Chapter 34: The No-Secrets Table

ETHAN

The last forty-eight hours had been hell. The kind that made me wish I wasn't stuck in my own head. The idea that Jack wanted to introduce Miss Brown to a friend had initially bothered me like an itch. But in the past twenty-four hours, that itch had turned into a mix of frustration and anger.

Yesterday afternoon, when my brother made a point of telling me that Ellie had agreed to meet this guy and that they would be introduced tonight, my mood completely spiraled out of control. Every attempt to calm the anger had been useless.

Spending almost three hours at the gym last night and running nearly ten kilometers this morning had done nothing to help.

Standing in front of Zara and Jack's house, I wondered if I should turn around and leave. But I couldn't do that because if I did, I'd be letting another man take what I felt was mine.

It wasn't easy to admit, but the truth was, I was feeling possessive toward Miss Brown. And I knew it wasn't driven by any romantic feelings. What I felt for her was something aggressive and purely carnal, like she belonged to me. And even though I felt like an asshole for it—knowing it was almost sick—I couldn't help it.

And if this Anthony guy really had serious intentions, involving marriage, kids, and all that crap, and Ellie was interested in the same, what the hell was I supposed to do? All I was planning to offer her was something casual. Even though I'd tried to imagine different ways to approach her about it, they all ended the same way—with her kicking me in the balls.

Shit. If I was lucky, maybe she wouldn't catch Anthony's interest. Right. That was impossible. Any man would be interested in her. Physically, she was flawless—she had a beautiful face and that body... Hell! She was sexy as fuck.

But maybe after a few minutes of talking, he'd realize how irritating and sharp she could be. Or he'd notice how smart and witty she was. Yeah, the best thing would be to make sure they didn't get a chance to talk.

The truth was, I had one advantage over Anthony. Miss Brown had already been mine, and she knew I could satisfy all her desires with pleasure. She could keep denying it, but the way her body responded to me made it clear she wanted me just as much.

That was my only edge, and I was ready to use it.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out and rang the doorbell. All the lights were on, and Jack didn't take long to answer. The bastard had a huge grin, and I still wanted to punch him when he hugged me.

I'd spent plenty of time thinking about his real intentions, wondering if he was truly trying to push me away from Miss Brown or trying to force me to admit feelings that didn't exist. If it was the latter, he'd be disappointed.

"Come on in. Everyone's in the kitchen," he said, walking ahead of me.

"Everyone's already here?"

"Except Anthony," he turned, flashing me a huge, satisfied grin.

I tried not to let my irritation show.

"So, where's the real reason I came?" I asked, hoping that thinking about the kid might help ease my mood.

"Are you talking about my daughter or..."

"Don't start," I warned.

Lately, it amazed me how easily my friends enjoyed watching me suffer.

"I'll go find my little princess so you can meet her. Last I saw, she was clinging to Ellie's neck. Sophia can't let her go whenever she visits."

Miss Brown likes kids? That was something I'd believe only when I saw it with my own eyes.

"She'll make a great mom," Jack said, trying to provoke me as we entered the hallway.

"I bet she will," I replied sarcastically.

"I think Anthony's always wanted to be a dad."

"Knock it off, okay? I don't care," I said, trying to sound indifferent, even though my blood was boiling.

Jack laughed, and I only managed another step before my heart started racing at the sight before me.

She was standing by the stairs, distracted, saying something to the little red-haired girl in her arms. Then both of them started laughing.

Her deep red lips stretched into a genuine, beautiful smile, stirring something strange inside me.

Miss Brown rocked the little girl in her arms, hugging her before she noticed our presence. Her smile vanished the moment our eyes met.

"Daddy!" The adorable little girl with blue eyes and freckled cheeks said sweetly when she saw Jack.

She had Zara's red hair but her father's eyes. Jack walked over to pick her up.

"Come here, princess! You need to let Aunt Ellie breathe a little."

"We still have a lot of energy, don't we, my sunshine?" Miss Brown said, tickling Sophia's belly and making her giggle.

I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

"Okay, now you get to meet your new uncle," Jack turned to me. "Say 'hi' to Uncle Ethan!"

Sophia smiled shyly, resting her head against Jack's chest.

"Hi!" she said, her eyes sparkling, making my heart melt.

"Hey there, little one! I've been looking forward to meeting you." I approached, and Jack set her down.

I knelt while she clung to his leg.

"I brought you a present. Want to open it with me?"

She looked at Jack and then back at me when he nodded. Slowly, she stepped closer, curious about the bag. I opened it while she watched with wide eyes.

First, I pulled out the paint set with all the colorful paints and explained how to use it. She listened, excited. Then I pulled out the big, colorful lollipop, and her eyes lit up even more. When I finished, I put everything back in the bag and handed it to her. She grabbed it and threw herself at me, hugging me.

"Thank you, Uncle Ethan," she said, melting me with her sweetness and making me laugh at how my name sounded in her little voice as I hugged her back.

That's when I noticed Miss Brown watching us, stunned. The same reaction I had when I saw her with Sophia.

"Alright, want to show Mommy your present?" Jack asked, picking her up again.

"Yes!" The little one squealed in excitement.

"She's going to love the idea of having all her walls covered in paint," Jack said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Sounds fair," I replied, thinking of it as payback, and he laughed as if he understood, before walking off with Sophia.

Only then did I have the chance to focus entirely on her. She was wearing a tight burgundy dress that hugged her generous curves and made her pale skin look even fairer. The thin straps gave a perfect view of her shoulders and the top of her breasts. I wanted to get closer, kiss her neck, and work my way down between her breasts, imagining how her skin would flush red.

The dress ended just above her knees, showing off her long legs, and at the end of them, black stilettos that made me wonder how she'd look wearing only those. Her hair was loose, but the ends were more curled than usual.

The makeup and everything else made it clear she'd taken her time getting ready. Did she do all this to impress Anthony? That thought alone was enough to reignite my irritation.

As if realizing we'd been staring at each other too long, she crossed her arms over her chest and turned her back on me with an air of superiority that made me want to throw her over my shoulder, carry her off, and lock us in a room.

"Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" I asked, making her stop and turn to face me again.

"What did you say?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Polite people usually say 'good evening.'"

"Can we skip the teasing and get to the part where I tell you to go to hell?" She smiled sarcastically, making it clear that my attempt to provoke her had worked.

The red lipstick on her lips caught all my attention. I imagined how they'd look wrapped around my cock, the memory still fresh in my mind. And that was enough to get me hard.

I stepped closer to her, and she didn't move, hesitating at my boldness. I stopped right in front of her, her breasts just inches from my chest. I noticed her breathing get heavier.

"You look beautiful," I said, smiling and locking eyes with her, watching her blink in confusion. "I can't wait to rip that dress off you," I whispered.