“So, you will talk to me?”
She peeked in the shower, a towel wrapped around her head and one around her body. “I will,” she said, crossing her heart. “Now hurry!”
“Yes, suga.” He’d just have to be happy with that. He quickly washed his hair and body, while she made lots of noise on the other side of the curtain, bottles crashing, plastic crinkling, curse words flying out of her mouth faster than he could throw a football.
“Uh, Mia? What’s with all the racket?”
Before answering, she cursed again, quite colorfully this time. “I can’t find my glasses!”
“You wear glasses?” he asked, surprised that he didn’t know that. Lots of changes over the past three years. He wondered what else had changed.
“I’d wear my contacts but my eyes are killing me. I promise I’m super cute in them. Hipster cute.”
He didn’t care how she looked but he decided to tease her . . . just a little. “Are they like bi-focals?”
That silenced her and the quest to find her glasses. “What?” she shrieked. “How old do you think I am, old man?”
Ethan laughed. God, he loved teasing her. It was so easy.
“Stop laughing. The doctor said I probably needed them for years.”
“I’ll help you find them. I’m almost done.”
He would ask more later. Turning off the water, he grabbed the towel she thoughtfully threw over the bar. He dried off and then wrapped it around his waist, regarding the beautiful, naked woman in front of him.
Mia had pulled her hair up into a loose pile on top of her head and was busy securing it when he set about searching for her glasses. She glanced over at him with a small smile. “I’m going with the glam nerd look today if I can find my damn glasses. They should be in here. I had them yesterday morning.”
He scanned the counter quickly and spotted the black glasses in her makeup case. “Right here, suga,” he said, sliding them onto her face. He smiled as he regarded her. The glasses put the focus on her big brown eyes. Not only that, she appeared younger, like she hadn’t aged at all since they broke up. Hell, she looked pretty much like the girl he met five years ago.
“You do look super cute,” he agreed, kissing her soft lips, tasting her minty toothpaste. “Now all you need are some clothes.”
“Working on it!” she said, hurrying from the bathroom. Ethan followed right behind her and gathered up his clothes from the foot of the bed. He observed her rummaging through her suitcases, pulling out random clothes. He would prefer her to stay naked, but the direction she was taking wasn’t bad either. She put on a black strapless bra over which she slid on a loose white crocheted tank. She wore just that as she looked through another suitcase. He swallowed down the desire that he started when she bent over and all he could see was the round globes of her ass and just a tease of her sweet as honey pussy.
Mia slipped on a pair of the tiniest black panties which was not helping. He hurriedly put on his clothing as she finished dressing, needing another barrier, a distraction. She had thrown on a pair of very holey jeans tucked into laced brown boots, and to top it off, an army green jacket.
She ambled over to the desk where she added a card to the very large gift bag that must be for Kaitlyn.
“What did you get her?” he inquired, slipping his feet into his shoes.
“Way too much! Lots of clothes plus an iPad.”
“An iPad?”
“Yeah, I have one too and now we can use it to keep in touch more.”
“That’s pretty cool. She’ll love it!” He looked at his watch. “Ready?”
She nodded and they made their way to his car.
“You don’t mind if we stop at my place? I’d like to change, plus I need to get my present.”
“That’s fine,” she said, getting into his car. That word! Fine. What was going on in that head of hers?
Mia
The ride to Ethan’s house was quiet. Mia was still a little sleepy, but the main reason for her silence was due to her nerves. She didn’t know how to really act. Should she act all lovey-dovey, holding his hand or putting her hand on his knee like she used to do when he drove? Were they supposed to go right back into their old routines? She had absolutely no idea.
Ugh. Maybe they should have talked instead of having the mind-blowing sex last night.
Were they officially back together? Or was last night just sex?
No . . . he told her he loved her. It was more than just sex. They reconnected on a physical level. Now what they needed to do was hash things out. Talk about everything. Their goals. Their dreams. Kind of like starting a new relationship because that’s kind of what it was. So much had happened during their time apart.
Things had changed, plain and simple.
Ethan pulled the car onto the driveway and put it in park. She looked at his home, remembering a time when it was her home too. She regarded the large brick and stone structure, taking it all in and then she sighed happily.
She was finally home.
“Come on,” he said, getting out of the car. She lagged behind him as he hurried up the steps to his bedroom. She hadn’t expected the interior of the house to look so different. He had updated his kitchen, added new furniture and new paint in many of the rooms that she was able to see.
As Mia walked up the stairs, she grasped the railing, overwhelmed by all the memories flooding her mind. Her first time at his house. Their first kiss down in the media room. The first time she told him she loved him . . .
The changes to the bedroom, their sanctuary, hit her especially hard. It was like she had never been there. The art work—gone. Furniture she’d picked out—absent. It looked like a man’s bedroom—all creams, tans, and browns, with dark wood furniture.
Her eyes settled on his bed and she wondered whether he’d had other women in it. She knew there had been. Everyone seemed to enjoy telling her that fact over the years. She shook her head before that line of thought went any further. “Don’t think about it,” she muttered to herself.
But once her mind caught on the topic, it processed it against her will. Did he bring Kristen here? Did he sleep with her in that bed? She assumed he’d slept with her. They were together for a few months. She put her hand to her forehead, squeezing hard. Morbid thoughts—STOP, she ordered herself, the noise of Ethan moving around in the closet barely reaching her over her own internal yelling.
“Almost ready,” he spoke up.
“Okay,” Mia squeaked out, sitting down on the edge of his bed, facing the large walk-in closet. She glanced over at the pillows on the bed and the strong urge to climb under the covers—with him, of course, and just sleep. Hopefully soon. Her dreams would happen—they had to happen.
“Ready!” he said and strode out of the closet towards her. Her heart stopped. He looked unbelievably gorgeous (hell, when didn’t he?) in his tight, tan corduroy pants which he paired with a baby blue, wool sweater. He even left his face scruffy. Mia wanted to get her hands on that face while she kissed him senseless, then underneath his sweater before she lifted it over his head. She moistened her lips before giving her head a shake.
No. Must get to Kaitlyn’s party.
He must have known what was on her mind because a devilish smile came to his face and he strutted towards her. She shook her head. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“That you want me.”
“And while that may be true, we are late.”
Ethan placed a hand on either side of her and leaned in. Then his mouth was on hers, kissing her passionately, taking her breath away, making it hard for her to want to get off of the bed, because dear God, she needed him like she needed oxygen.
Before she lost her own battle, he abruptly stopped the kiss. “I’ll finish that later, suga.”
She scrambled from the bed. “Let’s go before we are really late for this party!” she said as she flew down the stairs, leaving him in her wake.
If she stayed, her clothes would have been
discarded and he would be making love to her. Mia glanced behind her and saw him hurrying down the stairs after her, a grin on his face and Kaitlyn’s present in his hands.
“You runnin’ away, suga?”
“Uh, no, we’re just late. Very late.”
“Are we?” he asked, his Southern accent becoming more noticeable, more damn irresistible.
“You know we are and you also know if we stay here any longer, we won’t make it to that party.”
He opened the door for her. “I know, though it doesn’t sound too bad,” he said with a wink. Mia almost grabbed his hand and headed back inside the house. Instead, she hurried to the car and buckled herself in. She heard his sexy chuckle float in the air as he entered the car.
Ethan made the quick drive to Luke’s and soon they were walking up to the front door. He rang the doorbell and while he waited, he stared down at her. She wondered what kind of thoughts were running through his mind. Was he thinking about the great sex they had last night? Because she was. He loved her. He touched her. He made her orgasm over and over. The intensity of it burned into her forever because it had never been like that and she couldn’t get over that fact.
Luke answered the door. “Hey, man, what’s up?”
Mia popped her head from behind Ethan and smiled. “Hi, Luke. Where’s the birthday girl?” she asked, handing off the presents to Luke.
“Downstairs with her friends,” he replied, clearly a little taken aback. Luke closed the door after them and Mia didn’t wait. She headed downstairs without another word, leaving Luke with Ethan. She could hear the young boys rush Ethan, talking over one another about last night’s game.
Mia quietly descended the stairs to the basement, hoping to sneak up on Kaitlyn. She was almost at the bottom when a loud creak announced her arrival. Ten girls’ heads whipped towards the stairway. All their mouths dropped in shock except for her girl.
“Mia!” Kaitlyn screamed joyously, running towards her.
“Hi, sweetie. Happy birthday,” she said as the girl hit her with her exuberant embrace. Mia closed her eyes, reveling in being with Kaitlyn again. She kissed her cheek and hugged her tight. “I missed you, kiddo.”
“Missed you too, Mia. My friends flipped out when I told them you were going to be here.”
“Well, let’s go and meet them, hmmm?” Mia said. The young girl beamed as Mia let her go. Kaitlyn grabbed her hand and pulled her further into the basement.
Mia loved talking with the younger kids. They didn’t care about the stuff she did wrong in her life; they just wanted to know about the music. Their excitement at meeting her was freaking adorable and made her day . . . no, it was more than that. It made so much of the hardships of her career worth it, canceling out the stuff the gossip rags printed about her. So she relished that moment and answered all the questions from the young girls and boys . . . mainly girls. The boys who were there gawked at her—early adolescence! Yikes! Most of the boys were upstairs with Ethan and Luke.
After an hour, she quietly broke away from the youngsters and headed up the stairs. She desperately needed a break.
She passed the young boys with Luke and Ethan who were playing foosball, one kid and one adult per side. The competitive guy he was, Ethan was so engrossed with the game that he didn’t notice her, but Mia did make eye contact with Luke. She shot her eyes towards the kitchen and hoped he would get the hint and join her. Continuing on to the kitchen, she made a beeline to the refrigerator and opened the door to grab a cold soda. When she turned around, Luke was making his way into the kitchen.
“My office?” he suggested, nodding towards the stairs leading up to the secluded room. She followed, knowing that he wanted to talk without the kids interrupting. She smiled as she walked up the stairs. The stairway was full of framed photos of his friends and family—including many of her with Kaitlyn and Luke. So many wonderful memories with them.
Mia entered the office. If any room said Luke, his office would be it. It was modern and sleek. Combine it with the cushy leather chairs, it was comfortable too. The shelves and walls were loaded with memorabilia from his short time as a sports reporter and from all his years with the Flash. The room smelled so much like him, that signature cologne. That scent steadied her, calmed her. In her mind, the scent equaled safety.
Luke walked to the front of his desk and leaned back against the edge, looking down at her. A lecture of some sort was coming her way. She opened her bottle, took a nice, long drink, and let her tired body revel in the comfort of the chair for a few moments, sinking further into the cushions.
“So?” he asked curiously, crossing one foot over the other, settling into his BFF interrogation mode.
“Yes?” she bantered, loving to tease him and see him get exasperated, his head shaking and his eyes growing wide.
“Did you come with Ethan?” he asked, his hand extending out like he wanted her to expand.
“Yes.”
“When did you make that decision?”
“Today.”
“At his place or yours?”
“Mine.”
“Did you guys talk?” With each additional question, Luke grew more and more frustrated with her one-word answers. Mia, on the other hand, was enjoying herself.
“Obviously . . . I mean, how do you think we decided to come together?”
“Mia!” he said, his hand raking through his well-groomed, dark brown hair. She liked the shorter hair on him, especially after he ran his fingers through it and messed it up like he just had.
She decided to be nice and stop messing with him. “I told him that I loved him but we haven’t really spoken about everything yet . . .”
“But you slept together is the information you’re leaving out,” he supplied.
The smile she had on her face grew and her cheeks reddened.
He laughed. “You are way too easy.”
“You try abstaining after not having sex with him for three years!” she exclaimed, sinking further into the chair. After he said nothing, she looked over at his stone face. She knew he didn’t have to say a word. “I know, I know. We’ll talk more tonight before I leave.”
“You’re leaving?” he asked, his face falling in disappointment.
“Yeah, I’m flying out later tonight,” she said. Mia placed her drink on the table and rose, closing the space between them. “I have a few meetings in Los Angeles that I can’t miss.”
“Are you coming back to Indy?”
She stood before him, a sparkle in her eye. “You miss me?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“That’s a stupid question. Of course I do,” he replied, looking into her eyes. “Nice glasses by the way. I would have said something before but you bolted. Are they real?” he asked, taking them from her and putting them on. He quickly removed the eyewear and placed them back on her face. “Damn! You are blind!”
“Thanks,” she said, smirking at him. But then she kissed him quickly on the lips. It felt good to know that he missed her. Of course, she knew, but it was always nice to hear the words aloud.
Mia let herself be wrapped in Luke’s comforting arms. She could not imagine her life without him, but it had been that way for the past year. She needed to see him a hell of a lot more often. She spoke softly against his chest. “I miss you too. I wish we could see each other more. And that’s one thing that I’m currently working on . . . hopefully, things will go my way in Los Angeles.”
“What’s in Los Angeles?” he questioned, undisguised curiosity in his voice.
“I’ll tell you when it’s complete,” she said, looking up at him. He started to speak but she placed her index finger against his lips. “Please? It’s got to be this way, Luke.”
“Okay,” he said, returning her head to his chest. She snuggled closer. He rested his chin upon her head and sighed. It about broke her down. He truly did miss her. This life plan of hers needed an addition. Spending more time with her BFF.
“When I get back, how �
��bout you, Kaitlyn, and I go out for dinner? A fun place. Let her pick, okay?”
“Sounds fun. She’ll love it. She misses you a lot.”
She hugged him tighter, fighting to keep the tears at bay. She needed to get the rest of her priorities straight. Like yesterday! Los Angeles was the first of many steps. Getting things right with Ethan was another. God forbid if that didn’t work out. She had no idea what to do if it didn’t. She had no plan B or C. She had nothing! This was it.
Ethan
Ethan thankfully escaped into the kitchen. The kids were antsy for sugar and they were taking it out on him. He couldn’t handle it anymore. Making a quick appraisal of the room, he wondered where the hell Luke and Mia were. He thought he’d seen Luke head toward the back of the house.
Entering the kitchen, Ethan searched around and noticed the stairs leading up to the second floor. For a moment, he considered not going up, but then he looked back to the kids, hearing their loud, rambunctious voices, and his decision was made almost instantly. He raced up the stairs two at a time but stopped at the landing when he heard the muffled voices of Mia and Luke.
He crept a little further and spotted Luke’s office. Through the open door, he spied them embracing and felt a small stab of jealousy in his gut. He never really understood their bond. Both were pretty mum on the topic. Well, if Ethan was being honest, he never really asked either. All he knew was that they had met in Chicago when Luke had worked there and had been friends ever since. Part of him wondered if they had been former lovers. It wouldn’t change anything if they had, but it would definitely explain a whole lot.
Luke’s voice brought him back to the present. “I wish you would tell me, Mia.”
“Now you’re just being nosy,” she answered back.
Ethan decided it would be best to make himself known, because one, he was very curious about what they were discussing, and two, he didn’t want them to find him eavesdropping.
“About what?” Ethan asked as he walked into the office. He watched the surprise register in their bodies. Mia quickly turned in Luke’s arms. She looked upon him with her big, beautiful eyes and smiled, and in that smile, he saw her desire, and most amazing of all, her love for him, making the small, green monster disappear.
Still Into You Page 31