Nathan smiles and wraps a brotherly arm around my shoulder. He squeezes me tight, and for a moment I wonder if he’s going to give me a noogie like he used to when we were kids. Thankfully, he doesn’t. “No, Mad, it’s not normal. It’s fucking extraordinary. It’s special and perfect and precious. And that’s why you shouldn’t ever let it go. Hold on tight, kid.”
I look into his eyes, searching for any sign of deceit. Nope. He totally believes what he’s saying. “Okay,” I breathe a sigh of relief. “Maybe I’m not addicted to sex then. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a real thing. It’s not something to laugh about.”
“We’re not laughing at sex addicts, you dick,” Mason replies. “We’re laughing at you.”
“You’renotaddicted to sex, Mad,” Nathan assures me.
Elijah catches my eye across the table. “No. You’re just in love with your girlfriend.”
His words hit me full-force in the chest. I haven’t been in love since I was seventeen and looking back, I’m not sure if that was real love or obsession. Because of the way it ended, we never got the chance to find out.
This feels completely different. It’s not just sex. That’s just what I focused on. It’s everything about her. Everything aboutus. Ellie Madison is my fucking world, my shining star. Now that we’ve cleared up that pesky sex addiction fear, I don’t feel the need to shy away from that truth.
Elijah is right. I love Ellie. I would give my dying breath to make her happy.
A smile spreads across my face. “Yeah, I am.”
Chapter 25
Ellie
Katy has been round at my place helping me get ready, and she is as encouraging as ever. I’m wearing a new dress, and while it’s not quite the red velvet concoction that she last talked me into buying, it is stunning. It also cost a quarter of my month’s salary—or at least it would if I’d paid for it.
“Girl, I wish I had an expense account like that,” she says, looking on as I examine myself in the mirror. “I need to get me a new job.”
“Really?” I ask, immediately interested. “Because I know how great you are, and if you’re ever looking to move…” I leave it dangling. She really is good, and I’d love to have her on my team.
“No, not really,” she replies. “I actually love my job. And besides, we’d never get any work done, we’d be too busy gossiping. Now, give me a twirl, sister. Shake that ass.”
I laugh and do as she asks. The dress is floor-length, black satin, off-the-shoulder. It’s super-duper fancy, and ordinarily I would never have spent so much money on a dress.
Bizarrely, it was Elijah who suggested I go shopping on the company account. At first I was momentarily offended and asked if there was anything wrong with the way I dressed. He quickly reassured me. “Not at all. This is Amber’s doing. Shesays that you’re now one of the public faces of Jamestech and its charities, and as such, I have a responsibility to make sure you’re comfortable with that. And apparently, Ellie, that means buying you a new dress.”
He shook his head, bemused. “That woman completely confuses me. But I’ve learned over the years that she’s often right. So, if you’re interested, have at it. Or if you’re not, that’s also fine. You always look great to me.”
I could tell he was marginally uncomfortable, so I quickly put him out of his misery and accepted.
Amber’s right. More and more these days, I’m invited to represent the company at events, interviews, conferences, and charity functions. I’ve worn Jessica Rabbit several times already and was planning on another shopping trip with Katy sometime soon anyway. My work wardrobe needs expanding.
In the end, I still went shopping with Katy, we just did it with a Jamestech credit card in my purse. I was nervous, but Amber took the time to message me. “Please bear in mind that you’re the best VP that Jamestech has,” she said, so kindly, “and as such, you deserve a little fun at the business’s expense. Believe me, they can afford it. So know your worth and enjoy.” She also recommended me a few designer brands that she thought would suit my figure, and she wasn’t wrong.
Katy read the message and sighed. “I have such a girl crush on Amber James. Do you think she’d leave Elijah for me?”
“Not a chance, babe, sorry. Those two are for life.”
We spent an enjoyable afternoon in some high-end stores, and now I’m wearing the end product. I’ve been to the salon, and my hair has been somewhat tamed and styled in an up-do that makes me look a lot more sophisticated than normal. Katy helped with my makeup, and I have some killer new heels, so sharp and pointy that you could use them as a murder weapon.
Tonight, I am both an official face of Jamestech and Maddox’s date. It’s a fundraiser for a charity that’s close to my own heart. One that supports children entering and leaving the foster care system. The company is donating several million dollars to the cause, and I’ve been given the role of liaising between Jamestech and the Be Your Best Self organization. I’m thrilled and excited, and also a little nervous. It’s a lot of responsibility, especially in addition to my existing work, but I know I can make a success of it.
Katy is spritzing me with perfume when there’s a knock on the door.Fuckbuckets!He’s here already. My heart leaps, because it always does when I think about Maddox. I wonder what he’ll think of my dress.
“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Katy says, smiling at me. “You’re actually blushing.”
She goes to let him in, and they chat to each other as they wait for me to emerge from the bedroom. As I walk into the living room, Maddox goes silent, trailing off mid-sentence. He stares at me for a solid thirty seconds, his eyes roaming over my body in a way that has me more than blushing. It has me hot. I know what he’s thinking immediately—that I look great in this dress, but that I’d look even better out of it.
“Ellie,” he says simply, his voice ragged. “You look beautiful. I have something for you.”
He struts towards me holding a black velvet jewelry box. He opens it up, and I grin when I see what is inside. It’s a simple necklace made of a black leather cord, hung with a pendant of silver and blue stone, dangling above a pretty black and white zebra shell. It’s very obviously Moroccan, influenced by their long traditions. “Oh Maddox, I love it,” I exclaim, clapping my hands together.
