Lovestrung: A friends to lovers romance

by Karen Ferry

  “Holy. Shit,” she breathed.

  Finally, I raised my eyes and smirked at her. Her hooded eyes and the blush in her cheeks was a great look on her; one I hoped to see later tonight. I took a sip of my wine and licked my lips. “Now you know.” I toasted her again, taking deep pleasure at the dazed look in her eyes and the way her breathing had turned heavy.

  She fanned her cheeks and raised the glass to her lips. “That was deliciously dirty, Ethan. Even a little bit romantic.”

  “Good.”

  Her eyes turned speculative as she sipped her wine. “I never know what you’re going to say these days.”

  “Is that such a bad thing?”

  “Not necessarily. It’s just a little strange, considering I used to know you as well as I knew myself. Or, at least I thought I did.” She shrugged lightly and scanned the living room-slash-dining room at the wide space behind her. “I like discovering new things about you, though. Like this place.” She went to the couch before turning around to face me again. “I never thought your own place would look like this.”

  I frowned, puzzled. “Why not?”

  “It’s such a bachelor pad, but kind of elegant at the same time. Luxurious.” She sat down on the couch and sighed as she leaned back to rest her head on the soft, black leather. Her hand holding the wine glass balanced briefly on the armrest before she let it fall softly down the side, dangling the glass gently.

  I pursed my lips as she scrutinized my face.

  “I’ve always been good at saving up money, Penelope,” I answered her silent question. I knew it looked weird that a guy like me – someone who had come from the foster system and relied on scholarships to get him through college – lived at a place like this, but I couldn’t tell her about my job at Privé. It was way too early to tell her about that part of my life.

  “I see.” She let it go and leaned her head back, taking in the intricate iron pattern in the ceiling that held so many light bulbs that even I had been skeptical about them when I first saw the place. But, somehow, they just fit the place – and me.

  “Would you like to listen to some music while I finish up dinner?” I set down my glass and meandered to the bookshelf that held my docking station.

  “Yes, please.”

  “Anything in particular you’d like to hear?” I asked and pulled my phone out of my back pocket.

  “Surprise me.”

  “Hmm.” I scrolled through my many playlists until I found an older album by Norah Jones. Perfect. Penelope had always loved her music, so I put my phone down and hit play. I looked at the woman sitting so comfortable on my couch, and the way her eyes lit up when she recognized the first notes of Come Away With Me, I was happy I was the one responsible for putting it there.

  “So,” I started and moved closer to her. “Any chance of a kiss before I go back to my domain?”

  “Your domain?” she chuckled.

  “The kitchen,” I clarified on a grin.

  “You don’t have to ask permission to kiss me, Ethan.”

  “Hmm.” I leaned down, resting my hands on the back of the couch until our heads were as close as they could be and circled her nose with mine. “Careful, darlin’. That statement could lead to all sorts of things.”

  “What things?” she whispered, her lips barely brushing mine.

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  Before she had the chance to ask more question, I angled my head and rested my mouth on hers. Her soft sigh sounded like music to my ears, and I nibbled on her lower lip before I traced her lips with my tongue. Willingly, she opened her mouth, letting me come inside, and when her taste – the sweetness of her own unique taste mixed with that of the wine – tore through me, making me moan low in my throat. I dug my fingers into the soft leather the longer I kissed her, teasing her by pulling back, only plunging right back inside when she didn’t expect it.

  Agony. It was pure agony pulling back, but as my arms began to tremble, and my dick swelled against the zipper of my jeans, I knew I had to stop, or we’d stay like this forever.

  This wasn’t just about getting my dick fucked. This was a date with the girl who’d captured my heart so long ago, and she deserved more than for me to take her right here. Tonight was about getting to know her again.

  “Don’t go away,” she begged and fisted her fingers in my hair. “I wasn’t done yet.”

  Chuckling, I kissed her nose. “Don’t worry, darlin’. You’ll get my mouth again soon.”

  She sighed and rested her forehead against mine while we both tried to get our breathing under control.

  “All right. Then scurry back to your kitchen and feed me.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Her hand fell from the nape of my neck, sending a delicious shiver down my spine, and I pushed back to go do as I’d planned all along.

  We both needed stamina for what I had in mind for the night.

  We had dinner. We talked, and we laughed.

  She regaled me with her experiences while travelling and when she told me that her absolutely favorite of cities she’d visited was Florence in Italy, I sat back and smiled at the way she lit up like a beacon. It wasn’t as much the words, although I enjoyed listening to her nonetheless; it was more the way a certain light entered her eyes and how her hands and arms told the story with her, waving and flapping about like a bird’s wings.

  She was something else – and she was mine.

  Or, at least I hoped she would be.

  “Why are you grinning like the Cheshire cat?” A suspicious glint fell over her eyes as she stopped to breathe.

  “I love listening to you, that’s all.” I leaned back in my chair and crossed my ankles at my feet. “You’ve really had the adventure of your life, haven’t you?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I have. I’m so glad I didn’t succumb to my fears.” She gave me a grateful smile. “I have you to thank for that. That night at the party?” She leaned closer toward me from her place to my right when I raised my eyebrows in question. “If you hadn’t come and found me in the kitchen at the exact moment you did, I don’t think I’d have had the courage to go.”

  “Nah, your dad would’ve talked some sense into you.” I looked down, embarrassed that she was giving me so much credit.

  “Hmm, maybe. But I’m still glad you were the one to do it.”

  “Then I’m glad I was able to help.”

  She shook her head and looked to the bookshelves that had given me so much trouble when we’d last talked.

  “I can’t believe you have so many books,” she murmured, a slight awe in her voice. “Where did you get the bookshelves?”

  I let out a deep, mournful sigh. “Your mom brow beat me into a shopping trip to IKEA.”

  Her head whipped around in shock. “No way!”

  “Mm-hmm. After I told her and your dad about my new place, and when I could move in, she took over completely and ordered me to be ready the following Saturday morning so that she could take me shopping.” I chuckled low before taking another sip of my wine. “I didn’t think she was serious, but she sure showed me when she texted me early that morning. She even got your dad to come with us.”

  “Oh, my God!” she laughed and placed a hand over her lips. “I can’t believe she did that to you! To both of you. How horrible of her.”

  “Yeah, it’s definitely not something I wish to do again.” I shuddered but winked at her at the same time, letting her know that I was only teasing. “But they have some nice things, I’ll give them that.”

  “I bet Mama and Dad loved spending time with you.”

  “Yeah, it was a good day.”

  We both fell silent, but it didn’t feel awkward. In fact, the longer the silence stretched out, the more I realized how much it meant to me that we could still be like this – quiet together – the same way we had been as children.

  “So, what’s next for you?” I asked.

  A small frown appeared between her eyebrows. “I don’t know
that yet.”

  I let the words hang in the air for a few seconds. “Maybe you can go back working for your dad for a while.”

  Sadness overtook her features as she leaned back in her seat. “I don’t think that’s really what I want to do, Ethan.” A humorless laugh fell from her lips. “Problem is, I don’t know what I want. Except…”

  “Except what, Pen?”

  “I want to be happy. I want to find my passion, to have goals in life that make me strive to do better in every single aspect of what I do.” She grabbed her wine glass, surprising me when she tipped her head back and swallowed what was left of the wine in large gulps.

  “We all want that in our lives, sunshine,” I murmured softly. “You’re smart, driven…you’ll find your feet when you’re ready.”

  She stood up, empty glass in hand, and went to the bar to refill it. “You’re on your way to getting what you want, aren’t you?”

  It was my turn to look away. “I hope so. Being a vet has always been my dream, and now that my final exams are over and done with, I guess it’s only a matter of time before I find the job I want. Or open up my own practice.”

  “I’m really happy for you, but I’m sorry I couldn’t make it home to your graduation.” The quiet joy in her voice made me glance back at her. “You need a dog in your home, by the way. That’s the only thing missing as far as I can tell.”

  I flashed her a boyish smile. “Yeah, your mom has said the same thing many times, and I’ve thought of it myself. I guess what it boils down to is timing.” I stood up and stretched. “I haven’t had the time to have a dog, but now...maybe it’s time.”

  “Will you go to the animal shelter and pick one?”

  “Absolutely.”

  There was no doubt in my mind about that and when her eyes turned soft, I knew she understood my wish to pick a dog that someone else had discarded or couldn’t keep anymore for various reasons.

  “Want some company when you do? I’m going to get Mom the new dog she’s been begging for for years now.”

  “I’d love that, actually.”

  My lips tipped up in the corners at the way her eyes shined back at me from across the room.

  “So, um, change of subject.” She set her glass aside on the table top and moved back toward me. “Where’s the bathroom?”

  I jerked my chin at the other end of the loft. “Go through the small hall at the end and turn right. It’s right next to my bedroom.”

  “Gotcha.”

  I couldn’t stop myself from staring at her ass as she left the room. The way her hips swayed when she took the steps that would lead her into my bedroom was distracting, to say the least, but as she disappeared from my line of sight, I managed to pull the hazy fog of need away and I started to clear the table. Once everything was put away in the dish washer, I went to the wall next to my front door and turned the switch down until the lights dimmed.

  I looked the way she’d gone and frowned. What was taking her so long?

  While I poured another glass of wine, I ran a hand through my hair, surprised when I noticed my hand trembling.

  I hadn’t been this nervous around a woman in so long, but again, this wasn’t just any girl.

  It was Penelope. My girl.

  During dinner, it hadn’t been easy to stop myself from touching her, but I’d managed it. I’d focused on making her comfortable, and after a while, it had been effortless.

  Being with her had always been a balm to my raging soul, but now…now, the date part of the night was over, and the need to kiss her – to be with her in any way possible – flared up inside me. As I brought my glass over to the table in front of the couch, I felt my dick harden, and I took a few deep breaths as I sat down.

  Finally, I heard the footfalls of her feet come closer, and I raised my head in her direction. Her lips tipped up at the corners when she saw me lounging on the couch, head propped up on my palm, and I smiled back at her. Her sandals dangled from her right hand, the straps curled in between her long fingers, and I gave her a questioning look.

  “I had to take my shoes off,” she chuckled. “They were killing my feet.”

  “I don’t mind.”

  She stopped in front of me and tilted her head at me. She stared for a long time, and I wondered what she saw as she scanned my face.

  Her friend?

  Her soon-to-be-lover?

  The air turned heavy with tension the longer we stayed as we were, facing each other and waiting for the other to make a move.

  “What is it?” I asked, my voice husky.

  “I’ve had a wonderful time tonight.”

  Fuck, don’t let it be over already.

  “Is this your subtle way of telling me that I should take you home?”

  I couldn’t hold her gaze any longer, afraid that if the answer was yes, the disappointment on my face would be as easy to read as if I were a book.

  “No.”

  I breathed a small sigh of relief. “Then why are you staring at me like that?” I chanced another glance at her as I spread my thighs, letting her see how much she was affecting me already.

  A small, wicked grin moved across her lips. “I like to watch you. You’re so handsome, after all. But…” she leaned down, mimicking my pose from when she arrived earlier, placing her hands next to my head as she came closer.

  “But?” I whispered.

  She licked her lips. “But…I especially love the way your jeans suddenly appear to have shrunk a size or two.”

  I huffed out a surprised laugh. I didn’t see that coming at all.

  “And…” She leaned closer until our mouths were almost touching. “I can’t wait to see if what you promised me the other night is going to happen.”

  My breathing turned ragged the longer her lips hovered above mine, and my dick hardened when her eyes swept down, staring at the bulge for a long time.

  “Fuck, Pen…,” I whispered. “You’re like a siren in the old tales. Luring me in with your voice and your eyes.”

  “That sounded very poetic. Are you a closet poet, Ethan?”

  “Fuck, no,” I smirked.

  “Hmm, too bad.” She nipped at my lips with her teeth but drew back when I tried to deepen the kiss. “I’m thirsty. I think I need more wine.”

  I blinked at her, dumbfounded when she pushed away from me and went to the kitchen. In silence, I watched her as she found the bottle and poured a generous amount into her glass.

  “What are you going to do now, Ethan?” she murmured and smiled wickedly at me. “If I ask nicely, are you going to ravish me?”

  “I’ll do whatever you want me to. Just tell me what you want.”

  “Mmm, I like the sound of that.” She didn’t even take a sip before she came back around and leaned her elbows back on the table. I swallowed hard when she arched her back a little, making her tits rise higher. “Then what are you waiting for?” she purred. “Ravish me.”

  Fuck. Me.

  III

  Penelope

  The future looked bright, tempting us both with its promises,

  but how long would it last?

  Could it even last,

  or would we burn up,

  caught in the flames of our passion?

  Would this be the end of the promise of us?

  14

  Fulfilling Old Dreams

  “Come here,” he murmured, his eyes dark with delicious riddles I wanted to solve. I let out a pleased sigh at the look of him sitting propped back on his couch, legs spread wide and resting his head on his hand. My eyes travelled up the length of his big thighs, lingering on the bulge hiding behind his pants for a beat, before moving up his chest, his neck, his fucking sexy lips that parted at my perusal, until I stopped when my gaze landed on his. My heartbeat quickened when I noticed the blue I loved so much flashed with heat.

  I bit my lip and pushed away from the tabletop, tilting my hips as I turned around to lean across it to grab my wine glass.

  “Why?” I
looked over my shoulder and grinned at him.

  The searing gaze aimed on my ass made me tremble.

  “If you won’t, I’ll have to come to you.”

  “I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”

  He inhaled deeply and stood, moving toward me in slow, measured steps. To prevent myself from attacking him, I kept my back to him and took a sip of my wine, letting the sweet grapes wipe away the dryness in my throat. But my eyes didn’t waver from his – with each step that closed the distance between us, I felt like I was being hypnotized, falling under a strange, yet irresistible lure. When he stopped behind me, he released me from his locked gaze, taking in every inch of my body instead. I looked down, grinning at the way his cock strained against the zipper, and empowerment tore through me.

  I was doing this to him. Me, the former best friend-slash-little sister was making Ethan Collins lust for her. He was breathtaking as he stood in front of me, hands fisted at his sides and his hard chest stretching the soft fabric of his T-shirt. His hair was mussed, falling into his eyes, and the day-old scruff on his chin made me salivate.

  What would it feel like against my skin?

  “You’re teasing me,” he murmured on a loud huff of air. “Tempting me. Tormenting me.”

  “You love it,” I whispered.

  Instead of answering me, he took another step closer and settled his hands on my hips. His palms were so wide, and for the hundredth time, I thrilled at his size next to my small frame. Instead of making our differences in height seem awkward, even clumsy, it made me feel safe and delicate. I loved that.

  His fingers spanned my rib cage as he caressed me through the lacy top, lingering just underneath my breasts, teasing me just as much as he accused me of doing, and I suppressed a needy whimper. Instead, I spread my legs and tilted my ass, brushing his dick as I did. He hummed deep in his throat, and when his fingers moved further up, my nipples started to ache, anticipating his touch. I pined for his touch.