by Roya Carmen
Ethan winced a little. "I'm sorry."
"The worst part is..." she went on. She was on a roll. "I'll have to see him again in a few months," she told him, experiencing those old familiar feelings of dread at her core. "It's a fundraiser for the library we do every year and Logan's firm is highly involved. Logan is involved in many charitable organizations," she went on, remembering her ex. His charitable work had been one of the reasons she loved him, even when he often acted superior, belittling people who he deemed beneath him. "Anyway, it will be hosted by the library and since I'm in charge of all functions at the library, I need to be there. It's my job."
Ethan listened attentively. And she couldn't help but notice his beautiful hands has he traced circles around the bottom of his wine glass. She couldn't believe she was telling him all this. "And the worst part is," she went on. God, what was she doing? "He'll probably be there with his new girlfriend, Lisa, the hot yoga instructor... she has a tattoo and everything."
Ethan smiled. He couldn't help it. She was kind of cute, pouring her heart out like this. He didn't think she had it in her. It was nice to see there was a human being underneath the conservative skirt and fuzzy pink shirt. He loved her in that shirt. She looked so soft, like an adorable teddy bear he could just squeeze to death. He shook his head. "Yep... tattoos... they're not sexy at all," he said, trying to make her feel better.
She smiled. "Really?"
"Oh yeah... girls with high heels and tattoos. They’re so overrated," he told her with a wide grin. "I much prefer a nice buttoned up girl."
Both Lorraine and Kirsten laughed. Kirsten tilted her head a little and bit her bottom lip. The seductive gesture caught him completely off guard. He liked it. He liked it a lot. "And I bet you prefer granny panties over thongs too."
He laughed. "Of course, there's nothing like a good pair of granny panties... with little tiny flowers on them."
"I have a pair or two," she told him. "Maybe I could show you one day."
Lorraine was slack-jawed. She eyed her daughter with a mischievous grin. Ethan seemed amused. Perhaps there was a little bit of Lorraine in her daughter after all.
"I'd love to see that,” Ethan offered with a playful grin. He was a pro at banter and innuendo. But for some reason, he was enjoying this a lot more than usual.
But Kirsten wasn't exactly as experienced at this as he was, and she soon faltered. "Uh..." she said a little awkwardly. "Were you guys ready for dessert?" She completely veered them off course and the flirting was officially done. "I have cookies."
"Sure," Ethan said, wanting to follow her to the kitchen and continue what they started.
She came back with a tray of shortbread and chocolate chip cookies. "Sorry," she said. "These are store-bought," she confessed as she set the plate on the table. "I love to cook but I don't bake much."
Ethan smiled. "That's funny. I don't cook but I love to bake."
“Really?” Kirsten ventured, wide-eyed.
"Yep... I make a mean apple pie," he gloated, helping himself to a shortbread cookie. "My nanny thought me... we would bake in the afternoon... muffins, pies, cookies... you name it. I loved it."
Kirsten smiled sweetly at him with a rather peculiar expression, as if she would have liked a little taste of not only his baking, but him too. "Sounds yummy."
Yep... he knew women enough to know she would love a little one-on-one time with him, perhaps continue the flirting they had barely started. "I could teach you, if you'd like."
He spotted the glint in her eye. "Uh..." She was speechless. He had clearly surprised her with the suggestion.
"Uh..." She soon recovered. "That sounds fun. I think I might like that."
Oh yes... she was up for it. "I'll teach you how to make a pie, from scratch."
She smiled. "Sounds great."
He was thrilled. He wasn't sure why. He'd always thought she was cute and interesting, but he had never quite seen her that way. But there was something about her... he wanted to help her. She had so much potential. There was a subdued sensuality about her, and it just needed to be released.
And he wanted to be the man to do that, the one to break her open.
3
Let me have my fun with you
Kirsten wasn't sure how Ethan had managed to convince her to go to his place for a private pie baking lesson, but there she was, sporting a polka-dot apron and knocking at his door. She didn't want to admit to herself that she was quite excited at the prospect of seeing his apartment and spending some time with him. That sounded an awful lot like a crush.
And Ethan Fox was not the type she usually crushed on. She tended to fall for the boy-next-door, which ironically, he was. He was literally the man-next-door, but there was absolutely nothing boy-next-door-ish about him. He was a bad boy, a player, and she needed to constantly remind herself of that little fact. He was just playing her like he played everyone.
When Ethan opened the door, he shot her a playful smile. "Nice apron, dragonfly."
She smiled tightly and made her way in. His place was not too far off than what she had imagined, a sleek modern vibe with retro cool touches. As he welcomed her in the living room, she made a beeline for the red retro barber's chair. "Can I sit?"
He smiled at her. "Sure... it's comfortable."
"Where did you get this?" she asked, taking in the vintage movie posters covering the rustic brick walls, and all the retro 60s and 70s paraphernalia in bright hues of orange, blues, yellows and reds. It was like a kid's playroom. The energy filled her, made her happy.
"At an auction," he told her. "Cost me a pretty penny."
She leaned back into the chair, surprised by how comfortable it was. "I can imagine." As she stepped off, she noticed the view, practically a 360 degree view of the Seattle skyline, the tower and Elliot Bay. It was amazing and she could only imagine what it would be like at night. Being the corner unit, Ethan's loft had much better views than her mother's place. "Someone scored the corner piece with the extra icing."
He smiled bashfully, hands in the pockets of his faded designer jeans. "Yeah... I got lucky with this place. There were a lot of bids but I won out."
She didn't want to ask how much he had paid. Of course she wouldn't. She didn't care. She was just so amazed by the place. And when he led her to the ultra-modern gourmet kitchen, complete with double wide refrigerator, she was excited. The cook in her could only dream of the possibilities. She spotted the bright orange professional Kitchen-Aid mixer. "Wow, someone's a pretty serious baker."
He laughed, retrieving the ingredients needed for pie baking. "Ready to bake?" he asked, flashing his white smile, which matched the simple white t-shirt he wore. "Apple pie suit you?"
Kirsten loved a good apple pie. "Sounds great."
He inched in closer behind her. "Have you ever baked a pie before?" he asked, reaching over her for some mixing bowls.
She liked the proximity of him. He seemed like a different person today, without the pretentious suit. "No... it's all new to me."
He shot her a grin. "It's easy as pie," he joked.
She smiled, surprised by how well they were getting on. She told herself to give him a chance. She realized that she might have judged him too soon.
He listed the ingredients as he poured them into the stainless steel bowl and started mixing. "You wait for the butter and flour to take shape before you add water," he instructed as he stirred. Then he proceeded to slowly add water. She cuddled up to him to take it all in. He smelled like vanilla... or perhaps that was the bottle sitting on the table. "Then, we need to knead the dough like this," he added as he demonstrated. She watched him eagerly, wanting to get her hands dirty too.
"Your turn," he said with a playful wink.
She sank her hands into the bowl, taking over. The sensation was new to her since she had never baked a pie before.
He watched her intently, leaning against the counter. "Work that dough, baby."
She laughed, enjoying the sensation of the
dough on her hands. "Seems to be working."
"You're good with your hands," he teased.
She bit back a smile. "Oh... I am."
"I'm sure," he said and when she glanced in his direction, she spotted that glint in his gorgeous blues. Damn... he was good at this. He was a pro. He could get her worked up with a few innocent words and a playful stare. He made it look so easy.
And he hadn't even started. He stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around hers, his breath floating above her head, his hands covering her delicate fingers. "Let me help you."
As her heart skipped a beat or two, she panicked and faltered a little. "Uh... yeah..." she stammered as she swiftly made her way out of his hold. "You should probably take over." It was more than a little awkward, but then, Kirsten was used to being awkward, especially with gorgeous playful men.
He shot her a tight smile. "I'll get it ready for the fridge. It needs thirty minutes," he told her with a tilt of his head. "I thought we could talk."
Talk about what?
Kirsten washed her hands, suddenly regretting her decision to have undertaken Pie Baking 101 with Ethan Fox. She dried her hands on her apron, making her way to the contemporary grey sectional sofa. She tilted her head as she studied the glass covered slab of tree he called a coffee table. There were tech magazines covering it, and she absent-mindedly flipped through one, thinking about Ethan. Why was he helping her? What was his agenda? Sex? She was sure there were easier roads to take to reach that end, especially when you were Seattle's most eligible bachelor.
He took a seat next to her, a little too close for comfort. And she suddenly got very nervous. Did Pie Baking 101 include making out on the sofa while the dough refrigerated? Part of her wished it did, and the other part of her told her to rein in her misbehaved libido.
"So..." Ethan started, elbows propped casually on his leg. "You're probably wondering why you're here."
Kirsten sat up straighter, at a loss for words. "Um..."
"I'm sure you know it's not just about teaching you how to bake a pie," he went on, and her breath hitched. She had been right. He wanted to play a little. And she wanted to play too.
"The thing is," he finally managed. "I want to help you. I feel kind of sorry for you."
Her heart sank. His words cut. She didn't want his pity. As she stood to leave, he grabbed her hand. "Sit down," he ordered. "You need to hear this."
She didn't particularly liked to be bossed around, but he had her attention.
He held her hand as he fixed her, eyes intense. She was glued in place, under his stare. "I'm not a wise old man," he told her, "but one thing I do know, dragonfly... is women... and men. And how they relate... what men like," he carried on, eyes intense, "and what women like."
Her gaze was glued to his as she listened intently. Suddenly, she wanted to learn from the master.
"You're very beautiful, Kirsten," he said, his voice soft. The sound of her name on his tongue did crazy things to her. It was so easy for him. "You have a lot of potential and you just need to own it."
She looked down at her feet. He grabbed her chin and tilted her face to his. "Like right now," he said. "When a man tells you you're beautiful, you look him in the eye."
Speechless, she fixed him. God, he was stunning. The intensity in his gaze was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Pure sensuality. Her gaze traveled from his beautiful eyes to his full lips. She desperately wanted him to kiss her.
He let go of her face and smiled as he stood up, leaving her wanting. "You're what I like to call a ‘fixer-upper,’” he told her with a smirk. "Lots of potential, but needs a little work."
She sat, slack-jawed. Apparently the arrogant Ethan Fox was there all along, momentarily taken over by this god of seduction. She stood to leave again. "No thanks. This shack is happy being a shack,” she scoffed as she made her way to the door. "I don't need to be a pretentious fancy mansion." She didn't know if her words made any sense but she was trying to make a point. She had no desire to become his little pet project.
He nipped at her heels and grabbed her arm again. "Wait..."
She turned to him, livid. "I don't need your help, Ethan. I don't need your pity."
"I'm sorry," he offered. "I shouldn't have said... I just want to show that bastard of an ex-boyfriend of yours what he'll be missing."
At those words, Kirsten stood to attention. She wanted that too. She wanted to show Logan, show him how great she was. She wanted to make him see that he had made a colossal mistake and make him regret his decision, make him beg to get her back. Did she want to get back together with him? She didn't know. She just wanted to show him. "Okay," she conceded. "What's your plan?"
He smiled slowly, pulling her toward the sofa.
She grinned at him, a hint of a flirty smile. "Tell me all about it."
She tucked her feet under her legs as she settled onto the sofa, next to him. He crossed his long legs over the coffee table and leaned back beside her. "Well, first off," he started. "We need to get you a boob job."
Kirsten could not believe his words. The gall of him. She was halfway off of the couch when he grabbed her arm. "I'm kidding, dragonfly. I'm kidding."
She stared at his stupid grin and wanted to throttle him. "You better be."
He smiled. "Yep... I was kidding. I mean you don't have much to work with," he added, gesturing at her breasts. "But a nice push-up will do you fine."
She fixed him, open-mouthed. She would just have to learn to deal with his annoying ways, she reminded herself. It was a small price to pay for private lessons of seduction with the master.
"In terms of dressing, you don't need to go crazy," he carried on. "You will need to go a little sexier and tighter, but you don't want to go full-on tramp," he explained. "Men really don't like that. And the ones who do, you probably don't want... they'll just treat you like a whore, and expect you to be a porn star in bed."
Kirsten couldn't believe what he was telling her. "Oh... you are so wise, Mr. Fox." The flirty words weren't quite like her, but they had just slipped out. She was starting to warm up to him.
He smiled wide. "Of course I am," he said. "Now where was I?" he asked. "Oh yes..."
"So you're telling me you don't like the trampy girls."
He laughed. "Of course," he said. "Contrary to what you might think, dragonfly, I'm very discriminating when it comes to women. Only the best will do."
"Oh yes, of course." She sneered. "Then how come I see you with a different woman every weekend?"
He grinned again. "So you've been keeping tabs on me, dragonfly?"
She shook her head and tore her gaze away. "Not really."
"Well the thing is... there are a lot of beautiful classy women out there."
"I'm sure." Suddenly Kirsten hated the idea of him with other women. She realized this was ridiculous. They were just friends, after all.
"So makeup, hair and fashion," he went on. "My sister Meghan can help you with that. She's a fashion buyer, and as classy as they come."
Kirsten smiled. She didn't hate the idea of a little girly shopping time , a chance to remake herself, a whole new 'her' for a whole new life. She was moving on. "Should I lose the glasses?"
He bit his bottom lip as he stared at her for the longest time. She wondered what was going through his mind, and of course he didn't hesitate to tell her. "The glasses are kind of sexy," he said with a sinful grin. "You've got the whole 'sexy librarian' look, which is funny since you really are a librarian."
She rolled her eyes. She’d heard that one before.
"But maybe you can wear some contacts once in a while, like if you go clubbing or something," he suggested. "You have gorgeous eyes."
She smiled and stared at her feet again.
"Dragonfly," he scolded. "You're doing it again. Look at me when I tell you you're beautiful."
She jerked her head up, not wanting to get into further trouble with Mr. Fox. Although part of her kind of liked the scolding. Serious, s
lightly irked Ethan was wickedly sexy.
She tilted her head slightly and held his gaze. "Yes, Sir," she said slowly, the words floating off her tongue. As he fixed her without a word, his eyes darkened.
Ethan jerked his head away and stood from the couch in a hurry. "Um... you want something to drink while we wait?"
Damn, what is going on? Ethan wondered.
Suddenly little plain librarian from next door was making him hard. It was the way she had just looked at him. Those sinfully gorgeous brown eyes. Bedroom eyes. And suddenly his mind went to all sorts of crazy places: her naked body wrapped around him like ivy on a brownstone.
She wasn't even his type, or so he thought.
God... he suddenly wanted to teach her everything he knew. And then some. But she was so stand-offish with him. He wasn't sure if he could break through the ice-queen thing she seemed hell-bent on carrying on. But she was warmer than he thought. She was slowly melting under his stare. He had her, he knew it. He knew enough about women to know this, but for the first time ever, he really wanted to hold on to that, hold on to her. He didn't want to lose her by doing something stupid. And she was a prickly one. He kind of liked that about her. She wasn't throwing herself at him like all the others. He liked the chase, not quite knowing where he stood, the mystery.
He bit his lip, carefully measuring his words, which he never usually did. What was she doing to him? "I thought we could discuss our plan."
She nodded, attentive, those beautiful brown eyes fixed on him. She certainly wasn't making it easy to focus. He had overseen hundreds of board meetings with the powerful; colleagues, investors, the richest of the rich. And somehow, he had never felt so out of his element. He didn't know where to start. He would have liked to start with just grabbing her by the rear and planting her right on top of him. But Kirsten wasn't the kind of girl who would take too well to that, or maybe she would. He didn't know. He didn't really know her. And he wanted to know everything. If there had been a Kirsten Beals for Dummies, he would have devoured every word, learned what made her tic. He decided that he would go over the steps of his plan in a business-like, formal way. He concluded she would appreciate his professionalism.