by Bay, Louise
“Really? Fuck. You won’t like those parties.”
I felt myself stiffen. What did he mean by that?
“You don’t think the British fit into Hamptons society?”
“You’ll see.”
***
“I’m not going to be able to concentrate with you in that dress. All I can think about is that I could have it off in about two seconds.”
I was wearing a red jersey sleeveless dress. Ethan’s eyes had barely left me since we’d got into the car. It was a good thing Rory was driving or we would have been in an accident already. “Well, then, you’re not going to like it when I tell you that I’m not wearing underwear underneath, are you?”
His eyes flashed with lust and then anger and he shook his head. “One hour is all we’re spending at this god-awful party.”
“Ethan. How do you know that it’s going to be awful? We’re not even there yet.”
“I’ve been to this party a thousand times.”
“You’re so dramatic. If you’ve been to parties like this a lot, then you must like them.”
He just growled at me and I reached across and stroked his chin. He caught my wrist in his hand and brought my hand to his lips. “An hour, beautiful.”
Rory had strict instructions to be waiting for us in an hour when he dropped us. As soon as I climbed out of the car, Ethan was beside me, his arm around my waist, guiding me toward the sound of music and chatter beyond the line of trees right in front of us.
“Whose house is this?” I asked.
“Some dick banker that Andrew is friends with.”
“Why are all bankers dicks?” I asked. “Do you think banking turns them into dicks or that they only employ dicks to begin with?”
“An interesting philosophical question, Miss Anna. Why don’t we go back to the house and debate it. In bed. Naked. Me between your legs?”
I looked up at him and grinned. “Later. We have plenty of time.”
But we didn’t have plenty of time. We had exactly two nights before I flew back to London. My skin prickled at the thought. It wasn’t enough time. I wanted another week with him. Or maybe just a few more days.
Before panic could overwhelm me, we were confronted by a mass of people. It felt like they were all looking at us. Ethan squeezed me closer to him as we made our way through the crowd toward the bar that had been set up at the other end of the pool. Ethan briefly shook hands with a couple of over-tanned, middle-aged men, but kept us moving.
Ethan
Jesus, I really didn’t want to be here. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t insisted that we stay at home. Having her in that skimpy red dress, pressed up against me, knowing she wasn’t wearing underwear—it was almost painful. Even though I’d spent more time inside her today than not, I still wanted her. I wanted her to myself, without all these people getting in our way.
She didn’t fit in in this environment. She didn’t have to try so hard. I was so sick of this scene. I didn’t understand why Andrew and Mandy were still doing it. Andrew was almost as well connected as I was, so it couldn’t be for business, and Mandy certainly didn’t fit in with these women—her face still looked normal and not like a frozen Pillsbury Doughboy.
Andrew and Mandy were heading toward us.
“Hey guys, you made it,” Mandy said, hugging first Anna and then me.
“Yeah, we did it for a good cause—Andrew’s balls,” I said. Anna elbowed me in the ribs.
“Fuck you, dude,” Andrew said.
“I was excited to come. Thanks for inviting us,” Anna said.
Mandy clasped her hands together like an over-excited seal. “I’m so pleased you’re an ‘us’ and you’re here!”
I rolled my eyes at her excitement. I hoped she wasn’t making Anna uncomfortable. She didn’t want pressure to be an ‘us,’ I knew that for sure.
“To be honest, I’m not sure why we come to these parties. Although I like to see the women’s faces. It’s so bizarre,” Mandy said.
“I’ll go and get us some drinks,” I offered. “Andrew?”
“Yeah, a beer, thanks.”
“No, you dick, you’re coming with me.”
“Fuck you.”
“Stop being children and go and get your ladies some drinks,” Mandy instructed.
“She’s great, man,” Andrew said as we headed toward the bar.
I grinned and nodded.
“You like her.”
I nodded. “Yeah, of course.”
“So when does she go back to London?” I didn’t want to think about it. I’d promised her uncomplicated, and I didn’t go back on my promises.
“Monday.” I felt my jaw tense. “Can we get a beer, a whiskey, a Manhattan, and a glass of champagne?” I said to the bartender.
“She is your perfect woman if she drinks whiskey.”
I grinned and raised my eyebrows.
I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I turned, I was faced with Julie … or Julia, or something.
“Hey, handsome,” she drawled. I cringed—I didn’t remember fucking her, but I knew we’d fucked. And I cringed that she had her hand on my shoulder when the only person I wanted touching me was Anna. I moved to the right to encourage her to remove her arm, but she just moved with me. Fuck. I hoped Anna wasn’t watching this. Would she care? I wasn’t sure, but I cared.
“Hey. This is my friend Andrew,” I said. I couldn’t introduce them properly when I couldn’t remember her fucking name.
“Hey, Andrew,” she said dismissively and turned back to me. “So, you should give me a call sometime. We could hang out again.”
Fucking hell. I put every effort into never having to have these conversations. I was always clear that they would have no call from me. Ever.
“I don’t think so. I’m with someone.” I wasn’t sure if I said it to soften what I was saying or because I wanted it to be true.
“I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Jesus, that made my stomach churn. As if I’d ever fuck her again.
“I’m not interested,” I said. It was rude, but I didn’t care. And it got the result I wanted: She removed her hand from my shoulder, called me an asshole, and walked away. Thank fuck for that. I turned to see if Anna had caught any of that, but she was talking to Mandy and that bitch Clarissa. Fuck, why had I agreed to come to this shitty party?
“I hate these parties, man.”
“Me, too,” he said. “I think it’s going to be fun until I actually get here.”
“Is this bartender on a go-slow?” I wanted to save Anna from Clarissa.
Just as we picked up the drinks, we were ambushed by the Zetter twins and some girl I’d never seen before. I worked with their father, so couldn’t brush them off as easily as I had Julie. Julia. Whatever her name was. But eventually we broke free and headed back to Anna and Mandy.
Chapter Eleven
Anna
“Do you have parties like this in London?” Mandy asked.
I shrugged. I didn’t know what that meant. “We have parties. But indoors, mainly.” She laughed. I looked over to the bar. A tall, very tanned woman wearing a very short skirt had her arm draped over Ethan’s shoulder. Had he slept with her? Was she his type?
“Hey, Clarissa,” Mandy said, as an equally tanned woman came to join us.
“Hi.” She smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile. There was something off about it. She kissed Mandy on the cheek and then held out her hand to me and actually looked me up and down. Wow.
“Clarissa, this is Ethan’s girlfriend, Anna.” I took her hand and shook it.
“Ethan’s girlfriend?” she asked.
I should have set her straight. I should say that we were just friends, or lovers, or … how would I describe us? ‘Oh, I’m just having hot sex with him for a week to get over my ex’? I was pretty sure that wouldn’t be appropriate. And besides, I liked to see Clarissa squirm, which was apparently what she was doing.
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
�
��Yes, we had dinner together last night. They are so cute together,” Mandy said.
“Well, nice to meet you, too,” Clarissa said. It felt like she had to force the words out. “I was just on my way to the ladies room, so excuse me.” And she turned and walked away.
“She is such a grade-A bitch,” Mandy confided. “She’s been trying to land Ethan for years. She’s pissed as hell to meet you.”
“But I’m not his girlfriend, Mandy. You got that, right?”
She shrugged. “Well, you’re both putting on a pretty good act, and it’s as close as he’s ever come.”
There was no point in arguing with her. I glanced over at the bar and Ethan was draped in a different woman now, and there were two others that were also hovering around him. I felt a pang of jealousy. Would one of them be next in line, after me?
“He’s attracting his fair share of admirers over there.” I nudged Mandy as I looked over at him. He caught my eye and I quickly looked back at Mandy.
“He always does. Look at the man, for Christ’s sake. He’s hot and rich and charming, and most importantly, unattainable. He’s not short of women who want him. I’m sure every woman he fucks just wants to be the one who tamed him.”
“Don’t you think it’s a bit cruel of him to have a series of one-night stands with women who want something more?”
“I’ve had this discussion with him a million times. He says to me—and I believe him—that he makes it clear from the outset that he’s only in it for one night. He has these rules to keep things from getting ‘complicated,’ as he puts it.”
“Rules?” I prompted. I thought I was the one with the rules.
“Yeah, like, he never stays the night with them. He never takes them back to his apartment, never takes their number. A couple he sees more than once, but only if he thinks they can handle his rules, and even then, never more than once a month. So the waters don’t get muddied, or so he says. There are others. I can’t remember them all.”
“So he’s like an ethical man-whore?”
Mandy laughed. “I suppose. I keep thinking he’ll grow out of it. He’s been like this since I met him in college. But he never has, until you.”
“Mandy, the rules may have been flexed a bit, but only because I live 3,000 miles away. There’s not going to be a happy ending here.”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
Before I could convince her, Ethan and Andrew came back with our drinks.
“You’ve been making new friends,” I said softly to him.
He shook his head and bent his head to kiss my neck. “You’re the only new friend I want to make this evening,” he whispered into my ear.
My skin tightened with goose bumps and my hands snaked around his neck.
“Get a room, guys,” Andrew admonished, and grinning, we turned back to them as Ethan slid his hand over my pantyless ass. Why had I suggested we come to this party? I was an idiot.
Eventually, I started to enjoy myself. Mandy was sweet, kind, and funny, and I loved seeing how she interacted with Andrew. I found out they’d met at college and had been together ever since. Ethan seemed to be the third wheel in their relationship, which I thought was super cute. How this god of a man could be a third wheel, I had no idea.
I was coming back from the ladies room and heading back to Ethan when I checked my watch. We’d been here for an hour and a half, and I was done. Ethan was right: I didn’t fit in here. It felt weird. I liked Mandy and Andrew, but I wanted it to be just the two of us again.
As I approached our group, I noticed Clarissa was at Ethan’s side. Jesus, I hated that woman and I’d spent all of five minutes in her company.
I slid the other side of Ethan to Clarissa and I warmed as his arm came around my shoulders.
“You ok?” he asked, just so I could hear.
“Our time’s up. I want you take me home and get me naked,” I said.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said as he threw back the rest of his whiskey and found a passing waiter to give his glass to.
“Excuse me, guys. My girl wants to take me home and ravage me, so we’re leaving.” And apparently that was his goodbye. He took my hand and started to pull me to the entrance. I grinned at Mandy and Andrew and waved goodbye.
***
The next morning I woke to an empty bed. This is how it will be when I get back to London. Tonight would be my last night in New York. My heart was heavy as I dragged myself up. I turned the shower on and steam bellowed from the stall.
I stood under the water for what seemed like hours, wondering if Ethan would appear and jolt me out of this cloud I was in. It was so hot it almost burned, but it felt good. Eventually, I got out, pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt, and started to pack my stuff while my hair dried in the air.
“Hey.” Ethan appeared at the doorway in shorts and a bare chest, sweaty and god-like, as usual.
“Hey,” I said.
“You were sound asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. I went for a run.”
“I never mind you waking me.” I meant it to sound flirtatious, but it came out sounding melancholy.
“Are you packing?”
“No, I’m churning butter,” I snapped. I was in a horrible mood.
He ignored my bitchiness. “What do you want to do today?” he asked, passing beside me and into the bathroom. “Anna?”
“I don’t know. I guess we have to head back to the city. You have to work tomorrow and I need to pack properly.”
I didn’t know if he heard me, but he didn’t respond. I heard him step into the shower. I finished my packing and took my case downstairs and placed it by the door.
Only a few minutes later, he came into the kitchen looking so handsome I thought my heart would stop. His hair was wet and his white shirt made his skin shimmer slightly. I sighed.
“So, first things first,” he said, wrapping his arms around me as I sat at the breakfast bar, and then placing my arms around his waist when I didn’t respond. He took my face in his hands and brushed his lips against mine. Then he placed small, feather-light kisses at the corner of my mouth before running his tongue along the seam of my lips. I heard myself sigh and he took it as a sign to continue and pushed through my lips, his tongue meeting mine. I squirmed in my seat. My reaction was to want to be closer to him. My knees parted and he took half a step forward, opening them still wider. His tongue grew more insistent and passionate. His hands dropped to my back, pressing me against him. I reached around for the button to his jeans, but he pulled away and our kiss finished, two hours too early.
I was left a little shaken. That wasn’t his normal reaction to me.
Ethan
“So has that kiss knocked you out of your bad mood?” I asked. The two words she’d spoken to me this morning had been a little bitchy. It was a side to her I hadn’t seen. It was funny, but I guessed she wouldn’t want me to tell her that.
“Maybe,” she said, but her smile told me that it had.
“So, we could head back to the city after lunch if you like.” I moved around the counter to pour myself some coffee.
“Ok. Could we go to the beach this morning? It’s just we’ve not seen it since we’ve been here, and it’d be nice. You know. Before we go.”
“Sure. Anything you want, beautiful.”
“I should probably call Leah and tell her I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“But you won’t be back with Leah this afternoon,” I said. Tonight would be her last night. Was she thinking she wouldn’t spend it with me? There was no fucking way I was letting that happen.
“Huh?”
“Tonight, when we get back to the city. You’ll spend it with me.”
“Ethan, I’ve spent every night with you. Leah will think I’m the worst friend in the world.”
“So another one won’t matter. Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
“I’m going to call Leah and tell her you’re staying with me tonight.”
She grinned at me. “I’ll tell her. You’re such a bully.”
“You eat it up,” I winked at her. “And go and change into a bikini while you’re at it.” The sight of her in a bikini gave my hard-on a hard-on. How could wearing clothes actually be more of a turn on than not wearing clothes?
I was finishing my oatmeal and coffee when she came back into the kitchen wearing some cut off shorts and a vest top. Fucking perfect.
“Come on, we’re off to frighten the wildlife on the beach,” I said, pulling her from the door.
We set our towels on the sand and I watched as she stripped off her T-shirt and shorts. Why did she want to go to the beach again? We could have so much more fun back at the house.
“Stop staring, you perv.”
“I’m just trying to capture mental images for my spank bank.”
“God, you’re a pig today.”
I grabbed her and pulled her down into my lap. “I told you, I’m your god.” My hand delved beneath her bikini bottoms and I hardened as I felt how wet she was.
“You are always so wet, beautiful.”
“Ethan, we’re on the beach.”
“And I’m going to make you come on the beach,” I said. I felt her relent and relax against my fingers. She knew there was no point in fighting me. I held her orgasm in my hands and the power I felt over her body made me harder than a baseball bat. My fingers slid deep inside her and my thumb circled that bundle of nerves that I’d come to know so well. Her breath quickened and her hand pushed against her chest, but my free arm was encircling her. She wasn’t going anywhere.
“Don’t fight it, baby. You know what I do to you. Give in to me.”
Her head tipped back and she whimpered my name, over and over. Jesus, that was hot. How could she ever think that I could ever have her call me another name? And then her breathing stopped and I watched as her orgasm crashed over her.
I stroked her gently and pulled my hand away and cradled her tighter against me.
“God, Ethan. You know me so well. I mean, you know my body so well.”
“Don’t forget it, baby.” I said it before I realized what I’d said. But it was true: I didn’t want her to forget what I could do to her. I wanted every man that came after me to fall short by a hundred miles. So short that she’d give up trying to find anyone and she’d come back to me. Andrew was right. I really liked this girl. If she lived in New York, I could imagine dating this girl. Like, spending all my time with her, just like this week had been, but every day. The thought was shocking, but in the best of ways. And then reality broke through. She didn’t live in New York. She lived 3,000 fucking miles away on another continent. I squeezed her again in my arms.