Complicated

by M. M. Koenig

  I choked on my water. “Excuse me?” I rasped, coughing for air.

  “When you start a family, how many kids do you want?” Ethan repeated, with an expectant eye. I continued to cough until air started to come steadily instead of in spurts.

  It’s too easy to veto. Shit. I sure hope he doesn’t expect kids anytime soon.

  “I grew up alone, so definitely more than one,” I replied. Ethan crinkled his eyebrows for more. “Fine, if you need an exact number, I wouldn’t be opposed to four,” I relented.

  Ethan beamed, causing me to roll my eyes. I wanted to ask about why he tipped off Harrison, but that was part of his exit strategy. Damn.

  “Will these meetings help people, or are they part of the shadiness at the company?”

  Ethan stiffened instantly. Our emotions were on a rollercoaster today. Sharing was exhausting. I was beginning to believe that being more open in general wasn’t a terrible principle to live by.

  “For the record, I try to minimize the illegal activity, but it’s a little daunting when you’re up against heartless pricks. My deals are completely legit,” Ethan snapped.

  I cringed as the anxiety in my nerves spread to the surface. He squeezed my hand tenderly in apology for his harsh tone.

  “Please tell me something about them that will ease my worries,” I whispered.

  I reached up and ran my thumbs along his taut jaw. My touch alleviated the anger in his eyes. Ethan brought my hand to his lips. He let his tongue slip to my open palm. I wiggled my hand free, with my eyes narrowed.

  “Some of the meetings are for the company, but most of them are for me. I want to check out a club in one of their harbors. This trip is under the pretense of business, but it’s more about being away with you. Whether you admit it, you’ve been a ball of nerves our entire time together. I want you to live a little for yourself.”

  My eyes glistened as my heart raced at the idea. I wanted that too, but didn’t feel very deserving of it. Ethan wiped away a straggling tear and kept his hand on my cheek.

  “You’re entitled to have some fun as you figure everything out Mia,” Ethan pointed out.

  The pilot was back on the speakers to say we’d be landing soon.

  “What do you want to experience in your lifetime?” Ethan asked, intrigued.

  Hello Mr. Insightful. He loves asking the deep questions.

  My eyes were ready to pop out of their sockets. These future-related questions sucked. I took a deep breath in preparation to give him another piece of me. He did want the whole puzzle after all. Fucked-up puzzle that it was, but he wanted it.

  “I want to feel worthy. I’ve never really felt that way,” I trailed off.

  The grin fell from his face. I knew it might upset him, but he wanted the truth.

  “Mia, you already are. Why can’t you see that?” Ethan disputed.

  I kept my gaze from him. As I looked out the window, the silhouette of the ground had become visible. The lights of the suburbs were becoming more distinct. The wheels touched down as the plane skidded to a halt. We coasted along the runway to our terminal. After a few minutes, we were gathering our bags and weaving our way through the airport. Unlike earlier, Ethan took my hand the second we departed the plane. We hit a travelator and Ethan urged me to stop. I stifled a yawn from the exhaustion that grew by the minute. Our free pass ended as the walkway brought us back to solid ground again.

  Once we got our larger luggage from baggage claim, Ethan nodded over to the right. We walked towards a gentleman in a simple black suit with a white shirt and a flat black cap. He led us to a black town car with tinted windows parked along the curb. The driver took our bags as Ethan escorted me into the car before walking to the other side and hopping in next to me.

  The driver got us out into traffic. I snuggled into Ethan with my head on his shoulder. His fingers ran through my hair as he rested his head over mine. A song sounded from the speakers that tripled my heart rate. Every time I heard it, I thought of Ethan. He was breathing evenly but his heart picked up in speed with the change of song. He liked it too. I closed my eyes and got lost in the lyrics. When I opened them, we had come to a stop.

  “Mia, we’re here. Can you walk or do you want me to carry you?” Ethan asked softly.

  “I can walk,” I mumbled, rubbing my face.

  “Are you sure? I don’t mind.”

  “Yes, I’m just really tired so give me a minute.”

  “OK. I’m going to get our bags inside.”

  “I’ll be here.”

  It felt like sleep and I had stopped being friends, but that was nothing new. I swore it was all the damn sharing lately. It made me more tired than I was most days. Ethan was back minutes later to help me out of the car. I raised a suspicious eyebrow. We were on a stone pathway leading to a small cottage.

  Ethan’s lips twitched before curling to a crooked grin. “I’m not sure why you’re giving me that look. I’ll always treat you whenever the opportunity presents itself.”

  I felt color spread across my cheeks. I cuddled into Ethan as we continued in silence. Once we were at the front door, he opened it and ushered us inside. The entryway of the cottage was full of rose petals that continued along the hardwood floor into the living room. I gaped at Ethan. He flashed his signature smile before shuffling us towards a sliding glass door.

  “I know you’re tired, but I want you to see this view. It’s one of the best that Newport Beach has to offer,” he murmured into my ear before running his tongue underneath it.

  Everything south of me ignited for the first time today. My eyes sprang open as I took in the view. We were staring at miles of beach with nothing but the ocean in front of us.

  “Wow,” I whispered.

  “I’ve always wanted to stay in a place like this. I saved it for the perfect person,” Ethan replied, running his arms around my waist.

  We stood quietly for several minutes to appreciate the view before he pulled me away. It was a small place so there wasn’t much room for more than a bedroom and bathroom off to the right and a kitchen off to the left of the living room.

  We walked into the bedroom. Ethan already had our bags lined against the wall next to the huge bay window. I focused on the king-size bed that was about to become my new bestie. I crawled in and buried myself into the oversized pillows. Ethan slid in next to me and placed a palm on my cheek before running his other hand underneath my shirt. I froze. My body was in a state of conflict. My mind demanded sleep while the rest of my body fired along with every tender stroke he made on my bare skin.

  “Can we not have sex tonight? I’m so tired. Honestly, all I want is for you to hold me,” I said in a tentative whisper.

  Ethan retracted his hand and brought it to my face along with his other one before sweeping in for a kiss. “Every time I touch you, it doesn’t mean I expect sex. I just love having you in my arms.”

  I smiled before getting rid of my clothes, and Ethan did the same. With everything at the foot of the bed, Ethan pulled the comforter over us. We faced each other with a few inches between us before he slid me closer to him. I cuddled into his body as he lay on his back. My head rested against his shoulder as my hands trailed every line on his chest before resting above his heart. The steady beat filled my ears and I was content. My eyelids drooped as I succumbed to the sleep I desperately needed.

  CHAPTER TEN

  West Side Stories

  I woke to the sound of waves crashing as my nose caught the salty scent of the ocean. I rolled over to find red rose petals scattered over the bed, with a long-stemmed one lying in the middle. Securing the sheet around me, I rested on my elbows before picking up the single rose. Ethan was on his side with his eyes on me. I twirled the rose and gave him a soft smile. He was without a shirt and propped on an elbow. His messy hair was wet with droplets of water dripping along his neck and the contours of his shoulders, before sliding down his carved chest. The sunlight pouring in from the window made his body gleam. He always aroused
me instantly, but staring at him now made him seem even more God-like, and I wanted every part of him.

  “Did you take a shower without me? That has to be a first.”

  Ethan reached over to tuck my hair behind my ears. His hand trailed down my side to rest on mine. “I got up at sunrise to catch some waves.”

  “I didn’t know you surfed. I’m not surprised, since you like wakeboarding so much.”

  He brought our bodies so close that our chests were nearly touching. My heart sped up as he leaned over me with his hand clamped on my hip. “I surf, but you’re wrong about boarding. I don’t like it – I love it. Surfers get really pissy if boarders ruin their ride so I don’t wakeboard when I’m on the ocean. I settle for catching waves on a different board, but I don’t love it nearly as much.”

  I caught the passion in his eyes. Ethan loved doing anything on the water. My mouth twisted into an adoring grin as I stared at my magnificent boyfriend. “You taught me how to board. I suppose you can teach me how to surf, too?”

  Ethan chuckled. “I’d love to. I’m not sure if we’ll have time on this trip. I’ll line up another one soon. We should go to Hawaii or Australia. If you’re going to learn, you might as well learn in one of the best surfing spots on the planet.”

  His hand veered from my hip down to my ass where he gently pinched me. Ethan licked his luscious lips, and I saw a hunger in his eyes. I knew that look. My breaths started becoming shorter as I responded to his fingers traveling further down. Ethan hovered over me and pulled at my elbows to lay me on my back. He took the rose out of my hand and set it on the nightstand before sliding down the sheet. His lips fell to my collarbone and water dripped from his hair into my cleavage. The coolness of it sizzled with the fire inside me.

  “When is our first meeting today?” I stuttered.

  “It’s still early. We can do whatever you want for a while,” Ethan purred.

  He continued to leisurely kiss his way down to my breasts while one hand wandered further down my thigh. My hand drifted between his thighs where I timidly stroked his straining erection. His lips traveled along my chest until they reached my breasts. Ethan flicked both nipples to attention before taking one and sucking frantically. I groaned when he gently bit down before letting his tongue take over.

  “We can go for a walk on the beach,” Ethan murmured heatedly.

  I grasped under his shoulders to bring him closer to me. Once in reach, I ran my lips along the top of his pecks and returned the favor by biting down along each of his nipples.

  “We can go do some sightseeing,” Ethan groaned loudly.

  My fingers ran across the tip of his cock before travelling down his shaft. I worked to match the speed of my lips and the hand wrapped around him. My body clenched as my ache for him grew. His lips journeyed to my neck where his tongue glided to my jaw.

  “Or we can stay here and make love,” Ethan whispered passionately.

  He spread my legs even further and settled his hand inside before running several fingers in and out. They slipped along the slickness. I bit down on his top lip as he approached my mouth. I moved my tongue along the top of his before going under his chin. I licked away at the saltiness with fervor. His chest rumbled as I continued meticulously sucking along his throat. His fingers matched the pace of my lips as they slipped over my clit.

  He stilled my hand around him and placed it along his back. I brought my other hand around him tightly, needing him to satisfy the inferno he had created. He entered, with every inch of him penetrating deep within me. I cried out and commanded my overly turned-on body not to let go. I ran my hands down to his ass to urge him to move again. He groaned before twisting his hips.

  I brought my hips up to meet every thrust he gave. My hands scratched up his back on their way to his neck. I pulled him into me in demand for more and he drove into me harder, creating a feeling of euphoria throughout my body. I screamed out his name with each twist of his hips. He slowed down to take several drawn-out thrusts.

  “Fuck, you feel more amazing every time,” Ethan shouted.

  My hips matched his momentum as he brought us closer. He paused to roll us over to put me on top so I could take him. I rolled my hips with urgency to find a release for us both. My back arched as my hips carried along wildly. Ethan ran his hands along my sides before cupping my breasts tenderly.

  “Ethan … God, yes …” I panted.

  He sat up to bring our faces together and straddled my legs around him before driving his hips into me. My nails dug into his back as my body started to clench around him. Our thrusts sped up as our bodies strove for a climax. I tightened around him as he started to tremble. I ran my hands to his hair where I grabbed on tightly and screamed out as the ecstasy took me from the room to a far-off place. I shuddered and continued until my body found solid ground again. Ethan rested his head in my shoulder as he found his own release. He gently placed me on my back and slid out before falling next to me, his fingers scratching lightly along my belly.

  “I like starting our days like this,” Ethan murmured.

  “Hmm … Mmm…” I mumbled.

  Ethan lightly chuckled. “It brings me more joy than you’ll ever know when I reduce you to this state.”

  “What?”

  “The worry escapes you for a moment. It makes me happy when I can do that for you.”

  I rolled onto my side. Ethan gazed at me with such adoration that it warmed every part of me all over again. I rested on his chest with my arm hugging him. We laid in silence, listening to the sound of the waves outside.

  “We should hop in the shower. We need to leave soon,” Ethan admitted reluctantly.

  I sighed. “Is this meeting for you or the company?”

  “If I’m enjoying anything about your endless questions, it’s that fiery look in your eyes. It’s kind of hot.”

  I smiled slyly and raised an eyebrow. Ethan laughed and pulled us up and out of bed.

  “It’s for me. We’re going to a nearby harbor. The meeting for the company is in The Spectrum this afternoon. We have a dinner reservation later this evening – that’s for me. We’ll have time in between to catch some sights. Have you ever been out here?”

  We made our way out of the bedroom towards the bathroom. “No, it’s on the bucket list.”

  “We’ll scratch off a couple of states on this trip,” Ethan replied, turning on the water.

  “How many are we going to?” I asked, stepping into the shower.

  Ethan beamed and tapped his nose. I let out a riled huff. He laughed heartily as the water poured around us. I shook my head. Ethan pulled me into his chest and I went willingly. He preferred the control when we showered. I had no complaints, because he left me satisfied each time.

  The trip was off to a better start than it had been twelve hours ago. I relaxed more with each question Ethan answered. I sat in our rooftop restaurant, staring out over the landscape in front of me, and spotted the harbor that he had talked about. The ocean and beach spread on for miles. It skirted into the city where the most pretentious houses I’d ever seen climbed along the cliffs, their extravagance only matched by that of the restaurant. The outside area that we were in was beautifully decorated with fine tablecloths and candles.

  I turned my head to Ethan, who had just ordered brunch for us. He looked exceptionally sexy in his light-blue button-down shirt, with the collar flaps open enough to see part of his sculptured chest and tattoos. He rolled up his sleeves to the elbows, displaying more of his tattoos and further captivating me. His black slacks ran down his lean legs. My mind flitted back to our morning. I squeezed my legs together to keep those thoughts away.

  Gah! Head out of the gutter Mia! You already had sex twice this morning. This isn’t the time or place.

  I had settled on a dark-blue, sleeveless dress with black wedges. The high neck of the dress had a back that was mostly open. It was perfect for enjoying the weather out here. Ethan’s eyes kept running along my bare shoulders before se
ttling on my cleavage, which made him lick his lips continuously. I laughed at the situation. We had just mentally undressed each other. But it was time to steer us back into a more professional state of mind.

  “Will you tell me why Colin was asking about me?” I asked tentatively.

  Ethan tensed as his eyes met mine with a high level of agitation. “It’s too early for that Mia. I’ll tell you, but not right now. I think you can see how angry it makes me.”

  I started fiddling with my necklace. Ethan stopped me, his expression was torn. “Please let me tell you in my own time. Pick something else.”

  His eyes filled with anguish. Fear jolted through me at the prospect of what he’d tell me down the road. From the look in his eyes, it seemed like something I didn’t want to hear. I inhaled shakily and asked, “What are you thinking about investing in now?”

  His face rose and he started to speak in hurried excitement. “We’re meeting a close friend of mine. He’s got several shops down here that range from sailing to surfing. He’s looking for a partner so that he can continue to expand in the harbor. The plan is to either buy out one of the existing clubs or build our own. Land here is rather pricey, so we may stand a better shot at buying someone out.”

  I blinked and followed it with a giggle. Ethan tilted his head with a scowl. I waved my hands for him to calm down. “I’ve never heard you speak that fast. It caught me off guard.”

  Ethan sank into his chair and attempted to pout. He failed when the corners of his lips flashed his dimples. I leaned across the table to grasp his hand.

  “It sounds amazing Ethan. I love seeing you this happy,” I said softly.

  He brought my hand up for a quick kiss before rising from his chair. I turned around to watch him go, since he had switched gears so quickly. He strutted towards a brown-haired man that was on his way towards our table.

  Ethan greeted our guest. “It’s so good to see you, man. It’s been way too long.” He tossed an arm around his shoulder and gave him a guy-hug before gesturing to our table. His friend smiled and returned the embrace. “Dom, this is my girlfriend Mia,” Ethan said as they approached me.