As if he sensed the change in her demeanor, Ethan looked over and caught her staring. His eyes darkened as his perfect lips formed a sexy lopsided grin. Alexa looked away laughing at herself for being so easily affected and pulled out her iPhone to keep herself occupied while she waited.
As she scrolled through posts and information on the zoo’s website it dawned on her that Ethan would probably have similar thoughts about her if he ever found out about her finances. She lived on the salary from her job and nothing more, everything else had remained an untouched secret, but it was there and she would have to deal with it someday.
It occurred to her that she had no idea what Ethan did for a living, or anything else about him for that matter. She was definitely curious, she wanted to know everything there was to know about the gorgeous man that had unexpectedly walked into her life. They would have to get to all that later. Right now, she wanted to try something different, to live in the moment for a change. So she pushed all of her questions and concerns aside and made the decision soak in and savor this whole experience with him.
While she was lost in thought, Ethan slipped up behind her and slid his arms around her waist. “So which animals would you like to see first?”
“The dolphins.” Alexa replied without hesitation.
“Sounds like a plan,” Ethan said before he turned to the zoo president and asked. “Can you set up an up-close visit with the dolphins?”
“Of course, Mr. Kellar. If you’d like we can even arrange for you to get in the water with them. I believe we even have wet suits that you can use.”
Alexa squealed with excitement.
Ethan laughed, “I guess that means we definitely want to get in the water.”
Alexa couldn’t even begin to hide her enthusiasm. She was absolutely thrilled. Ethan grabbed her hand as they followed the gentlemen down several pathways and into an employee entrance of the Marsh Dolphin Theater.
“If you could wait here a moment Mr. Kellar, I’ll fetch one of the trainers to get you suited up and escort you to the enclosure.”
Once they were alone, Ethan turned to Alexa who was fidgeting enthusiastically. “This is just a guess, but I get the impression that you are a little excited,” he smiled warmly as he teased, admiring her sweetness.
“I’ve always wanted to swim with dolphins. It’s kind of silly, but when I was a little girl, I found this book about them in the library where I grew up that I checked out and sort of, uh, never returned.” She glanced at him nervously realizing that she just admitted to being a thief, even if it had been when she was little. Seeing only amusement and warmth in his expression, she continued. “I hid under my bed and would take it out at night and look at all of the pictures whenever I had a bad day or was feeling lonely. I didn’t really have the best childhood, and whenever things got really bad I would imagine that I lived alone on a deserted tropical island with a beautiful lagoon. I would swim there with a pair of young dolphins that got separated from their family, just like me.”
Surprised with herself, Alexa looked over at Ethan. “I’ve never told anyone that before. It’s a little embarrassing, but that dream got me through some hard times.”
“Do not feel embarrassed, you have a beautiful imagination. I am sorry that you ever had to feel so alone.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. “You can tell me anything, Amor. I want to know everything about you.”
Alexa felt a rush of elation hearing his desire to know about her and the term of endearment, even if it was in another language. She had taken some Spanish classes in high school and though she wasn’t entirely fluent, she understood a lot of the language. Her elation was quickly followed by a twinge of guilt knowing there was one thing about her he could never know. Her ability had to remain a secret. That was a lesson she had learned the hard way and it was one she would not soon forget.
Just then, the trainer walked in and they were suited up and climbing into the dolphin enclosure before she could give it another thought. They spent nearly an hour feeding and interacting privately with the dolphins. Alexa felt as giddy as an eight year old as they were introduced to each dolphin and learned the commands to get them do to a wide variety of tricks. She looked over at Ethan several times during the experience, feeling awed at how much his enthusiasm seemed to match her own and grateful to him for allowing her the opportunity.
She couldn’t believe how much her life had changed in the matter of a few hours. Though it was overwhelming and quite surprising, she had never been happier.
They climbed out of the water and went into their designated areas to change back into their clothes. Alexa couldn’t stop smiling as she stood there ringing her hair out with one of the towels the trainer provided. It was well past the zoo’s closing time by then, so Alexa rushed to get ready to leave, not wanting to further inconvenience the staff that had been so kind and accommodating. As she exited the women’s locker room, Ethan surprised her by grabbing her around the waist and lifting her into his arms as if she weighed no more than a leaf. That was most certainly a first for Alexa.
As he cradled her in his arms, she smiled up at him with her arms around his neck and boldly pulled herself up to press her mouth against his as he moved them towards the exit.
Ethan smiled inwardly at her forwardness and at how good it felt to have this woman next to him. After all this time, he felt a glimmer of hope. This was his chance to escape the fate that had been forced on him the day he was born. This was his choice, she was his choice.
Gently setting her down without breaking the contact, Ethan deepened the kiss as he backed her up to the door. He ran his hands up her sides and she tightened her arms around his neck, struggling to get closer to him. A desperate moan escaped her throat as he outlined her lips with his tongue. He growled lowly in response and pressed his hips against her making her aware of how much he was enjoying their time together.
Feeling how large he was against her, Alexa felt a twinge of fear which was quickly replaced by excitement. She had waited so long and now, after just a few hours with Ethan, she knew why. She had been waiting for him. Realizing that, she began to kiss him more fiercely, running her hands through his hair and grinding her hips against his thigh. Just as she started to contemplate making love to him on the floor where they stood, someone cleared their throat behind them.
“I’m terribly sorry Mr. Kellar, but it is well past closing and we need to lock up this building and set the alarm.”
It was the same gentleman that had greeted them earlier in the evening.
Seemingly unfazed, Ethan pulled away from Alexa before briefly pressing his mouth against hers again.
“Of course, we really appreciate the extra consideration you have given us tonight. It was an amazing experience.” He winked at Alexa and smiled broadly as she felt a blush creep across her cheeks realizing he wasn’t referring to the time with the dolphins.
✧
They made their way to the exit and stepped outside to begin the walk back to Ethan’s car. With wet hair, the already cold air was almost unbearable and Alexa’s teeth began to chatter just a few steps out the door. Ethan took off his leather jacket as they kept walking and tossed it around Alexa’s shoulders. She opened her mouth to protest, but he beat her to it.
“Do not worry about me, I have on two shirts and my hair is already dry.”
He grabbed her hand and held it the rest of the way, not letting go until after he opened the car door for her and she was seated inside. He hurried around to the driver’s side, hopped in, started the engine, and reached over to turn on Alexa’s seat warmer. As the car warmed up, Ethan just sat there watching Alexa for a moment before he asked, “Did you enjoy our date, Amor?”
Feeling incredibly nervous and totally lost in thoughts of all the things she hoped would happen between her and Ethan, she didn’t even hear his question as she turned and looked into his beautiful green-grey eyes. Before she could talk hersel
f out of it, she took a breath and leaned in to press her lips to his, taking the lead for the second time that night, determined to take things where she desperately wanted them to go.
As she started to kiss him with greater passion, he pulled away slightly as he brushed her cheek with his thumb, “I will take that as a yes. Am I driving you to your car or your home?”
Getting ahold of herself enough to consider his question she replied, “Oh, yeah, home. I took a cab to the club tonight since I knew I would be drinking.”
Ethan smiled, pleased with her caution and sense of responsibility. Those were qualities she would need to be with someone like him, to survive in his world.
“You will have to tell me where home is, or at least give me the address to enter into the navigation system.”
Most of the short drive to her home was spent in silence as she tried to work up the nerve to actually ask him to spend the night. She felt pretty confident that was where things were going since she could sense his lust with her ability, and she had felt the physical evidence of it more than once, but she had no intention of leaving it to chance.
Come on Alexa, get it together, you’re twenty-five years old, you can ask a man to go upstairs.
As they got closer to her apartment building she was pulled from her thoughts when he asked her to verify the directions coming through the speakers from the computerized GPS voice.
A few moments later they arrived at her apartment building and he pulled the car into a space right in front of the entryway that was miraculously vacant. She usually had to park on the other side of the lot by the dumpsters. As Ethan removed his seatbelt, but left the car running as he reached for the handle to get out and open Alexa’s door, she blurted, “Do you want to spend the night with me?”
Her cheeks immediately flushed with color. She’d never done anything like this before and she had certainly never been so bold with a man.
Ethan took a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t think that is a good idea tonight.”
“Oh, ok. Well…goodnight then.” Alexa struggled to say the words as her voice cracked in embarrassment. She was mortified. After feeling so confident, the disappointment was immense.
She reached for the handle to flee to the safety and comfort of her apartment. Before she could make her escape, Ethan hit the door locks and reached over to grab her hand as she struggled to unlock the door, again trying to fight back the tears of humiliation.
“Alexa, please wait.“ He took another deep breath, struggling to restrain himself yet not wanting her to leave feeling like he didn’t want her when that was so far from the truth. He wanted her so badly he could hardly stand it, but if he was going to take this chance he had to be sure. “Listen, you have to know how much I want to come up. I do not think I have ever wanted anything more in my life, but it is best if we wait. There is so much we need to talk about, learn about each other before taking such a step. I do not want to rush you and I want you to know me, to really know me and what you want before we go further.”
He moved his hand up to lightly grip her chin and turn her face towards him, seeing a lone tear sliding down her cheek.
“Oh, Amor, please do not cry. You must trust me. Please trust me, I only wish to protect you. I do not wish to see you sad.” As he said the words, Ethan knew it was not only her he was protecting. He had guarded his heart his entire life, determined to be the master of his own destiny. So when he left Alexa tonight, he would visit the place he had avoided for many years. He would go see…her.
He leaned over and kissed away the tear on Alexa’s cheek and lingered there breathing shallowly and she closed her eyes. Before he could think better of it his mouth was slanting over hers again. She immediately opened to him and his tongue slipped inside, lightly teasing hers. He kissed down the line of her jaw to her neck, then abruptly pulled away and pressed himself back against the door of his car panting, as if he couldn’t get far enough away at the moment.
She opened her eyes to see him looking as if he was in pain. Not knowing what to think or say, she instinctually opened her mind and was met with a feeling of struggle like she had never felt, but once again she couldn’t hear any clear thoughts. As she reached out to him, his face changed and the torment that she felt was replaced with what she could only describe as conditioned restraint.
“I am sorry, Alexa. Please understand this is incredibly difficult for me.” He leaned in and placed his forehead against hers. “I want you so badly right now, in this moment, but I want you forever more. That is why we must wait.”
Well, shit. Hearing that just made her want him even more. Maybe it was all just a line of bullshit, some kind of reverse psychology to get her in bed. It was working.
Forgetting her embarrassment she leaned her face up and pressed her mouth against his yet again, then pulled away and said, “Please, Ethan,” another kiss, “please, I want to be with you tonight.”
Before she could blink he was over the center console kissing her fervently as he pressed his knee between her legs sending a jolt of arousal through her.
And just like that he pulled back, hovering over her and looking into her eyes while she panted with desire.
“Alexa, I cannot come up with you tonight.” Her expression became one of hurt and confusion, until he continued, “But, I am going to make you cum with my mouth, I must taste you.”
His words and the hunger in his eyes were almost enough to send her over the edge.
And then he crushed his mouth against hers, sliding his tongue inside as a promise of what was to come when he moved between her legs.
Ethan gently teased her breasts through her shirt, rubbing his thumbs over the hard nipples, circling, then gently pinching each one before he slid his hands down under her skirt. He grabbed ahold of her lacy black panties as he pulled her body towards him and slowly slid them along the trail of kisses he was placing along her inner thigh. Once he reached her knee he lifted slightly and pulled her panties all the way off before returning to kiss his way back up her thigh while she trembled in anticipation.
Then he hovered above her, so close that she could feel his hot breath on her sensitive flesh as he stared down at her sex which was glistening with her arousal. He stayed there for what seemed like an eternity, intimately admiring her perfection before he finally swiped his tongue up along her wet lips, relishing the taste of her sweet juices like a desert soaking up a first rain after a long drought. The intense, unfamiliar sensation made her buck her hips up pressing harder against his skilled mouth. In response, he reached one arm underneath and around her waist, laying the other across her stomach to pin her down as he sucked relentlessly on her sensitive clit while she squirmed with pleasure.
It wasn’t long before she started to feel flushed all over her body as an intense pressure was building in her core. She had touched herself, many, many times. It never felt anything like this. She tried to back away, to ease the intensity, but Ethan was relentless. He held her even tighter as he sucked on her delicate flesh and then slid his tongue down and plunged it inside her as her body exploded around him pouring her sweetness out into his eager mouth.
He continued to hold her and lap up her delicious nectar as her body quaked with her orgasm.
He stayed there, savoring ever tremor until her body finally stilled. Then he shifted her back into her seat, grabbed her panties off the floor and tucked them into his pocket before he hopped out of the car and jogged around to open her door.
He held out his hand as Alexa grabbed ahold and stumbled out on very wobbly legs.
He led her up to the doorstep and pulled her towards him as he leaned down and gently kissed her as if he hadn’t just ravaged her with his mouth.
As he pulled back she licked her lips and felt her arousal building again as she tasted herself on her lips.
“Goodnight, Alexa. I’ll be in touch soon.”
And with that, he turned and was gone.
CHAPTER 5 - The Doctor's Call
Alexa was startled awake by Tilly barking insistently at the patio door. She had apparently dozed off for quite a while nursing Chloe since it was nearly dark and had started to rain. Chloe seemed unaffected by the racket and remained asleep as Alexa transferred her to her crib, covered her with a pink chenille blanket and flipped on the baby monitor before she made her way back down the hallway to the kitchen.
She slid the door open for Tilly who rushed in and shook off spraying water all over before dashing to curl up in her bed in front of the fireplace. The shivering dog looked at Alexa expectantly, causing her to chuckle as she walked over and flipped the switch to ignite the gas fireplace. Though it was the middle of summer, the rain had really cooled things down so she decided she’d give Tilly a couple of minutes to warm up as penance for leaving her outside in the rain.
Locking the door and positioning the dowel rod, Alexa leaned her back against the wall and took a deep breath. She both hated and loved dreaming about him. Despite her best efforts the only dreams she ever remembered seemed to be about him. Most of the time they were more like memories from the limited time they were together, occurring in such vivid detail she could smell his delicious scent when she awoke. Some were so real she would awaken in the throes of an intense orgasm, panting and dripping with sweat. Even in her sleep she was powerless to control her body’s response to him. Other times she would dream of him watching her as if she was looking over his shoulder seeing herself go about her day. No wonder she couldn’t stop thinking about him, he had hijacked her subconscious.
Her stomach growled and she glanced at the clock on the microwave. It was almost nine, probably a little too late to eat, but she was suddenly starving and realized she hadn’t had anything since her light breakfast consisting of some fresh fruit and toast with almond butter.
Choices of Fate (Fate Series) Page 5