by C. M. Owens
“As for us, I think it’s best things ended before they started. I mean, we’re friends with the same friends. It would just make things awkward in the long run.”
I don’t speak, because I have no idea what to say. I want to argue and agree at the same time.
“I… um… need to take this in there,” she says while walking by me, and I let her go before letting my eyes drop to the present in my hand.
I acted like an ass, and then she called to tell me I should be here when Tag had his baby. Then she gave me a present when I was too fucking thoughtless to remember to buy something in advance.
I might hate labels, but asshole fits pretty damn well right now.
Chapter 19
BELLA
Ethan is watching me silently from across the room as I hand the pretty baby over to Allie. I sit down beside Ash, who is exhausted in the bed and still wiping tears while smiling so hard it has to hurt.
Tag is moving constantly from Ash’s side to whoever is holding his new baby.
Ash looks over at me, and she grins before saying, “I really am sorry about the breastmilk-French-toast joke. I was so irrationally jealous.”
I laugh but try to smother it while shaking my head. I actually forgot about that.
“No worries. I would be irrationally jealous too.”
Considering she has to know I lied about being too drunk to remember Tag’s name once upon a time, I never held any hard feelings.
Allie coos and talks to Fall. Tag hovers over her like he’s worried Allie doesn’t know what she’s doing.
“I want one,” Brin says as she steps closer, and Rye chokes on whatever he’s eating.
Ethan smirks while pounding Rye’s back, trying to help him dislodge whatever is stuck in his throat, and I hold back a laugh as Rye glares at Brin when he stops choking. Brin is oblivious, because she’s focused on baby fever.
“Me too,” Tria says happily, cooing at the baby.
Kode doesn’t choke though. In fact, he looks like he’s excited about that.
“We can start trying tonight,” Kode drawls, winking at Tria.
But she just rolls her eyes and shakes her head. “I was kidding. But we can borrow Fall when Tag and Ash need a break.”
My phone buzzes, and this room is too small and too crowded for me to answer it in here. So, I weave through the hordes of people, careful to stay far away from Ethan, as I make my way outside.
When I see Marcy’s number flash on the screen, my gut clenches. Instead of answering, I rush toward the stairs and sprint down one flight to the floor they’re on.
Just as I reach Daniel’s room, she’s stepping out with her phone against her ear.
“Marcy,” I say, worried as confusion crosses her face and she pulls her phone down, looking at it and then me.
“I was just calling you. I’ve got great news! Daniel is getting the surgery!”
She throws her arms around me, and I have to lock my knees in place to keep from collapsing to the floor.
“What? How?” I ask as I hug her.
She pulls back, wiping happy tears out of her eyes.
“A silent donation was made, and it’s covering absolutely everything, including his physical therapy if the surgery works. I wanted to tell you sooner, but waited until everything was a definite go. I know you did it, but I don’t know how. Thank you, Bella. I can’t possibly thank you enough.”
She continues wiping tears, and I find myself warring between euphoria and dread.
“I need to go take care of something, but I’m so happy for you and Daniel,” I tell her honestly, holding back my own tears.
She squeals and does a little fist pump, then she composes herself before heading back into Daniel’s room.
I sprint back up the stairs and head into Ash’s room. Several people have left since my brief departure, Ethan included. Damn.
Chapter 20
ETHAN
I’m at home for a total of five seconds when someone is suddenly pounding on the door.
If it’s Lynn, so help me, I’m calling the fucking poli—
My inner rant dies when I jerk the door open to see Bella standing there instead of the lying panty-loser.
“Did you give Daniel the money for his surgery?” she asks in a tone that doesn’t let me know if she’s pissed or just annoyed.
It was supposed to be anonymous. Who the hell told her?
“Look, before you get pissed—”
My words end when she’s suddenly grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me down to her. Our lips crash together, stunning the fuck out of me, but then I’m lifting her off the ground.
I kick the door closed, and I shove her against it, kissing her harder as she moans into my mouth. Fuck, I love her mouth.
Her tongue slips in, hungry and wanting, and I kiss her until I realize why she’s kissing me. Immediately, I break the kiss, drop her back to the ground, and I pin her to the door when she tries to resume the seductive assault. And yes, assault is an accurate depiction, because it was angry, brutal, and sexy as fuck at the same time.
“Not doing this because of Daniel,” I tell her, breathing heavily as I strain to keep control. “I won’t let you thank me this way. That’s not why I did it.”
Her lips twitch like she’s amused right now.
“I know. That’s not why I’m here.”
She’s seriously going to make my head explode.
“Then why the hell are you here? Because you’ve been fighting me nonstop, and you just told me we should be friends at the hospital.”
“Then you went and proved that you’re not the guy I thought you were.”
“Because of Daniel,” I point out. “I’m not letting you fuck me out of gratitude.”
Her eyes come up to meet mine, and she leans over to kiss my hand that is holding hers to the door. When she drags her lips over my skin, staring at me the whole time, I start realizing why I’m a little obsessed.
She’s everything I want wrapped up in one crazy little package.
“Did you do it because of me?” she asks, moving her lips from my hand to my arm.
I release her a little as she kisses her way up, and I try to remember how to speak as she steps into me.
“No. I did it for him. I got all the details of his issues through my lawyers, who contacted his parents. You weren’t even supposed to know about it. How the hell did you know?”
“I believe you,” she says, dragging her lips away. “Now you need to believe me.”
“You’re a self-proclaimed liar, but you want me to believe you?” I ask jokingly, trying to lighten the heady sexual tension she’s pouring between us before my balls explode and my dick leads a mutiny against me.
“I’m also a hypocrite, and I rarely ever say what I mean. There’s no doubt that I’m a little fucked up, and I tend to stick my foot in my mouth more times than I can count. I can continue to list my flaws if you want me to. Then you can tell me yours, since I keep getting you all wrong.”
My thumb strokes over her lower lip, and I hesitate, wondering if I should fuck her then realize it was only out of gratitude that she wanted me. I don’t want her like that.
“Who told you?” I ask since she hasn’t answered how she knows.
“No one,” she states while leaning against the door, no longer trying to seduce me.
I’m so fucking proud of myself for not just taking her right here against the door. It’s taking a hell of a lot of restraint.
Chapter 21
BELLA
Resistance is not what I was expecting, but Ethan continues to surprise me.
“Then how did you know? I told Dale to claim it when you went to him,” Ethan says, frowning. “Did he tell you the truth? I’m kicking his ass.”
Weirdly, Dale never even crossed my mind.
“I never even considered it was Dale. I came straight to you.”
I’m not sure what I’ve said, but something crosses his eyes, and I’m no longer the one trying
to attack him. Instead, he’s suddenly on me, his lips bruising mine with the kiss I’ve been desperate to repeat since the charity ball.
In one move, I’m suddenly lifted off the floor, and my legs wrap around his waist as he holds onto my ass. I’ve never had anyone kiss me with a fraction of the intensity or passion pouring from his mouth to mine, and I can barely think as he starts carrying me.
He stumbles a little, but I’m suddenly being lowered against a wall, and Ethan’s lips are still on mine as my feet hit the ground. His hands start tearing at the front of my jeans, and I reach down, helping him push them over my hips.
Part of me knows we should slow down, but the rest of me is telling that part to shut the hell up and just enjoy this.
I moan into his mouth, as I step out of my jeans, and one of his hands squeezes my lace-clad ass as he jerks me against him, devouring me completely until there’s nothing but him. My hands tangle in his soft, dark hair, and his hand that isn’t squeezing my ass snakes between us, opening his jeans.
I’d help him, but I’m too busy feeling his incredible hair. I swear it’s too soft to be real, and I can’t seem to let go.
With one tug, he rips the flimsy panties off, and I smile against his lips. I’m glad they were cheap lace instead of cotton. I’d have one painful wedgie right now, otherwise, and that’s not as sexy.
My body is lifted again, and my legs wrap around his waist. Nothing gets said as his finger slides between my bare legs, and he groans, feeling how ready I am. I should probably be embarrassed about the fact a little make-out session has turned me on this much, but I’m too concentrated on driving him as crazy as he’s driving me.
I’m still against the wall, still clinging to him with my legs, when he’s suddenly thrusting in. He’s still mostly clothed, and my shirt is still on, but nothing matters when he’s sliding all the way in, groaning like he feels torture and heaven at the same time.
I know the feeling. Those little barbells… I wondered how they would feel, and now I’ll want them all the time.
The kiss gets sloppy when he starts thrusting, and his lips finally break apart from mine as he slides me higher up the wall, giving himself a better angle. My head falls back as the sensations wash over me, stealing my breath, and his lips attack my neck.
It’s just shy of painful when he roughly devours my neck the same way he was taking my mouth, and my body feels equally savaged with each hard, incredibly deep thrust.
His fingers dig into my hips, and some garbled sound escapes me when pleasure starts to bud in my core. I grip his hair harder, needing something to cling to, and his pace turns punishing.
It’s freaking incredible.
My orgasm slams into me without any warning, forcing me to cry out a bunch of really weird, and possibly stupid things. I’m pretty sure I’d fall if he wasn’t holding me. Pleasure crackles across my body, almost numbing me with its force, and Ethan grunts as he stills inside me.
We’re both breathing heavy, and I’m limply giving him the burden of keeping us both upright as my chest heaves for air. I’m almost tempted to lie and tell him how terrible he is, just to keep his overly inflated ego in check, when he groans loudly.
“I really fucking hope you’re on birth control,” he says against my neck.
My blood turns to ice.
This is the kind of guy who makes smart girls stupid. I’m a nurse. I can’t even count the times I’ve doled out safe sex lectures to people. Freaking eh.
“I am,” I say, still sounding like I’ve just finished a marathon. “But that’s seriously something to ask a girl before fucking her.”
He laughs under his breath, and it tickles against my neck.
“I’ve only gone bareback back in high school. But I’m glad you are, because I want you again, and I think someone stole my condoms.”
I laugh and groan at the same time, and he kisses his way down my neck, making me dumber with each and every little flick of his tongue against my skin.
“There’s another line I bet you use a lot,” I say on a long, dramatic sigh that has him chuckling.
I’ve never made a guy laugh while he was still inside me.
“No, usually I’m the one pushing the glove, baby. I got a little money. Remember? Gotta be careful.”
He pulls back, and his lips brush mine with a softness that doesn’t match the dirty fuck against the wall we just had.
“Oh? But not with me?” I muse, trying to keep things as light as possible, because they could get too real too quickly.
His eyes grow serious, and he pulls me away from the wall, forcing me to hold onto his shoulders when I lose the extra support.
“Something tells me the last thing you care about is my money.”
He carries me into a bedroom, still keeping our bodies joined even as a soft mattress hits my back. Ethan lowers with me, and his body presses down on mine as he keeps eye contact.
“No. I don’t,” I tell him, feeling like I need to say it aloud. “I even pay for the first dates, or I go Dutch if I think it won’t go past a first date. If they make it to a second date, they have to pay. It’s only fair.”
His lips twist in a grin that he tries to restrain. But then his face goes serious again.
“Why’d you come to me instead of Dale?”
“Because I don’t want to have sex with Dale,” I say, still aiming for joking.
He arches an eyebrow that says he wants a serious answer, and I roll my eyes.
“I didn’t think of it being him. Somehow I knew it was you.”
He runs his eyes down my face, studying my lips for a second too long.
“Do you have work tomorrow?” he asks, surprising me.
“Is that really what you want to ask me when you’re still inside me?”
He snorts before bringing his eyes back up to meet mine. “I’m only asking because I’m not letting you out of here before I have to.”
Pretty sure my legs spread a little wider upon hearing that. I’m a shameless girl right now, apparently.
“I have to be in at seven.”
“Then I’ll make sure you get a little sleep,” he says with a smug grin.
I don’t even argue or bring up the fact that I never sleep over until I’m in a real relationship. I guess I’m breaking all my rules.
“If you’re lucky,” he adds with that same smirk, “I’ll even make sure you can still walk.”
He peels my shirt off, tossing it aside, and he slides his hand up my back, unhooking my bra when I barely even lift up. He’s definitely a pro at that, but I try not to think about it.
I know nothing about him, other than the fact he’s driving me insane in every possible way. When my bra is gone, he stares, biting down on his lower lip as he studies me too intently. My breasts used to be bigger before I started running. Now I regret that morning cardio regimen.
Instead of letting him continue to stare, I lean up, and he doesn’t fight me when I tug his shirt off. Now there’s something to stare at.
His body is a chiseled piece of art that my body never stood a chance against. Hell, I’m only human. But I know that’s not what landed me here tonight.
It’s the fact I’ve been wrong about everything there is involving Ethan. And I’m tired of finding reasons to stay away when there’s so many reasons to take a chance.
“You can keep checking me out, or you can help me get my jeans off so I can fuck you a little slower this time,” he says in that deep, sexy voice that has me trying not to shudder.
I roll my eyes instead of dissolving like an idiot, but the second I bend, he thrusts, and my breath catches in my throat.
“Never mind. I’ll lose the jeans before round three,” he says, thrusting again.
How is he even hard? I know he got off.
My mind turns to mush when he sets an agonizingly slow rhythm, and his lips come down on mine, catching the sounds before they can escape from my mouth.
There’s no turning back now.
ETHAN
“So you took over your dad’s business after his heart attack, but he’s okay now?”
“He’s okay as long as he doesn’t have any major stress. Trust me, that company was nothing but stress,” I explain, running my hand down her bare back.
Round two was fucking incredible, but it turned out to not be the fuck-a-thon I wanted after she fell asleep on me before round three could start up.
Now it’s four in the morning, and she’s wide awake. Just like me. The only difference is that I never went to sleep. Instead of trying to get that round three in, I’ve been telling her how I went from high school graduate to CEO of Noles Holdings.
“Why do you wake up so early?” I ask her.
She shrugs. “I actually usually wake up even earlier than this. Sorry I crashed so early. That’s the way it goes. I crash early, but wake up a few hours later and can’t go back to sleep.”
“But there’s no reason?” I ask her, as she slides her lips over my chest.
“Don’t laugh, okay?”
I don’t mean to, but a puff of laughter slips out.
“You’re already laughing,” she groans.
“Sorry. That’s just the rebel in me doing what I’m told not to. Go on. Tell me why you can’t sleep.”
She groans, but she finally peers up at me, even though it’s still dark and I can’t fully see her eyes.
“So, it’s been just me and Allie since we were eighteen and she got pregnant. The first house we lived in was not in a good neighborhood. No one ever broke in or anything, but I was constantly worried about it happening and me sleeping through it. I think I’ve just kept that in the back of my head ever since, and I wake up after only a few hours, ready for anything. It sounds stupid, I know. But I can’t help it. Ray Capperton even put in this insanely awesome security system, and I still can’t sleep.”
It’s a little paranoid, but I’m not stupid enough to point that out.
“Back to you,” she says, shifting so that she’s closer to me, which is really distracting. “How does an eighteen-year-old walk in and take over? That’s a little young.”
