I finished up, wrote a cheesy love note, and put it all in the little box I’d gotten earlier. I grabbed my phone and when I turned it on I noticed I had two messages from Hotness. I looked at the time, it was 1:12. Shit! It’s later than I thought. I listened to them, she was worried. I called her immediately.
“Ethan?”
“Hey. Sorry. My phone was dead when I got home so I left it plugged in at the house while I went and got my stuff done.”
“Is everything okay? You sound down,” she asked me.
“Everything’s fine. I’m gonna head your way now. I’ll see you in a couple of hours, okay?”
“All right. See you then. Drive careful.” She knew something was up.
***
I pulled up in front of Gia’s at the same time she did. She hopped out of her car and gave me a beaming smile as she walked back to her trunk and grabbed a couple of grocery bags. I ran over and took them from her and she gave me a sweet little kiss.
“I missed you,” she said. It made me feel warm and hopeful.
“I missed you, too,” I told her as I set the bags down on the sidewalk and took her face in my hands and kissed her like I should’ve when I got there.
“I decided to cook for you tonight!” Her excitement was contagious and it made me reconsider having a chat about Vince right away. I was admiring her smiling face as she glanced over my shoulder. Her smile slowly shrunk as I heard an unwelcome voice.
“Ethan, the girls and I have decided when we’d like those VIP passes,” Bridget said as she walked up behind me. Gia looked down and fumbled with her keys like she couldn’t wait to unlock her door and disappear from the intrusion.
I turned around and faced Bridget. “I’m sorry, Bridget,” I told her. “I’m in the middle of a no-business, all-pleasure day. Just call The Lock and talk to Rose. Tell her when you’re coming and how many and I’ll okay it when she asks.” Then I turned back around and picked up the bags. Gia was trying to hide her smile, but her beautiful eyes gave her away. I winked at her and up the stairs we went.
I helped her unload the groceries and then she asked me to open a bottle of wine she’d picked up.
“Did you get your errands done today?” I asked.
“Yes. You?”
“I did,” I told her as I handed her a glass of wine.
“It seems like maybe something is on your mind?” She was good at reading me. “It’s okay, Ethan. Why don’t you just tell me?” She looked concerned.
“You’re right.” I gathered my nerves. “Gia, you called out Vince’s name last night when you had your nightmare. I couldn’t get back to sleep. Vince had mentioned before that you’d come on to him and I didn’t believe him. I talked to him today and he stands by that story.”
Her face turned red. She wasn’t happy anymore. “So, now what do you believe?”
“I don’t know what to believe,” I told her honestly. “He seemed to know more about you that morning than he should’ve.” I hinted at the fact that he knew she didn’t have any panties on.
“Wow!” She set her glass down, crossed her arms, and paced back and forth, shaking her head. “I don’t know what you’re asking, exactly. Are you just asking me if I made a pass at him? Is that it? Or is there something else? Because I don’t know what you mean by, ‘he seemed to know more about you than he should’ve.’”
“Gia, please don’t get upset. I know how Vince is with women and it makes me sick. I just need to know what happened between you two. His job is at stake, so what I’m asking is what happened exactly?” I hate this. Why do I feel like a controlling, obsessive, asshole?
She shook her head again. “I had a feeling this was going to come back to bite me in the ass!” Oh, no! Please don’t tell me it’s true!
She took her wine and walked over to the couch and sat down. She took a big gulp and set it down on the coffee table. Then she looked up at me—I was anxiously awaiting an answer. I was nervous and wondered if this was going to break my heart.
“I understand why you need to know. I had no idea I’d said Vince’s name last night, but yes, I had a nightmare and he was in it. When you dropped me off at the motorhome that morning after I’d spent the night with you, Vince was there; he’d spent the night with Jo.” She was looking right into my eyes. I sat down in the chair across from her.
“He said, ‘Hellooo, Gia,’ as soon as he saw me and I was immediately uncomfortable.” That sounds just like something Vince would say. “I asked him where Jo was and he told me she was still sleeping. Then he asked me if I was afraid to be alone with him. I told him no and asked him if I should be.” She looked down at her hands and I fought back the urge to go to her. I had to hear the rest of the story.
“He said something about being a gentle giant and I told him I thought it was time for him to go. As I reached for the door he grabbed my arm.” She looked back up at me and her eyes filled. “He’d also said something about how you and he share women and how he didn’t mind your sloppy seconds.” Fuck! That’s exactly what he said to me this morning. Gia’s telling me the truth!
“He grabbed my ass and when he noticed I wasn’t wearing any panties, he got a wild look in his eyes. It really scared me for a moment. I didn’t want him to know I was scared and I told him if he ever touched me again, he’d be sorry.” That fucker is so fired! I went to Gia and tried to hold her but she wouldn’t let me. She was upset.
“He told me girls who acted and dressed like me were usually up for a good time and that I shouldn’t have been giving him signals if I didn’t want to play. I actually felt guilty and told him I was sorry. I couldn’t remember giving him any signals. I was going to tell you all about it when you came back to get me for our picnic. I decided against it after I read an article that quoted you saying how good he was at his job and how you wouldn’t have gotten the great line-up this year without him. I didn’t know that you and I would go beyond the weekend, so it seemed ridiculous to tell you your friend had made a pass at me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” She took a deep breath. Good girl, Hotness. I knew you weren’t like that.
“Gia, thank you for telling me the truth. I’m sorry for asking, but like I said, Vince’s job was on the line. I had to know what really happened. I told him if I found out he was lying, he’d be fired.”
“What did he say happened?” Gia asked me.
I looked at her and hesitated. I knew it would piss her off royally. She had a right to know though, so I told her. “He said you lifted your skirt and showed him you didn’t have any panties on. He said you were flirting with him but then Jo came out of her room so he left.”
“Did you believe that? Even after everything we’ve talked about? Ethan?” She was really hurt and I felt horrible.
“No, I didn’t believe it. But I couldn’t fire Vince just because I didn’t believe him. I had to have proof that he was lying and you were the only one who could give that to me.” She had to understand that.
“Why does it feel like we’ve had to deal with way more shit than we should have after only knowing each other for a week? What are we doing? Who are we kidding?” Shit! No, don’t go there! “We don’t trust each other. We don’t even know each other!” She said, her eyes wide.
“Gia, that’s not true! Please don’t think that. I do trust you and I do know you. We’re new, so of course we’re going to run into some issues. Every relationship runs into issues, especially in the beginning. We’re going to work it all out early so we can live happily ever after,” I told her.
She laughed. “Happily ever after? Seriously, Ethan?” She relaxed a little. “Well, now we’re going to spend a month apart, so I guess it’ll be a telling start to our ‘ever after.’ It’s definitely worth a try. You’re definitely worth a try. I’m just scared, I guess.”
“You have nothing to be scared about,” I said, relieved by what she’d just revealed. “I’ve got you.”
She smiled. “I know you do.” She finally let me hold her. She pu
t her head on my chest like she’d done several times before. I think she listened to my heartbeat. I liked that and it seemed to relax her.
“I’m scared about California too, Ethan,” she said. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen there.”
“They’re going to help you.” I squeezed her. “Don’t be scared.” I wished I could go with her. I wished I never had to be separated from her again.
“Are you really going to fire Vince?” she asked, changing the subject.
“Absolutely. I’ve had enough of his bullshit. I don’t want you worrying about it, though; there’s a lot more to it than him lying about you. This goes way beyond that. It’s something I’ve needed to nip in the bud for a while.”
“Do you have someone else to do his job?”
“Not for sure, but I know a couple of people who’d love the opportunity. I’m not worried about it.”
“Good. Would you like me to start dinner? Are you hungry?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m getting there.” It was a little early for dinner but the thought of watching her in the kitchen excited me.
“I’ll start cooking then, and you put on some music.” She went to the counter and got busy while I started looking through her CDs. I tried to keep them in order, alphabetically, like she had them. I smiled to myself as I wondered what she’d do if I mixed them all up. Would she rush over and put them back right away, or would she wait until I wasn’t looking? I decided not to find out right then, I didn’t know how compulsive she was about it. I thought it was sweet.
I put some music on and asked if she needed any help. She said no, so I pulled out one of the dining room chairs and watched her. She was very sexy as she moved to the beat of the music and sang along as she chopped, sautéed, and stirred. She danced over to the table and put our plates on it, bending over the top of the table to reach the other side. Her ass was teasing me as it thrust out toward me and then shimmied its way back to the stove.
“You’re doing one hell of a job,” I said.
“Are you surprised?”
“Not at all. If it tastes as good as you look cooking it, I’m going to overeat.”
She walked over to me and straddled me in the chair. “Sounds like you’re enjoying watching me cook,” she said softly as she kissed my neck and ear.
“Very much,” I whispered.
“After dinner I want to fuck you in this chair,” she whispered in my ear, then she stuck her tongue in it and ran it all the way down my neck. Holy shit!
“In fact, I want dessert before dinner tonight.” It was as if she were reading my mind. She pulled her shirt off and grabbed the bottom of mine and yanked it off. She’s not messing around! She stood and pulled me to my feet, unbuttoned all five of my buttons in one easy tug, and pulled my jeans and boxers down. Damn, Gia, you surprise me sometimes! She pushed me back down and pulled her shorts and panties off. When she looked into my eyes, I could see the want in hers and I felt desired.
She straddled me again and I reached around and unclasped her bra. It popped open and I immediately had one of her nipples in my mouth. She moaned as she rubbed against my erection and leaned her head back. She looked sexy as fuck, and that was exactly what she was going to do to me. She slipped her hand down and guided me into her, slowly at first, but then faster as her wetness covered my cock. She felt warm and tight as her pussy massaged me with the rhythm of Journey playing in the background.
I grabbed her ass and held her tight as I came. She put her hands on my knees, leaned back and moaned as she came. She’s amazing. That was by far the best quickie I’d ever had.
She sat up straight and gazed down at me. She looked beautifully sated, and the way she blinked slowly and smiled made me feel even more satisfied. She wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. She shivered as I ran my hands up her back and down her sides.
“That was some dessert,” I told her.
She giggled. “Thank you. I don’t know what came over me. You make me feel young and sexy.”
“You are young and sexy.”
She smiled and we got lost in each other’s eyes. “I better finish dinner,” she said and pulled herself away. She handed me a box of Kleenex before she picked up her clothes and went into the bathroom. I cleaned myself off and pulled up my pants, which were still around my ankles. That was the second time we’d had sex without a condom and as much as I loved it, I worried about Gia. I had to talk to her about it.
When she came back I said, “Gia, I have to ask you because we’ve had sex twice now without a condom…” I hesitated, not knowing how to put it.
“I can’t get pregnant anymore, Ethan.” She got back to her cooking. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“I wasn’t necessarily worried about getting you pregnant.” I approached her and turned her to face me. “I was worried about you getting hurt again. I’m sorry.”
She smiled. “I’ve accepted the fact that I won’t have children. I can live with that. It’s okay.”
I hugged her. I didn’t know what to say so I just held her. She hugged me back and it felt nice to know even more about her.
“Do you want children?” she asked so quietly I almost didn’t hear her.
“No, not anymore,” I said. “When I was younger I just assumed someday I would get married and have a family, but as I got older and never met anyone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I realized I probably wouldn’t have kids.”
“Do you still want to get married?” Again, she was very quiet.
“Yes, I do. I want to share my life with someone. I’m tired of being alone.”
“You’re not alone anymore,” she said and squeezed me.
***
We sat at Gia’s table and shared a beautiful dinner. It had been a while since someone had cooked for me and it felt really nice. We sat long after we’d finished eating and talked about everything from food and wine to movies and decorating. We could really talk to each other. I loved watching her. She used her hands a lot, had great eye contact, and her facial expressions were absolutely adorable. She even listened intently as I talked and seemed genuinely interested in whatever I talked about. She was everything I’d ever wanted.
Chapter 8
Gia
As we sat and talked after dinner, I felt very close to Ethan. He knew so much about me and yet there he was, still beside me, wanting to be with me. I loved sitting and talking with him. He was smart, interesting, and great at telling stories. I could listen to him all day and never tire of his sexy voice and undivided attention. I was really going to miss him.
We had a rare pause so I started to clean up the kitchen. Ethan immediately pitched in and started filling the sink. He washed as I dried. I couldn’t stop watching his hands. They were covered in suds, carefully cleaning each item as he pulled them out of the hot water. I imagined them washing me, holding me, and pleasing me. I think I’m turning into a nympho.
I twisted up the towel and snapped it on his ass.
He jumped. “Hey!” It startled the shit out of him and I laughed my ass off.
“Oh, you think that’s funny?” He came after me. I screamed and ran around the table. I couldn’t stop laughing.
“I’m sorry…” I barely got the words out because I was so tickled. I was holding my hand up as if to say, “Just give me a minute to compose myself.”
“You don’t look like you’re sorry. You look like you’re scared,” Ethan teased as he started coming around the table for me.
“No. I am sorry. I’m really, really sorry.” I giggled as I tried to get away before he caught me.
“Really?” he teased.
“Really!” I said as he just about had me. I gasped, “Look!” and pointed to the corner.
He whipped around to see what it was and I regained my safe distance.
I laughed even harder. “I can’t believe you fell for that! It’s the oldest trick in the book!”
“Okay, you got me,” he sounded defeated. “
All I was going to do when I caught you was kiss you, softly, sweetly, and whisper in your ear how much you turn me on.” He started slowly back to the sink to finish his dishwashing duties.
“Aww, baby, I’m sorry.” I went to him and he kissed me softly, sweetly, and as he went to my ear, I smiled with anticipation.
He whispered ever so sexily, “Now that’s the oldest trick in the book!” I was shocked! Then he grabbed me, carried me to the couch, and pinned me down. I tried to get away, but I was no match for his hard body. I was laughing so hard I actually snorted once and he got a big kick out of that.
“So, now that you’ve got me, whatcha gonna do with me?” I raised my eyebrow.
“Hmmm…” He stared into my eyes. “So many possibilities…” His expression turned softer. He released my arms and steadied himself above me. I reached up, touched his face, and ran my fingers through his thick, soft hair. He closed his eyes for a moment and I massaged his head slowly. When he opened his eyes he looked absolutely exhausted.
“Baby, you look so tired. Why don’t you go to bed, I’ll finish up in here,” I told him.
“No. It’s our last night together for a while. I don’t want it to end yet.” He was so sweet.
“I need to tie up some loose ends before I leave, anyway. I could get done a lot faster without such a sexy distraction.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t sleep well last night and then headed home early. This isn’t how I wanted tonight to end.”
I smiled. “Tonight was perfect to me, but if it will make you feel better, take a nap and I’ll wake you up before the night is over so you can end it the way you wanted to, okay?”
Total Control (Losing Control Series Book 3) Page 6