Drew stopped, mid-kiss, and I froze, hoping he’d breeze past the moment and go back to tormenting me with his lips.
“Ellie, what was that?”
Dammit.
I didn’t answer, instead I tried to kiss him again but he leaned back, laughing. I unclenched my legs from his waist and dropped to the floor, hiding the blush on my cheeks by burying my face into his shoulder.
Ah, he smells so good! My body was on sensory overload.
“I’ve never heard you make that sound before,” he teased. I gave his hair a playful tug.
“I bet you’re pleased with yourself now, aren’t you? You made me moan like a porn star.”
He gathered me into him. “Ells, come on. You don’t think I feel that way, too?”
“I know you do, but you didn’t embarrass yourself!”
“Don’t be embarrassed, it was sexy as hell. I only laughed because I was surprised.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t realise I made you feel that way.”
Really? My underwear is vibrating with the urge to pop off so you can touch me properly.
The voice telling him he wasn’t good enough was still loud and clear, reminding me how far I had to go to make him understand.
And it was that part of me that knew it was too soon for us to go any further yet.
“Drew, I’ve waited a long time to be here with you. But this… wanting you this much… it’s new for me too. You do make me feel that way, though. More than I can tell you. Which… erm… explains the moaning.”
Drew laughed softly, before leaning down to brush his lips against mine. “Want to finish our dance?”
I nodded. “I’d love to.”
Not gonna lie, sneaking around with Drew was hard. We’d decided against telling anyone we were together for the time being. What we had was so new. We weren’t only trying to avoid another media storm, we were adjusting to a huge change in our relationship. Involving anyone else, even our closest friends and families, was too big a step. Keeping our relationship under wraps was something we needed to do for a while, to protect it, nurture it before we let anyone else in.
After our first date, all we wanted was to spend more time together. With Drew having to disappear for interviews since Razes Hell’s album reached the Top 20 in the download charts, and me working through some of my unfinished projects, time alone was scarce. An opportunity to be together presented itself a little over a week after our first date. Instead of cancelling their remaining small gigs, the band chose to honour them before taking time out to get their next album recorded, and bigger venues booked. Drew asked if I wanted to go to London with them for their final pub show; a farewell to their old life before the new one began.
It couldn’t have been clearer how glad Jason was to be saying goodbye to the pub scene. Drew, however, would miss the simplicity. I knew there was a big part of him that didn’t want their career to change, and I couldn’t help feeling the same way. I was thrilled about their success, but Drew and I had just got together, and no matter how much freedom my job gave me, I wouldn’t be able to travel with them once they were on the road more often. There are only so many art supplies you can fit in a suitcase.
My phone buzzed across the bedside table in my hotel room, and I sat up. The number was unfamiliar, but I answered anyway.
“Is that Ellie Hayes?”
The professional sounding female voice surprised me. I’d expected one of those annoying recorded messages, telling me I’d won a holiday.
“Yes, this is Ellie.”
“I’m Jayne Black, author of ‘Where Are You, Grey Rabbit?’”
My mouth went dry. Oh, God. She’s calling me. And she sounds happy.
“Uh… I… wow. It’s great to hear from you.”
“I have some news for you. I had a lot of illustrations to choose from, and picking my favourite wasn’t easy but your sketches were the ones I kept coming back to. Ellie, I’d love for you to illustrate the book.”
My shriek probably deafened several dogs, not to mention the woman who was about to employ me, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d waited so long for an opportunity this big; I never expected to be chosen on my first attempt.