Chapter 8
ETHAN
The air around us changed as soon as those words left her lips, the ones I had savored, bitten, and kissed moments ago.
The temperature of the room increased and I could make out her petite body, leaning against the door.
Her warm puffs of air brushed my neck and I watched her skin flush, her chocolate brown eyes fixing me with a sultry gaze.
So, I was not the only one thinking about getting naked and playing around with each other’s bodies.
I forced myself to remember why I had pulled away from her when she had moaned my name, begging me to go further while I was getting hard just by kissing her.
I didn’t want her to regret this tomorrow or regret kissing me; her best friend.
If we crossed this line, which was already crossed after skinny-dipping and kissing each other, I didn’t know where we would stand.
And losing her as my best friend was scarier than anything else.
Would she still want to be my best friend after this?
“What did you just say?” I asked, my voice low and deep.
The muffled sound of music reached in the room while my heart pounded in my ears. Kiara was breathing heavily, her chest heaving up and down, and I had a hard time focusing on her face when I noticed that her nipples were hard against the bralette she was wearing. Holy shit, she is aroused.
I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head out of all the dirty things I wanted to do with her. She was my best friend, for fuck’s sake. The best friend you kissed and have a boner for. Not right now, Eiffel.
Kiara snapped, “You heard me, Ethan.” Her brown eyes turned lethal and her pupils dilated.
She looked furious. And hot.
I stepped closer to her, our bodies barely touching each other. Her eyes darkened a shade when they glanced at my lips, her tongue swiping over her bottom lip. I resisted the urge to kiss her against the door until she begged for more.
I lied, “No, uh, I couldn’t hear you over the blaring music.”
“Really?”
My lips curled into a smirk as I leaned closer, my lips brushing her ear, and I gave a small bite, making her shudder underneath me. Kissing the sweet spot, I whispered, “No, I wanted to hear you say it again.”
I pulled away when she swallowed the lump in her throat. Catching my gaze, her sharp jaw clenched. She huffed and stood tall but still a head lower than me. My eyebrows rose when she held the fabric of my T-shirt and yanked me down.
“I was and am thinking about you and sex,” she said, her voice sultry, and all my senses jumped out the window.
I didn’t waste my time pressing my body against hers, trapping her to the door.
I bucked my hips against hers and her eyes widened when she felt my erection pressing against her sex for the second time tonight.
I slowly licked the seam of my lip, peering at the warm flush of her delicate neck and rosy cheeks.
Kiara cupped my face. “Now, stop wasting time and kiss the fuck out of me. Well, a bit gently beca—”
That did it.
“Ethan? Are you in there? Have you seen Kiara?”
A low groan escaped my throat and I dropped my head on her shoulder when she sighed sadly and pulled away from me.
I already missed the feeling of her little body pressing against mine, the soft curves of her flushed over my hard muscles.
I managed to force Eiffel down while Kiara ran a hand through her hair, which looked like a sexy wild mess of waves, and damn it, I wanted to run my hand through them and tug them when I kissed her.
“Katherine is going to die someday,” she muttered under her breath and was about to open the door when I held her elbow.
Stepping behind her, I leaned down and gave a soft kiss to her jaw and whispered, “Tell her you’re not feeling well. I want to take you home.”
She took a shaky breath and I bit back my smile. Kiara opened the door and Katherine sighed in relief when she saw her best friend. Then her gaze traveled above her, and she raised her eyebrows at me when I smiled sheepishly.
“Ethan helped me find a bathroom. I-I, uh . . . needed to puke. Thankfully, I didn’t, but I’m not feeling well,” she stuttered, my palm trailing over her back.
Katherine furrowed her brows. “Are you okay? Do you want me to come with you—”
No, thanks, I mentally added, I intend to help Kiara only. Ryan would murder me if I even thought about that.
“It’s fine, Katherine. I am taking her home.” My home.
“My home. Just my home. To sleep, haha.” Kiara giggled nervously.
Oh, Kiara. My sweet Kia, why?
Katherine looked between us suspiciously and that was my cue. “Now if you’ll excuse us, I have to thro—er, tuck in Kiara to bed. See you later.”
Entwining her hand in mine, I dragged her away from Katherine’s prying green eyes and walked downstairs, squeezing her hand so she wouldn’t trip on her heels.
“Throw, seriously?”
“I am an impatient guy.”
Kiara chuckled and even though I had only one cup of beer, I could get drunk on the sound of her laugh. I smiled and helped her into the car and made sure she locked the seat belt properly before sitting down on the driver’s seat and revving up the engine.
* * *
We were both hungry and especially Kiara, whose stomach growled every two minutes.
She smiled sheepishly at me, hiding her flushed face with her hair.
She was fucking adorable. We decided to eat burgers and fries, talking about the party.
I admitted I was jealous of her going with Liam into the room and then flirting with Carter.
She was surprised to hear me say that, because the reason she did that was because she saw me with Ryan’s friends near the pool after I had rushed away from her.
I told her I had talked to them because I wanted women’s advice on this situation, and I couldn’t call my moms, because they were staying at Aunt June’s house.
And I didn’t want to explain anything to Katherine because it would be awkward.
Kiara was blushing when I told her about that and pecked me on the cheek when I started the car. I kept my smile at bay and drove us home. Now, I have her all to myself. Unless Katherine mysteriously appeared in my room.
We stayed silent throughout the whole ride because we were both nervous with excitement. And I had the whole apartment to myself until tomorrow night. I wondered what we could and couldn’t do.
My head was running with endless possibilities. I changed the gear and pressed harder on the pedal. I couldn’t believe my luck that Kiara, my best friend, wanted me as much as I wanted her.
The most intimate thing I had ever done with Ariana was to feel her breasts and didn’t have sex when she was more than ready. I denied it because I felt that I wasn’t ready and we were taking things too fast. Maybe that’s why she cheated on me with Liam.
But things were completely different with Kiara. I wanted to do so much with her. So many sweet yet sinful things to her and her body.
We were in the elevator. We were breathing heavily with nervousness, excitement, and anticipation for what was about to come next. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears. Kiara was fumbling with her fingers and hiding her face with her hair.
I brushed my knuckles with her hand and I was relieved when she entwined her fingers with mine. I looked down at her and said, “We don’t have to do anything, Kiara. We can cuddle in my bed and I will be the happiest man alive.”
She finally met my eyes and my heart stuttered to a pause when she smiled, dimple showing and her gold-flecked brown eyes glittering with adoration. “I know, Ethan.”
My fingers ran over the rim of her golden ring and a small smile tugged my lips when she squeezed my hand. “I won’t regret anything, I am sure of it.”
My eyes lowered to her lips. I cupped her jaw and leaned closer, pausing when she looked at me with her dark eyes.
She tipped on her toes until our lips barely touched and breathed each other’s air.
Her hands wrapped around my neck and I pulled her closer by her waist. Her lips came closer.
They were the same lips that brought smiles to my face.
And now as we grew closer and closer, I had no more thoughts except one. The need to please her.
Our eyes met one last time before I closed the distance and kissed her. I savored her lips, pushing her back as she hummed sweetly, threading her hands in my hair. I deepened the kiss and her lips parted willingly when I ran my tongue over the seams of her bottom lip.
I groaned in annoyance at the ping of the elevator when our floor came.
Kiara bit her lip and dragged me out. I had a hard time keeping my hands to myself because I kept tugging her closer, kissing her lips.
We laughed in between as we continued kissing clumsily in the hallway with dim light.
She shushed me when we passed her house and I had to hide my grin in her neck.
I busied myself by opening the lock to the apartment. “Shit,” I cursed when I couldn’t get it open, my fingers fumbling with the key.
Somehow, Kiara found this situation humorous and nudged me away, opening the lock in one try.
She entered first, closing the door silently, and then I was upon her.
Pushing her back on the door and removing her jacket so I could touch her soft skin.
My hands smoothed down her flimsy top and I kissed her, a shudder leaving her body when I trapped her bottom lip between my teeth and gave it a small bite.
Her knees buckled and she released a throaty moan in between our kisses.
The sound was so exotic that I wanted to hear her moan again and again.
Pinning her wrists above her head, I trailed my lips down her sharp jawline and toward the pulse on her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips when I kissed her soft skin, licking it and biting it, her small body writhing under me. Her musky perfume with black vanilla and coconut was numbing my senses.