Chapter Nine #2
She curled up in the corner and took a sip from her cup, her pulse spiking as Ethan wandered over and settled beside her on the cushions, propping his legs up on the ottoman.
“Don’t thank me just yet.” Ethan leaned back, regarding her. “I haven’t done laundry in years. There was no option for human remains, so I picked the steam cycle. Let’s hope your delicates don’t disintegrate.”
Priya opened her mouth but forgot how words worked the moment his shirt shifted. The fabric slid open, baring his chest. Her fingers clenched around the mug. Easy girl, easy. Let it build. Let it simmer.
Except her thoughts were racing faster than a Bollywood hero chasing a runaway train. Her eyes flicked to Ethan’s bare skin.
“Have you talked to Brooke lately?” she asked, shifting to safer ground.
“Not in the last few days,” Ethan replied. “Have you?”
“We talked yesterday. She mentioned Lady Whiskerbottom isn’t doing too well.”
Ethan chuckled. “My sister’s cat is older than dirt. She’s been around since Pluto was a planet.”
Priya gasped. “Don’t be mean! You know how much Brooke loves that cat.”
“Truth be told, I’m not a fan, and she can’t stand me either. I’m pretty sure she deliberately creates chaos every time Brooke visits. It’s like she wants all the attention for herself.”
“Sounds like a classic case of jealousy,” Priya teased.
Ethan opened his mouth to respond, but his phone suddenly rang on the couch between him. The screen flashed Babydoll calling. He dismissed it with a quick swipe, but Priya’s brow furrowed. Babydoll?
“Who was that?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light. If Ethan had a girlfriend, her whole fling idea was out the window.
“Sienna Deville,” he replied. “My costar in the last film I worked on, which hasn’t been released yet.”
“Do all your costars call you in the middle of the night?” The words tumbled out before Priya could stop herself.
“Don’t tell me you’re jealous.” Ethan’s lips curled into an amused smile.
“Just curious,” she replied, keeping her face neutral. But deep down, Priya wasn’t feeling so neutral. If there was even the smallest possibility that Ethan was involved with someone else, she had to know.
“Just curious, huh?” he repeated. “We worked together on the movie, that’s all.”
“Then why does her name come up as ‘Babydoll’ on your phone?” Priya asked.
“Because that’s her character’s name in the film.”
“Oh.” It sounded innocent enough, but something still nagged at her. “And she couldn’t wait until normal business hours to call you?”
“Am I seeing a little green-eyed monster over there?” He reached out, swiped his thumb across Priya’s cheek, and held it up. “Yep. Green as fuck,” he announced. “We’re settling this right now. Heads up!” He grabbed a cushion and flung it at her.
Priya caught it instinctively, but before she could respond, another one came flying, knocking the towel off her head.
“Seriously?” she shouted, her hair whipping loose. “You did not just start a pillow fight!” She picked up the cushion that had just hit her and took aim. Her strike landed squarely on Ethan’s face, leaving him momentarily stunned. He turned to her with deliberate slowness.
“Oh, now you’ve done it,” he declared, lunging at her.
Priya shrieked, leaping to her knees to block his attack. Their cushions smacked together with loud, satisfying thuds. Priya grinned as she landed a solid hit.
“Gotcha!” she shouted, earning an exaggerated groan from Ethan before he launched another round of rapid-fire swings that nearly knocked her over.
They were laughing so hard they could barely breathe when Ethan suddenly stopped. The cushion slipped from his hands, and he froze.
“What is it?” Priya blinked. Then she followed his gaze and realized her T-shirt had slipped completely off her shoulder, baring the top of her breast. For a moment, neither of them moved.
The air charged between them, their playfulness giving way to something volatile and dangerously close to breaking loose.
“Admit it, Priya,” Ethan said, his voice rougher now. “You’ve always wanted me.”
“You wish,” she shot back, but the words came out unsteady.
“If you’re really indifferent, then you’ll feel absolutely nothing when I do this.” His hand lifted, and with deliberate slowness, he traced a line down the side of her throat.
Priya felt the shiver but refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
“Huh,” he said, pretending not to notice the goose bumps that betrayed her. “Let’s try this then?” He leaned in, his hand moving to her hair. His fingers ran through her damp hair, gliding from the roots down to the tips.
Priya’s scalp tingled. She clenched her fists, trying to keep it together. This is really happening. Ethan was touching her like he couldn’t get enough. This was what she had wanted, what she had planned, but it didn’t feel like she was in control at all.
Priya tried to say something snarky, but the words stuck in her throat. Ethan’s fingers slowly left her hair, and for a second she thought he might pull back. Instead, his hand found her cheek, brushing her skin with surprising tenderness.
“Still no reaction?” he murmured, his eyes holding hers like he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
“This isn’t fair,” she blurted, sinking back onto the couch.
Ethan leaned in, one hand braced beside her as he loomed overhead. “What’s not fair?” he asked, one brow lifting.
“You’re playing dirty,” she whispered hoarsely.
“Dirty? Oh, Priya, I haven’t even started playing with you yet.” His thumb glided over her wrist, sending a spark of sensation up her arm.
Priya’s eyelids fluttered, her body rising to meet his touch like the tide under the moon. He hovered above her, infuriatingly composed, as if he had all the time in the world to watch her come undone.
“Say it, Priya,” he whispered. “Say you want me.”
Priya reached out, her fingers grazing his shirt, but he pulled away before she could close the gap.
“You have to say it.” His expression softened as he cradled her face in his hands. “I need clear verbal consent.”
It hit Priya all at once. Of course he needed to protect himself. He wasn’t just Ethan. He was Ethan Knight, and all that fame came at a price. In his world, even a kiss wasn’t just a kiss. It could escalate into rumors and controversy.
Priya felt the weight of his caution, but beneath it, she felt the edges of his restraint fraying. This was her moment, her chance to take exactly what she wanted.
“I want you,” she said.
Ethan stilled, his eyes searching her expression. “And what exactly are you saying yes to, Priya? Because I remember a girl who believed that one kiss meant picking out a wedding dress.”
Priya let out a soft laugh. “Been there, done that. And look how it turned out. I’m not that girl anymore, Ethan. Remember—you’re dealing with Priya 2.0 now. No strings, no expectations. I’m saying yes to a good time, not a lifetime. Think you can handle that?”
Ethan tilted his head, studying her like he was trying to make sure she really meant it. “You really are full of surprises,” he murmured, his gaze dropping to her lips.
When he kissed her, it was like nothing Priya had prepared herself for. His lips were soft and unhurried, like he was giving her the chance to pull back. But Priya didn’t pull back. She kissed him harder, her fingers tangling into his shirt, holding on like she might float away.
The world faded into a distant haze. All Priya could feel was the heat of Ethan’s mouth, the weight of his body on hers, the way her heart thundered like it had been waiting for this moment her entire life.
Ethan’s hands moved down her back, pulling her flush against him.
The quiet, raspy sound he let out made her knees go weak.
No daydream could have ever prepared her for this moment.
It was alive, vivid, electric, like being caught in the swirling colors of Holi.
When Ethan’s hand slid up her thigh, her breath hitched, heat curling deep inside her.
The phone rang again. Ethan didn’t seem to notice, his lips moving along her jaw, his stubble grazing her skin. But the name Babydoll flashed in Priya’s mind, and this time, she couldn’t push it aside. What if Ethan was lying to her?
Her hands pressed against his chest, pushing him back. “Ethan, stop.”
He froze, his lips lingering on her skin for just a beat before he pulled back. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his breath uneven.
“I changed my mind.” She tugged the T-shirt down over her thighs.
His brows furrowed, hands falling to his sides. “What’s going on?”
The phone buzzed again, loud and persistent.
“You should probably get that,” she said, glancing at it before getting up.
The phone kept buzzing, but Ethan remained silent, too stunned to react as he watched her walk to the door.
Priya put on her shoes, her fingers gripping the doorknob as she steadied herself. Without looking back, she stepped outside, shutting the door behind her. The night air hit her bare skin, and she shivered, pulling Ethan’s T-shirt tighter around her as she walked briskly back to the apartment.
A wave of relief swept through her as she walked through the door and locked it behind her. Her parents were still asleep, blissfully unaware that she’d come home wearing nothing but Ethan’s T-shirt. No awkward questions, no disapproving stares, and no fumbling explanations. Thank god.
Climbing into bed, Priya stared at the ceiling, her heart still pounding.
Her grand plan to have a fling with the biggest movie star in the world had fizzled before it even had a chance to take off.
But maybe that was for the best. She’d gotten what she always wanted: She’d kissed Ethan Knight, living out the fantasy that had lived quietly in the back of her mind since she was a teenager.
Now that it was out of her system, she could put all her energy into getting rid of him and Moksha.
But Ethan’s kiss played on a loop in her mind—the way his lips felt against hers, the warmth of his hands, the way his body fit so perfectly with hers.
Priya groaned, throwing an arm over her face.
If it feels like this after one kiss, how would it feel if I was still on that couch, tangled in his arms?
The thought sent a shiver through her. And that was the problem. Ethan was too good at slipping past her defenses. A fling with him wasn’t an option anymore, so she’d have to make damn sure it didn’t happen again.