Chapter 48:

ELLIE

Those two little words made my whole body shudder and shiver, my heart raced, and something warmed up inside me.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Ethan said, standing beside me, his gaze a mix of devotion and sensuality.

I should have been angry at him for calling me that, knowing full well he only did it because of the handsome Brit sitting next to me. But the way he looked at me made all my anger melt away.

“Shall we sit at a table?” he asked, pulling me from my trance.

I blinked a few times.

“I…” I turned to remember the stranger next to me. He was watching us.

“I’ve already ordered something. Actually… this gentleman here chose a wine for me. A Pinot Noir?”

“Richebourg,” Edward corrected.

“I’ll admit, you’ve got good taste,” Mr. Morgan said, his tone making it clear he wasn’t just talking about the wine.

At that moment, the bartender approached with my glass.

“Thank you. Could you bring the bottle to our table?” Ethan asked, taking my glass from the bartender.

“Of course, sir,” the bartender replied before walking away.

Ethan then extended his hand to me. Behind all his fake charm, he was being an arrogant jerk.

“Excuse me, and thank you,” I said to Edward before taking Ethan’s hand.

He guided me through the space between tables and people, my irritation growing with every step.

“You’re such a snobby jerk,” I muttered through clenched teeth.

“Sit down,” he said, stopping near a dark sofa with a coffee table at the back of the bar.

Reluctantly, I sat down, placing my purse on the table. After setting the wineglass down, he sat beside me.

“Are you doing this just to piss me off?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Flirting with the first guy that crosses your path.”

“Are you still on that? Why do you think you have the right?”

"I don't like to share. You can go ahead and add selfish to the list of kind adjectives you usually use for me."

"Do you think I’m a ‘thing’ that can be shared?" I growled.

He placed his large hand on my knee.

"A ‘thing’ can mean anything that exists," he said in a softer tone, his hand moving up my thigh. "So yes, I think you're a truly rare little thing. And I don’t want any hands but mine touching that amazing ass during this trip. Consider it a rule of our agreement. Do you understand?"

“You really think I was planning to sleep with someone else?”

“No, I know you only want me.” He leaned over me, his fingers stroking the inside of my thigh, making my breathing heavier by the second.

I felt his hot breath on my neck, sending shivers down my spine.

“It’s my hands…” he whispered, his fingers moving higher, dangerously close to my panties, making me throb with excitement. “My mouth…” He bit my ear, taking my hand. “And my cock that you want,” he said, placing my palm on his pants, making me feel just how hard he was.

He inhaled sharply as I pressed down, gripping him. His hand left mine and moved to my chin, his fingers brushing my lips as our eyes locked.

I felt hypnotized. Our faces were only inches apart. There was a primal hunger in his eyes. I wanted to lean in and kiss him, but I couldn’t.

“You do know our friends are right outside, don’t you?” I managed to say, my breathing labored.

“Then let’s go home,” he suggested, and I nodded. “I need some time anyway because I’m still furious with you.”

*

It took a bit of convincing to get Will to understand why Ethan and I were heading back to the house together, but Anna helped cover for us.

“She knows, doesn’t she?” he asked as we got into the rental car.

“I wouldn’t have told her if you hadn’t told Neil first,” I said, buckling my seatbelt. “And unlike him, Anna knows how to keep a secret.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“He told Rosie.”

"They’re close friends, they won’t tell, okay?"

“They better not. Why did you even tell him about us?”

“He asked,” Ethan shrugged.

“So if Will asked, would you tell him the truth?” I asked sarcastically.

“No. Does it really matter?”

“Is Neil your best friend or something?”

“Just a good friend.”

“Well, don’t tell anyone else.”

“Bennett knows too.”

Damn it! He had to be joking.

“What? Why did you tell him?”

“I didn’t. He saw me leaving our room in the middle of the night.”

“Great.”

“Yeah. But he promised not to tell Zoe.”

“And you really think he can keep something from her? Come on.” I rolled my eyes, sighing.

“I trust my brother.”

“Then you’re naive. There’s nothing Zoe can’t get out of him. She even found out things about you.”

Shit. That last part shouldn’t have slipped out.

“What?” His eyebrows knitted together. “What things did she find out about me?”

“Nothing.”

“Tell me. I didn’t realize my life was so interesting to her.”

“Fine.” I sighed. “Something about your engagement that didn’t work out.” I glanced at his profile, noticing his jaw tense and his fingers grip the steering wheel tighter.

The topic seemed to make him uncomfortable and irritated. He remained silent, but my curiosity pushed me further.

"Why did you call it off?"

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he snapped.

“Okay, I’m sorry.”

He thought it was fine to get jealous of any man I talked to, but he couldn’t tell me something about his past? How was I supposed to feel about that?

Damn it. I wasn’t supposed to feel anything, we were just having sex. I didn’t need to know about his past, nor should I care.

Despite the sexual tension cooling between us, the uncomfortable atmosphere remained for the rest of the drive. And I found myself growing more irritated, even though I knew I had no right to be.

When we arrived at the house, I got out of the car and headed upstairs without waiting for him. In the room, I changed, brushed my teeth, and put on my nightgown before lying down.

Sometime later, when he finally walked in, I shut my eyes and focused on trying to sleep.

*

I woke up feeling something warm and wet on the skin between my neck and shoulder. I opened my eyes in the darkness. There was only a small crack in the curtain, allowing a faint light to filter in, preventing complete blackness.

I focused on the firm, warm body pressed against my back. I moaned as his teeth sank into my skin. I could feel his cock, hard and hot, pressing between my buttocks. One of his arms was wrapped around my waist.

Beneath the fabric of my nightgown, his hand rested between my belly button and my panties. His tongue slid up my neck before reaching my ear, where he bit down.

He didn’t need much to make my sanity disappear, he was driving me wild with just his mouth and his heat.

“What are you doing?” I murmured, my breathing erratic.

“Apologizing for being an idiot,” he whispered, kissing the spot behind my ear.

Oh, God.

“Do you want me to stop?”