She peeked through her fingers as he ambled away. The jeans molded his bu**ocks to perfection, and Charlie wasn’t missing a second of the view as he left the room.
As he disappeared through the doorway, Charlie turned to her, her eyes wide, her expression shocked.
“James Wyman,” she breathed out in shock. “Oh my God! Ella, you f**ked James Wyman? Or is it Jesse?” she squeaked in fear, well aware of Tess’s interlude with Jesse Wyman and Cole.
Ella squirmed in her chair. No, she thought, he had f**ked her, thoroughly. And more than once. She sighed tiredly. Everyone would know it now.
“It’s not Jesse,” she groaned, pushing her fingers restlessly through her hair. “You should know better than that.”
“James!” she squealed.
“Dammit, Charlie, shut up,” she shushed her frantically. “He’ll hear you.”
“Ella, do you have any idea what you’re doing? What you’re getting into?” Her voice lowered. “Honey, he and Jesse have shared their women more than once…”
“Not me.” Ella came out of her chair, her hands trembling violently as she shoved them into the pockets of her robe.
“Maybe not with Jesse, but Ella, James and Jesse aren’t the only members of their pack, hon. I could name you half a dozen now.”
She shook her head. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Charlie sat back in her chair, her mouth falling open in surprise. “You haven’t heard? They’re called the Trojans, babe. Because of their dominance, and their sharing. They like submissives, Ella. You aren’t a submissive. Are you?”
“You know I’m not,” Ella bit out. But she wondered. What James had done to her that night, the dark promises he had made to her as he buried his c**k inside her over and over again, threatened her belief that she wasn’t.
“Ella, those men, they don’t mess with women who aren’t submissive. Women who won’t give them that ultimate commitment.” Charlie came to her feet, facing her in concern. “You ran from Jase because of his demands. James will be worse.”
Ella shook her head. “I’m in control,” she whispered. “He won’t do it if I don’t want it.”
“And when he leaves because you can’t do it?” she whispered fiercely. “Dammit, Ella, haven’t you been hurt enough?”
“It’s my choice, Charlie.” She raised her head in determination. “My choice. No matter what happens.”
Charlie watched her silently.
“He’s the one,” she finally said slowly. “The one that came in while Jase had you tied down. The reason you divorced him and moved so damned far away for so long.”
Ella turned away, her lips opening as she fought to drag in more air, to stem the panic rising in her chest.
“Stop, Charlie,” she whispered, turning back to her as she stared at her friend pleadingly. “Please, let it go.”
“My God. You’re in love with him.” Charlie shook her head, amazement shaping her expression. “Ella, he’s the one. The reason you ran and turned into a bitter old nun. My God. He’s younger than you are.”
“Six years…”
“He shares his women,” she pointed out again.
“I don’t have to agree…”
“But you will to keep him.” Charlie was angry now. Her voice throbbed with it, her face flushing with it. “You will, Ella. Because you love him.”
“Enough.” Her hand sliced through the air as her soul trembled with the knowledge. “This isn’t any of your business, Charlie…”
“The hell it isn’t.” Charlie’s voice rose with her anger. “Dammit, Ella, I watched you destroy yourself after that divorce. Turning into a bitter old woman before your time because of that bastard…”
“Lower your voice.” Ella was shaking with her own anger now. “And remember, Charlie, I didn’t ask you for your opinion then or now.”
“Like you have to ask for it,” Charlie snorted is disgust. “Really, Ella. It’s voluntary, darling.” The sarcasm was a clear sign that Charlie was rapidly losing her temper. Ella wasn’t far behind.
“Everything okay?” Ella’s head swung around to the doorway and she wanted to groan in dismay when she saw James standing there, watching them mockingly.
“Don’t you know how to dress?” she bit out in irritation, seeing all the smooth, perfect muscle that she knew Charlie was eating up with her eyes.
He arched a dark brow questioningly. “I thought all good little boy toys went around half naked? Don’t tell me you’re firing me after only a few hours on the job.”
Chapter Ten
It was well after midnight before Charlie left. After James’ mocking statement and his declaration that he was going to bed to let them discuss him in peace, Ella broke out the wine. Some nights, there was nothing you could do but get a shade tipsy and remember all the reasons why you didn’t want a man in your life. Charlie was eager to go along with her. Evidently all that smooth male muscle and blatant sexuality had been too much for her to deal with at one time as well.
Finally, her friend weaved her way to the limo waiting on her, thanked her aging driver nicely as he opened the door for her, and crawled into the vehicle. Ella herself felt she was walking reasonably straight until she closed the door and turned around. She proceeded to walk into the embroidered chair that sat off to the side. She frowned down at it in irritation before backing up and trying again.
She needed to go to bed. But James was in her bed. She stopped as she headed through the kitchen. Of course James was in her bed. That was where he belonged, she decided with a sharp, rather jerky nod before squaring her shoulders and heading to the room.
He was waiting on her. How had she known he would still be awake and waiting on her? His expression was cool, arrogant, as she removed her robe and started to lie down.
“The gown.” His voice was dark, foreboding.
Ella stopped, staring at him in surprise.
“Excuse me?” she asked him haughtily. “I sleep in my gown.”
“Take it off or I’ll tear it off.” There was no mercy in his voice, no change in his expression.
Ella snorted. “Some boy toy you are, James. I might have to fire you after all. You are supposed to obey me, not the other way around.”