Chapter 11
NATALIE
It’s hard to swallow my eggs while the man sitting before me watches me intently.
I refuse to meet his gaze, though.
I think I might explode from embarrassment. I’m sure that’s a thing that happens to people.
He hasn’t even touched his breakfast yet, and I press my lips together, feeling the ache between my legs. I feel raw, tender in places I’d rather not think about right now.
However, we can’t continue like this.
I clear my throat. “About what happened last night?—”
“You mean when you attacked me, told me you were my girlfriend, and then kicked my sister out because you wanted to suck my dick?”
Ethan’s crude words have me wincing. “Yeah, that.”
“What about it?” His voice carries a hint of amusement.
I fiddle with my fork, the metal cool against my fingertips. “Well, would an apology make things less awkward? ”
I watch him lift his mug and take a sip, his amber eyes never leaving mine.
“And what would you be apologizing for?” His voice is measured.
I sink my teeth into my lower lip, racking my brain for what should be the right answer. “For jumping you?”
“Are you asking me or telling me?” A single brow arches upward.
My tongue darts out to wet my lips. “Telling you?”
He sighs. “Why did you get drunk?”
Before I can answer that question, there’s a banging sound on the door, and I quickly jump to my feet, grateful for the interruption. “I’ll go answer that!”
Opening the door, I see Megan Wilder standing on the other side, her glossy dark hair framing a mischievous expression. “Hey. Nice morning, eh?”
I glare at her, hissing, “You got me drunk!”
She grins, not the least bit remorseful. “Did I? Oops. Hey, Ethan.”
“Let her in,” Ethan says, and I move aside to let Megan walk past me, the scent of her expensive perfume lingering in the air.
“So, how’d your night go?” She waggles her eyebrows at us, and I wish the earth would split open and drag me into its fiery depths.
“You got Natalie drunk,” Ethan states flatly.
Megan shrugs, dropping into one of the plush chairs. “Well, it’s not like I forced the alcohol down her throat. And she’s just so funny when she gets drunk. We were about to go to a karaoke bar when you showed up. So typical. Always ruining all the fun.”
“I asked you to do one thing, Megan.”
“Oh, that. I got a catalogue, but I think it would be better if we went ourselves. I decided to stay till the afternoon. I’m taking Natalie shopping. Are you ready?” She directs the last question at me.
When she glances my way, I blink in confusion. “We’re going shopping?”
“I told you last night.” Megan shoots me an impatient look, one perfectly manicured hand playing with the pendant around her neck. “And I need your credit card, Ethan.”
She holds out her hand expectantly.
Ethan gets to his feet, his chair scraping against the floor. “I’m coming with you girls.”
His sister makes a face, her nose scrunching in disapproval. “No, you’re not. This is a girls’ outing. You don’t have the right body parts. Besides, I want to get to know your girlfriend.”
“I’m not?—”
“That’s not what you were saying last night,” Megan cuts me off with a snort. “In fact, you couldn’t shut up about my brother.”
When Ethan’s brows arch, I groan, mortification washing over me like a tidal wave. “I’m going to get changed. And I was drunk. I have no idea what I was saying.”
“Maybe I’ll remind you. You were praising how intelligent my brother was, and how hot he looks in his three-piece suits, and how you’d love to?—”
“Okay!” I cry out, cheeks burning. “That’s enough. Just—Just stop talking while I get changed!”
Megan shrugs, eyeing my untouched breakfast. “Fine. Can I have your breakfast?”
“Please,” I whimper, hurrying to the bedroom to throw on some clothes, desperate to escape this humiliating conversation.
I’ve just taken off my shirt when Ethan walks in, the door closing softly behind him.
Covering my chest with my arms, I scowl. “Out!”
“I’ve already seen it all.” He puts his hands in his pockets, looking entirely too comfortable.
He didn’t even bother going to his room to change after he woke up.
He just took a shower here, put on his shirt and pants, and ordered breakfast like it was nothing. “So what were you saying to my sister?”
“I was drunk!” I repeat, wondering how many times I have to say it for somebody to believe me around here. “Nothing I said counts.”
“On the contrary.” He leans his shoulder against the door, watching me with predatory intensity. “God’s honest truth is spoken when one is drunk. So you like my suits? No, wait, you like me in a suit.”
“Get out, Ethan!” I snarl, clutching my shirt tighter against my chest.
A sly smile curls on his lips, and he straightens up, covering the distance between us in three long strides.
Leaning over me, he takes my chin in his hand, his touch firm but gentle.
“Maybe next time I should fuck you while wearing a suit. Or maybe once we get back to the office, you can get under my desk?—”
I feel the blush crawl over my face, spreading like wildfire down my neck. “You pervert.”
“That’s supposed to be a bad thing?” he chuckles, his breath warm against my face. “You quite like me as a pervert. You certainly weren’t protesting anything I did to you. In fact, I actually remember you begging me for?—”
I slap a hand on his mouth, my voice hoarse. “Stop it.”
“Why?” he asks innocently, lowering my hand. “We’re both consenting adults here.”
I think I’m going to combust. This man is shameless.
He lowers his mouth and presses it against mine. My lips part from instinct, betraying me. The kiss deepens, and despite my reluctance, I let out a whimper that embarrasses me to my core.
My body still remembers everything he did to me, and when I feel wetness form between my legs, I try to pull away.
He slams me against the wardrobe, the wooden edge digging into my back as his mouth moves aggressively against mine.
I know what he wants, and what’s more mortifying is that I want it, too.
Was it like this the first time around? Was I so helpless against him? When he touches me, I want to give him everything he wants. I’m overwhelmed by the desire to please him. I want to give up control to him.
Even as he has me pressed against the wardrobe, I can’t find it in me to tell him to stop because my body wants only what he can give me. Have I finally gone insane?
A banging sound on the door has us both jerking apart, and Megan shouts out, “I’m right here, you know? Go suck face with your girlfriend on your own time, Ethan. We have to go shopping.”
Ethan looks down at me, amber eyes dancing with amusement, and I hiss, “Wipe that smirk off your face. I’m not your girlfriend.”
He just chuckles, the sound rich and deep. “Fine. I’ll let you get dressed in peace, and we can revisit this conversation later.”
“There is no later. I’m telling you how it is!”
He just pats my ass and walks out of the room, supremely confident.
I can hear his sister arguing with him, and I sink to the ground, my legs trembling. What have I done? I should never have slept with him. What was I thinking, that I could control the outcome of this? I’m in so very deep over my head that I can’t see anything.
All Ethan had to do was slip past my defenses, and now I’m helpless against his advances.
This was supposed to be a one-night stand, one I could control. Instead, he’s the one with all the power, and I just gave it to him.
Shopping with Megan is an enlightening experience.
Waving her brother’s credit card gleefully, she takes me to the most expensive brand stores, and despite my attempts digging my heels in, she walks out with heavy shopping bags. Fergus loads the car, looking impressed as he arranges the mountain of purchases in the trunk.
“I really don’t need a haircut,” I protest weakly as Megan drags me toward a salon, its pristine glass facade reflecting the afternoon sun.
“We’re not going to cut your hair entirely,” she pacifies me, an evil glint in her eye. “Just a trim.”
“Two hours ago, you said we were just getting one pair of shoes. I now own three pairs.” I consider clutching the rim of the salon door for leverage, but she’s already pulled me inside, the scent of expensive shampoo and styling products engulfing us.
“When was the last time you had a haircut?” she demands to know. “Your hair reaches past your hips. It’s very pretty and all, but don’t you want to change your look?”
I’m not overly attached to my hair. As long as it isn’t bothering me, I let it alone. My mother had always been against me cutting my hair. I guess I’ve held on to some of her rules since childhood like invisible chains.
“Well, maybe just a little bit,” I relent, already knowing I’ll regret it.
I should have known that giving anybody in this family even a little bit of leeway means that they will shove the entire door open. I walk out of the salon with soft bangs and hair that goes just a little past my shoulders. But it looks good, framing my face in a way that makes my eyes seem larger.
When we finally head to lunch, my feet are aching, and I crave another massage, each step sending a jolt of pain up my legs. “I’m never going shopping with you again.”
Megan laughs lightly, sliding into her chair at the upscale restaurant she’s chosen. “Of course you are. Seeing how obsessed my brother is with you, you’ll be seeing a lot more of me. Who knew that Ethan would finally settle down? Aside from Nick, all my brothers are allergic to commitment.”
“Commitment? We are not settling down anywhere!” I say quickly, panic fluttering in my chest.
Megan rolls her eyes at me, the gesture exaggerated. “You’re both all over each other. Stop embarrassing yourself.”
Megan has a sharp tongue, but she’s quite likable, her directness oddly refreshing.
“I’m serious,” I insist, gripping the menu with unnecessary force. “There’s really nothing going on between me and your brother. We just—We had a one-night stand?—”