I hope you’re right because I’m nervous.
If the label doesn’t like it, we’ll just start our own.
Maybe we should.
If we need to visit that, we will . . . when it’s time.
I know who our first artist could be.
Who?
You.
What????
I really think you should do some solo stuff. I like your voice.
No. I like what I do.
She could imagine his stern and serious face glaring at her and she decided to push it just a little further.
I’m so writing a song for you to sing on the next album. It’s already in my head.
Shut up.
<3 you, Marty.
<3 you too, brat. See you in LA.
As half-time ended, Luke returned to the suite with the beers and two huge pretzels.
“Mmm. That looks so good,” Mia said as he handed her a beer and pretzel. She broke off a piece and took a bite, savoring the saltiness, as she watched Colorado kick off to start the second half. The Flash’s kickoff returner fumbled it on the five yard line but luckily recovered it before being tackled by about half of Colorado’s team.
The first play for the Flash was a three-yard run to give Ethan a little more room to move.
On the next play, she saw the wide receivers break to run and knew it would be a pass, but so did the defensive line. They blitzed and knocked Ethan hard to the ground.
Mia gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Goddamn it,” she muttered anxiously as Ethan got up gingerly. She looked at the score board. The Flash were ahead by thirteen. A nice lead but she knew Ethan wanted more.
With the next snap, she knew they would go with the same play. This time ending with a twenty-nine-yard pass! Mia got up and cheered. When she sat back down, Luke bumped her shoulder to get her attention.
“So, I read on the Internet that you had a show in Chicago last week.”
“I did, like a welcome back show. We hadn’t had a show like that in a long while. Small and intimate. The crowd was great!”
“I would have liked to have seen that,” he said wistfully.
Mia scrunched up her nose. She should have thought to invite him. Bad best friend. “I’m sorry. I should have told you about it. I’ve not been the best friend you deserve lately. I’ve been so focused on me the past few years . . .”
“Hey, wait one minute. I never meant anything like that, okay?” he regarded her. “I mean it. You will always be my best friend. Always. Got it?”
She nodded with a slight, wavering smile, thankful that she had him. He gave her Kaitlyn, one of the constant joys in her life. But even better, he gave her him—his friendship. They’d gone many years in a weird limbo—the whole friends with benefits thing—afraid that if they ended that their relationship would end. But it didn’t. It had only grown stronger, to the point that she had the best best friend in the world. One who would and had supported her through it all, even when she didn’t expect it, even when she didn’t deserve it, even when she pushed him away.
She took a sip of her beer, trying to get a handle on her emotions. Luke was her family.
Family.
She wanted that with Ethan. Hell, she wanted it all with him.
Shifting her focus to him in the center of the huddle, he clapped his hands once and the offense got into position. The center snapped it to Ethan, who kept it and ran the ball in for a touchdown. Mia cringed when he was tackled hard by two of the linebackers.
She fucking hated this damn game.
“Tortured yet?” Luke asked.
“Far beyond tortured, if there is such a thing,” she replied, taking another long drink of her beer.
Before Mia knew it, the two-minute warning came around with the Flash up by ten, with possession of the ball plus two timeouts. They let the clock wind down with Ethan taking a couple of knees.
And that was that! The Flash won the game! Next stop, the Championship game next week. The crowd’s cheering was insane. They were so excited. So damn happy. And so was Mia. She had never really been a part of this before. In 2008, when he won the championship, she was bitter because of what was going on with their relationship. She wouldn’t let that melancholy infiltrate the high she had from her happiness for him.
Luke tapped her leg, grabbing her attention away from the celebrating crowd. “Hey, how about we wait until the crowd dies down to leave?” he suggested.
“Okay,” she said as his iPhone beeped yet again.
“Sorry, I’ve got to take this,” he said, kissing her forehead and heading off to the box again. She rolled her eyes and sat back in her seat. He was probably sexting or something. God, I want to be sexting, she thought sadly. She hadn’t had sex in over five months. She could use some excitement.
“Whatever!” Mia muttered dismissively and turned to watch the happy fans head out and smiled. She was very happy for Ethan, but man, did it put her stomach in knots. She hated when he got hit or tackled or sacked. But, at the same time, watching him play totally turned her on. That intensity. She had been on the receiving end of that intense look many times and it always ended with her having an out-of-this-world orgasm. Mia sighed. She missed those orgasms.
“Did you have fun?” an unforgettable voice said from behind her. She quickly turned in surprise. And there he was, the man she loved, standing before her in his uniform, his hair damp with sweat. A sexy-ass grin on his face. Damn, she ached for him from her head to her breasts to the sweet spot between her legs.
“Ethan!”
He walked around the seats and sat next to her, his body turned towards her. His eyes raked over her before landing on her face. “Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” she paused, flustered. “Duh! I mean, up here, with me? How did you even know I was here?” she stammered nervously. She wasn’t prepared for this. For him. She’d thought she’d have time, but here he was, sitting next to her, all manly and smelling so damn good.
“I happened to see your lovely face on that big screen over there,” he said, pointing at the Jumbotron that had earlier flashed her face all over it. “And I figured if you were here, so was Luke. So I texted him during half-time. He confirmed that you two were indeed here. I was surprised, by the way, but very glad. What are you doing here?”
“I like football. What can I say?” she responded, her entire body flushing at his “lovely face” remark. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours, both with a smile on their faces.
“Can we meet? I’d really like to see you tonight,” he said, breaking eye contact as his eyes slid to her mouth.
Though this wasn’t what she had originally planned, Mia wasn’t going to turn him down. But she didn’t want to be seen as that eager, although hell, she could easily climb on his lap right now and lick the beads of sweat trailing down his neck.
“Tonight? You just won a trip to the Championship game. Shouldn’t you be celebrating?” she asked.
His smile was smug as he answered. “Yes, we did, but we haven’t won anything yet. I’ll celebrate then. But, right now, I want to see you. Where are you staying?” he asked, getting the conversation back on track.
“The penthouse at the Omni.”
“I’ll meet you there . . . say in about ninety minutes. Okay?”
Mia looked at her watch. Ninety minutes would make it midnight when he’d arrive. But she didn’t care about how late. She’d be seeing him—alone—tonight and before she knew it, she was nodding her agreement. “Sure.”
“Great,” he said, standing up. He paused like he was going to do something but changed his mind. “I’ll see you then.”
She watched him make his way back down to the field and smiled, excited about later. In ninety minutes, she’d be with him again. Maybe she would get to make this ache go away.
Luke came back out with a smile on his face. “Sorry. I had to take that call. My best friend needed help.”
“I love you, Luke. I absolu
tely love you,” she said, embracing him, hitting his body hard with her own. “Thank you.”
“You say that a lot.”
“What? That I love you or thank you?”
“Thank you.”
“Hey, at least I say it.”
He kissed her forehead. “And you actually mean it, too.”
Mia
Returning to her suite, Mia was giddy with excitement. She quickly straightened up the room, putting away the clothes she had thrown all over in her attempt to get ready for the game, carelessly stuffing them in the closet, kicking in a shirt before shutting the door. She was a messy person by nature—her father’s influence, he’d always denied it. He still did.
“Ah crap!” Mia said when she realized she had wanted to change into something more comfortable. She rummaged through the pile, deciding on a pair of heather gray, low-cut yoga pants, and a tight-fitting, white, long-sleeved shirt, the sleeves covering half her palms.
She collapsed on the couch, tucking her feet beneath her. After she grabbed the remote, she turned on the television. Boring, boring, boring, she thought as she flipped through the stations.
Stopping on the station with the reruns of Friends, Mia watched absently, chewing on her fabric-covered thumb as she often did when she lost herself in thought, waiting for Ethan to arrive.
Mia tried to come up with what she would say when Ethan got there, but she was drawing a blank. Should she start by telling him she wanted them to try again? Did she go straight into her past and tell him all the things she should’ve shared with him from the beginning—her family, her drug use? Did she have to tell him all the sordid details?
She definitely needed to tell him about her family and how what happened with her mother affected her life, how it affected her life with Ethan. How the way Ethan treated her that tour really riled up those demons and allowed them to come out and attack her.
Yeah . . . that’s what she needed to tell him.
Glancing at her phone, Mia checked the time. It was a few minutes after midnight. She thought about answering a few messages, but the sudden knock at the door stopped her.
Ethan.
She put a hand to her chest in an attempt to steady her racing heart. Jumping off the couch, she hurried across the room. As Mia looked through the peep hole, she saw him—all fresh and clean and looking oh-so-good.
“Oh, fuck,” she cursed quietly to herself. She knew that they needed to talk, but Ethan looked delectable, making it hard to think of anything but being with him.
Down, girl.
Mia took a steadying breath and opened the door. She laughed when she saw the big bag of food in his arms.
“Expecting company?” she asked.
“Just my stomach. Don’t worry. I brought something for you, too.”
“Oh, really?”
“Of course,” he said with a dazzling smile that liquefied the bones in her legs.
Somehow, Mia led him into the living area. She stood with the help of a chair as he situated himself, placing his bag on the coffee table before removing his dark brown, suede jacket, revealing well-worn, dark blue jeans and a tight fitting, tan T-shirt that showcased his wide shoulders and hard chest. He placed his jacket over the arm of the chair, then took his normal seat in the middle of the couch and started removing the contents of the bag.
Mia finally sat down in her usual spot—on his right—and watched him pull out container after container of food. “Me . . . me . . . me . . . ah . . . for you,” he said, pulling out a container with a piece of chocolate cake.
“Oh my! Chocolate cake! I shouldn’t,” she said, yet still she took it from him. She absolutely loved chocolate cake.
“Yes, you should. Looks like it’s been a long while since you last indulged in this.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Mia exclaimed, suddenly feeling extremely self-conscious. She knew she had lost some weight, but hadn’t thought it was that much. She hadn’t purposely gone on a diet or anything for the movie, but with her state of mind after Tom’s death plus the whirlwind of activity for the movie, all the travel and promotion, then the tour and taking up running again, the weight had just fallen off of her.
“You’re too skinny.”
Her face must have given her thoughts away because he shook his head and with a chuckle said, “Just eat it. Okay?”
Opening the plastic container, the sweet smell of chocolate hit her like a train. She may have moaned, but would not admit to it. Picking up the fork, Mia dove into the dessert. Sweet heaven, she thought, as the cake melted in her mouth. “Oh, this is fantastic!”
Ethan picked up his sandwich and smiled knowingly before taking a large bite. He nodded at the television. “Whatcha watching?”
“Um, I really don’t know. I was just channel surfing before you arrived. I can turn it off, if you like?”
“No, it’s fine.”
She placed the rest of the cake on the table. Her stomach couldn’t handle what amounted to a fourth of a cake. So she just watched him finish his sandwich, and when he did, he capped it off with a long swallow from his sports drink.
“I’m glad you were at the game tonight,” Ethan said after a minute of silence.
She smiled bashfully. “So am I. It was a great game. You’re still a football god.”
He laughed at that and sank back into the plush cushions, sighing. “Ahh, this feels good.”
“Are you sore?” she asked, a hint of concern reaching her voice. How anyone could continually take those kind of hits was beyond her.
“A little. More like my muscles are completely exhausted,” he said, his eyes flicking to the TV. She saw the glance and followed his gaze to see what caught his attention. She scrunched up her face at what she found—a commercial for Burn for You. Of all the times to see yourself on television. She knew it brought to Ethan’s mind the crazy mess of their last few weeks together.
She watched his face change, the lightness disappearing. He seemed deep in thought. He quietly cleared his throat and then spoke.
“Mia, I’ve wanted to speak with you for a while now. It took more willpower than I ever thought I had not to contact you, to give you your time,” Ethan paused, yet she remained quiet. He seemed a little nervous. She had never seen that before and she found it endearing.
He rolled his head towards her and the raw emotion on his face started the tear factory within her. “I have missed you so much. I tried to forget you, but nothing ever worked. These years without you . . .” he stopped, taking a deep breath, then swallowing, fighting the pain, but it came anyway, tears darkening his usually bright eyes. “God, I have so much to say, yet so little.”
His tears made her heart ache. She felt the same. Could she just tell him she loved him and things would be all right again? Could they just show their love to each other? Because she didn’t want to talk, not now.
No. She needed him. Missed him. It had been close to three years since they had last been together. She needed him like never before. She had to take that sadness from his eyes and undoubtedly from her heart. Being the cause of that sadness, Mia had the power to do so.
Clutching his hand, Mia leaned forward and swallowed heavily. “I know. I’ve missed you too, Ethan. So, so much. Please never doubt that.”
She bent down and gently touched her lips to his. They both released a staccato sigh at the contact that she thought would never happen again. Hot tears spilled from her eyes when his hand tightened around hers. Mia backed away slightly, regarding him, seeing tears of his own running down his face. She brushed at them with her thumb and then kissed him again, tasting the salt of their mingled tears.
Her emotions were mixed. Happy for this moment, but sad because she’d been the reason for their separation.
“Oh, Mia,” Ethan cried, before returning his lips to her face, kissing her all over. He tugged hard at her hand and she crawled onto his lap, hugging him fiercely with her entire body, her arms around his neck, her legs on either
side of his hips. This was where she belonged—with him. His strong arms held her tightly as he easily lifted her off the couch. Like an old habit, Mia wrapped her legs around his waist as he maneuvered them up the stairs to the bedroom.
He carefully leaned forward, Mia still holding on to him. Once her back touched the bed, he kissed her forehead tenderly, holding his lips there, the sweetness of it filling her heart with a joy she had never felt. His lips left her, but not his eyes. His gaze told her so much. She about cried seeing the love there, love that she had given up because she had been lost, afraid. But she wasn’t lost anymore.
Lifting her head, Mia placed her lips upon his and told him what she needed. “Ethan, make love to me . . . please . . .” she murmured against his warm mouth.
“God, I’ve waited so long to hear you say that again.”
She kissed him quickly, her hands sliding down his muscular back and then sliding up his front. She traced the lines created by his muscles before pushing him up.
Mia sat up, her hands at his waist. He stood and took off his shirt. She bit her lip—he was still so gorgeous with his muscular abs and his well-defined chest covered with a light spattering of hair that she loved to run her fingers through. He nodded at her, expecting the same from her. She knelt on the bed, removing her shirt and tossing it aside. Moving a little closer, she lightly kissed his chest, feeling his heart pound beneath her lips. She inhaled his scent, so fresh, clean, and just like she remembered, unleashing all the good memories, feelings she had for him, and it overwhelmed her . . . in a good way.
Ethan tenderly pushed aside her hair and then lifted her face so their eyes met. “I love you, Mia. I have never stopped. I never will.”
She thought her tears were under control, but they flowed again freely with his confession. He still loved her.
“I love you, too,” she replied, desperately needing to show him. Standing on the bed, Mia looked down at him and pushed her pants off her waist. He smiled, taking them the rest of the way off, leaving kisses on her stomach and legs before removing her underwear.
Placing her hands on his shoulders, Mia held his eyes with hers. Her hands traveled down his chest, making a stop at his lean waist. She gave him a seductive smile and moved her fingers to the fastening of his jeans. The breath rushed out of him as she drew the button slowly through the hole and painstakingly pulled down the zipper. She pushed at them and let gravity finish the job. He kicked off his shoes and then stepped out of his jeans.
Still Into You Page 29