Page 67 of Unfolding Ethan

“Evey,” he called out to his sister, but all he received was a loud shriek of ‘pussy.’

I laughed, clutching Evey in my arms and watching Ethan's eye darken. “She just said you are a pussy, Ethan. Such agreatsister.”

“Oh, you’re dead.”

I chuckled, getting on my heels, and made a dash toward the kitchen. Evey shrieked in her baby voice when her brother followed me at a slow pace, making monster noises.

“You have to catch me first.” I stuck my tongue at him as we circled around the island, my hands taking care of Evey and protecting her head.

Ethan growled playfully and pounced on me, but I ducked and Evey let out a loud giggle. I loved it when he was playing with his sister.

“Run before the monster eats us.” I giggled, dashing inside his room, and soon he caught up to me. I squealed when he picked me up and gently laid me down on his bed, his sister still in my arms.

Eveline laughed when Ethan tickled her, and I couldn't help but grin stupidly at them. Also because I couldn’t move. He was straddling my hips. When she crawled toward the headboard, Ethan looked down at me, his hair touching my forehead.

“Now, your turn,” he replied in his husky voice, which sent shivers down my core.

I panicked. “Ethan—don’t. Ah!”

He tickled my sides and I could hear Eve’s giggles mixed with my laugh while her brother tickled me mercilessly. He finally stopped, nuzzling his nose in the column of my neck while I panted for air.

“Kiara?”

I finally opened my eyes. “Hm?”

Ethan said, “I am going to kiss you.”

He didn’t give me a chance to reply when his lips met mine in a scorching kiss. I tugged his hair, pulling him closer, and wrapped my legs around his waist when he angled his jaw to deepen the kiss, his teeth nibbling on my lower lip.

We had to pull away breathing heavily because Eveline started crying. When I sat up, straightening my clothes and hair, Ethan tried to soothe her, holding her in his big arms, but she started crying more.

“Is she okay?” I asked worriedly.

“I don't know.” He tried to shush her and walk around his room, but then Eveline started hitting her brother's broad chest with her tiny fists.

I took her in my arms, soothing her down, and she stopped crying. I smiled at his worried face. “Don’t frown. Maybe she thought you were really a monster and eating me.”

Ethan furrowed his eyebrows. “But I was just kissing you.”

I nodded, rubbing her back. “I know. But she’s too little to know that.”

Eveline fell asleep in my arms and I tucked her in her crib, kissing her cheek. Volt came over to whine about Becky, his crush, who declined him when he asked her to take her out this weekend and asked Ethan for bro-support, whatever that was. He asked Rio to come, but he stuttered and said he couldn’t come, making some bad excuse, and hung up.

Ethan started preparations for dinner when his mothers came, chatting with Volt and me. Katherine was on a date with Ryan and scolded Volt for ruining our—mine and Ethan’s—chances to bang.

I went to the kitchen and saw him chopping tomatoes. I cringed at the sight of the red vegetable and wrapped my arms around his back. Ethan's body tensed, but then he relaxed and looked over his shoulder with an easy smile. Leaving the knife, he turned and held me in his arms. I sighed with content, comfort, and the musky scent of his cologne. It was a good thing that Volt or his mothers wouldn't be able to see us from the living room.

Keeping his index finger—the one that wasn't covered in tomato—under my chin, he made me look up at him and brushed his soft lips against mine. I reached up and pressed my lips on his. He opened his mouth and tightened his arms around me, his tongue licking the seams of my lips.

Ethan pulled away, keeping his forehead on mine. “Kiara, your eyes are red. Did you take a nap?” He looked worried, glancing between my eyes.

I bit my lip. “No, I didn’t, but it’s fine. I can—"

He pecked my lips softly. "Don't you think you should get some rest? You didn't sleep last night, this morning and you look exhausted. Maybe you can take a nap while—”

No. Stop. Please. Shut up!

I gulped and pulled away from him, keeping my distance. Something flashed in his eyes, but I smiled. "Yeah, I do. I'll see you tomorrow."

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