Chapter 11
Blake
We’re not supposed to be kissing like this, even though it feels so good. I pull back, both of us breathless, and stare at Ethan, my thoughts racing. What am I doing? This is not what was supposed to happen tonight.
My brain is telling me to stop, to get my bag and ask Ethan to drive me home, but my body seems to have a mind of its own, and I lean my hips against him, feeling the very impressive bulge straining against his jeans.
We stand there for a moment, him against the sleek kitchen counter, me pressed right against him, his thighs framing my legs, the intensity of the kiss a tangible thing between us. Then I know I’ve lost my mind, because I lean in again, raking my fingers down his chest, turning my mouth up to his, lips parted.
We kiss long and deep, and his hands slip under my clothes, rough fingers sliding up my back. I let him drag the T-shirt off me. When he sees my bare breasts he groans, a primal sound that sends a thrill down my spine and lands right in my core.
In one swift motion, he lifts me up, and my legs instinctively wrap around his waist as he carries me down the hallway to his darkened bedroom. He lays me down on his massive bed, his hands hooking into the waistband of the sweatpants, pulling them down in a swift movement and dropping them on the floor.
The duvet feels like a cloud, and for a moment he stands at the foot of the bed, gaze raking over me. His handsome face is shadowed, but I can see his eyes, and he’s looking at me like he’s loved every version of me for a thousand years and none of it makes sense. It’s Ethan Carter for God’s sake.
He undresses like he’s in no hurry, pulling off his T-shirt, then unbuckling his belt and letting his jeans fall to the floor, leaving him in just his boxers, tented over his erection. His tanned skin is illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the sheer curtain over the window, highlighting every defined muscle.
Broad shoulders lead down to a sculpted chest, with a light dusting of dark hair. Tight abs, strong, powerful thighs. Every inch of him seems chiseled from marble, an embodiment of strength and raw masculinity.
There’s no doubt—his body is a work of art, and I can’t take my eyes off him as he crawls toward me, between my legs, and over me like he owns me. He captures my mouth in a searing kiss that leaves me breathless, and there’s only the graze of his stubble, the soft of his lips, the heat of his tongue, and the weight of him between my legs.
His hungry mouth trails down my neck, nipping and sucking at my sensitive skin. I moan as his fingers find my breasts, teasing my hardened nipples until I’m panting.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he whispers in my ear. “I want you so bad, Blake. I’m going to make you come until my name is the only word left in your pretty little mouth.”
He moves further down my body, his mouth setting fire to my skin. He captures each nipple once more, sucking, teeth grazing their pebbled peaks, and my body is burning, molten heat pulsing wherever his touch lands.
Down he goes, worshiping every inch of me, making me feel like a goddess. He pauses between my legs, and a look of pure hunger crosses the handsome planes of his face. One hand braces my right thigh, propping it up and opening me to him fully. Then he runs his fingers between my slick folds, sliding in first one finger, my walls hot and tight around him.
Another finger, pumping slowly in and out as I writhe on the bed, head thrown back, looking at the ornate light fitting hanging over the bed but not really seeing it at all. There’s only the pleasure building inside, the heat surging through me.
His mouth lowers to my clit, humming and licking the sensitive nub as his fingers continue to slide in and out of me. He sucks on my clit and I cry out in pleasure, my hips bucking against his face as he brings me closer and closer to the edge.
I’m building toward an orgasm and he feels it too, not letting up, stroking deep inside, mouth pleasing me like no one ever has, the sensation like a tsunami gaining strength, rushing through me. Then it hits and I cease to exist, nothing but a wave of pleasure spreading from my core, pulsing outwards in electrifying waves.
The muscles in my body contract and release, toes curling and my fingers digging into the sheets. My entire body shakes with the intensity of the release. I’m gasping for air, then awareness comes back to me as Ethan moves to lie beside me, pulling me into his arms. He’s heat and smooth skin, a broad expanse of muscle that fits right around me. His body cradles me, treasuring.
“You liked that, princess?”
“Oh, my god.” Keeping my eyes closed, taking several long breaths, steadying myself, enjoying the feel of his arms around me while trying not to think about it too much. A slow breath rolls through me, and I take in the details of his room for the first time.
It’s beautifully decorated with subtle tones, and the bed is adorned with soft, silky sheets and a pillowy duvet, the curtains a sheer, gauzy material that gently filters in the moonlight.
Glancing up: Ethan’s staring at me, drinking me in. I’m completely naked while he’s still in his boxers, but he makes me feel so safe and comfortable, like the two of us lying here is the most natural thing in the world.
“I should repay the favor. It’s not fair for me to have all the fun.” I roll over so we’re facing one another, reaching down, feeling the hard length of his arousal through the flimsy material.
“Trust me, that was pretty good for me, too,” he replies, his voice husky.
I reach into his boxers, hand clamping around his thickness, stroking the length of him, my core coming alive once more, and he lets out a guttural groan. One more stroke, then he surprises me, reaching down and taking my hand, bringing it up to his chest, cocooning it in his hands.
“So, does this mean you’re ready to give us a shot? Because I’m not just looking for a one-night thing. Not with you.”
I look into the steel gray of his eyes. It’s a little unnerving, the intensity with which he’s staring at me.
My instinct is to smile, brush him off. “I thought one-night stands were your speciality?”
“Not with you,” he repeats. “There’s too much history between us. And I’ve wanted this for too long.”
His words send a surprising thrill through me, and I force a breath through the heat in my chest. “We’re friends. I don’t want to ruin that.”
“We’re not going to ruin anything.”
I roll away, shimmying to the edge of the bed where the sweatpants are bundled on the floor. I dress quickly, pressing one arm across the bare of my breasts. “I wasn’t kidding when I said I can’t be in a relationship right now. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” he replies, a cat-like smile spreading across his mouth as he props himself up on one elbow. “I have complete confidence that you and I are going to end up together.”
His cockiness makes me laugh if nothing else, and that was one hell of an orgasm. I spin and head for the kitchen, finding the T-shirt Ethan loaned me and tugging it back on, before bending down to pat Bandit.
At the same time, an alert sounds on my phone. It’s the app for the security company that monitors the Tidal Tavern, and I grab my backpack, fishing around for my phone.
“Everything okay?” Ethan wanders into the kitchen just in jeans, his T-shirt bunched in one hand, all chiseled abs and tan skin.
But for once, my gaze barely skims him. I’m frowning, back to staring at my phone. “It looks like the security alarm was tripped for the Tidal Tavern. Do you mind if we drive past there on the way back to my place?”
“Of course.” He tugs his T-shirt on, covering that magnificent body, and grabs the keys to his pickup before glancing at Bandit. “Wanna come for a ride, buddy?”
Bandit gets to his feet, giving a slow wag of his tail before stretching. He doesn’t look overly keen to leave his bed, but he follows after us as we head outside.
The cooler night air is a welcome contrast to the heat of the day. We climb into his truck, Bandit curled up next to me again, and Ethan starts the engine, everything between us so normal, like he didn’t just give me a magnificent orgasm.
“So, what do you think tripped the alarm?”
A shrug. “Could be nothing, maybe an animal. But I need to check it out and clear it, or the company will go and check on the Tavern, and they charge me for the call-out.”
“That makes sense.”
The drive is quiet, comfortably so, save for the hum of the engine, and I steal a glance at Ethan, unable to stop replaying what just happened in his bedroom, his mouth on me, the way he brought me right to the edge and then over.
I haven’t had anything that intense since Danny, and even then I don’t know if Danny ever went down on me quite like that. I don’t want a relationship, but I do want more of what we had tonight.
We pull up on Main Street and Ethan kills the engine. Doors slam, loud in the quiet street, and I glance down the boardwalk in the direction of the Tavern, its familiar facade standing firm against the night. The flashing red light of the alarm is the only indication that something’s wrong, its silent strobe adding to the eerie atmosphere.
“I’ll handle this,” I tell Ethan, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “You wait here with Bandit.”
“No way,” he replies. “I’m not letting you go alone.”
We walk along the boardwalk toward the Tavern, the silence thick, somehow making the flashing alarm even more unsettling. Ethan and Bandit’s presence is reassuring beside me, a steadying force.
As we approach the building, a figure sitting in the doorway comes into view, their silhouette barely discernible in the dim light.
My heart skips a beat. “Wait here,” I whisper to Ethan, but he’s already moving with me.
As I get closer, the figure turns to face me, and it’s David. Relief floods through me, mixed with a surge of concern. “David! What are you doing here?”
David looks up, his face illuminated on one side by the red flashing light. He stands as I get closer. Reaching for him, pulling him into a hug. For a moment, he doesn’t respond, but then, slowly, he wraps his arms around me, returning the embrace.
“Blake,” he murmurs against my hair, his voice rough and shaky.
I hold him tighter. “It’s okay. I’m here.”