All I Want is You (Hearts on Fire Book 1) by Ashley Mullins Page A

just stares and waits for her to continue.
    Her eyes trace his shirt buttons up to his face.  She imagines ripping them loose, one at a time, or all at once, exposing his broad chest… but his silence irks her.  
    She tucks a few loose strands of blond hair behind her ear.  “What I meant,” she says, “is that not everyone’s perfect, you know?”
    “Yes, I do,” he says.  “I’m sorry the conversation went that direction.  To make it up to you, let me reassure you then.”  He pauses and reaches out to her.  His hand brushes over her shoulder, then gently presses her skin, just under the sleeve of her t-shirt.  He squeezes her lightly.  “Your demons can’t be any worse than mine.”
    “Oh, you have no idea—”
    “I do,” he interrupts.  “And now I have to prove it to you.”
    Ellie stands frozen, unsure what to say or do next.  Not sure who this stranger is or what he might be trying to prove.  She’s cautious— somewhere between intrigued and nervous— but wants to trust him.  “I might let you do that,” she finally admits.  
    He lowers his head, fixes his gaze on her.  “That’s what I needed to know.”  
    Ellie watches the perfect form of his backside as he turns and begins to walk away, his pants hugging every curve.  
    When he gets to the set of double doors at the end of the hall, he reaches for the handle, then pauses and looks back at her.  “By the way,” he says, “do you find them stimulating?”
    She smirks, and one of her eyelids twitches.  She knows she’s caught, but doesn’t give him the satisfaction of a reply.  
    He smiles in return, exposing a straight set of clean, white teeth.  “You’re right,” he says, “You really can tell a lot from someone’s eyes.”  
    He points to the paintings.  “You know, I think I will leave them in place, then.”  
    “Oh, right…um…” Ellie presses a finger over her lips and looks away from him.  
    “Jake,” he says to her.  “My name is Jake Harlow.”
    “That wasn’t fair, Jake...” she looks back at him.  “I’m Ellie.”
    “I know,” he says and walks through the set of double doors.  
    The rattle of them closing shakes her heart.  
     
    ***
     
    Ellie turns to face the problem in front of her— the locked door of her apartment.  She can’t help but glance over her shoulder, hoping that somehow Jake is still there, or that he’s reappeared.  She still has questions.  Did he really know her name or was he agreeing his little trick wasn’t fair?
    With no way to know, she pulls her cell from her pocket.  
    “Yeah, Ell,” a hesitant voice answers.  
    “Can you just give me one more chance?” she asks.
    “There’s nothing I can do,” Isaac says.  His tone is sympathetic, but firm.  “This is the third month in a row you’ve been overdue.”
    Ellie shakes the door knob again.  She fights back tears.  “Please, I won’t let you down…  I promise.”  
    “I don’t know, Ell.  I really shouldn’t do this,” he says.  “I don’t allow my other tenants to go halfway through a month without paying.”
    “But I’ve got nowhere to go,” her voice cracks, “and I really need to get something.  Isn’t there anything you can do?”
    “I just don’t—”
    “Please, Isaac,” she says.  “My story’s due in two days.  If I don’t get my notebook, I’m totally screwed…  I’m begging you.”  
    She paces back and forth, grabs a fistful of her hair.
    “Listen, Ell,” Isaac finally says.  “I like you, so I’m going to give you one last chance.  You’ve put up with all that construction noise next door, so, I guess I could throw you a bone.”
    Oh, thank God .   She releases a long breath.   “Thank you so much, Isaac.  I promise you—”
    “I’ll give you twenty-four hours, Ell…  and you need to come up with this month’s rent plus ten percent late penalty… and then I’ll change your lock back.  Got it?  That’s the best I can