Ethan (Face-Off Book 5)

by Jillian Quinn

  I stagger over to the bed and sink to the mattress, running my hand over the smooth navy comforter. It was Erik’s favorite color. We both had the same one, though mine was cherry red to match my Mustang. I lean back and stare up at the ceiling, taking in the scent of the fabric. Even though I know it’s not possible to still smell his cologne, I swear it smells like my brother. Another tear rolls down my cheek.

  I’m home.

  I never thought I would have the nerve to come back here again.

  When I left with my parents, I never wanted to come back. This place was always too sterile, too cold and creepy to be a home.

  “Come back to Philly with me.” I sit up and wipe the tears from my cheeks. “You can’t live here by yourself, Mom. You need to be around family.”

  She sits next to me, a hint of a smile on her lips. “I’m not ready to leave. This is where I belong.”

  “Dad and Erik are dead. You need to be with me. I can take care of you.”

  She glances down at the comforter and sighs. “I visit your father and brother every day.”

  “Mom, please.” I cup her shoulder with my big hand, and she looks up at me. “You’re visiting a cemetery. If you were in Philly, I could take care of you.”

  “You have Mia to take care of now.”

  “That’s the other reason why I’m here,” I admit. “I love Mia. I want to marry her. Will gave me permission last night. I was hoping I could have Grandma’s ring.”

  My grandmother’s engagement ring is an heirloom that dates back so far it might as well be tied to the Titanic. It’s worth a fortune, worn by every single woman in my family. After Will gave me his blessing to ask Mia to marry me, I knew without a doubt she had to wear this ring. My grandma wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

  She covers her mouth with her hand and squeals. “Of course, baby. I knew you were in love with that girl when you were in high school. I’m glad the two of you have ended up together. She’s good for you. I like the Romans. They’re good people. They took care of you when you needed a family the most. I’m sorry if your father’s pain over your brother’s death got in the way of us being together, but I’m also glad that it brought you closer to the love of your life.”

  “I never thought I would get married,” I confess. “I was in too much pain for so many years that I never allowed anyone to get too close. Mia was the only one other than Will.”

  My mom smiles so wide it reaches up to her green eyes that I got from her. “I’m happy you’re here. Can you stay the night? We can go through the photo albums. Mia will want some of the pictures for your wedding.”

  I return her smile. “Sure, I can stay until morning.”

  I spend the rest of the night pouring over old pictures with my mom, rehashing all of the memories I had long forgotten. Because of Mia, I’m remembering things I should never have left in the past. Because of her, I’m starting to feel whole again.

  On our relaxing Sunday drive to the suburbs of Philadelphia, I roll down the convertible top. Mia throws her hands in the air, the wind blowing her hair as she glances over at me. She flashes a smile that illuminates her face.

  I took the old Mustang Fastback out of storage. It only seemed fitting to recreate every memory from our past for the occasion.

  Mia lowers her arms. She drops her hand to my knee and squeezes. “Where are we going?”

  I tuck a loose strand of her blonde hair behind her ear to get a better look at her beautiful face. “Patience, little lamb. It’s a surprise.”

  She crosses her arms over her chest, pushing up her perky tits, and pretends to sulk. “Stupid wolf,” she mumbles under her breath, even though I can hear her.

  I laugh. “Would you let me plan something without nagging me to death about every detail?”

  “I’m an investigative journalist. It’s my job to ask questions.”

  I nod, a smile forming.

  After giving up on the Old City Records case, Mia found her big break. She followed a tip from one of her sources and landed a front-page spread about a local politician’s campaign tampering. I couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw Mia’s picture on the front page of The Philadelphia Inquirer. She worked so hard to get there.

  “Wait…” Mia turns her head from side to side, her mouth opening wide in shock. “Are you taking me to my parents’ old house? Why are we here?”

  “I want to do something,” I say over the music. “For old times’ sake.”

  She flashes a big smile when I pull into her parents’ old driveway and turn off the engine. “I hope we’re not breaking into the house.” The seriousness of her tone causes me to laugh. “I’ll do just about anything for you, but I’m not getting busted for breaking and entering.”

  “Don’t be silly. I asked permission from the current owner.”

  I open my car door, and Mia follows suit.

  Confused, she meets me in front of the two-car garage. “I don’t get it.”

  I press my index finger to her mouth. “Let me do what I came here to do. Okay?”

  After she nods, I lower my hand and slip my fingers between hers, leading her into the backyard. I stop in front of the swing set that’s now showing its age. The metal bars are rusty, and the seats are worn but still the same place where I fell in love with the girl next door.

  She smiles as if she knows what this means. At least I got her here without ruining the surprise. The ring has been burning a hole in my pocket for the last few months. I wanted to wait until winter passed, so we could sit outside and enjoy our day together. It was only a matter of finding the right time to pop the question. But I always knew the place. I’d marry Mia in this backyard right now if I could.

  I grab the metal rope, and Mia sits on the swing.

  “Tell me something good.”

  Her face brightens. “You,” she says in her singsong voice. “It was always you.”

  I bend down in front of her on one knee and place my hand on her thigh. “You were always mine. If only I had told you that when we were younger.”

  She shrugs. “Ancient history. All that matters now is that we’re here together and creating new memories.”

  “Exactly.” I reach into my pocket and remove the box.

  Mia’s hand flies to her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. “Oh my God!” She lowers her hand, her body trembling in the process.

  “I thought we should start our life together where it all began.” I flip open the box to reveal a ten-karat diamond ring with a row of sapphires surrounding it.

  She stares at the ring in awe. “It’s so… beautiful. Oh, my God, Ethan.”

  “It’s a family heirloom. Do you like it?”

  “I love it,” she squeals. “And I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She leans forward to kiss me, and a stray tear falls from her eye onto my cheek. “Yes, a thousand times yes.”

  Laughing, I shake my head. “I didn’t even ask you yet. Stop being so impatient, woman.”

  She wipes away the tears with the back of her hand and sniffs. “Sorry, I got a little excited.”

  “We met in this backyard over twelve years ago. I was at the worst point in my life, on drugs and unable to function, and you brought me back to life. Every conversation with you helped me heal, but I still wasn’t good enough for you. Leaving you behind was one of the hardest moments of my life because meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. You were always my something good.”

  I love you, she mouths, and I say it back.

  I slide the ring onto her finger. “Mia Elizabeth Roman, I’ve loved you for almost as long as I’ve known you, and I’ll love and worship you for the rest of my life. Will you be mine?”

  She grazes my cheek with her thumb. “I’m yours, E. Forever and always.”

  I sit on the swing next to her and slip my fingers between hers. We kick our feet off the ground, the metal bars grinding beneath our weight.

  “How did you pull this
off?” she asks.

  “The owner of the house flipped out when he saw me on his doorstep. He’s a big-time Flyers fan. I told him about how we met and offered to pay him to bring you here for a few hours. But he didn’t want money. He settled for autographed memorabilia.”

  She laughs. “You got off easy.”

  “Tell me about it. I would’ve paid anything to make this moment special for you. This house, this backyard, all of it means something to us. I want you to look back on this day and remember it the same way you did the first time we met, the first time we sat out here together.”

  “I remember thinking you were the hottest boy I’d ever met.” Her cheeks flush crimson. “I had an instant crush on you.”

  “And now?”

  “Still the hottest boy I’ve ever met. Only now, you’re a man. My man.”

  The corners of my mouth turn up into a smile. “One more thing,” I add, nervous about how she’ll react to the last part. “Since I had to ask your dad and your brother if I could marry you—”

  “You did?” She claps her hands together and laughs. “Was that Will’s idea?”

  “Of course. You know your brother. Goddamn pain in my ass. I had to ask him over dinner like we were on a fucking date.”

  She shakes her head. “He’s insane.”

  “If you only knew. That’s not what I wanted to tell you, though. Since Will is my best man, he’s already started planning my bachelor party.”

  She rolls her eyes. “What if I said no?”

  I smirk. “Look who’s got jokes.”

  “Whatever. It could’ve happened.” She glances down at her ring and smiles. “So, where is Will taking you? On a tour of every strip club in the world?”

  “Would you let me go?”

  She laughs. “Not like I could stop you.”

  “I would do anything for you. If you didn’t want me to go, I’d tell Will no. But you’d have a very angry brother to deal with. Will’s been looking forward to my bachelor party since I told him I want to marry you. He already booked our rooms in Vegas.”

  “Vegas, baby.” She throws her arms above her head. “I’m coming, too. I can have my bachelorette party there.”

  “Are you serious?”

  She shrugs, nonchalant, as if hijacking my bachelor party isn’t a big deal. “Yeah, why not?”

  “Because your brother will have a stroke. No women allowed.”

  “Same city, different parties. Let me handle Will.”

  “Whatever you say, boss.”

  Mia grips my hand, and a pulse of electricity dances up my arm. No matter how much time passes, the sensation never fades. She smiles as if she can feel it too.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Mia: Six months later

  Clarke’s party girl side came out to play the second we touched down at McCarran Airport. She was already slightly buzzed from the drinks my brother passed down the row to her during the flight, and now she’s so drunk she’s dancing on the bar at Coyote Ugly, of all places. Yep, it’s not just a bar from a movie.

  Located inside the New York-New York Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip, the bar looks exactly like what I remember from the movie. And Clarke managed to talk her way up there. We were supposed to keep the bachelor and bachelorette parties separate, but somehow we all ended up here.

  Will is standing beneath Clarke with a fistful of bills in his hand and a drink in the other. I knew he had a crush on Clarke, but he hasn’t left her sight since the second he saw her. Zebras don’t shed their stripes, and my brother sure as hell won’t stop with his manwhoring ways for Clarke. And she knows it, too. So, why does she keep egging him on?

  She drops low enough to allow Will to slip some money down the top of her shirt, his hands lingering at her breasts for far too long. I stand next to Ethan, sipping my martini and watching the show play out before us.

  “A hundred dollars says they hook up before the end of the night,” I say.

  Ethan laughs. “Will was talking about Clarke on the way to the airport. She’s the biggest challenge he’s ever faced. The only woman who’s ever told him no.”

  “That’s why he likes her. Will likes the challenge. I already told her that once she gives in, he’ll lose attention.”

  Ethan tips the beer to his mouth and hooks his arm around my back. “I don’t know about that. I think he actually likes her. Like for real.”

  “Interesting.” I study my brother and best friend, now noticing the looks they give each other. They’re not enemies, nor are they friends, but there’s definitely some chemistry between them.

  Liam West, a winger from the Flyers, strolls up next to Ethan and hands him a shot glass. “You’re not drunk enough,” he yells over the music blaring through the speakers suspended from the ceiling. “It’s your bachelor party. We’re supposed to be getting lap dances and getting shitfaced, not hanging out with your girl and her friends.”

  “I can hear you,” I shout. “Ethan can leave whenever he wants. I’m not keeping him here.”

  It’s the truth. I never intended to get in the way of his time with his teammates. Our running into each other here was purely coincidental, or so I thought until I saw Will and Clarke together. I wonder if they had planned to meet here.

  Will reaches up to help Clarke down from the bar, and she falls into his arms. Oh, shit. She’s so damn drunk our night is most likely over before it’s even begun. I’ve had all of three martinis, while Clarke has been throwing drinks down like prohibition starts in the morning.

  “Go ahead,” I tell Ethan, pushing him toward Liam and his other teammates who are waiting to leave. “I’ll meet you in the hotel room later. Wake me up if I’m sleeping.”

  He gives me a wink and then sets off toward Will to separate him from Clarke. But Will doesn’t seem like he wants to leave her alone. Nope, he steps back from Ethan and slides his arm behind Clarke’s back. I can’t tell who’s holding up who, he looks just as drunk as her, if not worse.

  “I’m not going anywhere with Will like this,” Ethan says, coming back to my side. “We might as well stick together. He’s a fucking mess.”

  “So is Clarke.” I tip my head in their direction. “Look at them. Maybe I should take her back to the room.”

  We stroll over to them, and I tap her on the shoulder to catch her attention. “Hey, do you want to go back to our hotel?”

  “Why?” she whines. “We’re having fun here. Don’t be such a buzzkill, Mia. I want to hang out with Will.”

  I cock an eyebrow at her. “Really? You’ve hated his guts since I’ve known you, and now you guys are besties?”

  She chuckles but doesn’t respond, taking the drink from Will’s hand to chug the rest of his beer.

  “Yeah, baby sis,” Will slurs, his eyes lidded from how much alcohol he’s consumed today. “Clarke’s with me. Stop being a downer. You never have any fun.”

  “That’s because you have enough fun for all of us,” I counter with a wicked smirk.

  He turns his back to me, his arm around Clarke. They walk away without another word and head toward the bar to get more drinks. Not like either of them need any more.

  This is my bachelorette party—I guess I should get drunk and stop overthinking everything.

  My last vacation from the paper was over three years ago. And in less than a month, I’ll marry the love of my life on the beach in Nassau. We’ll have the entire week to soak up sunshine and drink margaritas.

  A few hours later, we’ve lost Will and Clarke, who disappeared into a crowded bar. We had no idea where either of them went, their cell phones going straight to voicemail every time we called. So, I followed Ethan and his teammates to the strip club, where I danced alongside two strippers in a private room. His friends were on the other side of the velvet curtain as we gave Ethan one hell of a show. It reminded me of the night we spent at Scores. I was so bold and out of my mind for allowing Roxie to show me to dance. But it felt good to let loose for once. The more martin
is I drank, the more liquid courage I developed.

  Around four o’clock in the morning, I stagger back to the hotel room on Ethan’s arm. A few people notice us on the way and stop to say hello to Ethan. I’m surprised so many people recognize him off the ice. I’ve known Ethan for so long that I often forget he’s like a celebrity to those who don’t know him. But to me, he’s just Ethan, the boy next door I fell in love with a long time ago.

  Once we reach the suite, Ethan’s so drunk he claws at my clothes like a ravenous beast, practically tearing them from my skin. We leave a trail of clothes on our way to the bedroom. My skin burns when he runs his hands down my arms, the heat going straight between my thighs. One touch is all it takes with Ethan. He’s always had an instantaneous effect on me.

  Within seconds of entering the room, he has me on my back and his cock inside me. Ethan rocks his hips, lifting one of my legs over his shoulder as he claims every inch of me. I’m about to become his wife, and the closer we get to the wedding, the more lax I’ve become about taking my pills. He buries himself inside me, our bodies trembling from the intense orgasms commanding control. We come one after the other, and then he holds me tight against his chest.

  Dripping in sweat and smelling of sex, he kisses my forehead then my cheek until he makes his way to my lips. “I can’t wait to make you my wife, little lamb. And I can’t wait to see you with my baby inside your belly.” He plants a few more kisses on my skin and then relaxes against the stack of pillows behind him, keeping his arm around me. Ethan cradles my head on his shoulder and lets out a satisfied sigh.

  “I’m sure I’ll be pregnant in no time,” I breathe, still trying to get my bearings. “You can’t seem to keep your hands off me.”