Fighting (41 page)

"You
think you can stay quiet if I make you come?" he asked, his voice
vibrating against my skin.

My
heart tripped over itself and all of the muscles in my body, especially the
really important ones, clenched.  I was the most turned on I had ever been in
my entire fucking life.

"Um,"
I panted uncertainly.

His
palm curved firmly around my breast and his other hand reached up to run
through my hair as he leaned away to look at my face.  I felt like he was
moving in slow motion as he teased my lips with his and slid his hand down my
neck and to my other breast.  I kissed him back hard, letting that speak for me
since I apparently lost my ability to talk coherently.

He
angled his hips away and pressed his fingers against my jeans, in
just
the
right spot.  My breathing hitched and the rest of the world melted away as he
fluctuated the pressure knowingly.  My voice started working again as a loud
ah
was torn from my throat.  Ethan pulled away and before I could react and tug
him closer, he was across the room at the shower.  He turned it on and came
right back to me, his eyes devouring my disheveled appearance.  He swiftly
pulled me off the counter, onto my feet and his fingers popped open the button
on my jeans.  He slowly pulled down my zipper, but I didn't protest.  Instead,
I pulled his face to mine impatiently, knowing what was coming next.  He
slipped his hand between my jeans and panties and we pulled apart at exactly
the same moment.

"
Fuck
,
you're so wet," he cursed.

"Ethan,"
I breathed out urgently. 

He
pressed his forehead against mine and pushed my hips against the edge of the
counter as he gently dipped his fingers directly inside of my panties and
against my skin.  My jaw dropped open and my eyes rolled back as my head tipped
back.  He clenched his jaw, squeezed his eyes shut tightly and shoved his
forehead against my neck, muttering unintelligibly. 

His
fingers manipulated the bundle of nerves there and my breathing stuttered as I
pressed my forehead right above his collar bone.  My hands were pulsing against
his shoulder blades, cutting into his skin there.  My breathing escalated
erratically to match my thundering pulse.  His free hand cupped my jaw and
pushed my face away from his skin so he could kiss my chin as my hips began
writhing around, out of my control.   He ran his lips up and down my neck until
I lowered my chin and he took my mouth again. 

My
knees slackened, and he wrapped an arm around my lower back, simultaneously
holding me up and keeping my hips still.  He became more explorative and pushed
a finger inside of me.  He thrust it in and out as his palm continued to dance
around my clit.  I was chasing an orgasm instead of an enemy, but it was
thrilling all the same.  He managed to muffle my whimpering with his mouth as
he sent me racing closer to the edge.  His tongue traced my lips as I became
too incoherent to kiss him back.  He dipped his head to run his tongue over my
nipple, and I came two seconds later.

His
free hand suddenly pressed against the back of my head as he kissed me
fiercely, drowning my voice as I instinctively called out his name
desperately.  My hand flew to his that was still in my pants to halt his movements
as my entire body convulsed against his.  We breathed against each other's
mouths as I calmed down and felt tremors shake my body.

And
that was just with his hand! 

My
eyes finally opened and focused on his.  "Good God, you really are
excellent at everything you do," I said, still panting. 

His
eyes flashed darkly and he moved his finger in and out again.  I mewled and he
stilled with a crooked, cocky smile on his face. 

"I
shouldn't have said that.  You smug bastard," I muttered.

"You
love it," he said confidently.

And
I was so flustered that I admitted, "Yeah."

He
withdrew his hand and leaned close to kiss me sweetly.  I was tired before we
entered the bathroom, and now I was utterly spent. 

"I
don't know if I can stay standing to take a shower," I said.

His
eyes lit.  "I can help you with that."

I
chuckled.  "I think the kind of help you want to give me will make my legs
even weaker."

"I
can't give you that kind of help yet.  I don't have a condom," he
muttered.  He grinned at my crestfallen expression and framed my face with his
hands.  "You just gave me permission to buy some without feeling
presumptuous."

I
shook my head weakly.  "New rule: don't use big words after you make me
come."

He
threw his head back and laughed out loud as he slid his hands down to my neck. 
His eyes warmed on mine and he said, "Okay, baby."

I
smiled and pressed my palms against his chest.  "I love to hear you
laugh," I murmured.

My
pulse spiked as soon as I said the word
love
, not wanting to throw it out
there in any capacity so soon.  His smile faded a little and he opened his
mouth to say something, but closed it again. 

I
waited patiently and he finally said, "I love to hear you yell."

I
cocked an eyebrow.  "What?" I asked, amused.

"You're
really sexy when you're angry," he said.

I
grinned and said, "Actually . . . so are you.  What does this say about
our future fights?"

"That
we're going to have lots and lots of makeup sex," he said seriously.

I
laughed and wrapped my arms around his waist.  "Mmhmm, I bet," I
said.  I glanced behind him at the shower and realized we were just wasting
water.  "I should probably shower," I said.

"I'll
go after you," he said. 

He
walked away to retrieve his shirt from the floor and I stepped toward the
shower.  He just felt me up pretty thoroughly, so I didn't feel all that shy
when I shucked my jeans with him still in the room.  I turned around and found
him staring at me with a predatory look that sent a shiver down my spine. 
There are thoughts lurking behind his eyes, and I could tell from all the way
across the room that they were dark, and we would both like to entertain them. 
I reflexively glanced at myself in the mirror to see what he saw.  I was in
just my black underwear and my hair was like
whoa
.  Nothing like a
little naked time with a guy to give hair that extra oomph.  My waves had
awesome volume, but I had to take a shower so unfortunately I'd lose that
look.  My skin was blushed and I was wearing a small smile that I wasn't even
fully aware of. 

I
looked back to Ethan and his eyes were locked on my bare legs.  He took a step
toward me and I took one back, my smile fading.  He whipped his eyes to mine
and I held out my hands, palms toward him.

"No
condoms," I reminded him.  His jaw ticked and I knew he was clenching his
teeth in an effort to hold his position across the room.  "Go,
Ethan," I whispered.

He
fled the room with his shirt still in his hands.  I relaxed and shed my
underwear to climb into the shower.  I finished quickly and changed into my
pajamas.  I combed my hair, brushed my teeth, and rushed to my room.  He was
nowhere in sight, apparently sticking to the plan to sleep in separate beds.  I
put my dirty clothes in a pile in the floor and walked to his door.  I knocked
lightly and he cracked open the door, opening it fully when he saw it was me. 

"Your
turn," I whispered. 

He
nodded and swiped his sweat pants from the bed.  I backed up to allow him room
to walk past me and retreated to my room.  As sleepy as I was, I still didn't
immediately fall into oblivion.  I was finally able to turn my brain off for
the most part, but I was still awake.  I heard him leave the bathroom not even
ten minutes after he entered it.  He moved silently to his room and his door
clicked shut.  I turned over and doubled my efforts to fall sleep, but I failed
miserably. 

After
weeks of living through another misunderstanding with Ethan and then almost an
entire day of thinking he was rejecting me, I finally had him.  But I was still
constantly waiting for
him
to make the moves toward me, still wary of
rejection.  I trusted him and what he told me, so I needed, for my sake and
his, to overcome my fears and be confident that he chose me.

I
needed to take a chance and show that I chose him back.

I
blew out a fortifying breath and crawled out of my bed.  I slipped into the
hallway and inside of Ethan's dark room without knocking.  His back was to me
but he turned when he heard the door open and shut.  He wore a small, pleased
smile as I lifted the covers and crawled in behind him.  He didn't hesitate to
turn onto his back and pull me to him.  I laid my head on his bare chest and my
arm across his stomach.  He wrapped his arm securely around my back.

"Night,
baby," he murmured.

I
was asleep less than two minutes later with a smile on my face.

I
woke up alone, which was totally normal for me, but I somehow instinctively
knew that I wasn't supposed to.  I sat up and looked at the wall clock.  It was
just after nine a.m. so I went ahead and got ready for the day, then ventured
out to the rest of the house.  August was in the kitchen staring at the coffee
pot, willing it to brew faster.  I hopped up onto a counter and dangled my bare
feet.

"What's
wrong, August?"

She
finally noticed me and lifted a shoulder.  "Brooks and Ollie come today. 
Vacation is over."

"Vacation?"
I asked.

"You
know, avoiding the whole Fletcher thing.  It was kinda fun."

She
looked back at the coffee pot and I had to wonder if anything special happened
to August on
their
trip. 

The
sliding door opened and we both glanced over.  Spencer walked in and straight
to the fridge and left Ethan on the balcony.  He was turned sideways, facing
the sun, stretching his arms above his head.  He was shirtless and his black
shorts rode low on his hips and with his arms extended, his torso looked extra
long.  He lowered them and rubbed one hand across his chest and the other
through his hair.  He turned to look inside the house and found me sitting
stock still, concentrating all of my attention on him.  He immediately moved
toward me and my heart sped up as he neared.  He hooked a hand around the back
of my neck and kissed my jaw.

"Morning,"
he said, staying close.

"Good
morning," I smiled.

His
hand pulsed around my neck and then he walked to the fridge to grab a drink. 
His skin was shiny and his hair was wet.

"Go
for a swim?" I asked.

"Ran
along the beach," Ethan said.

"Four
miles," Spencer said.

"I
would have went with you," I said.  "I feel like my muscles are going
to atrophy if I don't use them soon."

"In
what shoes?" Ethan asked.  "I knew you couldn't run in your boots so
I let you sleep in."

"That
was sweet," August said, looking at Ethan with a dreamy expression on her
face. 

I
grinned in anticipation as Ethan walked toward me, nodding his head slowly in
agreement.  He spread my legs and yanked on the back of my knees to scoot me
closer to the edge.  He gripped my hips so that his thumbs pressed in right
under the belt loops closest to the button on my jeans, and my girly bits
jumped in excitement. 

He
got in close and said quietly, "I've gotta shower and I'm feeling kind of
lonely."

I
threw my head back and laughed.  I slid my hands over his bare shoulders and
hummed my voice at him in the negative.  "Nice try, handsome, but no
dice."  I wrapped my arms around his neck.  "You smell good," I
murmured.

"I'm
sweating," he said, surprised.

"I
know."  I leaned closer so that our faces were inches apart and squeezed
his hips with my legs.  He grinned.  "But you smell fucking great," I
said.

"It's
his pheromones," Oliver said.

I
glanced at him and back to Ethan, then did a double take. 

"Ollie!"
I yelled.  Ethan released me as I scrambled off of the counter and
attack-hugged Ollie. 

I
let him go and he looked at Ethan.  "Dude," Ollie said
appreciatively.  He held out his fist and Ethan chuckled and bumped it with his
fist. 

Ollie
looked to August and held out his hand expectantly.  She rolled her eyes before
pulling some cash from her back pocket.  Brooks waltzed through the door and
dropped their bags in the living room.  He walked over to us looking equal
parts tired and relieved to see us. 

"So?"
I asked.  "News?"

"Yeah." 
He wiped a hand down his face and looked at Ollie.  "Let's put our bags
away and then we'll share the news."

"Let
me take a shower first.  I'll be two minutes," Ethan said.

Ethan
jogged to the hall and ducked inside my room to grab my bag.  He stowed it in
his room and grabbed a change of clothes.  Less than five minutes later, we
were all sitting in various deck chairs, looking at Brooks expectantly.  Ethan
was in a deck chair and I was perched on the arm of it with Ethan's arm resting
comfortably along the length of my thigh. 

Brooks
eyed us speculatively and looked at Oliver.  "You win the bet?" 
Ollie smiled and nodded.  "I should have got a cut of that," Brooks
muttered.

I
cleared my throat and Brooks refocused.  "Fletcher wants to meet," he
said.

"You
talked directly to him?" August asked.

"Yes."

"Where's
the meet?" I asked.

"I
wanted it be somewhere public.  He chose a restaurant.  Thing is, he doesn't
want to see me.  He wants to meet Alex."

Ethan's
hand pulsed around my kneecap, then he released me and leaned forward to rest
on his elbows on his knees.

 "Me? 
Only
me?  Why?" I asked, surprised.  A seed of unease grew in my
gut.

"He
said he liked you.  I got the feeling that meant he
liked
you romantically. 
He insisted that you be there or he won't cooperate."

Ethan
glared at Brooks.  "Absolutely not."

"He
met me at that party.  He probably just wants to use me as a medium to talk to
Brooks through, since he apparently hates him," I reasoned with Ethan.

Ethan
looked at me defiantly.  "I don't like it."

"I
don't either, but I already told him you would be there," Brooks said.

"It's
fine," I said.  "He wants to talk, we'll talk."

"Then
I'm coming with you," Ethan said immediately.

"He
won't talk if you tower over him," I said.  "Brooks taught me a lot
of shit, but talking myself in and out of situations is something I've been
doing my entire life.  I've got this," I said confidently.

"I've
seen you work magic, but babe, I disarm you all of the time," he argued.

"Yeah,
but you're the only one who's
ever
been able to," I said. 
"Except for Brooks that one time," I added quickly.  "He already
tried to charm me but I've rejected him to his face, and yours, for that
matter.  It's just a meet.  I can do this."

"I'm
still going with you.  I'll stay invisible and listen in on the ear buds,"
he said.

I
knew I couldn't talk him out of it, and I didn't necessarily want to.  I could
use his presence, even if it was invisible, as an anchor.

"Fine,
but you can't be muttering responses to shit he says and distracting me.  You
said it yourself, you get to me.  I need to be fully focused on him, not
you."

He
nodded his head in agreement but still looked unhappy.  He ran a hand through
his hair and across the back of his neck anxiously.

"What
is it?" I asked him.

"He
has a thing for you.  Add in the fact that he's a thief and you're with someone
else, and it's added incentive to steal you away.  It's a game to him."

"You're
not suggesting you think he might win?" I asked skeptically.

"No,"
he said.  "I'm suggesting that it's not a good thing that a psychopath
fancies himself in love with my girlfriend."

My
pulse spiked in elation at the word
girlfriend
, but I quickly refocused.

"That
is
troubling," Ollie agreed.

"It's
fine, I'll shut it down," I said.

"Yeah,
but you know how that goes," Brooks said.  "It's like a father
telling his teenage daughter she can't date a certain guy.  It only makes her
more determined to date him."

"Well,
what do you want me to do?  Give in to Fletcher and wait until he gets bored
with me?" I asked flippantly.

"Hell
no," Ethan said.

"No,
but you probably shouldn't flaunt that you're taken, either," Brooks
said.  "Try to be neutral about it."

"This
is freaking stupid," I said, shaking my head.  "He doesn't want me
bad enough to do all this shit he's done.  It didn't just happen to me, it
happened to all of us."

"Ethan
was right," Brooks said.  "Regardless of what he wants, it's a game
to him now, and you're the prize."

"I'll
give him a prize," I muttered.  "I'll shove his own dick down this
throat."

"Whoa. 
That was kinda violent, even for you," Spencer said, sounding impressed.

I
stood up and paced behind Ethan's chair. 

"Listen
to what he has to say and then tell him no.  Actually, technically you can tell
him whatever you want.  Make your own decision, just try not to get the rest of
us killed," Brooks said.

"Brooks,"
Ethan scolded.

I
stopped pacing and stared at Brooks hard.  "You're fucking with me,
right?" I asked him.  "You're trying to make me feel better by making
a joke?"

He
shook his head and said, "I told you, remember?   You always have a
choice."

"Get
your head out of your ass," I snapped. 

I
resumed pacing and I could tell he was trying not to smile when he said,
"Fine."

"Although,
it does seem that Fletcher only wants me.  Maybe it would be safer for all of
you if I did leave," I said.

Ethan
glared at me.  "If you leave, I will hunt you down."

"Simmer
down, badass.  I wasn't saying I was leaving
you
, I just meant
separating myself from the group for a while."

"No,"
he said immediately.

"Absolutely
not," Ollie said.

"No
way," August said.

"You're
out of your mind," Spencer said.

"Ear
buds," Ollie said, already changing topics without allowing me to argue. 
"Do we all have ear buds?"

I
should have been irritated that my idea was shut down so quickly and
completely, but instead I tried not to smile.  It was nice being needed.

"I
packed two in my go-bag," I said.

"Yeah,
we have ours, too," August said.

"Good,"
Brooks said.  "We should be able to hear your conversation with no
problems.  Spencer will go with you and hang back by the car and the rest of us
will stay behind at the cabin."

"What
would he do if Ethan showed up with me?" I asked.

"I
don't know," Brooks said.  "It's been years since I've seen him, but
he's apparently gotten more fickle over the years.  More willing to do what it
takes to get the job done.  He sent armed mercenaries after us, for crying out
loud."

"Right. 
He'd probably shoot him and then laugh about it," I sighed.

"When
is the meeting?" Ethan asked.

"Tonight
at seven.  I want you to show up hours ahead of time to scout the restaurant
and find a hiding place inside so that he won't spot you walk in with
Alex," Brooks said.  "Then a few minutes after seven, Alex will
arrive and the meeting will start.  After it's done, we'll reconvene here at
the house."

I
felt my first jolt of nerves, and it wasn't the good kind I felt before
stealing something or when Ethan touched me.  It was the bad kind, where I knew
this whole deal rested on my shoulders, and it was up to me to humor the
psychopath without getting us killed.

"Okay,"
I said. 

I
left them outside and walked straight to the fridge.  I drank an entire soda in
one go and breathed through my nerves.  I pilfered through the leftovers in the
fridge and felt heat at my back. Ethan wrapped an arm around my stomach and
spoke against my ear.

"Come
with me."

He
caught my hand and tugged me after him straight to our room.  He shut and
locked us inside and then turned to face me. 

"I
think you should dress exactly how you normally do so that it sets you apart
from the girl he met at the ball," he said.

"Okay."

He
nodded and looked down at what I was wearing.  He tugged at the bottom of my
shirt and said, "But you need to wear black, not purple."

The
good kind of nerves eclipsed the bad kind.  It was one thing to be half-naked
in the heat of the moment and an entirely different beast to willingly expose
myself with him watching.  I rallied for courage and ripped my shirt off like a
band aid so I was standing in just my bra and jeans.  I handed my shirt to him
and he dropped it to the bed.  His eyes darkened as they scanned me from head
to toe.  He got in close and curved his hands around my head so that his thumbs
pressed against my jaw. 

"You're
going to do fine.  Relax.  If you show him weakness, he'll pounce on it." 

I
nodded mutely and then he kissed me so deeply that my entire body bowed
backward and my hands pulled on his shoulders to support myself even though he
had an arm wrapped around me.  He thoroughly explored my mouth as he walked me
backward until my back pressed against the wall and ran his palms down my neck and
cupped my breasts.