“We’ll be fine. Thanks.” She headed for the door.
“Ana.”
She looked back. Her mouth dried. He’d stripped off his shirt and untied his boardshorts.
“Sure you can find your way?” He slid them down. Slowly.
His cock popped out, fully erect, long, thick, the head nearly touching his stomach.
Dear God. Still clutching her phone, she took a step toward him. Ethan stood there, sunlight haloing him, hair spiky from the gulf water, wicked-ass grin on his face. Her nipples tightened, and air locked in her lungs. She’d never seen anyone so magnificent. So big…everywhere. Not perfect—he had scars that marked him as a man who’d survived things she couldn’t even imagine.
But damn.
Finally she drew in a breath. “Uh…”
“Uh isn’t an answer.”
She forced her stare up to his face.
“You teased me by taking off your bikini top and doing naughty things with the whipped cream. Thought I’d even the score.” He wrapped his hand around the base of his cock. “Is it working?”
She wanted to touch every inch of him. Heat flooded her body, making her wet. So wet. He was showing her a side of him that enticed her mercilessly. She gripped the doorway between the two rooms. Erotically torturing each other was a game she’d discovered she liked. Ana upped the ante with, “Did I mention the dare?”
His hand slicked up to the head of his penis. Down. “No, I don’t think you did.”
“Last week, Franci and Chelle decided to get Brazilian waxes. They dared me to do it too.”
He stopped jacking his dick, but he didn’t let go. “Did you?” The words came out harsh.
“You’ll have to find out for yourself. Later.” It took everything she had to turn and walk away.
His dark groan followed her.
* * *
Ana was still buzzing from the concert. She’d had as much or more fun than last night. But now she was thrilled to be alone with Ethan while the others went out clubbing.
Ethan unlocked the door to their room and stepped aside for Ana to enter.
She uttered a soft gasp. The coffee table in their room had a silver bucket, champagne and two flutes flanked by a tray of intricately designed chocolates and a second tray with chocolate-dipped strawberries. The candies were exquisitely crafted—one tiny square had a delicate lavender butterfly on the top of it. Another was white chocolate with dark chocolate latticework.
“You did this?”
Ethan closed and locked the door. He walked past her and called out from the bedroom, “I stopped by a chocolatier when I was out today and ordered this for you. Staff put it in here, along with the champagne.”
His thoughtfulness touched her. She chose a dark chocolate topped with a swirl of white and red. She bit into it… Oh God. Luscious chocolate with notes of amaretto and cherry gave it a decadence that had her closing her eyes to savor it.
“Good?”
Lifting her lids, she got an eyeful. Ethan had stripped off his clothes and was yanking on a pair of sweats. She assumed he’d wanted out of his work clothes.
“It’s delicious. And romantic.” As soon as the word left her mouth, she regretted it. This wasn’t a romance.
He tugged the champagne out of the ice, wrapped it in a towel and opened it.
“You’re pretty good at that.” She indicated the champagne bottle he’d expertly uncorked. He’d developed a sheen of sophistication over the last few months, but that shouldn’t really surprise her since he’d journeyed a lot of the world in that time.
After pouring out the golden liquid, he handed her a glass. “Practice. I’ve tried to learn as much as I can in our travels. This is an exclusive Krug champagne. I think you’ll like it.” He selected a strawberry coated in a white chocolate. He held the fruit out. “Open.”
She parted her lips, the delicate shell giving way to sweet, tangy strawberry.
“Romance isn’t my thing, but sharing things I enjoy with you is. That hasn’t changed even if we’re crossing the line from friends to lovers.” Ethan brushed his thumb over her lip. “Watching you eat has always turned me on.”
Her chest filled at the depth of his words. Not romantic? That was the most sensual thing anyone had ever said to her. “You realize I’m a sure thing, right?” She wasn’t going to change her mind.
“I know. But I hurt you once, and I’m not doing it again. I don’t mean sexually. You want it hard, I’ll give you that. I mean when this is over in a few days or a week, you’re going to know you were more than a girl I fucked then walked away and forgot about. Is that clear enough for you?”
The flutters turned into full-fledged wings beating in her belly. This was what she needed and why she came to him. But what killed her was the torment in his eyes, the belief that he really wasn’t good enough for her.
You’re not here to fix him, she reminded herself.
“Crystal clear. Your turn.” She chose a dark chocolate berry and held it out to him.
He leaned forward, biting into the treat.
She took a sip of her champagne, enjoying the crisp bubbles with a hint of…hell, she didn’t know. All she could think about was the man in front of her. He was what she wanted. Craved. The wine could be vinegar for all she cared. “Like the strawberry?”
He set his glass down and turned all his focus on her. “Good, but it’s not you.”
A buzz raced over her skin, and her nipples tightened. “You want to taste me?”
“Taste is too tame a word.” Stepping closer to her, he slipped the flute from her fingers and set it aside. “I’m not tame, baby.”
Something dangerous glinted in his eyes, like a wild arc of electricity that couldn’t be captured, there and gone. It tugged deep inside her, igniting a need to chase it.
He framed her face in his hands. “You’ve taunted and teased me enough. You ready to behave?”
That question kicked her heart rate up. Going up on her toes, she kissed him, unleashing an aggressiveness that surprised her. Demanding access, she thrust into his mouth, appreciating the sweetness of the fruit she’d fed him.
It wasn’t enough. She ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest, eager to feel every dip and valley, to know him as no one else did. Her Ethan. Hers. Gliding her touch over the ridges of his abs, she relished the twitch of his muscles. She kept up the torment until her fingers brushed over the engorged head of his cock. Hot skin beaded with fluid.
Ana’s pulse ramped up at the sight of his erection, so big and hard his cockhead had pushed out of the top of his sweats.
Unable to resist, she stroked the crown, spreading that bead of fluid and—
A hand clamped down on her wrist. “No.”
Stabs of pleasure shot out from his hold on her arm.
“My cock is off-limits until you show me.” The growl in his tone stroked her internally, while his firm grip touched a secret yearning buried inside.
Ana tried to free her hand as a test. No give. He didn’t hurt her, not even a twinge, just held her trapped. A wicked flash of heat snaked through her, tweaking her nipples and sparking a throb between her legs. How far could she push him? Raising her chin, she said, “Show you what?”
His mouth curved, and he tugged on her wrist, dragging her off balance. Before she could catch herself, Ethan snapped his arm around her waist and lifted her of her feet so they were face-to-face. “Ask me again. Do it.”
The feel of him locking her against his powerful body had her panting in excitement. Why did it turn her on? Easy answer—she didn’t have to hold back. “Show you what?”
His eyes darkened as his other hand wrapped in her hair, preventing her from moving. He leaned a fraction closer. “Your pussy. It’s mine tonight, Ana. You’re mine.” He slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her with a torrid fierceness.
Ana slapped hands on his shoulders, unsure if she wanted to try to fight him or yank him closer. Fire spread until she rubbed agains
t him, desperate to relieve the growing ache in her nipples. What was he doing to her?
Ana broke the kiss. “Put me down.”
He did as she requested and stepped back. “More than you can handle?”
After tugging off her shirt, she tossed it aside. “You’re a lot of talk. I’m more a girl of action.” She undid her bra and slipped it down her arms. “See, I don’t make all these dire threats then never follow through. ‘I’m going to make you pay. Make you beg,’” she mimicked him. “And yet here I am, still waiting.”
His gaze traveled down her throat, fastening on her nipples. “Keep going. Find out what happens.”
She undid her jeans, shimmied them down and stepped out, revealing her black lace string bikini panties.
For one heartbeat, his eyes flamed hot enough to make her belly tremble. This was what she craved, to be the center of that intense regard. Knowing that in this moment he truly wanted her fueled her courage.
She slid the panties down her thighs.
“Bare.” He took a shuddering breath and moved in a blur, scooped her up in his arms and strode from one room to the other.
Startled, she asked, “What—?”
He dropped her on the soft bed, leaned over and kissed her, hard, his mouth no longer savoring hers, but owning. Tongue demanding. Once he conquered her mouth, he went to the spot on her neck just below her jaw that made her moan. He kept going, kissing and sucking her nipples until she writhed with madness, each pull of his lips arcing straight to her clit.
“Everything, Ana. Show me everything.” Not giving her a chance to think or answer, he pushed her back and knelt on the floor. His large hands caught her knees and pried.
Ana instinctively fought, not from embarrassment, but need, an unsettling impulse to see how far he’d go if she resisted.
Ethan’s eyes blazed a challenge. “No more warnings.”
She firmed her muscles to provoke him.
In one fluid movement, he shoved his hands beneath her thighs, yanking her legs up and apart.
Her breath whooshed out of her at how easily he had her at his mercy.
He draped her limbs over his shoulders and pressed a hand to her abdomen, imprisoning her on the bed. Slowly, he lowered his attention to between her widespread legs. “Look at you, so bare, wet and pretty.” He glided a finger through her folds. Shudders wracked her as he buried his face between her thighs, his tongue exploring while he eased a digit inside, stretching and pushing deeper.
It’d been so long, Ana couldn’t fight the sudden buildup of clawing need. “Ethan, please!” With nothing else to hold on to, she clutched his hair. The tension mounted, her belly drawing tighter, all her muscles clenching. Sounds spilled out, and she arched her back.
He latched on to her throbbing bud.
Ana exploded, her climax slamming into her. Hot, wild pleasure gripped her.
When she regained her breath, Ethan loomed over her, his eyes wild, jaw clenched. Tendons stood out on his neck. “More, Ana. Can’t stop.” His naked shoulders bunched, the power in him tightly leashed. “Don’t say no.”
Say no? Her desperation matched his. Ana shoved his sweats down and wrapped her fingers around his cock. “Now. I want to feel you inside me.” She guided him to her.
His cockhead pressed against her opening. Ana dug her fingers into his back.
He groaned and began to push in. “Damn, you’re tight. And wet. Christ.” His jaw bulged as he tunneled in another inch. Then two.
The stretch as he filled her, the soft burn of her flesh yielding, fired her nerves. She lifted her hips, trying to get more of him.
“Never felt this good, this— Oh fuck.”
Ana froze at the snarl. “What?”
Chapter 6
What the hell was he doing? He yanked out of Ana’s sweet pussy and fought to get his breath. He’d never been so damned stupid before. He didn’t deserve to touch her bare, to experience her wet heat gloving him with no barrier.
“Ethan?” The uncertainty quivering in Ana’s voice spurred him into action.
“Condom.” He shoved up, kicked off his sweats and grabbed the packet off the bedside table. After quickly sheathing his cock, he touched her mouth. “You tasted so good I lost my mind for a second.”
Slow down. He lined up and began pushing in. Ana was small, tight and so hot, he shuddered. Sweat broke out over his flesh, and need clamped his muscles.
“Now. Hurry.” She gripped his butt, showing him how badly she wanted him. “I need to feel all of you.”
Inhaling her scent shoved him over the edge of control. He surged inside, going balls-deep. “Mine, Ana. Right now, tonight, you’re mine.”
She hadn’t bought him like those other women and didn’t need anything from him but this—letting go together. With him, only him. The thought of anyone else having her, even touching her, ignited a torch of possession.
Her gorgeous eyes turned fierce. “I always wanted to be yours.”
Oh fuck. That shredded him. Ethan had never had anyone for his own. Ever. Fire seared his belly, while lust singed his balls. “Then give it to me. Come again.”
He gazed down her hot little body, her stomach straining as she rose to meet every thrust. He could feel the slick walls of her pussy clenching around him in vivid need for more release. So damned gorgeous. Dropping to his elbows, he changed his angle, forcing his pelvis against her clit.
Her eyes widened. “It’s too much. Help me.”
Just like that, she gave herself over to him. He thrust again and again. He slid his hand down to her ass, tilting her hips, and Ana’s eyes rolled back.
“Yes. God.” She came apart, her walls gripping him in spasms.
His fingers dug into her skin, pinning her to the mattress while he pounded into her. His climax raced down his spine, driving him deeper into her, then exploded. He came so hard, the world blurred.
Except for Ana.
* * *
Ana jarred awake, startled by the feel of a huge, warm body behind her and an arm draped over her side. Ethan. Realizing he was there drained some of the tension from her nightmare.
“You okay? You were thrashing around in your sleep,” Ethan said.
“Sorry.” She blinked to clear the cobwebs from her brain. “What time is it?” The room had blackout drapes, so she couldn’t tell. But they hadn’t gone to sleep until after three.
“Eight. What were you dreaming about?”
She sank back against him. “My dad on the roof, then it turned into you. I kept yelling at you to get off, but you laughed and said you don’t have to listen to me. I just knew something bad was going to happen. You started to slip, and I woke up.”
He wrapped her snugly against him and kissed her hair. “Do you have that kind of dream about your dad often?”
She didn’t need her psych classes to tell her she already dreaded Ethan leaving her again. “Hardly ever. Go back to sleep.”
“Yeah, like that’s going to happen when I have your naked ass pressed against my cock.”
His voice slid down her back, warming her. “Well now—” She tried to turn, but he held her firm.
“Stay put.”
Surprised, she craned her head around to see him in the soft gloom. “Why?”
“Because I like holding you. Not rushing. This isn’t something I get to do.”
She could just make out his eyes. But it was the tone of his voice that made her think a part of him longed for something—maybe a connection that went deeper than sex? “Wake up with women?”
“With you. I never wanted to wake up with another woman. Right now, you’re mine.”
Not just any woman, but her. How could she not feel special with him? He’d always made her feel like she mattered. The warm, contented feeling of his arms around her added to the sensation. The truth was she craved this comfort as much as she did the sex they’d shared.
“There’s something I need to know,” Ethan said.
“What?” S
he rarely hid anything from him. He just never asked a lot.
“Did your stepfather touch you?”
This time, the shiver that slid down her spine was anything but sexual. “No. And it’s gross to talk about him while we’re in bed.” Or ever.
“I don’t give a shit. We’re talking about it. There’s nothing you can tell me that will change how much I want you. But if he hurt you, I need to know.”
“He didn’t.” Old anger simmered up. “I didn’t give him a chance.”
Ethan threaded their hands together by her belly. “What happened?”
“I was thirteen, almost fourteen when they married. I didn’t like him much and just stayed out of his way. But he started watching me.” This time she couldn’t repress the quiver of distaste.
“I’m right here. No one is going to touch you but me.” He tucked her closer.
The sensation of Ethan wrapping his huge, powerful body around hers made her feel safe. “He started accidentally walking in on me taking showers or while I was getting dressed. He’d come into my room, shut the door, and when I’d be outraged, he’d say, ‘It’s no big deal, we’re family now.’”
Would Ethan believe her or think she’d asked for it? And why wouldn’t he? Hadn’t Ana all but begged him to screw her? Sick anxiety ballooned in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Why had she told him?
“He’s a predator. That’s a form of grooming a victim.”
The words came out harsh, but the fact that he understood eased her fear. “You believe me.”
He pushed up on his elbow and stared down at her. “I believe he tried it, and you refused to be his victim. I hope you kicked his balls into his throat.”
His belief in her was so vivid, she blurted out the unvarnished truth. “I didn’t fight. I felt trapped and scared, so I ran.”
“Do you feel trapped now? The way I’m holding you?”
She didn’t know how he could be this understanding. “I feel protected. Not trapped.” It was so easy to talk to him she kept going. “One day he came home from work early when my mom was gone. He knew she was gone. I panicked and left. Went to my friend’s house and called my dad.”
Savaged Surrender: A Novella Page 7
