Page 80 of Beneath the Blue Moon

***Ethan***

She’s lying across the bar, a lemon wedge between her lips.

Her friend sprinkles salt on her breasts and climbs up to straddle her hips. My

eyes are glued to those breasts because they look like they’re about to fall

out of the bra she seems to be wearing. I have a good mind to drag her off the

counter and cover her up. Casey giggles and the men begin to holler as the

other girl licks the salt off her breasts. Sandy pours a shot over Casey’s navel

and leans down to quickly slurp it up. The noise in the bar escalates as the

girl leans over and removes the lemon wedge, kissing Casey in the process. Even

I have to admit it was hot—just not for everyone’s eyes.

She stands on the bar unsteadily and grabs Sandy’s hand,

pulling her up. Janice hands her a microphone, and she closes her eyes, singing

along with the song that’s playing. She starts off a little shaky, but as she

gets into the song, her beautiful voice takes flight. I watch the emotions play

on her face and listen to the words. The song is about being in love. I know

she’s singing to me, even though she doesn’t know I’m here. Sandy joins in on

the chorus, and they jump on the bar, her on one leg, as they get into the

groove of the song. I watch her closely, ready to run in case she falls. I

realize the song’s not about being in love—it’s about losing a great love. Now

I know definitively that she’s singing to me. I turn to one of the girls near

me and ask her if she knows the song.

“Yeah. That’s ‘Red’ by Taylor Swift.”

She smiles flirtatiously, but I turn away before she gets

any ideas.

“Thank you.”

It kills me to hear the hurt in Casey’s voice. When she says

it’s impossible to move on, I almost race over there to pull her into my arms.

She sings the last line of the song and the crowd cheers, asking for an encore.

Laughing, she shakes her head and motions for someone to help her down. Charlie

is there in an instant, lifting her off and supporting her weight as they head

to the dance floor. She still hasn’t seen me yet, but it’s probably because

she’s sloshed. She drapes her arms around Charlie’s neck and lays her head on his

chest.

“Charlie?” she says.

“Hmm?”

“I really do love him, you know?”

Her words clutch my heart in a vise grip. It takes

everything in me to stay where I am because I realize she might just let

something slip in her inebriated state.

“I know,” Charlie answers.

“I never meant to hurt him. I didn’t want to.”

“I know that, too.”

“You’ll tell him, won’t you?”

“He knows, but you should tell him yourself… when you make

up with him.”

“No, I can’t. I’m not the right kind of woman. He deserves

better.”

“What makes you say that?”

That’s it, Charlie. Keep her talking.

“I don’t fit... I just know, okay?”

“What happened, Casey?”

“No. No more talking. Just dancing.”

Her back is to me as I walk toward them. Charlie spins her around,

and she lands in my arms. She splays her hands on my chest and begins to feel

around with uncertainty.

“Whoa! Definitely not Charlie.”

She looks up and does something I didn’t expect. She smiles.

“Well, looky here, the mighty Zeus has graced us with his

presence.”

Zeus? She must be drunker than I thought. Stepping

back, she motions to her friend.

“I bow before your greatness.” She attempts to bow, and I

have to grab her before she topples over. “Oh, okay, no bowing.” She giggles as

her friend shows up at her side. “Sandy, look…” She lowers her voice and points

to me with another giggle. “It’s Ethan.”

“Hi, Eee-than.”

The way she drags out my name tells me she’s also sloshed.

They both giggle, sharing some inside joke I’m not privy to.

“Hello, Sandy. Nice to meet you.”

When Brick shows up and pulls Sandy into his arms, Casey giggles

and moves toward me.

“I think Brick wants to smash the homie.”

Smash the homie? What the hell is she talking about? Still giggling,

she throws her arms around my neck.

“Dance.”

I pull her against me, taking her weight off her ankle. With

a sigh, she lays her head on my chest. I close my eyes, breathing in her scent

as we sway to Blake Shelton’s “Mine Would Be You.” I whisper the lyrics in her

ear, feeling her shiver in my arms. With each line, she holds me tighter. She begins

to breathe heavily, letting out a low whimper.

“Let me take you home,” I tell her.

“Nope. You don’t get to do that anymore.”

“Can we at least talk outside?”

“Nothing to say.”

“We don’t have to talk. Let’s just get some fresh air.”

“It is a little… rank in here. Okay.”

I scoop her up and take her outside. In the parking lot, I

get the feeling we’re not alone. I don’t see or hear anyone, but I feel

them. But then I feel something else that totally distracts me. Casey trails

her finger down my cheek and plays in my hair with her other hand. The light

caress already has me getting hard.

“I miss you,” she whispers. “Do you miss me?”

“You know I do.”

“Know what I miss? Your dick.”

Fuck! The sails are now fully hoisted, and it’s getting hard

to walk. With another drunken giggle, she leans down, reaching for my crotch.

“Casey, you’ll fall!”

“I just wanna kiss it.” She raises up, a plea in her eyes. “Please

let me kiss it.”

Double fuck.

“Later, sweetheart.”

Content with my answer, she smiles and wraps her arms around

my neck. I take her to my truck, setting her down in the passenger seat. Her

smile fades, and she cups my cheek.

“Are you real? Or is this a dream?”

“I’m here, Casey. I’m real.”

“Why are you here?”

“This is where I should be, with the woman I love.”

“No! Don’t you see?” She’s whispering as if she’s telling me

a big secret. “Now that me and my tits aren’t in the way, you can be with her.”

What the hell? Be with her who? And what’s with her tits

being in the way? Who would say such a thing? It had to have been the asshole who’s

caused this whole mess.

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t know. I mean, I love my tits, they’re pretty

awesome, but I didn’t think they would blind you.”

“Who said that?”

“Now that I’m out of the way, you’ll see her.”

I grab her shoulders and force her to focus on me. I wish I

could push her into telling me the truth.

“What happened at the barbecue?” I demand.

“The barbecue?” She giggles and leans toward me. “You… you

told me… that you love me.”

God knows that being this close to her is tormenting me, but

she’s drunk, and I can’t take advantage of her. I have to concentrate on making

her talk.

“Someone upset you. Who was it?”

She closes her eyes, shaking her head as if trying to

dislodge the memory from her brain.

“No! I love him. You can’t make me leave him!”

Son of a bitch! I knew it.

“Who? Who made you do it?”

She snaps out of the memory, her gaze wandering over my face

lovingly as she runs her fingers through my hair.

“Love you… so much.”

“Casey….”

“Kiss me… one last time. Just… please.”

Not waiting, she grabs my shoulders and pulls me close. When

her lips touch mine, my body jolts to life. I reach up under her top and cup

her breast, massaging the soft, supple flesh. She moans, parting her lips, and

I slip my tongue inside. As our tongues collide, she pulls me closer. My brain

is yelling that she’s drunk and I should stop, but my body won’t listen. Maybe

it’s the time apart, but my need for her seems to have multiplied. I crave her,

and I let her know it through my kiss. I unbutton her jeans, hurriedly pull the

zipper down, and slide my hand inside. Oh, God, she’s so wet. She whimpers and

drags her nails across my back as my fingers circle her clit. My dick is

straining against my jeans, and I just want to bury myself deep inside her.

“Ethan….”

Her head lolls back, and I bare her breast for my lips,

pulling her nipple into my mouth. Pushing her back on the seat, I stand on the

step bar and lean over her. As I slip my finger inside her, I push her top

aside, revealing both breasts to my hungry gaze. Her juices trickle down my

finger and over my knuckles as I move in and out. Her breaths come in heavy

puffs as she squirms beneath me, arching her back. My heart pounds against my

ribcage as I look down at her, her face contorted in pleasure. Desire courses

through my body, rendering me unaware of everything but her. I move faster,

rubbing my thumb against her clit, enraptured by the sounds of her moans. Her

nails dig into my shoulders as I lick her nipple, circling it with my tongue.

“Oh… Ethan.”

“I need to feel you, baby. Come for me.”

Her muscles clench around my finger, making my dick twitch

in jealousy. Throwing her head back, she cries out. This is the best part—feeling

her spasm around me, knowing it’s because of my touch. How am I supposed to

live without this feeling? I bury my face in her neck, inhaling her addictive

scent, waiting for her orgasm to die down.

As she tries to catch her breath, I whisper against her neck,

“I miss you so much. Please come back to me.”

She pushes me away, breathing heavily, eyes wide in shock.

“Stop.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s over, Ethan. It’s all over.”