"It's okay Ethan, its fine." Amber whispered and let his fingers trace across her lips.
"Are you sure?" Ethan asked, curious as to why he wanted to bite her mouth.
"I'm fine," Amber replied and Ethan dropped his arms from her. Turning back to the table she picked up the locket from Ethan and held it against her neck.
"Can you fasten this for me please?" His fingers deftly closed the clasp and he let his fingers stroke along the silver chain. Leaning down, he kissed the back of her neck gently and breathed in. "Ethan."
Amber warned but he kept kissing small butterfly light kisses across her shoulders. Moaning at the feel of his lips on her skin, she tilted her head from side to side as he trailed with his mouth. Kissing under her earlobe Amber opened her eye, as sexual want released through her system.
Turning to face him, she pushed him hard up against the fridge. Pinning his hands by his sides, Ethan couldn't hide the smirk from his face.
He leant down slightly to her ear and whispered, "It's always meant to be me and you, Amber, it always was." Pulling back she searched his eyes, and he explored hers.
Leaning up onto her tiptoes she kissed his mouth gently before she released his hands. Letting his mouth work with hers he lifted her, and her legs immediately wrapped around his waist. Each fighting with fingers and mouths, he pushed back the cake from the table and the presents and sat her on the edge. Running his fingers up and down her ribcage, the goose bumps appeared on her skin and he kissed along her collarbone licking form her hairline to her earlobe. Biting it gently, Amber moaned with increasing pleasure and let herself give in to the want and need.
Her hand pushed up his body, curving onto his shoulder, and she forced him into the nearest wall. This was what she needed. She needed to be intoxicated by a love that kept her safe, the love that kept her breathing. She needed Ethan like the air she breathed. Without him, she was slowly suffocating to death.
Feeling his right hand grip just below her ribcage, she found herself pulled even closer to his body. Her mind was doing somersaults as the butterflies were more than a little freed. The liberation she felt here was the perfect present she could have asked for today.
"Where's my birthday girl?" Lucy’s shrill voice suddenly rang through the house, the front door hitting the wall behind it.
Amber withdrew quickly, wiping her lips, hers eyes looking at Ethan apologetically. Maybe their chance can never fully happened because they weren't destined to be together.
“Birthday tradition,” he commented and shrugged as his hand came up to her jaw line, his thumb running over her plump lips. He gave her a genuine smile and took his hand away, turned to grab their plates and went over to the sink as Lucy bounded in with presents and yet more balloons.
Amber ran her hand up and rang her neck, feeling like fate’s reject and she tried to press through a happier exterior. After all, it was her birthday. She looked up as Lucy appeared before her, bright perfect smile beaming at her.
“You two are a little quiet,” she spoke suspiciously and looked at both of them. “What’s the deal?”
“Too much cake,” Amber lied and saw that not much of the cake was missing. “Now what goodies do you have?”
Lucy winked and set them down onto the table, she turned to Amber, “They’re for tonight. If you catch my drift.” Watching Amber’s face fall, Lucy frowned, “What have I missed?” she asked and didn’t need an answer to groan out in frustration. “That man is stupid.”
“That’s one way to put it,” Ethan muttered as he stood drying his hands out, his body against the worktop. He threw the towel onto the side and crossed his arms. “Now, we need to get out of this place and go have fun.”
“What you thinking?” Amber asked, not sure if she wanted to stick at home in case Connor arrived back, or if she wanted to flee altogether.
"I say we go to York," Lucy exclaimed with excitement. "Pub afternoon by the canal and some mass shopping is in order. I don’t think there is anything better than a beer garden on this glorious day off!"
"I don't have the money," Amber said and tried to withhold the bitterness from her tone. "I can always window shop."
Lucy shook her head. “My treat. You did it for me last year. I want to do it this year and I have the perfect idea of what to buy.”
“What?” Amber asked, looking alarmed at Lucy’s tone of voice.
“Go and get dressed,” Ethan stepped in, “I’ll drive, but I need to run home to shower and change.”
“Ooh, I’m picking your outfit!” Lucy jumped up and down and ran for the stairs.
Amber pressed a hand to Ethan’s chest, feeling like she needed to say something, but she couldn’t find the words. She just smiled at him and disappeared upstairs, leaving Ethan in the kitchen. She wished life hadn’t become this messy.
***
As he found himself pulled into Ann Summers, surrounded by every kind of bra and knickers, Ethan gulped. This couldn’t end well. He had already felt an even bigger attraction to Amber as she stepped out in skinny jeans, white, tight vest top and floral blazer. She didn’t need to do much to herself for him to feel a resonating pang in his heart.
Now he had trailed behind her, watching her laugh away and occasionally look over her shoulder at him to give him a wink and he had continued to smile. He knew one day she would be his, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it would be too little too late.
Now stood in this shop, his heart was thudding as he watched Amber pick up underwear with a calculating gaze. All of these would look perfect on her, he knew that, but he hated that the sole beneficiary would be Connor. The man that couldn’t keep his word and treated his relationship how it should be.
"Hey Ethan!" Lucy cried out to him. "On a scale one to ten how hot would our girl look in this, lying in fresh sheets for Connor to find?"
He looked to Amber who was staring in horror at Lucy’s claim and he noticed the blush creeping over her cheeks. He laughed a little and watched her turn her back to him and then he noticed the tightness in his jeans. It told him it would be a very jealous ten out of ten. He knew he had to answer this correctly. If Lucy even got a whiff of his infatuation he was done for.
Picking the closest set of lingerie and cringed when he looked at the bright orange mess of lace.
He then had another idea - boycott Connor's return.
“I think something brighter,” Ethan commented and went over to Lucy with the hideous bra and knickers. The first one in the shop’s collection that he wouldn’t dream of finding Amber in, he couldn’t even imagine it.
The booming laugh escaping Amber's lips wasn't on purpose, but she knew his plan. Bending in half, she held her hands against her stomach and coughed slightly. Placing her palms against her thighs she smiled over at Ethan.
"You are too much babe." Laughing again she turned to face Lucy who was holding the orange lingerie in disgust. "I like it," Amber shrugged, throwing Ethan a cheeky wink. "They're - well, different." Holding in her laughs she couldn't help but laugh harder.
Feeling Ethan's arms wrap around her he picked her up and flung her over his shoulder. "I'm taking her away from this shop; she clearly can't handle the lingerie."
Shrugging at Lucy as she wandered over to pay, Ethan placed her on her feet when they reached outside. Running his pad along her lower lip he gave her no words, but she knew the longing waiting inside them both. It was a lingering ache, settling harsh at the pit of her stomach, waiting for him with desire, desperate to taste his mouth once more. Kissing the back of her hand Amber felt her cheeks blush. Looking up and away from Ethan her jaw dropped. Looking around, Ethan couldn't see what she was stunned at.
"What, Amber? What is it?" Her reaction changed to a grin, her teeth on full show. Winking at Ethan she started walking towards the shop, the bright colours drawing her in.
Realising where she was heading Ethan moaned. "Oh bloody hell, Amber? Really?" Grabbing his hand she pulled him harshly into the kids shop.
/> "Disney, Ethan. DISNEY!" Feeling her iPhone vibrate in her pocket she slid her finger along the distinct answer option and put the phone to her ear.
"Hey Lucy." Snickering with Ethan he put his hand over her mouth. Feeling the desire from his touch flow through her blood she closed her eyes. Pulling his hand form her mouth he smiled at her. "I dragged Ethan into the Disney shop." Nodding her head and saying the frequent 'Umhm." She listened to Lucy moaning about her disappearance. "Just get over here Lucy and stop moaning, we have the dungeon to visit next."
***
"So you scared?" Ethan asked Lucy as she dodged every visible thing with fake blood.
"No, petrified,” she remarked, before she began laughing out loud as Ethan put his arm around her shoulders. Kissing the top of her head, he bent to whisper in her ear. "Thank you for today, Connor's let her down again. I'm glad she's got you."
Smiling up at Ethan, Lucy led him towards Amber who was staring longingly at a dummy with an axe through its head.
"Interested are you, Ambi?" Ethan teased as she pulled away from the human dummy and smiled up at him. Leaning up to kiss his cheek she lingered for a second.
"Sure is dark in here, Ethie." Feeling the need to kiss her lips again he let Lucy wander in front and pushed her against a bare wall, away from the mound of people. Stroking her lip with his fingers, Amber felt immediately aroused by his desire. As his lips touched hers, her fingers threaded through his hair, pulling his mouth to hers harshly.
"Amber, let me kiss you gently." Smiling beneath his kiss, she let him do as he pleased against her mouth. Kissing her mouth softly he swept his tongue along her lower lip and took her mouth with it. Entwining their tongues together Ethan needed to feel her skin again.
Letting his fingers fall under her blazer he trailed them up her back slowly causing her to arch and press harder up against him. "It's supposed to be us, Amber, I promise." Pulling away she searched for his ocean eyes, but it was just a dark silhouette of the man she craved. Feeling daring, she copied his motions and ran her fingertips along the waistband of his jeans.
Running her fingers over his taut, tight abs she whimpered over the definition of beauty underneath. She had seen him naked before, seen him in full swing before, but she never craved him like she did now. Something was different, she needed him, wanted him.
"Stop," Ethan warned as he grasped onto her fingers before pulling them to his mouth, and kissing them gently.
Amber heeded, agreeing with him. "We need to get back to Lucy." Pressing a gentle kiss to her plump lips, the tingle she felt from him was unique she had never felt that with Connor. Pulling out her iPhone to check if he had rung, she felt no want anymore, it was like he was erased, but the trouble was yet to start.
***
It was hours later, she was burnt from running around York in the sun and now filled with TGI's and cocktails, that Amber finally looked at her phone and scoffed - 21 missed calls. What would she have heard had she answered? It would no doubt an apology, a huge amount of sick inducing proclamations of love and then that voice in the background. The one he shooed away, the one that got him off the phone quickly. That one unknown voice that made her question it all.
Amber didn't want it, not today. Her mood was sky high, she was feeling so happy, and she didn't want that to be spoiled. Looking to her best friend as he drove, she settled for keeping her sky high mood. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she was going to go home, be a handful for Ethan and only remember laughing too much.
Exactly how she loved spending her time, with Ethan.
Chapter Ten
Hearing the song change and Amber singing over it, Ethan couldn’t help but laugh. He dropped the black sack he was throwing the rubbish and ripped up gift wrap into and headed to the living room at the front of the house to the beat of Pat Benatar’s ‘Love is a battlefield’. He remembered this song, Amber had sang it at an 80’s karaoke party way back when and every time it played it reminded him of her.
Right now, it reminded him of their love – it was a battlefield and he felt dangerously close to stepping onto a mine that would explode and end it all if he made the wrong move.
He froze in the door way as she stood on the sofa, singing out.
“We are strong. No one can tell us we're wrong. Searching our hearts for so long. Both of us knowing. Love is a battlefield!” Amber stood on the sofa, one foot per cushion and sang to the song. She paused as she saw Ethan and she put her finger up to usher him towards her, smirking as she did so. “Come on Ethie!” she shouted over the blasting music, ignorant of the neighbours. “Sing with me.”
He moved forward, but he refused to sing.
“We are young! Heartache to heartache we stand! No promises. No demands. Love is a battlefield!” she danced on the spot, but lost her foot and as she toppled off, she found herself caught in Ethan’s strong arms. She giggled at him, “My hero.”
“Silly girl,” he told her with light laughter in his voice.
“Dance with me, hot stuff,” Amber grinned at him, her voice light and mirthful. There were no remnants of loathing over Connor not showing his face or sadness that he hadn’t even given her a phone call until well into the day. “I still have,” she put her hand back to look at the clock and stayed there a few minutes as she read the clock upside down. Throwing her head back up, she looked at him. “There’s still sixteen minutes to my birthday so dance with me!”
“There’s six, but whatever,” he said and dropped her legs, stabilising her as she stood up beside him. “Let’s dance!”
Ethan had half expected the dancing he had the other day. The type that was slow in pace, that kept their bodies close, their hearts beating as one. He was almost ready to forget the song that was on and put his hands on her waist. Except that never happened, and he couldn’t hate it. He burst into hysterics as Amber started to drunkenly grind him to MC Hammer’s ‘Can’t Touch This’.
At least he knew Amber was still as unpredictable as ever.
“Dance, big boy!” she cajoled him, not booty shaking against him. She then turned around, deadly seriously. “Shake what your mamma gave you,” she coaxed him as if he were a performing monkey. She then grabbed his hands and picked up the rhythm again.
Putting his hands on her hips Ethan couldn't do this. He knew something would twitch downstairs if he felt her this close to him. Twirling her in his hands, he grabbed her waist from the front, and danced with her as 'When I was Your Man' by Bruno Mars started on the TV.
"Oh I love this song," muttered Amber as she buried her face in Ethan's chest. Nuzzling him like this, even through her drunken state, she still felt this undeniable urge, and that this song was Connor to her.
"Now my baby's dancing, but she's dancing with another man." Looking up into Ethan's eyes, he stroked his fingers down her cheek. Leaning down, hovering at her mouth for a moment, he gently pressed his lips to hers. Moving against each other like this, Amber let her arms wrap around his neck and Ethan had to lift her slightly so they were comfortable.
As the song kicked in Amber fell into Ethan. Their tongues entwined like they had throughout the day, but right now, it felt more real. It felt like those stolen kisses were perfect but this was beautiful. It felt natural. Ethan held her tight against him, and fell drunk into this woman, who he had loved forever.
Lifting her again, she wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her upstairs. All the rhetorical questions played along in his mind - Is this it? Will we ruin us? Should I do this? Ignoring the warning signs in his mind, he followed his heart. Laying her down on the bed, he hovered over her, his knee between her thighs.
"You're so beautiful, Amber," Ethan whispered against her cheek as he kissed her neck. "You've always been beautiful."
"Ethan," Amber groaned as he trailed his fingertips up her ribcage.
Amber reached for his shirt but he stopped her. "No, I've waited this long for you, let me worship you." Lowing himself to the waistband of her jea
ns, he pushed her top up gently along her abdomen laying soft kisses across her skin, letting his tongue flutter out every so often to desiring the skin he craved. Stopping his ascent just under her bra, he let his fingers explore her.
Trailing his fingers along the waistband of her jeans, she bucked off the bed slightly as he touched sensitive nerves. "It's supposed to be me and you. It always was, Ambi." Kissing softly at her skin she sat up abruptly and lifted her shirt over her head. Laying back down their eyes locked, and she pulled him back up to her.
"Kiss me," Amber breathed against his mouth and he did, taking her lower lip in his teeth, he pulled back gently and released it slowly. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he kissed at her neck and back up to her mouth, letting their tongues caress and release the magic longing inside them both. Amber wrapped her legs around his waist and he pulled away, breathing hard against her face.
"Are you sure?" Ethan asked as she started intently into the aquamarine eyes she loved.
"I've never been more sure." With that approval Ethan pushed down the strap of her bra, slowly down her arm and kissed her shoulder and dragged his lips along its path. He kissed the swell of her breast and let his fingers touch the soft skin, worshipping and memorising every single moment. He loved her. He cared for her, he wanted to create a life with her. Whispering sweet words to her, he gently undid the metal button of her jeans and revealed her white lace thong. Kissing the material, he skimmed his tongue along the band and Amber breathed in a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed with the sensations her body was feeling.
Connor was never this gentle with her; he never whispered or worshipped every ounce of her skin. Ethan pulled her jeans down her legs and threw them to the floor. Lifting her leg, she bent her knee and he kissed the bottom of her foot. Moving to the top, he kissed from her ankle to the top of her hip and continued with the other leg.
Your Little Secret Page 10