Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
ETHAN
She exhales, shaky and wrecked, her hands trembling as they push through her hair. Her cheeks are flushed. She is still recovering from what just happened from what I just did to her. And fuck, it felt good. But then she pulls away.
“This was a mistake,” she mutters, straightening her skirt, trying to smooth herself back into place. “And I won’t fucking beg. Because there won’t be a next time.”
Her voice is sharp, final, but we both know it’s a lie.
“Liv,” I can see it in her eyes —the panic, the heat, the way her pupils are still blown wide.
“That so?” I ask, still tasting her on my tongue.
She doesn’t answer, doesn’t look at me, opens the office door, and walks out like she didn’t just come apart on my mouth a few minutes ago, like I didn’t just feel her tremble against my hands.
I stay there, frozen, my cock still painfully hard, fists clenched at my sides.
My body is begging for her. And she just left.
Shit.
I drag both hands over my face and lean against the edge of the desk, trying to steady my breathing, but the heat won’t leave me. The craving won’t die. And now I’ve got to walk back into that bar and pretend I’m not going crazy over this woman. This is a mess. What the fuck did I just do?
When I finally return to the booth, Olivia is already seated next to Julia, calm and composed. She barely spares me a glance. Her expression is unreadable, practiced. But I see the way her legs are pressed tightly together, how her nails are digging into her thigh under the table.
Leo looks up from his beer, his smirk instant.
“Where’d you guys disappear to?” Olivia doesn’t miss a beat.
“I needed some air.” Leo raises a brow but lets it slide.
Julia glances at me, but if she notices anything off, she doesn’t say a word.
She sips her drink, eyes flicking between us like she’s watching a show she already knows the ending to.
Then Olivia’s phone buzzes. She glances down and freezes. Her shoulders go stiff. Her expression falters for just a second, then she slips the phone into her palm and stands without a word. If I had to guess, that was her husband calling her.
I checked mine just in case, two missed calls and a few messages from Hannah.
Reality crashes in fast, cold, and merciless.
I push back from the booth and follow Olivia out into the night.
The air outside is fucking freezing. She’s pacing with her phone to her ear; I take a few steps in the opposite direction and call Hannah.
She picks up on the second ring. “Hey, babe.”
“Hey,” I say, forcing a smile into my voice. “I called earlier.”
“Yeah. Sorry, I’m out with Leo and totally spaced out.
We ran into some people and lost track of time.
” There’s a pause. “Is Olivia one of those people?” My jaw clenches.
“Yeah, actually, she is here with her sister, or was here, I don’t see her around anymore.
” Liar, she is right in front of you, twenty feet away, but still very close to you.
I don’t have to lie: Hannah is not here to see it, but she knows about Olivia —not every detail, but enough.
And I know that by telling her just that, her mind will go places that it doesn’t need to go. Fuck. What am I doing? She’s not stupid. She knows what Olivia meant to me, means. She knows I loved her, that I haven’t loved another woman the way I loved her. And that even maybe I still do.
“Is she doing okay?” This woman is a saint. Even after all, she asks for her. Now I feel like a fucking piece of trash. I was just between Olvia’s legs, and now I need to tell my wife that she is doing well? She was right, there won’t be next time. This can’t happen again. I need to apologize.
“Yeah, she seems fine.” Silence stretches thin between us.
Then her voice softens. “How are you holding up? I’m happy you are out.
You guys deserve that,” I exhale, watching Olivia pace nearby, her hand clenched into a fist. “Yeah. I’m fine.
It’s been good to have a little distraction. ” Yeah, right.
“Claire has been asking about you. Leight lost her bunny again.” I huff a breath.
“She’s probably hiding it under the couch again.
” Hannah laughs, the sound familiar and warm and a little too far away.
“We miss you,” she says. “The girls do. I do.” Guilt slices straight through me.
God. “I miss you too.” She’s quiet for a moment. “Just… don’t shut me out, okay?”
“I won’t,” I lie. “I’ll let you go. Call me tomorrow?”
“Yeah. I will.”
“Love you.” I look over just in time to see Olivia walking my way.
“Love you too.” I end the call, but the tightness in my chest doesn’t let up.
I watch her as her shoulders sag slightly.
She looks haunted. She presses a hand to her temple like the weight of everything is finally sinking in.
I step forward. She holds up a hand without looking at me. “Don’t.”
“Liv—”
“No, Ethan, just don’t.” Her voice is controlled, but it’s cracked at the edges.
I stop, nod once, stepping back. Her phone rings again, and she answers, this time softer.
“Hey. I know, I’m sorry. I got caught up.
” She steps away so I can’t hear her conversation, but I hear just enough.
“Love you too.” It hits like a punch to the ribs.
She ends the call, shoves her phone into her purse, and turns away from me.
“We need to talk,” I say, stepping forward again. Her eyes flash. “No, we don’t.”
This stubborn woman. “Olivia.”
“Nothing happened, Ethan. And nothing will happen again.” Her voice is sharp. It feels final, like a blade cutting between us.
“We can’t do this,” she continues. “Not to us. Not to them.” Us.
Them. She’s trying to draw the lines. Okay, I get it.
I stare at her. My body is still humming from her taste.
“You really believe that?” I ask quietly.
She straightens her shoulders, lifts her chin.
Looks me dead in the eye. “I have to. We have to.” I nod slowly, biting the inside of my cheek.
“Whatever you say.” But we both know the truth.
We’ve already crossed the line. And I’m not going to pretend I don’t want to do it again.