by M. M. Koenig
Ziggy propped me up on his. Wade did the same with the mystery girl.
“Just because I’ve had a few drinks tonight doesn’t mean I can’t beat you, Bri,” I taunted.
“Mia, you can barely see straight. Your ass is going down.”
Ziggy and Wade made no effort to control their amusement. “I like you two. You have a little sass that I don’t see very often,” Ziggy said, laughing.
Bri and I stared each other down. The guys walked towards the center of the pool. Before we knew it, our group expanded to twenty or so people. Jackson was down to just one blonde, so he hauled her into the circle. Shane had found a pretty redhead and did the same. Eli and Kane joined us with two brunettes while Wyatt, Dom and Reece lingered along the side of the pool. Dom counted down for us with a wink in my direction. I tightened my legs around Ziggy and prayed I didn’t fall off immediately. I blinked several times to get my sight to focus. It wasn’t going to happen. Everyone appeared in twos, making me giggle hysterically.
Ziggy tilted his head to me. “You alright up there, Chuckles?”
I laughed harder. “I’m doing just fine. Let’s kick some ass.”
As it turned out, seeing double helped me more than I expected. To Bri’s surprise, I took her out first. She fell into the water and laughed the whole way down. Trey scowled at me while helping her resurface.
“It’s her fault Trey. She shouldn’t have challenged me,” I shouted.
His lips quivered, fighting a smile. He gave in with a heartfelt grin and pointed behind me. I turned around to take down the girl Jackson had on his shoulders. It was clear that I was the target as Shane came at me next. The girl on his shoulders had some tenacity. Somehow I managed to take her down too, but that was my last one. I got taken down shortly after by the girl on Wade’s shoulders. Ziggy pulled me up with an amused grin.
“You’re not half bad. I’m impressed, especially since you’re pretty damn drunk.”
I spotted a table off to the side of the pool full of bottles and swam over to it. I hopped out and picked up the plastic shot glasses and filled them up with tequila. I eyed my boys to join me. They swam over immediately. I waved the shot glass in Ziggy’s direction. He exchanged looks with the rest of Ethan’s friends before shrugging and bringing the rest of the group to me. They circled around the table. When everyone seemed to have a glass, I raised mine for a toast.
“To a fan-fucking-tastic weekend,” I yelled before downing my shot.
Everyone hollered in amusement before taking their own. Shane and Jackson dove in for a second round. I glanced at Trey with glossy eyes. He nodded to fill up another one for him. I noticed all Ethan’s friends were within the circle. They gazed at me with a variation of pleased smiles. We did a few more shots before jumping back into the pool. I swam towards Ziggy for another round of chicken fighting.
I wasn’t able to participate for very long. The double vision was too much for me. When Bri took me out in the last round, I bowed out and searched around for Ethan. He was still absent. I didn’t want to let it bother me, but it was becoming a pressing point. I had no idea he’d disappear for this long. Reece saw me looking around and swam over. I blinked to keep him in focus.
At least I think it’s Reece. Ah, yes, there’s the mole. Yup, I’m drunk. Well, Ethan wanted me to have fun. Pretty sure I accomplished that. Tomorrow’s going to hurt, but who gives a shit.
“Ethan had some business to attend to with Tristan. He’ll be thrilled to know you fit in just fine with us. I’m glad he has you. He’s as happy as I’ve ever seen him. We like this version of him,” Reece said sincerely.
My jaw dropped. “I … umm … thanks. I’m not sure what version you’re referring to, but if it’s the angry one, I’m right there with you. I prefer the carefree, happy version of him,” I replied without thought. The second the words escaped I wanted to sink into the water.
Reece cocked his head with a grin. “None of us enjoy the angry version of Ethan. We like seeing him with some purpose in his life.” Reece paused as his face became serene. “Mia, I doubt Ethan told you this, but today is the anniversary of his mom’s death. It’s why we all came together for this weekend. In the past, it’s been our way of helping him cope. After seeing him with you, it’s clear he’s made peace with it. He’s starting to become the guy he used to be. We have you to thank. You brought back a piece of him that we thought had died with her.”
I simply nodded to avoid saying anything stupid. Reece wandered off without another word. It was fine by me, since our brief chat had my mind in a whirlwind of chaos. I shrugged it off and finished my drink before heading towards the shallow end of the pool.
I was in a discussion with Eli and Kane about basketball when my sides suddenly burned to a crisp. I whipped around and slung my arms around Ethan’s neck. He picked me up and walked towards deeper water as my mouth attacked his for a deep kiss. His arms were wrapped securely around me and he began lazily fiddling with the strings of my bikini.
Ethan looked amazing. His wet hair trickled down the sides of his neck and into his tattoos. I got dizzy trying to follow them down his carved chest. I’d never seen his body when I was this drunk. The things it was doing made me want to rip away his trunks. He was one giant lollipop that I wanted to suck on for hours.
“Sorry guys. I need to steal some time with my girl. You’ve had her for far too long tonight,” Ethan shouted over his shoulder before running his tongue along my neck.
“Shit dude. Try to keep it respectable out here. You look like you’re about to have sex with her right now,” Kane yelled.
Ethan’s lips stopped me from bickering with anyone. He delved deep as he sucked every part of me into his mouth. After several minutes of kissing that was beyond inappropriate in public, I broke away for some air. I opened my eyes to see his deep brown ones. There was a glossiness behind them that rivaled mine, but I knew Ethan wasn’t nearly as drunk as me. His lips curled into a wicked grin as he rested us against the side of the pool. I bit my lip to keep from moaning as he subtly rocked against me.
“You seem to have made quite the impression tonight,” Ethan said, nipping at my ear.
“Someone told me I don’t have enough fun, so I fixed it,” I moaned rather loudly. I was far too turned-on to give a damn either.
His hands were flitting in and out of my bikini bottoms. My entire body ached for him. Apparently, this amount of alcohol not only lowered my inhibitions, but also sped up every reaction I had to him. His fingers continued to the very place in desperate need of him. He teased me for a few minutes before he removed them entirely. I gasped. Ethan ignored it and placed his hands on the ledge behind me. I tightened my legs around him, but he didn’t budge. My body was in dire need of him. I was about to cuss him out for doing this to me because he was fully aware of how much I hated it. He pressed a finger against my lips.
“How drunk are you?”
I bit my bottom lip as my hands ran down his sides. As my nails lightly traced along his washboard abs, Ethan let out a heated breath and brought my hands back to the surface. He placed a quick kiss on my ring and raised an expectant eyebrow.
I focused on his eyes and admitted, “I’m pretty drunk. Are you mad?”
Ethan ran his thumbs along my cheeks before leaning in for a soft kiss. His hands wrapped around my neck as he stared lovingly into my eyes. “I’m not mad. I need you right now. I know damn well you want me too. I think it’s time for us to excuse ourselves,” he suggested.
“I think that’s perfect, because I won’t be able to do this in the morning,” I slurred.
Ethan shifted me onto his back. I draped my arms around his chest as he hoisted us out of the pool. There were a few whistles and hollers as we left. I buried my head into his shoulder and sucked lightly as he carried us into the house. My lips kissed along his neck as we made our way to the stairs.
“Babe, I love you. If you keep doing that, I’m not going to make it upstairs without stopping to hav
e my way with you first,” Ethan growled, slanting his head away from me.
I giggled. “Hurry it up. I’m about to combust back here.”
Ethan held me tight as he took the stairs two at a time. As he opened our door, I rested my head on his shoulder and whispered, “And just so you know … I love you too.”
Ethan shut the door and pressed me up against it. His hands tugged at the strings of my bikini top. He quickly removed it before doing the same with my bottoms. He rested his head between my breasts and gently sucked until each nipple was hard. I untied his trunks and shoved them down his legs. I stroked his erection until he moaned loudly. My fingers flitted around his tip in circles as I played with his piercing. The fuzziness in my head had subsided, so I dropped to my knees to really pleasure him. I took him in deeply and swirled my tongue continuously. I grazed my teeth along him until I reached his tip again, making meticulous patterns with my lips.
“Fuck … Mia … You’re going to make me come if you keep going,” Ethan shouted.
I pulled away with a flirtatious bat of my eyelashes. He closed his eyes as I continued running my lips around him. My mouth journeyed all over as it sucked hard below his ‘V’ for a while before going back to take in all of him once again. My tongue twisted and twirled as fast as it could. With each swoop, Ethan started to moan and really give into the pleasure. He gently thrust into my mouth a few times before explosively releasing into me. I licked my lips while watching him come down. He opened his eyes and pressed me against the door with a hungry look in his eye.
“I think it’s time I repay the favor,” Ethan said loudly, falling to his knees.
He grabbed my leg and rested it on his shoulder. His tongue dove deep within my slit and carried on rapidly. He placed his thumb on my hot spot and rubbed circles to match his pace. My head banged against the door as he continued sucking and swiveling his tongue. He brought it out and ran it along the outside of me before sucking hard in several spots. He continued in that fashion while sliding several fingers deep within me.
“Ethan … God … Harder!” I hollered, arching my back.
He obliged by sucking more and thrusting his fingers deeper. Ethan pulled his fingers out and replaced them with his tongue again, swirling it rapidly until I exploded around him. I was still coming down when Ethan stood up. He placed my arms around his neck and picked me up, wasting no time in driving himself into me repeatedly. I wrapped my arms around him even tighter as my lips found their way to his neck. He pulled out and walked towards the bed.
“What are you doing?” I cried out, from the loss of friction.
Ethan quieted me with a chaste kiss and explained, “Babe, I forgot about the window. I have a feeling people not only heard us, but saw quite a bit too.”
I didn’t have the brain space to even care about that. Ethan gently laid me on the bed. I rested on my elbows to focus my eyes on him, if only to figure out what he’d do next because my insides were scorching. He reached inside my thighs and rubbed the slickness between them. He paused and brought his fingers to his mouth.
“Fuck. I love how you taste just about as much as being inside you,” Ethan groaned.
After a lick of his finger, he dropped his hand and slid a couple into me. My back arched again as my body surged forward with pleasure.
“I need you inside me right now,” I yelled as his fingers picked up in pace.
Ethan urged me onto my side and rested on his within inches of me while scissoring our legs together. We were very close as he pushed deep inside. I gyrated my hips in circles in time with each thrust. He gripped my ass tightly and rocked into me roughly.
“You really don’t seem to care that everyone can hear this,” Ethan moaned.
“No. I need you so badly,” I shouted.
My nails dug deep into his back and lightly clawed down. He grabbed my breast and massaged it to match his thrusting. I bucked into him as the buildup within me grew considerably. Ethan began grinding harder as I rocked my hips against him. The flames within me reached a crescendo. I clenched tightly around him. He drove harder as his arms ran along my back to bring me even closer to him.
I climaxed around him while shouting my praises. He shuddered and released into me. Ethan slowly slid out and ran his hand along my belly before gently moving us under the covers. I closed my eyes to make the room stop spinning. His lips lightly touched mine for a gentle kiss. I returned it, but sealed my lips after a minute.
“Go to sleep love. It was only a kiss goodnight. Tonight isn’t one of those nights. I love you,” Ethan whispered.
“I love you too,” I murmured, snuggling into him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
About Last Night
I woke up lying on my stomach and wishing I was dead. The construction crew that loved to pay me a visit at times like this had upped their game, choosing wrecking balls over sledgehammers. My head was ready to explode. I groaned and rolled over to my side. In the process, my arm ended up smacking Ethan pretty hard.
“Damn. What was that for?”
I didn’t move. Last night’s drinks were still sloshing around, trying to break free. I shut my eyes and prayed for relief. “Sorry,” I mumbled.
I’m still drunk. Fuck.
Ethan gently angled my head towards him. I opened an eye a fraction of an inch only to shut it as the sunlight blinded me. His hands ran soothingly down my sides. I slid into the comfort of his arms.
“What can I get you Mia?” Ethan asked genuinely.
“Aspirin and water. A lot of water,” I rasped.
He left the bed and went into the bathroom. I heard the water turn on as he rummaged around in his bag. Ethan was back moments later with four tablets and two glasses of water. He urged me to sit up, but I couldn’t fully do it. I rested on my elbow, held my head up with my hand, swallowed the aspirin and chased it down with the water.
“Try to go back to sleep,” Ethan soothed.
He melded me into his body. My eyelids fluttered, but eventually I started to drift towards sleep. I hoped the next time my eyes were open that I didn’t feel like death was at my doorstep.
“Mia, wake up,” Ethan coaxed.
“I’d rather let the grim reaper take me,” I muttered.
I buried my head into the pillow. It felt like it weighed a million pounds, while the rest of me ached everywhere. I brought another pillow over my head to squelch the pain in my skull.
Ethan tossed the pillows aside before rolling me on my back. “Love, it’s nearly ten thirty. Everyone else is up.”
He was keeping his voice extra light. I appreciated it. I opened an eye, hoping I could handle the sunlight this time. I flinched at first but managed to open both of them. Ethan had already showered and was in trunks without a shirt. I rubbed my eyes with one hand and massaged my head with the other before slowly sitting up. My stomach felt like a blender had ran through it several times on the mince setting. I wrapped an arm around myself and pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to recall last night. Ethan slid from the edge of the bed and over to me to run his hands lightly down my sides.
“Hop in the shower so we can join everyone. You should try to eat something.”
“I’m going to need something really greasy if I stand a chance at fighting off this hangover.”
The idea of food already had my stomach tied up in knots. Ethan hopped off the bed and went into the bathroom to start the shower for me. I crawled to the side of the bed and removed the covers. I gave my body a once-over to find all the other points of pain, because I was throbbing everywhere.
Why the hell did I get that drunk? I think I’m dying.
I blinked several times after I saw the hickeys covering my lady-parts. My head pounded even harder as the construction crew returned from their brief hiatus. Ethan popped his head out of the bathroom with a crooked grin. His face dropped when I did nothing to hide my anger with him.
“Care to explain,” I snapped, pointing downwards.
Eth
an ran a hand along his face to keep himself from laughing. He untied his trunks and slid them down slightly. I gasped at the hickeys that started at the bottom of his ‘V’ and went in a clear path downward.
“Getting even,” Ethan retorted.
He fastened his trunks before walking over to me. I flopped on the bed and tried to remember doing that to him. Ethan pulled me up with a playful smile. I groaned and shuffled with him into the bathroom. It surprised the hell out of me when he sat on the edge of the vanity. He let out a light chuckle with a slight headshake and said, “I can never contain myself when I’m in there with you. It’s probably best you shower alone so you can start feeling better.”
“Will you at least stay in here with me? I’m going to need a lot of motivation today just to keep from curling up in a ball and letting the hangover win,” I said, while stepping into the shower. The temperature of the water was perfect as the stream soothingly hit my head.
“Of course. Will you fill me in on one thing?” Ethan asked cautiously.
“Sure,” I replied, grabbing some shampoo and lightly massaging my scalp.
“Did you drink that much to have fun or did it just end up working out that way?”
I sucked in a quick breath before going for the conditioner. “To be honest with you, I started out drinking a lot to lighten my mood.” I poked my head out to see a scowl on his face. “Ethan, it started out that way. I enjoyed myself regardless of the alcohol.”
I went for the body wash to cleanse the rest me. I sighed at the hickeys and tried again to put that part of the night together, but everything was pretty hazy. I shut off the water and got out. Ethan wrapped a towel around me and took my hand on our way back to the bedroom. I settled on the bed and he darted over to our suitcases to grab some clothes for me.
He tossed my bikini over, but my reflexes weren’t close to being ready for any fast actions, so it sailed onto the bed. Ethan shook his head before digging deeper in my suitcase to grab a pair of board shorts and a tank top. I hoped he didn’t expect me to wakeboard right now. There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d make it five feet without puking. I threw on my clothes and returned to the bathroom to toss my hair into a ponytail and brush my teeth. I wanted the gigantic cotton-ball feeling in my mouth to go away. I decided to go without makeup – if I attempted to put it on, I’d more than likely poke an eye out.