“People make mistakes, Ruby.”
“Not those kinds of mistakes. Can you imagine running off with a man and leaving your husband and baby girl behind?”
I tried and failed. I couldn’t.
“You have to fight for him, Ella,” Ruby said fiercely.
How could I fight for someone I did not have? “We’re not about that,” I said miserably. “We’re fuck buddies, that’s all.” Even saying it aloud sounded false. We had become more than that. We had developed a friendship and we cared about each other.
“Well, have you kept your end of the bargain?” Ruby asked.
I sighed deeply. “I don’t know.”
“Shouldn’t that be a hard no? I’m looking at the photos from that night you went on a date with him right now, and you look like a woman deeply in love to me.”
“I’m not deeply in love.”
“Hey,” Ruby said softly. “It’s not a bad thing to open your heart, you know. All men are not like Stan. You’re a good person Ella, and you deserve to be happy.”
After we ended the call, I thought about what Ruby had said. What if I opened up my heart to Luke and he rejected me? What if he chose Penelope, where would that leave me?
Opening your heart to someone wasn’t as easy as it sounded. People hurt you when you gave them that power. Had I not loved Stan? I would have walked away from that relationship the first time he put me down in public if I hadn’t had feelings for him. He would never have had a chance to treat me like his boxing bag.
My self-esteem would not come close to being destroyed… not ever again.
Ella
I felt relieved when I heard Luke’s car at three thirty in the afternoon. There would be time for Molly to catch a quick nap before dinner.
“Hi sweetheart,” I said to a tired looking Molly as she trudged up the steps holding her dad’s hand.
I kept my gaze on Molly, frightened of what I’d see if I looked at Luke. What if he’d realized how much he’d missed his ex-wife? Or maybe he knew I had feelings for him and would look at me with pity?
“Let’s get you to bed,” I said to Molly and took her hand.
“Did you have fun?” I asked, as I tucked a light blanket around her.
“Yes,” Molly said sleepily, her eyes already half closed. Then she stuck out her hand and touched my cheek.
I melted. I covered her hand with mine.
Seconds later, she was snoring gently.
I kissed her forehead and tiptoed out.
I stood outside her room indecisively. I could have gone to my room to continue working on my designs, but a strong urge to see Luke came over me. I knocked softly on the library door before pushing it open.
His face lit up with a smile when he saw me and all my insecurities melted away. You couldn’t fake such a reaction. Smiling, I went to him.
He stood up and pulled me into his arms.
All the tension in my body ebbed away as he held me tight. I inhaled his masculine scent and let my head rest on his chest.
“I missed you,” Luke said, his voice gruff.
“I missed you too,” I said and raised my head, needing to feel his lips on mine—to lose myself in his kisses.
Our kiss was gentle and probing, familiarizing each other with our tongues and mouths, though we’d only been apart for a few hours. From the corner of my eye, I caught a movement and broke the kiss. When I looked again, there was nothing.
“How was your afternoon? I’m sorry we couldn’t go together,” Luke said.
“It’s fine, I got a lot—”
“Here you are,” Penelope said and stepped into the library. “I promised Molly I’d stay for dinner, so I thought I’d take in a swim and catch some sun.” She twirled around.
My jaw dropped.
She wore a skimpy bikini, if it could even be called a bikini. The bottom was a silver colored thong with the scrap of material disappearing into the crack of her curvaceous ass.
“Anyway, we had better let you get back to work,” she said, favoring Luke with a sexy look. “Come on, Ella.”
I had no choice but to follow her out.
She held the door for me and then shut the door. She faced me and smiled. Her lips curved and her teeth showed, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’ve missed my family so much. Do you have any of your own?”
“No,” I said stiffly.
She caught my meaning because her eyes narrowed. “Do you want to join me for a swim? We can continue with our girly chat.”
The sudden interest in me made me suspicious. I suspected she had been the shadow I had seen when Luke and I were in each other’s arms. I had just moved up from being part of the furniture to her main competition. I had no choice but believe Ruby’s instinctive assessment now. Penelope was working her way back into Luke and Molly’s lives. “Thanks, but I need to tidy up the playroom,” I said and smiled politely.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll be out in the back if you change your mind.” She turned and sashayed down the hallway, her ass cheeks jiggling with every step.
I climbed the stairs wearily. I was at a loss about what to do. Penelope was Molly’s mom and she needed to be with her daughter.
Molly had been opening up more day by day and that was all because of her mother’s presence. I couldn’t do anything about Penelope wanting to seduce her ex-husband. It would be up to Luke now what happened. If he wanted her back, I would have no choice but to bow out and give them their space. Even if it broke my heart into a million pieces.
For now, I would continue to do the work Luke had hired me for and enjoy what we
