But it was time for her to stand up for herself. Sure, Owen had always had her back. Adopting a black girl into a white family wasn't exactly popular in small town North Carolina. But Libby wasn't a kid anymore, and she certainly didn't need protecting from Kade!
"I know, I know," he said glumly, looking up at the ceiling. "But you know Kade. I don't think he's ever actually been in a serious relationship in all the years I've known him. He just likes to dance and flirt and fuck. Not exactly the ideal qualities in a boyfriend, much less a future husband."
Well, she wasn't really wrong there. He had been a major playboy back when we were all in school together. "You sure he's still like that though? He's been gone for awhile. And the military changes guys. Maybe he's ready to stop being a man-whore and settle down."
Libby snorted, then looked up at me and smirked. "I hate to break it you, but I don't know any guys that've been bounced all around the world in the military that've just up and decided they're tired of fucking every woman who bats their eyes at them."
I shrugged. She probably wasn't wrong about that either, but I didn't think she'd really know for sure unless she tried. But then, it wasn't really my place to push her. I was her best friend, not her mother. She was free to do whatever she wanted, even if that meant pining over the one that got away.
"I'm going to bed," I announced. Now that I was clean and no longer smelled like sweat and bar, I could crawl into bed and try to put Ethan out of my mind.
Libby said good night, and I headed into my bedroom. But even after crawling in bed, when I closed my eyes, there he was. I tried to push those thought away and think of something else, but that always came back. Even now, I could feel his hard body pressed against mine.
I hadn't been able to resist rubbing up against him while we danced. I'd wanted to see if those muscles felt as rock hard as they looked. And boy did they ever! That man definitely had the body of a marine, without a doubt. Christ, if he'd been anything other than a soldier, I'd have been all over him.
I turned back and forth in the bed, trying to find a comfortable position so I could fall asleep. With my mind racing though, my body refused to cooperate. Heat spread through out me, starting in my chest, then snaking it way down between my legs. The more intense the heat became, the more the images of Ethan filled my mind.
Soon, I wasn't just remembering dancing with him. I was undressing him. I was sliding that tight black t-shirt up and off, revealing the chiseled muscle underneath. Then, my hands were all over him. I wanted to touch every inch of him, top to bottom.
Before I knew it, my hands had slipped into my pajama bottoms. I let out a gasp as I rubbed myself, my eyes still squeezed tight as my imagination went into overdrive. It didn't take long before my entire body was on fire, all of my muscles going tense as pressure built up inside me.
Then, it all exploded outward. I yelled out as the pleasure tore through my body, searing me from the inside out. Time ground to a halt as I thrashed around on my bed, struggling to keep the world from spinning around and around.
And then, I collapsed down against the bedsheets, gasping for air. My whole body still tingled with the after effects of my orgasm. As I came back down to earth, I realized just how loud I'd been. God, I hoped Libby was in the shower or something because otherwise, there was no way she hadn't heard me!
Not looking forward to facing my roommate in the morning, I burrowed beneath the covers, wishing a hole would open up and swallow me.
3 Ethan
Staring down at my phone, I shake my head. Neither Owen nor Kade had answered the texts I'd sent them. Which meant they were both still passed out, no doubt hungover from last night. They'd both had a good bit to drink, and I was surprised they'd been able to make it back to the hotel without face planting.
I'd cut myself off after Penny had left. If I hadn't, I'd have gotten just as drunk as the two of them, trying to put her out of my mind. Instead, I stayed on the dance floor most of the night, hoping one of the pretty girls out there would be enough to get my head screwed on straight.
The fact that I ended up alone in my room at the end of the night should give you a pretty good clue how that turned out. No matter how many pretty girls wanted to rub up against me last night, she was all I could think about.
Christ, it was like I was a schoolboy with a crush again. But there was something irresistible about that cute little bookworm that had me on edge. Even this morning, she was right there at the front of my mind, those mischievous eyes glinting up at me.
My cock was rock hard the moment I'd woken up, my dream about her still fresh in my mind. So badly I wanted to take care of it right then and there. I forced myself not to though, not feeling comfortable doing that while thinking about her. Even though I'd felt the heat and attraction radiating off her last night, she'd made it clear nothing was going to happen between us.
Jacking off thinking about her just seemed creepy when she'd rejected me twice already. Instead, I ignored it and got myself dressed, hoping one of the guys would text me back.
I couldn't sit around the room doing nothing all day though. I was already going stir crazy, and I'd only been up for about an hour. I'd tired watching TV, but I just kept zoning out and my mind drifting back to Penny.
Checking my phone again, there still weren't any messages from either of them. I needed to get out of the room though, so I threw on a pair of sneakers and headed out for a run. If anything could help me zone out and just living in the moment it was running.
The sun was up, peaking over the buildings and casting an orange glow on the streets. It was chilly out, downright cold compared to Afghanistan, but it was bearable. And once I got running, the temperature wouldn't matter much at all.
As I jogged down the mostly empty main street, my mind went blank as it usually does. The high that came with running kicked in, and soon it was like I was floating. It was something I'd picked up as a teenager, a way for me to get out of the house and cope with everything going on in my life.
It'd helped get me through bootcamp and my tours in Afghanistan too. Whenever I was out running, it was like I slipped into a trance. My brain turned itself off, and my body moved on autopilot. It didn't matter if I was in our shitty, rundown neighborhood, in the middle of the desert, or in the middle of a small town. Once I got going, the world around me just faded away.
When I finally slowed down to a light jog and started coming back to reality, I had no idea how long I'd been out running. The sun was high in the sky now though, so I must've been out for a good while. The blood was flowing through me, and I was wide awake and alert.
But when I looked up and found myself standing outside the little bookshop again, my breath caught in my chest. Penny would probably be in there, I figured, since the little sign was flipped to Open.
I stood there for a long moment, just staring at the door. She'd made it pretty clear last night she didn't want to go out with me. And yet, I'd seen the desire in her eyes, I'd felt the attraction radiating off her.
Before I could second guess myself, I opened the door and walked inside, the little bells signaling my arrival. Penny appeared from around a row of books, and she looked at me apprehensively. She wasn't quite frowning, but she wasn't smiling either. "Ethan," she said, slowly, looking me up and down. "Back for another book?"
"Yeah. Do you have the Lord of the Rings?" I asked, once again naming the first book that came to mind. It'd been something I'd wanted to read as a kid, having loved the movies, but I'd never been allowed to. It was supposedly too mature for me. If it wasn't one excuse, it was another.
"Sure, follow me."
Penny's wide hips swayed as she walked, and my heart skipped a beat. Even in simple jeans and a t-shirt, she was absolutely gorgeous. It was no wonder I hadn't been able to get her out of my mind. She was unlike any woman I'd ever seen before.
She pulled the first book in the series off the shelf and turned to face me. The two of us stood only inches apart, and when
she looked up into my eyes, I saw that familiar desire reflected right back at me. Despite her words yesterday, she wanted me just as much as I wanted her.
"Is... is there anything else you need?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded as time slowed to a stand still. "You," I whispered. Without waiting for a response, I leaned forward and kissed her. Electricity shot through my body when our lips connected. She went stiff at first, then melted against me. The book fell to the floor as she wrapped her arms around me, pushing her tongue into my mouth.
Scooping her up into my arms, I held her tight against me, her body and mine fitting together like puzzle pieces. My hands beneath her ass, my cock grew hard as a rock, trying to tear through my pants. I needed her so fucking badly.
I broke the kiss and locked eyes with her again. Both of us were breathless now, and she made no move to pull away from me. "Is there somewhere private?" I asked, not really wanting any customers to come in and find us screwing like rabbits in the middle of the shelves. If that's what we had to do, then I wasn't going to let it stop me, but I figured she might want some privacy.
Penny nodded as she took a deep breath. "In the back. My office," she managed to get out, her voice already hoarse.
Penny squeaked as I carried her back there. Kicking the door shut behind us, my lips were on hers again. I set her down on top of her desk and let my hands roam all over her body. She did the same, hands slide up under my shirt rubbing against my chest.
Before I knew it, the two of us were naked in her office, our clothes in a pile on the floor. When I slid between her legs, my cock pressed right up against her entrance, she moaned into my mouth. Her entire body shivered, and I took that as permission, slowly pushing forward.
By the time I had my entire length inside her, my insides were on fire. Penny continued to let her hands roam, touching every inch of me she could reach. I kept mine firmly on her hips, fighting to get myself under control. I was already right on the edge, and I didn't want this to be over too quickly.
I pulled my hips back, sliding my cock almost completely out of her. Penny shivered in my arms. Then, I slammed my hips forward again, and her entire body went stiff. Over and over I did this until beads of sweat dripped down her body.
She broke the kiss to gasp for air. There was a fire in her eyes, the same fire I felt in the pit of my stomach. We both needed this more than anything. "Harder," she begged, and I was all too happy to give her what she wanted.
Soon, the small office was filled with the sounds of sex. Skin slapping against skin echoed around us, mixed with our combined grunting and moaning. Penny kept begging for more, and I kept giving it, both of us slowly loosing control of ourselves.
The pressure inside me had built until it threatened to consume me. I couldn't hold it back much longer, no matter how hard I tried. Penny had her legs wrapped around me now, her nails digging into my back. I wasn't the only one right on the edge, and I struggled to hold on as long as I could, wanting to bring her across the finish line at the same time.
"Oh god!" Penny yelled out, her voice almost deafening. Her entire body went rigid for a moment. Then, she started shaking as her pussy contracted around my cock, becoming like a vice.
That was all I could take. I slammed into her one last time, letting loose as the fire inside me exploded outward. The world around spun, faster and faster, until nothing remained but the two of us, lost in our orgasmic bliss.
When I came back down to Earth, my knees buckled, threatening to dump me on the floor at any moment. I fought to breathe and keep standing, glad I had the desk in front of me to brace the two of us on. We were both stuck together with sweat now, shivering as our heart rates started to return to normal.
"Wow," was all I could say. Sex had certainly never been like that before! And judging by the loopy grin she gave me, she felt much the same way.
But once we'd recovered enough to start getting dressed again, Penny's attitude shifted. She barely even looked up at me as she got dressed. Her shoulders were slumped, her movements sluggish.
"You okay?" I asked, walking over and putting my arms around her again. Penny pushed me away gently, shaking her head.
"This can't happen again," she said. When she looked up at me, we locked eyes, and my heart broke. I could see how much she wanted this, but something was stopping her.
I had no idea what to say so I just nodded. I could tell she wanted this, but I wasn't going to argue with her. She was a grown woman, perfectly capable of making her own decisions. It wasn't my place to try and dictate her life, no matter how badly I wanted to fight with her.
Once we were decent again, we headed back out into the shop. I picked up the book she'd dropped earlier and bought it, figuring it would've just been rude to fuck her and not even buy the book I'd asked for.
Neither of us spoke during the transaction. Penny barely even looked at me the entire time.
Before I left, I turned and looked her one last time, silently begging her to reconsider. When she didn't say anything though, I let out a sigh and nodded. "I'm sorry," I said, then left.
4 Penny
"You gonna tell me what happened or just spend the whole day moping around?" Libby leaned again the wall smirking at me, effectively blocking my way back toward the kitchen.
I'd come inside to try and clear my head. Libby and Owen's parents had insisted on throwing a holiday barbecue, since Owen wouldn't be in town for the actual holidays. I'd wanted to turn down my invitation, knowing Ethan would be there, but I knew that'd have been rude.
So instead, I'd spent the entire time doing everything I could to stay as far away from Ethan. It was bad enough I hadn't been able to stop thinking about him since this morning. I still couldn't believe I'd let him do that to me. No, that wasn't quite right. I hadn't let him do anything to me. I'd wanted it just as much as he had.
Still, it was hard to believe I'd had sex with a guy in the shop. I'd never done anything like that before. I'd never even considered doing anything like that before! And, worst of all, it was probably the best sex I'd ever had.
God, that man had my head all kinds of screwed up.
"I'd rather not," I finally said when Libby made it clear she wasn't moving out of my way any time soon. "I'd rather just try and pretend I never met Ethan Hubble, if it's all the same to you."
Libby let out a bark of laughter. The look she gave me had me looking down at my shoes in embarrassment. "Girl. You have never once let me forget about Kade. So don't think I'm gonna just drop this. If you like the guy, go for it."
"You know I can't." No matter how out of this world the sex was, I could not let myself get involved with a soldier. It was just heartache waiting to happen. Losing my father as a teen had crushed me. I could only imagine what it'd do to me if I lost a husband. Mom had never been the same after that, and I was pretty sure Dad's death was part of the reason for Mom's passing a couple years later. She just couldn't go on without him.
I didn't want that kind of thing hanging over me.
"You should at least talk to him," Libby continued. "The poor man looks like someone kicked his puppy. If you really don't want to be with him, then fine. But don't you think you should at least tell him why?"
I let out a sigh and nodded. Libby wasn't wrong. I was kind of being a bitch for pushing him away like that. Libby and I had been friends since we were little girls. She'd spent so many nights over at my house. Mom had treated her like a second daughter, helping teach Libby some of her black heritage. And after my parents died, her parents had treated me as one of their own. Which meant I'd spent a lot of time with Owen and Kade over the years. Owen was like an annoying older brother to me, and I considered both of them family.
And Ethan was their friend. He wasn't some stranger off the street. He wasn't some guy I'd probably never see again. If he was as close to Kade and Owen as it seemed, I'd probably end up seeing him again. Which meant I at least owed him an explanation.
"Fi
ne." I sighed again. "I'll go talk to him, okay? But only if you go talk to Kade."
Libby let out a snort, then nodded. "Fine. I'll talk to him. No promises though! And if Owen loses his shit, I'm totally sending him after you!"
"I can handle your brother," I told her with a smirk. Owen may talk a big game, but I wasn't afraid to put him in his place.
No, I was more afraid of talking to Ethan. Not because I thought he might hurt me or something, but because I was afraid I might not be able to control myself around him. I'd already lost control once. I didn't want it to happen again.
Libby put her arm around me, then led me back outside to the party. It wasn't a large party, mostly just the family and a few close friends. Not a lot of people were eager to have a barbecue in the middle of December. But since the Marsden's had a pretty big back yard, they had a bonfire going that kept it pretty toasty out there.
While Libby went to find Kade, I made a beeline toward Ethan. He was standing over by the fire, sipping on a beer while talking to Kade's father. Senator Walters smiled at me when I walked over. "I still can't get over how much you've grown up, Penny!"
I smiled. "Sometimes I can't believe it either. Feels like almost yesterday we were all still in high school together, getting into all kinds of trouble!"
"Ain't that the truth!" Senator Walters said with a laugh. Then, he turned and nudged Ethan with his elbow. "Remind me to tell you some of the more interesting stories from those days! I doubt Kade's told you everything. That boy was the very definition of wild child! If it hadn’t been for Owen, Libby, and Miss Penny here reining him in, Lord only knows what kind of trouble he’d have gotten into!"
"No I haven’t heard any of the really good stories!" Ethan said with a wolfish grin. "You'll have to tell me all the best ones so I can make sure to tell all guys when we get back!"
Claimed by a Soldier Billionaire: A BWWM Instalove Romance Page 2