by Stella James
“What were you thinking, coming out here by yourself?” I know my words are harsh and I know I’m a bastard for it, but I can’t seem to help myself. Nothing about my behaviour is even remotely civilized or logical when it comes to this woman.
“Oh I’m sorry, I was under the impression that I’m a grown ass woman. A woman, who by the way you made perfectly clear that you didn’t want,” she says, withdrawing from me. “I don’t know what your deal is Ethan, but this hot and cold shit isn’t my thing. Life is short and I’m looking for a big fat happy ending, not a never-ending case of whiplash.”
“I’m no prince, Dru.”
“I’m not looking for a prince. Just a man who isn’t afraid to want me as much as I want him,” she states, picking her bag up off the ground and turning back toward the club. “I’m going back inside, I’ll catch a ride home with Brenna. Thank you for being here tonight Ethan.”
The door shuts behind her and I’m wondering just how many times I’m willing to watch her walk away from me.
Chapter 9
Dru
I still feel sick to my stomach by the time Brenna drops me off and I climb the stairs to my apartment. Self-entitled customers with eager hands are part of the job when you dance around half naked but usually they’re harmless and I’ve never been cornered outside of the club before. To say that I was relieved when I spotted Ethan in that alleyway would be an understatement. That asshole was so drunk I’m sure I could have fought back if I needed to or at the very least knocked him on his ass. But he managed to surprise me when he came around the corner and I froze. I hate that I can still feel his hands on me, even if it was brief. I was instantly defensive when Ethan questioned why I was out there alone in the first place, mostly because I was mad at myself. I know better and I always wait for James, but he was taking his break and the new guy was taking his sweet ass time and my impatience got the best of me, as it often does.
I leave my bag by the door and double check that it’s locked before I head straight to the bathroom and begin filling the tub. I add some bath salts and wind my hair up into a messy bun. I shed my clothes and sink into the sweet-smelling water and when I lean back and embrace the warmth I can’t help but sigh. The knots in my stomach begin to unravel and soon I’m left with only lingering thoughts of Ethan. The anger that radiated from him when he pulled that man from me was as unexpected and confusing as the gentle way in which he touched me afterwards. I meant what I told him tonight, I have no interest in entertaining someone while they flip flop back and forth and can’t decide how they feel about me. It’s not like I have wedding bells and baby booties in my eyes, but I also have no interest in wasting my time. I want someone who wants me in return and has no problem admitting it.
It isn’t long before the water begins to chill and I remember that I haven’t fed Lucy since this morning. I pull the plug and wrap myself in a fluffy pink towel. I’m just setting Lucy’s dish back down on the kitchen floor when there’s a knock at my door. I remove my towel and throw on my short cotton bathrobe, I don’t bother putting anything on underneath because I’m pretty sure it’s just Anna in need of my sofa for another night. I check the peephole and see someone who is very much not Anna. I straighten my spine and twist the deadbolt, opening the door to see the very man who seems to have a permanent place in my thoughts these days.
“What are you doing here Ethan?”
His eyes begin at my bare feet and slowly look me over, unnerving me and making me painfully aware that the only thing separating me from his penetrating stare is a thin layer of fabric. I feel my nipples harden and before he can realize just what he’s doing to me I cross my arms in front of my chest to hide the evidence. When his eyes finally meet mine the air between us becomes thick and suddenly I’m forgetting our earlier conversation. My assertiveness begins to crumble the longer he stares at me with such blatant appreciation.
“Invite me in Dru,” he says, snapping me back into reality.
“Why should I?” I whisper. “You said you didn’t want me.”
“I said I shouldn’t have let anything happen between us.”
“I won’t play games Ethan.”
He leans in and I can’t help but inhale as he speaks quietly in my ear. “I don’t want to play games with you,” he says gruffly.
“Then what do you want?”
His lips graze my neck and send a shock of desire right to my core. “I want you. Do you want me, Dru?”
His fingertips trail along the opening of my robe and my eyes immediately close as I lean forward, giving into my need to be touched by him.
“Tell me Dru, tell me what you want. Because I won’t do anything until you say it.”
“I want you Ethan. Please, touch me,” my voice drips with longing.
“Fuck.”
He pulls me into his arms and crosses the doorway, kicking it shut behind him. His mouth lands firmly on mine, swallowing the gasp that escapes my lips. His hands reach down and grab my ass, lifting me off my feet as he backs me up until we reach the bed. Our mouths continue to explore one another, the throb between my thighs is steady and desperate. I need to feel him inside me, I need his hands on my bare skin. As if reading my mind, he unties my belt and pushes the cotton over my shoulders, leaving me naked and on display for his eyes only. He pulls the tie from my hair and groans as the thick strands cascade past my shoulders and over my breasts.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” he groans.
He sinks his hands into my hair and rests his forehead to mine, breathing heavily. I can feel his internal battle and I find myself wanting nothing more than to fight it for him. I grab the hem of his black T-shirt and pull it up and over his head. My eyes land on his well-defined abs and more specifically to the thin trail of dark hair that leads to the impressive bulge beneath his jeans. I pluck open the button and slowly slide the zipper down, pulling the denim down his legs and removing his shoes and socks while he stands before me, hard and sexy as hell. When I rise from my knees he spins us around and gently nudges me onto the bed. I back up until my head rests on the pillows, enjoying his eyes on me far too much to bother covering up.
I want him to look at me, to see how wet I am and how flushed my skin is from a mere moment of contact with him. My body aches to be filled and he’s the only one I want. His eyes remain on me as he removes his tight black boxers, his erection thick and proud. I lick my lips in anticipation of finding out just what he tastes like as he crawls onto the bed and hovers above me. He nips my collar bone and presses his lips along my skin and over one breast, stopping only to suck my nipple into his mouth. My back arches up when he alternates back and forth, his hand trailing down my stomach. He presses one thick finger inside me, his name is little more than a strangled moan on my lips.
“Christ Dru, you’re so fucking wet baby. I haven’t been able to think of anything but you and your sweet tasting pussy.”
He massages my clit firmly with his thumb as he adds another finger and expertly pumps them in and out. I can feel myself dripping onto him and the sheets beneath me. I’ve never in my life been this turned on, my entire body is begging for more.
“Please Ethan, I need more, I need to feel you inside me,” I gasp.
He removes his hand and once again takes my mouth in a demanding kiss that leaves me breathless. I can feel the tip of his hardened length tease my entrance and I swear I could climax from that alone. He tilts his head back and in the darkened pools of green that stare back at me, I can see that his desire is just as intoxicating as my own. Our eyes stay connected as he guides himself to my dripping core and slowly begins to push himself inside of me. Everything fades as my body stretches around him and I feel every arousing sensation imaginable. He fills me perfectly. As he begins to rock back and forth, sliding nearly all the way out before driving back in, I wrap my legs around his waist and dig my heels into his back, urging him to take what he needs and to give me what I want. His speed quickens and with every thrust he b
rings me closer and closer to falling apart completely.
“I can’t slow down Dru, I’ve wanted you too damn badly,” he groans.
“I don’t want you to go slow, please don’t stop.”
His hand snakes between our dampened bodies, firmly massaging my clit until my entire body is shaking with pleasure and I’m breathlessly chanting his name over and over. My orgasm rips through me and when my back bows off the bed he plunges into me harder and faster, prolonging my release and eventually taking his own.
“Fuck!” he growls.
I can feel the tension as it courses through him and slowly dissipates. He slows his movements and I allow my thighs to fall open, no longer able to keep them snug against his body. He buries his head in my neck and I trail my fingertips along his spine as our hearts pound against each other and our breathing begins to steady.
He slowly pulls out and rolls onto his side, taking me with him and holding me close. I want to tell him that was the best sex I’ve ever had. I want to tell him that I’ve never felt this way about anyone so quickly before. I want to ask him if he feels the same way that I do but before I can even think of forming the words, my eyelids are closing. The last thing that crosses my mind is that I want him to stay, which I must say out loud because I can hear his muffled reply as I drift off to sleep.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he says.
Chapter 10
Ethan
I wake up to Dru’s body pressed firmly against mine, my arm wrapped possessively around her waist and my hand cupping her full breast. I can feel her chest rise and fall with each breath she takes and for the first time in a long time I am able to tamp down the guilt and self-loathing that often plagues me. The sun is just beginning to filter in through the open curtains and when I feel her begin to stir I press my mouth to the back of her shoulder.
“Mm. Good morning,” she says, her voice sleepy and sexy.
She places her hand over mine and grinds her ass firmly against my now hardening cock. I remove my hand from beneath hers and trail my fingertips down her stomach. She keeps her hand on her breast and begins to massage herself as I swipe along the seam of her pussy and settle on her clit, rubbing it lightly with my now honey coated finger. I nip and suck the soft skin on the back of her neck lazily.
“You’re already wet for me Dru, do you have any idea what that does to me?”
“I can’t help myself,” she moans lightly. “You do this to me Ethan, I’ve never been like this with anyone before.”
Satisfaction fills me and goes straight to my dick. The savage in me wants all of her; every, last piece. The voice that continues to tell me to walk away is getting drowned out by her sexy moans and when I push one finger inside of her she gasps with delight, effectively telling that voice to fuck right off in the process. She’s wet and tight and grips me greedily. I add another finger and slide them in and out, desperate to feel her come on my hand. Her clit is swollen and eager beneath the pressure of my thumb. She’s now plucking and rolling her hardened nipple between her fingertips and I burn the image into my mind of both her and I contributing to her pleasure. She grabs my wrist with her other hand and bucks her hips back and forth, I can feel her wetness dripping past my fingers and when she throws her head back it’s my name she groans. When the trembling in her thighs begins to lessen I remove my hand and roll her onto her back, nudging my way between her legs. I plunge into her wet heat and nearly come within seconds. Feeling her around me is fucking heaven and if I died tomorrow, I would die a happy man. I brush my hand along the side of her face, she turns her head and presses a kiss to my palm.
“I want your eyes open when we fuck,” I growl.
Her eyelids flutter open and the way she clenches around my cock tells me that she doesn’t mind my demand in the slightest. I stare into her deep brown eyes and slowly drag myself out before thrusting back in roughly. She bites her full bottom lip and hisses between her teeth as she wraps one long leg around me and grinds herself up to meet my hips. She then takes her arms and places them above her head, gripping the metal bars of her headboard. She hangs on and continues to watch me as I plunge in and out in slow, harsh strokes.
“Ethan,” she whimpers.
“Tell me what you need Dru, tell me what you want.”
I’m barely hanging on by a thread, my need to come inside her is consuming me in a way that I didn’t even think was possible.
“Harder Ethan, I want it harder. I want to feel all of you,” she moans.
Fucking hell. I firmly tilt her hips up and as my speed quickens everything around us vanishes until all I can see is her beautiful face and all I can hear is our laboured breath and the pounding of my own heart. I can’t get enough no matter how hard I sink into her, my cock begs for more, my mind screams at me to keep taking and taking. Feeling Dru writhe beneath me makes me want nothing more than to shatter both of our inhibitions and take us to a place that could ruin the two of us completely. My fingers dig into her flesh and just when I think I can’t hold out any longer, she bows off the bed and floods my cock with an orgasm so strong that it violently shoves me into my own release. I groan into her neck as she places her arms around me and pulls me closer to her. Our bodies are slick with sweat, the scent of sex heavy in the air that surrounds us.
“What are you doing to me Ethan?”
I prop myself up and find her expression satisfied yet uncertain. I rest my forehead against hers.
“The same thing you’re doing to me,” I tell her.
*
I’m sitting on a bright red vinyl bar stool in Dru’s kitchen, sipping my coffee while she makes us breakfast. Her hair is piled on top of her head like it was the first time I saw her and she’s wearing an old Bon Jovi T-shirt and a pair of flannel boxer shorts. She smiles to herself as she cracks eggs into a bowl and whisks them together with the vegetables she chopped up. She looks up at me and smiles as I continue to watch her.
“What?” she asks.
“Nothing, I just like watching you,” I say truthfully. I gesture to the brightly coloured canvases that sit side by side along the wall on the opposite side of the apartment. “Those are all yours?” I ask.
“Yes,” she beams. “I actually have my first exhibit in a couple months at a small gallery downtown. I’ve been trying to build up my collection so that the walls aren’t embarrassingly empty. I’ve even cut my hours at the club down to one shift per week so that I can focus on painting.”
I know that I don’t have the right to be satisfied but I am, especially knowing that my contract is almost up and soon I won’t be there to watch her or prevent some asshole from putting his hands on her.
“They’re really good, you’re very talented,” I say.
She blushes and turns back to the stove. She divides the omelet in two and sets a plate with thick slices of buttery toast between us before sitting down beside me.
“So, tell me,” she says between bites. “Where will you go once your contract is up at the club?”
“I’ve got a couple options lined up. Nick has a high-profile client who needs a new leader for his security detail. I’ll probably take that one since it’s likely to become a permanent position and the pay will be good,” I say.
“High profile? Like a famous actor or something like that?”
“Nah, some rich inventor who designed a bunch of technical shit that I know nothing about.”
“You don’t worry about getting injured on a job like that?” she asks.
“People take risks far greater than that on a daily basis. Keeping some Bill Gates type from getting mauled by a disgruntled ex-employee or an over eager fan is nothing.”
We finish our breakfast and make random small talk. She tells me about her sister Anna’s neighbour problem but when I offer to make a call and get one of my old buddies to stop by and talk to him, she shuts me down immediately.
“Oh no, Anna would be so mad at me if you did that,” she says.
“Your sis
ter…who wants to hire someone to murder her asshole neighbour would be mad at you if I sent an officer over there to talk to him?”
“I know. Trust me, I know it sounds mental. But that’s Anna,” she shrugs. “She won’t report him because the idea of getting him in trouble makes her feel unbearably guilty.” She puts the last plate in the dishwasher. “It’s not like she’s actually going to have him murdered or anything. She’s way too sweet for that,” she says grinning.
I tug her close to me and find myself pleased when her arms automatically wrap around my neck. I don’t know what this is between us or where it’s going, but I can’t fight the draw that I feel to this woman.
“And what about you Dru, are you sweet?”
She looks up at me and smiles as she raises up on her tip toes and places her lips firmly on mine.
“You tell me,” she taunts.
Chapter 11
Dru
I’ve spent the last week working steadily on my new pieces for the exhibit. I’ve only had one shift at the club and I was happy to see that Gus has found a new girl to fill my slot. She’s a bit on the young side but she seems nice and eager to learn. Vanessa will have her up to date on all the routines soon enough and in the meantime, she’ll help the wait staff on the main floor.
Ethan has spent the night a couple more times this week, the simple thought bringing a smile to my face. He works his last shift tonight and will be moving on to his new contract next week. Things between us have been great so far, although I know he’s still holding some things back from me. I accept it for now but sooner or later he’s going to have to let me all the way in if whatever this is between us is going to go any further. I clean the last of my brushes and scrub my hands before heading to the bathroom to take a quick shower. Anna will be here soon so we can meet Elle for dinner before we go out. We haven’t had a girls’ night with all three of us in ages, not since Elle got married.
