Chapter Twenty-Three
Ethan took the stairs two at a time. Hazel was ringing his bell – in more ways than one. He hadn’t seen her since their rain-soaked evening of kissing. Two days of back-to-back night shoots had kept him on set until the sun was just peeking over the horizon, so Hazel had taken Harry overnight, dropping him home the next day while Ethan slept. On the first day, when he’d shambled downstairs sometime past noon, barely awake and functioning, he’d been surprised to find a tub of low-carb muffins waiting on the kitchen counter. Today it had been a bag of nutty fudgy ball things he’d eaten in one sitting. She’d even left notes detailing the nutritional breakdown. Yesterday he’d sent back a thank you with a picture of an empty plate. But today he’d sent a photo from bed, his thick white doona bunched low around his hipbones and Harry asleep across his lap with the message: Thanks for dropping my boy home. Looking forward to tonight x
Tonight, she was cooking for him again. He’d wanted to take her out to dinner and have someone feed her for a change. But she’d insisted that she wanted to try out his big kitchen counter, and by the end of the exchange he wasn’t sure if they were still talking about his big kitchen or something else, and he was really looking forward to finding out. Ethan wasn’t going to rush anything, though. If all she wanted to do was cook for him and snuggle on the couch he was up for it. But if she was up for more, he sure as hell was too. He was pretty much up just thinking about it.
Ethan checked himself in the hall mirror, fixing his hair and tugging at his grey V-neck. Then he took a deep and worryingly unsteady breath and swung back the door. Hazel greeted him with a smile, her arms full of groceries.
‘Why didn’t you use your key?’ he asked.
‘Because you’re home and that would have been weir—’
He slammed his mouth into hers, stopping her words on her lips. She stumbled, a little squeak of surprise vibrating against him. He looped an arm around her waist to steady her and she dropped her bags of groceries to the floor and lifted her arms to his neck.
So much for hanging back.
Ethan pulled her inside and kicked the front door closed, his lips never leaving hers. He ran his mouth down her throat to her collarbone, his teeth grazing over her skin, and pressed into her, knowing she’d be able to feel how much he wanted her already. He wanted to take her upstairs, peel her clothes off and cover every inch of her body with kisses.
‘Tell me if I’m moving too fast,’ he whispered against her throat. She hooked a long leg around one of his and kissed him so hard he was pretty sure the make-up department would need to ice his lips the next day.
They stayed against the wall, their hands roaming and their lips locked until Ethan stepped back and swallowed. Hazel’s cheeks were as pink as her hair, and her lips looked well and truly kissed.
She laughed, and the sound bounced around in his chest.
‘Hi, by the way,’ she said.
‘Sorry. Hi.’ He grimaced.
‘I brought everything with me,’ she picked up her bags and headed to the kitchen, ‘because I figured you’d have nothing here. Hey, Harry.’ She ruffled the dog’s fur, then piled her grocery bags onto the counter and began to unpack.
‘You know you really didn’t have to cook for me,’ Ethan said. ‘I was quite happy to take you out on a date.’
‘But we’re not dating.’
‘We’re not?’ he asked, crestfallen for a second. She shook her head. ‘No, I guess we’re not. I need to get clear on the rules.’
‘Maybe we can figure it out on the fly.’
‘Whatever works for us.’
‘Exactly.’ She smiled and placed a bag of lemons beside the cooktop. ‘And I wanted to cook for you. I should say I have a need to cook for you. I promise it will work with your diet. No heavy carbs tonight. Even though you might need your energy later.’
She looked away and continued to unpack while he gaped, his head spinning.
Hazel rummaged through her bags, searching for her apron. The afternoon had been hot and wet and lazy. They’d spent it swimming and talking and kissing, and had so far managed to get through a full three hours without falling into bed, which – given the way their hands had been all over each other, exploring every hint of bare skin – she considered a monumental achievement.
Ethan’s lips touched the back of her neck.
‘What are you looking for?’ he asked.
‘My apron,’ she said. ‘I think I forgot it.’ Hazel wasn’t surprised. While packing, she’d been completely preoccupied by the photo he’d sent her; his hipbones peeking out from under his fluffy white doona. All she could think about was how he might be naked under those bedcovers. He just looked like someone who’d sleep naked.
‘You don’t know if there are any in this house, do you?’ she asked as she opened drawer after drawer, all of them empty. ‘Otherwise I can just tuck a tea towel into my waistband.’
Ethan shrugged. ‘I have no idea. Let me check the cupboard with the sheets.’ He dropped a kiss on her shoulder, then jogged upstairs.
Hazel admired him as he went, his strong legs pumping and his thighs flexing in his tiny swim trunks, a hint of a tan line peeking out from under the hem. Anticipation tingled across her skin at the possibility of seeing the rest of that tan line and gliding her fingers across it. She sighed happily and went back to her prep, an excited smile crossing her face as she let her eyes wander over his kitchen. It was a beautiful space, and she couldn’t wait to break it in. Her fingers gripped the edge of the marble counter.
‘Found some,’ Ethan said. She snapped around to see him striding towards her, wearing a wide grin and a crisp white apron. ‘One for you and one for me.’
‘Does it suit me?’ He did a quick spin.
Her eyes widened. Except for the apron, he was naked.
‘Do that again,’ she said hoarsely, ‘so I can check that you’ve tied it right.’ His lips twitched and he turned around slowly.
She marvelled at his bare arse, as tight and perfect as the rest of him. She reached out, aching to touch him.
‘You know I got an award for this thing,’ he quipped. He glanced over his shoulder, his gaze dipping to her outstretched hand. His grin dropped away, and the blue of his eyes instantly deepened.
‘You want to touch, Chef?’
Her breath hissed out as her heart lodged in her throat.
She nodded.
He paused for an agonisingly long moment, then he stepped forward and pressed his hard, almost naked body against her thighs. Taking her hand, he reached it around him and placed it firmly on one of his arse cheeks. He captured her gaze, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips.
She touched him gently at first, her hand trembling as it slowly drifted over his flesh. His butt was rock hard, but his skin was soft and smooth under her eager fingers. She stopped, her palm flat against him, then she slapped him so hard he jumped and squawked out an ‘Ow!’
She drew back and looked at him fiercely. ‘I want you now. Right here.’
‘Here? In the kitchen?’
She nodded.
‘Okay then.’
His hands reached behind her and lifted her easily onto the benchtop, and her breath tremored at the coolness of the marble beneath her thighs and the heat of Ethan, smouldering in front her.
‘I’ve never done it on a kitchen countertop,’ he said. ‘Or even in a kitchen.’
‘I have,’ she whispered.
‘Fuck that’s hot. Wait. Is that your thing? Your… quirk?’
She nodded.
‘You are so unexpected,’ he said on a laugh.
‘So are you.’ He was nothing like she’d thought he was – in fact, he was almost entirely the opposite in every single way.
He kissed the side of her throat and she quivered.
‘I’d been imagining,’ he said, ‘that we’d have dinner, some nice wine, maybe a late-night swim.’ His lips dusted over her shoulder. ‘Then I would take you upstairs…’ A hand slid up her back and undid one tie of her bikini top. ‘Carry you to my bedroom…’ He pulled at the tie around her neck and her bikini top fell away. ‘But this is so much hotter…’
She leaned back, resting her hands on the counter as his gaze travelled over her, the blue of his eyes consumed by his pupils.
‘Oh fuck,’ he breathed out. Then his lips were on one of her breasts, sucking her hard nipple into his mouth.
She groaned, her hands tangled in his hair. Then his fingers were on the ties at her hips and then they were undone and he was pulling her bikini bottoms away, wiggling the cloth out from under her, until there was nothing between her and the cool marble. She was hotter than she’d ever been in her life.
He stepped back, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
‘Hey movie star, come here and turn around.’ He took a step forward, a grin unfurling across his face, and turned. Hazel’s fingers went to his apron ties, trembling as they worked the knot loose. Ethan reached back to help her, but she slapped his hand away.
‘I’m doing it,’ she said. His shoulders bounced with quiet laughter, and as the ties fell away he slipped the loop of the apron over his neck, letting the fabric pool to the floor. He turned to face her.
‘Now, step back,’ she said, with a shooing motion. His grin widened and he obediently moved back.
She drank him in, her breath shuddering. Everything about him was spectacular, from his sculpted muscles to the little patch of hair in the centre of his chest, to his slim hips and solid thighs, right down to the part of him that was very obviously interested in her and very, very ready to go.
‘How do you look like this?’ she asked with complete sincerity.
He shrugged. ‘Genetics?’
‘No, you work at it. I admire that. Every single part of…’ she waved her hand up and down in his direction, ‘that.’
Ethan moved forward, grabbed her hips, and in one quick move pulled her towards him, sliding her across the Italian marble until she teetered on the edge. He held her fast, his lips crashing down on hers, one hand holding her in place, the other gliding down her body until it found the gap between her thighs. He stopped kissing, his eyes locking with hers, his palm scalding against her wetness. Then his fingers were delving into her and a sea of pleasure washed over her.
Hazel’s back arched. His mouth was on her skin again, kissing over her breasts, down to her stomach, and then down, down, down. Her lips pressed together, tiny whimpers lodged in her throat, her eyes squeezed shut as she focused on the gentle caress of his lips and the curve of his fingers moving in and out. Until he paused, his hands moving to her thighs, slowly spreading her apart. Hot breath tickled her inner thighs. Then his tongue was teasing, swirling, licking and sucking until her world narrowed to just him and his mouth.
Her eyes rolled open and she glanced down just as he glanced up. His lips curved into a luscious smile, his breath a hot rush. Then he gently slung one of her legs over his shoulder, dipped his head and went back to work with long, deep strokes. She clutched at his arms and moaned softly as she pressed herself against his mouth, wanting him deeper inside her.
Her fingers dug into his biceps as delicious heat coursed through her. Then her thighs began to tremble and her muscles contracted, tightening in a crescendo of pleasure that exploded from her in a breathy cry. She held onto him, riding out the moment, wave after wave of toe-curling bliss crashing over her until she collapsed back onto the cool marble, panting, her smile practically splitting her face in two.
‘Oh fucking hell, Hazel,’ he growled.
She pushed up on her elbows and moaned at the sight of him, so wrecked and beautiful. His hair was dishevelled, his cheeks were flushed and his eyes were hazy with desire. He leaned in and kissed her, slow and tender.
‘Can I…?’ he asked, his breath ragged against her cheek. ‘I mean, do you want to—’
‘Condom?’
‘Right. Ah.’ He looked around the floor and grabbed the discarded apron, frantically turning it over and over until he found the pocket. Reaching inside, he pulled out their foil-wrapped saviour.
‘Ta da.’ He grinned at her, dimples exploding in his flushed cheeks. Hazel’s heart pounded with anticipation.
She took the condom from Ethan’s fingers and gently tore open the wrapper. It had been a while since she’d put a condom on a man. It had been a while since she’d needed to, or even wanted to, and her hands were trembling enough to make the wrapper crackle. She reached out and wrapped her fingers around his scalding shaft. He sucked in a hissing breath, then softly moaned as she rolled the condom down. Ethan looked up at her, his eyes now barely focusing, and slid a hand around her waist, drawing her closer with care.
She put her hands on his hips and impatiently tugged him towards her.
He grinned again as she lifted her legs and hooked her feet behind him, and then, in an achingly slow movement, guided them together.
They both groaned as he entered her, the delicious anticipation erupting between them. His thrusts were long and controlled, torturously tender, filling her up in every way. She pressed into him, matching his measured movements. Her body was still vibrating from the attention of his mouth, and with each perfectly timed thrust he sent her closer to toppling over that delicious cliff yet again. Not that she’d ever left that cliff. She’d been teetering on its edge since their lips first met.
His mouth was on her shoulder now, kissing and gently nibbling as he leisurely drew out, before pushing back in hard and fast. Slowly out, then swiftly back in, over and over and over, until she was utterly lost in their pleasure-soaked rhythm.
‘I don’t know how long I’m going to last,’ he said, panting. ‘But I’ll try to last as long as you need me to.’
She wanted to tell him it was okay, because she wasn’t going to last either, but all she managed was a drawn out moan. Her legs were jelly, dropping to his sides as her body pulsed around him, and soft gasps spilled from her open mouth.
‘I’ve got you,’ he whispered, and with those three words, she quivered helplessly through her second magnificent Ethan James-induced orgasm.
He gently pressed his lips to her cheek, then buried his face in the crook of her neck, his hips moving faster and faster. She wrapped her still-tremulous legs back around him, locking him tightly to her.
‘God, Hazel,’ he breathed into her skin, then his steady thrusts lost all rhythm and he froze, his head tilting back and his full lips opening in a long, deep, throaty groan.
Hazel watched him climax, coming to pieces in front of her. He was the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen.
They clung to each other, gasping, spent. Hazel’s entire form had turned to liquid; if she hadn’t been in Ethan’s arms she would have simply trickled to the floor. When he slowly pulled out from deep within her, she whimpered.
Ethan kissed her tenderly, his fingertips gently caressing her waist. She leaned back and took in his beauty once again, his cheeks adorably pink and his full lips swollen.
‘Help me down from here, movie star,’ she said. He lifted her off the counter and pulled her gently to him. She raised her eyes to meet his, and he gazed at her as if no one else in the world existed. Her heart clenched.
‘Do you have any cleaning products?’ she asked before she lost control and made him do it all over again.
‘Uh, probably. Why?’ His eyebrows bunched in alarm.
‘I’m going to need to clean this counter before we start on dinner. Food safety.’
His face broke into a wide smile.
‘Yes, Chef.’
Ethan topped up Hazel’s wine and then took a long swallow of his. They were sitting at the kitchen island, his new favourite place, still wearing the aprons he’d found upstairs and nothing else as they finished off the meal that they’d finally got around to cooking.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ he said, twisting his glass in his hands.
‘About filling that enormous tub upstairs and seeing if we both fit?’ she asked. He raised his brows in question. ‘I might have given myself a bit of a tour,’ she admitted. ‘Have you used it yet?’
‘I have not. But I think it’d take at least an hour to fill, and would almost definitely involve some tangled legs.’
‘Tangled legs sound good to me. I’m up for it if you are.’
She placed her foot in his crotch and he jolted at her touch.
‘I’m up whenever you need me up, for as long as you need me up.’ He swallowed hard as her foot pressed into him. ‘And… ah… hell yes to the bath. Though I think we should make use of my bed next time around, you need something soft under you.’
‘Like you?’
‘Hazel, there will be nothing soft about me if I’m under you. But I wasn’t thinking about any of that.’
‘You weren’t?’ She pouted and he laughed as he slid off his chair to kiss her.
He gathered their plates and Hazel joined him at the sink, stacking the dishwasher as he rinsed.
‘I was thinking,’ he said turning off the taps and pulling her to him. ‘How about when I finish filming we head to an island resort for a bit. Maybe a week? Or it doesn’t have to be a week. It could be a weekend. Whatever you like. We can spend some time together before I have to leave for the US.’
He held his breath, his heart thumping. Was his suggestion outside of their agreement to keep things light? Not that anything between them felt light. He was heavy with feelings for her.
‘You won’t need to get home and start packing?’ she asked.
‘I’m not on a defined timeframe. I’ll take you somewhere bougie that you’ll complain about, say you hate but will secretly love. What do you think?’
‘Like a goodbye holiday?’ she asked.
‘Yeah… I guess.’
They stared at each other, their eyes no longer quite as bright. Ethan tugged Hazel closer and wrapped himself around her, overwhelmed with a need to hold on to her for as long as he could.