“Thanks.”
He laughed. “You respond to compliments as long as they aren’t commenting on your beauty or looks.”
I said nothing, knowing he was right. I just wasn’t sure how to respond to comment
s like that. If I accepted the compliment, didn’t it mean that I agreed with it? And if I did agree, wouldn’t that make me conceited? I just stayed clear of those words.
Ethan sat on the couch then Koku sat on his lap. I walked to him then pushed my dog away, straddling Ethan’s hips. My dress moved up slightly but Ethan didn’t pull it up all the way, which disappointed me.
Ethan leaned back and brought my lips to his, kissing me gently. His breath filled my mouth, exciting me so fast it blew my mind. I was instantly hot when he touched me. His fingers glided through my hair, softly pulled the different strands. His other hand moved up my side, feeling the flesh around my torso. When his tongue entered my mouth, I tasted the beer he had been drinking. It was strong and tasty. As the passion between us became more intense, I felt my nails dig into his skin. The area between my legs was on fire and I wanted him.
I grabbed his shirt and started to unbutton it. He grabbed me and stopped me. “No,” he said into my mouth.
Instead, I grabbed his pants and undid the zipper.
“Sadie,” he said, grabbing me again.
“Come on, Ethan.”
“I want to kiss you all night.”
My lips were on his again, devouring him. “Make love to me.”
He ignored me and kept kissing me.
“Come on.”
He broke
the embrace, kissing me gently on the corners of my mouth. “Why do you want to sleep with me?”
“Because you’re hot. Why else?”
“Well, I want more than that.”
“Ethan,” I begged.
“You aren’t logical right now. It’s not going to happen.”
“I think you are sweet and sexy. Sometimes you are insane, but you are still a gentleman. You make me feel safe. When you kiss me, I feel like you care about me, would die for me. Even though I met you in a bar, I don’t think you are like other guys. You are different, amazing.”
He looked into my eyes, saying nothing. Suddenly, he picked me up and carried me into my bedroom, laying me on the surface. I reached for his clothes again, trying to take them off but he wouldn’t let me. He pinned my hands back.
“We aren’t having sex tonight. But I do want to kiss you, taste your skin, and be with you. That’s the most you are getting out of me.”
“Okay.”
He released my hands and crawled on top of me, kicking of his shoes. His hands glided across my skin but he didn’t touch my breasts or the area between my legs. Every touch was gently and loving, like he praised my every feature. When
his lips kissed me, every movement was precise. Ethan would break apart and look me in the eyes, staring at me for a moment before he kissed me again, loving me with this tongue. His erection was constantly against my thigh, reminding me how much he wanted me. It took all his strength to resist my begging and pleas. It made me respect him even more. He could have me whenever he wanted me, but instead, he wanted to kiss me, running his fingers through my hair. I wanted to feel his bare chest against my hands but I didn’t reach for his shirt. When I imagined him naked, I felt my body betray me, preparing me for an orgasm that wouldn’t take place. I wanted to come but I knew Ethan wouldn’t touch me there.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, feeling my dress pull up. He didn’t pull it down as he moved against me, his erection pressed against my
clitoris. That was exactly where I wanted it. When Ethan felt my breathing change and my grip become tighter, he broke our kiss and looked down at me. He pressed his forehead against mine as he rocked into me, wanting to watch me come.
His gentle thrusts were enough to spark the tip of my dynamite. I was almost t
here and every thrust brought me closer. The memory of his naked body in combination with his delicious kiss had me burning. After another rock I was lost. I breathed into his mouth, practically gasping as it hit me like a bolt of lightning. My fingertips burned as my body shook, enjoying every ounce of pleasure. It exploded and made me weak, leaving me writing on the bed as he moved against me. Ethan just watched me, fascinated by my bout of exhilaration. When I was finished, he kissed me again, lightly pressing his tongue against mine.
Ethan continued to kiss me with passion, making me breathless and weak. He was the only man that could make me feel so satisfied and content. I already had an orgasm but my desire for sex wasn’t quenched. I wanted him to be inside me, to feel his skin slid past mine. I wanted Ethan.
Sometime late into the night, Ethan stopped kissing me and lay beside me, his arms wrapped around me. I fell asleep then felt my clothes being torn from my body. When I opened my eyes, I was tucked under the covers.
Ethan kissed me on the forehead. “Good night.”
I moaned, too tired to speak.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He closed the bedroom door then left my apartment, sliding
the key under the door.
6
“Honey, how are the books?”
I looked at the inventory on my computer. “Good. It seems like people aren’t really buying classics anymore. We sell more romance and young adult novels than anything else.”
My dad nodded. “Maybe we should carry more and have a promotion.”
I nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.” I
glanced at my computer on the counter and looked through the novels. We weren’t doing extremely well, but good enough to support us from paycheck to paycheck. My mom and dad opened this store before I was even alive. Even though it was a lot of work, my dad refused to give it up.
“Did you see your brother yesterday?”
“Yeah.”
“How’s he?”
“Good. Thinks he might break up with Suzie.”
He sighed in relief. “Good. That young lady is a little far-fetched.”
“Yeah. I didn’t care for her much either.”
“I didn’t even meet the girl and I already don’t like her.” He grabbed a box from the floor and started stacking the books on the shelf. The store was pretty small, but it had to be that way so we could afford rent. Anything bigger w
as inconceivable.
“Yeah. She’s different.”
My dad walked to the window and stared at the glass. “We need to clean this.”
I stared at it. It looked fine to me. My dad always had a weird obsession with everything being ridiculously clean—spotless. I think he got it from my mom.
“So how was your weekend?”
I smiled. “Good.”
He caught the look. “And what did you do?”
I tried to hide my smile but it wouldn’t disappear. “I went out with the girls.”
“And? I doubt that’s the only reason why you’re smiling.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s it.” I felt bad for lying to my dad about Ethan but I wasn’t ready to talk about it. He didn’t call me
the day after our date, and I wasn’t sure where that left us. We just met but I felt like I was already in love with him. I just didn’t want to pressure him into meeting my family. I wasn’t sure what he wanted. He said he wanted something more, but he didn’t say when so I didn’t want to push it. And he wouldn’t have sex with me. I knew there was a reason why.
My dad stared at me for a moment
then looked back at the window. “Okay.” He was tall like Jared and had the same dark hair. He had a little weight around his stomach, but he was fairly thin and in decent shape. He wore glasses that made him look a little older than he really was.
We were pretty dead th
at afternoon. Not a lot of customers came in during the day unless they were tourists. I never understood why people went book shopping when they traveled. They could buy the books at home or on Amazon. When the bell rang over the door, I was surprised that we had a customer. I closed my laptop and put it away. When I looked up, I felt my heart drop.
“Ethan?”
“Hey,” he said with a smile. He placed a plastic bag on the counter. “I wanted to bring you lunch. I thought you might be here.”
I glanced at my dad. He was staring at us with a grin on his face, shaking his head slightly. I had been caught in my lie.
“Uh—thanks.”
He leaned over the counter and kissed me gently. “You look beautiful.”
I looked down at my shirt. It was baggy and had the store logo on it. I definitely didn’t feel appealing. When I looked at him, he had a serious expression on his face. I knew what he was thinking.
“Thank you,
” I said quickly.
He nodded. “You’re getting better at this.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I see you tonight? I miss you.”
His strong affection baffled me. I felt like we were already a couple—not that I minded. “Uh—well, I had dinner plans tonight.”
“Oh
, okay,” he said. I could detect the sadness in his voice.
“Invite him along,” my dad said.
Ethan turned around and looked at my father. “Hello. I’m Ethan.” He shook his hand.
My father nodded to him then stepped back. “Sadie’s father.”
Ethan stiffed at his announcement. I felt so bad for him. He just walked into a snake pit that he never expected. My father was a great man, but I don’t think Ethan was prepared for that.
“It’s very nice to meet you,” he said politely. “You have a great daughter.”
“She’s okay,” my dad said.
Ethan laughed. “Now I know where she gets her sense of humor.”
My dad nodded. “We’re having dinner at the house. Join us.”
“Thank you for the invitation. I’ll be there.”
I felt my heart race. I was not ready for this.
“Good,” my father said. “I want to know the man that can make my daughter smile like that.” He grabbed a box and carried it to the back of the store.
Ethan turned back to me and leaned over the counter. “Wasn’t expecting that.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I never expected you to come here.”
He smiled. “It’s okay.” He opened the bag. “You like sandwiches, right?”
“I eat anything.”
He handed me a sandwich wrapped in white paper.
“Good.” He opened his and started to eat at the counter. “So, is it okay if I come to dinner tonight?”
“Well, I don’t think we have a choice at this point.”
“Do you want me to come?”
“Uh—yeah.”
He caught m
y hesitation. “If you don’t want me there, it’s fine. We just met.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what?”
“I—I just
don’t want to scare you off. Meeting my family is a big deal. I don’t want to pressure you.”
He put down his sandwich. “You mean that?”
“Well, yeah.”
He grabbed my face and kissed me. “I would love to meet your family, but under one condition.”
“What?”
“You introduce me as your boyfriend.”
I smiled. “Really?”
“Yeah. I’ve fallen hard for you, Sadie. I did the moment I saw you in that bar.”
I felt my heart squeeze in my chest. I couldn’t believe that this gorgeous man had such strong feelings for me. Perhaps he felt the way I did. The feeling was there the moment we met. I had fallen hard for Ethan too. I was already in love with him. I really didn’t know him, but it was true nonetheless. “What’s your last name?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Benedict. Why?”
“I just realized I didn’t know your last name.”
He smiled. “What’s yours?”
“Montague.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re getting there.” Ethan grabbed his sandwich and started to eat it.
I unwrapped mine and watched him. I didn’t have an appetite at the moment. “Ethan?”
“Hmm?”
“I want to have sex.”
He stopped chewing for a moment while he stared at me. Then he swallowed his food and wiped his mouth with a napkin. “You do?” He couldn’t hide the excitement in his voice.
“Yeah.”
“Are you sure?”
I grabbed his face and kissed him deeply. His lips tasted sweet against my mouth. I felt a fire ignite with every caress of his tongue. I pulled away. “I’m very certain.”
He smiled at me. “Let’s see how tonight goes.”
“Why? Come over after work.”
He closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. A quiet moan escaped his lips. “You have no idea how much I want you, Sadie. You can’t talk to me like that. At least not yet.”
“Why are you apprehensive of me?”
“Like I said—I really care about you. I don’t want to mess up what we have.”
“We won’t.”
“We’ll talk about it later.” He grabbed his sandwich and continued to eat it. I ate mine while we stood at the counter. When we were done, he looked at his watch. “I have to go.”
I sighed. I hated it when he left. I walked around the counter and wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. Now that I kissed him once, I didn’t want to stop. I wanted him all the time. I couldn’t wait until we were finally together. It would be the most amazing experience of my life.
Ethan ran his fingers through my hair as he kissed me. I could feel his body against my chest, strong and powerful. When I imagined him naked, I felt the arousal course through my limbs. An innocent goodbye kiss had escalated into a session of foreplay.
“Ah-hem,” my father said as he cleared his throat.
Ethan pulled away quickly and dropped his hands. I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment. We were getting hot and heavy just a second ago and my father watched the whole thing.
Ethan cleared his throat. “It was nice to meet you, Mr. Montague.”
“Likewise,” my father said with a smile.
He turned to me. “I’ll see you later, baby.”
I smiled. “Bye.”
“I’ll see you at dinner,” he said as he walked out the door. I watched him walk by until he disappeared from the sight of the windows. I had a huge smile on my face. I had a boyfriend. Ethan was my boyfriend. I loved him and I had a strong feeling that he loved me too.
My father smiled at me. “That was a nice suit.”
I knew what my father was really asking. “He works on Wall
Street.”
He nodded in approval. “Does he know Jared?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never asked. It’s a big company.”
“I’m excited to get to know him, Sadie.”
“I think you’ll like him.”
“Well, now I know what you were smiling about all day.”
I felt my cheeks blush. “Yeah.”