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When Ellie’s door opens, my heart hammers against my chest. It’s still hard to believe I found her. The best decision I made was telling her we were taking Cody’s car because she’s wearing a dress that shows off every luscious curve she has. Last time it was disappointing when she changed. My fingers tingle thinking about running them up her silky tan thighs. I need to take my time with her, but it’s hard when every part of my body itches to touch her.
“I’m almost done.” She wanders away, leaving the door open. “You can come in,” she says over her shoulder.
Music drifts out from her bedroom and the scent of vanilla fills the air. I glance around her apartment noticing the flicker of a candle in her kitchen. A camera and a photo book lay on her coffee table. She’s disappeared, so I sit on the couch and open the album, expecting to catch a glimpse into her life outside the bar. I’m surprised I'm not looking at pictures of her at all. Pulling the book into my lap, I flip from page to page, but not before studying each picture. There are two on each page.
“Ah, my project.” I startle at her voice, stunned that I was so pulled in I didn’t notice her watching me. She leans in her bedroom doorway, flashing a shy smile.
"I hope you don't mind. These are… heartbreaking, yet amazing." I see what she meant by I’d have to see it. I continue to flip the pages but stop at one. "This is Pepper.” I look up at her confused and she nods. “Are these all women that Max–"
“Not all,” she interrupts. “There’s a woman’s shelter, close to Max’s place.” I nod, knowing where the place is. Stone took me there and introduced me to the lady that runs the place. But I’m confused about Ellie’s part. “I took those pictures two years ago for a class about narratives and documentary. After I completed the class, I couldn’t stop. I was helping these women, and it was so much more than I ever imagined, deep down, I knew it was my calling. So, I continued. That's the final project.”
“So, you take pictures when they first come in? And then…”
She blows out a heavy breath and looks away for a beat. “I volunteer at the shelter. When they first arrive, I talk with them, gain their trust as a friend. I explain what I’m doing, and we go from there. Some say no and that's okay, I'm still there to help them. Most of these women have been so beaten down mentally and physically by a man that they don’t think they’re worth anything. I take a picture of them, but then a few months later, when they have gone through counseling and we work with them to get back on their feet, I take another one to prove how beautiful and strong they really are. It’s not about their clothes or their makeup. It’s not superficial, it’s real. The life in their eyes, the happiness in their smile, the strength in their posture. I want them to see what courage looks like. I want them to see they are the light in a world of darkness and nobody can take that away.”
I’m speechless. So many things run through my head. The dependent girl I fell in love with has grown into a woman I’m in awe of. I have firsthand knowledge of the courage needed for these women, my mom didn’t have it. What these women have gone through, I lived it.
“Stop looking at me like that.” She blushes, glancing down.
“Like what? Like I think you’re amazing, beautiful inside and out? Like the more I get to know, the more I want to know? Like I really like you?” I push off the couch and stride toward her, drawing her to me when I get close enough. “I’ll never stop looking at you like that.”
I lower my head so I can kiss her. When she scrunches her nose and pulls back, I pause. “What’s wrong?”
She coughs once and clears her throat. “Nothing,” she says, holding her breath. My brows furrow and I straighten, knowing there’s something.
“Do you not want to kiss me?” I’ve never had that reaction trying to kiss someone. Not going to lie, it stings.
“Oh, no! I’m sorry,” she says, taking a couple of steps away from me. “I want you to kiss me. Especially after everything you said.” Her voice softens and her hand goes over her heart. “But, it’s hard…” She pauses. It’s clear she’s trying to find the right words. “Geez, I ruined the moment.”
“What stopped you?” I’m so confused.
“Cowboy… your cologne is kinda strong,” she drawls, wincing.
I snatch my shirt, pulling it up to my nose and take a large whiff. “You don’t like it?” Not the response I was shooting for.
“I don’t not like it. I think I like your normal cologne better.”
“I don’t usually wear cologne.”
“Oh.” She bites her lip, looking damn sexy.
“Is it terrible?” I continue smelling different parts of my shirt.
“Uh… yes.”
I sigh, dropping my shirt. “Do you mind if we stop off at my apartment so I can take a quick shower?”
“Not at all.”
Chapter Sixteen
Kase
After stepping into my apartment and the lingering cloud of cologne hitting me smack in the face, all I want is fresh air. I take a sharp inhale when we step out of my building. I could blame it on the adrenaline from the jump that made me swim in the cologne rather than me being a dumbass, but it’s probably a little of both. I tossed the stuff in the trash.
I slip my fingers through hers, determined to make tonight better than it started. “Where are we going?” she asks, squeezing my hand. Stone told me about a place but told me I wouldn’t get in without a reservation. Son-of-a-bitch. I snap my wrist to glance at my watch, dropping my head in disappointment.
“Something wrong?”
