Kiss Me at Midnight (Entangled Flaunt) (7 page)

He lifted her dress higher, breaking away only to pull it over her head. When she pulled his shirt over his head, she sucked in a deep breath and took him in—his broad shoulders, his tight abs, his tribal tattoo on his pec. She didn’t have a whole lot of time to study it before he cupped her cheek and kissed her, his tongue flicking across her lips and into her mouth.

She held on to his hard bicep with one hand and rested her other one over his heart. His fingers flexed on her jaw, and his free hand slid up her leg. When he touched her inner thigh, just barely brushing against her clit, she tightened her grip on him.

He made her feel so much. More than mere desire. But she didn’t want to feel more.

Didn’t want to want more when more wasn’t possible.

He lowered his lips to her neck, then to her shoulder. When he slid her closer to the edge of the counter and took her bra off, she shut her thoughts off and traced the contours of his chest. He was so hard and hot and
male
.

She put her hands on his waistband, undoing the button with a turn of her wrist, but he backed out of reach. “Nope. Not yet.”

She opened her eyes. “Yes,
now
.”

“First…” His hand came back into view. “Taste this.”

He had whipped cream on his finger. The whipped cream she’d made to go with the apple pie and apparently left out on the counter. Her pulse hiked up a decimal point or two. Leaning forward, she flicked her tongue over the tip of his finger. “Mm. That’s good.”

His eyes darkened as he watched her tongue move over him, licking him clean, and his jaw ticked. Reaching back into the bowl, he got another scoop on his finger. “Let me have a taste.”

She grinned, anxious to see where he would put it. When he traced his fingertip over her nipple, she gasped and arched her back, shifting her weight on the edge of the countertop. “Oh my God.”

He lowered his head and licked her, running his tongue over the sensitive bud with one long stroke. Then, he sucked her deep into his mouth and scraped his teeth against her. When he pulled back and got another finger full of the cream, she gripped the edge of the counter tight.

He was going to
kill
her.

“I need another turn.” He ran his free hand over her bare stomach, creeping close to her panties, but not quite delivering. “I don’t know what tasted better, you or the whipped cream.”

With his free hand, he put more whipped cream on her other breast, and she closed her eyes, giving herself over to him completely.

…

Ethan closed his mouth around her nipple, rolling his tongue over the hard bud and sucking up every drop of whipped cream. Her body undulated against him, her pelvis thrusted against his cock. Fuck, a man could get used to this.

She whimpered when he scraped his teeth over her nipple, so he did it again, only a little rougher this time. She dropped her head back, her neck arching gracefully. For a second, he pulled back and just
looked
at her.

She was fucking perfect. Gorgeous.

If ever a woman called for him to change his loner ways, it was her.

He flexed his fingers on her, sliding closer to her sweet pussy. She rolled her hips and pressed even closer, obviously wanting more than he was giving. Good. He was more than willing to give it to her.

He traced his finger down her slit, then slid underneath her satin panties. His fingers came away soaked. Fuck, he was ready for her, too. Had been before he even walked through the door. He thrust a finger inside of her, grunting when her inner muscles clamped down.

Capturing her mouth again, he swallowed her cries of pleasure. He loved the noises she made when she got excited. Loved the way she clung to him, as if she was going to float away if she didn’t. Hell, if he let himself, he could easily fall in
love
with her.

Aw, fuck no. He hadn’t thought that.

He backed out of her arms, his eyes flying open. Hers did the same, and she looked at him in surprise. “Ethan?”

He shook his head and ran his hands down his face, trembling from what he’d just thought. Of what he was
feeling
, damn it. “I…I…”

Holy shit fuck. This was bad. Really bad.

“What’s wrong?” She hopped off of the counter and came closer to him. “What happened?”

He needed to get his shit together. He didn’t
actually
love her. He’d simply thought it would be easy to
fall
for her, is all. And even if he did fall for her—
hypothetically
—it wouldn’t change this fling they had going. Wouldn’t change them. “I just needed a second.”

She blinked at him, a confused expression on her face. Seeing her standing there, topless with only a pair of black panties on, made his stomach clench down. He took the step that distanced them and hauled her into his arms. Without another word, he kissed her with all the frustration and confusion he felt.

She sighed into his mouth and wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. When she pressed her almost-naked length against him, he blessedly stopped thinking. He backed her up against the countertop again, this time spinning her around. He palmed her ass, his eyes taking in the view, then he slapped her lightly.

“Ethan,” she uttered, bending forward against the counter, her breath coming out in tiny little pants. He slapped her again, his gut clenching when she cried out and pressed even closer, begging for more.

He grit his teeth. “You’ve been a bad girl.”

She looked over her shoulder and licked her lips, pressing back into his hand. “Do it again.”

“Oh, I will.” He slapped her again, then knelt behind her. Reaching out, he slowly brought her panties down her thighs, inch by agonizing inch. “And I think I know just what to do next.”

Her thighs trembled when he spread her wider, then slid his hand in between them, watching his finger trace her entrance. “You have no idea how hot you look right now.”

“
Ethan
,” she whimpered, her voice cracking.

Moving even closer, he thrust a finger inside of her, watching as it disappeared inside her body. She cried out and gripped the edge of the counter top, her entire body going tight. He bit her ass cheek, sliding another finger inside of her with the first.

Her pussy clenched down on his fingers. “
Oh my God
.”

He moved his fingers inside of her, fast and hard. She tightened around him even more, so he nibbled on the spot where her ass and back met. As he worked her over with one hand, he unfastened the buttons on his jeans with the other. He even managed to get a condom out of his pocket without breaking pace. She grew hotter and wetter with every thrust of his fingers, her muscles tight and quivering around him. “Fuck, you’re so tight, babe.”

“Please take me now.”

When he removed his hand, she slumped onto the countertop, her breathing uneven and harsh. He quickly rolled the condom on before plunging inside of her with one sure stroke. She cried his name as he moved inside of her, hard and quick.

There was no holding back. Not this time. Reaching around her, he cupped her tits and held on to her, pumping inside of her again and again. When she tightened around his cock, he bit down on her shoulder and thrust inside of her one more time.

They came together, their cries intermingling. He collapsed against her, enjoying the sweet smell of her hair and her naked body against his.

“Don’t go tonight,” she said softly. “We only have one more night, and I want to spend it all with you.”

He swallowed hard, trying to hold off the rising panic. Because he wanted to stay. “Okay. I’ll stay. But I need a second, okay?”

She nodded, and he pulled out of her, picked up his pants, and walked away.

As soon as he was in the bathroom, he closed the door, locked it, and collapsed against it. He’d agreed to stay with her, but that wasn’t what made him want to curl up in a ball and hide from the world. He’d broken not one, but
two,
of his rules.

Agreeing to stay was a bad idea.

But then, as if that wasn’t bad enough, he’d started to fall for her.

Again.

Chapter Nine

Ashley set his plate down on the dinner table, being careful not to get too close to the flickering candlelit flame. Though she’d thrown her dress back on, she hadn’t bothered with anything else. For his part, Ethan wore his pants and his shirt, but he’d left it undone. Now that was quite the sight. As soon as the plate hit the table, he was behind her, hugging her from behind. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wanting nothing more than to freeze this moment. Right now, right here, she was happy.

But he was leaving tomorrow, so she better not get too used to it.

He kissed her shoulder and then let go of her. “It smells delicious. It’s a big step from the burnt toast you used to serve me.”

“Thank you.” She forced a lighthearted smile and spun in his arms, her hands resting on his chest. “Hopefully, you’ll be able to eat this meal with just as big of a smile as you did back then.”

He had, too. He’d eaten the whole piece of toast, even though it had been black. He laughed and bussed her nose. “I think this might be a little bit more enjoyable, even.”

“You know…I may have burnt that toast on purpose to get back at you for beating me in bowling.” She grinned. “I guess we don’t have to worry I’ve done the same with this meal, huh?”

He narrowed his eyes on her. “That was low.”

“Then or now?”

“Both,” he replied, a brow up. “I think I need a kiss to make up for it.”

“Hm.” She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him. “All better?”

“I’m not sure yet.”

She kissed his jaw this time. She’d never been much of an affection-shower before, but with him, it just felt
right
. “How about now?”

“Oh yeah.” His hands snaked around her waist and cupped her ass. “Much better.”

She slapped at his arm and laughed. They both sat down in their seats, and she picked up her wine to take a sip. He did the same, his eyes on her the whole time. When he lowered the glass, he opened his mouth, but then closed it. As if he didn’t know what to say.

“Thank you for this weekend. It’s been incredible. When I leave tomorrow, you can bet you’ll be the one on my mind when the plane takes off,” he said, his voice thick.

“Yeah.” Her throat threatened to close up on her. “Of course.”

He shot her a weird look. “You okay?”

“Yeah. I just had something stuck in my throat.” She cleared it and took another sip of wine for good measure. “There. All better.”

He didn’t reply, but instead turned his attention to his food. He cut a meatball in half and popped it into his mouth. As he chewed, his eyes closed, and he let out a moan. Man, she liked that. Liked having him here.

God help her.

“You’ve definitely come a long way.” He ate another bite and swallowed. “Holy shit, I might have to stow you away in my luggage and bring you back to California with me, kicking and screaming the whole way.”

Her heart sped up even though he was kidding. He was
so
obviously kidding.

“Nope. Not happening,” she said, keeping her tone light and teasing. She popped a piece of meatball into her mouth and chewed, waving her fork in his direction. “You want my cooking? Then you have to stay here, in Rehoboth Hell.”

“No way.” He shuddered. Actually
shuddered
. “Not even fabulous food could keep me here. This town is hell on earth.”

She swallowed hard, not letting his refusal hurt her. It’s not as if she’d actually begged him to stay or anything. It’s not as if she told him she was falling for him more and more every minute they spent together. She swallowed her bite. “Sammy’s Diner has the best eggs benedict this side of the country, and you know it.”

“I won’t argue there.” He ate another bite. “But unless Sammy is willing to leave with me, I’ll have to leave him behind, too.”

She looked up at him in surprise. She had the feeling he wasn’t talking about
Sammy
…but about her. Her heart skipped a beat. “Sammy can’t go. His job is here.”

He leaned in, catching her gaze. “Sammy could open up a
diner
in California.” He broke eye contact and picked up his wine, taking a long pull of it. “There’s plenty of opportunity out there for someone with Sammy’s skills.”

“Ah, that’s not possible.” She picked up her wine. “Sammy isn’t able to move to California because he has obligations.”

“Sammy can bring his obligations with him,” Ethan argued.

And move her mother out there in her fragile state? Yeah. Not happening.

“You could move here and get over the feeling that everyone here is laughing at you,” she suggested. “Then Sammy wouldn’t have to move.”

“It’s not a feeling.” He set his glass down hard. “It’s the truth.”

“Puh-lease.” She rolled her eyes. “No one even remembers the boy you were once they see you now. Trust me.”

“Yeah, they do.” He leaned back in his chair, not touching the food he said he so loved. “They see the same boy who stuttered his way through childhood. They see the boy who they shoved into lockers for fun. They see the boy they kicked and hit and threw around. That’s
all
they see, and it’s all I’ll ever be here. Why the
hell
would I want to come back?”

Her heart broke for the boy he’d been…but he wasn’t that boy now. Not anymore. “I think
you’re
the one who doesn’t see the man you are. Not the other way around.”

“You’re wrong. When I’m here, that’s what they see. It’s who I am.” He pushed back from the table and stood up, pacing in front of her. “This town is full of assholes who spent their childhood torturing me.”

Ashley pressed her lips together. “Not all of us are. But I’m not here to argue with you or change your mind.”

“You just don’t see it, is all.” He shrugged. “I don’t even mind it, in small doses. But moving here? Hell no. Besides, I have a great job in California. I can’t just walk away from that.”

“You could start over if you wanted to. Show them—”

“I
already
started over in California.” He caught her gaze, seeming to try to make her understand. And she did, to an extent. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t miss him once he left, damn it. “Out there, I’m just a guy who does a damn fine job at his career. One who is successful and kind and a bit of a loner by choice. It’s who I am now…but not when I’m here. When I’m here, I’m still that small boy who no one liked. And I’m really fucking tired of having to prove myself over and over and over.”

She stood up, too. “I liked you back then. I wanted you to stay.”

He froze, his eyes meeting hers. The vulnerability in them, the sadness, hit her in the heart a lot harder than she would have ever thought possible. “I know. But you liking me when we were kids isn’t enough. It’s not enough to make me come back h-here.”

She flinched. She couldn’t help it. The truth hurt. The truth was a bitch.

“I know.”

“I’m sorry, but I need more out of life than that.”

He watched her, as if he waited for her to say something. So she did. “Well, at least I can Facebook stalk you now, right?”

He laughed, but it sounded forced. “You could even go so far as to friend me. I just might approve you.”

She smiled but didn’t feel it. He didn’t need to know how much it hurt her to let him go. To watch him walk away
again
. At least this time she would get a goodbye, though. “If you don’t, I’ll kick your ass. But it’s for the best, anyway. You leaving. It’s not like this would work.”

He crossed his arms, the vulnerability she’d seen earlier fading away with a blink of his eyes, and shifted on his feet. “As if
what
would work?”

“Us.” She moved her finger back and forth between them. “This.”

His jaw flexed, and his nostrils flared. “We’re friends. Beyond that, we were just an extended one-night stand.” His voice was hard. “Just like you wanted. Like I wanted.”

She nodded, even though she wanted nothing more than to scream at him for making her feel as if they didn’t have anything between them when she
knew
they did.

“Exactly.” She sat back down. “Are you going to sit back down and eat? Or are you going to run away again?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s your thing.” She shrugged. “You run. I get it. I tend to push people away until they run, so we make a good team.”

He sat down and picked up his fork. “I’m not fucking running anywhere.”

She raised a brow but didn’t say anything. She didn’t need to.

He
was
running…he just hadn’t left yet.

…

Ethan swallowed the bite of meatball, but he didn’t even taste it. This whole thing was becoming a big, fucking mess. This weekend was supposed to be a carefree fling with a woman he used to care for, but now she was looking at him as if she wanted more.

And he wasn’t sure he had more to give.

He knew what he wanted out of life, and living in Rehoboth Beach wasn’t it. As a matter of fact, it might be the last thing on this world he wanted out of life. There was nothing to be done for it.

She didn’t want to leave, and he didn’t want to stay. If that wasn’t answer enough as to how this weekend would end, then he was a pink-footed elephant with wings.

She took another bite and watched him closely, her face calm and impassive. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” He took another sip of wine. He had a feeling he was going to need it by the time she opened her mouth, from the way this night had been going so far. “Go for it.”

She set her fork down. “Why don’t you
ever
want to get married?”

“I don’t want kids.” He tightened his hand on his fork. “Wives want kids.”

“Why don’t you want kids anymore?” she asked softly, her eyes on him. “You wanted them before. When we were kids.”

“Exactly. When I was a kid myself. I didn’t know what I wanted any more than you did.” He dragged a hand through his hair. “And if you must know, I don’t want kids because I don’t want to watch my child go through what I went through and not be able to change it.”

She sucked in a deep breath and reared back, her mouth in a perfect
O
shape. “Seriously?”

“Yes,
seriously
.”

She shook her head and grabbed her wineglass with a trembling hand. “That’s one of the saddest things I’ve ever heard. You’d be an excellent father, and I’m sure you could handle the bullying and tears, if it came to that.”

He fisted his hands in his lap. It might sound sad to her, but it’s how he’d planned his life. And he wasn’t changing it just because she thought he could be better than he thought. It’s not as if she was going to be in his life. No, she hadn’t given any indication of wanting that at all.

Which was good. Right?

He forced himself to shrug nonchalantly. “Yeah, well, it’s all part of my life plan.”

She nodded. “So, then, your plan is to be alone for the rest of your life?”

“Pretty much.”

She flinched and studied him. He saw concern in her eyes, loud and clear. “But does that make you happy?”

“I’ve been happy since I left, Ash. I know it’s not what you want to hear, but it’s true. I like the life I’ve built in California. I like my job. My friends. And I like not getting attached or caring about who I’m with. It’s how I am now.”

At least he had, up until finding Ashley again.

Right this second? With her sitting across the table looking at him as if…as if she cared for him? Hell yeah, he was happy. He shifted in his chair, realizing that she was a huge contributor to his current happiness.

“You know what I think?” She set her glass down. “I think you’re scared.”

He motioned her onward, even though he didn’t really want to hear what she had to say. “Don’t stop there. Tell me. What am I scared of?”

“I think you’re scared of feeling anything because you’re scared to get hurt. I think you don’t know what you want out of life, so you hide behind your plans. You use them like a shield, not letting anyone get too close. Not letting yourself care. But you
do
care. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me.” She tapped her fingers on the table. “You care, whether you want to or not.”

She hit
way
too close to home with that. The fact that she could read him so easily scared the shit out of him. He forced a laugh. “Are you taking a class in phycology or something?”

“I have before, but not now.” She lifted her hand and then let it fall back to the table. “Why? Was I right?”

He took a shaky breath, not quite meeting her gaze. “Nope.”

“If you say so.” She canted her head and offered him a small smile. “Do me.”

“Excuse me?” He cocked a brow. “I thought I just did.”

She waved a hand. “You know what I mean. Analyze me. It’s only fair since I did you, right?”

He didn’t want to analyze her. But then he opened his mouth, and the words came flying out uncontrollably. “I think you’re a little bit bitter that you’re being forced to move back home, but you’re doing it anyway because that’s how you are. And I think you want me to come back so you’re not here all alone, and so we can be friends just like in the old days, but you also know me well enough to know that I won’t, so you haven’t asked.” He swallowed. “And I think you’re scared, too, of what you’re going to do now that you’re stuck back in this town. I know I would be, too.”