Ellison And Joycelyn A Love Beyond The Rules novel Chapter 17

Chapter 17 

Chapter 17 

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Ellison had looked Joycelyn straight in the eyes as he’d said that, and she felt her cheeks flush almost instantly. She saw the twinkle of amusement in Ellison’s eyes and hurriedly turned her face away to avert his gaze. 

“Fancy a couple of drinks tonight? I have a few good bottles of wine in my collection,” Ellison offered light–heartedly. He seemed to be in a fantastic mood. 

Joycelyn was a disciplined woman who always kept her cool. She was usually reserved and serious, but when she drank, she’d become uninhibited. 

“I can’t hold my liquor,” Joycelyn tried to decline gently. She continued to busy herself to distract her from feeling embarrassed. 

“Don’t worry about that, the alcohol content isn’t high,” Ellison said as he picked out a bottle of red wine and opened it. The two newlyweds stood a little away from each other in the kitchen. One focused on cooking while the other poured wine into a decanter. 

Joycelyn had pulled out the stops in her menu, the gas range occupied by various pots and pans. She methodically timed, seasoned, and tasted everything, and in about forty minutes, the three–course meal was ready. 

Ellison sat at the head of the dining table, sipping on his glass of wine as he admired her swift and efficient movements in the kitchen. He was quiet but focused. 

Joycelyn had finished plating the dishes and turned to him to inform him that dinner was ready to be served; only to find that he had his eye on her the entire time. 

He was silent and observant, exuding the same intimidating aura he did in the company boardroom. 

“Do you have a sweet tooth?” Joycelyn tried to ease the tension that was building up in her as she carried the first dish to the table. It was a rich–looking lobster bisque that she drizzled with truffle oil at tableside. 

“I’m alright,” Ellison got up and walked to the kitchen sink to wash his hands, following which he took the initiative to bring the rest of the dishes to the dining table, including a surf and turf of oven–baked fish and grilled ribs, and dessert. 

Joycelyn’s plating hadn’t been elaborate or over–the–top, but the smell easily whetted Ellison’s appetite. 

Joycelyn took her seat at the dining table as well with butterflies in her stomach. It was the first time she and Ellison were having a meal together at the same table. 

“Mr. Grant, did you want to have still or sparkling water?” Joycelyn asked. 

“Still water is fine,” Ellison replied. 

“Sure thing,” Joycelyn got up again to retrieve two bottles of mineral water from the refrigerator, along with two glasses. 

Ellison waited patiently at the table for Joycelyn to return before picking up his cutlery. “Everything looks great,” he commented as he began eating. 

Ellison’s dining etiquette was impeccable. Every cut, slice, and poke he made was deliberate and precise. “I poured you a drink, he said as he gestured lightly at the glass next to Joycelyn plate. 

Joycelyn, on the other hand, was nervous that the food wasn’t to his liking, and she couldn’t get over the fact that she was dining with her CEO. She stole a glance at him and asked seriously, “How is it? Is it good?” 

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Chapter 17 

Ellison gave his verdict with a satisfied look. “Not bad.” 

A smile of relief broke out on Joycelyn’s face. “As long as it’s not terrible.” 

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Joycelyn began to tuck in as well, and she ate her food in delicate little bites. She’d been conditioned to do so while living with the Mercer family. She picked up the drink that Ellison had poured her and had a little sip. She was surprised to find that it wasn’t wine, but juice. 

It was sweet with a hint of tartness, and she had drank half of it in two mouthfuls. She felt embarrassed again. 

The both of them ate in relative quiet. Ellison was a man of few words, and Joycelyn was not chatty by nature. She didn’t quite dare to bring up any small talk topics with Ellison anyway. 

After a while, Ellison said, “I’m done eating. Thank you for the meal.” 

Joycelyn glanced at the leftovers on his plate and asked worriedly, “Is the food not to your liking?” 

“I don’t usually eat much for dinner. Please continue without me Ellison explained before he finished the last sip of his wine. Then he wiped his mouth carefully and got up to leave. 

Joycelyn had set her cutlery down as well, but seeing the amount of food still left on her plate, she felt conflicted. “What should I do with the leftovers?” 

“Throw them out,” Ellison answered easily. 

“That’s much too wasteful,” Joycelyn remarked before picking up her cutlery again to have another go at her food. A three- course meal was filling by itself, but she’d been afraid that it wouldn’t be enough for Ellison, so she’d prepared even more than the usual portions. 

She had always been frugal, and throughout her high school and college days, whether she was at school or home, she’d always eaten very simply on an almost vegan diet. 

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Expensive ingredients like meat and seafood in the Mercer household were usually reserved for Octavia and her father so she’d only have a mouthful or two of those at the most, and in school, she simply couldn’t afford such luxuries. Her situation had only greatly improved after she’d started working. 

When Joycelyn had looked at the ingredients in the refrigerators she could tell they were all top–grade items that surely cost a pretty penny. It would go against her conscience to let any of it go to waste. 

Ellison had gone to the living room to watch the financial news, leaving Joycelyn to herself at the dining table. Feeling more at ease then, she could feel her appetite increasing, and she ate with gusto. 

When she was finally done, she was stuffed. She slumped slackly against the back of the dining chair, her little tummy sticking out. It was a far cry from her careful, meticulous appearance when she’d first walked through the doors. 

Ellison entered the kitchen again to get another water for himself and saw that Joycelyn had essentially finished up the dishes, but said nothing. 

Joycelyn snapped back to her usual self and promptly got up to clear the dishes while explaining, “I didn’t want to let it go to waste, so I ate everything.” She was, in fact, a meat–lover. She had always been so since she was a child. 

She’d only ventured into a vegan diet because the circumstances had forced her to. 

“That’s fine. You should eat more anyway, you’re too skinny,” Ellison replied in his deep, magnetic voice, giving her the once over as he took a sip of water. 

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Joycelyn smiled. Her cheeks felt hot again. 

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“It’s too much of a hassle to cook after coming back from work, I asked William to find me some personal chefs,” Ellison continued. 

“I’m guessing you don’t like having strangers in your home?” Joycelyn guessed as she turned her head to look at Ellison with her beautiful doe eyes. 

Under the warm lighting, Ellison was bathed in a soft glow that accentuated his sharp features and the reserved air about him. In that moment, he was dangerously handsome. 

He nodded. 

“If my dishes aren’t to your taste, you can request other dishes instead. I quite like this kitchen, and I feel it’s kind of therapeutic to make food,” Joycelyn said eagerly. 

“You wouldn’t find it tedious?” Ellison asked. 

“I used to, but not anymore,” Joycelyn replied with a shrug. 

Ellison was curious. “Why’s that?”