Chapter 19
ETHAN
Seeing Kiara’s gorgeous face crumble at the sight of her mother’s painting stung my heart, but it soothed on its own when I noticed that her tears were happy tears. I rubbed her back when she gazed at the last painting, her amber eyes taking in each stroke and swirl of the paint.
I was captivated by her.
Kiara.
My Kiara.
Fuck, how badly I wanted her to be mine.
I clenched my jaw and tried to control the urge of spilling out how much I wanted her.
Not just regarding her body, although I was very much in love with her shape.
I wanted her the way I have always wanted her since I watched her apply cherry Chapstick on her first date with that asshole Paul who broke her heart when she was thirteen.
I had hated the way she had dressed up for him and wanted to take her for an ice cream date with me instead.
But I knew I couldn’t have her. So, I would rather cherish these brief moments with her and do anything to see that beautiful smile on her lips with a dimple. I would capture these moments in my heart and my mind until the sun turns to dust.
“Ethan.” I looked down at her, her golden-brown eyes glowing. “Thank you.”
I squeezed her waist. “You don’t have to thank me, Bella. It’s getting cold in here.” I turned to see if anyone had installed a heater in here. As the pieces were framed two days ago, there was no decoration or any necessities placed in this small art gallery.
“Are you cold?” I asked and removed my suit coat to drape over her bare arms.
“Not at all,” Kiara said, her tongue wetting her pillowy lips. Her hands tightened on the front of my shirt, “I feel very warm right now.”
“Warm, hmm?” I teased, pulling her closer, my hand sliding down to cup her perfect round ass. Her breasts pressed against my shirt when she arched up to me, her arms winding around my neck.
“Yes,” she breathed, “Can I kiss you?”
I smiled, “Kiss me, Bella.”
Her palms cupped my face. I closed my eyes when her lips pressed against mine. I savored her mouth, her soft fingers brushing tenderly against my cheek. I let a soft growl slip when she captured my bottom lip between her teeth in a slight tease.
I couldn’t help myself when her lips and tongue tasted of chocolate. Her exotic black vanilla and coconut scent intoxicated me. I needed to have her.
Pushing her against the wall, I slammed my lips against hers, devouring her gasp when she wrapped her legs around me. Her heels dug into my lower back.
“Ethan.”
Kiara whimpered softly, her sweet moan urging me to make her moan again and again.
My lips traveled to her ear, licking and biting the soft earlobe before pressing a soft kiss on the crook of her neck.
Her hands feathered my hair while my hands tugged the hem of her dress to her waist. I pressed my fingers on the wet spot of her thong.
“So fucking wet for me, Kiara,” I groaned, her hips arching for my touch as I rubbed her through the lace.
“Need you,” she panted, her fingers working on the zipper of my pants and stroking my hardened length.
I leaned back to stare at her hazy eyes, her flushed face and rosy lips, “Are you sure?”
Kiara pulled me out, my jaw clenching at the lack of control. “Please,” she whispered, her sultry voice urging me to press her against the wall.
I had said that I would do anything for her, and I had meant it.
Our carnal groans echoed in the art gallery as I took her against the wall before splaying her down on the floor. On my suit. Her legs trembled against my waist, her fingers sinking into my back when I moved as we both tethered off the orgasmic edge.
We both moaned each other’s names when we climaxed together. I stayed buried inside her and lifted my forehead from her chest to have my eyeful of her beautiful post-coital face. Her chocolaty eyes glistened with tears. I wiped them away and hugged her to my chest.
Kiara didn’t move an inch, instead watched me with her bleary eyes, a small smile playing on her lips. The lips I had kissed moments ago. I leaned down and kissed her again.
We ended up sleeping in each other’s arms on the floor of the empty art gallery surrounded by her mother’s paintings.
The next day, I woke up to sunlight streaming over our bodies, the musky scent of our arousal in the air. I ran my hand through her hair as she tried to hide her face on my chest and sleep some more. But it was six in the morning and we both had work to do.
I took sleepy Kiara back to our home and made her shower while I forced myself to get ready without thinking too much about last night. I wanted her more now than ever.
I liked her. I liked my best friend.
Who wanted me to get her pregnant.
“Ethan!” Kiara knocked on the bathroom door, “Open up, I want to talk.”
Shaking my head, I wrapped a towel around my waist and stepped out of the bathroom. I licked my lips at the sight of Miss Kiara, the teacher. Fuck me. Her shirt was tight, and I wanted to know what kind of lingerie she was wearing. Especially underneath her tight trousers.
“Am I getting punished, Miss Kiara?” I asked playfully, walking to my wardrobe. When I removed my towel and wore boxers, I heard her take a sharp breath. Looking over my shoulder, I found her cheeks and neck blooming with a pink hue as she looked away, her bottom lip between her lips.
“I, uh, wanted to talk about last night.”
“What about it?” I asked nonchalantly, focusing on zipping up my pants and buttoning my shirt.
“Can we focus on having sex?”
I gave her a deadpanned look. “Then what were we doing last night at the art gallery, Kiara?”
She sighed and crossed her arms, “I like you, Ethan, and I don’t want to complicate things between us.”
She liked me.
Fuck yes!
Clearing my throat, I started knotting a tie and muttered, “As if a baby won’t complicate things between us.”
“It won’t.”
I clenched my jaw, my gaze hard. “Really? Then what will your baby call me? Uncle? Is that how you will introduce me to our child? ‘Meet Uncle Ethan, we had sex to have you.’” I huffed and turned to the mirror, fixing my collar and straightening my tie.
Her hands wrapped around my torso, “Please don’t say that, E. I just need some more time.” She made me look at her, her palm softening a crease of the shirt on my shoulders. “You are more important to me, Ethan.”
“More than making you pregnant?”
“Yes, I care more about you more than having a baby with you,” she smiled up at me, her eyes swirling with emotions. “Where are you going? You never wear a tie.”
“I have a meeting with my sponsors to talk about my endorsement deal. They know I saved Emma so they are letting me off the hook,” I replied and wondered if she realized what she had just said.
A baby with me.
“That’s great news, Ethan!” She grinned, “I hope the meeting goes well.” Her cell phone rang from her room, and she kissed my cheek, wishing me good luck before she left to pick it up.
I chuckled to myself and touched my cheek where her lips had been a moment ago. She said she wanted to have a baby with me. Together.
I might become a dad.
Fuck.
“I think I like her,” I said with a shy smile and twirled the pasta on my plate.
My mothers shared a knowing smile, sitting across from me in the restaurant while Eveline shook her head at me.
After the morning meeting, which had gone great, I had a small chat with my agent, Elliot, before I met my family with Liam to have lunch at an Italian restaurant.
I had asked him to join me, but he had a date with his wife, and he didn’t want to miss it.
“You have liked her since you were a child, Ethan,” Liam said, “Big deal.”
I kicked his leg under the table.
My mothers agreed with him, taking his side.
“What? Don’t glare at me like that. You were whipped since the day the little Indian princess moved to the apartment next door,” he grinned at me, his grey eyes playful.
“How would you know?” I muttered and looked at my plate when my cheeks heated.
“We told him, of course,” my mom, Lilly, said, “You never once showed any interest in anyone else but her. So, it isn’t a surprise that you like her, Son.”
I dropped the fork. “But I am not sure if it will work out between us.”
My ma raised her eyebrow at me. “Are you not sure or are you scared?”
Even my little sister backed her up, “Please marry Kiara, Ethan. She is like an Indian princess and I adore her! You can be her Prince Charming.”
Liam grinned at her and gave her a high five while my mothers grinned at them.
I raked a hand through my hair and wondered how on Earth Kiara wooed my family.
My ma was right. I feared losing her, but I was not sure if our relationship would ever work out.
We were trying to conceive before ever going on a date or even getting married.
Marriage? Yeah, right.
I sighed and looked at my family, smiling and chattering with Liam.
I was way over my head.