“You too?” she said, breaking Luke’s embrace and stepping a few feet away from him. “Both of you! Nosy men!”
“Hey, don’t yell at me,” Ethan said in his defense. “I just came up to find the grown-ups and relay a message. The kids want cake. They are possessed.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Great! I better get down there,” he said, giving Mia’s arm a quick squeeze and winked at Ethan as he walked by.
Ethan stood where he was, staring at Mia, devouring the sight of her. He still couldn’t get over that she was here. He wanted to catalog everything. Every moment. Every word. Every expression.
They stood apart for a few moments. He waited for her to speak first and smiled when she did.
“Hi,” Mia said timidly, her eyes downcast. So she was going to go all shy on him. He got such a kick out of the times when her shyness beat out his confident rock goddess. Moving closer, his eyes locked on her teeth nibbling on her lower lip.
“Hi,” Ethan returned, before pulling her to him and capturing her mouth in a fierce, possessive kiss. He knew he surprised her with the force of it. Hell, he surprised himself. She gripped his forearms tightly to steady herself. Bending his knees, he lowered himself to her level, cupping her face, angling her so he could better ravish her mouth. Mia latched her arms around his neck, molding herself to him. He quickly moved his hands to the back of her hips. God, he wanted her to hop up and wrap him in her long legs.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Ethan knew that they should stop, that this wasn’t the best location for the wild love-making he wanted—no, needed—right now, but he fought it. It had been building since earlier this afternoon. He slid his hands up the gap between her pants and shirt, feeling the softness of her back. She didn’t help him in his fight when her lips traveled to his ear, her heavy breath, serenading him with her song.
“Fuck, Mia,” he swore as she teased him with her mouth. “You know we’ve got to . . .” Her nibbling teeth interrupted him. He absolutely loved the way her teeth grazed his earlobe. If she didn’t stop, she would be against those cushions faster than he could release a football. He placed his hands upon her shoulders. “Mia, we’ll continue this later, I promise, but we’ve got to stop before I make a fool of myself, okay?” he said, running his fingers through her hair, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
She regarded him with those dark eyes of hers. He smiled fondly at the arousal he saw swimming there, the arousal that he helped create.
“Uh, yeah, there are about twenty kids downstairs, huh? I got a little carried away. Sorry.”
He laughed and chastely kissed her. “About as carried away as I, but you don’t see me complaining . . . well, I’m complaining only that we couldn’t, well, finish what we were doing.”
She laughed at that and hugged him. “We better find Luke.”
He nodded and she grabbed his hand, entwining her fingers between his. The smile she gave him was filled with so much happiness. Something he had not seen in years. Again with the years. He had to stop and think of “the years” and focus on now. The first steps had been made—they just had to keep climbing and things would work out all right. He was sure. This time he wasn’t running away and he wouldn’t let her run either. He would stay with her. Forever.
Ethan
“Where to?” Ethan asked, as he pulled the car out of Luke’s driveway. As much as he loved Kaitlyn, he desperately wanted to be alone with Mia.
“My suite,” she said simply.
“Okay,” he replied, not wanting to argue but secretly disappointed they weren’t going to his house. He wanted to get her back in his bed where she belonged, wanted her scent to cover the bed so every night when he fell asleep and every morning when he woke, he would smell her.
They drove back to downtown Indy in silence. Once off the highway, Ethan broke the quiet. “So, how long are you going to be in town?” he asked, glancing over at her. He recognized the hesitation on her face and knew her response wouldn’t make him happy.
“I’m leaving tonight actually,” she replied, staring out the window.
No. Not happy at all.
Leaving tonight?
He returned his eyes to the road, feeling the anger zoom through his body. When the hell did she plan on saying something? Ethan couldn’t believe how angry he felt at just finding this information out. Was he not important enough to know about this earlier? There had been so many opportunities for her to tell him while they were in bed together, during any of the car rides, in the shower.
“Tonight?” he asked, hoping he didn’t sound as upset as he felt, hoping he heard her wrong.
“Yeah, my flight is set for nine.”
“Heading back to California?”
“Yes,” she said, turning her head to the window. “I have some business that I couldn’t reschedule.”
“Are you coming back here?” he asked, gripping and re-gripping the steering wheel, actually afraid of what she might say.
“I’ll be back Tuesday afternoon.”
“Tuesday?” he asked, glancing over at her, relief flooding him.
“Yeah . . . I don’t know what your schedule is like, but . . . uh, I was hoping that I might be able to see you when I got back. Maybe Wednesday night for dinner at my hotel?” she asked, fiddling with her hands resting in her lap.
“Just dinner?” he said, placing his large hand over her clasped hands.
“And dessert, if you want,” she added, her voice low and purposefully seductive.
“I love your dessert.”
She leaned across the middle console and kissed his cheek, her hand on his thigh, surprising him when her hand grazed his hard cock, causing his foot to stumble off the gas pedal.
“Better be careful, suga,” he warned.
“Why’s that?” she asked, running her hand along the hidden length. His cock twitched in the direction of her touch.
Damn, he couldn’t wait to get her back to her room. He, just like his cock, wanted to be inside of her so badly.
He didn’t speak, he acted, his hand cupping her between her legs, and rubbed his hand hard. Her surprised intake of breath followed by a soft moan against his cheek told him he was spot on.
“Listen to you with your cute, little moans,” he said, rubbing a little faster. Her head fell to her chest, her eyes closed. Ethan pressed harder and her mouth dropped open. The sweet sounds stopped and he knew she was close to coming, so he stilled his hand.
“What do you want, Mia?”
“You! Oh, God, you!” she screamed as he resumed pressure on just the right spot. He continued for a little while longer, building her desire to a peak yet again, and stopped, removing his hand before she could come.
“We’re here,” he announced, pulling into a parking spot. She slumped into the seat and let out a very frustrated sigh, followed quickly by a few choice curse words before they exited the car.
They hurried from the car into the hotel and to her room. As he pushed her into the room, talking things out was the furthest thing from his mind. She barely made it five feet into the room when he lifted her in his arms.
“Ethan!” she gasped, her arms snaking around his neck. He leaned his head in and quickly smashed her lips with his own.
“Just finishing what we started in the car, suga,” he replied, carrying her the distance to the bedroom.
Tossing her on the bed, he began to remove his clothes, hoping she would follow his lead. He needed to see her naked like his life depended on it. She hurriedly unfastened her jeans, but stopped, her eyes latched on to him as he yanked his shirt off. Grabbing the hem of her pants, Ethan pulled them right off her and joined her on the bed.
He captured her mouth in a fierce kiss while his hand traveled down her covered torso to her hip and when his fingers made contact with the thin fabric of her thong, he tugged, ripping the fabric. And with one swift thrust, he entered her. His groan mingled with her scream of pleasure.
Mia wrapped her arms and legs
tightly around him as he moved explosively inside her, her nails digging deep into his bare back. It didn’t hurt. Fuck. It only drove him wilder. He rammed into her over and over, her hips matching his frenzied pace, the slap of their bodies as loud as their moans filling the room.
Her breath came in long, passion-filled whimpers as she grew closer to her release, until she finally exploded, her body spasming around him. His long, guttural groan followed as he shattered hard inside of her, one, two . . . three times.
“Wow!” she exclaimed as he collapsed on top of her. Mia cradled him in her arms, her fingers toying with his hair as she held him to her chest. He went to move but she held tight.
“No. Not yet. Don’t leave me,” she said, a touch of panic in her voice and a reminder to him that they still needed to talk. He could see that the unknown was feeding her fear.
“I’m not going anywhere, suga,” Ethan reassured her, nuzzling her slick neck.
After a few more minutes, he tried to roll over, yet she still resisted. “I must be squishing you.”
“A little,” Mia admitted and loosened her grip on him. He rolled to the side and pulled her to him. They lay silently while catching their breath. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed her hand moving along his chest. His eyes opened when she stopped. Her hand hovered oddly over his stomach, her eyes scrunched in concentration, before it began to beat what seemed like a song on his chest.
“What’s going on in that head of yours, Mia?”
“I was trying to magically pack my bags,” she said, looking up at him, the content smile on her face making his cock come to life again. “I really like where I am right now and I don’t want to leave.”
“Then don’t.”
“I wish,” she said, brushing her lips against his.
“What’s in L.A.?”
“One of the final steps in my plan.”
“Oh really?” he said, his curiosity piqued.
“Yep.”
“You going to tell me more?”
“Nope,” she said, kissing him one more time before hopping out of bed. He watched her walk to the closet, her bare ass barely covered by her top and his dick couldn’t help but react. As much as he wanted to love her again, his body needed a rest and they needed to talk. What he needed was a fucking distraction.
“I was thinking about something,” he said from his comfy spot on the bed. “I’m not used to kissing a girl with glasses. I think I may need some practice.”
She stuck her tongue out at him. So mature yet so very much her. Teasing her was too much fun.
“I’m glad you finally went to get some glasses. I didn’t want you falling out a window or something.”
“Down stairs was bad enough,” she replied. “I’ve got very bad eyes and never knew it. It’s like a whole new world.”
Ethan started to laugh. He couldn’t help it. The awe in her voice did him in.
“Stop laughing at me. I still find you handsome wearing these, so be thankful.”
He grabbed an accent pillow and threw a perfect spiral right at her ass. “Touchdown,” he said, raising his hands high in the air. Her mouth dropped open in surprise.
“My ass is not a target,” she grumbled.
“If you say so.”
Mia finally came back to the bed with her suitcase and gave him a playful angry face.
“Make yourself useful and order us some dinner while I pack.”
“I like when you’re bossy.”
“I know you do,” she shot back.
He laughed deeply and picked up the phone. “What do you want?”
“A soup and salad. I had way too much dessert the past twenty-four hours.”
He chuckled at her unintended joke and placed the order. After the call, Ethan gingerly got out of the bed and searched for his clothes. He dressed and then went about helping her pack, the nice business-type outfits she was packing making him even more curious about this trip.
“This isn’t your normal kind of thing, is it? You’re being quite serious and grown up.”
“It was bound to happen at some point,” she said, raising her eyebrows.
“Tell me about this business you’ve got to take care of. Is Allie going with you?”
“She is.”
Ah-ha!
Ethan could get all his answers from Allie. He took his phone and started to text her.
“She won’t tell you. I made her promise. Top secret.”
“Damn!” he swore and slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Does it have to do with your music?”
“It does.”
“You’re not going to give me anything else, are you?”
“Nope,” she paused as she slipped a pair of turquoise underwear up her long legs. Ethan wanted to go up to her and rip those silky panties right off. “But if it goes how I want, it’ll be a good thing.”
He sure hoped so.
Mia
The pounding on the door alerted them to room service and Ethan took leave to answer the door. Mia stared after him for a long moment, her heart fighting with her brain about what actions to take. Her mind knew she had to go and take care of the contract negotiations, but her heart didn’t want to leave Ethan.
She wanted to stay in bed with him and make love over and over and over again. And when they were done with that, she wanted to do it all over again. Mia wanted to stay in his arms, feel his steady heart beat beneath her hand, to see the love in his eyes.
But she knew these negotiations would be for a better future for her . . . and ultimately, she hoped, her and Ethan together.
“Mia! Food!” Ethan’s announcement broke her reverie. She needed to finish getting ready. Going to the closet, she picked out a comfortable outfit for the flight. She loved to wear long skirts because she hated the way pants constricted her. Choosing a gray and white chevron maxi skirt, a white tank top and a fitted jean jacket, she got dressed, then placed her shoes and purse by the suitcase before heading down to the living area.
When Mia reached the bottom of the staircase, she smiled at the scene before her. Ethan was resting on the sofa, his head back and his sexy, amber eyes closed. Her poor, exhausted man. It had been a crazy twenty-four hours. They might have slept three hours last night and that was a high-end estimate.
Ethan looked so comfortable and all she could think about was joining him. She quietly crossed the room and stood in front of him. His eyes crept open and he looked up at her.
“Come here, suga,” he said, reaching for her hand, pulling her to him. Mia tugged up her skirt before sitting on his lap, cradling his legs between hers.
“Tired?” she asked, running the back of her finger along his cheek, his eyes fighting to stay open.
He shook his head slightly. “No, just thinking.”
“About?” she asked, her curiosity getting the best of her.
“This,” he said, tenderly brushing aside her hair with one hand and with the other, slowly lifting up her skirt, his fingertips lighting her on fire.
“What were you thinking about?” she asked, her eyes meeting his. His eyelids shuttered but not due to tiredness, but because of her fingers toying with the fastening of his jeans.
“About the things we need to discuss . . .”
“Ask me something,” she demanded, opening his pants. The order scared her, but it needed to be done. Even though her body and mind were at war.
His lips moved back to her mouth and his eyes were focused on hers. He kissed her, slowly releasing her lips. “Did you ever do the therapy?”
She was proud of herself that she could answer that question. “Yes. I did. It wasn’t without some bumps. I did not like my first therapist in Chicago. She was a judgmental bitch. But I found one in LA. Simone was amazing. She was patient but she also pushed me. This plan I have . . . she helped me make it.”
That smile flirting with his mouth made her so happy. She did that just by sharing. This could be addicting.
“Did you share about your pa
st?”
“I did.”
“You going to share it with me?”
“I will.”
“When you get back?”
“Yes, Ethan. I promise.”
He nodded once, ending the conversation. “I like you sharing with me.”
“I like sharing with you,” she said, placing a quick kiss to his lips. His hand was on her neck, keeping her to his mouth.
“Wanna keep sharing?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes and a lift of his hips, informing her that his hard cock wanted in on all the sharing.
“Sharing is caring,” she said, grasping his wonderful hardness in her hand and taking him out of his pants. “Will I get this every time I share?”
“That can be arranged, suga,” he answered, working his hands beneath her skirt and moving aside her panties. “Let me show you how much I appreciate all the sharing you’ve done.”
Ethan
They still had a few minutes before they needed to head down to the lobby. Mia sat next to him, her head resting comfortably on his shoulder, their hands entwined upon his lap. They’d had hot, quick sex, cleaned up, and ate their food before parking themselves on the sofa where silence reigned.
Ethan was tired, absolutely drained, but he didn’t want to sleep. He wanted to spend all his time with Mia, especially now that she was leaving for the next three days. He should use this opportunity to talk with her but his brain was barely functioning. So he held her close to him, savoring her wonderful scent, the feel of her warm body pressed up against his.
Heaven.
“Gimme your phone,” she demanded, waking him from his dazed trance.
“Why?” he asked, opening up an eye to find her looking up at him.
“Just do it,” she ordered with a smile. He did as she asked and she brought up the camera app and snapped a picture of them.
“Not bad,” Ethan said, looking at the photo on his phone. Every time he saw a picture of them together, the first thought was always perfect. This one was no different.
Still Into You Page 32
