by Sarah Makela
Chapter Twelve
Mia
Ethan propped me on the countertop, and I wrapped my legs around him, instinct kicking in. Our lips brushed a sensual meeting of mouths. He slid his tongue over my lower lip, caressing and teasing. If I hadn’t been sitting on the counter, my knees would’ve given out.
I opened my mouth to him, brushing my tongue against his, inviting him in. Without hesitation, he slipped his tongue inside, and the kiss grew more desperate and heated. I cradled the back of his neck, running my hands over his soft, close-cut hair.
He ran his hands from my waist down to my knees, then he trailed them back up my legs. Arousal moistened my thighs, and I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted another man. His nostrils flared, and he pulled me from the counter so I pressed snuggly against his body.
I moaned, unable to stop myself.
Ethan bumped me against the wall on the way out of the kitchen. We stayed there a moment, his mouth still devouring mine. He kneaded my backside with his large hands.
I wanted to strip his clothes off him, right then and there. His muscular body beneath my hands was divine. With him this close, I felt cozy and protected, especially after what happened last night.
Maybe he was right. If Ethan was a werewolf now, he posed a greater threat to the guy who attacked us.
I trailed my hands down his front, eager to see what lay beneath his pajama bottoms. The bulge pressed tight against me told me how happy he was to be here. I’d never felt like this with anyone else.
He readjusted our position, pulling me away from the wall again, then he headed toward the living room. For a moment, I thought he’d stop at the couch, but he continued toward the stairs. My breath lodged in my throat.
This was going to happen.
The buzzing of my cell phone broke me from my bliss. Could that be Jessa? I couldn’t miss the call.
Ethan started up the steps, not worrying about the call, but I pushed against his chest. “I need to take that.”
“Can’t it wait?”
“It might be my friend, Jessa. I haven’t heard from her, and she said she was going to call. I’ve been kind of worried, with all that’s going on.” I didn’t want to go into her role in the situation, even though he had a right to know.
He set me to my feet gently. “Don’t take too long. I need you, Mia.” I could tell that from the bulge in his pants.
“I won’t. I promise.” When I got to my phone, I nearly dropped it: Greg.
“Mia? Is everything okay?” Ethan was at my side in the span of a heartbeat. He picked up my phone and saw the caller ID. A sigh rushed from his lungs, and he handed it to me. “I’ll be in the shower.”
I wanted to cry. My body burned for Ethan. We had a connection and, while the love potion might’ve heightened it, our feelings for each other had been there for years under the surface. I could tell he cared for me. “I’m so sorry, Ethan.”
“Answer the call.” He brushed his hand over my hair, then he took off upstairs.
“Greg, hi,” I said, trying to sound like my heart wasn’t breaking. I’d vowed not to break his heart before the holidays. If only my own wasn’t doing the exact thing I’d hoped to prevent.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He sounded his usual condescending and wisecracking self. When he was like this, I forgot what had drawn us together in the first place. Fear of being forever alone, I guess. But he had been more kind and considerate at the very beginning.
“I had to run for the phone.” It was the truth. “That’s all. What’s up?” I forced myself to sound more chipper than I was.
“We’re still on for your parents’ Christmas Eve dinner tomorrow, right? Maybe afterward we can hang out at my place. I have something for you.” The way he said it made it obvious what he wanted.
Greg and I had never been intimate. Why he thought that would change because it was Christmas Eve flew over my head.
I scoured my brain for an excuse. After the dinner, which should’ve been called lunch because of how early it always was, I’d need to escape home, craft the potion, then take it to Jessa’s shop. But no, I couldn’t do that. I needed the ingredients.
“Great, I’ll pick you up, and we’ll head there together. No use taking two cars when we’ll just go back to my place.”
“Greg, wait—” But he’d already hung up the phone. “I can’t.” I stared at the ceiling, hearing the faint sounds of the shower running. “I won’t.”
Regardless of Ethan and me, I couldn’t hold on to a dead relationship with Greg. He deserved more than that, and so did I.
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize the water had stopped. Ethan stood at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in a pair of jeans and a tight blue t-shirt that hugged his muscles. My body reacted to the sight of him, even if I knew I was still with Greg.
Damn me for not ending things with Greg sooner. Everyone had tried to warn me, but I’d been too stubborn, convinced that getting with Ethan was like an unreachable fantasy. We’d come so close to being more, and I only hoped that our chances of a relationship weren’t completely blown now.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” he said, watching me closely. “You okay?”
The fact he’d asked made me feel a little better. I didn’t know if I’d be able to survive him being mad at me, especially after what we’d nearly done. “Yeah, thank you for asking.”
He nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. That simple action flexed his strong arms, and I averted my gaze. I’d gotten myself into enough trouble for one day. “I’m heading out for a bit,” he said. “You’re welcome to stay here. Nolan should be here in a few hours.”
My heart ached, but I didn’t feel safe going home.
