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That was fine with Ellison. He couldn’t let go of Teigen even for a moment. Although they hadn’t said one word since the rescue, they were glued to each other in an embrace of solace.
Frank startled them when he jumped back into the car. “We’re not going to check out. I left the keys on the desk. We’ll call the desk when we get farther away.”
As they drove off, Teigen finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. “I thought I’d never get out of there.”
He squeezed her tighter, hoping his arms would provide her the comfort she needed. “I’d never have left you there. You can count on me. Always.”
She turned to him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. She’d held it together more than he did. Her fortitude under duress astounded him.
“I didn’t think anyone would know where I was. How did you find me?”
“I have to thank my father for that. He gave me Frank, a master investigator, who took barely a day to figure out where you were.”
Teigen put her hand on Frank’s shoulder. “I owe you, Frank. Thank you so much.”
Frank patted her hand. “You don’t owe me anything. Your boyfriend here is paying.”
“I would never have found her this fast without you, Frank. We both owe you.”
Frank didn’t protest further. He kept his eyes on the road and kept them speeding back to safety. Ellison didn’t care if Frank admitted it. He’d forever be in his debt for returning Teigen to him.
Now that he had her back, he had to make sure he didn’t lose her again. He needed a collar as soon as they got back to Washington.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
TEIGEN
It had been three days and Teigen still couldn’t sleep well. The threat of being held captive at Trinity Farm plagued her dreams, waking her up in a sweat in the middle of the night. If it weren’t for Ellison holding her until she calmed down, she wouldn’t have gotten the little sleep she had.
Although she hadn’t been able to get herself to go to work yet, she’d been able to check in with her editor and her article was being published. He also gave her a few weeks to recover before he would give her another deadline. Thank God her family hadn’t ruined that. She’d known her parents and the cult she’d grown up in was extreme, but she hadn’t thought after all that had happened, they’d be so delusional they would have thought she’d cave to their demands that she stay with them. Nothing would make her go back there again.
Ellison had insisted that she stay with him for a while, and although a little part of her resented once again being told what to do, she accepted that in the long run, they’d both feel better with him watching over her. He worked from home as much as he could, only leaving for short periods of time to check on the progress of his projects. Each time he left, she experienced such anxiety, despite the fact there was a housekeeper around, that she couldn’t sit still till he got back. Maria tried to get her to go to lunch, but she couldn’t bear to go out.
At the end of the week, Ellison walked into the house with a huge smile and a garment bag. “It’s time to have some fun. We’re going out to a nice dinner and I want you to wear this new dress I bought you.”
He handed her the garment bag from Alice + Olivia, a boutique she went into now and again to drool.
“First of all, I can’t take that dress from you. It’s too expensive. Second, I don’t feel like going out.” She sat down on the couch with a pout.
Ellison strode purposefully toward her. He knelt down and took her by the chin to get her attention.
“First of all, I can buy you anything I want and you will accept it because I want you to. Second, it’s time for you to stop moping around the house. I appreciate that you’ve been through a difficult time, and I don’t want to be insensitive to your trauma, but thankfully, we got you out of there without incident. So get your beautiful ass off this couch and go into the bedroom and get dressed. We’ll leave in an hour.”
He stared her down until she reluctantly did as she was told. After showering and putting on makeup she opened the garment bag. Inside was a stunningly simple, black vegan-leather dress trimmed in white pearls around the neckline. It skimmed her body perfectly when she put it on, the pearls lighting up her face. She hadn’t felt this pretty in ages. Leave it to Ellison to find a way to lift her spirits.
She finished the look off with a pair of bright red heels. Ellison actually whistled when she met him back in the living room, causing her to blush profusely.
“I knew you would be breathtaking in that dress. I can’t wait to take you out to show you off. Turn around for me so I can get a good look.”
As she pivoted around, he began to clap. “Perfection,” was all he said.
Perfection was right. How she’d landed the quintessential kinky gentleman she didn’t know, but she considered herself the luckiest woman on the planet. What a turnaround from last week! She owed him everything, and if he wanted to take her out, she’d better go and make it a wonderful night for him. He deserved it.
She walked up to him, putting her hands around his neck. “Thank you so much for the dress, but most of all, for coming to my rescue.”
She stood on tiptoe and brushed his lips with her own in invitation. He pulled her so close, their bodies connected at every point, then he devoured her mouth in a kiss laced with such desire, she was left breathless, clinging to him for support. He didn’t let her fall, holding her tight while he claimed her body and soul, which she relinquished without a fight.
“No matter what happens, I will be there for you, Teigen. You are mine now.” He looked down at her for affirmation.
