Eventually, I started to enjoy myself. Mandy was sweet, kind, and funny, and I loved seeing how she interacted with Andrew. I found out they’d met at college and had been together ever since. Ethan seemed to be the third wheel in their relationship, which I thought was super cute. How this god of a man could be a third wheel, I had no idea.
I was coming back from the ladies room and heading back to Ethan when I checked my watch. We’d been here for an hour and a half, and I was done. Ethan was right: I didn’t fit in here. It felt weird. I liked Mandy and Andrew, but I wanted it to be just the two of us again.
As I approached our group, I noticed Clarissa was at Ethan’s side. Jesus, I hated that woman and I’d spent all of five minutes in her company.
I slid the other side of Ethan to Clarissa and I warmed as his arm came around my shoulders.
“You ok?” he asked, just so I could hear.
“Our time’s up. I want you take me home and get me naked,” I said.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said as he threw back the rest of his whiskey and found a passing waiter to give his glass to.
“Excuse me, guys. My girl wants to take me home and ravage me, so we’re leaving.” And apparently that was his goodbye. He took my hand and started to pull me to the entrance. I grinned at Mandy and Andrew and waved goodbye.
***
The next morning I woke to an empty bed. This is how it will be when I get back to London. Tonight would be my last night in New York. My heart was heavy as I dragged myself up. I turned the shower on and steam bellowed from the stall.
I stood under the water for what seemed like hours, wondering if Ethan would appear and jolt me out of this cloud I was in. It was so hot it almost burned, but it felt good. Eventually, I got out, pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt, and started to pack my stuff while my hair dried in the air.
“Hey.” Ethan appeared at the doorway in shorts and a bare chest, sweaty and god-like, as usual.
“Hey,” I said.
“You were sound asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. I went for a run.”
“I never mind you waking me.” I meant it to sound flirtatious, but it came out sounding melancholy.
“Are you packing?”
“No, I’m churning butter,” I snapped. I was in a horrible mood.
He ignored my bitchiness. “What do you want to do today?” he asked, passing beside me and into the bathroom. “Anna?”
“I don’t know. I guess we have to head back to the city. You have to work tomorrow and I need to pack properly.”
I didn’t know if he heard me, but he didn’t respond. I heard him step into the shower. I finished my packing and took my case downstairs and placed it by the door.
Only a few minutes later, he came into the kitchen looking so handsome I thought my heart would stop. His hair was wet and his white shirt made his skin shimmer slightly. I sighed.
“So, first things first,” he said, wrapping his arms around me as I sat at the breakfast bar, and then placing my arms around his waist when I didn’t respond. He took my face in his hands and brushed his lips against mine. Then he placed small, feather-light kisses at the corner of my mouth before running his tongue along the seam of my lips. I heard myself sigh and he took it as a sign to continue and pushed through my lips, his tongue meeting mine. I squirmed in my seat. My reaction was to want to be closer to him. My knees parted and he took half a step forward, opening them still wider. His tongue grew more insistent and passionate. His hands dropped to my back, pressing me against him. I reached around for the button to his jeans, but he pulled away and our kiss finished, two hours too early.
I was left a little shaken. That wasn’t his normal reaction to me.
Ethan
“So has that kiss knocked you out of your bad mood?” I asked. The two words she’d spoken to me this morning had been a little bitchy. It was a side to her I hadn’t seen. It was funny, but I guessed she wouldn’t want me to tell her that.
“Maybe,” she said, but her smile told me that it had.
“So, we could head back to the city after lunch if you like.” I moved around the counter to pour myself some coffee.
“Ok. Could we go to the beach this morning? It’s just we’ve not seen it since we’ve been here, and it’d be nice. You know. Before we go.”
“Sure. Anything you want, beautiful.”
“I should probably call Leah and tell her I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“But you won’t be back with Leah this afternoon,” I said. Tonight would be her last night. Was she thinking she wouldn’t spend it with me? There was no fucking way I was letting that happen.