by Ami Snow
Chapter 2
Ethan
I couldn’t read her expression when she opened the door. Her eyes were wide, clearly I’d startled her. Good. I wanted her to be off-kilter when I brought up Brian…yes, that was the kid’s name, Brian. I wanted her reaction to be authentic. I wanted to know how she truly felt about me, about him—about the whole situation.
“Can I come in?” I asked. God she looked gorgeous, even with her hair up, in sweatpants and a cardigan. I wanted her right then, wanted to grab her and pull her to me, kiss her and run my fingers through her hair until it fell down piece by piece and then I wanted to have her right there, on the rug by her bed that still smelled new. I had to remind myself that I was here for reasons other than sex.
Although if it ended with sex, that wouldn’t be so bad.
“Sure,” she said, seeming to recover a little from the surprise. She stepped back from the door, holding it open. I walked through it, and she let it shut, and turned to face me.
“Ethan. What are you doing here?”
“You don’t sound happy to see me.”
“A phone call might have been nice. Even a text.”
“You might have told me not to come.”
“So you thought just showing up on my doorstep was a better idea?”
I took a step forward. “It was better than hearing you tell me not to come.”
“What made you think I would tell you not to come?”
I breathed in. Maybe now was the time to say it. “You might have been with him.”
I saw her face tense. I’d been right, then. There was something going on between them. “What the hell, Elizabeth? You’re still seeing him?”
“This is what you came over to ask me about?”
“I saw you with him today, across the street. At the coffee shop.”
“Like you ‘saw’ me with him at the deli? Are you seriously stalking me?”
“No,” I sighed. “It really was coincidental. But you aren’t denying it.”
“Because it’s none of your business, Ethan! You aren’t my boyfriend! I can see who I want!”
“Well, maybe we need to change that!”
I saw her sharp intake of breath. “I want this to be real, Elizabeth. I want us to be real. I want more than what we’ve had so far. I want to really try.”
I couldn’t read her face. I couldn’t tell if she was happy, or angry, or sad. I couldn’t tell if she wanted this or not.
“You should have called,” she said again. “What if I had been with Brian? Were you just going to barge in and pull him off of me?”
I stared at her, unsure what to say after that.
“You’ve got to learn some boundaries, Ethan. You can’t just start barging in whenever you want.”
“I needed to talk to you.”
“Because you thought I was seeing Brian? That was so upsetting to you that you had to show up at my door without any warning?”
“Yes!”
“Why on earth?” She was fuming now, I could tell.
“Because I love you, Elizabeth!” I shouted it, unable to handle the direction the conversation was taking any longer.
We both stood absolutely frozen for a moment. I, because I couldn’t believe that I’d blurted it out so abruptly, and she out of pure shock. Her face looked a little pale.
“I’m sorry,” I stammered. “That wasn’t how I meant to say it.”
“But you mean it.” Her voice was even, I couldn’t tell how this was all going to turn out. There was no inflection of emotion in her voice either way.
I took a deep breath and thought for a hard moment about what to say next. Did I mean it? Did I truly love her? I honestly wasn’t sure what had brought on the rush of emotion, I’d only really accepted that I felt this way today. But if I looked back, I thought the feelings had been there for some time.
I just hadn’t wanted to admit it.
“Yes,” I said. “I mean it. I do, Elizabeth. I wish it had come out at a better time, in a different way. But I do love you.”
She let out a breath that she seemed to have been holding, long and slow, her arms still crossed over her chest. “I can’t say it back yet, Ethan. It’s too soon.”
“I know. I didn’t expect you to.”
She took a step closer. I could smell her perfume, something light and floral, with a hint of musk underneath it. Soft and sexy. I wanted to reach out and pull her to me. Not yet, I thought. Don’t rush her.
“Today,” she said, taking a shaky breath, “I was going to bring Brian back here. I was going to sleep with him.”
“Have you slept with him since you’ve been back?” I demanded, hot jealousy surging up. I hated the thought of her with anyone else.
She glared at me. “Not that it’s any of your business, but yes. I was confused, Ethan. He’s so different from you. Gentle, where you aren’t. Steady, and comfortable.”
“He doesn’t make you feel the way I do,” I said, my voice lowering an octave. I took a step closer to her, I couldn’t help it. “I know he doesn’t.”
“No. He doesn’t,” she admitted. “But he makes me feel things that you don’t, too. It’s…different. I needed to make up my mind. So I was going to sleep with him today. To see how I felt then versus…earlier.”
“And you didn’t?”
“No,” she said, and I felt a jolt of relief. “I realized that I needed to see this through…us…whatever we are. I needed to find out if we could work…if we really tried. Give it a real chance.”
I was dumbfounded. I’d come over here, guns blazing, furious, and yet she was already ready to move forward with me…even if she wasn’t quite to the point I was yet. I felt a rush of emotion, and I couldn’t help myself. I stepped forward and reached for her, my hands on her waist, pulling her towards me.
She didn’t resist in the slightest. If anything, she came with me eagerly, her body molding against mine as I bent my head and kissed her. Her lips were warm and pliable undermine, parting effortlessly as I swept my tongue across the seam of her mouth. She tasted of mint with a hint of sweet—had she been drinking tea? Her tongue pressed against mine, and a shock of lust swept through my body. Her hands were on my arms, fingers digging into the muscle, and I shivered a little, reaching up to pull the tie free of her hair.
It tumbled down her back, full and loose and a little wavy. I’d never seen it like this before, not straightened for going out or work, and I felt a pulse of delight at the novelty of it. It felt good running through my fingers, soft and smelling faintly of apples. Her hips rocked against mine and I could feel myself hardening in response, aching for her already. I could make it hot and fast or I could draw it out, and at the moment I didn’t know which I wanted more. I simply wanted her.
She nudged me backwards, towards the bed, and I tried to collect my thoughts. This was where I made up my mind…did I let her run the show tonight, or was I going to give her another taste of the things I desired from her?
I decided to make it a little of both. I let her direct me for the moment, sitting back on the mattress as she bent over me, her mouth still on mine, tongue exploring as she ran her hands down my arms, grasped my wrists for a moment, tangled her fingers with mine, pulling my hands free of her hair. She reached down for the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head, and when she’d tossed it aside she took a step back, shrugging her cardigan off. With a swift motion, she pulled her shirt over her head, and my cock rocketed to full hardness when I saw that she hadn’t been wearing anything underneath. She sank to her knees then, pushing my legs apart, and she grasped my thighs as she leaned forward, her mouth making a slow trail down my chest, her tongue flicking out against my nipple.
I gasped a little at the sensation—it wasn’t something women did often, but the jolt of pleasure it gave me made me wish that she would do it again. She did, to the other nipple, and I moaned a little, enjoying the feeling. Her hand moved up my thigh, reaching for my belt, and she undid it with a swif
t motion, her fingers pulling down my zipper. Before I could even say anything, she had my cock out, the cool air a shock against the hot, pulsing flesh, and her hand encircled it, stroking softly with her fingertips as her mouth made its way down my body.
By the time she was near my cock, close enough that I could feel hot, tantalizing puffs of her breath each time she moved, I was nearly ready to beg her to take it in her mouth. When she finally did, her hot, wet lips encircling the tip, I felt a little dizzy from the rush of pleasure that followed. She began to move then, her tongue swirling around the tip as she slid down and then back up, her fingers reaching into my jeans to tease my balls as she worked on my cock, bobbing up and down. I was panting, breathless, the pleasure almost too much. It was tempting to let her go on, to just keep feeling the sensation of her lips and mouth gripping my cock, her tongue sliding up and down, to just keep thrusting up between her lips until I came down her throat…
Oh god. That was close. I felt my muscles tense at the thought, and I knew it was time to take back control, or I wouldn’t be getting to fuck her tonight. She was too good at this. I reached behind her hair, took a handful of it, and grasped tightly. I heard her make a small, muffled noise around my cock, the vibration going straight down to my balls. I groaned, and tugged at her hair.
“Stop sucking,” I ordered, and she came up immediately. I could see from her eyes that she knew what was going on, and she didn’t look at all unhappy about it. In fact, I thought I could see a glimpse of excitement in her eyes.
“What’s the safe word?” I asked.
“Blue,” she responded quickly. She was sitting back on her heels, her head cocked a little to the side from my grip on her hair. My cock twitched, reminding me abruptly that it was being neglected altogether.
I stood up, pulling on her as I did so. She came up to her feet, and I let go of her hair. “Take off your pants,” I instructed. “Panties, too. Slowly.”
I reached for my cock as I watched her, running the tips of my fingers over the shaft as she pushed her black sweatpants off of her hips, letting them fall to the floor, and stepped out of them. She was wearing black cotton panties, nothing special, and it turned me on even more, the idea that she hadn’t been ready for me, but was fucking me anyway. The thought that I could turn her on so quickly.
She pushed her panties off and kicked them aside. I reached for her then, turning her and pushing her back onto the mattress. I reached down quickly and grabbed my belt out of my pants, and with a quick motion, made a loop out of it. I grabbed both her wrists, pulling them over her head, and lashed them to the bedpost. She lay there, hands bound over her head, naked, her eyes staring up at me.
I didn’t think I’d ever been more turned on in my entire life. I wasn’t going to be able to drag this out too much further.
I knelt in front of her on the mattress, reaching for her breasts, high and perkier even than usual from the effect of her hands being over her head. I reached for them, enjoying the feeling of them gripped in my palms, the nipples rubbing against my skin. She arched her back, whimpering, pressing her breasts up into my hands, and I gripped harder, drawing my fingers in until only the nipples were pinched between them, and I squeezed and twisted a little. She yelped, but she didn’t say the word.
I ran one hand down her stomach, fingers still idly toying with one nipple, and I reached between her legs, my thumb flicking over her clit. She moaned and twisted her hips, and when my fingers dipped lower, I found that she was already soaking wet. I breathed in, feeling my cock pulse with lust, and slid my fingers into her. She arched her hips up and pressed against me, and I knew she was ready. I moved over her, my cock brushing up against her lips as I nudged it between her legs, and she opened them wider in response, her hips lifting so that the tip of my cock slid easily into her, the heat and wetness engulfing me.
I couldn’t stop. I plunged into her, sliding in as far as I could go, my cock throbbing as I felt her grasping me. I was so close to the edge, I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to hold out, but I wanted her to come at least once. I pressed forward, rubbing my pelvis against her as I thrust, and she moaned and tugged at the belt. I knew it must be maddening for her, unable to grasp or scratch or hold on, nothing but empty air for her fingers as they curled with pleasure. Her hips were rocking against me, arching up to take me deeper with each thrust, and I could sense that she was close. “I can’t hold out much longer, Elizabeth,” I groaned, pressing myself deeper into her, rocking my hips, and she moaned aloud, her legs locking around my waist.
“I’m close, too,” she murmured, and I bent my head to her, kissing her lips, her jaw, her neck, taking my mouth even lower to suck at her nipple, my teeth scraping lightly against it. I felt all her muscles contract, her back arch, and she made a high-pitched noise as her hips suddenly went hard against mine, moving quickly and erratically, and that was all I could take. I thrust once more, hard, rubbing myself against her, and as I felt her muscles spasm around me, I poured myself into her, shuddering and panting.
It was the best orgasm I could remember having in some time. It seemed to not stop for several seconds, my body trembling in the wake of it, and I collapsed to the side, sliding out of her and breathing heavily. She was gasping, too, still shivering a little, and I reached out unthinking and pulled her to me, my arm around her waist.
She curled into me, her head pillowed on my chest. “Do you want to stay?” she asked, and I felt my heart stop for a second.
If any other girl had asked, I’d have made up some excuse. Her apartment was small and cramped, with a bed that barely qualified as a full size. Back at my loft apartment, I had a huge bathroom, and a king-sized memory foam bed waiting for me. But Elizabeth…Ellie…was here. And I realized with a sudden wave of emotion that I wanted to be where she was.
“Yes,” I said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll stay.”
And to my surprise, I had no trouble falling asleep at all, with Ellie pressed against me, in the small bed.
Chapter 3
Ellie
And so that was how, the next morning, I found myself getting ready for work alongside Ethan. He hadn’t brought any work clothes with him, but he said he kept a spare suit in his office, and he’d just duck up in the elevator quickly when we got there. I pointed out that if we showed up, he in jeans and a t-shirt and me in my work clothes, everyone would immediately know what was going on.
“Is there anything wrong with me spending the night with my girlfriend?” he asked, looking up as he turned on the hot water in the shower.
Girlfriend. Was that what I was? It had all happened so quickly. His declaration of love had caught me handily off guard, before I could even really think of how to respond. “Is that what we are now?” I blurted out, unable to just let it lie.
He looked up at me. “Yes, Ellie. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want this to be a real relationship.”
It was the first time he’d ever used the shortened version of my name. I knew a lot of women out there were dying for the guys they were seeing to be so straightforward about their desires, to push the relationship forward like this. We lived in an age of casual hookups and are-we-or-aren’t-we relationships. I’d seen so many of my friends in college deal with it, wanting real, serious romances when the guys wanted to have one foot in and one foot out. And here I was, with an absolutely gorgeous man, one who was dying to make things serious with me. And I was frightened, waffling, unsure of what I really wanted. It was, frankly, somewhat ridiculous.
I breathed in. “Alright, then.” I said. “We’ll go to work together.”
So we did. We showered and he dressed, and made us toast with peanut butter and sliced a banana for us, almost comically domestic, while I put on my work clothes—a grey sheath dress with black heels today—and did my makeup. His eyes widened visibly when I walked out.
“I’d like to have you right up against that wall,” he said.
I swallowed. “This is why
you don’t stay over.”
“Next time we’re staying at my place,” he retorted. “I could have made you eggs.”
“Toast is fine.” Next time. He was already planning it. Like we were an established couple, one who regularly stayed over at each other’s apartments. I didn’t know how to feel about it. I felt as if I’d become an adult very quickly, with my grown-up job and my own place and a boyfriend who stayed over. It was a little unsettling.
I reached for the piece of toast he handed me and took a bite. “We should get going,” I said, when we’d finished it.
“I’ll call my driver.”
I was tempted to argue, but making the walk in heels didn’t sound promising, and I knew Ethan wouldn’t go for taking the bus. That left a taxi, and he’d insist on paying anyway. I let him call the driver.
When we were in front of the building, climbing out of the car, I took a deep breath. This was it. This was the moment when the staff would all find out that I, the new employee, was sleeping with the CEO. Dating the CEO, I reminded myself. Rumors would fly, and people would have things to say. I’d have to buck up and deal with it, if this was what I really wanted.
And deep down, for all my uncertainties, I knew it was.
So I lifted my chin, and we walked through the doors together. Not holding hands, that would have been too much. But side by side, arriving at the same time, I dressed for work, while Ethan was clearly unprepared. The doorman raised an eyebrow, the security guard seemed to be hiding a smirk. We ducked quickly into the elevator, and when it hit my floor—several below Ethan’s—I tried to exit as fast as possible.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough, not before at least five employees walking past saw us. I tried to reassure myself that Ethan and I could have simply been on the elevator at the same time, but I knew everyone would assume the most scandalous reason possible.
