Chapter 23

Friday night - Luke

Meg and Remington returned just before dinner, and if I could have pushed them both out of the room and started making out with Ellie again, I would have. I was pretty sure Ellie wanted it too, judging from the steamy looks she gave me when Meg and Remington weren't paying attention. I knew Ellie also wanted to kick them out as sure as I knew we would never do that, no matter how much we wanted to. It was just wrong, and neither of us were ready to admit how much we wanted to be alone together. But I for one could hardly wait, and the heat in Ellie's gaze every time she glanced at me made me certain she felt the same.

By the time Meg and Remington finally called it a night, we were all down in the game room and had just finished a round of darts that I sucked at because I could only play with my right hand. The minute the door closed behind them, I went sauntering over to Ellie and wrapped my good arm around her waist.

"I thought they'd never leave," I said as I moved in to capture her lips.

"Me too," she managed between kisses.

Damn. I buried my face in her neck and breathed in her perfume that had already made me hard. Then I slowly moved my mouth up her neck, dropping kisses carefully along her collar bone.

She shivered and I smiled against her soft, warm skin.

I finally moved back up to her mouth and after giving her another kiss, I pressed my forehead to hers. "Come on." I turned and tugged her along behind me toward the loveseat.

We settled into it, our thighs touching. I pressed my right hand on her leggings high up her thigh, which felt really familiar. For a second, I wondered if she'd allow me to leave it there. But the sly grin on her face said she didn't mind. Instead of moving in for an immediate new round of kissing, however, I surprised myself by saying, "My therapist wants me to go on a trip."

"A trip?" Ellie cocked her head and frowned.

"Yeah, like away for a weekend." I squeezed her thigh. Shit. I was feeling all kinds of nervous. Maybe I should have just skipped to the kissing.

Ellie rested her head on my shoulder, which, honestly, felt much better than it should have. "I don't like the sound of that," she said. "Does that mean we'll have to stop making out while you're gone?" She grinned at me.

Damn. I wanted to kiss her again, but I pressed ahead. "I think I need to do it. For therapy," I replied, poking out my cheek with my tongue. "I really don't want fame to turn me into a recluse."

Ellie dropped her hand to my thigh and stroked, which did nothing to stop the full-on wood I already had in my pants. "I get that," she said softly.

I nodded and bit my lip. Damn. Why was this so difficult? Say it, Knightley. I cleared my throat. "Will you go with me?"

Ellie lifted her head from my shoulder and immediately started coughing. Apparently, choking on nothing. Oh, great. I'd given her a coughing fit.

"Wha…what?" she finally managed.

I shifted to face her a little and grabbed her closest hand with mine. "I'm serious. I feel better when you're around me. Will you go on a weekend trip with me?"

This was not the first time I'd invited a woman on a trip. So why did I feel so jumpy and anxious? Like I wouldn't be able to breathe if she said no?

"Where?" she asked after her coughing fit subsided.

I bit my bottom lip. "Well, Dr. H suggested Milwaukee, but I was thinking something more like Miami."

"Miami?" Ellie's brows shot up. I could tell she was surprised. More than surprised.

"Yeah. I have a place down there. I should go more. I mean, I know it's not in your job description, but—" Okay. Now I was babbling. Her job had nothing to do with this.

"No. No. I… I didn't know you had a place in Miami. That's cool." Ellie did that adorable little head bob thing she did. "I've never been to Miami."

I gave her my most charming go-for-it grin. "Wanna try it?"