“You still haven’t told me why you left,” Ethan said, his voice sounding hoarse.
“Can I explain later?”
“Yeah.” Ethan nodded quickly. “Later is good.”
I watched his throat bob as he swallowed before leaning over and running his tongue over my parted lips. He moved over my chin and down my neck, leaving a cool trail to tell me where he had been. He shifted slightly, and one of his hands ran along the outside of my arm to my shoulder. His fingers started to stroke downwards, but then he stopped and looked up at me. His eyes glanced down, and then back up again—hesitant and a little wary.
He was blushing again and seemed so unsure; I decided if I wanted to get better acquainted with just how well-endowed Ethan may be, I was going to have to make a move. One thing I knew for certain—I wanted to find out just a bit more about him. Maybe a lot more. I decided subtlety was not in my best interest, so I reached down and pulled my shirt up and over my head.
Ethan’s eyes went wide for a moment and then narrowed as he tilted his head and focused lower. I was incredibly glad I had decided on the matching blue bra and panties since it was obviously something he seemed to appreciate. His fingers finally made their way down, tracing over the edge of the laced fabric.
“I feel like I ought to just drop to my knees and worship them,” Ethan blurted out and then turned just one shade lighter than the bean bag chair. “You are amazing, Ashlyn. All of you. I don’t…shit…I want…”
He stopped and swallowed hard again.
“What is it, Ethan?”
“I’d really like to take you to bed now,” Ethan said softly. His eyes were still dark, and his stare too intense. I had to look away for a moment, and I heard him swear under his breath. “We don’t have to if it’s too soon…I just thought…”
“Yes, please,” I said quickly, realizing my lack of eye contact had given him the entirely wrong impression. I looked back up at him and took a deep breath. “Carpe diem.”
Ethan’s eyes lit up and his smile was right behind. He pushed himself up onto his knees and pulled me with him until we were standing. He placed his hands on either side of my face, kissed me once, and then scooped me up in his arms and literally ran down the hallway to the bedroom while his lips tried to find new places to explore on my neck. He paused when he reached the side of the bed where we had slept the night before and gazed down on me apprehensively. He slowly lowered me to my feet and stood me next to the bed before taking my face in his hands and kissing me briefly.
“This is moving pretty fast,” he said softly. “I’m having a little trouble practicing my own motto, and I want to make sure you really want this. I feel like we should talk about last night first, but I don’t want to ruin all this either.”
“I don’t want to stop.”
“I don’t usually…I mean, what I said yesterday about how long it has been…I mean…shit.”
“It’s okay, Ethan,” I told him. “You don’t have to tell me about that.”
“I don’t want you to think I do this all the time,” he said quietly, his gaze softening. “I’m not a manwhore, and I’ve never slept with a girl I only met two days ago. I really want to be with you though. I really, really do.”
“I want to be with you too,” I said.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Even though…even though you left before?” Panic flashed over his face.
“I do, Ethan,” I said, scaring myself a little when I realized how much I meant it. “I got scared and screwed up last night. I never should have left. I’m not in the habit of sleeping with men I just met either. I don’t know why it’s different with you…”
Because it’s Ethan.
And that made all the difference, because he was different. I could tell him no, that we should wait, but I was still going to want him the next night and the next—a week from now, a month from now, a year from now—I was still going to want him. Waiting wasn’t going to change anything. It was time to seize the day.
“It’s because it’s you,” we both said at the same time. I looked up at him, shocked we had both uttered the same words. Ethan’s thumb stroked my bottom lip, and his eyes held understanding.
“I want you,” he whispered. He moved his lips to the spot right below my ear, and I groaned as he sucked at the skin there and held me close to him. “I wanted you the day I met you. I wanted you last night, and I spent all day thinking I’d never have the chance. I want you now, Ashlyn.”
I trailed my fingers up his bare back and felt him shiver against me. Ethan ran his hand from my waist up to my shoulder and then back down again, pausing in the middle to deftly unhook my bra. I lowered my arms and let it fall to the floor.
Chapter 15—Fascination
Once my bra was out of the way, I placed my hand flat against Ethan’s stomach, ran my fingers over the tight muscles there, and then reached for the top button of his jeans as Ethan kissed me again. He briefly removed his lips from mine and watched my fingers release in turn each of the buttons of the fly. I hooked my thumbs in the waistband near his hips and pushed the jeans down. I barely paused before doing the same with the black boxer-briefs underneath. I just wanted to see him.
I was definitely not disappointed.