Ten weeks without him inside her; ten weeks of missing him so much it hurt.
She slowly moved upon him, his hands on her bottom, guiding her, making sure she didn’t go too far away. Her fingers teased the back of his neck, toying with his hair as her lips leisurely descended to meet his, lightly caressing them until her entire body craved more of him. Mia parted his lips and was met by his eager tongue. She moved faster against him, moaning into his mouth, feeling at one with him. She could never get enough of him, nor did she think she ever would.
With ease, Ethan rolled them over, his beautiful face hovering over hers. She smiled, loving this man with everything she had, knowing he loved her too, knowing that in six months she would be his wife, that the life they dreamed of was almost upon them.
Ethan smiled affectionately and then kissed her so tenderly she thought she might die. He held her eyes as he loved her, as he built a roaring fire inside her. The waves of passion coursed through her as he continued to fill her. Her fingers clenched his damp back as the orgasm took her over, crying out as he pumped one last time, exploding within her.
He collapsed on top of her, the weight of him blissful. She cradled him in her embrace, not wanting to let him go.
“Pretty damn good for not doing it for ten weeks. I thought we’d be rusty,” she said light-heartedly.
He playfully nipped at her breast. “I, for one, practiced in my head … a lot,” he admitted. Mia laughed and lightly pushed at him. He rolled off her and onto the mattress beside her. She sat up and yanked down the comforter and hurriedly jumped back into bed, covering herself with the warm, comfy blanket.
“You’re cold?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s freezing in here and you are not doing anything to warm me up.”
“I thought that is what I just did.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s in the past.”
“Oh, really?” he said, his eyebrow lifting in amusement.
She giggled. “I knew that would get you up and ready.”
She screamed when he pulled her to him and was silenced by his passionate kiss. Queue up round two, she thought as her body quivered from his knowing touch.
Ethan
In an hour, Ethan made love to his fiancée more than he had in months. Now, Mia lay in his arms, her fingers absently dancing upon his chest, and everything was right in the world.
He didn’t want to think that in less than eight hours she’d be gone, traveling to the other side of the world and that he wouldn’t see her for another two months.
No, he would not think about that, or about how much he would miss her in his arms. He’d focus on the present.
Speaking of present, he untangled himself from her embrace and got out of bed and hurried across the cold room to his bag.
Damn! It was freezing, he thought as he pulled out a long, thin box.
“There are a lot of presents at home for you,” he said as he crawled back into bed. She had sat up, the blanket wrapped so as to cover her nudity, but he knew what was underneath and smiled. He held the present out to her. “I wanted you to have this now.”
She smiled knowingly at him. With one hand she held up the blanket and with the other, she took the box from him and placed it on her lap. She opened the present and her breath left her in a loud whoosh.
“Oh my word!” Mia exclaimed, her finger gliding over the pink diamond bracelet that matched the pendant he gave her last Christmas. “This is beautiful, Ethan!”
“It’s inscribed …” he offered. She quickly turned it in her hands and held it up so she could read it.
“To my future wife. I love you. Always & Forever,” she said aloud, her voice thickening with emotion as she read the inscription.
“I love this, Ethan!” She handed him the bracelet and held out her arm. He smiled as he fastened the bracelet to her slender wrist. As she stared at his gift, a frown came to her beautiful face. “Your presents are at home.”
“That’s okay. This, being here with you, is better than any present.”
“You’ve got that right,” she said, hugging him, the blanket pooling in her lap.
As much as he wanted to make love to her again, his body needed a rest. He pulled her down to lay with him the way they were before he left to get her present.
They stayed that way for awhile, both silent. He glanced over at the clock and realized their time was ticking away. It was now past four o’clock. Only four more hours left in the hotel.
He rolled over so he could memorize her. He didn’t want to talk. Not right now.
“Ethan?”
“Shh. I’m busy staring at you.”
“But …”
“Shh!” he said, placing his finger on her lips. The feel of her wet tongue gliding against his finger shocked him. “Did you just lick my finger?”
“I did,” she said with a smile. “I have something to say and really need to say it now before I lose my nerve.”
“What is it?” he asked.
“Um … I really enjoyed our last two Skype conversations,” she spoke quietly, her gorgeous creamy skin turning a nice shade of pink. He was very glad to hear that.
“Why’s that, suga?”
“Your voice, for one. Having to focus on that instead of your touch. I hear your voice in a whole new light. Secondly, being able to help you, uh …”
“Help me what?” he asked, knowing what she wanted to say but wanting to hear her say it.
“Come.”
“I liked that, too. A lot.”
“We need to do that at least once a week,” she said, her eyes downcast.
“Once a week?” he asked, his fingers walking their way down her stomach. Her eyes closed when he stopped at her inner thigh. Her legs fell open and he seized that opportunity and slid a finger inside her.
“At least,” she moaned.
“I bet you’ll imagine this moment on our next call,” he said against her ear. “My finger sliding in and out of you as you do the same.”
He mimicked his words, moving a little faster, before adding another digit. Her breathing became more irregular then, before he knew it, it hitched as her muscles contracted around his finger. He kissed her on that spot where her jaw and ear met and then smiled. “You like that, suga?”
Mia nodded her head and mumbled an answer. Her hair covered her face but she didn’t seem to mind, though he did. With his free hand, he tenderly brushed it aside, gazing into her glossy dark eyes.
“I’m not as good as you are at that,” she finally spoke, her hand covering his that was still between her legs, his fingers lightly stroking her.
“No?”
“I’ve never come like that on my own.”
“Good thing you’ve got me.”
He saw the flash of pain cross her face before she smiled at him. “Good thing indeed.”
Damn it, he cursed. She wouldn’t have him for over two months and he had to go and remind her of that.
Time to distract her.
He removed his fingers from her warmth and settled himself between her legs. “Would you like me to show you some other reasons it’s good to have me around?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and she laughed just as he hoped she would.
“I would like that,” she answered and he proceeded to show her why.
Around five, Ethan ordered some food. They ate purposely and in silence then went back to bed, Mia wrapped tight around his body.
Fuck. He didn’t want this time to end. The feel of her body against his. His arms around her. Her scent. The way she touched him, clutched onto him like she never wanted to let go. Nor did he want her to.
The large digital clock ticked away, his time with her quickly ending. When the clock turned over to seven o’clock, he squeezed her and felt her stir. He hadn’t realized she’d been napping. “Suga, it’s seven. We should probably shower.”
Mia groaned and tried to get out of bed. “My legs are putty.”
Ethan helped her to the shower whe
re he washed her, his hands and eyes memorizing her. Damn, he wanted her again. Hell, he’d always want her. He shooed her out before he had his way with her again and then quickly washed up.
When he returned to the bedroom, he found her fully dressed, staring out the window, regarding the airport. He saw her reflection in the window and shook his head at the sad, tormented look on her face. He moved to her side and turned her to face him.
“Mia, you need to fight this. Don’t let the sadness win!”
“I’m not as strong as you, Ethan,” she said dejectedly, her gaze focused on his chest. With his closed hand, he raised her chin so he could see her eyes when he spoke.
“You’re stronger than you think,” he stated, hoping he was right because if he wasn’t … he didn’t want to go there.
“I don’t want to get on that plane, Ethan. I don’t want to leave you.”
“But you will.”
“But I will,” she echoed, walking away from him. “What the fuck! Stupid responsibilities! Why can’t things be normal? I never thought things would be this hard when I signed on to do this rock band stuff. I thought it was my dream. But …” she paused, dragging her hand through her hair.
“But what, Mia?” he asked, taking a step forward. She spun around to face him, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Her vulnerability drew him even closer.
She swallowed hard and blinked to stop herself from crying. She nervously rubbed her hands on her thighs. Then with a wave of determination, she stood taller. “We should probably get going.”
He frowned in disappointment. Here he’d hoped she’d be honest with him, trust him enough to share more with him. “Mia,” he implored, reaching out for her. She shook off his hand and backed away.
“No, Ethan. I can’t. Not now. I need to leave you happy. Not drowning in my tears.”
“You want to be happy you’re leaving me?”
“No! I need to remember this wonderful time in Chicago. I need it to get me through the lonely months to come. I don’t want to think about the other stuff.”
“So there is other stuff?” he asked, latching on to that confession.
She nodded. “But it’s not important right now.”
“I wish you’d talk to me about it.”
“Don’t worry. I will,” Mia said agreeably, moving closer to him. He opened his arms to her and she launched herself into them.
“I love you, suga. Don’t you ever forget that,” he murmured against her ear, his lips lingering on her skin.
“I won’t forget. It’s the best thing in my life.”
She was the best thing in his world. That’s why it hurt like hell to let her go.
Ethan
Indianapolis, January 2008
Ethan had a rare day off from practice—orders from his coach. To make up for the dismal start this year, he’d been spending a lot more time preparing for games. His days consisted of watching films, reviewing plays and practicing. The need to be in the playoffs this year was great. To do that, the Flash had to win every game.
Even so, Ethan was glad Coach told him to take a break. He needed a day off without football. So his goal today would be to focus on his family and friends and any other business that he’d pushed aside.
But all that would come after a run.
While he ran, his thoughts meandered towards his time in Chicago with Mia before she left on the Southern Hemisphere leg of her tour. Her demeanor worried him. She couldn’t seem to shake the melancholy. She didn’t cry when they’d said goodbye, but he wondered about what happened after he left. God, he had hated leaving her. Just under two months until he saw her again. Not like he was counting days or anything.
Four weeks in and he was having trouble handling it. He missed her so much. This leg of her tour was much different. Their communication had been sparse. The time difference wasn’t a problem when she was in Brazil, but it became close to impossible once she reached New Zealand and Australia. They had such a small window of opportunity to talk. Communication had stalled to just texts and emails. Mia was asleep when he was awake and vice versa. She told him her sleep schedule was messed up because she was having trouble sleeping, which led to being very tired and crashing in the middle of the day.
He wanted her to enjoy her time in Brazil and Australia, but he also wanted her to miss him. It was hard to hear that they were partying a lot. She was trashed on New Year’s Eve. She had called to wish him a Happy New Year and basically passed out on him. At first, her being drunk seemed kind of cute, but now it appeared to be a constant state of being. That concerned him.
When Ethan began to see press from her time in Brazil—photos of her frolicking in the ocean, playing beach volleyball, and lying topless on the beach, much of it with Todd, he started to get angry.
Looking up at the path ahead, he pushed himself to his finish line. He was jealous. Jealous of the time she spent with Todd. He knew the two were close. He noticed the chemistry they had. They were in sync. They had this unspoken communication that infuriated the hell out of him whenever he saw it—on and off stage. Ethan had to push away that jealousy because it wasn’t going to do anything for him, or their situation.
Sweaty and gross after his run, he did some much needed grocery shopping. He didn’t want to head back to his empty house quite yet. After his errands, he returned home and showered.
Wet hair slicked back, Ethan bounced down the stairs and headed to his office where he called his mother. While chatting with her, he checked his iPhone to see if there were any messages from Mia.
Nothing.
He sighed. Over the past few days, even her messages had been sparse.
He scrolled through the rest of his emails. At least Allie kept in touch. She had replied to his email containing his schedule for the upcoming week. Allie was great and Mia was very lucky to have found her. She took care of his fiancée and the band; as well as him. She also provided him much needed info on how Mia seemed. That is what concerned him right now.
He opened the email and noticed it was long. He scanned it quickly, noticing she had sent him Mia’s schedule for the next few days. God, he really needed to see her. They hadn’t Skyped in over a week and he hoped to find a time when that could happen.
From: Allie Kellmeyer
To: Ethan Christopher
Re: Schedule
January 22, 2008, 7:21 PM
We arrived in Sydney yesterday. The Gold Coast show was phenomenal. I’ll be updating all of the band’s social media later on in the day. There are some great pictures, if you’re interested.
Mia loved the Gold Coast and joked about staying. I felt the same way. I’m sad we are gone.
Their next show is on Thursday and their schedule is pretty open. Radio shows during the morning and television appearances at night. During the day, they are free.
So … onto other news (and it’s not good.) There are some pictures that have started to circulate. With the way things are going, I’m sure there will be more. You’ve probably seen her adventures in Brazil. This is another level. She is definitely enjoying the beaches in Australia. You’ll be happy (or unhappy) to know that she won’t have any tan lines. That’s minor compared to the pictures of them going out to the clubs. Those, uh, are hard to explain, so rumors will start.
The links to the pictures are at the bottom. Luckily, this is just contained to Australia news right now. Let’s hope it stays that way.
I know Mia will downplay it when she’s talking to you, but she’s miserable. She’s forcing it. Acting out. She’s definitely not listening to my advice as her friend or her manager. I hate to say this, but I think she’s drinking too much, even Marty has said something to her.
She didn’t like Marty bringing that up—especially in front of the entire band. That didn’t help as well as he intended. He should have done that alone.
You need to talk to her.
This is so not like her. At least the Mia I have come to know.
Ethan s
crolled down to the end of the message for the links. Looking at the pictures made him sick. The club pictures were too much for him. He definitely did not enjoy seeing the pictures of her dancing with other men, including Todd, playing on the beach in her barely-there bikini, seeing other men touch her, even if it was innocent. Nor did he like that she seemed to be enjoying it all. At least according to the pictures that focused on her smile. He was concerned that Allie and Marty thought she was drinking too much. She seemed different. This was not his fiancée and that was pissing him off.
He pulled up his internet browser and put in a search of her name. Article after article questioning their relationship.
Play While Away
What Happens in Rio, Stays in Rio
His anger increased after reading each article. Ethan was furious with her behavior. He checked his watch. It was nine p.m. so it should be after noon in Sydney. They needed to talk. Now. Grabbing his phone, he texted her: “Get your ass on Skype.”
Mia
Australia, January 2008
Mia reclined back on the lounge chair. The view from the outdoor rooftop pool was spectacular. It overlooked Sydney Harbor and she could see the world famous Opera House. The wonderful man at the front desk told her it was just a few minutes away by water taxi. She might have to check that out if she could only get her head out of the liquor bottle.
She let her head fall back, feeling the warm Australian sun beat down on her. She tugged at her bikini top, loving the fact that she was wearing a swimsuit in January and not a big bulky coat and boots. Mia was in love with Australia—the beaches, the water, and the people—and didn’t want to leave.
But—and this was a big but—she still missed Ethan. Eight hours with him over the course of fourteen weeks was not enough. It didn’t tide her over like she’d hoped. Hell, it only made it worse. Mia craved the blissful feeling she had when she was with him and seemed to spend every waking moment chasing after that bliss.
So, she smoked pot and drank to try to find that feeling or a semblance of it, but it didn’t help. She was becoming more and more desperate, more alone and more depressed.
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