Ellie

Twenty Five

In the end, they ate their meal sitting together on the sofa, with their plates on their knees, Brett had put some music on in the background, and they ended up chatting about the new album and how they thought it was going, and their next tour they were planning on promoting it. When they had finished eating, Ellie grabbed the plates to take them over to the dishwasher, but Brett came up behind her and pulled her away by the hand leading her back into the living room toward the sofa.

"Hey C'mon, we can leave those dishes for later," he insisted, "Let's finish off this bottle of wine instead" He then offered Ellie her glass, which he had conveniently topped up again

"Hmm, anyone would think you were trying to get me drunk, so you could have your wicked way with me" she remarked, plopping her behind back on the sofa

"Like I would do such a thing," he smirked as he sat down next to her, before sliding his arm across her shoulder so he could pull her closer to him, "Though I might just be hoping that you want me to have my wicked way with you" he finished, briefly kissing the side of her head

"I am taking it under consideration," she answered with a playful smile, before taking a sip from her wine glass, then holding it up, as if she was addressing it, instead of Brett she added a little glibly, "Maybe the sooner we get it over with, you can have the satisfaction of of adding me as another notch on your belt of the woman you have slept with, and we can move on"

Brett now looked round at her, pulling his brows down in a slight troubled frown, "Is that what you think this is?"

Ellie attempted to laugh off the seriousness in his tone, and then she shrugged with slight uncertainty, "That's the trouble, I really don't know what to think about all this' she then confessed.

Brett remained silent for a moment, contemplating her words, then he reached to take the wine glass from her hand and set it down on the nearby occasional table with his own, before he turned to look her in the eye.

"You are not, and never will be, just another notch on my belt El" he then informed her solemnly, "I thought you would realise that by now. You are so much more to me than that than that, it's not the same with you as it is when I am with all those other women, and if you give me this chance I will prove it" he informed her with so much sincerity in his hazel eyes, that she found herself scrutinising his face in search of the arrogant mocking Brett she was use to, and not finding him

Which was why she brought the palm of her hand up to cup his face, her brown eyes narrowing slightly as she continued to scrutinise him, "Who are you? and what have you done with the real Brett Carter?" she then queried in wonderment

This made him smile, he reached up to clasped her hand against his face in a warm embrace his thumb caressing her knuckles, "I am still here; I have always been here, it's just you just haven't noticed me until now"

"Well whatever this is happening between us, I think you will be happy to know it's seems to be working," Ellie then confessed a little unsteadily, feeling herself getting lost in the depth of the warmth of his gaze, that drew her closer to him till her lips met his, her eyes closing as she savoured the nearness of him, her tentative kiss was enough to send Brett over the edge, as his arms went around her pulling her closer, his own mouth claimed her hungrily and she was only too happy to kiss him back with the same ardour

********************************

The only room in Brett's apartment Ellie had never been familiar with, had been his bedroom, that was until now as she lay in his arms in his bed with the dim light that shone through the slight opening of his blinds from the streetlamps making it possible to see the contours of Brett's profile as he lay sleeping.

Unlike Brett, sleep was something that had evaded her after their lovemaking, as she found herself now analysing the unusual week that had culminated into what had occurred between them tonight, that had turned her whole world upside down.

The strangest sensation of all, had been the realisation that she had no regrets, and how right it had felt being with him here like this, and yet, still at the same time, inside her the more sensible part in her head, she kept telling herself it was crazy, because of all the pitfalls associated with it.

How would it affect the dynamics in the band? What would happen if it ended up going wrong, and she and Brett ended up hating each other? Could their professional relationship survive the fall out, so they could go on still?

How long could she keep what was happening between them hidden from the media and her family, and how on earth was she going to tell her father?

She knew it was no good voicing her concerns to Brett, who was happier taking it all in his stride, and refused to let these kinds of worries bother him. Which was probably why he was sleeping contentedly, and she envied him that. When he was awake, it was much easier to push these thoughts to the back of her mind and now she let out a long sigh.

As if sensing she was unsettled beside him, despite the fact he was still sleeping, his arms tightened around her, encouraging her to snuggle further into his bare shoulder, which she did, and found somewhat comforting. It helped to almost calm the disquieting thoughts that were going through her head

And she realised whatever happened in the future between them, she knew right now, that there was nowhere else she wanted to be.