella, I knew I had to keep those urges in check for a while. I didn’t want her to think I was just like all the other guys—that I would have sex with her and dump her. I knew I needed to take things very slowly and carefully. I wanted her to know without any doubt that I wanted to be with her for the long haul.

Ella looked at me for a moment and then she carefully placed her delicate hand on my cheek. “You’re sweet, Lucas.”

As she moved her hand down my cheek, I took in a breath. The more she touched me, the more difficult it became to control my urge to completely ravage her.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” she whispered.

“How would you do that?” I wondered aloud.

“Just being me.”

She placed another soft kiss on my mouth and it was like an avalanche of sensations again. When our eyes met, she was biting her bottom lip. “You taste like cherries.”

“Cherry lip balm,” I explained.

“I like it.”

“The lip balm or the kisses?”

“Both.”

Now she was grinning from ear to ear. I loved when she smiled. As much of a cliché as it was it was also true, Ella’s smile brightened the whole room.

When my stomach growled, Ella started laughing. It was a rather loud rumble.

“We’d better get some food into that thing,” she said as she rose from the bed and grabbed my hand. “It sounds angry.”

“I am hungry,” I admitted. “Even the peanut butter and marshmallows sounds good right now.”

Ella wasn’t lying when she said she didn’t keep much food in the house. Her refrigerator was devoid of anything edible with
the possible exception of a jar of pickles that was just a week past the expiration date.

She grabbed a jar of peanut butter that was sitting by itself on an otherwise empty shelf in her small pantry. “The marshmallows are in the container on the counter,” she said as she pointed behind me.

I grabbed the cylinder and opened it. There were just a few marshmallows kicking around in the bottom of the container. “Looks like you’ll have to do some shopping soon. We’re most likely going to use the rest of these.”

“Bread?”
I asked.

“There should be some in the fridge.”

“You have a jar of pickles. That’s it.”

“That asshole ate the last of my bread and didn’t even tell me.”

I gulped. “What asshole would that be?” I asked even though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer. Had she recently had a guy staying in her house?

“Steel.”

I could feel my entire face drop. “Steel?” I heard myself say but I knew it was stupid as the word fell out of my mouth.

She waved a hand dismissively. “He crashes here sometimes.”

“Does he crash in your bed?” My voice sounded much angrier than I meant for it to.

“Sometimes.”
Ella turned away from me and pretended to be looking for something in her completely empty cupboard.

“Look at me, Ella.” I insisted.

She slowly turned to face me.

“When was the last time Steel crashed in your bed?”

She averted my gaze. “I don’t remember.”

I could feel my jaw tense. “Don’t remember or don’t want to tell me?”

She gulped. When she looked up at me again, I could see her eyes were wet with tears. “Don’t want to tell you.”

I sensed that she and Steel had been together at some point
, I just didn’t know the point was so recent and that she didn’t want to tell me.

I took in a breath before speaking. I didn’t want to say an
ything I would later regret. “Are you planning on letting him
crash
in your bed again?”

I never considered myself the jealous type but I was definitely the monogamous type.

She squirmed around a bit and then shook her head.

“Are you sure?” I wanted to hear her say the words. I needed assurance that she didn’t want to be with anyone else but me.

After a moment that felt like an eternity, she finally replied. “I’m sure.”

Even though we were only a few feet apart, it suddenly felt like there was too much space between us. I closed the distance and took her into my arms. I knew it was too soon—for ever
ything. We barely knew each other. But at that moment, all I wanted was to feel Ella next to me, in my arms.

As she exhaled, she melted into my chest. I breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo and her hair tickled my nose a bit. I relished the moment as she nestled close to me. I didn’t want it to end.

When my stomach rumbled again, Ella commented, “We really need to get you some food.”

How could I possibly tell her that I wanted to hold her much more than I wanted to eat? It sounded pathetic. But now that she was in my arms, I just didn’t want to let her go. Maybe part of me was afraid that she might not want to get this close to me again.

She took a step back and grabbed my hand. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat.”

Three

I had to laugh when we found ourselves at the Chinese restaurant near campus that Rainy and Aaron frequented. They loved to eat there and talked about it constantly.

“I haven’t been here in a while but I used to come here a lot with Rainy.”

“Do you still love her?” Ella asked.

After Rainy and Aaron got engaged, I tried really hard to get over my feelings for Rainy. It wasn’t easy and I wasn’t sure I was completely over her until I met Ella. My feelings for Rainy were strong but my feelings for Ella were all-consuming. It was like the difference between a solid surfing wave and a tsunami.

“I think a part of me will always love Rainy,” I admitted. “But now it feels more like the love I have for my sister. Maybe it’s better to call in fondness. It’s definitely not passionate.”

Ella nodded. I wanted to tell her the things I felt for her were already much more intense than anything I had ever felt for Rainy but I knew it was way too soon. I didn’t want to scare her away.

By the time we were seated it was already past the lunch hour rush so the place was deserted. I didn’t mind, though. It felt more intimate to have the restaurant to ourselves.

Ella ordered Beef Fried Noodles and I ordered Szechwan Chicken. After the waiter took our menus and left, Ella placed her index finger on my hand and started outlining my knuckles with her finger. She seemed to really like to outline things with her index finger. Maybe it was a nervous habit. I certainly didn’t mind having her touch my hand like that.

“I’m going to have to have a talk with Steel,” she said.

I exhaled. I knew that was inevitable but part of me didn’t want her to ever talk to him again and I had no idea where that part of me was coming from. I was an educated professional.
An engineer. Some would say I was a geek. I wasn’t some possessive alpha male. Even with all these rationalizations, I still didn’t want her to see him again.

“I’ll talk to him,” I blurted before I could stop myself.

“Really?” She seemed surprised.

“Of course.”
I tried to sound nonchalant about it but inside I was scared to death. The guy was big and scary and I just volunteered to tell him not the sleep with Ella again. Oh, God, was I turning into a possessive alpha male after all?

After the waiter brought our lemonades, Ella leaned close and said, “
I have to be honest. I’ve been afraid to tell Steel that he can’t stay at my place anymore.”

A little alarm bell went off in my head. “How long have you been afraid to tell him?”

She swallowed and started to fidget uncomfortably. There were times when I couldn’t read Ella at all and other times, I knew exactly when she was thinking. She definitely kept me on my toes.

“A while,” she finally admitted.

I had to control the anger that starting to bubble up inside me. She was having sex with a guy because she was afraid to tell him that she didn’t want to. That was not acceptable. There were so many things I wanted to say but sitting in a Chinese restaurant, albeit an empty one, didn’t see like the appropriate venue.

I took her hand in mine and looked 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. Maybe because it was getting late and most of the artists had already gone home for the day. Half of me was hoping that Steel had gone home, too. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face him. But the other half of me just wanted to get it over with.

I made my way to the room where the guys had been sculp
ting various metals. They were all still there, banging away on their art pieces. I noticed Steel was on a stool in the corner working on a sculpture that looked like a large crucifix. It struck me as an odd artistic choice. He didn’t seem like the religious type.

When I entered the room, all of the hammering stopped and all eyes were suddenly on me. Steel rose and walked over to meet me in the center of the room.

“What’s up?” Steel asked.

I felt very uncomfortable talking with all of his friends staring at me. “Is there someplace we can go to talk?”

He laughed. “Just say whatever it is you came here to say.”

“It’s about Ella.” My throat suddenly felt dry and I tried to clear it.

“I told you, man. That girl’s a freak.”

“Okay,” I said. “That may be true but she doesn’t want you to crash at her place anymore.”

His eyes narrowed as he sized me up. “She doesn’t or you don’t?”

I gulped. I could feel myself starting to shake but I stood my ground. “Both.”

He laughed again. “The chick gives new meaning to the term
high maintenance
. I’m not saying she’s not a fantastic lay but if you play you pay. Know what I mean?”

I’ve never been a violent person. As a matter of fact, I’d often been accused of being a guy who would never hurt a fly. But I wanted to punch this guy in the face so badly it hurt to keep my fist by my side. And I knew if I hit him, he’d probably beat the shit out of me.

“Just stay away from her, okay?”

When he crossed his ample arms over his wide chest, I i
mmediately regretted my previous statement. The guy was a menacing presence.

“What are you going to do if I don’t stay away from her?” he threatened.

“Maybe you could respect her decision not to see you anymore.”

“Respect?”
He laughed again. He looked like he was going to say more but he just shook his head. “When you’re done with her, she’ll be back. She always comes back.”

“Not this time,” I spat.

“Just what do you, Mr. Straight-laced Engineer, want with a girl like that? Do you think you’re going to fall in love and get married? Have kids and a little white picket fence and a dog? It’s a fantasy, man. She’s damaged goods. I’m willing to bet you’ll be gone in a matter of weeks. That’s just enough time for you to get in her pants then you’ll be out of there.”

My jaw was clenched so tight it was starting to ache and my fists were both little balls of rage at my sides. “You don’t know anything about me and my intentions towards Ella.”

“Your intentions?” Now Steel’s friends were laughing but I didn’t know what they all found so funny. “Dude, it’s the 21st century not the 1800s.”

“Ella’s made her decision. Just stay away from her.”

“She knows where to find me when you’re done with her.”

It was obvious we were at an impasse and neither one of us was going to convince the other to take his position seriously. As I turned to exit, I heard Steel shout, “Three weeks.
Tops. Then she’ll be back.”

***

   As soon as I got out of the building, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding. My pulse was racing and I wiped the sweat that had accumulated on my forehead. I don’t think I had ever been more nervous in my life.

The sun was just starting to set and the air had cooled down a bit. I took in a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. If this was an example of the types of guys Ella had been with I didn’t ever want to meet the other
fifty-seven of them.

The more I thought about Ella and Steel and their relatio
nship, or whatever you wanted to call it, the more confused I got. It didn’t make any sense. Ella made it sound like Steel was using her and he didn’t care about her at all—he just wanted sex. He made it sound like it was a little more than that. Perception is an interesting thing and it can be so different depending on one’s point of view. I decided to ask my communications expert for some assistance in deciphering everything that I had heard.

***

When Marney came to the door of the apartment she shared with my sister she looked tired.

“Lucas, what’s up?” she said as she swiped at her eyes.

“Is my sister home? I need to talk.”

She narrowed her eyes. “Is everything okay?”

“I’m not sure.”

Marney
stepped away from the door so I could enter. “She’s in the bedroom. We were just taking a quick nap. What time is it?”

“After six,” I said.

Marney’s eyes went wide. “Wow, that was a much longer nap than I thought. I’ll get Olivia.”

A few moments later, my sister entered the living room.

“You could have brushed your hair,” I noted. She had one of the worst cases of bed head I had ever seen.

Olivia just gave me the finger in response.
Sibling love. She plopped down on the leather couch and I joined her. “So, what’s up?” my sister asked. “You look off.”

“I am off,” I agreed. “That’s a good way to describe my cu
rrent state.”

“Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell me what’s wrong.”

“Great idea,” Marney agreed as she plopped down in the oversized chair next to us. “Tell us what’s wrong.”

Ever since my sister and
Marney met their freshman year of college, they’ve been inseparable. I’ve always admired their relationship. They balanced each other out. I always wanted to find someone who was like my other half, the way Marney and my sister are with each other. I thought I might have found that with Ella.