ETHAN

Ineed to get away from her as quickly as fucking possible.

If I thought I was attracted to her at the hospital, it’s nothing compared to how much I want her in a casual setting.

At work, I know to keep things professional because my job is the only thing I have left, and I don’t want to do anything to risk it. But here, where I’m alone and nobody is watching, I find it much harder to keep that line between us.

I have to use every trick I can come up with to stay away. I remind myself of how young she is and how we don’t know one another. I know nothing about her other than she attends the University of Chicago. I don’t know where she was raised or how she grew up. I don’t know anything about her dating history, the kind of guy she likes, or even if she’s seeing anyone.

When I think about letting myself off the leash, it causes a pit to form in my stomach as pain slices through my chest. I haven’t been with anyone since my wife passed. Thinking of doing so now feels like I’d be betraying her.

We climb into my car, and she places her heels on the floor before pulling on her seatbelt. I start the engine and hit the button to open the garage door before backing out.

I can smell her perfume as she sits so close next to me, and I breathe it in deeply. She smells of vanilla and honey, and it makes my mouth water. My body warms as it comes alive.

I shift into gear and back out of the garage. She rattles off her address and I program it into the GPS. Once we’re on the highway, I have a hard time keeping my eyes on the road. They keep drifting over to her bare legs. I remember the softness of her skin from carrying her into the house last night. My body is coming alive in ways it shouldn’t.

How can I go from never wanting to look at another woman to having to hold myself back to keep from pursuing one I should never touch?

When I pull up to her apartment building, I park against the curb. She looks over at me before taking a big breath. She wets her lips and gives me a shy but flirty smile. “Thanks again, for everything. If it wasn’t for you, I’d probably be lying in a dumpster right now.”

“No thanks needed. Just remember to drink responsibly next time.” I swallow over the lump in my throat.

Her brows lift. “Oh, there won’t be a next time. I feel like garbage.” She giggles. “I guess I belong in a dumpster after all,” she jokes.

I shake my head. “Don’t say that.”

Her smile falls from her lips as she stares into my eyes. I feel the air between us thicken. The sun is streaming through the windshield, lighting up her blue eyes and making them sparkle.

My hand is itching to sweep the fallen strand of hair behind her ear before I cup her jaw and press my mouth to hers. Her lips look plump and soft, and I’d bet they’re just as sweet as they look. They look so smooth against her light complexion. Mymouth waters and my dick grows hard, only pushing me to act on my darkest desires, but I jerk my eyes away and clear my throat, shattering the intense moment.

She blinks, and the world spins again. She leans forward and grabs her shoes. “Well, thanks again. I owe you one,” she says, removing her seatbelt and opening her door. “I’ll buy you a coffee at the hospital tomorrow.”

“How are you going to do that without your wallet?”

Her shoulders fall from the reminder that she still has a lot of stuff to do today. “Good point. I guess I’ll buy you a coffee once I get all this figured out.”

I chuckle. “I’ll be waiting,” I joke as I watch her climb out. On the sidewalk now, she waves and then closes the door. I shift into drive and put on my blinker to pull back out into traffic, but I watch her as she walks barefoot across the sidewalk. When she gets to the door, she stops and pushes the call button. A moment later, she opens the door and walks in.

I pull back out onto the street, driving away as quickly as possible. I need distance. I don’t know what about her draws me in, but it’s getting harder to ignore. If I can’t force myself to forget her, I can force some space between us so I’m less likely to act on my urges.

When I get home, I leave a note for my housekeeper to tidy up the guest bedroom when she comes in on Monday and then go to my closet, where I change into a pair of athletic shorts and some running shoes. I head to the basement and turn on music while I do some stretches to warm up. After I get my body engaged, I move to the treadmill for some cardio. I push the button on the machine until I’m at a comfortable speed and then my mind retreats into itself while my body goes through the hell of exercising.

I wish I was one of those people who love exercising. I hate it, but I have learned that if I have enough on my mind, I canmentally go somewhere else, and then it’s not so bad. Today, instead of thinking about days of my past, I look to the future for the first time in longer than I can remember.

I couldn’t face a future without my wife for the longest time. It’s not until recently that I find myself daydreaming about the days to come. I know I’ll never be able to act on my feelings, but there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, right? I’m torn about letting myself daydream about her, though. On one hand, it’s the only way to get these urges out. On the other, it makes it that much harder to resist her in the real world. This might be the first time that it’s better to keep my mind in the present rather than letting it wander.

I shake my head clear and look down at the digital panel on the machine, finding that I’ve already jogged more than three miles. I’m winded and starting to break a sweat, so I stop the machine and get off. I grab a towel off the shelf on the wall, wiping away the sweat from my head and face. I pull off my T-shirt, slinging it into the corner of the room as I move to the free weights.

Another hour later, my body is worn out, and I head for the bathroom and a hot shower. I stop at the sink to shave. A dark scruff is growing across my jaw since I haven’t shaved since yesterday morning. When I finish up, I move toward the shower. I hang my head forward and let the water rush over my hair, soaking it completely before working some shampoo into my hair. The hot water helps to ease my sore, tense muscles, but it doesn’t relax me in the way I’d hoped. I look down at my rock-hard dick, standing at attention.

Now that I’ve allowed my body to realize it’s not dead, that part of me is coming back with a vengeance. I know it’ll be a constant problem if I don’t take care of it, so I mumble a string of curses under my breath and wrap my hand around my shaft.

My left hand is against the wall in front of me, supporting my weight as my right moves forward and back, pumping my shaft. I force my eyes to stay open at first, wanting to keep my mind in the present, and not allowing my imagination to take over. But the first surge of pleasure that shoots through me has my eyes closing and that’s when I’m no longer in control. Before I know it, I’m thinking back on last night, on the way she felt against me, the softness of her skin, the sweetness of her perfume. I think back to removing her shoes and seeing her red painted toes. I can see myself kissing the arch of her foot, and my cock twitches in excitement. I kiss the inside of her ankle, working my way higher up her calf. I run my tongue up the inside of her thigh, all the way to the junction between her legs. I push her dress up to her waist and I yank at her panties until nothing is protecting her from me. I imagine her pussy is smooth, swollen with need, and blushing to be kissed.

This has always been one of my favorite parts. Not the act of having sex—every man likes that—but teasing her and making her beg for more. Any guy can fuck a woman, but only the best can make them wiggle, moan, and beg. I’m sure Ally wouldn’t be any different. I imagine running my tongue up her slit, splitting her folds and spreading them as I suck her clit into my mouth. Fuck, I bet she’d taste good. I bet that the moment my tongue grazes her sensitive nub, her hips would thrust upward in excitement. I imagine her moving her hips with every thrust of my tongue. I can hear her moan and whimper as I push her closer to her release.

My hand works faster and faster, and long before I’m ready, my orgasm is building. I want to come undone, but I want to hold it off so I can get further in this fantasy. I imagine her coming on my tongue, and the way her toes curl while she shivers and shakes around me. And because I’m so worked up, I imagine lining up the tip of my cock with her entrance. I rockmy hips, coating myself in her come until I slide between her folds with ease. And then without warning, I thrust into her, sliding in hard, fast, and deep. I don’t stop until I’m fully inside, making her quiver around my cock as she adjusts to my size. I see her eyes burning as she bites her lower lip. And because I can’t control myself for another minute, I fuck her until I feel her coming on my cock. That’s when my release comes, and the waves of pleasure wash over my body like something I’ve never experienced. I lose all control as I’m hit again and again and again, each wave causing my cock to release more of my excitement into the shower drain.