As if he understood what she meant, he pushed the fabric of her bra aside and took one of her breasts into his mouth. “You’re so sweet,” he said. “I could eat you for dessert.”
Her breath caught each time he nipped, playful and wanting. Warmth pooled inside her belly.
He ran his hands along her hips and thighs then, down to the hem of her mustard-colored skirt. He hiked it up to her hips, exposing the lacy, silicone edge of her thigh-highs and a glint of her nude panties. “Jesus, Cali. I could look at you like this for hours.”
Both of them breathed hard. The world had gone quiet except for the faint clicks of the ceiling fan and the frazzled sound of their breath trying to catch up. Her pelvis rocked toward him. He ran his hands up and down her tights, caressing along the lacy top bands.
“Please, let me taste you,” he whispered, his voice thick and rough. “I need to know if you taste as sweet as you look right now. Is that alright?”
For a heartbeat, she just stared at him. No man had ever asked like that. No presumption, no ego, just desire wrapped in respect. The thought made her ache even more.
“Yes,” she said finally, her voice barely a breath. “God, yes.”
She leaned back on her elbows as he lifted her skirt hem higher, his gray eyes lingering on every detail. He lowered his head between her legs and met her gaze with his as he parted his mouth. Then she felt the warmth of his tongue run along the fabric of her underwear. Cali’s mind turned to putty.
The fingers of one of his hands reached for hers, squeezing gently. He took his time tracing along her skin, noting where she quivered or relaxed, making a mental map of all the places and things he might do to her. Then he pushed aside her panties and found her clit with his tongue, building from light kisses to a deeper, firmer rhythm that almost made her come apart.
“Do you like that?” he paused to ask, and she moaned in response.
She couldn’t control the sounds that slipped from her lips or the ache between her thighs wherever he touched. She rocked slowly, carefully, into him as he matched her pace. She’d been so fixated on the rugged parts of him—tattoos, deep voice, chiseled jawline—that she hadn’t imagined how deliciously lush and soft his mouth might feel against her folds.
He slid a finger inside her and curled it upward as he licked, drawing a sound from her she didn’t even recognize as her own.
“Ethan—I about—I’m going to—” she muttered breathlessly. “Please, Ethan. Please.”
He darted the tip of his tongue against her, fast and steady, and stroked his finger until she throbbed. She trembled as the waves broke over her, clutching at his hand, biting back the cry that threatened to escape. Then her body shuddered with a grip of pure pleasure. For a moment she thought she saw stars against the backs of her eyes.
Her breathing still ragged, he lifted her carefully from the counter and carried her to the couch. But he didn’t jump on her and finish what they’d started. He buttoned her back up, pulledher close and spooned her, kissing her hair as though he had all the time in the world.
For a long while, neither of them spoke. Her breath steadied. He breathed in the scent of her.
Then, softly, he said, “Tell me something no one else in Autumn Ridge knows about you, Cali.”
She almost laughed, except his voice had been too sincere for jokes. “That’s a dangerous question.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll keep it safe.”
The room felt suddenly smaller, the weight of her confession rising in her chest. Maybe it was the wine, or the softness of him wrapped around her, but the truth slipped out. “I was engaged once. But we were long distance, and he wasn’t exactly faithful. When I found out, we broke it off. And I guess I never really figured out how to let someone all the way in after that.”
What are you doing?!her brain scolded.This isn’t fun! This isn’t sexy!Bringing up her ex and the heartbreak he’d caused wasn’t exactly fuel for the fire they’d just lit. Ethan’s arousal still pressed against the curve of her back, steady and insistent. He wanted more, and God, so did she. But her confession threatened to shift everything.
Ethan’s fingers found hers, his thumb tracing lazy circles over her skin. “He sounds like an idiot.”
She huffed a quiet laugh, trying not to sound bitter. “Or maybe I was.”
“No,” he insisted. “You were just wanting someone who’d stay. That doesn’t make you an idiot.”
Was that the truth, though? If she emotionally invested in Ethan the same way she’d invested in her ex-fiancé, expecting them both to stay, didn’t that mean the problem was her? The night had been such a roller coaster already, from the loss of her Charley to Ethan’s Remy and now this strangely vulnerable moment for her.
“That’s why I can’t—Ethan, I can’t give you everything. Not when you’re leaving. I’m sorry.” She sighed into his strong arms. “But I promise you, this has been the most fun night I’ve had since moving to Autumn Ridge.”
Ethan stilled, and the unnerving quiet hung between them for a moment. Then he said, “Okay. We stop here. But for the record?” His lips curved into the faintest smile against her ear. “I’d never regret wanting more of you.”
She rolled toward him and tucked her head underneath his chin as he pulled a blanket over them both. “Will you stay?” she asked softly. “Just for tonight, I mean. It’s already late and we’re together and …”
He answered with a kiss—slow and devastating—then nuzzled his nose into her hair and breathed her in.
Outside, the crickets sang, and somewhere a window shifted. But neither of them noticed. She only counted the steady thrum of his heart until sleep overtook her.
