Chapter 16

Seconds later, I was still reeling from the sensation when he forcefully turned me within his arms, his head swooping down to claim my lips. The sound of our passionate kiss filled the air, accompanied by my soft moans and gasps. The heat of his kiss stirred a mixture of pleasure and desire within me. Yielding to his urging, I let him take complete control of my mouth. A low growl escaped his lips as our tongues danced together, engaging in a slow, seductive rhythm that seemed to strip away my very soul.

Drawing me away from the counter, he pressed me against his firm body. His hands slid lower, cupping my ass-cheeks and lifting me effortlessly. I wrapped my legs around his waist, grinding against his undeniable arousal. Our breaths deepened, becoming ragged as he forcefully slammed my back against a wall, simultaneously lifting my shirt to expose my skin. Pushing aside my bra, he took one of my hardened nipples into his mouth, teasing and sucking on it until I was left panting and moaning with need.

As the waves of pleasure intensified, I continued to grind against him, unable to stop even if I had wanted to. The molten heat of my climax coursed through me, causing me to throw my head back and moan in pure ecstasy. He gripped my hips firmly, rocking me harder and faster against his throbbing erection, his gaze fixated on my face.

"You're fucking beautiful," he uttered in awe, his voice filled with reverence. Trembling from the force of my orgasm, I released my legs from around his hips and slowly slid down his body. When my feet touched the floor, I reached out and traced my fingertips along the smooth flesh of his abdomen, teasingly brushing against the waistband of his jeans. A strangled groan escaped his lips, and his body trembled as I began to unfasten his fly.

However, just as I was about to continue, he abruptly stopped me, grasping my hand tightly. He leaned his forehead against mine, his ragged breath caressing my cheeks. "No," he huskily whispered, pushing my hand away. He moved towards the living room, effectively creating distance between us. Confused, I followed him, finding him standing with his arms outstretched, palms flat against the painted wall. He lowered his head, taking slow, deep breaths.

"Go home, Nicole," he ground out, his voice filled with frustration. "I'm more drunk than I realized, and you need to leave before I make a regrettable decision." The sound of his hand hitting the wall reverberated through the room as he muttered, "Damn me and my stupid fucking choices."
~~
I couldn't recall the drive home, the road passing by in a blur. However, as I found myself parked in front of my dimly lit trailer, the scent of rain-soaked earth filled the air, mingling with the faint smell of cigarettes. The sound of distant thunder echoed in the background, heightening the heaviness of shame and guilt that ate away at me. I had never, in all my years, imagined wanting a married man. What the hell was wrong with me?

Sitting inside the car, I allowed my head to rest against the cool steering wheel, feeling its textured surface beneath my cheek. My stomach churned, a mix of nerves and longing, as tears welled up in my eyes. Wanting him, desiring him in a way I had no right to, seemed like an unbearable weight on my conscience. It was so damn wrong.

With a heavy sigh, I pushed open the worn driver's door and made my way inside my cramped trailer. The bright beams of the moon peeking through my windows cast shadows on the fading paneling, creating an eerie atmosphere. As I set my purse down on the cluttered table, the familiar sound of Ethan's assigned ringtone broke the silence, piercing through the stillness of the night.

Glancing at the clock on the faded wall, I groaned, realizing the late hour. It was almost midnight. My stomach plummeted, a sinking feeling washing over me. A call from him at this time could only mean one thing - I had to go to work.

Grabbing the phone, I found myself hesitant to answer—what if he wasn’t calling about work? What if… What if…?

Shaking myself from the stupidity of the idea, I began thinking about how fucking good Ethan’s lips, tongue, and hands had felt. How damn responsive my body had been to his—how…

Dammit, how pathetic am I? I mean, Jesus. From the tips of my toes to the hairs on my head, I was vibrating with an overload of all-out, panty-drenching lust. Even after the humiliating situation at his house—the chewing I’d given myself for acting like a hoe and sniffing after a married man—I still wanted the blasted man.

A tiny chirp from the phone, its high-pitched sound slicing through the air, alerted me I’d stood lost in my orgiastic haze so long, he’d had to leave a voicemail. Lifting the phone to my ear, I listened to the husky cadence of his recorded voice, feeling a heavy throb pulsing between my thighs.

“I can’t stop thinking of how you felt. The sounds you made as you came—” His words cut off and a low groan, a deep rumble, reached my ears. “God, do you have any idea what that did to me—to hear you like that—to see the look on your face as you came unglued for me?”

As I continued to listen, I could hear a rustling on his end, as if he was running his fingers through his hair in frustration. A few seconds of silence passed—then he blew out a breath, the sound heavy and laden with tension. “Shit, this is all so fucked up.” Then he quit the call.

I was still holding the phone when it began to ring again and leaning forward, I set it back down on the coffee table. Turning my back to it, I made my way to my bedroom where I gazed at the idiot looking back at me from the dresser mirror. Despair and unhappiness claimed me, and I could feel the slow, aching throb of my heart as it cried in sorrow.

In the other room, my cell continued to ring before, growing silent a few seconds, it began ringing all over again. The pattern continued the entire time I undressed. With each ring, tears slid down my cheeks for wanting someone I should never have wanted from the start. Now, not only was whatever this was between us causing me pain and guilt—he suffered the same emotions.

The phone ceased ringing fifteen minutes after it began. My emotions wrecked, I climbed between the sheets of my bed. Tears still flowed, wetting the pillow beneath my head.
ce had echoed across the line with hoarseness and a hint of… Sadness?

Emotions were crawling all over me, and before I could stop myself, my fingers were punching in his number and when he picked up after the second ring, the words, “Do you love her?” tumbled out of me.

I could hear his tortured breathing, yet he remained silent, not answering my question. His silence told me everything I needed to know, and pulling the phone away from my ear, I hit the end call button.

I was still holding the phone when it began to ring again and leaning forward, I set it down on the coffee table. Then turning my back to it, I made my way to my bedroom where I gazed at the idiot looking back at me from the dresser mirror. Despair and unhappiness claimed me, and I could feel the slow, aching throb of my heart as it cried in sorrow.

In the other room, my cell continued to ring before, growing silent a few seconds, it began ringing all over again. The pattern continued the entire time I undressed. With each ring, tears slid down my cheeks for wanting someone I should never have wanted from the start. Now, not only was whatever this was between us causing me pain and guilt—he suffered the same emotions.

The phone ceased ringing fifteen minutes after it began. My emotions wrecked, I climbed between the sheets of my bed. Tears still flowed, wetting the pillow beneath my head.