Chapter 23
Blake
As we drive back to Ethan’s house after dinner, the familiar streets of Harbor’s Edge roll by in a blur of shadow and light. Gazing out the window, the darkened town I know so well slips past. The quaint shops with their closed signs, the empty boardwalk lit by street lamps, the marina with boats bobbing gently in the water—all of it feels different tonight.
I’m trying to get my head around this new phase I’ve agreed to with Ethan—an actual relationship. Agreeing to give it a real shot with him means someday sharing my burdens, because that’s what people do in real relationships.
I may not have a lot of experience with functioning relationships from when I was younger, but my moms, who were pretty damned good together until what happened with Mama Charlotte, have always shared their troubles, helped one another. And I want that. I really do. I want someone to love me like my moms love… or loved one another.
God, let it not be in the past tense. If they can’t make it work, what chance do I have?
I have to have faith that my moms will work things out. And I have to really give this thing with Ethan a chance, or why bother at all? Which means sharing things, things that matter, like my worries about the financial woes of the Tidal Tavern, and maybe even about David, who still hasn’t returned my calls, even though the thought of opening up about any of it leaves me feeling intensely vulnerable.
But then I think about Ethan, about his patience and his steady presence. He’s real, solid, and I really really like him. The way he looks at me, the way he cares—it’s something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Ethan reaches over, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze. “You okay?”
“Yeah, just a lot on my mind. Thanks for dinner. I had a great time tonight.”
He understands without needing more words. “Try not to worry or overthink this, princess. We’ll figure it out. Together. I don’t have all the answers, but I know how I feel when I’m with you, and I have total faith that everything is gonna work out amazing.”
We pull up to his house and Bandit barks twice from inside before his face appears in the window beside the door, watching us. We step out of the truck, the cool night air wrapping around us, and I take a deep breath. Maybe letting someone in, relying on them, doesn’t have to be as scary as it seems.
Ethan takes my hand and leads me inside, turning on the light in the hallway and pausing there, facing me. “You get ready for bed. I’ll just let Bandit out and join you soon.” He leans down, kissing me deeply, the muscles in his cherishing arms tensing as they wrap around me, holding me in a way that lets me know he wants me, and wants to be there for me however I need him.
Stepping into Ethan’s ensuite a few moments later, turning on the overhead lights. It’s extremely clean, as usual, and beautifully decorated, with navy blue wall tiles in a rough, textured finish and small gray mosaic tiles on the floor. A wooden vanity with a large mirror sits against the back wall, and a huge walk-in shower dominates one corner.
I pause, staring at the vanity. There they are—the toothbrush, face creams, and other toiletries Ethan has bought for me over the last month or so. They sit there waiting, a quiet testament to how our lives have intertwined. I never would have predicted I’d end up in a relationship with Ethan, but now that I’m here, it feels natural, right . Scary, but right.
I brush my teeth and wash my face before pulling out my phone, my heart heavy with worry as I send David another message. Please call me. We can get through this. It’s similar to the messages I’ve sent him twenty times already. Each one marked as read, none replied to. The silence is deafening.
I stand there for a long moment, staring at the screen, willing a response that doesn’t come. Worry gnaws at me, but I can’t force him to reach out. I can only wait and hope.
Putting my phone down, the toiletries catch my eye once more. Our lives have become so enmeshed. Maybe I was stupid to hold back as long as I did. It’s not that big of a deal to make this thing between us official, right?
I stand at the sink and apply some face cream, glancing around the bathroom once more. It’s a reflection of Ethan—attractive, strong, steady. Just being in this house, with him, makes me feel secure, even when everything else is uncertain. This is a good thing. It is .
Footfalls sound in the bedroom. A soft knock on the bathroom door.
“Come in.”
He steps inside with a shopping bag from Joy’s boutique and hands it to me. “Got you something.”
Reaching inside, pulling out a beautiful set of light blue silk pajamas. “These are gorgeous. You didn’t have to do that.”
He shrugs, like it’s no big deal, but the corner of his mouth lifts in a small, pleased smile. “Just thought you might like them.”
“Your mama raised you right. Always the thoughtful one, huh?”
Something clouds his features for a brief moment before he winks. “Only for you.”
He steps up to the sink to brush his teeth, so big and masculine, his presence filling the room. His scent, a mix of sandalwood soap and something distinctly Ethan, drives me crazy in the best possible way.
I start to get changed, pulling off my jeans and panties and slipping into the silk pajama bottoms. I notice him watching me in the mirror, his eyes following every movement.
“Like what you see?” I tease, turning around to face him, doing a slow spin wearing the pajama bottoms that skim the very tops of my thighs and the gray lightweight linen shirt I wore to dinner.
He rinses his mouth, still staring at me in the mirror. His voice, when he speaks, is low, and hits me right in my center, a spark of heat starting in my core. “Absolutely. You look amazing. Put the rest on.”
I laugh, a flush rising in my cheeks. We’re staring at one another’s reflections, his back to me but the hunger in his eyes on full display. My hands move to the top button of my shirt, just between my cleavage. “You know, if you keep spoiling me like this, I might get used to it.”
His eyes darken with that look I’ve come to crave. “That’s the plan.”
I get to the bottom button and let the shirt fall to the floor, holding his gaze. “Oh really? And what other plans do you have for me?” I’m wearing just the silk pajama bottoms and a white lacy bra.
“Plenty,” he says, his voice sending a thrill through me. “Take off your bra.”
Our eyes are locked in the mirror. “You’re impossible,” I say, but my voice is soft, betraying how much I’m enjoying this.
“Impossible to resist?”
Laughing, unable to help myself. “Maybe.”
I reach back and unhook my bra, letting it fall to the floor. Ethan’s staring at me, a feral look entering his eyes as his gaze rakes over me in the mirror. Gooseflesh breaks out over my skin and my nipples harden.
He finally turns and takes several steps toward me, closing the distance between us. His hands go to my face, fingers tangling in my hair, stormy gray eyes staring into mine.
“Then don’t resist.” He leans in, his lips brushing against my ear.
Shivering at his touch, my body responds. He captures my lips with his. The kiss starts out soft, but quickly deepens. I explore his mouth with my tongue, tasting him, while his hands move over my back, feeling the curve of my spine, his rough fingers setting fire to my skin.
I moan into his mouth, my hands going under his T-shirt, roaming over the firm of his chest and abs. He tugs his T-shirt off and pulls me closer, pressing my body against his. I reach down, my hand skimming the front of his jeans. He’s rock hard, and his cock twitches in response. A whimper, the need to feel him inside me growing stronger.
He breaks the kiss, his breath heavy. “Let’s take this to the shower.”
We quickly strip off the rest of our clothes, our eyes never leaving each other. He steps into the shower first, the hot water soon cascading over his body.
I stand there for a moment, staring at him. In the steamy shower, his body is a work of art—smooth, tanned, and perfectly sculpted. Water droplets cling to his skin, tracing down his chiseled jawline and over his broad shoulders. Each muscle is highlighted as he moves under the water’s flow.
He gives me a crooked grin. “Get in here.”
I step in and he grips my hips, pulling me closer until the flow hits me, running down my skin. Water clings to the curl of his dark hair, every drop seeming to accentuate his handsome features. He kisses me again, hands finding my breasts, fingers rolling and gently pinching my nipples until I moan.
Every muscle is defined and taut under my fingertips, as if he’s been carved from marble. My hand trails down his torso, over the ridges of his abs, until I find the hard length of him. My hand wraps around him, moving slowly at first, then faster. He groans, then pulls away from me.
“Turn around, princess.”
I do as he says, turning to face the blue designer tiles, hands flat against the textured rough of them, hot water cascading down my back. He moves behind me, kissing my shoulder, the back of my neck, his hands sliding around me from behind, his cock pressing against me.
His clever fingers find my clit and he rubs in slow circles, his thumb pressing down firmly, while the other continues to massage and gently pinch my nipples. I gasp, my body trembling.
His fingers continue to work their magic, the water running between us, and I moan again, body writhing against his. I’m getting closer. He picks up the pace, his fingers moving faster. Every ridge and plane of his sculpted body is pressed against my back, his skilled hands continuing their movements.
My breaths come in ragged gasps as I get closer and closer, hands pressed against the textured tiles for support. Then I’m falling apart as he holds me up, muscles tensing and releasing with every wave of pleasure, my entire body exploding, burning up as heat consumes me from the inside out.
He turns me around, his hardness throbbing as my hand finds him again, gripping and pumping the thick of him, before he lifts me up. My legs wrap around his waist, back against the tiles, and his cock presses against the slickness of my heat.
“God, I need you so bad,” he says. “Fuck. The condoms are in the bedroom.”
“I’m on the pill,” I tell him. “It’s okay.”
“Are you sure?” He holds my gaze for a long moment, and all I want is to feel him deep inside me.
“I’m sure.”
He adjusts my weight, bringing me down right onto him, and he’s slowly pushing inside me until he’s fully sheathed, nothing between us. It’s too much for a moment, and I gasp, but then he starts to move and the too much becomes so good .
His hips are thrusting, and my body is tight around him, the spray of the water hitting us both, my nails digging into his shoulders as he picks up the pace. We don’t kiss, he just stares at me as he slams into me over and over, droplets of water in the dark fringe of his lashes.
I’m tightening around him, getting closer to another release. He must see it in my face because he groans out my name, his strokes getting harder and faster. I reach the edge and dive over, falling, eyes closed as I come again.
The world melts away, leaving only me and Ethan and the intense pleasure coursing through me, overwhelming and all-consuming. And I’m soaring, free and weightless.
He follows soon after, his cock pulsing as he comes inside me, before he finally stills, his shoulders curving toward me, our foreheads touching.
We stay like that for a moment under the water, him still inside me, my legs wrapped around him, his breathing heavy, chest rising and falling, eyes closed. Then he pulls out and slowly lowers me to the ground, his arms bracketing me.
We stand under the hot water, our bodies pressed together, and he kisses me, softer, more tenderly than before, his lips lingering on mine.
“That was incredible, princess,” he says, his voice still hoarse with desire.
His lips capture mine in another kiss that sends a wave of heat through my core, and I melt into him, relishing the way his strong arms hold me, how safe and cared for I feel.
The worries that constantly gnaw at the back of my mind slip into my thoughts, as well as the fact that Ethan will want me to open up about it all, to lean on him now we’re in a real, defined relationship.
But I push it all away, even though a small part of me wonders if I’m just burying my head in the sand, ignoring all the ways being in a relationship are going to change things.
Then he kisses me again, deeper this time, and all my doubts go quiet.
Something that feels this right can’t possibly be wrong.