Taming The Wild CEO novel Chapter 97

C H A P T E R 2 6 : T E M P T A T I O N A N D P R O M I S E

J A V I E R S U M M E R S

Javier watched her looking up then tilting her head to one side. There was confusion on her face before it was replaced with horror. She gasped, dropping her fork on the plate in a loud noise. The poor utensils bounced from the plate to the dining table. “I am sorry,” she muttered, shaking her head and biting her lips. “Did I just call you with the wrong name?”

“No. No.” He put his hand on her shoulder and rubbed her arm up and down in a soothing motion. “You just called me by the nickname that you gave me. No one else calls me that.” He paused for a moment then spoke again, “Did you perhaps—” Dropping his hand to his lap, he closed his eyes and shook his head. When he finally reopened her eyes and looked at her in the eye again, the spark of hope in his baby blues was already gone. “Never mind.” He gave her a small, reassuring smile. He did not dare to hope, feeling scared that he was going to be let down once again by another hopeful thinking.

Her hand touched his and Javier dropped his gaze to his lap. Staring at their hands together, he was feeling nostalgic. They had held hands numerous times in the past but since her accident, he could only count two times with the second time being right now.

“What is it?” Ella asked softly, her eyes worried. “Tell me.”

At first, he was hesitant but upon watching the pleading in her eyes, he finally gave in. “You called me Jiev. It was the nickname you gave me back when we started dating.”

“Oh.” Her eyes rounded then she lifted her hand to touch her lips as if she was wondering how her lips could recall something her mind could not. “I-I am sorry.”

“Do not worry about it,” he patted her hand with his other hand and gave her a small smile. “You should eat more.” When her hand was retracted from his and they lost their physical connection, he felt a poke in his heart and tried to ignore it. He continuously reminded himself that she was still here with him.

* * *

In regards to his promise that he would take things slowly with her even if it killed him, it might just kill him after all, Javier decided thirty minutes later as Ella put down her fork and sighed. “If I eat another bite, I swear you will have to cut and tear these jeans apart just to get them off because I will not be able to get them off by myself.”

Images of stripping her out of her pants, of running his hands over the curve of her hips and down those long slender legs had perspiration beading between his shoulder blades and desire burning below his belt. “I am sure I will be able to do it,” he somehow managed to get past a throat that had gone from dry to parched in a heartbeat. “But I expect it will take quite a few more of these apple pies before I need to take out the scissors and use them on anything besides the pant’s leg.”

“Oh, I am not so sure about that,” she said, laughing, and the easy carefree sound made his chest tighten. It seemed a lifetime since he had heard her laugh like that. “Right now I feel about as stuffed as my ankle looks with that bandage. But it is almost worth it. Everything was delicious. You are a wonderful cook.”