Chapter 28
Ethan
I have the urge to smash something, although I handle the delicate glass stem with care.
Ryan and I stand around the scale model of Xavier’s new hotel, the Reed. The party, which is on the rooftop terrace of the hotel on Long Beach, is exclusive to Xavier’s friends and family.
The modern outdoor furniture, frameless glass railings, and translucent panels of glass on the floors give off an air of opulence and innovation that the man is famous for.
I can’t see the beauty, though. I’ve lost appreciation for most things in the past week, teetering on the edge of irritability and wanting to snap at everything. My mood has been so black that even Dad and Ingrid have given me a wide berth.
So have the other partners. In Bonnie’s absence, I have been handling a few of her team meetings. I knew I was being an asshole by the time Logan started to cry during the one-on-one debrief. He'd fucked up bad although I didn't expect him to actually cry.
The worst part of it was, it wasn’t my conscience that made me go back to apologize to Logan; it was the thought that Bonnie would kill me if she found out I made her precious intern cry.
That's when I knew I was truly caught. In the middle of a stupidly sappy apology, I knew I'd fallen for her.
I’ve let the woman tie me up in knots, and now I’m slowly and painfully unraveling, and unable to do a damn thing about it.
There’s a reason I don’t do messy or complicated women, and what Bonnie is doing is the exact definition of messy. She gets off on the highs of experiencing conflicting emotions, but I can’t do it, not without ending up in a dark place.
Trouble is, I don't have the strength to walk away from Bonnie any more than I can tear my heart out of me. If she doesn't want me, she'll have to be the one to leave. I've never been in love with a woman before but my friends have. I know it's heaven and hell all wrapped up in one.
That break-up text was like a sword through the heart. For eight days, I’d given her space to grieve and had been missing her like hell. I’d poured my feelings into her, got her to start trusting me, and was waiting for her to return, so we could finally stop playing games.
And then, she dealt me that blow.
What is most irritating is that I know she can’t look into my eyes and say that to me. Because I see beyond her defenses, she’ll try to avoid me. The last time she did something like this, she came up with moving to Vancouver. Fuck knows what she’ll pull this time around.
Which is why I want to break something.
Right now, Ryan and I are working up a good argument about which aspects of the hotel might see the most activities. In pure Xavier fashion, there’s a nightclub inside this hotel as well. We argue that the penthouses might serve as honeymoon suites, seeing as beaches were popular wedding destinations.
Ryan, who builds ships for a living, is in the middle of describing what he might put on a yacht to compete with a hotel on the beachfront like this one, when he suddenly stops.
“Fuck me.”
“What?”
“That woman. Stella. She’s here.”
I turn around to see the beautiful, platinum blonde in question. She’s Sabrina’s friend.
“What about her?” I ask.
“She’s going to drive me up a wall. Shit, I should have brought a date,” he says.
“Well, she has a date, so that should keep her occupied…“ I lose my train of thought when Stella’s female companion steps into view. My heart somersaults.
It’s Bonnie. In a short, red silk dress that makes my mouth water and accompanied by a date who looks like a runway model.
What in the holy fucking hell is she doing?
I turn to Ryan. “This stays between us.” He nods in agreement. “That woman next to Stella is the bane of my existence.”
“Bonnie and you?” He laughs.
“What’s funny?”
“I didn’t know you liked your women prickly and bossy. Beautiful, no doubt, though. Bonnie is a fucking picture.” My eyes narrow.
“Hey, calm down, she’s friends with Stella. The woman will stab me in my sleep for even thinking about going near her friend.”
I look over at them again, seeing them laughing with their dates. Bonnie tries to make eye contact with me a couple of times, but her gaze keeps skittering away. I, on the other hand, don’t stop staring.
What the hell is she playing at?
She knew I would be here, but perhaps that’s the reason for bringing a date she clearly doesn’t want to be with. I know because her body language is all wrong. It’s in the stiffness in her spine and her overbright smile that tells the true story.
Was she hoping to keep me at arm’s length? It irks me that she doesn’t know by now that I would respect her wishes, even if it kills me.
As the evening wears on, my rage and desire escalate. I wonder if the reason she’s brought him here was to test me.
And then as if on cue, he starts to put his hands on her.
Initially, they’re subtle touches: holding her elbow, steadying her with a hand on her naked back. His look of growing adoration makes me want to snap his neck. He looks so damn thirsty for her. Still, I try to keep it together until I can leave without it being considered rude.
I’m chatting with Xavier when, out of the corner of my eye, I see Bonnie and her date sitting on a modular sofa. Stella is nowhere to be found. The fucker’s hand is high over her knee and rubbing her skin in circles, and that’s when I snap.
If she wants to play games with me, then let’s go.
I excuse myself from Xavier and make a beeline for her. Her eyes widen as she sees me approach, and she subtly pushes the guy’s hand off her knee and stands to meet me.
“You two look lovely together. Ethan Hawthorne,” I say and extend my hand to the man. “Bonnie’s boss.” I know I’m being an ass, but this show needs to be shut down right now.
“Kevin Inno. Mr. Hawthorne, I’m a raving Acercraft fan, its user experience is unmatched.”
“Thank you. Would you excuse Bonnie for a minute? I need to go over some crucial information with her for a client.”
I don’t wait for his response but grab Bonnie by the elbow. I walk her towards the lobby.
“Ethan—“
The sound of my name on her lips after almost two whole weeks of not speaking makes my cock twitch.
“This won’t take long, I promise,” I say.
“The text—“
“Yes, I understand. You made it crystal clear. This isn’t about the text.”
I steer us towards the ladies’ bathroom.
“Ethan—“ she tries again.
I push open the door for her. “Get in. Unless you want to do this with an audience.” She looks around. We’re alone now, but anyone could come around at any second.
She squeezes past me, careful not to touch me. It grates on my nerves.
The spacious bathroom is empty except for us. I lock the door after me, then face her.
“What the actual fuck, Bonnie?”
“Look, Ethan, I’m sorry I sent you mixed signals. Like I said, I was out of my head with grief—“
“What are you doing here with him?” I interrupt, not needing to hear her excuses again.
“Kevin? He’s my date.”
“Who’s looking at you like prized meat. Are you planning to fuck him?” I demand.
“That’s none of your business,” she snaps back.
I take a steadying breath and huff it out slowly. No. Just–no .
“No sweetheart. Absolutely fucking not. You do not get to twist me into knots for you, then tell me that you fucking another man is none of my business.”
She remains stubbornly silent.
“What, you’ve missed getting your fix of meaningless sex, so you thought you’d pick up a random stranger?”
“Excuse me?”
“You entice him with your tight, sexy body and watch him come for you, is that it?”
“How dare you, asshole!” She flies at me, but it’s no use. I hold her hands firm.
I smirk at her increasing anger. “Let’s play a game then. How about you watch me come, you little voyeur? Right here, right now.”
Shaking with rage, I unzip my fly and take my hard cock out. I let her go, then take a couple of steps back, watching her intently.
Her eyes fall to my fully erect cock, which is pointing up at an angle straight at her face. I let her stare, then start undoing my shirt buttons. Her breath catches as I shrug off my jacket and shirt. My torso bared to her, I grab my cock in one fist and cup my balls with the other. Slowly jerking my cock, I watch her squirm, her thighs subtly rubbing together.
“You want to watch me come? Get on your knees and suck me off.” My voice is like a whip in the silent bathroom. Like she’s in a trance, she comes forward and drops to her knees.
Her submission cracks me wide open. In that moment I know that I would do absolutely anything for her.
I take my hands away. “I’m all yours, love. Go ahead.”
She licks at the engorged crown, and I groan. The stress of the last week melts away under her languid licks. My hands curl around her jaw as she opens her mouth to take me in. My head falls back in pleasure as she suckles and bobs her head repeatedly. Her eyes are trained on me; she’s watching my every move, savoring my responses. Her eyes water as she tries to take more and gags, but she doesn’t let up. Her eyes glaze over, and she moans around me.
My knees start to shake so I lean a hand on the sink for support.
“You’re so fucking sexy with your smart mouth stuffed full and gagging on my cock.” I take my cock from her mouth and give her my balls to suck instead. She wraps her hands around my thighs and buries her face in my balls, licking and sucking them into her mouth. Jesus, she’s ravenous.
“I bet you’re drenched baby.” My voice is husky and laden with desire. “Open your legs and touch yourself.” She doesn’t need to be told twice. The sounds coming from her mouth are driving me crazy. I grab her nape and feed my leaking cock back into her mouth, and she takes it eagerly.
She’s no longer watching me but lost in her own pleasure. Her moans ripple down my cock and into my spine until I lose my inhibitions, pushing deeper into her mouth. My orgasm is seconds away, and from the way her body is tensing up and how she doesn’t seem to care how deep I’m going down her throat, I know she’s about to come, too. I could wait a few seconds for her to catch up, but I don’t.
Holding her still, I command, “Open your eyes and watch me come for you baby.”
She obeys. Her beautiful, watery eyes meeting mine is the final trigger that sets me off. With a shout, I start to come in her mouth. My orgasm goes on for the longest time, and she swallows repeatedly, trying to avoid my cum from spilling over. She’s still sucking on the sensitive head of my cock after the spurts subside. I withdraw from her mouth and take a step back from a trembling Bonnie, her thighs clenching together, her eyes unfocused with lust.
And my cock starts to harden again.
I zip up my fly and grab my shirt from the floor. It occurs to me belatedly that I threw my clothes on a public bathroom floor, and now, I’m putting on the rumpled clothes without my skin crawling in disgust.
Must be the orgasm , I marvel.
Bonnie gets up unsteadily. I know she’s horny as hell. Her nipples are like diamonds behind the silk material of her dress.
“Ethan—“ she moans my name.
“You’re welcome love. I trust you can finish on your own.” I drop a quick kiss on her temple and turn back, leaving her in the bathroom shaking with desire.