by Roya Carmen
She smiled. "I can't lie... it was pretty fun," she admitted, still a little breathless. "I'd like to do that again."
He grabbed her hand. "Me too. We're not too far. Let's race to the car."
They sprinted like children to the car and when they finally made it, they were drenched, rain dripping onto the leather seats of his vintage Jag. They smiled wide at each other and she wanted him again, but when he started the engine, eyes on the road, she knew he was being a good boy... for once. She sighed at the thought. She much preferred it when he misbehaved.
When she got home, she raced to her room and got out of her wet cold clothes. She checked her watch and realized there would be no time to dry her hair. She simply pinned it up and stuck a jeweled flower barrette in it. She chose a pretty red dress to complete the outfit. It was very 'Pretty Woman’. She couldn't count the many times her mother had made her watch that movie as a teenager. She had enjoyed the whole Cinderella theme of the movie but hadn't failed to notice the very messed-up message it sent. She'd always been extremely realistic and matter-of-fact about relationships and love... until now.
Why was Ethan making her feel this weak? She was usually so in control, but with him, she felt so unhinged. She felt like he could destroy her with a single false move, and that scared the hell out of her. As she stared at her reflection, she reminded herself. "Ethan Fox is a player," she whispered. "He might be the most amazing kisser on the planet, but he's definitely not the guy you fall in love with. Don't forget that, Kirsten." She felt a little silly talking to herself like this, but she needed to say the words out loud. She needed to get a hold of herself.
As soon as she stepped out of her mother's loft, she saw him standing at her door, looking amazing in a fitted dark suit, two button jacket with only one button done up. Did he know what he was doing to her?
Damn.
"You look amazing," he offered with a smirk. "The teacher approves."
She smiled. "Does he, now?" she asked playfully. "You look amazing too."
He inched closer and her breath hitched. Was he going to kiss her again? He pressed a finger seductively against her thigh and pulled the fabric up slowly. The long hem of her dress lifted off the ground to reveal her red strappy heels, a pair she had borrowed from her mother.
"I like the shoes too," he told her, gazing down at her feet. "But they could be one or two inches higher."
She scowled. "Do you have any idea how uncomfortable four or five inch heels are?"
He laughed. "And the hair should be down, but I understand, under the circumstances, why it's up."
She glared at him. "You don't like my up-do?"
"No, I love it. You look very beautiful," he tried to explain. "Hair worn down is sexier, that's all. Men imagine their hands lost in it while they're fucking you."
She stiffened at his words. They had taken her by surprise. She was feeling a little daring when she asked him, "How about you Mr. Fox? Did you have those thoughts when I wore my hair down around you?"
His grin was mischievous when he said, "Every single time."
The restaurant was beautiful with its floor-to-ceiling windows offering paranomatic views of the sun setting over Seattle. Kirsten told herself she needed to bring her mother here. Why had she never set foot in this place before?
The sophisticated hostess led them to their table, a pristine spot right by the fireplace. As she sat down, Kirsten took in the impressive stone structure and its warm flames. She couldn't help but appreciate the warmth and coziness of the place.
As Ethan sat across her and shot her a dazzling smile, she felt a little like Cinderella with her Prince. But how she had always hated the Cinderella story. It essentially told little impressionable girls across the world that all their dreams could be fulfilled by one man. Please. And again, she reminded herself how all of this, the beautiful restaurant, the gorgeous man, the dress and the candlelight... was all fantasy. And she was the girl with her feet firmly planted on the ground.
Ethan couldn't stop looking at her. She was so precious. Precious was not a word he ever used to describe the many women who have been part of his life. Sexy, hot as hell, gorgeous, wild, fun... But precious was new for him. He didn't quite know why, but he had the urge to keep her close by his side, to protect her and love her. Of course, he still wanted her naked, panting and begging while he fucked her into oblivion, but he also wanted to cherish her. He wondered what in the hell and the heavens was wrong with him as he perused the menu.
He had been here many times before. It was his go-to to impress a woman. And he was glad when it seemed to work for Kirsten as well. He hadn't failed to notice the spark in her eye when she took in the space. He wasn't sure why but he really cared what she thought. And for the first time in a long time, sitting in this fabulous restaurant, he was a little nervous.
He was impressed by the way she conducted herself. She was all class, and relatively relaxed, shooting him a seductive smile here and there. There wasn't much to teach. The only lesson here was to show her that dinner is all part of the foreplay. It’s about playful banter, seductive looks, and fun.
He was usually so good at this but tonight he was at a complete loss for words. As she enjoyed her scallops, he dug into his rack of lamb, and wondered when he had become such a pussy. Where was his damn mojo?
"So Ethan," she started between bites of her salad. "Have you been here often?"
"Uh..." he faltered. Of course he had. "Yep, a few times."
She smiled wide. "A lot, I presume. I bet this is where you take all the ladies to impress them. It's quite romantic."
She was so on to him. He simply shot her a tight smile and chose to remain speechless.
"It's a slam-dunk I bet," she went on in a teasing tone. "Once you wine and dine them in this place, I'm sure they're a sure thing."
Now, she was starting to irritate him a bit. He suddenly had the urge to spar a little, to work her up. He smirked, nice and long. "Yep, it is. I usually have their legs wrapped around me by ten o’clock."
She cocked a brow. "Nice and easy. I'm sure they all fall for the whole Cinderella special. Candlelight dinner, a little dancing... And then a fuck-fest."
He was taken aback by her choice of words. He had never heard her utter the word with such venom. She was angry and hostile, and he kind of liked that.
"Yep, that's pretty much how it goes," he said, intent on working her up even more. He enjoyed seeing that fire in her eyes.
"Well, I'm not that stupid," she told him, all business. "There will be no fuck-fest tonight. I know your game and I'm not falling for it."
He smiled, putting down his fork. He had all but abandoned his meal. "Jeez, Kirsten, let me tell you something for your own good. You are doing terribly at this date."
She laughed out loud. "How so?"
"You're so defensive. You need to loosen up. So yeah, I want to fuck you. Just enjoy it for fuck's sake," he carried on in a whisper, a little worked up. She was driving him crazy. "If I recall correctly, you seemed to enjoy every second when we fucked on my sofa. And I'm pretty sure you'd love to do it again."
She sucked in a deep breath, at a loss for words. And he knew he had her. She couldn't argue his logic. He was right.
"What I'm saying is that on a date, don't think too much. That's probably the number one rule. Just have fun with it. Be in the moment."
She looked up from her plate. "Sorry, I keep forgetting this is supposed to be a lesson. Please go on and lavish me with all your wisdom, Sir."
He was both amused and annoyed by her snarkiness. But she looked so cute when she teased him like this, he had to let it slide.
All hard feelings where forgiven when they shared a luscious chocolate sauce covered brownie and she licked the chocolate off of his spoon. He couldn't get at her to touch her, but how he wanted to. She looked as delicious as the dessert.
Where had the sweet Ethan she was with at Kubota Gardens gone? In his place, was the usual arrogant ass she'd kn
own for a long time. The womanizer, Seattle's most eligible bachelor. She didn't like him much but she had to admit, she loved the idea of him having his way with her. Despite herself, she was insanely attracted and drawn to the enigmatic Ethan Fox. What was wrong with her? She was smarter than that.
The nightclub was magical and sexy. And suddenly, a martini in hand, Kirsten felt loose. When was the last time she had gone out clubbing, dancing? She honestly couldn't remember. She decided to take Ethan's advice and just let go, enjoy the moment and have fun. She and Ethan were both way overdressed for the place but that made it even more fun. She felt like a socialite who had crashed a hip happening party.
She stood close to the bar while Ethan ordered them drinks. She reveled in the luscious space with its luxurious velvet red curtains and crystal chandelier. She couldn't believe how crowded the place was, sweaty bodies coming together like a tin of sardines. Every night, this kind of thing was happening, while she sat at home with a book. She suddenly wished she had gone out more. But all she needed at the time were her books and Logan. And look where she was now, she mused, a bystander, looking in from the outside, studying everything she had missed.
She hadn't noticed him staring at her, which was surprising because he was hard to miss. Tall, dark and handsome and... bearded. He was dressed up like her, standing all by his lonesome. And he fixed her like he meant business. She jerked her gaze away as soon as she realized he was looking at her. She really didn't know how to handle such situations.
She searched for Ethan and spotted him still at the bar. She ventured another look at the tall, dark stranger and he shot her a glorious smile. The man was gorgeous. More than gorgeous. He had that 'je-ne-sais-quoi', like he didn't quite belong there, as if he belonged somewhere better. She smiled shyly as he closed in on her.
"How are you?" he asked, the words laced with what she guessed was a European accent. She had been right. He didn't quite belong there.
She smiled politely. "I'm great. Thank you," she replied, tilting her head up. He was so tall, even taller than Ethan. She wasn't sure if she could handle taller than Ethan, but then she spotted the wide grin stretched across the man's beautiful face, and decided that she could. She definitely could climb that tree. "How are you?"
"Good," he said and inched his way even closer. "Better now."
"Where are you from?" She was dying to know.
"I am from Argentina," he told her. "I am here for work."
Ooohhh... not European. South American. Even better.
He extended his large hand to her. "My name is Antonio."
She smiled wide as she started to feel more comfortable. He wasn't sleazy... but rather sweet. "I'm Kirsten," she offered with a firm handshake. So far the night was going well.
She hadn't even noticed Ethan walk up to her, when he handed her an appletini. He caught her by surprise and she fumbled a little. "Oh... hi Ethan, this is Antonio," she offered, flustered. "This is my friend, Ethan," she explained to Antonio and noticed his face fall at the sight of the beautiful Ethan Fox. The man knew he had his competition cut out for him, and he didn't seem like the type who appreciated the challenge. She wanted to tell him she was single and available and not to worry at all about the gorgeous arrogant man with his arm now wrapped possessively around her waist.
Ethan took in the tall foreign man looming over him, and he pulled Kirsten closer and leaned in to press his mouth against the shell of her ear. "You're not going home with him," he whispered.
Kirsten sucked in a long breath. How dare him. Who did he think he was? She didn't belong to him. She was a free woman, for the first time in a long time. And damn if she wasn't going to enjoy it.
"I'll go home with whomever I damn wish," she scoffed, just loud enough for him to hear.
"Kirsten..." he said condescendingly. "You can't just go home with any guy you meet. I'm looking out for you. I'm keeping you safe."
"Bullshit." She was getting really peeved now. "You just want me all to yourself."
He laughed, and took a sip of his foreign beer.
The beautiful Antonio shot her another sweet smile and gently made his exit.
"You didn't even let me talk to him. You just barged in and marked your property. The guy probably thinks we're getting married tomorrow."
His annoying dimples made their appearance as he grinned widely. "Aren't we? I'm game if you are."
She rolled her eyes. "Be serious for a minute. I thought this was all supposed to be part of the lesson," she went on. "I wasn't planning to go home with the man, but it would have been nice just to talk to him. But you didn't even give me the chance to do that. How am I supposed to learn how to talk to a man, if you won't let me?" She knew she made an excellent point and he would have a hard time arguing her logic.
He bit his lip. "I'm sorry. I just didn't like the looks of him. He seemed like a sleaze ball."
She smiled. "You mean he was a little too gorgeous, and tall and seductive. I’m starting to see how this works," she carried on. "You'd like me to cut my teeth into a nice wholesome boy with a friendly smile and golf shirt, someone who probably wouldn't be able to give me an orgasm."
His face broke into a smile. "God, it's like you're a mind-reader."
"I'm right, aren't I... you were jealous."
He shrugged and pulled her closer. He fixed her with those amazing eyes of his, like he knew how powerful they were. Panties-melting eyes. "Why would I be jealous? I'm obviously the type you like, the guy who can make you come... twice now," he whispered against her ear. "And I'd like to do it again."
His words aroused her and she was speechless as she stood close to him. Yes, she had liked the looks of Antonio, but he didn't have the effect on her that Ethan had. She was brought back to the first time she had met him at the loft building.
She was carrying a bunch of books for a writing project she’d been working on, a modern retelling of Jane's Austen’s Pride & Prejudice, a fan fiction of sorts. She had dropped her books, and had been a fumbling mess when she spotted those eyes. And to make matters worse, some of the books afore-mentioned were erotica. So embarrassing. But he hadn't seemed to notice the books. His eyes were on her, and only her. It was love at first sight. And then he opened his mouth, and said something arrogant and pouf! Just like that, the feeling was gone.
But then the erotic dreams had started.
"You feel like dancing?" he asked, not so much a question. He dragged her to the dance floor, his smile contagious. Kirsten recognized the song. It was one she sang along to every time she heard it on the radio.
Damn, he was a good dancer too, she realized as he pulled her seductively to him. Her hips swayed against his. He trailed a hand to her head, and unpinned her hair clip. Her hair fell thick and luscious over her shoulders. He pinned the clip on the lapel of his jacket and shot her a smile as he trailed a hand through her locks. And suddenly, she felt so sexy, sexier than she ever had. She pulled him closer and started grinding against him to the beat of the music. She gazed up at him, her face close to his. He bit down a smile, and pressed himself even closer against her, as close as they could get.
She felt his erection against her belly and it aroused her beyond words. She closed her eyes, wanting to take this party elsewhere. They were dancing slowly now, and he pressed his lips against hers, fully consuming her mouth. As their tongues danced and twirled, their pace slowed down. The music and the lights receded. They had fallen into another realm. They were in their own world now. The taste of him, the feel of him. She couldn't get enough.
He pulled away from her. "I need to take you home," he breathed, the words buried in her hair.
Oh yes... please do.
When Ethan took the keys from the valet, she wondered how long the drive to their place was. She couldn't wait. He had worked her up so much on the dance floor, she had the urge to climb all over him right there in his vintage Jag. But this was valet parking after all. That naughty business would just have to wait, she mused, b
iting her lip. She hated waiting. Delayed gratification was not her thing at all. He shot her a wicked smile as they drove off into the beautiful nightscape of Seattle. And she felt so alive.
She held her heels by the strap, walking barefoot. "Heels are such a pain," she told him as they stepped off the elevator. "You're lucky you're a man and don't have to suffer the modern tortures of womanhood."
As they reached the end of the hall, he pulled her in front of his door. This is it, she thought. He looked at her with longing but his smile told another story – it was tight, all-business. "Would you like to come in for a drink?"
Hell, yeah, she thought. She knew that was code for 'sex'. "I would love to," she replied with her best seductive smile.
He shook his head. "No, you wouldn’t," he said simply. "You don't want to accept an invitation like that on the first date," he explained, all business. "The second maybe, definitely the third... but not the first."
Her heart sank. He was brushing her off.
"It tells me you're easy. And no man worth his salt likes an easy woman," he went on, completely oblivious to her inner turmoil. This little speech was destroying her. "We men like the thrill of the chase... the mystery," he plowed on. "We like a woman who plays a little hard to get," he explained. "You want a man who desires you, who fantasizes about having you, who becomes a little obsessed with you," he carried on, his expression dead-serious. "You don't want to give all the goods away too early. The man will lose interest real fast and move on."
Oh my God. Was that what he was trying to tell her? That he had already lost interest since she had so easily let him have her over the back of his sectional sofa? Been there. Done that. Time to move on.
She could literally feel her heart being crushed, the heaviness fully consuming her. She was on the verge of tears, careful to measure her words and keep her tone even, master her response to the heart-wrenching rejection because above all else, she didn't want him to know she cared. "I see," she said. The less words, the better. "Good lesson," she added with a nod, staring at the floor. "I suppose I'll see you around. Thanks," she added quickly as she scurried away to her door like a little mouse.