When Past & Present Collide: WP&PC Read Online Free

“What if…” I cut her off before she could carry on. I couldn’t even consider the what-ifs. They weren’t even on the table. “Shh, sweetheart. Rest okay.” Ella just nodded but I knew she wanted to ask.
    Instead she came out with something I never even imagined. “Tell me why you kept coming back,” she whispered.
    I smiled; I couldn’t believe she wanted to talk about this, but anything that would help take her mind off the last question.
    “I don’t know sweetheart, maybe I was a looking for punishment,” I laughed as she tried to hit out , but to no avail.
    “Tell me,” she whispered more hoarsely. Her body was cuddled into mine; I could feel all of her ribs prodding into me. I felt sick to my stomach. Heck, I need to sort out my family. I need to be the man Ella so much deserves.
    I hope to G od they find him.
    “I just couldn’t get you out of my head. The first time I met you inside my office , I knew I wanted you. Boy, did you give me a run for my money though. You just wouldn’t date me. No matter what.” I noticed her lips budge up slightly as her mouth wanted to smile, but even that was too much for her.
    “I wanted to,” she whispered.
    It was times like this that I wish we could turn back the clock, but I know that’s never a possibility. Heck, I would have done things differently. If my eyes hadn’t been so clouded over by her, I would have seen what was before my very eyes and the outcome could have been so much better.
    “I know sweetheart. I didn’t at the time but I do now, trust me I know,” I said as I kissed her forehead. “Do you remember that day you were supposed to come to the meeting and Joan turned up instead of you?” she nodded.
    “Boy was I mad. I had specifically told you that you w ere to bring the work up to me. Well you could imagine my surprise when Joan was sitting there; ravelling off a load of bullshit that I definitely knew wasn’t her work. After that I put two and two together. I never realised I was nowhere near the conclusion I needed to be at though. I really thought Joan was the culprit.”
    “ Anyway, after work I put on my running gear and headed to the park but I couldn’t see you anywhere. So I went back to the office, did some work and headed on home. Low and behold, when I finally left, there were you and my assistant, pissed, I might add, and looking all adorable and sweet. Within seconds you had fallen into my arms and you just blew me away. I couldn’t believe my luck and I’ve been hooked ever since.”
     
    *****
    Ella.
         I smiled to myself as I knew that day very well. I’d just returned from my holiday to Italy, where I had to sign the final papers to get my full inheritance. My parents had died when I was 21 and as they were Italian, I had to go and sign the documents over there.
    My first day back to work was a blast. Not really. Actually some parts had been , especially winding Taylor up with my new mug was funny. I can still picture his face now.
    I was in the kitchenette making a hot drink as I had arrived early that day due to bad nightmares to be confronted by Taylor, mine and Beth’s great gay friend. I was just picking up my mug when the fully clothed man on the front of it turned completely naked; well you could picture Taylor’s eyes when this happened. They lit up like a child in a sweet shop; he nagged me for days for my new cup. Anyhow, while Taylor and I were there he explained that some things had been going on. My boss, Joan, and I had been called into a staff meeting as someone within the company had been over-charging our clients and we had lost a lot of them to a competitive company. Everyone was a suspect and Mr Green was meeting all the staff.
    After that day , I had gone for a jog and bumped into him. Jacob decided it wasn’t safe for me to jog alone, how could I argue with him on that? Lucky for me I got to jog with his yumminess. However, things never turn out how we want them to.
    He had given me