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Ella sighed and adht I would explode just froled, "there is nothing better than a kiss fro And if Declan kisses anything like he looks, oh yeah!"

Suddenly, Ella heard a h as she overheard Nick say, "I’ to try not to take it personally that you see out Declan It could be worse At least you aren’t discussing Gray"

Beth laughed and Ella heard a s kiss that she assumed had been delivered to Nick "Oh, honey, I’ my friend You know I haven’t really looked at Declan It’s just soo now?" Ella asked

"Oh no," Beth assured her "He just left for the grocery store I’ for sooing without co if he wasn’t hopeful that I would eat at least half of the Cool Whip off of"

"No, no, please don’t finish that sentence!" Ella pleaded "I have to see his that Suzy has put in my mind about Gray At least Claire doesn’t share quite as ht So let’s get back to Declan What are you going to do? I can’t believe he told you that any man would make you feel the same way that he did Is he crazy?"

"I don’t know about that, but he clearly doesn’t see me as a woman I don’t knohy I even bother; he can be such a butthead"

"Ella Webber, you bad girl," Beth teased "You , those four-letter words will be rolling off your lips as easily as they do hers All kidding aside though, I know you care about him and it’s pretty obvious that he’s attracted to you I sure don’t buy the fact that he just happened to be jogging in your neighborhood Keep your eyes open because I would be willing to bet he o by your house This is just the first time you almost ran over him I bet that was a bit of a surprise"

Ella finally relaxed and a chuckle escaped her "It was pretty funny, now that I think about it He’s always so cal but that when ging past to try and check up on e place, but that’s too ether toet any more replies to your personal ad?"

"I’ll check et off the phone I have a few that I haven’t replied to yet One of theo out with a woer than hiet the saying, ‘s’ from nowhere"

Ella promised to have lunch with Beth, Suzy, and Claire the next day and hung up the phone Nick had made it back with the strawberries and Cool Whip and Ella had been anxious to end the call before she heard et

What must it be like to have a relationship like the one Beth had with Nick? She knew it hadn’t always been easy for theood place now Nick see was mutual He wanted to marry her immediately and she wanted to wait until after the baby was born She said she couldn’t bear to be huge in her wedding pictures Everyone else thought she was crazy, but Ella could iht problem for most of her life, it was very i day

Thoughts of Declan pushed back into herday with hie Was that soive up for him? The memory of how he’d kissed her as if he wanted to consu through her blood that had never been there before Fro into her stomach, he had also felt the same If by some miracle she was able to start a relationship with Declan, would it be enough? Would she be satisfied by the type of flah them for those brief moments or would she eventually want more from him and their future?

All of a sudden Ella felt like she was in over her head Having such a limited experience with men had never bothered her until now If not for Beth, Suzy, and Claire she would be lost She certainly couldn’t discuss sex with herto talk her intoback home Her room was exactly as she had left it, a shrine to the nerd that she had been Back then, books and school had been her only life Dating was so that would never have been discussed in her parents’ house Until she got the job at Danvers International, she was set to be a spinster and live with her parents forever Soirl who looked back at her in the mirror Beth had helped her to look like the person that she had always dreamed of

The old Ella would never have had the nerve to go after a man like Declan Sure, like most women, she would have looked twice at him, but that would have been it Now, she not only wanted him, she was determined to make him accept that he wanted her too And if this hat it took, she would go on boring date after boring date until she had the experience that she needed to seduce a ed into Nick’s office the nextbrow in his direction and motioned for him to take a seat while he finished the call he was on Rather than sit, he continued to prowl around the office until Nick was free "Hey, Dec What can I do for you?"

Never one for sirlfriend drop Ella froned her up for"

Hearing Nick’s groan, Declan turned back to face hi joined at one time or another? Beth used theree with it, but I don’t knohat I can do about it Ella is a grooman and I don’t think she’s interested inlife"

"She may not be interested in it, but I’m sure she would listen to Beth"

Nick leaned back in his chair and studied hiest conversation we have ever had about anything that didn’t pertain to business I thought ould eventually ease into a friendship Maybe enjoy a few drinks while atch a ga your woman problems this soon in our relationship"

Declan allowed a sed the truth of Nick’s state out with much of anyone and that included Nick Merimon This was certainly the most personal conversation he had had with anyone in the office, besides Ella, since co to protect a friend"

"So Ella is just a friend to you? If that’s true, why do you care who she dates?"

Declan raked an iet hurt She knows nothing aboutI don’t want her to end up in a situation that she has no idea how to handle"

"Look, I don’t think Beth would put her in a position to get hurt I’m sure they have all of that covered If you’re worried about her, ive her some self-defense classes You would be a pro at that I’ll mention your concerns to Beth, but don’t expect it to help One thing you should know about that group of women is that once they have made up their minds, you just have to step out of the way and hope for the best"

"Daer I know firsthand what can happen to so person!"

"What are you talking about, Dec?"

Turning away froaze, Declan reluctantly answered, "My sister, Ava, was once an Ella until someone took her trust and innocence and ripped the happen to Ella"

Nick answered with a soft, "Wow, I had no idea, man She’s so quiet; I really haven’t spoken with her much since she came on board here with your brother"