In the Blink of an Eye

by S J Batsford

  ~*~

  I have a semi-permanent grin on my face as we walk hand in hand downstairs.

  “You need to wipe that look off your face if you want to keep what we just did a secret,” Ethan whispers in my ear his voice thick. With a swift kiss behind the ear, he pulls me down the last few steps.

  Luckily no one’s there. Nan must still be in the shower and where the hell are Mason and Millie? I frown. We’ve been upstairs a while.

  “I better check on Nan, then I’ll start tea, or do you want pizza?” I ask, sliding my arms around his neck, looking into the most gorgeous eyes I’ve ever seen.

  “Pizza does sound good, but I’d prefer you…” He growls playfully pulling me into his arms, splaying his hands on my backside. I laugh at the corniness of that statement.

  But as my hips touch his I feel how serious he is, my eyes widen. “How? You can’t be already,” I sputter feeling that he’s ready to go again. He gently closes my mouth, smirking at my reaction.

  “Yes, I can. I told you, you make me ache.” He whispers kissing me softly.

  “I had to put up with this, for an eleven-hour flight.” He says, his breath tickling my ear as he places my hand over his cock. Looking him in the eye I squeeze gently, the sexy little moan deep in his throat making me wet.

  “I better check on my Nan before you drag me back upstairs.” I giggle pecking him on the lips whispering “later” and running back upstairs.

  “Nan?” I call knocking on her door, no one answers. Pushing the door open, I see her lying asleep on the sofa with the TV on low. Tiptoeing over, I grab a blanket and lay it over her, I notice the dark circles under her eyes, she mustn’t be sleeping well. Guilt gnaws at me for not keeping a better eye on her. Kissing her cheek, I leave quietly shutting the door.

  ~*~

  “Hey, no Millie and Mace?” I ask impatiently, the pizzas’ ordered, movies picked, blankets and pillows set up. Popcorn, sweets and pop waiting.

  “I’ll call, hang on.” Fishing out his phone, he frowns at the screen, swiping whatever’s annoying him off the screen and puts the phone on speaker phone.

  “Where the hell are you? It’s been nearly an hour!” Ethan asks straight away. I hear music quietly humming in the background.

  “We’ll be there in about half an hour, we have things to talk about too,” Mason snaps hanging up.

  “Well, looks like it’s dinner for two,” he murmurs happily, pulling me onto his lap and kissing us both breathless.

  “Mmm, are you staying for the sleepover or going home?” I ask looking at him my eyes taking him in.

  “What do you want me to do?” he asks eyes smouldering.

  “I want you to stay with me,” I reply my voice low, sexy. I really want to sleep next to him and wake in his arms.

  “Then, I’ll stay. I want to feel you in my arms all night,” he murmurs kissing my head.

  I really want to ask what’s going to happen when he tells his step-dad and Ashley, but I don't want to spoil our night. I don’t like her already, but I can’t be angry at her, she had him first and they’re engaged.

  She’s the one wearing his ring. Fuck. That makes me the other woman. I don’t want to be in this position, it’s wrong and goes against everything my Mom instilled in me.

  Getting off him, I go to the window, pretending to look for the delivery guy. But of course, he’s tuned into my mood swing, his arms slip around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder and his breath on my cheek.

  “What’s wrong?” he asks, his eyes burning into the side of my face.

  “Nothing, I’m fine.” I force a smile, trying to sound normal, but having his arms around me is making me feel sick as my imagination conjuring images of them around another.

  “You’re not fine. You went from hot and sexy to sad and pissed. What were you thinking about?” he prods.

  I stay quiet, he squeezes me tighter. “Baby, talk to me.”

  “What will happen when you tell your step-dad and fiancée about us?” I can’t stop the disgust seeping through at the use of that word.

  I don’t even have the right to be disgusted. She had him first. I’m just his bit on the side. Homewrecker. Nausea surges through me at the thought of being branded that.

  “I’ll be right back,” I blurt shrugging out of his hold and bolting for the bathroom, barely making it before vomiting the little food I’ve had today. I'm shaky and sweaty. Flushing the loo, I stand and look at the girl in the mirror.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” I ask glaring at my reflection. A soft knock on the door snaps me out of the glaring contest with myself.

  “Lily, are you okay?” Ethan muffled voice calls through the door.

  I swill my mouth out with mouthwash. “Just get it over with,” I mutter to myself.

  Opening the door, I look up into the magnificently beautiful eyes of the man I’ve stupidly fell in love with.

  “The pizza’s here, are you okay?” he asks, stroking my cheek.

  I nod. “Yeah, I’m good now, thanks,” I answer taking his hand, leading him to the kitchen, sitting I open a box and eat quietly.

  “Okay, you need to tell me what just happened back there,” he huffs dropping his pizza. I put mine down and take a deep breath. I need to be honest and tell him everything that’s going through my head.

  “Okay, here it is. First, what are you going to tell your step-dad and Ashley?” I ask bullet pointing what I want to ask in my head.

  “Well, I’m going to tell them the deals off. That I’ve found someone I want to be with,” he states simply, looking me in the eye he adds. “That I’ve found the woman I love and intend to marry.”

  My jaw hits the table and I stare at him dumbfounded. My face splits into the most radiant smile, I’m delirious, overjoyed, blissed out, ecstatic and speechless and that just doesn’t happen to me.

  “You… You just…” I sputter unable to finish my sentence. Cocking his head to the side, he smirks at my speechlessness.

  “I just what?” he asks amused, I throw a piece of pizza at him.

  “Oh, shut up. That’s how you feel? That’s what you want?” I stumble over my words, like an inarticulate idiot.

  “That’s what I want and feel, I was hoping you were feeling the same?” he asks unsure. He looks incredibly nervous, anxious even for my reply.

  “For God’s sake. Put the poor man out of his misery,” an exasperated voice huffs from the door. Turning I see an astonished Mason and a grinning Millie. Standing just inside the door holding hands!

  “Well, come on, don’t keep him waiting. He looks a little pale,” Millie snaps me back to the here and now.

  Looking at Ethan I see she’s right, he does look pale, but I don’t want an audience for this. Standing quickly, I grab his hand pulling him with me rushing to the stairs.

  “Be right back. Save us some pizza,” I call down, shoving him into my room, closing and locking the door.

  The lamps still on and the bed, still rumpled from earlier. “I do,” I blurt looking at his handsome face, aware of the depth of meaning to those words.

  He releases the breath he’s been holding. His eyes shine with happiness and his smile could light up the house, he rushes me, pinning me to the door.

  “I love you, Lily Carter,” he sighs relieved. Grasping his face, I say, “I love you too, Ethan. Now kiss me.”

  I may be a fool. Young and naïve, but love is a powerful inebriant, it intoxicates you, and if you’re lucky, destiny will play you a good hand and you can stay drunk in love.

  ~*~

  Walking down the stairs hand in hand, both must up, rumpled and happy. Whatever comes from all this, we’ll weather it together, Ethan eradicated my fears of being his bit on the side with his speech earlier.

  We stop dead in our tracks. Shocked at the sight before us. My jaw hits the floor again. Shit, it’s going to be sore later.

  Mason is on the sofa with Millie straddling him, his hands are…. Well, one is on her arse
, the other I can’t see. It’s Millie that is shocking the shit out of me. She has Mason’s shirt up to his neck.

  Her hands are exploring his muscled chest and is currently doing some major grinding on him. What happens next is comical and horrific (for them) all at once.

  “Well, I can see I need to do more supervising here,” Nan’s voice cracks like a whip.

  Mason jumps almost knocking Millie onto the floor as Millie squeals, quickly adjusting her top confirming where Mason’s hand was. She’s beet red and speechless. Mace looks sheepish, but not sorry. I straighten my hair gently, mustering as much courage as I can while fighting embarrassment.

  “We ordered pizza, do you want some?” I ask Nan, surprised my voice sounds normal.

  She cracks up, leaning on the sofa. “Wow, your faces…” She chokes out, breaking the ice making us all laugh.

  “Okay, you’re all adults, technically, just no doing that, on my sofa. I've got to sit on it, for heaven’s sake. Just don’t tell your Mother I said that.” She points at Millie, who hides her face in Mason’s chest.

  “Don’t worry, Millie, I’ve been there. My Jacob was H.O.T. That was nothing compared to what we did,” she says wistfully.

  Oh, hell no. “Eww, Nan. No. Don’t say things like that in front of me. I don’t want nor need that stuff in my head… I need my ears syringing and my brain wiped.” I mutter, shuddering in disgust the image of Nan and Grandad getting it on running through my head, they all laugh at my distress.

  “How do you think your Mom came along? Jake was fine, he looked after himself and in the bedroom…” she whistles.

  “Okay.” I shout literally gagging, “we get the picture... You ‘did it,’ To have Mom, and Grandad was 'fine' back then.” I imitate her voice when she said the word fine.

  “Oh, we ‘did it’ more than just for your Mom.” She assures, biting her lip. Eww... I gag again “okay, pizza, movies and no sleep for me. Thanks, Nan,” I cringe.

  “Oh, come on. Are you going to not ‘do it’ when you’re older?” she asks exasperated. Blushing my eyes darting to Ethan, who raises his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.

  “Erm…. I am not discussing my sex life with you,” I state flustered, my British accent coming stronger.

  “Oh, you have a sex life, do you?” Nan asks teasing, I freeze trying to think. “Um… I...” I stutter feeling like a deer in headlights.

  “Who wants pizza?” I ask rushing into the kitchen taking deep breaths. Well, that could have gone better.

  “Hey,” I look up at Ethan, finding him grinning at me.

  “I totally walked into that, didn’t I?” I sigh, my head dropping to my chest, my eyes not leaving him as he nods “and it no doubt made her curious,” I grumble sighing, he comes to stand in front of me, rubbing my arms.

  “Hey, she’s just teasing, but I’ve got to know now… You aren’t going to deprive me in our marital bed when we get older are you?” he asks, trying to sound serious, but chuckles into my hair, I poke him in his delicious abs lowering my voice so only he can hear me.

  “Don’t push it buddy or you won’t be getting anything in any bed with me,” I giggle biting and licking his neck. He groans “okay, I'm sorry, baby, don’t punish me like that please.”

  “Where’s that pizza? Stop canoodling you two,” Nan yells, exasperated, I roll my eyes.

  “We’re coming!” I shout. Ethan freezes drawing in a breath.

  “Ethan, you have to move for me to be able to reach the pizza.” I quip, stopping at the look in his eyes.

  “Don’t look at me like that. My Nan’s just through there, with your brother and my best friend,” I breath, rubbing my hands up and down his ribs.

  “It’s your fault for shouting that. Now, you’re going to have to walk in front of me, so your gran doesn’t see my hard-on,” he groans adjusting himself.

  ~*~

  Chapter Eight

  I wake to the sun streaming through my bedroom window, I’m warm and comfy. Shifting, I bump into a wall of hard muscle. Turning over I see Ethan still fast asleep and bare from the waist up.

  Yum. He looks so peaceful and relaxed, with a thick arm thrown over his head, the other lying on his chest, I have no idea if he has anything on. The thought makes me squirm. I must have fallen asleep before the good stuff last night, because I’m feeling a little neglected. My heart is racing, my boobs ache, my thighs tingle and I’m soaking wet.

  Leaning over, I run my hand down his hard chest, so beautifully formed it makes my mouth water, I want to lick him all over.

  Looking at his face guiltily, I rest on one arm and kiss his chest gently, he stays asleep, so I go to town licking and nipping his smooth skin. Leaving tiny teeth marks all over his magnificent body.

  My fingers learn the contours of his nicely defined abs, stopping when I reach the edge of the quilt and stoke my fingertips along the edge.

  He groans, abruptly grabbing my hand. “What are you up to?” he croaks, as I turn in the direction of his voice, his sleepily smile is heart-stopping.

  “Just checking out the merchandise,” I whisper, wiggling my fingers for him to lose his hold. He does, leaving me to explore.

  His breath hitches when my hand slides over his abs. “Baby, you’re going to get yourself into trouble. I don’t know how much longer I can hold off pouncing on you,” he groans, as my palm whispers over his morning wood.

  In the blink of an eye, I’m on my back, with Ethan braced over me. His beautifully muscled arms showcased on either side of my head.

  “What do you want?” he asks, our breaths mingling. I blink up at him knowing I don’t want to have sex with him… Well, I do, but, not until every thing’s straightened out.

  “I can’t have sex with you, not yet,” I whisper laying my hand on his chest, he looks at me guiltily, nodding. “Okay, I get that, I don’t want you rushing or feeling like what we’re doing is wrong,” he says sadly, sliding off me.

  “No, wait! I didn’t say we couldn’t do anything at all, just not sex... Yet.” I smirk, squeaking as he pulls me on top of him. “Okay, you take control, do what you want,” he says, flashing me a wicked smile.

  I flounder. “I don’t know, Ethan. I’ve never done any of this before,” I murmur embarrassed.

  “Hey, it’s okay, just go with your body, like you did last night.” His eyes heat at the memory.

  Shut off my brain and feel? I can do that.

  I lean in forcing him to lay back on the bed, I sit back so I can get a good look at him. He's the epitome of male hotness. Gloriously bare, tan muscled chest. His happy trail guiding my eyes to his very happy package.

  This image of him will forever be burned into my brain. An arm behind his head, the other resting lazily over his chest, leg bent as he’s sprawled across my bed waiting for me to play.

  God, he's in the ultimate wet dream pose. An Adonis and mine to play with, I giggle at my thoughts earning a raised eyebrow from him.

  “What’s the giggle for?” he asks his brow cocked.

  “Nothing, just thinking how amazingly sexy you look sprawled across my bed,” I admit, biting my cheek. Feeling my excitement bubble, imagining all the things I want to do to him and with him.

  “Good to know, since you'll be living with it a long time, hopefully,” he says, but his eyes are unsure.

  “I’m all yours, Ethan,” I whisper against his lips, he groans taking my lips in a fiery kiss. My hands run down his chest, his hot flesh rippling under my palms.

  I slide up and over him, my knees either side of his hips. Abruptly he sits up aligning us perfectly, crushing me to his chest. The smooth skin of his back begs for my nails, so I drag them lightly across his shoulder blades, his hiss of pained pleasure turns me on more.

  His palm sliding under my top, slowly pulling it up and off, has me trembling and not just from nerves. I sigh as his chest rubs my sensitive, swollen breasts. “Mmm” I hum, wiggling closer.

  “Ah, you feel amazing. Your skin’s so
soft and these… I love,” he mumbles nuzzling my nipple, I squirm as his scruff tickles me. My giggle turns into a moan when he sucks it into his mouth.

  “Ah, Ethan.” I arch into him, the dam bursting as flames lick my skin. I shudder, my stomach clenching hard, I bite down on Ethan’s neck trying to control my noise level.

  “Did you…?” He looks stunned, I nod, feeling myself flush bright red, hiding my head in his neck.

  “No, baby, don’t hide. Fuck. That was incredible. Amazingly hot." His growl connecting and revving my recently sated body.

  "Is that your favourite word? You say it all the time,” I ask to distract him from my embarrassment. No, such luck with him watching me intently.

  “Come here,” he pulls me into another scorching kiss. Broken only by a vibrating phone. “Ignore it.” He growls, stroking my tongue with his, rocking me against him. His phone goes to voicemail.

  “Mmm,” I moan kissing along his neck, licking his collarbone with the tip of my tongue.

  “Umm, that feels amazing,” he groans, a smile curling my lips as he uses the word again. I growl hearing, his phone buzzing again. Well, my moods gone from sexy to pissed in two point five seconds. Shuffling back off him, I pull on my top.

  “Fuck. Who the hell’s that? It better be fucking good. Could you pass my phone off the dresser, please?” he huffs, rubbing a hand down his face sitting up.

  Grabbing his phone, I notice the caller name, it's Ashley. I feel like I’ve been doused with ice water. Scowling, I hand it to him and disappear into my bathroom.

  What the hell does she want? What if all this can’t be sorted? I sigh, looking at myself in the mirror. What am I thinking getting into this mess? I have to go back to college soon.

  Questions swirl through my head wanting answers I can’t give. I can hear his one-sided conversation through the gap in the door.

  “I’ll be back later today,” his voice is sickly soft. “No, I stayed with a friend last night.” That stuns me and irrational anger burns through me. Just a fucking friend? Friends don’t do what we’ve been doing.