Page 3

3

ETHAN

N atalie is in my arms after ten years of being apart, and I’m about to blow up a lifelong friendship to make sure time like that never passes again.

I should be strong enough to leave, to give this obvious chemistry between us a chance to breathe, but I just can’t.

She clings to me, and she smells like lemon candies, the perfect scent after all the cloying, sweet smells of the speed date event. I remember this smell, remembering how she used to spray herself a dozen times with the pale yellow body spray before going out when she was younger. Now the scent has matured—she must have found a more grown-up replacement—and it reflects just how much she's changed. Natalie is stunning, layered, and complicated, just like her new perfume.

I want to eat her alive, and not at all because she smells like lemons.

She looks up at me through her dark, long lashes, the brilliant green of her eyes trapping me. "I don't want you to go."

"Because of Jason?"

"Yes, and no. I feel better with you here, but I also wanted you here long before he showed up."

"Really? Why is that?"

She laughs nervously. "Isn't it obvious?"

"Not even a little bit."

"I've had a crush on you since the seventh grade."

"What?!"

"It's true," she says. "You were the first boy who ever paid attention to me. You didn't treat me like a child. You treated me like a real person. Of course, I was just a kid back then, and we were friends, so I had to put the crush aside. But seeing you again has brought a lot of feelings back."

I stare at her. "I've been attracted to you since the moment I started noticing girls, but I've never thought you'd be interested."

"Why?"

"Because I'm Ryan's friend."

"You're my friend too, aren't you? I know we weren't as close, but I always thought..." She trails off, biting her full bottom lip, and tries again. "Look, if the only thing stopping you is him, well, then that's the easiest fix in the world."

"Natalie," I start, but she silences me with a finger pressed against my lips.

"Just pretend he doesn't exist and kiss me."

So I do, and the whole world disappears.

Her mouth is soft, and so is the kiss, at least in the beginning. I savor the taste of her, head spinning when I feel her tongue pressing against my lips, begging entrance. I let her in, and the kiss turns heated, passionate, and all-consuming. My hands slide over her back, one sliding into her braided hair and cupping her head. She sighs in happiness, rising to her toes to kiss me better, her arms coming around my neck.

Kissing Natalie is like falling into a black hole. The gravity of her is going to pull me in and never let me go.

The thought should terrify me. Instead, I'm thrilled.

Her hands clutch my shirt, and I wish I could feel her bare skin against mine. Her body is soft, her curves lush. It's been a long time since I've been this close to a woman, but I want her like I've never wanted anyone before. I want to make her scream, make her moan, make her come apart at the seams. It's been ten damn years since I've laid eyes on her, and I have a lot of lost time to make up for.

I groan into her mouth as she bites my lower lip and pulls it between her teeth, tugging gently before releasing. The motion makes my cock ache. She tastes like plum wine, and she's about to snap the leash on what little self-control I have left.

"Natalie," I whisper, nipping her ear. She shivers. "You're sure?"

"Yes," she says, kissing her way down my neck.

Fuck. Her lips on my skin are electric, and I feel them all over, right to the base of my spine. My cock is so hard it's almost painful, and when her fingers start at the buttons of my shirt, I let out a groan. I've only seen the main room of the apartment, but the bedroom shouldn't be too hard to find.

Too bad neither of us has the patience for that.

I slide my hands down her back and cup her ass, lifting her up and bringing her over to the kitchen table. She squeaks as I set her down on the edge, my body moving between her thighs as I pull her against me.

"Ethan," she squeals. "What are you doing?"

"What I've wanted to do since you sat down at my table earlier."

"Oh."

I've got my hands on her hips, my thumbs circling the bare skin where her dress has ridden up. I'm standing between her thighs, close enough that she has to spread them wide to fit my hips. Her face is flushed, and her lips are pink and swollen from our kiss.

She's so fucking gorgeous.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper, leaning down to brush my lips over her cheek.

She sighs, turning her head and kissing me lightly. "You're not so bad yourself."

"Is that right?" I kiss her harder, teasing my tongue along the seam of her lips until they part for me. She's going to make me come undone before we even get to the good part.

I cup the side of her face, kissing her deeper. She kisses me back, her nails lightly grazing over my chest. My body shudders, cock throbbing at her touch. I reach over to tug the hem of her short dress. She lets go of me for a moment to lift it off and toss it aside, and my breath catches.

Her bra is dark green lace, and her tits are perfect—soft and round, with dusky pink nipples peeking through the fabric. I run a finger down between them, loving her gasp. "You like this, Natalie?" I ask. "You like it when I touch you?"

"Yes," she breathes, arching against my touch.

I run my thumb over one nipple, and she cries out. "Ah, Ethan..."

I lower my mouth and kiss her neck. She pants, her fingers tangling in my hair and tugging gently. Fuck. She's perfect, every damn inch of her. I slide a hand into the waistband of her underwear, feeling how hot and slick she is for me while I undo her bra with my other hand.

It takes me less than ten seconds to rid her of the rest of her clothes. My lips follow the trail left by my fingers, kissing the soft curve of her belly. Her hands tighten in my hair, and she gasps as my fingers trail between her thighs, gently circling the spot that's going to make her fall apart.

"Oh, fuck. Ethan..." She gasps when my lips slide lower and lower, kissing the sensitive spot right below her belly button. She spreads her thighs wider to make room for my head.

"I need to taste you," I tell her. "Can I, Natalie? Please."

Her voice is shaky as she whispers, "Yes."

I push her thighs open wide and look up at her body and her pussy, swollen with arousal. Her breasts rise and fall as her breathing comes hard, and when my lips close over her clit she lets out a sweet whimper that makes me want to ruin her, make her beg, and then make her scream.

She cries out my name, the sound echoing through the quiet apartment, as her thighs tense. Her hands slide over my hair, nails grazing over my scalp, making me shiver, goosebumps rising. She's perfect like this, head thrown back and completely mine. I never thought I would see her like this.

"Natalie, Natalie, look at me."

Her green eyes are dark with pleasure as she throws her glasses aside, but they lock onto mine as I swirl my tongue. I let two fingers tease her entrance, making her even wetter, making her push towards me. When she whispers, "Ethan," my cock jerks hard, achingly hard, but it can wait. She's too good for me not to take my time.

I alternate lightly licking and then sucking hard at her clit, and when I fully slip my fingers into her, I curl them up, finding the place that makes her whole body shudder. My mouth and fingers work her harder, bringing her closer and closer until she comes hard and shatters in my arms, her fingers clutching my shoulders until I can feel the half-moon indentations of her fingernails. I love her like this—wild, out of control. I could worship her forever.

As her breathing evens, she tugs me up to her, kissing me. I can't help the growl that slips out. It makes her giggle, the sound going straight to my dick, and she wraps her arms around my neck. Her face is flushed, eyes still a little dazed.

"You okay?" I murmur against her cheek.

She laughs softly. "You make me feel like jelly."

"I take it that's a good thing?" I tease, pressing kisses up her jaw, making my way back to her mouth. She tastes so fucking sweet. I'll never get enough of her.

"Oh yes. Very much so," she murmurs, then reaches down, lightly palming my hard cock. "Can I help you with this?"

I can't help my hiss of pleasure at the contact. "Only if you want to, baby. You just made me a very happy man."

She's already kissing her way down my neck. "Let's just see if I can make you even happier."

Natalie and I work together to get me just as naked as she is, and she wraps her legs loosely around my hips, using them to pull me even closer as she takes my cock in one of her perfectly manicured hands. She starts out stroking slowly, kissing my neck and chest as she does so.

"Mmmm..." She bites my collarbone as she works my cock.

"Damn, that's good."

I tilt her face up and kiss her slowly, sliding my hand back down to her perfect breasts to tease her nipples, but I let her control the pace for now. She's clearly got an idea of what she wants, and I want to see how this plays out. I'll happily go with whatever she wants.

It seems like she's in no hurry as she releases me to slip her fingers between her thighs, spreading herself. It's a view that will haunt my fantasies for years. Her hips shift, and I can see the way she's playing with her clit, can feel her pussy brush against my thigh, wet and so soft, as she touches herself. I bite back a groan, not sure where to look—where she's touching me, or where she's touching herself.

"Like what you see?" she asks, a sultry smile on her face.

"More than like," I say, my voice thick with desire. "Natalie, you're killing me."

Her breath catches, her body tensing a little as she rocks against her fingers, her free hand moving to my shoulder for balance. "I think you'll survive," she pants, "because if you die, you won’t be able to fuck me in the next thirty seconds like I need you to."

Oh, fuck me. "Don't have to tell me twice."

She gasps when I slide my hand behind her and grab a handful of her gorgeous ass, scooting her until she's at the very edge of the table. With my other hand, I guide her to stroke my cock with a little more urgency, then shift, guiding the tip against her wet, needy opening. I ease into her in one smooth thrust, my upper legs shaking with the effort of controlling myself. I want to slam into her, to fuck her hard, but now is not the time.

"Yes, Ethan. Oh, fuck!"

I lean forward and bite down gently on the sensitive curve where her neck meets her shoulder, sucking the skin between my teeth until she shudders in my arms, clenching tight around me. Her fingernails dig into my back as I thrust into her over and over.

"Lie back," I tell her through clenched teeth, and she obeys, falling back until she's resting on her elbows, tits bouncing with each thrust. I grab her legs and pull them tighter and higher around my waist, changing the angle until she's crying out each time I bottom out in her pussy.

I can feel the orgasm building, feel her legs start to tremble and shake. "Ethan, you better not fucking stop."

"You gonna come for me again?"

"Yes..." She gasps as my thrusts speed up, then bites her lower lip, back arching. She lets out a shuddering cry as the pleasure hits, and I keep moving, making her whole body shake. She's so fucking gorgeous when she comes.

It doesn't take long for my own release to catch up. Natalie falls back and grabs the edge of the table, holding on for dear life as I drive into her as hard and deep as I can go. My balls tighten, and I feel the base of my spine tingling with heat. My legs start to tremble as I bury my face in her neck, my own climax hitting hard as I fill her up, coming deep inside her.

She wraps her legs tight around me, heels pressing into my lower back as I rock my hips. The sensation makes me chant her name, makes me go fucking blind, and I don't ever want to stop.

I wish I could hold her like this forever.

A long time later, our heart rates and breathing slow, and we relax.

"Oh God," she murmurs, head still resting on my shoulder. "I need to go on speed dating more often."

"No fucking way," I tell her.

She giggles. "Jealous, Hayes?"

I slide a hand up her side and gently cup her face. Her skin is warm to the touch, and I love the way she turns her head and leans into my hand. "No. I'm not jealous at all."

Her eyes search mine, a playful smile tugging at the edges of her mouth. "Oh? Why not?"

I run my thumb over her lip and feel the aftershocks that roll through her body. "Because I'm the one that got to take you home."