“If we hear reports of a massive number of fish washing up on shore, we know who to blame,” she teased, but the admiration in her eyes replaced the emptiness he’d harbored inside with a warm glow.
He wanted her to always look at him that way. He wanted to be a man she could be proud of.
She took his hand again as though they were on a date rather than a crisis intervention. “So, do you have any plans for the evening?”
“No, not really.”
“Want to come over to my place?” The blood rushed to his dick at her invitation, but his desire was quickly tempered when she continued, “My roommate and I are having a Rosh Hashanah party with our friends.”
As tempting as it sounded, something in him hesitated. She was willing to tear down the shield of anonymity by bringing him into her personal life, and that opened the door to all types of possibilities, both good and bad. “I’m not Jewish.”
“We’ll let that one slide.”
“Listen, Bec, I appreciate the invitation, but—”
She stopped and turned to him. “But what?”
Indecision paralyzed his tongue. He enjoyed Becca’s company. Probably more than he should, considering relationships were discouraged this early in the recovery process. And the attraction was undeniable. But if he took things too far, presumed too much, he risked losing her support. And he didn’t even want to think about what would happen if one of the guests recognized him.
He rubbed the back of his head. “I—”
“It’s just my friends, Ethan. We’re going to dance, play a few games, eat some food, and have a good time. No pressure.” She lowered her voice and added, “And no worries. They respect my privacy, and they’ll respect yours.”
Suspicion snaked down his spine. It wasn’t the first time she’d hinted that she knew who he was. “So I won’t have to worry about ending up on TMZ?”
She grinned and shook her head. “Now, of course, what happens when you leave my place is a different story, but my friends are cool.”
He almost wanted to laugh at how normal it sounded. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d hung out with regular people his own age. “Maybe just for an hour or two.”
“Brilliant!” She looped her arm through his, pressing up against him. “Did you bring your bike?”
“Yes.”
“Any chance you’d let me drive it?”
He let out an honest, heartfelt laugh. “Nope.”
“Didn’t think so.” She gave him a dramatic sigh. “I guess I’ll have to ride bitch again.”
He liked the idea of her riding behind him. Maybe he would even throw in some extra speed around the turns so she’d gasp and hold on even tighter to him. He handed her his spare helmet when they got to his motorcycle. “Where to?”
“Park and 75th.”
“Upscale neighborhood.” He donned his gloves and started the engine.
“Of course. Old money and all that.” She climbed on behind him, her dress rising to expose most of her thighs.
His pants grew uncomfortably tight. Maybe he wouldn’t go so fast around those turns if he wanted to be able to walk without an obvious hard-on when they got there.
Just as he was about to strap on his helmet, she tapped his shoulder. “Oh, by the way, we need to stop and pick up some challah.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
As they rode through the streets, he reflected on all the new emotions he was experiencing. Trust. Relief. Desire. Hope. So very different than when he’d arrived at the pier an hour before. And he owed it all to Becca.
But as they got closer to her place, a new goal replaced just staying clean. He was making a fresh start, and if he was lucky, maybe she’d begin to see him as something other than a recovering junkie who needed her help.
Maybe she’d begin to see him as a man worthy of her attention.
Chapter Six
Becca hopped off Ethan’s bike and shivered. The ride had left her bare legs cold and numb, but the excitement of holding him as he expertly weaved his way through the traffic more than made up for it. “That was awesome!”
He turned off the engine and removed his helmet. “If you like my Ducati so much, why don’t you just buy one?”
“Um, it’s not that simple.” She didn’t want to explain that when she’d cut her parents out of her life, they’d cut her off financially. Sure, she had a trust fund, but she didn’t have access to it until she was twenty-five, thanks in part to her history of addiction. That meant any future Ducati purchases were on hold for another two years.
“I’ll be happy to give you a ride whenever you’d like, then.”
A flush of heat rose up her neck into her cheeks. After all the crap she put him through, he was still being generous with her. It had been a dangerous move to switch tactics on him, to turn his pity party into a finger-pointing session. He could’ve told her to fuck off and walked away. But when he’d shown her those packets of heroin, she knew drastic measures were needed.
She offered a small prayer of thanks that it had worked.
And the change was remarkable, even after such a short time. The light had returned to his gray eyes, and his mouth curved more readily into a smile than a scowl. In fact, he was downright sexy.
Cool your jets, Becca. You just brought him back from the brink of disaster. Wait until he’s stable before making a move on him.
She pulled the doughnut she’d picked up at the bakery out of her purse and gave it to the doorman. “Shanah Tovah, Stan.”
“And Happy New Year to you, Miss Rebecca.” He held the door open for her and Ethan. “Miss Ariella already has a few guests.”
“Which means I’m a bit late.” She pushed the up button for the elevator. “I’ll probably get dragged to the kitchen as soon as we get up there.”
Ethan’s expression remained unreadable, but the line of his shoulders stiffened. “Can I do anything to help?”
“Maybe. But if you just want to hang out, you can do that, too.”
A flicker of unease flashed in his eyes just before the elevator doors opened.
They got inside, and she looked up at him. “If you’re not ready for this—”
“No, I want to do this.” He gave her a wry smile. “Correction: I need to do this. I’ve been hiding under my shell too much lately.”
She gave his hand a small squeeze. “My friends are fun. You’ll see.”
But a small part of her hoped none of them would figure out who Ethan was and make a big deal about it. After all, they’d hung out with her and Ari’s brother, Gabe, who was a celebrity in his own right. Bringing a rock star to one of their groups shouldn’t cause that much of an uproar.
The aromas of pomegranate glazed chicken and blackberry BBQ beef brisket greeted her when she opened the door. Aaron and Levi had already hooked up the Xbox and were so involved with their first person shooter game that they didn’t even turn around. Ari, however, rounded the corner from the kitchen and stopped short when she saw Ethan. “Who’s this?”
“Ethan.” No need to explain any further.
Ari’s jaw tightened, and she grabbed Becca’s arm in a death grip to drag her back into the kitchen. “Is this that junkie?” she whispered.
“He’s clean, Ari, and I didn’t want him to be alone tonight.”
“But he’s not one of us.”
“So?” She peered into the living room. Aaron and Levi had paused their game long enough to start chatting with him, pointing to his helmet and probably asking about his motorcycle. A few exchanges later, Ethan had shed his jacket and was pushing up the sleeves of his gray thermal shirt, preparing to join them in the game. “He seems to be fitting in with the guys just fine.”
“That’s because they don’t know what he is.”
Becca took a deep breath to keep from telling Ari who he really was. It was one thing if Ethan had revealed his identity to her, but he hadn’t. And until he did, she would respect his privacy.
“I can vouch for h
im, Ari. He’s a good guy.”
Her roommate’s brown eyes darkened. “Fine, but if he steals any of our stuff to buy drugs, I’m holding you responsible.”
The doorbell rang, and Ari went to answer it.
Becca pressed her forehead against the cold stainless steel of the fridge. She hadn’t expected Ari to be such a snob. At least Aaron and Levi seemed open to letting Ethan join their party.
Female voices filtered into the kitchen, and Becca took another peek into the living room. Morgan and Natalie had arrived. Gabe had always jokingly referred to Ari, Nat, and Morgan as the Bimbo Barbie Brigade, but the description fit. They were all sleek, tanned, blond, and elegant, but superficial at times. Her stomach sank as Natalie made her way over to Ethan and started flirting with him.
Of course she would. He was good-looking. And charming. And had this sexy charisma about him. What woman wouldn’t be attracted to him?
But he smiled and then jerked his head in Becca’s direction. Natalie’s seductive smile fell into a pout, but Becca’s grin widened. He’d just made it very clear he was with her, and her heart skipped a few beats.
She opened the fridge and grabbed the tray of sliced apples she’d prepared first thing that morning. A small bowl of honey went in the center before she carried it out into the room. “Who’s ready for the first course?”
The guys paused their game, and everyone gathered around her to grab an apple slice and dip it in the honey. Ethan was the last one to take a slice. He watched the others before following their example. “It’s good,” he said after the first bite. “I’d always wondered why you serve apples and honey, though.”
Morgan backed away, her perfect nose wrinkling. “You’re a shegetz?”
“Um, maybe?” He turned to Becca for assistance.
“He’s not Jewish,” she told the others, “but he’s still cool.”
“Hey, no one’s perfect,” Levi replied between stuffing more apple slices in his mouth. “Well, except for me.”
The group broke out in chuckles and snickers, and Aaron gave Levi a playful shove. Levi’s narcissism was a common joke among them, but it took the focus off Ethan. They all broke away, leaving him with her.
He closed the space between them, his voice dropping to a low, gravelly tone that oozed sex. “So I’m cool, huh?”
“Yeah, even though you have a dribble of honey on your chin.” She grabbed it with her finger and wiped it up.
He caught her hand and brought her finger to his lips, removing the honey with a slow, sensual suck that left the place between her legs wet with want. “Pretty sweet stuff.”
If he kept talking to her like that, she’d be dragging him to her bed before the next course was served. Keep it together, Becca. Focus on something other than how much he’s turning you on. “That’s the whole idea behind Rosh Hashanah dinner. A sweet new year.”
“I can live with that.” He continued to stare at her like he wanted to remove honey from other parts of her body until Aaron called him back to the game.
Becca retreated to the kitchen, every inch of her skin flushed with arousal. If she’d had any doubts about taking things to the next level, Ethan had just erased them. But she had to take things slowly or she risked having all this blow up in her face.
Take your time, Becca. You don’t want a quick fuck to jeopardize the trust you’ve built so far.
But one thing was certain. Ethan Kelly knew how to push her buttons in all the right ways.
Chapter Seven
As much as Ethan tried to focus on the game he was playing with Levi and Aaron, the sweet taste of Becca’s finger in his mouth kept ambushing him. Now that was a craving he could easily become addicted to. He’d love to sample other parts of her, starting with her lips. And then, if he worked up his courage, he could invite her back to his place for the main course.
But the moment he thought about her in his bed, his palms grew damp. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d made love to a woman sober. Hell, he’d lost his virginity while drunk and stoned at a party. Years of being on the road didn’t leave much time for a long-term relationship, and one-night flings had become his norm. After a few beers or a quick shot of H, he no longer cared that he didn’t have someone special to come home to. He had a warm body for the night, and that was all that had mattered.
Until now.
He was twenty-five. Not quite ready to settle down, but ready to actually give a serious relationship a try. And Becca was a girl worth taking that risk for.
Now, to get over the performance anxiety issues.
One of the blondes—Natalie, he thought—handed him a bottle of hard apple cider. He set it aside, untouched, and continued playing until the front door opened, and a guy shouted, “Shanah Tovah, bitches!”
Levi and Aaron threw down their controllers and went to greet the new arrivals. Four more guys and three more girls poured into the apartment, and the atmosphere changed from a few friends hanging out to a full-on party. Voices filled the room, vying with the ever louder music that pumped in from the built-in surround-sound speakers. Becca’s roommate circled the room with a tray of appletinis, and Becca appeared from the kitchen with a platter of steaming chicken.
“Time for the next course,” she announced over everyone. “Pomegranate chicken.”
Ethan’s mouth watered from the sweet and savory aromas that filled the apartment. He got in line behind the others for a slice of the roasted chicken covered with a tangy red sauce and chunks of fresh pomegranate. “You made this?” he asked.
Becca nodded. “Amazing what an electric roaster can do.”
He ate a bite. It tasted even better than it smelled. “Is this another tradition?”
“Yes. The pomegranate symbolizes a new year full of good deeds.” She looked out at her guests, who were busy chatting and drinking with their friends. “Although I wished we could’ve done the Kiddush before they dived in.”
“This is our party, not our parents’,” her roommate said, grabbing another slice of chicken. “We don’t have to do all the stuffy traditional stuff. If you wanted that, then you should’ve had dinner with your family.”
Becca blinked hard and turned away, but not before he caught a glimpse of pain on her face. Something her roommate said had hurt her, and he found himself reaching to comfort her before he could stop himself.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Yeah.” She flashed a half-hearted smile to him. “You?”
He glanced around the room and nodded. “Yeah, I am, actually.”
“Good.” Her smile warmed, and she handed him a bottle of water. “I need to get back to the kitchen to start the next course.”
“I’ll be here.”
A moment later, Levi was dragging him back into the group and introducing him to the new arrivals. Ethan stood on the fringes, listening and only speaking when asked a question. He nursed his bottle of water instead of guzzling hard cider down like the other guys. And even though his reclusive inner nature recoiled at the idea of a party full of strangers, he found himself warming up to Becca’s friends as quickly as he had to her.
A knock could barely be heard over the noise, but Becca went to answer it. A man carrying two guitars—one strapped to his back and the other in his hand—entered the party and gave her a hug.
The jealousy that flared within Ethan’s gut as they talked surprised him. What if this was her boyfriend? What if he was falling for a girl who was already with someone? Was that why Becca had been hiding out in the kitchen all night? He crossed the room to learn more about the latest guest.
The man was removing the electric guitar strapped to his back when he got there. “Who’s this, Becca?” he asked, eyeing Ethan as more of a curiosity than competition.
“This is my friend Ethan.”
Friend. The word stung harder than a slap in the face. He should be grateful she considered him a friend, but now he wanted more.
The man held out his hand. “Hi, Ethan. I’
m David.”
He took his time accepting the hand, the unease pounding through his veins as he studied the latest arrival. David was dressed in a nice button-down shirt and khakis and had a full beard that made his age difficult to guess.
Becca stood with one hand placed on each man’s shoulders, gauging their reactions to each other with a hopeful grin. “David’s a musician, too, Ethan. He’s finishing up his cantorial studies at the HUC.”
Nice to know, but it still didn’t answer the one question that jabbed the corners of his mind like a pissed-off hornet.
“Becca,” Ari called from the kitchen, “the brisket.”
Her face paled. “Oh, no.” She dashed off, leaving him alone with the man who might be her boyfriend.
“So, Ethan, what do you play?”
He was trying to make small talk, but Ethan couldn’t relax. “Guitar, mostly. But I also play piano, drums, trumpet.”
“Nice. Have you ever thought about playing for the Temple?”
“He can’t,” Morgan answered for him, slipping her arm through David’s. “He’s a shegetz.”
David’s smile widened. “Any chance of converting?”
“Not likely.”
“Too bad,” David replied, ignoring Morgan’s attempts to pull him away from the door. “We could use some more musicians.”
The blonde interrupted with a huff and roll of her eyes. “Can’t this wait?”
He soothed her with a kiss on the cheek. “Give me a minute, hon.”
The tightness in Ethan’s forearms eased. From the looks of things, David had his hands full with Morgan.
“But you’ve been gone all day with that thing at the Temple.” She gave him the spoiled rich girl simper.
“Yes, and I’ll be with you in just a minute. I haven’t even taken my coat off.”
Morgan’s pout deepened, but she backed away holding up a single finger. “One minute.”
“Sorry about that,” David said with a sheepish shrug as he slipped off his coat. “She’s upset because I’d promised to play for the afternoon services and couldn’t be here when the party started.”
A Seductive Melody (The Kelly Brothers Book 5) Page 7
