Page 165 of Holding On

It's after midnight when I knock on his door. Maybe he's asleep. Shit, I didn't even think about that. He's in training now. He needs his sleep. He probably went to bed hours ago.

I turn around and quickly walk back to my van.

"Becca?" I hear Ethan's voice and turn back to see him standing at the door, wearing navy blue basketball shorts and no shirt. His chest and arms are pure muscle. I can't look away. I should, but I can't.

"Becca, come inside."

My eyes quickly dart up at his face. "Um, no, that's okay. I forgot how late it was. Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't wake me. I was out back doing some stretches."

"Oh, well, I don't want to interrupt. I'll stop by some other time." I turn to leave.

"Becca, get back here."

I wish I hadn't done this. What was I thinking? I can't even remember why I came over here.

I should leave. The keys are in my hand. The van is right there.

And yet, moments later, I find myself standing in his living room.

"Seems like we've done this before," Ethan says, a slight smile on his face.

"Done what?"

"You knocking on my door at midnight. Unexpectedly."

"Yeah, about that. I didn't mean to come here this late. I can come back some other time."

"You drove here. Got out of your car. Knocked on the door. It seems like you DID mean to come here. Now would you like to tell me why?"

I look down at the floor, nervously chewing on my lip.

"Becca." I hear his deep sexy voice saying my name and the damn tingling starts up again. From just his voice. Shit, I'm in trouble. "Would you like to tell me why you stopped by?"

"Not really," I mutter.

"See something interesting down there?" he asks, referring to the fact that I'm still looking at the floor.

"I was just noticing it's very clean. Lois does a great job. You should tip her well."

"I always do. But not as much as I used to tip my previous maid. Then again, I didn't pay her in money, so it's really not comparable."

When I cleaned for him, I didn't want him giving me tips because we always spent the afternoon having sex, and if he gave me money I'd feel like it was for the sex, not the cleaning. So he tipped me by pleasuring me in the bedroom, all different ways. Ways I'd never experienced before Ethan came along.

Now I'm thinking about that and it's making my heart beat faster. Or maybe it's because Ethan just stepped closer to me.

He puts his hand under my chin, lifting my face up to his. "What are you thinking about?"

I stare into his eyes, which must mess with my brain because I answer honestly. "You."

"What about me?" His hand slides around to the back of my neck and he gently rubs his thumb along my hairline, sending a tingle down my spine.

"I was just remembering." I close my eyes as he continues to rub his thumb along the base of my scalp.

"Remembering what?" I feel the heat of his body as he steps even closer, his scent surrounding me. That heady, masculine scent that draws me even further into a place I shouldn't go.

"I was remembering...how we used to..." My voice trails off as I feel his hand move down the neckline of my dress, his fingers brushing over my skin. It sends a shiver through me and my eyes pop open.

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