Eyes locked, he slows down his strokes, withdrawing his cock almost all the way then pushing back inside me slowly, watching every inch of himself disappear inside me in the mirror. His lips part and I watch as he bites down on his bottom lip to hold himself together as he does it again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
Then it’s too much, too hard to hold back. His moans become groans and his strokes get shorter, harder, slamming into me but I keep watching, even as my hand slips between my legs to find my clit, the friction delicious and more than enough to send me screaming over the edge, exploding into a million tiny pieces. But this time I don’t muffle myself. I let him hear it. Ethan yells my name, thrusts one more time and in a brief moment of clarity, as I feel the throb of him emptying himself inside me, I wonder if I’ll have bruises on my hips tomorrow. He held me so tightly, I’m sure he’s marked me down to my bones.
I hope so.
‘So, I’ll see you at lunch? Say, 12.30 at Members?’
‘My shift starts at twelve,’ I confirm two hours later, full of resentment for the game of soccer as Ethan slips his feet into his sneakers. ‘I’ll be there. I don’t think we’ll be busy.’
He picks up his duffel bag and looks back at me in his bed, shaking his head like he can’t believe what he’s seeing. Me. He’s seeing me.
‘Or you could stay right where you are,’ he suggests. ‘Screw your shift and wait for me in bed.’
‘You know I would but I have class after the lunch shift and I really need to know how Christopher Marlowe got into that knife fight.’
I pull the sheets up under my chin, inexplicably bashful now he’s fully dressed and staring at me like I’m some kind of unbelievable treasure and not the same girl who was tutoring his teammate in English. He crosses the room in three long strides and presses one more kiss to my lips.
‘Members at 12.30 it is. And, uh, do you maybe want to do something tonight?’
I give him a grin.
‘Define something.’
‘Members at 12.30,’ he recites like he’s memorizing it, convincing himself to leave. ‘See you then.’
The door closes behind him and I lie back in the bed, luxuriating in the damp sheets. As tempting as it is to stay right here, bury my face in his pillow and wrap myself up in a post-sex burrito of joy, I have things to do. Shower, for one. Rolling into class with Ethan all over me sounds sexy in theory but in practice, unhygienic and kind of gross.
Reluctantly, I climb out of bed and gather my things. The twin beds in Carpenter House were not designed for two people, especially not when one of them is a six-foot-something athlete. How is this going to work? Do we take it in turns, one night in my bed, one night in his? Will we spend every night together?Because that could be intense. I pull on my underwear and catch sight of a frown on my face in the mirror. I’ve gone from hating the guy to tolerating him, to the two of us basically moving in together in a few short weeks. A rumble of something I don’t like at all rolls through me.
‘You’re getting ahead of yourself,’ I mutter aloud, hoping the sound of the words will help them sink in. ‘It was one night. And one morning. Chill, Mia.’
I wish I could be someone who lives in the good parts but I’m not. How can I when there are so many things to worry about? But I’m determined to try.
When I step out of the shower in my room, all wrapped up in a soft towel and post-coital haze, I notice my phone for the first time, the screen lit up with notifications, every single one of them from my family. Mom’s cell, Dad’s cell, the home landline, even a bunch of texts from Kane. The panic that swells inside me narrows my vision because something is wrong, something is terribly wrong and I missed it because I was hooking up with Ethan Taylor instead of checking my phone.
I open Kane’s messages first because the thought of hearing whatever bad news is coming my way in one of my parents’ voices is too much to stomach.
Where the fuck are you?
Weren’t you supposed to call tonight?
Mom is losing her shit
Pick up asap before dad puts me on a fucking plane to comefind you
I’m not exaggerating Mia
FFS ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!!
I press my lips together so tightly my teeth cut into the tender flesh and I can taste blood. I completely forgot about our Sunday night check-in call. Should I call now? It’s still so early at home and I have to leave for my shift soon. I should, I know I should, but I’m a coward. My folks are going to lose their minds at me and I deserve it.
‘Hey, sorry I didn’t call last night,’ I mumble aloud as I furiously type out the words. ‘I was …’
