Chapter 31

NICOLE

I decided Ember’s bitchiness wasn’t worth wasting what little energy I had left to go grab my bags and search out a motel, I walked over to where I was standing near Ethan. Taking the malt from his hand, I inhaled deeply as his cologne circled me. “What a delicious smell.”

With a spark of devilry ripping through me, I reached out and placed my hand on Ethan’s thigh. As my fingers crept upward toward the inviting area between his legs, I could feel his muscles bunch and tremble beneath my touch.

A small groan escaped his lips before he covered the sound by taking a drink from his malt. Carrying my own to my mouth, I swallowed some icy coolness within the glass, before lowering the drink to the counter.
Afterwards, darting my tongue out, I licked the ice-cream coating my lip with a slow, sensuous swipe. “Mm... Sweet and delicious, I wonder, is it possible to get enough of something so creamy and wet?” The words came out low and sultry.

I heard Ethan suck in a breath behind his glass before he turned heated eyes in my direction. “I know I sure as shit can’t.” His words revealed he understood my innuendo.

Ethan’s hand found its way to my body, however, unlike me, he zeroed in immediately to the rapidly moistening area between my thighs. As his fingers began to dance across my folds, I gave a small shudder. Sliding my legs further apart, to allow him better access, he inserted a finger into my depths, and gripping the counter tightly with my free hand, I absently noted the whitening of my knuckles.

When he began to thrust the finger in and out, I involuntarily thrust my hips, grinding into the digit.

“Fuck. Me,” I breathed under my breath, before practically panting out, “Have you ever tried it with a little mint? I’ve heard the effect is quite...stimulating.” As the words slipped past my lips, I pulled Ethan’s sweats down enough I could wrap my hand around his raging hard-on. Ethan choked, and his hand gave a slight jerk, at the contact. “Can’t say as I have, but it sounds like something I want to try.”

Thurston sauntered his way into the kitchen and wrapped himself around my legs. Though it was a slow dawning as my mind was not on the cat circling my ankles, it occurred to me I hadn’t seen Flanagan since I’d entered the kitchen. I glanced around. “Where’s Flanagan?”

Ember, peering in our direction, raised an eyebrow. “In separate rooms—animals will be animals. It seems they can’t behave themselves when they’re together.”

I jerked my hand off Ethan and stepped away from him. Her words made me wonder if she knew what we were up to behind the counter. If she was, she betrayed no sign of it other than with her catty words.

Ethan let out a string of cuss words, glaring in Ember’s direction.

“Ethan, can I speak with you?” before she glanced at me and glared, hissing, “in private.” Yeah, that was my cue to clear out of the kitchen.

“I’m, uh...going to the guest room so you two can have some privacy.” Swooping down, I scooped Thurston into my arms. “I’ll take Thurston with me so you can let Flanagan out.”

Fifteen minutes later and with Thurston settled on the bed, I made my way back down the hallway, avoiding the kitchen and heading toward the living room, instead. When I reached the entrance of the room, I paused, peeking inside. Glancing around, I made sure the coast was clear to enter. Ethan was alone, sitting in a recliner and gazing with a blank stare at the television. I didn’t see Ember anywhere in the room though. Deciding it was safe to enter, I started to step through the entrance, however, paused again when I noticed Flanagan.

Having been chewing on his rawhide bone, he dropped it and trotted in my direction. Passing by me, he made his way down the hall, only to reappear a few seconds later with one of Ethan’s tennis shoes clasped between his jaws. A small muffled laugh escaped my lips as I patted my thigh, calling the pup to me. I got nothing.

“Flanagan, come, bring it to me,” I softly called again, making smooching noises. The pup, still ignoring me, flopped down on the floor and slobbered all over his new toy.

By now, I’d caught Ethan’s attention, and realizing something was amiss, he’d stood and made his way over to join me, then swore at seeing what the puppy held within his mouth. “Ah hell, Flanagan, not my damn shoe!” Hearing his master’s voice, Flanagan paused, tilting his head as Ethan made his way toward him. Sensing he was about to lose his newly found prize; Flanagan took off toward the kitchen at a dead run with Ethan right behind him.

I could hear the puppy’s claws as he raced across the linoleum and Ethan’s shouts for him to drop the shoe. Obviously, Ethan had no success, for when Flanagan came tearing back into the living room, he still had the shoe in tow. A peal of laughter ripped loose from my lips for Flanagan was enjoying the game a little too much, his large jowls grinning around the shoe in slobbering ecstasy.

Ethan, not far behind him, rounded the couch, shooting me an aggravated look. “Dammit, Nicole, help me, will ya.”

With a grin edging up my lips, I stepped in front of Flanagan as he headed in my direction. Bending over, I placed myself in a position for a takedown. Immediately, I shot back up, recalling that I wore neither, panties, nor shorts.

As I was mauling over whether to use some decorum, Flanagan made a move that would have made a running back proud. Making a sharp turn and with a little fancy footwork, he avoided me altogether as he darted toward the front door. Coming to a sliding stop before it, he looked back in our direction and squatted.

I heard Ethan roar from across the room before he dashed the pup, “Oh, hell no.”

Grabbing Flanagan off the floor, Ethan held him against his chest and ran for the door. However, having already started, a stream of liquid continued to flow from Flanagan, wetting objects down like a fire-hose as Ethan flew past them.

“I’ll get something to clean it up,” I choked out, trying my damndest not to laugh, but, when it became too hard to contain my laughter any longer, I dashed for the kitchen.
Once in the other room, a belly laugh ripped loose from between my lips, and I hunched over, trying to catch my breath. A few seconds later, the words “It’s not funny!” floated in the air toward me as Ethan entered the kitchen.

I peered at him out of eyes streaming with tears. “The hell it’s not,” I cried, another peel of laughter ripping loose. One side of Ethan’s mouth began to tick, before suddenly he burst out laughing, the sound combining with mine.

When we’d finally regained control of ourselves, Ethan made his way over to the sink. Bending at the waist, he rooted around in the cabinet beneath it until he gathered the cleaning supplies, then turning, he made his way in my direction, and as he went to pass by me, I stuck out my hand for one of the paper towel rolls and the extra bottle of Lysol he carried.

We quickly had the mess cleaned up, and as I gathered the soiled items to toss in the trash, Ethan returned outside in search of Flanagan.
When I’d finished putting everything away, I made my way outside, following Ethan. Spotting him gazing up at the stars, I made my way over to stand next to him.

“Nice night,” he breathed softly.

The night sky was a midnight blue that encased the brilliance of the stars within its darkness. Staring up, I became entrenched in its beauty, sucking in a gasp, when a white streak crossed the great expanse.

Grabbing Ethan’s hand, I cried, “Look, a shooting star!”

The sight was over almost as soon as it had appeared and Ethan whispered, “Did you make a wish?”

“Did you?” I teased in return.

He looked down at our clasped hands, and shook his head, “If only wishing on a star could bring you what you wanted.” After a few seconds, he continued, “I’m sorry about what you heard earlier.”

I shrugged. “I... It’s not my business.”

At my words, he jerked around to face me. “God, Nicole, that’s where you’re wrong—”

I cut off his words. “No, I’m not. You should feel comfortable making love to your wife in your own house and not be uncomfortable doing it because I’m in it! I’ll get a hotel room tomorrow. It’s no big deal.”

Ethan shook his head. “You don’t understand, it’s not her, I—she has others—” his words abruptly ceased, and he glowered down at me, what I’d said about going to a motel finally registering. “Hell no, you won’t go to a hotel. You’re staying right here—tonight and every night, until... Well, until—okay?” he hissed.

From inside the house, we began to hear Ember calling Ethan’s name. Glancing toward the front door, before peering back at me, he shook his head, then, with a groundout, “Fuck!” he turned and made his way back into the house.