AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I chuckled, sitting down beside her. “I’d love that, but I have an appointment in an hour with a client. We can revisit that idea tonight.”
She arched an eyebrow. “Then what kind of snack?”
“How about some ice cream?” I suggested. “Mr. Moo is a few blocks from here. I’ve got a craving for their Dutch chocolate with almonds.”
“Ice cream?” she echoed, as if the concept was foreign to her.
I gently ran my fingers over her cheek, smiling. “Yeah, you know, that cold stuff made with cream?”
“Shut up, Elliott, I know what ice cream is,” she said, a playful glint returning to her eyes. The use of my last name was a good sign—it meant she was feeling better. When she called me by my first name, I knew things were more serious.
“So, are we going?” I asked, standing and holding out my hand.
She smirked, slipping her hand into mine. “I’m not a dog, but I would like to later.”
“Make you come?” I teased, catching the double meaning.
“Maybe I should hold off on the ice cream and wait for a sweeter treat later.”
“You promised ice cream, so let’s go,” I replied, pulling her to her feet.
She laughed softly as we headed toward the door, the tension between us easing into something lighter, something that felt more like us.
CHAPTER 13
Erika
Lincoln Elliott. The man who told me he loved me, yet I didn’t know how to feel about it. The confession was like a warm glow inside, but it also terrified me, pushing me to run. Love. The house I grew up in was filled with it—until it wasn’t. The arguments, the venomous words that filled the air for years, scared me off from any meaningful relationships once I started putting myself out there. Morgan always said I was foolish to let the past dictate my future, but here I was with Lincoln, wondering if I’d made the same mistake.
Now, as I laid in his bed, the afterglow of sex still lingering, I wondered if maybe I was in love with him. And maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t the endorphins talking. Lincoln was unlike any man I’d ever met—hard and soft, dominant and submissive, all at once. He bent just enough to forgive my stupidity but held firm enough to let me know he wanted to be in charge. The only problem? I wanted to be the boss too.
“Erika,” Lincoln whispered, his breath warm against my ear as he pulled me closer. His arms tightened around me, anchoring me against his chest. “How do you feel?”
“Sore,” I murmured, a smile tugging at my lips. I shifted slightly, trying to ease the dull ache in my muscles.
“Was I too rough?” he asked, his voice laced with concern. He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek.
“I like it a little rough, Elliott. You should know that by now,” I teased, looking up at him with a playful glint in my eye.
“But I could hurt you,” he said softly, his brow furrowing. He traced the line of my jaw with his thumb, his touch gentle.
“The only way you could hurt me is emotionally,” I replied, my voice softening as I met his gaze. The weight of my words hung in the air between us.
“And I promise to never do that,” he vowed, his eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat.
“It happens,” I said with a small shrug, trying to keep my tone light. “Just don’t do it intentionally.”
“I have no plans to,” he assured me, leaning in to press a kiss to my lips. The kiss was tender, but it quickly deepened, his need for me evident in the way his hands roamed my body.
He kissed me again, then gently bit my neck, sending a shiver racing down my spine. I let out a soft moan, shifting against him, my thigh brushing against his growing hardness.
“Seriously?” I asked, half-laughing, half-exasperated as I felt him harden against me. “We finished ten minutes ago.”
“You’re smoking hot, and I love you,” he said, his words halting as if he regretted saying them. He pulled back slightly, his expression wary.
“I’m sorry. I won’t say it anymore,” he added quickly, his gaze dropping to the space between us.
“You better not stop saying it,” I growled playfully before I leaned in and gently bit down on his forearm, making him wince slightly.
