23. Melody
23
MELODY
E than’s body driving into mine had me whimpering and melting. The frigid chill from outside had turned to a slick layer of perspiration from exertion. I was breathless. Between his furious pounding into me and the kisses that made it impossible to breathe, I was gasping for air.
“Oh, God,” I whimpered, feeling my coil tightening again. I clenched my hands into fists and leveraged the weight of my upper body on his shoulders as his firm grip under my thighs held the bulk of my weight. I needed this to end. The ache in my core was unbearable. “I’m so close.”
“Come undone, Mel. Just squeeze me… Clench.” Ethan’s coaching drove me wild. I clenched like he told me, and it was just the trick to push me over the edge for the second time. My pussy gripped him like a vise, and the convulsions started low in my belly again. Over and over, I twitched and jerked. I didn’t know how he could hold onto me.
“Mmm, ahh…” The groans were so loud, anyone passing the small storage room would have heard us, but he was relentless in his pursuit.
“You’re so tight, Mel. Your pussy… So hot, so tight.” He rasped, but didn’t stop. “Squeeze me. Milk it all out.” His breath was ragged against my ear.
I was panting like a marathoner at the end of a race, my chest heaving in and out. Ethan had landed so many hard, deep strokes, I was sure my insides were a mushy, gooey mess. I was spent. I had nothing left to give. My head lolled back against the door and my eyes shut, and he slowed, but didn’t stop entirely. Each agonizing thrust made me whimper. I wanted more, but my body felt weak.
“I don’t have a condom,” Ethan whispered, so faintly I almost didn’t hear him.
“Mmm…” I sighed and I unlocked my ankles and lowered one leg. He set me down and pulled out, and the only solution I had was to offer him something different. I met his eyes and caught his hand, and as I stroked him, smearing the moisture from my body all over his pulsing girth, I guided his hand to my hip, then slid it around and down.
“My God, woman…” Ethan squeezed my cheek, and his fingers ventured dangerously close to my back hole. When his eyebrows rose in a question, I bit my lip and nodded. I couldn’t help touching myself.
Ethan kissed me again hard, then turned me and bent me over a stack of cardboard boxes.
I gasped and moaned as his finger probed my tight little hole. I moaned softly as he smeared moisture from my pussy up and around the hole, gently adding pressure as he added moisture. When he put one finger in, I hissed, and when he sank another, I gasped.
“You sure?” he asked, but my fingers were already swirling around my clit, stimulating myself.
“God, give it to me,” I begged. I could suck him, but this was more fun for both of us.
With a grunt, Ethan pushed his thick shaft into my tight opening, and I clenched my jaw to avoid screaming. It was a mixture of pain and pleasure as he stretched me like no other. The heat and burn from stretching threatened to make me cry until he started thrusting and kneading my hips.
“Jesus, you’re tight!” he moaned, and I heard him grunting in pleasure. I was. Tight. So tight. I could feel every vein on his cock as he plunged in and out. He seemed to take great pleasure in pulling back all the way so just his head was in me, then thrusting forward to the hilt.
“Oh, God, Mel! This feels so good.” He moaned, and I melted against the boxes as I felt his hot hands on my sides, pulling me so he could go deeper.
My fingers were flying over my clit now, desperate to find the release that was once again building. I gritted my teeth, bucking back at him, begging his cock to go faster, harder. “I’m so close,” I whimpered, and his response was a growl. He slammed into me over and over until I was mewling like a kitten. I clenched around him, and the orgasm was so strong, I screamed into the room, not caring who heard anymore. “Yes!”
The stack of boxes wobbled, and I gripped them hard, but Ethan held me up as he pounded into me. Our bodies smacked together loudly, and all I could think was how good it felt. He was incredible. The orgasm was incredible. The moment was incredible, and I forgot everything except the sensation of him inside me.
"Oh, God, Mel," he groaned, and I felt him shudder. His warm load filled me, and I clenched around him even tighter. I felt it filling me as his dick pulsed. His thrusts slowed, and my body was limp over the boxes, draped like a used towel.
Ethan pumped a few more times and held my hips firmly, then gripped my cheeks and spread them. I pictured him watching as he pulled out, my holes still twitching and pulsing, and he grunted, “Oh, yeah.”
When he gave my right cheek a playful slap, I knew he was finished. I felt drowsy and unsteady. I pushed myself up and tried to stand but swayed backward into his chest. His arms caught me, and he wrapped them around me from behind and kissed my shoulder. The whirlwind of bickering and secrecy and sneaking around was over. I hoped.
"You really want to stay?" I breathed, head resting on his shoulder.
Ethan placed soft kisses on my cheek and his hot breath tickled my neck and chest.
"I have a lot of details to work out, but I can't leave you, Mel. We just found each other again. I don’t want to go. I want you. I want everything my heart hates right now—Christmas and joy and family and togetherness." His words filled my heart in a way he'd never understand. I turned and draped my arms around his shoulder and kissed the stubble on the underside of his jaw.
"And I want forever… with you." I bit his stubble and sighed happily. I didn't even know if I could walk.
For a solid five minutes, we kissed and touched. My heart felt safe and full of love again, and I wanted nothing more than to keep this moment going forever. But the niggling anxiety about my secret began to seep in. I had kept something very precious from him, and there wouldn't really be a way to hide it if I was going to be with him forever. I would have to tell him, and that meant risking his being upset with me. Right after we finally made our way back to each other for real.
I bit my lip and pressed my forehead against his chest, praying somehow that God would make a way where I couldn’t. It was the season of miracles, but I doubted Ethan would be pleased with my lies.
"Something wrong?" he asked, and I pulled away.
Anxiety had swooped in and dissolved any trace of afterglow, so I picked up my clothing and started to get dressed. "I'm just worried," I told him, though I didn't tell him what I was really worried about. It was far too big of a secret to just blurt out in such a tender moment of connection.
"John?" he asked, providing me ample reason to be worried, and one I hadn't even thought of yet.
"Uh, yeah." After seeing my brother's reaction to that kiss, I knew Ethan was right years ago. John was going to be upset about our relationship, but I knew him. He'd be forced to get over it. It would take some adjustments to his ideals, but he would understand. Still, I tapped into that as my main source of worry and Ethan seemed to understand.
"It's going to be okay, babe." He grabbed his clothes and started dressing too, and as he did, he tried to put my heart at ease. "John's a big boy. He will see how perfect we are. He'll see me wanting to do my best for your twins and how I'm willing to give up my whole career path for you…"
I winced at both things. If Ethan talked to John, I was sure my brother would be stupid enough to spill the beans. And if he was really giving up his whole career path, what did that make me? I hated that he'd make such a sacrifice.
"Ethan, Doctors Without Borders is your dream." I tugged my sweater over my head and fluffed my hair, then picked up my coat and shoved my feet into my boots. "Are you sure you want to just give that up? I know how much you wanted it." The inside of my cheek was raw from chewing it. It hurt, but I kept doing it.
He stepped into his pants and buckled them, then into his shoes. When he pulled his sweater over his head and picked up his coat, he turned to me with a determined look.
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life, Melody. I made a huge mistake four years ago when I didn't just tell John the truth. We lost four years of our lives together. Doctors means nothing to me without someone to share it with, and your life is here. I will stay here. Maybe I'll get a job here at General, or maybe I have to commute somewhere, but you're the life I want. You and your babies, and a family." When his lips pressed to my forehead, I almost whimpered.
This was really happening. My dream of Ethan being with me forever was very tangible, right in front of me, waiting for me to reach out and take it. But so was my worst fear. He'd be so angry.
"And if John is too upset?" My conscience had been seared by paralyzing doubts. It was looking for any reason to not upset the man I loved. Even if I lost him in the process. Because to send him away where he was happy and living his dream would be better than to keep him here and rip his heart out.
"Trust me, love. I'll get through to him." Ethan opened the door and we walked out, and I turned and kissed him softly.
"I love you," I whispered, and he smiled and kissed me again.
"I love you too. Call me, okay?"
"As soon as I get home," I promised, and I turned, and when I did, I saw John with his coat draped over his arm, staring. He'd seen us both walk out of the storage closet and he had a scowl that rivaled the Devil himself.
I avoided eye contact and walked away from Ethan. I didn't know if Ethan was looking, but John's hot stare burned a hole through me as I approached him. When I passed, he turned and followed me, and the heat of his gaze stayed on me all the way to his car. I didn't even feel cold as I realized my hat and gloves were still in that closet.
We were in the car and halfway across town before John spoke, and when he did it made me angry immediately.
"I don't want you around him. You understand?" The anger in his voice was ridiculous.
"You don't control me, John. And neither of us were on the clock, so you can't even fire me." I crossed my arms over my chest and prepared to endure the next five minutes of the drive to my place.
"What's going on? Tell me now." His demands were childish, as if he could even dictate my decisions. I was so done with him trying to parent me.
"It's none of your business, John. I told you to leave it alone." My shout didn't discourage him. He turned onto my street and got angrier.
"He's going to leave town and ditch you. I'd say it's my business. Tell me what the hell is going on!" I was glad for both of our sakes that John was at least levelheaded enough not to drive erratically while he was angry and spewing hate at me.
"You want to know?" I snapped, turning to glare at him. "You're right. I was having a fling with him before Mom died, and I skipped town to help her. I was pregnant. The twins are his, and now I have to figure out a way to tell him because he just told me he's not leaving. He loves me. And I love him. And I don't need you breathing down my neck. I need my brother to help me deal with the mess I've made!"
After spitting it all out I was heaving, so livid I wasn't seeing straight. John stopped the car and I just opened the door and climbed out. When I slammed it shut, I noticed we were still two blocks from my place and either he stopped there to have it out with me or he stopped because he was so upset he couldn’t drive. I didn’t care.
Dealing with his childish reaction to something that was none of his business was the last thing I wanted to do. Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I tucked my coat more tightly around my chest, buried my chin, and started for home. This whole thing was about to blow up in my face, and nothing I could do would stop it now.
I just got Ethan back, and now I was going to lose him because of my own poor choices.