Beautifully Destroyed (Beautifully Broken)

“Quinn’s like an older sister to me,” I say as I glance at the houses.

We make our way back to the beach, and walking down the pier, Ethan says, “This is becoming our spot.”

I let out a chuckle. “I like that.”

We sit down, hanging our feet off the side. The buoy’s clanking drifts over the water, making me smile. “I love that sound.”

“Southport wouldn’t be the same without it.”

“You’ve never wanted to leave Southport?” I ask, turning my gaze to Ethan’s.

He shakes his head. “I love it here.”

I take a deep breath of the fresh air. “It’s peaceful.”

Ethan places a hand behind my butt, leaning closer, then he just stares at me.

“What do you see?” I whisper.

He shakes his head, murmuring, “The most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Usually, I don’t care much for compliments, but the way Ethan says it, makes me feel special.

“I really want to kiss you right now,” he says, the corner of his mouth curving up.

I lift my chin, a smile of my own forming. “Then kiss me.”

Just like last night, Ethan stares at me as if I’m all he sees. He lifts his other hand to my cheek, his fingers brushing tenderly over my cheek.

My heart starts to beat faster as the intimate moment overloads with anticipation.

Finally, he lowers his head, and the second his mouth presses to mine, my heart skips a beat, and the fluttering in my stomach explodes through my body.

His palm flattens against my cheek, and he tilts his head right before his lips start moving against mine. When his tongue brushes over the seam of my mouth, an intense wave of tingles rushes over me, and I forget to breathe. My lips part for the sole reason of letting him inside.

As if tasting me, his tongue slowly brushes over mine, and I swear I hear fireworks going off again. He keeps the kiss slow and intense until my body trembles, and my hands itch to grab hold of him.

He pulls back, and a frown jumps to my forehead because I’m not ready for the kiss to end, then he whispers, “Breathe, baby.”

My lungs listen, and I suck in a desperate breath, then they rush over my lips as he kisses me again, this time with a little less control.

My pulse quickens, and I grab hold of his jacket, losing myself in the most perfect kiss I’ve ever experienced.

ETHAN

Pull back.

Ethan, pull back.

A groan rumbles from my chest as I break the kiss. I press my forehead to Finlay’s, and we both suck in deep breaths of air.

Holy shit, that was intense.

A wide smile forms around her swollen lips, and then she presses her face into my chest, letting out a chuckle.

I wrap my arm around her and stare at the horizon, processing how mind-blowingly amazing it felt kissing her.

We sit in a comfortable silence until footsteps sound up behind us. Glancing over my shoulder, I see David walking toward us.

“Come on, guys. Lunch is ready. You can’t survive on love alone.”

“Gosh, Dad!” Finlay exclaims, pressing her face harder against me.

He lets out a chuckle, amused by her reaction.

Climbing to my feet, I help Finlay up. Even though her dad’s watching, I link my fingers with hers before we walk back to the house.

“What’s for lunch?” Finlay asks, a healthy glow on her face.

“Mac and cheese,” David replies.

“My favorite.” Finlay grins at me. “My dad adds extra cheese.”

We head into the house, and as we take a seat at the kitchen table, David asks, “What were you up to this morning?”

“Ethan showed me the gym and his high school,” Finlay answers as she scoops some food onto her fork.

David looks at me. “I heard you own the gym.”

Finlay’s eyes widen on me, the fork stopping halfway to her mouth.

“Half of the gym,” I correct him. “My dad owns the other half.”

“How’s business?”

Finlay takes the bite, as I say, “Good. We’ll have a bunch of new members flooding in this month. New Year’s resolutions and all.”

David chuckles. “I’ll be one of those new members.” I’ve just taken a bite when he adds, “I met Chelsea Chapel last night.”

I almost choke on the food and take a quick sip of water to wash it down. “You did?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

My eyes dart between Finlay and David, wondering what the hell she said about me.

David takes a deep breath, raising his eyebrows. “She’s something else.”

I can’t think of anything to say, so I end up staring at David.

“You had a run-in with her?”

Christ.

I set down the fork, my heart sinking like a dead weight.

When I don’t say anything, David surprises me by giving me a comforting smile. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell us.”

I finally manage to find my voice, “What did she say?”

He shakes his head. “She didn’t say anything to me.” Another shake of his head. “Couldn’t keep her hands to herself, though.” He leans back in his chair. “Frank told me she gave you a hard time.”