by E. L. Todd
“I know but—”
“No buts,” she snapped. “I mean it, Sadie. It’s time to move on. Your dad will be fine.”
“Well, no one has hired me.”
“Because you haven’t tried.”
I sighed. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Why?” she snapped. “I’ll just ride your ass later.”
Stephanie laughed. “You’re such a hardass.”
Natascia nodded. “I don’t refute that.”
A man in slacks and a colored shirt approached our table. He had blond hair and blue eyes. He wasn’t bad to look at. I assumed he came to talk to Stephanie or Natascia because they were dressed up. I was just wearing jeans and a shirt. Since I had a boyfriend, I tried to look as unattractive as possible.
He placed a glass of wine directly in front of me. “I was going to have the bartender send this over, but I wanted to get a closer look.” He stared into my face for a moment. “And I like what I see.”
I was immediately repulsed by this guy. He was handsome, but a total phony. He was just trying to get in my pants and it was totally obvious. Before I could deny his advance, Ethan appeared from nowhere. He grabbed the glass of wine and handed it back to the stranger.
“I can buy my girlfriend her drinks,” he said with a dark tone. “Now get the fuck away from her.” He grabbed my face and kissed me hard on the mouth. I immediately responded to his touch with a light moan. He pulled away and glared at the man. “Now.”
The man turned away and returned to his friends on the other side of the room.
I stared at Ethan with a look of surprise. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s just a coincidence.”
“Were you watching me?”
He leaned closer to me. “I don’t like it when people touch what’s mine.”
I shook my head. “You’re a crazy asshole.”
“And you said I can be one sometimes to anyone but your family.”
Damn, I did say that.
“Get used to it, baby.” He kissed me again then turned to my friends. “It’s nice to see you again.” He turned around and walked back to his table. He took a seat and started watching the television. His beer sat on the table and was half empty.
Stephanie raised an eyebrow. “So, he’s not the jealous type at all,” she said sarcastically.
I started laughing. “Yeah, he’s a bit psychotic.”
“A bit?” Natascia said.
I smiled. “But I like it—sometimes. I’m actually livid he came here. Instead of asking me not to go, he found a loophole and just decided to lurk in the shadows like a psychopath.”
Stephanie glanced at him then returned her look to me. “Is he like that all the time?”
“Just when guys try to make a pass at me,” I said. “I thought he was going to punch Alex in the face when they met.”
Natascia sighed. “Poor guy.”
“Which one?” I asked.
“Alex, obviously.”
“Ethan doesn’t tell me what to do or dictate who I talk to,” I said. “As long as he gives me that, I don’t care what he does.” I glanced at him again. “But I admit this is just ridiculous.”
Natascia glanced at him. “So stalking doesn’t bother you?” she asked sarcastically.
I smiled. “I think it’s kinda cute.”
Stephanie leaned forward. “Invite him over here.”
“What?” I asked. “I thought we were hanging out.”
“Well, now we can interrogate him,” Natascia said.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “You better not scare him off.”
Stephanie laughed. “If he follows you to a bar just to protect you, I don’t think there’s anything we can do to scare him off.”
“You have a point. I’ll be right back.” I rose from my seat then walked over to him. He smiled as he saw me approach. He gave me that sexy grin that he used on all the girls. I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him. “You’re insane, you know that?”
He leaned back. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t want me to go out with my friends so you stalk me instead?”
“It was a coincidence.”
“I thought you wouldn’t lie to me?”
He shrugged. “I may have stretched the truth a little.”
“It better not happen again, Ethan.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m not bothering you, interfering—”
“Not interfering? You almost punched a guy in the face because he wanted to buy me a drink.”
“Well, he had it coming.”
“I’m serious, Ethan. Knock it off.”
He said nothing.
“Ethan,” I pressed.
“I just care about you.”
“I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for a really long time. This behavior is unacceptable.”
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how to behave in a relationship.”
“I’ve picked up on that. The next time this happens, I’m going to throw my drink in your face.”
“I’ll do a better job of staying hidden, then.”
I glared at him.
“Fine,” he snapped.
“Thank you.”
“Yeah.”
Natascia waved at him. “Ethan!”
He smiled at her then rose to his feet. He grabbed his beer and my hand and approached the table. “Do you need anything, ladies? Another round perhaps?”
“Take a seat,” Natascia commanded him.
I looked at Ethan. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
He kissed me on the forehead then pulled out my seat, helping me down, then took the seat next to me. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and leaned in close to me. My earlier annoyance had completely disappeared. He smelled great like he always did. I rested my hand on his thigh and felt the muscles of his leg. I had a quick daydream about us making love and it made my spine shiver. Now I just wanted to go home—with Ethan.
“So, what do you do for a living?” Natascia asked.
I rolled my eyes. “Do you really need to grill him right now?”
“It’s okay, baby.” He turned to Natascia. “This is my story. I graduated from UCLA with my bachelors in business then received my MBA from NYU. I’ve been working on Wall Street for two years. I like my job but sometimes it gets boring. But I really can’t complain. I’m a certified financial analyst.” Natascia nodded her head in approval. “I’ve slept around with a lot of different women, but when I met Sadie, I realized I wanted to be in a committed relationship. I care about her very much and I will only treat her with respect. I’m a little possessive at times, but I can’t help it. I’m obsessed with her.” He said everything in a calm tone. He didn’t seem annoyed that my friends were listening to every word he said. “My hobbies include basketball, reading, hanging out with my friends, and buying Koku bones.” I smiled at that part. “I’m very close with my family. I have two brothers and a sister who live in the city. Is there anything else you would like to know?”
Natascia and Stephanie exchanged glances.
Natascia shook her head. “No.”
Stephanie nodded. “We approve.”
Ethan smiled. “Thank you.” He kissed me on the forehead. “I like your friends.”
“That’s a miracle,” I said sarcastically. “They’re a pain in the ass.”
“Well, I’m a pain in the ass too.”
“No, you aren’t,” I said quickly.
“You aren’t mad at me because of my little episode?”
“No. I thought it was cute.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“As long as you don’t tell me what to do, I don’t care.”
“Deal.”
I kissed his lips gently then pulled away. I wanted to tell him that I loved him but I held it back. When I looked at his face, I thought I saw the same expression. I wondered if he loved me. It seemed like he did.
“None that aren’t dogs,” Ethan said honestly.
She shook her head. “Good guys are hard to find.”
“I’m sorry about that,” he said. “We’re a rare breed.”
I gripped his thigh. “Definitely.”
“So can I buy you ladies some drinks?” he asked.
Stephanie nodded. “I like him.”
Ethan smiled. “I’ll be back.”
When he walked away, Natascia leaned toward me. “I like him too.”
“Yeah,” Stephanie whispered.
Natascia stared at his backside. “You were right about his ass—it’s nice.”
I slapped her on the arm. “Hey, that’s my ass.”
She laughed. “Sorry.”
Now Stephanie was looking at it. “I understand why you slept with him so easily.”
“I said I wouldn’t, but then a day later I was begging him to have sex with me.”
“A day?” Natascia asked. “You’re such a slut.”
I shrugged. “For Ethan I am.”
Ethan returned with the drinks and we spent the evening talking. Ethan made them laugh a few times. Natascia was chuckling so hard that her cosmo came out her nose. I wasn’t really listening. I was just staring at Ethan the whole time, shocked that this beautiful man was really mine. With the exception of his history, he was perfect in every way.
When we left the bar, Ethan offered to walk them to their doors, but my friends both rejected his offer. Then Ethan and I headed back to my apartment. As soon as we walked inside, I threw myself at him.
“Let’s go in the bedroom,” I said as I kissed his neck.
He grabbed my shirt then pulled it off as we moved down the hallway. Koku was right at our heels but neither one of us cared. When I ripped off his shirt, I broke a button, but he didn’t seem upset. He pulled down my pants then stripped off my underwear with lightning speed. He pushed me on the bed and crawled on top of me. He was inside me instantly, and he started to rock.
“Ethan.”
“Baby.”
I rolled on top of him and started to ride him. I had never done it before, so Ethan guided my hips with his hands, pushing himself deeper inside me. I moved faster as I felt my orgasm form. I liked being on top. I could control everything.
“You look beautiful,” he said between breaths.
I moved him as far inside as I possibly could. I felt my body shake for him. He still stretched me tight but I was able to accommodate him better. The orgasm hit me suddenly and I moved on top of him as fast I could.
Ethan dug his nails into my skin. “Baby, be careful.” He bit his lip as he stared into my face, watching me come.
When I was done, he rolled on top of me and pounded into me so fast that I came again. I gripped his back as the orgasm exploded inside me. Ethan tried to control himself long enough for my moment to pass then he pulled out and came onto my stomach. “Baby,” he said with a moan.
I ran my hand down his chest and felt the sweat on my fingertips. After he was finished, he wiped himself off then cleaned my stomach. He collapsed on the bed next to me and cradled me in his arms. We fell asleep immediately.
11
My phone rang on the nightstand, waking me up. I grabbed it.
“Muh.”
“Dear?”
“Hmm?”
“Did I wake you up?” my mother said with a laugh.
“No...yeah...what?”
“It’s seven in the morning there. You should be awake by now.”
Ethan moaned then pulled me closer to his chest. He buried his face in my neck and sighed. I loved waking up to him every morning—I freaking loved it.
“Well, I’m awake now, Mom.”
“So, how are you?”
“Tired.”
“Other than that?”
“Good.”
“How’s your father?”
I knew she didn’t care. She only asked to be polite. She moved across the Atlantic to get away from him. She even left her kids behind. “He’s good.”
“How’s the job hunt going?”
I ran my fingers through my hair then rubbed the sleep from my eyes. “Okay. I applied to a few places. I haven’t heard anything.”
“Well, keep trying. Something will turn up. You can’t run that bookstore with your father forever.”
“Yeah. So how are you?”
“Good. I started seeing someone.”
“What about John?”
“Eh. I didn’t like him.”
My mother went through men quicker than toilet paper. I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t like them, or she just found someone else to like more. “So who’s this guy?”
“I met him in the tube.”
I rolled my eyes. I hated when my mom tried to act British.
“He works for a magazine. He’s very charming and rich.”
“Your favorite qualities,” I said sarcastically.
She ignored my comment. “So are you seeing anyone?”
I didn’t want to tell her the truth. I wasn’t sure why. She and I just weren’t close. “No.”
Ethan pulled his face away. He didn’t loosen his hands on my sides, but he moved further away.
“Well, you need to get out more, Sadie. Time is ticking.”
“Uh, thanks.”
“Well, I have to go. I just wanted to check in.”
“Okay. Bye, Mom.”
“Goodbye, sweetpea.” She hung up.
I returned the phone to the nightstand and looked at the clock. I still had a few minutes before the alarm went off.
“What was that about?” Ethan asked.
I turned on my side and faced him. I ran my hands across his shoulders and felt his warm body. He was always scorching hot. It kept me warm in the middle of the night. I usually only had Koku for warmth, but now I had a real man. I glanced at my dog. I could tell that he wasn’t happy about not being the only man in my life anymore—even though he loved Ethan. “What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you tell her about me?”
I sighed. “Please don’t be offended. I’m just not that close to her.”
“Then why does it matter if she knows?” I could see the pain in his eyes. His jaw was clenched tight. He didn’t seem as happy as he normally was.
“I—I just don’t want to tell her.”
“Why?” he pressed.
“Does it matter? She doesn’t even live here.”
“It matters to me. I’m your boyfriend. I want people to know that.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Your father knows so why can’t she know?”
“Why is this so important to you?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Are you afraid that we aren’t going to last?”
My eyes softened. “Not at all, Ethan.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m just not close to her. And she’ll be annoying about it. I really don’t want to deal with it this early in the morning.”
“So you’ll tell her eventually?” he said hopefully.
“Yes.”
He nodded. “Okay.” He pulled me close and snuggled next to me. As soon as we were comfortable, the alarm went off. “Damn.”
“Don’t go.” I wasn’t ready for him to leave.
“I need food, water, and shelter.”
“No.”
He laughed. “My dad isn’t my boss. I can’t be a bad worker.”
“Are you implying that I am?”
“No,” he said with a laugh. “Why didn’t you tell me that you owned the bookstore?”
I shrugged. “It didn’t come up.”
“How long have you been running it?”
“For about a decade.”
“That’s good,” he said. “So your parents are divorced?”
I nodded.
“When did that happen?”
“About seven years ago.”
&nb
sp; “What happened?”
“I still don’t know.”
“Well, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for them.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He rose from the bed then started to dress himself. I wanted to cry. He fixed his suit and rubbed all the wrinkles out. He ran his fingers through his hair. Within minutes, he was perfectly beautiful and professional. I wish I could just roll out of bed and look like a god.
He caught my stare in the mirror. “You like what you see?”
I bit my lip. “Yeah.”
He flinched. “Don’t make that face, baby. Not before I go to work.”
I bit my lip again.
“I mean it.”
I sighed, sad that my ploy wasn’t going to work. I rose from the bed and dressed myself. It took me longer than it did him. I actually had to brush my hair and put on makeup. When we left the apartment, Ethan escorted me to work. When we were outside the bookstore, he hugged me tightly, pressing his face against mine. “I want you to come over for dinner tonight.”
“You’re going to cook for me?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
I remembered I had plans with Jared. “I can’t.”
He growled. “You better be fucking kidding me. You had plans last night.”
“I’m sorry.”
“And what are you doing now?”
“My brother and I are going out to dinner.”
His eyes narrowed. “Just you and your brother?”
I knew what he was really asking. “Yes. Alex won’t be there, not that it should matter.”
He nodded. “Okay.”
“Do you want to know where and what time?” I said sarcastically.
He smiled. “No. As long as you aren’t going to a bar and you’re with your brother the whole time, I’m okay.”
“So you aren’t completely crazy?”
“I didn’t say that,” he said with a smile.
“Good.”
“You like crazy?”
“A little.”
“That works for me.” He pressed his lips against mine and kissed me hard. People passed us on the street but I didn’t care. I cupped his face and relayed all my secret love to him in my embrace alone. I wanted to take him back to the apartment and move between the sheets, but we had jobs and reality to get back to. He pulled away. “You taste so good,” he whispered.
