Liz's Luck [Appledale 2] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Lee Rose

  “I’m not like that, Ethan. I don’t judge others and I can’t help how I grew up. Do you think spending all my time with various nannies instead of my parents was fun? I would have loved a normal family life where parents take an interest in their kids, and a real home would have been nice instead of hotel after hotel,” she said wistfully, looking into the night. “I love my parents but they are both so busy.”

  Ethan felt bad when he realized how lonely Liz’s childhood must have been. He wanted to make her smile not feel depressed. “I’ll introduce you to my family, angel. They are a wild bunch. My sister, Kari, lives with her husband and two rambunctious boys in St. Louis. My parents have a house in Appledale but spend so much of their time with my sister, but they will all be here for Christmas, and you’ll get to know them if they don’t scare you away with all their nosy questions.”

  Liz smiled warmly at Ethan. She took him wanting her to meet his family as a good sign. “That sounds nice. I’d love to meet them.”

  They chatted casually on the rest of the drive. She told him about her old job in Chicago and how she started her store. He talked about growing up in Appledale with Gabe, Logan, and Ryan and how no matter where he traveled Appledale was home.

  The restaurant was small and intimate. It had a romantic atmosphere. Red-and-white checkered tablecloths covered the tables. The lights were dimmed low and candles were lit on every table. Liz loved the food and Ethan was a wonderful date. She enjoyed talking to him, and he made her laugh with funny stories. He listened to her when she talked and asked for her opinion on several subjects and she was surprised they shared the same views on family values. He held her hand while they were waiting for the food to arrive and kissed her knuckles softly.

  “Have I told you how beautiful you are?” he whispered with a sexy grin on his face.

  Liz’s cheeks turned a pretty pink. “Thank you, Ethan. I’m having the best time and I’m so glad we came. I see why Ryan and Lacy like this place so much.”

  “Me, too. Next time we’ll see a movie. I guess I can sit through a chick flick.” He sighed dramatically as if it would be an ordeal.

  Liz laughed. “How brave of you but I have to confess I like police thrillers and action flicks more. I’d rather be sitting on the edge of my seat in suspense than sniffing into a tissue.”

  Ethan looked at her in shock with his mouth open. “We might have to get married right now,” he joked.

  Liz felt mushy inside at his words even though she knew he was only kidding.

  They lingered, drinking coffee slowly and talking until Ethan looked at his watch. “Wow, we’ve been here a while. Guess we’d better go.”

  When he took her home that night she smiled at him. “I had a great time, Ethan.”

  “I had fun, too, Liz.” Ethan hadn’t expected that they would find so much to talk about, but Liz was funny and smart and so caring about other people. Her honesty showed in the way she talked and the way she treated the people around her. He had been so wrong about her.

  “Let me walk you to your door,” he offered, opening the car door for her and helping her out of the car.

  Liz’s smile was flirty. “Do we get to kiss on the first date at least?”

  Ethan laughed, walking up the stairs behind her. “You bet. That’s the best part.”

  They reached the door and Liz looked at him with a flirty grin. “Want to come in?”

  “I’d better not, too much temptation, angel. I’m trying to get on Santa’s nice list and you’re not helping,” he joked but he pulled her close into his own body and she snuggled into his warmth. Liz loved the way his big body sheltered hers from the cold temperatures. “I love how I feel so safe and warm in your arms, Ethan. I love how hard and muscular you are. It’s a big turn-on for me.”

  Ethan groaned at her words and felt himself getting aroused. “You are a naughty temptress, aren’t you? Maybe I will come in for a minute.”

  Liz turned to unlock her door but it was already open. She looked back at Ethan with a scared look on her face. She knew she had locked her door.

  Ethan pulled her back and put her behind him. He called Gabe from his cell phone then told Liz, “Stay here while I have a look. Gabe is on his way. If you hear anything, lock yourself in the car.”

  Liz nodded and shivered with fear. She had no intention of leaving Ethan until Gabe arrived, but she wasn’t letting Ethan know that. It had to be Gary. Had he finally lost his mind? Gary had to know they were on to him yet he continued to harass her.

  Ethan came out and hugged her, feeling her body shiver. It made him angrier with Gary for frightening her. “It’s empty.”

  “Thank God,” Liz whispered, comforted by his strength and his presence. She was so glad she hadn’t been alone then gasped when she remembered her security system. “I have cameras all over the building and they’re recording.”

  “We’ll go see the footage. There’s a note on your table and the roses are all broken and stomped on. I’m sorry,” he explained angrily, not wanting to hide how dangerous this situation was becoming. Gary was getting sloppy now and that would be his downfall. Ethan wanted Gary’s snobby butt in jail.

  Liz insisted on seeing the note first. Instead of being scared she was angered. How dare Gary call her a whore. She didn’t sleep around.

  “Liz, will you stay with my aunt Mary for a couple of days?” Ethan asked. “It’s not safe here and I would feel better knowing you are nearby and not alone.”

  “Why can’t I stay with you?” she asked.

  “I’d love that but I promised you time to get to know me. I have a one-bedroom cottage. I’d never be able to keep my hands off you, angel,” Ethan explained.

  Liz hugged him and rested her head on his chest. “I don’t want you to resist me, Ethan. That was your idea, not mine. I want to make love with you. I’ve wanted you since we danced on Halloween and that hasn’t changed.”

  “Now you tell me,” he teased her, kissing her lips. “Go pack a bag. I hear Gabe’s car.”

  Liz went to her bedroom and packed enough clothes for overnight and for tomorrow. She was excited yet nervous. She had the feeling she and Ethan would be explosive together, and she couldn’t wait to find out.

  When she was done, she went out into the living room where Ethan and Gabe stood talking in low voices. Ethan sensed her presence and looked up and smiled.

  “Let’s go see the tapes.”

  Gabe patted her shoulder and updated her on what was going on. “Ryan had a talk with Gary yesterday at the bank and I thought he was going to pee himself. He looked so scared. Maybe this is his way of telling us he thinks he can outsmart us.”

  Liz took them down to her shop and turned the alarm off, letting them in. “I regret not getting an alarm on the apartment now. But at least the store is covered.”

  Liz rewound the camera and replayed it. “Right there.” She pointed out a dark figure going up her steps. He was wearing a black hoodie that covered his face. Liz sighed in disappointment.

  “Don’t worry, Liz, I’ll take this to the station and see if I can catch his car or any clue that it’s Gary,” Gabe told her. “Don’t worry. He thinks we are dumb hick cops and that will be his downfall.”

  Liz nodded and locked the store back up. She was going to do her best to concentrate on Ethan and her tonight and not on her problems. The problems would still be there tomorrow.

  Chapter 10

  Ethan’s house was in back of his Aunt Mary’s bed and breakfast on the outskirts of town. It was too dark to see much but she saw tall evergreen trees lining the road that led to the house. When she walked up to the porch steps, the light turned on automatically. She could then see the house was a small but charming log-style cabin with a rocking chair on the porch but no plants or flowers. Ethan unlocked the door and ushered her inside. He turned a small lamp on inside the hallway. The rest of the house was still dark.

  “The bedroom is back here. I’ll show you the rest tomorrow.” He led her
to the back. His bed was huge and took up most of the bedroom. There was a little light shining through the window from the moon. As she looked around she saw a dresser and a chair but that was all.

  “Are you sure it’s big enough?” Liz asked with a giggle.

  Ethan chuckled. “I’m a big man, honey.”

  “Oh, I noticed.” She winked playfully and he left her alone to change. Liz was excited yet nervous. She was so attracted to Ethan so that wasn’t the problem but he had so many preconceived ideas about her, and she wasn’t sure if he would like the real her. She was just an average person and was afraid he would be disappointed. She changed into a long, silky deep-purple nightgown that brought the color in her eyes out and brushed her hair out, leaving it soft and silky on her shoulders. She went looking for Ethan since he hadn’t come back into the bedroom. Liz found him in the living room starting a fire. He was on his knees only dressed in black boxers.

  Ethan looked at up at her and whistled, making Liz blush prettily. “Be still, my beating heart.”

  Liz walked boldly up to him and got down on the floor next to him and said softly, “Thank you, kind sir.” She ran her hands up his bare chest and the light sprinkling of hair. She loved his body. It was hard and muscular but his skin was so smooth. Liz put her hands on his hips.

  Ethan pulled her close to him and rubbed his hands up and down her back. Her nightgown was cut low in the back, leaving her skin exposed. He kissed her cheek and neck and nipped her collarbone. Liz shivered and arched her neck, giving him more access. Ethan decided to stay in front of the warmth of the fire, so he threw some pillows on the floor and laid her down. “Want some wine?”

  Liz shook her head no. “I just want you.” She put her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a deep, passionate kiss. She opened her mouth to let his tongue in. Ethan ran his hands down her body, exploring her body with his hands and her mouth with his tongue. He quickly took control of the kiss, letting all his desires loose. No more holding back. After a few minutes he lifted his head and looked down at her lying beneath him.

  “Liz, you are so beautiful and I’m not talking about just how you look. I have always admired you from afar. Now I wish I had been brave enough to get to know you before,” Ethan whispered, looking into her beautiful eyes with regret.

  “It’s never too late, Ethan.” She smiled invitingly. “I’m here now and I am all yours, big boy.”

  Ethan chuckled and pulled her straps down, revealing her bare breasts. The soft light of the fire lent a golden glow to her pale skin. He brushed his fingers over her erect nipples, turning them into hard little points. Liz arched her back toward him to tempt him into taking a nipple into his mouth.

  Ethan leaned down and nipped the tip lightly with his teeth then licked first one pink nipple then its twin, slowly and softly teasing her. Her breasts were pale white and just enough to fit in his palm. He sucked on her breasts slowly, taking his time to taste and play until her body was writhing in passion while his hands caressed her legs under her gown, moving up toward her thighs and up to her mound. “Oh, Ethan, stop teasing me,” she cried out.

  “You naughty girl, you have no panties on,” he teased her with a wide grin, feeling her bare skin. “My kind of woman.”

  Liz giggled and ran her hands down his back and under his boxers and squeezed his ass cheeks, making him chuckle. “Definitely my kind of woman.” He lifted the gown off her, leaving her nude, and threw it aside. “Exquisite, that’s what you are.”

  “So are you,” Liz whispered, kissing his chest and licking his skin and nipples. “You are so hard yet your skin feels hot and silky. I’ve had plenty of fantasies concerning you, Ethan, and I hope I can explore at least some of them tonight.”

  He looked very interested in this and gave her a wolfish smile. “Oh yeah, I like fantasies.”

  She told him to lie on the pillows. When he smiled and accommodated her wishes, she pulled his boxers down his legs and his cock sprung free, hard and proud. He was long and thick and so ready. She licked her lips with an eager smile. “Fantasy number one coming up.” Liz straddled his hips and put the base of his shaft in her hand, pumping it up and down, then bent down. Her mouth watered and she licked his tip for a few seconds before she took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue around his cock.

  “That feels so good, Liz,” Ethan moaned, putting his hands in her soft, silky hair. The more excited he got he would tighten his hands in her hair and moan louder. She ran her tongue up and down his long length, loving his salty, spicy taste, and sucked him in as much as she could. Ethan was large so she had to open her mouth wide and relax her throat. Liz was enjoying herself. She wanted to please him so she took him as deep as she could.

  “I don’t want to come yet, angel. I have fantasies of my own to fulfill,” he told her in a raspy voice, stopping her and pulling out of her mouth. He put her body underneath his and nudged her thighs wide open with his hands feeling her pussy. “You are so wet, aren’t you?”

  Liz nodded and whispered. “Only for you, Ethan, and for so long now.”

  Ethan found her clit and rubbed the swollen bud with his finger, feeling her body shudder. He inserted one then two fingers inside her, making her moan with pleasure. He replaced his fingers with his mouth. “Mmmm.” The humming sound vibrated through her pussy, making her moan louder. He used his tongue to explore her thoroughly and Liz groaned. “Ethan, that is so amazing but I can’t take much more.”

  “Oh, but you will, angel. I’ve had fantasies, too,” Ethan demanded. He reached up and played with her nipples at the same time he licked her folds, pinching them, pulling them and driving her crazy with the stimulations that ran through her body. It was like an electric shock traveling upward through her body, and she couldn’t stop it. She didn’t want it to stop. It was so explosive and intense. It felt like her body would explode with pleasure.

  Ethan felt an orgasm explode within her. He took a condom off the coffee table and rolled it on himself, and then he guided his cock into her. He was big so he waited a moment, allowing her body to adjust to his. Ethan groaned. She was so snug. Liz began moving her body up to meet his, letting him know she was ready for more. Liz gripped his shoulders tightly but he knew he wasn’t hurting her. She was just as excited as he was. She ground her hips, keeping up with his pace.

  “Look at me, Liz. Let me see those beautiful eyes shining with excitement,” Ethan told her. She looked up at him and into his own piercing eyes that looked into hers. “Does it feel good?”

  Liz couldn’t talk but she groaned and nodded, digging her nails into his back, arching up to meet his thrusts with her own.

  Ethan leaned down to capture her mouth in a passionate kiss as he set a steady pace. He pumped in and out of her and he felt Liz clench her muscles tightly around his cock. “Oh yes, harder, Ethan,” she yelled out. She was so wet and amazing but he wanted it to last. He kept going in and out, speeding up and taking her hands and putting them above her head so she wouldn’t move and he could control the pace. He felt his brow sweating but he wasn’t going to stop until Liz screamed out his name.

  Ethan could feel the spasms in her body start and knew she was ready to climax again. He felt her vaginal muscles grip him tightly, milking him. Only when he felt her burst with the pinnacle of her orgasm did he give in to the explosion of his own climax and yell out her name. “Oh, Liz!”

  Liz closed her eyes at the last second, feeling like she was going to lose consciousness. She had never felt anything that intense before and it was amazing, so she let out a long, deep, heartfelt sigh.

  “Is that a good or bad sigh?” Ethan whispered against her cheek, pulling out slowly, and lay next to her, hugging her close and kissing her neck.

  Liz laughed and put her head on his chest, listening to his heart beating. “A ‘that was so amazing but now I am tired’ sigh.”

  Ethan chuckled and she felt the sound go through her. He stood up and picked Liz up in his arms as if she weighed no
thing. “Let’s go try out the big bed now.”

  Liz giggled. “Maybe, if you convince me.”

  “Never challenge a man, angel, because he’ll rise to the occasion.” Ethan chuckled playfully, laying her on the bed and looking down at her nude, pale body.

  Liz laughed, loving this relaxed, playful side of him. “Well something sure is rising,” she teased and pulled him down on top of her, feeling his erection. “We can’t let that go to waste, can we?”

  Ethan laughed out loud. “No, angel, we can’t.”

  Chapter 11

  Liz really liked Mary White, Ethan’s aunt. Mary was very friendly and so happy to meet Liz the next morning. Mary was in her late sixties with short, layered gray hair, blue eyes, and a friendly smile. She hugged Liz like an old long-lost friend when Ethan introduced them the next morning. Ethan had to look at some pipes in the kitchen, and Liz waited in the living room for him. Liz fell in love with Golden House. The Victorian house was painted a golden yellow, which reminded Liz of the sun, with white trim. Mary and her husband, Owen, had bought the old Victorian house and renovated it. They decided to open it up as a small bed and breakfast to help with the upkeep of the house. Ethan was her handyman, she explained to Liz, now that her husband had passed away and her son had moved out of state.

  Mary had a huge Christmas tree in the living room fully decorated and lit up with colorful lights. “How beautiful,” Liz exclaimed when she saw the tree standing tall in front of the windows. The living room looked cozy and inviting with a fire glowing in the fireplace and the tree lights.

  “Do you like Christmas, dear?” Mary asked, and smiled watching Liz’s face light up at the tree.

  Liz nodded with a smile. “It’s also my birthday. I love the lights and trees but I never bother to decorate since it’s only me.”

  Ethan came in and overheard Liz. “Christmas is your birthday? Lacy forgot to tell me that.” He frowned as if missing important information.