A sly grin pulled at the edges of his mouth, dipping his finger into a bowl of powdered sugar he ran it across my lips. “We have time.” Leaning forward, he sucked my bottom lip into his mouth and I moaned as the promise of pleasure was given to me.
“How much time?” I whispered back, allowing my tongue to drag across his neck.
“Like two hours,” he panted.
I pulled back. “Two hours! To host a party? How many people? Are you supposed to serve food? What do you want me to make?” I threw open the fridge and cringed at the beer and deli meats. “Do you have fine china by any chance?”
“Why, yes, Santa, I did want blue balls for Christmas and for my girlfriend to turn into Martha Stewart.”
I spun around, laughing. Shit, I’d gone all Hailey 1.0. Bryce had trained me like a dog on how to throw parties and I needed at least four hours to cook anything decent. But Ethan wasn’t like that. These blobby cookies were proof of that.
“Sorry. Old life crept in on me.” I closed the fridge and walked seductively across the room. “Did you just call me your girlfriend?” I trailed a finger across his chest.
He nodded. “Yep. Feeling confident, didn’t even ask.”
I laughed again. He was funny, I loved that about him. “Well,boyfriend, we’ve got two hours. What do you want to do?”
I glanced at the clock to find I’d slept until 10AM, so the party must be at noon. I was trying not to freak out about everything that needed to be done. Hailey 2.0 didn’t give a shit; she fucked guys on checkout counters.
“Well…” He trailed a finger across my shoulder peeling the strap down. “I can think of a few things.”
As his lips trailed down my neck, I moaned, but he quickly pulled away.
“But first I have to give you your present.” He looked like a giddy schoolboy, eyes alight.
I frowned. “Hey, who is giving who blue balls now?”
He ran into the bedroom and returned with a small brown box. No label.
My heart fell. “Ethan, I didn’t get you anything, I didn’t think—”
He waved his hand. “I just want you, and I got that. Besides, I was supposed to give you this at the cabin but … that didn’t work out.”
No. It didn’t.
“Alright, but I’m getting you something really amazing for Valentine’s Day.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
With that, I tore open the box and my eyes widened as I took the small pistol into my hands.
Ethan placed two gentle hands on each side of my shoulders. “I never want you to feel unsafe. Ever.”
Tears welled in my eyes as I tried to keep my emotions in check. Ethan knew what it was like to live in an abusive relationship; his own mother had done it. She was still in it. He knew I was constantly looking over my shoulder for Bryce, and this gift meant more than I could ever say.
I grinned. “Thank you. By the way, I signed up for Krav Maga, so I’ll be able to kick your ass in no time.”
A smirk pulled at his lips. He took the gun from me and set it back in the box. “Oh really?”
With that he reached out lightning-quick and scooped me over his shoulder. A peal of laughter escaped me as he carried me to his bedroom.
I just kept thinking ...this is happiness. This is what normal is like.
As he laid me on the bed, I looked up at him. Messy hair, sultry blazing blue eyes. Ethan King was my fantasy. He took his fingers and started to trail them up my thighs.
“So…” When he got to my undies, he began to pull them down, and pleasure bloomed between my legs in anticipation.
Then the doorbell rang.
