Staring at his apartment door, she paused before knocking, suddenly nervous. She liked Ethan, a lot, and every time she liked a guy, which hadn’t happened very many times, she ruined things somehow. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, telling herself to just be herself and things would work out. She had no problem being herself, but that was usually the reason none of the other relationships had worked out. Every guy she had dated always told her they couldn’t take her loud, out-there personality.
He opened the door, his face red, and looking flustered. “Um, come in,” he said, motioning her inside with jittery hands. He ran a hand through his dark hair. “Um, just have a seat and I’ll be right back,” he said, practically pushing her down on the couch as he hurried into the other room.
“What’s that smell? It smells like something is burning?” She asked, covering her nose.
“No, no, everything’s fine,” he yelled from the other room.
Staring at his back in confusion as he walked away, Brooke took a seat on his black leather couch, resting her elbows on her knees, and wondering what the hell was going on. She jumped when she heard a loud crash and asked, “Are you okay in there?”
“Yeah, everything’s fine, I’ll be right out, just stay put,” he yelled in a panicked voice.
She couldn’t take it any longer. She needed to know what he was doing in there. It sounded and smelled like a disaster. She got up and headed towards the kitchen, and as she stepped around the corner, it took her a minute to realize what was going on. Her eyes scanned the dirty pots and pans scattered across the countertop. Smoke was filtering up into the vent above the stove and Ethan was staring at some book on the counter as he stirred a pot of something bubbling on the stove.
“Um, do you need help?” she asked loudly enough so he could hear her over the vent.
He jumped and turned around, and she almost burst out laughing. He was a mess. His hair was askew, he was blushing from embarrassment, and he had sauce and flour covering his shirt. Definitely a far cry from the normal composed doctor look he usually had going.
“Oh, hey. No, I think I’m pretty much done here.” He looked around at the disaster and added, “I don’t think there’s any way to save this meal.” He threw his hands up in defeat and said. “I thought I’d try something fancy to impress you, but to be honest, I’m not a good cook,” he said with a laugh.
She walked up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him into a tight embrace. Tilting her head up to meet his, she said, “You have already impressed me, you didn’t need to go all out.” His smile warmed her heart and she leaned up on her tip toes, planting a kiss on his lips. “I can help you save this meal,” she said with a laugh.
He pulled back and let out an embarrassed laugh, running his hand across the dark stubble on his face. “Great, because if not, I guess we can always order in.” He looked down at her and laughed again. “Uh, I think you got some sauce on your nice shirt now.” He quickly grabbed a wet rag and began dabbing at the stain.
“Oh, Ethan, I’m not worried about that. Let’s get started on dinner, I’ll probably get even messier by the time we’re through,” she said, as she pushed him away and assessed the mess.
Drumming her fingers across her lips, she looked at the recipe he was following and at what food could be salvaged. She stuck her finger into the sauce and tasted it. It was bland and too pasty, but she thought she could save it with a few more spices and broth. Next, she inspected the chicken. It was obviously burned way beyond saving, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t whip up something else instead. She turned to him and asked, “Do you have any jumbo pasta shells?”
With a smirk, he began looking in his cabinet and pulled out a box. Holding them up, he asked, “Like these? You actually think you can save this crap?”
“Perfect, and yes,” she said, snagging them from him. She opened the fridge and looked inside, hoping to find what all she was looking for. Pushing some items aside, she saw the cream cheese, spinach, parmesan cheese, and shredded mozzarella. A really good base for the stuffed shells she was going to throw together to go with the sauce he’d started. Humming, she began tossing all her ingredients into a bowl as she got a sauce pan of water boiling on the stove. She dumped the shells in and then began mixing the cream cheese, spinach, and cheeses, along with a variety of seasonings into a large mixing bowl. Feeling his eyes on her, she turned to find him leaning against the counter, a big smile spread out on his face. “What?” she asked, as she continued to mix.
“Oh nothing, I was just thinking how cute you look, cooking in my kitchen while you hum. You look really happy and content. It’s like you were meant to be in the kitchen cooking.”
Smiling, she said, “I do enjoy it a lot. When I cook, I don’t think or worry about anything else. It’s a really nice escape.”
“Well, you’re good at it,” he said.
“You’ve only tasted one meal of mine,” she argued.
“Yeah, well, I can tell this one will be amazing, too.”
Rolling her eyes, she tested the shells and decided it was time to start stuffing them. Once they were assembled, she began working on the sauce, adding more broth and more seasonings, tasting it every so often until it was perfect. “Here, taste this and tell me what you think.” She dipped her finger into the sauce and held it up to his mouth. Keeping his eyes locked on hers, he slid her finger into his mouth, his tongue swirling around her finger for a few seconds longer than needed. Her stomach dipped with arousal and she watched his eyes close for a moment.
“Mmm, very nice,” he moaned, releasing her finger. “Oh, and the sauce was good, too,” he added, as one side of his mouth twitched into a sexy half grin.
Stepping towards her, he cupped her face with his hands and pulled her into a kiss. His mouth tasted sweet as his tongue met hers, igniting all her senses with need and want. She reached up and gripped the back of his neck, pulling him closer to her. Their kiss became more intense, both of them feeling the rush of ecstasy that they’d kept on the back burner until now.
The beeping of the stove timer made them both jump and pull away like they’d been caught doing something they shouldn’t have. They both laughed, and Brooke said, “I’d better get these into the oven or we’ll never eat tonight.”
Thirty minutes later, they were sitting at his table, eating stuffed shells with homemade white sauce and fresh salad.
“Well, the salad you made is fantastic,” she teased, as she took a bite.
Giving her an evil look, he said, “It’s very hard to mess up salad. But seriously, Brooke, your pasta dish is amazing. I really thought dinner was going to turn out with us ordering take out from some Chinese restaurant,” he said with a laugh.
“Oh, it wasn’t that hard, really. It’s just a pasta dish.”
“Yeah, but you made everything from scratch and it’s delicious.”
“Well, thanks.”
Once they were finished eating, they began cleaning up the mess, tossing every dirty dish into the dishwasher.
Turning the dishwasher on, she said, “Oh my God, did I tell you what Paige had us do last week?” She pulled out her phone and flipped through her pictures, searching for the ones from their zip lining adventure.
“What?” he asked, one eyebrow raised in question as he leaned over her shoulder.
“This,” she said, as she showed him a picture of her zip lining down the hill.
“Oh, I’ve done that before. Fun, isn’t it?” He asked, as he began scrolling through all the pictures they had taken that day.
“It was amazing. We all had a blast, even Kyleigh, who was terrified at first.”
“You and I should go together sometime. I haven’t been in years.” He handed her phone back to her and she agreed.
“That would be a fun date.”
He began laughing and she stopped wha
t she was doing to look up at him. “What’s so funny?” she asked, frowning.
Taking his thumb, he rubbed at a spot on her cheek. “You have sauce on your face,” he said, laughing under his breath.
She watched him as he wiped off the sauce, his breath brushing against her face. He stopped wiping and their eyes met.
“Absolutely gorgeous,” he said, as he leaned down and kissed her.
“Thank you. It only took me an hour to pick out this outfit,” she said, grinning as she tugged on her shirt. She leaned up and kissed him, again, wanting this night to be perfect.
“Well, it looks amazing on you,” he said, letting his eyes scan her body from head to toe.
Never one to be self-conscious, his blatant staring made her blush. The satisfied, hungry look on his face gave her goosebumps. As she looked down, a loose curl fell into her face, and he gently tucked it behind her ear. She felt his gentle fingers under her chin as he tilted her face up to meet his.
“And I’m not just saying that, Brooke. I haven’t dated anyone seriously in a long time, because of everything with Olivia, my career, and all the schooling I had to do to get here, but when I saw you, I knew I wanted to get to know you even more. I knew I was finally ready to move on.”
She arched her eyebrow. She had been completely surprised when Ethan asked her out on that first date, because she was his total opposite. He was the sophisticated, uptight doctor and she was the free spirited, loud, opinionated, eccentric nurse. To her, it seemed like an odd match, but she had always heard the saying that opposites attract. “But why? I have never really thought I was your type.” She had to ask the question, it was one that had been on her mind a lot for the past month or so.
His expression softened even more as he answered. “Because you’re beautiful. You’re funny, smart, and caring. And you’re totally different from any other girl I’ve ever met. I like that you’re different. It’s what makes you, you.”
“Oh, I’m definitely different,” she said, confidence evident in her tone. No insecurities hid beneath her surface.
“And don’t ever change that about you,” he said, leaning down and kissing her.
His soft lips met hers, and a moan escaped her mouth as his tongue found hers. His kiss started out soft and sweet, and then slowly it began to build, becoming more urgent and needier. She reached up and gripped the back of his neck, letting her fingers run through his dark hair. He pulled away from her mouth and began to kiss down her cheek, each kiss dipping slowly towards her neck. Chills erupted on her skin as his mouth found the sweet spot between her neck and shoulder. His hand ran down her back and stopped on her ass. He squeezed and let out a low, muffled laugh.
“Oh, my, Ethan,” she said with a breathy laugh.
“Um hmm,” he answered back, not really paying any attention, he was too busy kissing her earlobe.
He began walking her backwards as he continued kissing her. Their kisses becoming more urgent as their breathing became more erratic. Brooke let out another moan as she grabbed his shirt and began to pull it over his head. Without breaking stride, he tossed his shirt to the floor as he continued kissing her. She ran her hands up his chest, feeling the outline of his hard muscles.
Feeling her knees hit something soft; she looked around and realized they had made it all the way to his bedroom. She inched backwards onto the bed, pulling her own shirt over her head. She kept her gaze on him, loving the way his green eyes were ignited with lust.
He made his way on top of her and gently kissed her breasts. He was breathing hard, his skin warm and moist. “Are you sure you’re ready?” he asked, always being the gentleman.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer to her and kissed him. “Does this feel like I’m ready, Doc?” she took his hand and slide it inside her jeans, letting him feel how ready she was.
A smile played at his lips, erasing any evidence that he’d had a hard day at the hospital. She liked this look and vowed to get it out of him more often. “Yes, Ma’am, it sure does,” he said.
His eyes locked on hers as he yanked the zipper on her jeans down. As he pulled them off, he leaned down and kissed her stomach, letting his mouth venture down. Grabbing her panties, he slowly pulled them off. Brooke let out a gasp as his fingers slid into her intimate part. “Oh my God,” she blurted out as her hips began moving uncontrollably. She couldn’t stop it even if she wanted to.
She looked down and saw him smiling. She reached down and grabbed his arm to stop him before things got out of control. “Come here, it’s my turn to play,” she said, her words nothing but a devious whisper.
His eyes lit up as he adjusted himself on the bed, his hands never leaving her body. With a gentle shove, she pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him. She leaned down and let her lips rove across his chest and then down his stomach. Her hand gripped the length of him and she heard him moan. She smiled, loving the sound. She didn’t think there was anything sexier than to hear a guy moan because of something she was doing to him. Of course, this was the first time that thought had ever crossed her mind. It was better when it was with a guy you had feelings for, and her feelings were growing strong for Ethan.
She knew she was falling in love.
After teasing him for several minutes, he had finally had enough and, gripping her hips, he tossed her onto her back next to him. She squealed and parted her legs, inviting him in. Her back arched up as he entered her and she sucked in a sharp breath, but the sound was cut off by his wet lips. He pushed his tongue into her mouth as his strokes began to increase in speed. Her nails dug into the soft skin of his back and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hand caressed her cheek as he gave her a soft kiss before letting his hand trail down to her breast. She bit her lip and moaned as his finger twirled around her nipple, causing her legs to squeeze his waist even harder as ecstasy flowed throughout her body. One hand ran up his back, stopping at his neck as she pushed him down to her breast. As his mouth wrapped around her nipple, she moaned even louder. His teeth gently grazed it and she grabbed a fistful of his thick hair.
“Damn, Ethan,” she moaned, as she bit his earlobe.
He chuckled, “I like hearing you moan my name.”
“Mmm hmm,” she barely got the word out.
With her hands pressing against his chest, she pushed him away, taking the lead and switching positions. Her hips began moving slowly as she looked down at him. His eyes were slits as desire weighed heavily on them. She felt the sting of his fingers as he tightly gripped her waist, urging her to move faster. She tilted her head back, lost in the moment. Ethan felt amazing and she felt herself was on the verge of an orgasm. As if sensing her need, she felt the tip of his finger caress her most sensitive spot. She let out a low shriek, his touch hitting her in just the right spot. Her body began to shiver with pleasure and she rocked back and forth, moaning like a wild woman, her long hair a sweaty mess as it clung to her face. As she breathed harder, it wasn’t long before his movements became even faster as he was on his way to climaxing. His hand intertwined in hers as he let out a low, muffled groan. With one hand squeezing her hand and the other one digging into her hip, she moved her hips even faster, bringing his climax to full force.
Seconds later, their rhythm slowed and he pulled her down towards him, his hands clasping each side of her face as he nibbled sweet kisses on her lips.
In a breathy whisper, he said, “Please tell me you’re staying with me tonight? I’m off tomorrow.”
She rolled to his side and nestled beside him and said, “Yes, I’ll stay tonight.”
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close. “I’m glad.”
And she was glad, too, because this felt right.
He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “Brooke, I’m falling in love with you.” His voice was soft, almost hesitant as if he wasn’t sure she felt the same way.
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She smiled in the darkness. “I’m falling in love with you, too, Ethan.”
“You don’t know how glad I am to hear you say that,” he whispered, almost to himself.
“Recite some poetry to me until I fall asleep,” she whispered into the night.
There was a pause and then his deep voice began. “Our love was whispered in the stars. Every twinkle brought you from afar. Each step you took pulled you to me. And each choice you made was the start of what could be. This beautiful thing we call our love.”
Brooke lifted her head and looked up at Ethan, tears shimmering in her eyes. “That was beautiful. Who wrote it?”
“I made it up just now,” Ethan said with a shrug.
“My poet,” she breathed softly. “Tell me another one,” she said, as she relaxed into his warmth.
And Ethan began again, his deep voice and poetic words wrapping around them in the dark night as the moonlight filtered through the bedroom window.
Chapter 21
BROOKE
Sunlight slowly made its descent across her face, basking her in a bright glow of warmth. She rolled over and found an empty space where Ethan had been last night. Deciding to see what he was up to, she swung her legs off the bed and threw one of his over-sized shirts on and headed towards the kitchen.
She rounded the corner and squinted at the sun beaming through the patio glass door before her eyes finally landed on a pair of tight black boxer briefs and a bare back that was perfectly toned. She couldn’t help but watch him for a minute before announcing her arrival. He was softly humming as he stood in front of the stove, cooking bacon; his muscles flexing with each movement caused her mouth to water from something other than physical hunger. She could get used to waking up this way, if this was going to be what she saw each morning.
When Love Ignites Page 17