When he got to her apartment building, he parked on the street, glad it was past the time he had to throw money in the meter. He almost laughed because she was sliding out of the truck long before he could get over to the passenger side to open the door. He never knew what to do for women. Some of them expected him to hold the door, pull out their chairs, open the passenger door, all that good stuff, and other women gave him crusties for even trying. Jenna was neither, but she was independent. He liked that. She was definitely not high maintenance. He’d never done well with those types. That didn’t mean he couldn’t give a woman the attention she deserved (and he didn’t mind opening a door for her either), but he appreciated not potentially fucking up for having forgotten something a woman deemed important.
He might not have been able to open her door for her, but he did meet her in front of his truck. He wasn’t even going to ask if he could walk her to her apartment. He just assumed she’d like that and, if she didn’t, she could say so.
He was hoping she’d invite him in for a few minutes…
Or a few hours.
They were strangely quiet walking up the stairs to her apartment. When they got to her door, she looked up at Ethan and said, “Thanks for the concert. I had a great time.”
A small smirk turned up the corner of his lips. “I was kinda hoping you’d ask me in for a while.”
She searched his eyes. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
Couldn’t blame a guy for trying. “Can I at least get a kiss good night?”
Jenna looked more fragile than she’d ever seemed before as she considered his words. “I guess.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly inspiring his confidence, but he could see through her feigned indifference. Either she was really afraid of what that kiss was going to ignite, or she just didn’t want to kiss him. He believed it was the former, because he couldn’t believe she didn’t care. He moved his head closer to hers, and she lifted her chin as her eyes began to flutter closed. As his lips touched hers, he felt her hands move to his chest, but she laid them on his pecs as though to push him away if things got a little too warm for her.
He decided at the last second to keep things rated G. He hadn’t cared about someone like this in a long time—not since Valerie—and he didn’t want to rush it if she wasn’t ready. He could wait. It wasn’t like he couldn’t have sex anytime he wanted. He knew that.
So it surprised the hell out of him when he felt her tongue on his lips, coaxing his tongue out to play. That was a green light if there ever was one. He let his tongue dance with hers, just letting himself do what felt natural. He had to reign it in some, though, because his blood was already flowing faster than it should, and it was heading to the one place it needed to avoid for a while. This was probably all he would get tonight, a simple kiss, whether hot or not, and he needed to be happy with it. And if he had to jerk off later at home alone, so be it. But he didn’t want to get hard right now and then have no release.
Still…damn. She tasted sweet, and she was moving her hands up his pecs to his neck. It felt way too hot. So he couldn’t help himself. The kiss could have naturally ended, but he kissed her again, making sure his hands stayed in place on her lower back. He was going to let her continue making the moves, because he didn’t trust himself.
Goddamn. She was moving her fingers into his hair, and then all he could think of was her pulling it, begging him to fuck her. Oh, God, this was bad. Much longer and he wouldn’t be able to think straight.
Chapter Fifteen
JENNA KNEW AS soon as it started that she shouldn’t have told Ethan he could kiss her. That was it. She now wanted him desperately, and unless someone pulled the fire alarm, something serious was going to happen between them tonight.
It would probably be as hot as a fire and just as dangerous.
The second his lips touched hers, she let herself go. She kissed him back hard and wound her fingers through his hair.
She was going to break her own promise to herself, that impossible promise she’d made over a year ago. She’d known celibacy would be unlikely, but she knew she had to save herself. Now, though, she didn’t know if denying herself the pleasure of this man was salvation or torture. She knew, underneath it all, that Ethan was a good guy, but she also suspected, just from what he’d said, that he hadn’t been a nice person when he’d been under the influence. Still…he was trying now, and that meant something. It meant everything. So she wasn’t about to stop him, not now.
When he did come up for air, though, she tried not to make it obvious that he’d almost winded her. She took a deep breath and smiled. “Okay, so I guess I’ll invite you in for a while.” He smiled and cocked his head but didn’t say a word, and she turned around and opened the door.
She flipped the switch that turned on the light. One thing she didn’t like about her apartment but couldn’t change was that the kitchen was the first room when she opened the door. She didn’t like it because she felt like she had to keep it pristine at all times. She was glad the dishes were done. She would sometimes have one or two rinsed dishes in the sink, but tonight she’d made sure everything was clean before leaving. The living room was off to the left and she usually felt as though it had to constantly look nice as well. The couch created a bit of a break between the two spaces.
Unfortunately, she was thinking more about a room in the back of her apartment.
She walked toward the fridge as she heard Ethan close the front door. “Can I get you anything to drink? Should I make some coffee?”
She turned around to face him, her fingers still on the handle to the refrigerator. He had a bit of a devilish grin on his face, and she suspected she knew his thoughts. Damn, he was a good-looking guy. His longish hair framed his gorgeous face, and she knew from the videos that she’d seen that his hair often covered much of his face when he played; even if it hadn’t, he didn’t seem to notice or even care about the camera. Here and now, though, he was in the moment and looking straight at her with his intense green eyes. She felt as though he could see her every thought, her hidden intentions. Maybe that was okay, because she didn’t want to have to beat around the bush or act coy.
She could still feel his stubble burning her face from their kiss moments earlier. She wanted to feel that sensation all over her body. She felt a shiver begin crawling up her spine as she imagined it, and she almost blushed, believing he really knew what she was thinking.
Ethan took two steps closer to her. “Can I be honest with you?”
Jenna hoped her voice wouldn’t give her away. She had to be the cool, direct professional Ethan knew. “Haven’t we always been?”
His smile lost its little boy quality and looked ravenous as he took another step toward her. It was then that she realized, taking in a breath, that she couldn’t hit the bottom of her lungs. He’d taken away her ability to breathe. He said, “I told you a few weeks ago that I wanted to fuck you and now…I don’t.” She felt her breath catch in her throat again as her heart sank. She knew she wasn’t letting it show on her face and that was good, but he continued. “Well, okay, I guess that’s not entirely true. I do want to…but I’m not going to be satisfied with just a quick lay. I want to try you every way you’ll take me.”
Oh. By that point, he was right in front of her and there was no way she would say no now. She wanted him, needed him desperately. She wouldn’t be satisfied with just a hop in the sack either, even though it would be safest for her own state of mind. Without any thought, she grabbed him around the neck with her hand and pulled his head down to hers. This time, she locked her lips on his first and shoved her tongue in his mouth. Even if her mind was still grappling with the idea of consequences later, her body was in charge and wanted Ethan worse than she’d ever wanted anyone.
She should have but didn’t freak out when she realized her panties were already wet. She hadn’t felt that sensation in a while. He took her aggression in stride, placing his hands on her ass and pulling he
r body into his while she wound her fingers into his hair. He tasted sweet, so sweet, and the back of her mind kept nudging her, telling her he tasted so delectable because he was forbidden fruit.
She pushed the thought further back in her mind and continued kissing him with force as though being rough could erase the things in her head.
Instead, it just made it clearer to her that Ethan might be perfect for her, because he was keeping up with her pace. He wasn’t shying away, instead seemed to be lapping up whatever she could give to him. He was squeezing her ass, and that was the signal to her that he knew exactly what she was thinking. She wanted to scream at him right then to just fuck her and get it over with. She couldn’t shut her brain up enough to just enjoy what he was doing.
But then he took her lower lip into his mouth, sucking on it, savoring it slowly, and she could feel his teeth against her, just grazing her skin. She couldn’t help the breath that escaped her mouth. She wanted him to do that all over her body.
She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he released her lip, and she had to open her eyes to see what he wasn’t doing. Yes, wasn’t, because he’d stopped. Her eyes met his and he looked like a wild animal, like he could consume her with his passion, and she felt her eyes respond in kind. She inhaled sharply and she could see it register in his eyes. He could tell how badly she craved him and those hands on her ass lifted her up as though she were instead a tiny kitten weighing nothing. Maybe Ethan didn’t know she was actually a wildcat ready to tear him apart.
The way he held her, she was wrapped around him like a glove, and his cock was pressing right into her sweet spot. She gasped again and saw a sly smile cross his face. He pressed her into the refrigerator, his mouth coming down on her again, forcing the air to flood out of her lungs.
His tongue was hot and smooth as he took over, dominating her mouth with his. She felt weak and helpless, her muscles all of a sudden drained so that he could do anything he wanted with her. He moved his lips to her neck, and she tilted her head to the side. Her fingers were still wound tightly through his hair, and she realized she was probably pulling too hard, but it was like she couldn’t help it. She heard him whisper, “Oh, yeah, baby.” He nipped at her neck and then slammed into her with another kiss that winded her once again. Then he pressed his forehead against hers, and his eyes were so intense, she thought he’d bore a hole through to the back of her head. “You got a bed in this place?”
Holy fuck. So it really was gonna happen, and he wasn’t going to tiptoe around it either. She found that his directness just made her hotter. She nodded her head to the side and back in the direction of her bedroom. He pulled her up higher on him and walked in the direction she’d pointed.
He found the right room, but it was dark. He placed her on her feet, and she felt for the light switch and turned it on. He grabbed his t-shirt at the bottom and started pulling it over his head. Jenna couldn’t help herself, especially at the sight of all the colorful tattoos she’d never seen up close and in person, and she kissed his pec. She didn’t stop there, though. She traced her tongue across his chest to the nipple on the other side and circled it with her tongue until she felt his hands cupping her cheeks, bringing her mouth back to his. She felt like he was consuming her, like there would be none of her left when they were done, and she didn’t care, because she hadn’t felt this alive in a long time. Her greedy fingers were gliding over his back, appreciating the hardened flesh. She could tell just by feeling his body that Ethan had been trying to take care of himself since recovery. He had enough flesh and muscle on his bones that she knew he was eating right and exercising. She hoped he would keep that up.
And just as she was beginning to wonder why her mind was focused on that particular bit of information, she felt Ethan’s fingers move to the zipper on the front of her vest. She could almost feel the blood surging through her veins as her skin became sensitized, yearning for his touch. He stopped kissing her and stood back a bit. “Am I gonna find any surprises under here?”
She couldn’t help it. She let out a breathy laugh. “What? Like I’m really a she-male or something?”
He started laughing and kissed her. “No.” He looked at his hands as they pulled the zipper down so slowly, she could feel the ache building in her pussy, the one that desperately needed him. “More tats or something else you don’t want anyone else to see?”
Oh, yes, he was going to see a few things. One, her motto, her promise to herself, the one she was fucking breaking right now. That, and her bellybutton was pierced. He’d like that. She’d gotten it done for her last boyfriend, and the stupid thing had gotten infected just a couple of weeks after. She toughed it out for that bastard and wondered now why she’d kept it. Seeing the look on Ethan’s eyes as he finished unzipping her vest made her glad she had. He kissed the hollow of her neck and then kissed in a line straight down. Once he got to her bra, he skipped over and then his kisses became a trail he made with his tongue until he got to her navel, and he traced around it and sucked on that stupid little piece of metal. Suddenly, though, he made her glad she had it because it was hot now, not a source of contention between her and some asshole. Ethan was on his knees now and was pulling the vest down her arms until it dropped to the floor.
He unbuttoned her jeans then, kissing the flesh just above the button. Her fingers were in his hair again as he pulled the zipper on her jeans down. It felt like he was going in slow motion, but it wasn’t long till he found the tiny lacy black panties that matched her bra. He made a sound like a growl and took the top of her panties in his teeth, and she was almost shocked at how her pussy responded…not just to his teeth but the guttural noise he’d made. She needed him, needed him inside her now, but he was going to torture her, make her wait.
No, it was more than that. She could tell he was taking his time, enjoying himself, and she wondered when the last time was he’d been with someone he had a connection with.
Oh, God, she didn’t want to know. What if he had dozens of women he fucked regularly? That would just kill her.
And that was a wakeup call for her. She felt herself cool off and start to barricade her heart again, but then he shoved his hands under the back of her jeans. It was tight but he started easing them down off her hips.
That’s when he saw it, the little black tattoo in script that said simply Never Again. He cocked his head a little and ran his thumb over it. She felt her lungs bring in a sharp breath of air at his touch. His thumb felt hot against her skin, and he followed it up with a kiss on her flesh just as steamy. He started sucking on her skin then, and it was like torture, but it was also like he knew what her tattoo meant, as though he were going to erase the memories that had prompted her to brand it on her flesh.
It was just like their first kiss…he understood her…and that scared the shit out of her.
But it also made her feel okay, even though it was a tentative okay, about going through with this. Yes, she wanted him. She wanted to feel him pressed up against her, wanted him inside her.
Except that was still off in the distance, but he managed to pull her back to the present by tracing along the top of her panties with his tongue while his hands worked her jeans down her legs.
It was then that she noticed how she had clumps of his hair in her fists as though she were holding on for dear life. In a sense, she was. It was agony, but he was taking his time, and he untied the boot on her right foot, loosening its tongue and then sliding it off her foot. Then he pulled the leg of her jeans off along with the sock and raised her leg up on his shoulder where he licked a line down her inner thigh to the crease and then he kissed her there. She felt a shiver vibrate up her spine because his lips were just centimeters from her clit. But he just kissed her there again, teasing with his lips, not homing in on the one part of herself she couldn’t take her mind off of.
Oh, shit. She was nearly pulling his hair out. He didn’t seem to mind, though. He rested her leg back on the floor and started working on th
e other side then, dragging the left leg of her jeans down to her ankle where he repeated the process of removing the boot and sock followed by the jeans which he tossed to the side. And the devilish tormentor…he did the same thing with that leg, lifting it up and licking his way until he was soooo close, then resting her leg on his shoulder. She didn’t think she could get wetter, hotter, nor could her muscles grow any tighter than they were in this very moment. So when he shoved his thumb under the tiny panel of her panties, she gasped out loud. Yeah, he felt how wet she was and she knew it when he breathed, “Christ.” He kissed her above the panties on her lower abdomen again, but he slid his thumb back up to her clit, and she couldn’t help the moan she uttered.
She felt his teeth graze her belly as his free hand slid up the back of her other leg, up to her ass. He started to stand, and she let her leg ease down so her foot was back on the floor, but he kept his thumb in place, and he moved it in a circle until she moaned again. She almost cried when he pulled it out from under her panties and stood all the way. His hands continued gliding up her back to the bottom of her bra.
But she was tired of waiting. She let go of his hair and grabbed at his leather pants, trying to hold her breath steady. She got his button undone but could hardly focus as he unsnapped her bra and pulled it down her arms. She wasn’t going to let go of his zipper, though, and pulled it down. She could feel the force of his cock underneath the zipper and felt excited, wanting to touch it as though nothing else in world mattered. His hands barely touched her breasts, and she felt his mouth on one, moving in for the kill. She was going to completely lose it when he touched her nipple. She wanted him to start feeling as out of control as she did, but he was calm and collected, or at least that was how it seemed.
Ah…there he was. The only thing holding him back now was the underwear, and if she could get to him first… But no luck. His tongue touched on her hypersensitive nipple and she groaned again. He then put his entire mouth over her nipple, his tongue flicking its delicate nib, and she could tell her breathing was growing heavier. She didn’t know how much more she could take.
Bullet Series Box Set Books 1-8 Page 56
