“Don’t flatter yourself, serving girl.” Ethan winked. “When shall we start?”
“I have work today.”
“You mean that thing where you serve at the restaurant?”
“Yes, Ethan. Some of us have to work to get an education.”
“Sounds boring. After your work then.”
“Okay. Be at the library then.”
“The library?”
“Yes.”
“Where is that?”
Janet looked at him incredulously. “Are you serious?”
“I’ve never been to the library...”
“Wait for me outside The Four Stars. I’ll take you there.” Shaking her head, she walked away.
Ethan smirked. Now he’ll find out exactly how to break her. She will be just like everyone else in the university. She will have to bow down to him. The Almighty Janet Price. Ethan chuckled at the thought.
Little did he know what was about to happen. The truth of this ordeal was that Ethan could not get Janet out of his head ever since Aveline spilled coffee on his shirt. The only viable explanation Ethan could find was that he wanted to break Janet and make her apologize. The real reason he couldn’t get her out of his head was far from it. It was also the same reason that had compelled him to kiss her. But more on that later.
Chapter 6 – The Incident
Janet woke up with a burden on her chest. It was as if something kept bothering her but she couldn’t quite place a finger on it. Finally, she figured it was her tutoring session with Ethan that was scheduled this evening. Janet has tutored several students before; younger, classmates, even older. But recent events made her dread this tutoring session.
Besides the fact that Ethan was completely trying to ruin her life by getting his female cronies and fans to bully her, it was also the little kiss incident that took place at Nel’s party. She couldn’t get the feeling of his soft lips on hers, his fingers brushing her cheeks, his tongue pushing into her mouth out of her head.
As the day came to an end and Janet finished her day shift, she became more and more anxious. She would have to face Ethan now. Sighing, she walked down the street where Ethan should be waiting for her. However, Ethan had grown bored of waiting and had been wandering outside The Four Stars. She did not notice him as she exited which amused him. He started following her at a distance. As Janet walked, she aimlessly thought about the errands she had to run after her tutoring session. She was low on groceries so she needed to buy some; she did not want to spend another day eating ready-to-boil noodles. She felt wary when she walked down a patch of street with broken street lights; it was too dark and Janet never took this route after work. She usually headed home once she was done. And rightly so, since a figure appeared out of the dark and started walking towards her. Janet held back, trying to decipher who it was.
“Not lost, are you, my darling?” said a voice, strangely familiar. Suddenly, it came back to her. It was the same man who had kissed her at the club; there was no doubt in that. She tried to walk past him but he stepped in front of her.
“No one to protect you here, little bird,” the man said. “Nel was an old friend of mine. Long before she became big and famous. She refuses to talk to me because apparently, I hurt you.”
“Leave me alone,” Janet said, her voice strangely high pitched.
“Is there a problem?” a voice said, behind Janet.
She turned and was strangely relieved to find Ethan walking towards her. The man saw it too and faltered; his face darkened.
“N-not at all, Mr. Reed,” he stammered. “I was just asking the young lady if she needs help.”
“That’s not what I saw,” Ethan said, his voice deadly.
“N-now now, I wouldn’t do anything after what you did to me for the innocent kiss I gave her,” the man said, pointing towards his eye. For the first time, Janet saw the bruise around it. His arm was also bandaged.
“Good. Now get out of my sight, Charlie. And I never want to see you near this young lady again lest you want another black eye.”
The man called Charlie stumbled away, muttering. Janet was shocked into silence. Had Ethan actually hit him on her behalf? That made her feel strangely touched and angry at the same time. Angry because it wasn’t his place to look out for her when he was simultaneously busy trying to ruin her life. Touched because she didn’t expect him to care about her.
“Thank you,” Janet said quietly.
“I only did it so I wouldn’t have to wait for you at the library,” Ethan said, shrugging. Still, he draped an arm around her shoulder, as though to protect her. Janet thought of slapping it away but he had saved her and she thought she should at least try to be nicer.
“Next time, we’ll work at your café,” he said with finality.
They walked in silence for a few minutes before Janet spoke up. “You-you hit this Charlie man?”
She glanced up at him and saw his jaw tighten but he didn’t respond. When they reached the library, he was back to his infuriating self, taunting every movement she made and every word she spoke.
Janet took out her Advanced Calculus book and started flipping through it, wondering which chapter to start with. “We could start with integral equations but I think that’s a little too advanced… maybe we should backtrack to integration first… that’s a lot simpler… unless of course you want to start with the very basics… linear algebra and the likes… that’s fine with me but it would take an awfully long time so…”
“Janet,” Ethan cut across her random musings. “Can we not study today?”
“Why?” Janet asked, confused. “What else do you want to do?”
“Let’s talk.”
Janet gave him an exasperated look. She didn’t understand him. At times, he was exceptionally infuriating and at other times, he was almost sweet.
“Where are you from?” he continued.
“I thought you did a background check on my life with Pam.”
“That’s true.”
Janet rolled her eyes.
“I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Anything else you want to do to me?” Ethan asked, suggestively.
Janet rolled her eyes again, shutting the book.
“Why don’t you want to talk to me?”
“Because you’re trying to make my life miserable.”
“It doesn’t seem to affect you, clearly.”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you’re trying.”
“That’s why you don’t want to talk to me?”
“Yes.”
Slowly, Ethan got up from across the table and took a seat next to her. “I’ll tell Michelle and her cronies to stop making your life miserable then. I can’t have my tutor not talk to me.”
“How considerate of you.”
Suddenly, Janet felt Ethan’s hand on her legs as it slowly trailed up. She wanted to push his hand away but something wouldn’t let her. And while she did not want to admit it, she was thinking of their last kiss and how nice his lips had felt on hers. She wouldn’t mind kissing him again. But his hand was trailing up her skirt now and she felt like she couldn’t move. He brought his lips to her ear and whispered. “I don’t want to study today. We can do that later. I want to do something else today.”
Janet turned her face towards him and suddenly, their lips were barely inches apart. His hands were at her inner thigh now and she felt his gentle touch through her panties. It was all so foreign to her that she did not know how to react. All she knew was a feeling at the pit of her stomach that would only be quenched if he finished what he started. He moved the remaining inches as their lips met in a heated kiss. This time, Janet kissed him back with fervor. It was different from their soft and gentle kiss before. This one was urgent, desperate. When he broke the kiss to suck at her neck, Janet moaned and pulled his hair.
“I want you to come back with me to my house,” he breathed against her neck.
Janet instinctively wanted to say no but she felt safe
around Ethan. He had protected her on the streets and he had beaten up the man who kissed her at the club. Ethan could be trusted, she told herself. She heard herself agreeing. Ethan grabbed her hand and they walked outside. Ethan’s driver was waiting with his car. It was a three-minute drive to Ethan’s house. Or mansion, as Janet would prefer to call it. His house was huge, with three different gates. When they entered, Janet noticed the various tree houses, gardens and cocktail bars outside, as well as a small glass hut at a distance. Inside, the floors were marbled and the ceiling was adorned with chandeliers and fancy lights. The corridor was huge, with paintings hung all along the walls. A huge, black staircase led up to the next floor. Janet looked around, awestruck.
“You live here?”
“Yeah,” he glanced down at her. “Why?”
“It’s huge,” she said faintly.
“No one really uses it. Used to. Before we moved to California. Now, it’s mostly empty.”
“That must be lonely.”
Ethan shrugged.
“Not really. My idiot friends are always here. Plus, all of dad’s friends in Georgia use this house for their conferences and meetings. The first floor is all conference and presentation rooms.”
“Wow.”
“Want a tour of the house?”
Janet nodded, too shocked at the extravagance to speak. The ground floor held several banquet and dinner halls. The first floor was indeed conference rooms. The second floor had rooms, bedrooms, guest rooms and children’s play area rooms. The third floor was a humongous library. The top floor had three gyms, a basketball court and an indoor swimming pool.
“Wow,” Janet repeated. “Does anyone even use these gyms?”
“Used to,” he repeated. “When we lived in Georgia, we always had cousins and family and friends over. Now, no one really uses them. We’ve thought of making them open to general public but it’s not really feasible security wise considering dad’s senior position.”
The last part of the tour was Ethan’s own room and a tensed silence fell over them as they entered. Ethan glanced at his watch.
“It’s late,” he said. “You should stay over.”
“I’d rather not,” Janet replied softly.
The light in his room was dim but it was enough for her to see how huge it was. The window was covered with golden curtains and the bed covers were golden as well. The bed was king sized with identical bedside tables on each side. A dressing table stood in the right corner and a huge closet in the left corner. The room was entirely carpeted in thick rugs with the wooden floor peeking through at certain places. Janet felt warm, cozy and safe there.
“Why not?” Ethan asked her.
“Why do you want me to stay?”
“Because I want you.”
“A plane serving girl like me?”
“A strong minded, fierce and bold serving girl like you.”
He gently turned her so she was facing him. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he brought down his lips to press a kiss to her jaw. Janet knew she should stop him there and then and leave. He was the one who was making her life miserable; the one who didn’t care for people’s feelings and only wanted what was best for him. But he had saved her too. He had kissed her after the incident to make her feel better. He had looked out for her and beat up the drunken man. She was torn between what she should do and what she wanted to do. She was torn between hatred (did she ever really hate him?) and desire.
As he nibbled at her earlobes, Janet found her hands trailing to his chest and push him away enough to get him to stop.
“I’m a virgin,” she blurted out.
Ethan raised his eyebrows. “I know. So?”
When Janet didn’t respond, Ethan continued. “It’s not a problem for me…” he trailed off.
“It isn’t?” Janet was surprised. She always had the impression most guys would hesitate when they learn she was untouched.
Ethan shook his head.
“Although…” he continued, the annoying smirk back again. “I’ve never been with a virgin before.”
Janet rolled her eyes.
“I guess we’ll both be trying something new.” His fingers gently brushed her cheeks. Janet held his hand there, her eyes closing at his touch.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know,” he replied simply. “Don’t worry, I’ll guide you.”
Janet nodded and hesitantly reached up to kiss him. She could feel Ethan smiling into the kiss which made her pull away.
“What?” she asked, annoyed.
“This was the first time you initiated a kiss,” Ethan said grinning. “Let a guy be happy.”
He proceeded to kiss her again and slowly started unbuttoning her blouse as he did. Janet unwound her arms from his neck to allow him to slide her shirt off. When he did, she stood in front of him in her black lace bra, feeling extremely vulnerable. No one had seen her like this before. She took the blouse from his hand to cover herself. He still held the blouse as she attempted to hide herself. Amused, he gently pulled the blouse away, releasing it from her hands. It fell at their feet. Janet looked up at him shyly. His eyes were full of lust but they were still gentle, understanding.
“You’re lovely,” he said, tracing the edge of her bra.
“A plain serving girl like me?” Janet mocked.
“Plain but lovely,” Ethan said, his hands palming her breasts. “Didn’t know fierce Janet Price could be so shy. It’s cute.”
Janet rolled her eyes but didn’t have time to be annoyed because his thumb was now brushing over her nipple which visibly hardened through the thin material of her bra.
“Relax,” he whispered, watching her reaction intently as he continued to feel her breast. “Would it help if I took my shirt off too?”
“Sure you’ve never slept with a virgin before?” Janet joked, but she visibly calmed as Ethan laughed and pulled his shirt off with ease. He was built with muscles and prominent abs. Janet hesitantly brought her hands to his chest and ran them down to his abs, appreciating how built they were. Ethan let that distract her while he unhooked her skirt. It fell to her feet and he helped her climb out of it, causing her to stumble. He caught her before she fell with a deep laugh. Leading her to the bed, he laid her down. Ethan appreciated how pretty she looked lying on his golden sheets in her black bra and panties and her brown hair spread across the bed. He wanted to take her there and then but he knew he had to be careful; Janet had never done this before. He kneeled beside her on the bed and proceeded to kiss every inch of her body as she lay on his bed. Janet responded how Ethan intended her to respond. She sighed at his gentle touches and moaned when he brushed a sensitive area. Ethan wanted to hear her say his name but he knew that would have to wait.
“Up,” he instructed her. He helped her sit up so she was kneeling on his bed. Her body was facing away from him as he knelt behind her. His strong arms wrapped around her waists, decreasing the distance between them as her back pressed to his front. He gently cupped her breasts before proceeding down her body. He skimmed his hand up inside of her thigh as a whimper escaped her lips. It was all so foreign to Janet. She had never been touched like this before. Her head rolled back on his shoulders as he began to rub gently through the thin fabric of her underwear.
“Ethan,” Janet breathlessly gasped, squirming. He held her close as she squirmed against his gentle touches.
His fingers slipped into the front of her underwear. She cried out in surprise as his thumb gently moved over her clit, eliciting whimpers from her parted lips.
“Mmm,” he huskily whispered into her ear. Kisses trailed down her neck as he continued. Janet was slightly startled as he shifted, taking her with him as he sat on the edge of the bed. She still faced away from him, sitting on his lap.
“Up,” he instructed again. She complied and Ethan’s hands caught hold of her thighs, spreading them so her legs hung on either sides of his lap. Janet caught sight of him bringing his fingers to his mouth through
her hindsight. He sucked on them before pulling them out. His fingertips dipped into her underwear again and this time, he eased a finger in gently. Uncomfortable moans fell from her lips as she tried to comprehend the foreign gesture. She struggled to breathe as he pushed deeper. The pleasure pulsing through her body was overwhelming. Janet’s eyes closed, finding it difficult to keep them open. Her head rolled back on his shoulders. Janet exhaled sharply as he withdrew his fingers.
“I’m going to try two,” he informed her. Janet turned around, panicked.
“Relax,” he whispered, kissing the back of her neck. “It will help.”
He pushed his fingers inside again, two this time. With his legs, he spread her thighs wider as Janet tried to breathe. He felt her clench shut as he tried to enter.
“Janet, you need to relax,” he breathed huskily.
“I’m t-trying,” Janet managed to say.
“It’ll be okay,” he mumbled against her neck. “You’ll feel good.”
Janet breathed deeply as he attempted to enter her again. He pumped in and out causing Janet to repeat his name again and again. When he withdrew, he lay her down on the bed again.
“Are you okay?” he asked, gently as he lay next to her. Janet nodded, still unable to believe she was in Ethan Reed’s room and about to have sex with him. She watched as Ethan removed the remaining of his clothes. He lowered himself on top of her, supporting his weight as he kissed her. She could feel a bulge pressing into her causing her heartbeat to rise even more.
“I’m scared,” she blurted out.
Ethan pressed a passionate kiss to her lips before pulling away. “I know,” he replied softly. “We can stop if you want.”
Janet shook her head. They were in too far to stop and desire surged through her body. It was all new to her but she knew what it meant. She kissed him again to encourage him. He spread his hands on either side of her head, never looking away from her as he begun to enter her. Janet cried as he rolled all the way in. Tears rolled down her eyes and Ethan attempted to distract her by leaving kisses on her cheeks and jaw. After a moment, Janet begun to relax, getting used to the new sensation. He slowly increased his pace, matching her instructions as their hips moved together. Janet moaned as he moved, still gentle and cautious. It was still a little uncomfortable but in a good way. When she came, she cried out his name, grabbing a fistful of his hair and wrapping her legs around his torso. He collapsed on top of her, breathing heavily.
Romance: The Campus Player: A College Romance Page 16