Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Aubrey
I slipped into my robe and then locked the door. I couldn’t tell you what was going through my head. I was happy I slept with him, but on the other hand, I wasn’t so sure I made the right decision. I got caught up in him, and I didn’t know sex could be that great. I never had an orgasm before during sex. But with him, I had not one, but two. I was on cloud nine, yet I was feeling a little sad. I didn’t want him to leave. He touched me in a way that I had never been touched before. There was one problem: he didn’t kiss me, and the fact that he could make love to me without our lips connecting at least once bothered me. Bringing my hands up to my head, I took a deep breath. Why did I feel that I would never hear from him again? I crawled into bed and sank beneath the covers. Closing my eyes, I tried like hell to put him out of my mind, but I could still feel him—all of him.
I’d awoken to a knock at my front door and Penelope’s voice alerting me that it was her. Stumbling out of bed, I yawned as I headed to the door and opened it.
“Aubrey, it’s noon. Did you just get up?”
“Yep. I sure did. I didn’t realize what time it was. Come on in.”
Shutting the door, I went to the kitchen and made a cup of coffee.
“Coffee?” I asked.
“No thanks. I already had my fill of caffeine this morning. You never sleep in this late. Are you sick?”
“No. I was up all night. You better sit down. There’s something I need to tell you.
“Oh?” I heard her open the refrigerator door. “I feel I’m going to need a glass of wine.”
I took my coffee and sat down on the couch. Penelope took a seat next to me.
“So what happened?”
“I had sex.”
“Shut up!” She placed her hand on my arm. “With whom?”
“You know who.”
“How would I know who you had sex with? I haven’t spoken to you since Friday—OH!”
I laughed. “So you do know!”
She let out a sigh. “I didn’t think you’d sleep with him so quickly. That’s not like you. What happened?”
“He came to Shakespeare Garden, which I know you told him where I was, and we talked and took a walk. I invited him over for dinner, and one thing led to another. I have to ask you something.”
“What?”
“Is he as hot as I think he is?”
“Totally hot. Sexy as fuck, to be exact. I admit that my panties got a little wet just by looking at him.”
“I figured.” I smiled. “I could totally sense his hotness.”
“So where is he? Did he stay the night?”
“No. He left right after we had sex. God, Penelope. I’m not sure if I made a mistake or not.”
“Listen, doll. Look at it this way. You had sex for the first time, in, well, forever, and with a smoking hot man. I can assure you that he was the hottest guy you ever fucked. Don’t get overly emotional over it.”
“He wouldn’t kiss me.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“He wouldn’t kiss me on the lips, and that bothers me a little.”
“Did you have an orgasm?” she bluntly asked.
“Yes. Two.” I grinned.
“Then that’s all that matters.” She patted my hand. “Mouth kisses don’t mean shit anyway.”
“You think?”
“I know. Those are reserved for the guys who actually love a woman. As long as their mouths are touching all the other pleasure points on your body, then you have nothing to complain about.”
I let out a light laugh and silently thought how magical his mouth was all over my body.
Ethan
My eyes flew open, and my sheets were drenched in a pool of sweat from a nightmare I hadn’t had in years. I lay there, my heart pounding rapidly and a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard as I reached over and grabbed my phone. Looking at the time, it was seven a.m. I never slept that late. Granted, it was Sunday, but I was always up by six. It was that damn nightmare that had me in its grip—one I couldn’t awake from, just like all those years ago. The same nightmare that plagued my mind and haunted me for too long.
My feet hit the floor, and I sat there, elbows on my knees and my face buried in my hands. I took a deep breath as I stood up and went into the bathroom to shower. As I stood there and let the water beat down on me, I wondered why now. Why last night? After shaving and getting dressed, I headed down to the kitchen, where Ingrid, my housekeeper, was sitting at the island having a cup of coffee.
“My sheets need changing,” I spoke as I grabbed a cup and poured some coffee into it.
“Good morning to you, too, Ethan. I just changed your sheets yesterday. Is someone up there?” she asked as she arched her brow.
“Is anyone ever up there, Ingrid?” I snapped.
“Then why do they need changing? I think I have the right to know since I just put a fresh set on yesterday. Did you get a little too excited last night?” she asked with a cocky attitude.
“No. And what’s with all the nosy questions? I pay you to clean for me, not to question me,” I spoke with a harsh voice.
She got up from her stool and waved her hand in the air as she walked over to the refrigerator to put the milk away.
“I’m your housekeeper, chef, personal errand runner, therapist, and friend. What’s going on, Ethan?”
She was right. She was all those things, but most importantly, she was my friend. I hired her to come to work for me right after I started my company and moved into this townhouse. I placed an ad online, giving very strict instructions as to what I was looking for. She answered my ad and only came for the interview to tell me off. Apparently, she didn’t like me. The one thing about Ingrid was that she didn’t have a filter. She was fifty years old, stood about five foot five, had a full figure, had long black hair that she always wore in a bun, and brown eyes. She was wise, and I could talk to her as if I’d known her my whole life. The good thing with us was that she put up with me, and I put up with her. But I paid her very well for putting up with my demands and attitude ninety percent of the time.
I sighed as I sat at the table, and she pulled the eggs from the refrigerator.
“I had that nightmare last night.”
Just as she was about to crack the egg, she stopped and looked at me.
“Why? It’s been years.”
“I know, and I don’t know why.” I took a sip of coffee.
“What did you do last night?” She cracked three eggs in a bowl.
“Had dinner with a woman I met the other night at her apartment.”
She rolled her eyes as she poured the eggs into the hot pan.
“Well, that’s no different from any other night.”
I wasn’t ready to discuss Aubrey with her if I was even going to mention her at all. I didn’t need to hear her comments and backlash like I did from Harry. I got what I craved and desired from her, and now it was over.