by Harley Reid
“Amelia. I’m so glad you finally made it.” As we approach, she throws her arms around me in a tight embrace, completely disregarding the fact that Ethan is stood beside me. “You look absolutely beautiful.”
“Thanks mum,” I stand in front of her, waiting for her to acknowledge my date, but when she continues to ignore him, her ignorance annoys me, and I try to force the issue. “This is Ethan.”
He holds his hand out waiting for her to do the same, but she just pretends he isn't there and continues talking to me. I want to shake her, tell her that she is being rude.
Okay, I get that she doesn't agree with me being here with him but why can't she just play nice for a few hours. Surely, it's not that difficult and if she took the time to acknowledge him, she would see that he's a nice guy.
Making his excuses to leave, he asks if I want anything from the bar. Since moving in with him I've developed quite a taste for whiskey, but I don't want to give mum any more of a reason to hate him, so I just ask for a small glass of dry white wine instead and let him know that I'll meet him at our table before watching him walk away.
“Did you have to be so rude?” The way she just treated Ethan makes my blood boil. “I know you're not happy with him being here, but can you please be civil for a few hours?”
“What on earth were you thinking? Bringing someone like him to an event like this. He’s got tattoos on his hands for heaven’s sake, what will people think?”
“Just give him a chance mum.” I plead, “Tattoos don’t make someone a bad person.”
“Oh, Mrs Sinclair has just arrived.” She ignores me, changing the subject, “I'll be back in a second. I need to say hello.”
“No problem. I'm going to go find our table.” She walks away and I make my way across to the other side of the dance floor in the direction of our table which is conveniently situated directly opposite the bar.
I glance over to see Ethan leaning casually against the bar, a wave of contentment spreads across my face at the sight of him.
“You make a beautiful couple.” I recognise the woman sitting next to me as the wife of my mother’s boss. A very handsome silver haired woman with kind eyes, her face has aged but it’s easy to tell that she would have been an absolute stunner in her prime.
“Oh, we’re just…” I reply after being averting my gaze from him.
“You pair are the envy of everyone here tonight, you know.” She smiles, her eyes becoming smaller as the fine lines around her eyes dance. “Every guy wishes they were him and every woman, well every woman wishes their partner would look at them the way that he looks at you.”
“It’s not like that.” I deny, “We’re just friends.”
“That may be child, but friends do not look at each other the way that the two of you do.” She sips from her glass of champagne and glances over at her husband before returning her gaze to me. “When you find love that beautiful and all consuming, you should embrace it and do everything you can to never let it go.”
I glance towards the two-woman sat around the table, eagerly nodding their head and I am speechless.
There’s no way!
It’s just a little crush.
I’m not in love with Ethan Brooks…
Am I?
No, it’s not possible. I mean, that night we spent together was amazing but there’s no way it could be love. I haven’t known him long enough to be in love with him and he definitely doesn’t feel that way about me. I’ve seen the type of women he tends to go for and they are the complete opposite of me. No, we’re just friends.
My gaze returns to the bar and I am horrified to see him speaking to Peter. I’m not sure what I expected to happen if the two of them met — which let’s face it, was bound to happen sooner or later when there are less than a hundred guests at the event, — but thankfully, things seem to be rather civil.
Finishing their conversation, Ethan’s eyes meet mine across the crowded dance floor and I’m giddy. I feel like a little child, my pulse quickens, and warmth floods my whole body. He strides across the dance floor, dodging the couples swirling and spinning to the rhythm of the music playing.
Once he gets to the table, he places the drinks down and before giving me chance to take one, he grabs my hand and pulls me on to the dance floor as a slow song comes on. He pulls me in close and I melt into arms as he dips my head to the floor, pulling me back up so that our lips are almost touching.
My body aches for him and I want so badly to close the inch gap between us but out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Peter at the bar. Curiosity gets the better of me and I can’t help but ask about their conversation.
Telling me that everything is fine, he continues to glide me around the room. This guy has some serious moves.
The rest of the night flies by, we eat, we drink, we do our best to avoid my mum and we dance until my feet feel like they’re going to fall off. It isn’t until we’re getting ready to leave and bump into my ex and his new fiancé, I realise that I haven’t thought about Peter all night.
“Oh, erm, hi Peter.” I stutter nervously as we are waiting for the car to pull up at the entrance.
“Evening Mia, this is Amber.” I’ve only ever met her once and that was when I walked in on the two of them — obviously I didn’t get a good look at her at the time, so I have only had her images on social media to go off — she’s even more beautiful in person.
“Yeah, we’ve… we’ve already met.” My body is numb, the only thing keeping me on my feet is the reassuring arm that Ethan placed around my waist when we realised they were there. “This is Ethan.”
“So, you two are actually together?” He asks, disdain dripping from his tongue.
“Yes, she’s all mine.” Ethan smirks, “Oh, here’s our driver. Come on babe. It was great meeting you both, enjoy the rest of your night. I know we will.”
Flames shoot up my cheeks as he finishes the sentence and guides me away towards the car. I should be furious with him for lying but deep down, I can’t say I’m not a little aroused by him claiming me as his own.
The journey back to the house is pretty subdued. It's been a fun night and I think we're both tired, so we sit in quiet contemplation, my head resting on his shoulder as I gaze out of the window watching the city lights disappear.
When we get back to the house, it's in darkness. Lexi is out like a light on the sofa, so Ethan grabs the throw and covers her with it as I finally slip my swollen feet out of my shoes — I knew there was a reason I usually spend my life in flats.
Lexi stirs for a moment, wrapping the throw around her and drifting back into a deep sleep. She may as well be unconscious because once she is in a deep sleep, a bomb could go off beside her and she'd still somehow manage to sleep through it.
Ethan accompanies me down the corridor, stopping outside my bedroom door.
“I had a really great time tonight.” I try to stall him for a moment, hoping that he'll end the date by kissing me goodnight, but he just stands, looking at me. “Thank you.”
Maybe I should just man up and make the first move. No, if he wanted to kiss me, he would, and I can't ruin the night by making a fool of myself.
I slowly open my door, not once breaking eye contact with him.
“I had a great time too. Goodnight Mia.” He kisses me on the cheek and walks towards his room, so I retreat into mine, closing the door behind me and leaning my back against it as I release the air from my lungs.
Oh, sod this!
Without over-thinking, I open the door and step back into the corridor facing the direction of Ethan's room. I take a step as his door opens and within seconds, he is stood about two metres away from me.
Silently we stand, waiting to see who makes the first move like some kind of Mexican standoff in an old cowboy movie. Our eyes lock, and I sweep my tongue over my top lip.
Before I realise it, we are both rushing towards each other, our bodies crashing together as our lips meet.
I
wrap my arms around his neck as his hands move down from my face to find my waist, pulling me tightly against him as our tongues entwine. A slight whimper escapes me as I feel him growing against my hip.
Sliding his hands over my hips, he finds the split up the side of my dress and his cool skin brushes against my bare thigh. Swept away in the moment, I lift my thigh and standing on the tip toes of one foot, I lose my balance. The framed photograph on the wall crashes to the ground with a thud as Ethan lets out a thunderous laugh, not once releasing his lips from mine.
“Shh, we’ll wake everyone up.” I whisper into his mouth, knowing that if anyone was to see us, we’d have to stop.
And I really don’t want to stop kissing him.
Fumbling down the hall, we find ourselves in his bedroom. He closes the door behind us, clicking the lock in to place so we don’t get disturbed and then kisses along my jaw line and down to my neck, lacing his fingers into my hair and gently pulling my head to one side to give him access.
My fingers work desperately to unbutton his shirt, wishing they had the strength to tear the material from his athletic frame as his eager mouth returns to mine.
The hoot of a nearby owl in the trees outside echoes in the room as the whole world melts away. With his hands back on my waist, Ethan picks me up and pushes my back against the wall, continuing to probe my mouth with his tongue.
I fist the loose material on his shirt, pulling it out from his trousers and slipping it off his shoulder as he lowers me to the ground and lets it drop to the floor. Pulling away from me for a fraction of a second, maintaining eye contact the whole time, he grabs my hand and leads me across the room towards the bed.
Standing at the foot of his bed, my thoughts wander to the other women he's had in his bed. Women significantly more experienced and more confident than me. He looks at me with hungry eyes and all my doubts fade away.
None of it matters because when we're together he makes me feel like I'm the only thing that matters. Like I can do anything.
Placing the palms of my hands on his filigree inked chest, I push him down onto the bed so he's lying facing me, his knees bent so his feet at still planted on the creamy grey carpet beneath us. I stand, towering above him for once, my body burning up and my heart drumming against my chest.
Nervously, I slip the straps of my dress off my shoulders and let it float to my feet, his eyes exploring my body as he inches himself up the bed towards the headboard.
Crawling up the bed on my hands and knees towards him, I straddle him, laying a trail of kisses over his chest, then leaning back, I run my fingers down his torso as they follow the contours of his six pack.
My fingers land on his belt, working hard to undo his buckle, popping it open and making easy work of his trouser fastenings before yanking them off, leaving him naked on the bed.
Both of us breathing heavily, I grip the bottom of his thick shaft and begin to stroke gently. He groans as I dip down, licking the small bead of pre-come that has formed on his tip before taking him into my mouth as far as he will go, stroking my tongue up the side as my lips move up and down his length. I swirl my fingers through the thin layer of curls that trail down from his belly button as he grows harder in my mouth then in an instant, he lets out a low growl and pulls me up the bed towards him, rolling us so he’s on top.
“You’re incredible.” He pants into my mouth as he kisses me, pushing my panties to one side as he dips a finger into my wetness and begins to rub my clit with his thumb. My hips roll towards him as a jolt of electricity makes my whole body shudder. He feels so good inside me.
He continues to massage and penetrate me with his fingers as my orgasm builds, my body writhing around underneath him as I fist the bed sheet below.
“Oh my… I’m…” There’s a deep aching in my stomach. I reach for the pillow, trying to cover my mouth enough to muffle the screams as my clenched muscles release and fireworks explode inside me.
Ethan stills, smirking at me as I remove the pillow from my face, then he trails his fingertips up my shaky inner thigh, making me squirm beneath him once again. He sits up, reaching for a condom from his bedside table and slides my panties down my legs. Tossing them to the floor as his body comes to rest above me, his tip teases my entrance before he gently thrusts into me, again… and again… and again.
“That… was… amazing.” She pants as we crash down onto the bed breathless. “You…are…amazing.”
“You were pretty fantastic yourself.” I smile as I watch her cheeks turn a brighter shade of pink.
Well, there’s no fucking way we can just be friends now!
I roll over to my back, scooping Mia up in my arms and pulling her closer into my embrace as she traces her fingers over my tattoos, letting them rest on the all-seeing eye in the middle of my chest. Drawing her chin up with my fingers, I kiss her on the forehead, wondering what I did to be lucky enough to find her.
“Ethan?” My heart drops into my stomach as she uses my name as a question. I turn to face her, hoping she’s not going to tell me that this is another mistake. “Do you want me to go?”
“No.” I kiss her again. Why would I ever want her to leave?
“Ethan?” She looks up at me with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “You know how you said things were complicated between you and your wife... Is it because you cheated on her?”
“I wasn't the one who cheated on her.” Why would she think that I was the one who cheated? Does she really think that little of me? I pull away, sitting on the edge of the bed with my back to her.
“I'm so sorry, it's just...” She wraps her arms arm my neck and buries her face in my neck, “Your social media, your reputation. I didn't mean to...”
Turning around to face her, I see the nervous way she’s looking at me. It's impossible to stay mad at her.
“You can't believe everything you see. Most of it is just a persona I put on for promotion. Everyone wants to see the villain fail so I give the fans what they want and as a result, the fights sell. It's just business.”
“You are...” She kisses my neck, “Not the person...” Another kiss, “I thought you were.” And another. “Please. Come back to bed.” She shuffles over as I spin back into bed and lie down so we're face to face. “I know how much it hurts when you find out your entire relationship was a lie. You know I would never do that to you right?”
“I know but nothing has changed. You still want romance...” I stroke her cheek as a smile spreads across her face.
“You did a pretty good job with that tonight.”
“You still want a husband and as much as I wish I could, I still can't offer you that.”
“I'm not asking you to marry me. We've only been on one date for heaven’s sake."
She looks at me with eyes as big as the ocean. “So, what happens now?”
“We sleep.” I know exactly what she means but I'm not ready for that conversation just yet. I just want to lie here and fall asleep with her in my arms.
“I mean with us.” She props herself up on her elbow as she stares at me nervously. “I really love being with you but, I'm not someone who can get involved without emotional attachment. I need to know that this is more than just sex.”
It's never been just sex with us. The fact that I broke every single one of my rules for her and would do it again in a heartbeat makes that blatantly obvious to even a blind man and his dog, but I can't promise her something I don’t know if I can give her.
“Look,” I sigh, running my fingers through her hair. “I like you. Fuck, most of the time I can't you out of my head but...My last relationship didn't exactly end well, and I don't know if I'm ready to be able to give you what you need.”
“All I'm asking is that we give this... whatever this is... a go and see what happens.”
She makes a valid argument. I don’t know why I've been so convinced that the two of us shouldn’t be together. I want her more than anything and she clearly wants me so what’s the big deal?
I had absolutely no intention of getting married before she barged into my life, but I loved her and did everything I could to make her happy. For a while, it was enough. For a while, we were ridiculously happy. We had a beautiful little girl and were madly in love — or so I thought. That’s when the lies started. She was sneaking around, telling me she was with friends when she was really with another guy — my friend, my team-mate, and if it hadn’t been for Jamison spotting them together, I would never have known.
Mia is nothing like Sam but that’s what scares me. I can’t help but wonder if I’ll be enough for her.
“Ethan?” She kisses me and wraps her arms around me, “I promise, I don’t need a husband… I just need you.”
How exactly can I say no to that?
I don’t want to say no.
I want her to be mine.
“Okay, let’s give it a try.” I smile, rolling onto my back and pulling her closer to me so her head rests on my shoulder. “But if we’re going to do this, I can’t be your boss.”
“You’re firing me?” She pulls away and screws up her nose, making her eyes narrow as her brows dip and I can’t help but laugh.
“No. We just need to protect ourselves in case anything gets awkward. I’ll need to speak to Sarah and have her take over any employer responsibilities. I don’t know, we’ll figure it out though. Maybe we should get some sleep and see how things look in the morning.”
“Well, aren’t we mister optimistic?” She smirks.
“Just trying to be cautious.” I kiss her forehead again, and a sigh escapes me. “We should probably tell Maddie too. She’s a smart girl and it’ll be difficult to keep it a secret for long.”
“Do you want me to go back to my room?” She asks, biting her bottom lip.