“Get off me, Gelderman.”
“Here’s the thing, Smith. I can be pretty determined myself, and while comfortable is probably the last word I would use to describe my current position, it’s been a dream of mine for some time to have you under me, so it’s not going to be a hardship to stay here for a while.”
“My legs are going numb.”
“Then say the words.”
She blinked, her lashes lowering to hide her eyes briefly. He saw a small, pale scar running into her hairline just above her ear. It wouldn’t normally be visible, and this was his first sight of it.
“What’s that from?” He traced its path with a finger and she shivered.
“My uncle was drunk. He tripped and smashed a bottle and a shard of glass got me.” She seemed to be as surprised as he that she’d shared a piece of her past. Like him, she wasn’t exactly an open book.
“How old were you?”
“Twelve.”
“You make him pay?” His finger trailed down her flushed cheek.
“Get off me, Ethan.”
“Say the words, Annabelle.”
She bit her lip, so he ran his finger along it, touching her two white teeth.
“I didn’t score.” The words were breathless, and not from the exercise they had just had; she was aroused. He looked down at her for several long, heated seconds before lowering his head and brushing her lips. He then rolled to the side.
“You want to come back to my place?”
Her snort made him smile. “You don’t have a place here, Gelderman.”
“I’ll buy one, right now, if you say yes.”
She moved to sit up and look down at him. Ethan felt her eyes on him, felt them as if her hands followed, especially when they reached his groin.
“You’re hot, there’s no denying that, but I won’t do this with you, Ethan, even if I want to.”
“Because of my supposed black book?” He looked up at her.
“That and because of what we have here. I want you to come and go in Howling, because like me this place is now in your blood, as are the people. If we do that—” She waved her hand.
“Hot, sweaty sex, Smith. Long hours twined naked over, under and around each other.”
She closed her eyes briefly, and he was sure that like him, his words had flashed visions through her head.
“It will jeopardize our friendship and cause a disturbance amongst our friends when we stop seeing each other, and I can’t allow that to happen. Because when it’s done, you’ll be like all the others and buy me flowers and chocolates, telling me how much you need me, and that I’ve broken your heart. It would make things uncomfortable.”
She got to her feet, her movements elegant, and he followed.
“Here’s the way I see this, honey. We want each other, and denying it is only going to make it worse, but I’m not the kind of man to push a woman into something she doesn’t want, so instead I’ll say, I’ll be ready when you are.”
Ethan smiled as she walked away. For once, he’d had the last word and Annabelle Smith was left speechless. Following, he wondered how long he’d have to wait for her. Adjusting his shorts, he hoped it wasn’t too long.
“Got a cold beer for a man who’s just gone a few rounds with the Amazon?”
He caught the bottle as it sailed at his head, and opened it, then took a long pull. His friends were all eating, plates loaded, but Ethan took a moment to look around him.
His family had never done anything like this, actually sitting on the ground surrounded by people to eat. They used tables and people usually served them. He watched as a woman lifted her baby and handed it to an elderly man beside her. Were they father and daughter? Was that child being handed from the hands of a loving mother to those of a grandfather? Ethan’s family wasn’t into demonstrative gestures; maybe that’s why he was. He loved to touch and be touched, and not just in an intimate way. To him a kiss or being brushed on his cheek or a hand on his arm was important; it made him feel loved.
