Read Online Possessing Eleanor by Tessie Bradford - Free Book Online Page B

He crossed his legs at the ankle and his arms across his chest, hoping he affected a casual pose despite the relief coursing through him.
    “Why didn't you tell me that in the first place, Eleanor? Wouldn't it have saved both of us a great deal of upset?” He fixed her with a serious glare and was immensely pleased when she had the good sense to look mildly uncomfortable.
    “Yes, you're absolutely right. I should have been honest with you from the beginning.”
    He smiled broadly, satisfied completely with her apology, but he wasn't given more than a second before she continued.
    “But you need to understand why I got so upset.”
    “We aren't going to just let it go with that?” He raised an eyebrow and tried not to chuckle when her expression intensified.
    “No, we are not,” she replied quickly. “It seemed to me you were questioning my loyalty, my trustworthiness, and it hurt me, Jackson. But I was wrong to try to hurt you back instead of explaining what I was feeling. I get now why you reacted the way you did. I'm not mad anymore.”
    “And what, pray tell, do you ‘get’ about me now that you didn't a few days ago?”
    “I have it on very good authority that your behavior the other day was your somewhat unpolished way of demonstrating how much you care about me.” She grinned at him with amusement dancing in her wide eyes.
    “Unpolished?”
    “Lacked finesse? Rough around the edges?”
    “I know what unpolished means. So who's the authority?”
    “Actually, I got a hard comeuppance from Judy, Dale and Ted. They all delighted in taking your side of things and telling me exactly where I'd gone wrong.”
    “I, now, completely approve of any time you spend with your friends.”
    She rolled her eyes at him, and his deep laughter filled the room.
    “Let me see if I can better articulate my feelings, sweetheart. Come here.”
    He uncrossed his arms and legs, and warmth spread through his body as she came to him without hesitation. When she stood between his legs with her hands braced on the tops of his thighs, he held onto her hips gently and stared deeply into her eyes.
    “The last few days have been agony for me. We aren't ever going to waste hours, let alone days, not speaking to each other again. We belong together.”
    The emotion sparkling in her eyes sent his pulse racing, and he struggled to keep his mind on the conversation at hand as she pressed more tightly between his legs.
    “I know there are going to be times where things get complicated between us. We're both somewhat set in our ways and headstrong.” He began to slowly run his hands along her thighs, carefully working up the material of her skirt. “But nothing is more important to me than making us work out. I love you, Eleanor. I want us to share the rest of our lives together.”
    Joy, relief, adrenaline and shock all slammed into Ellie simultaneously, causing her fingers to tighten, most likely painfully, on Jackson's thighs. She had been rehearsing her apology slash declaration of love speech for hours. With the help of her friends, she'd tried to anticipate every possible scenario, come up with creative explanations, formulate intelligent arguments to insure she kept this incredible man in her life, and to what end? He'd beaten her to the punch. He'd missed her. He loved her. He wanted a future with her. She hadn't ruined everything!
    “I love you too, Jackson.” Ellie threw her arms around his neck and started kissing his forehead, moving frantically to his eyelids and his cheekbones before he grabbed her hair tightly and drew her back far enough to regain eye contact. He held her still just long enough for her to almost drown in the emotions reflected in his expression then his lips claimed hers in a kiss that left no doubt about the depth of his feelings. He plundered, dominated and possessed her mouth as he yanked her skirt to bunch on her hips. When his warm palms caressed her naked ass cheeks, they both groaned at the