Page 8 of Loving My Brother's Best Friend

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."

4

NATALIE

Iexpect to wake in the same heaven I drifted off to sleep in, securely in Ethan's arms, but when my eyes open, I'm all alone. I stare up at my ceiling, letting myself be disappointed for a moment. The sound of rain lashing against my window snaps me back to reality. It feels like it rains here constantly. Maybe he didn't leave. Maybe he's out in the kitchen having coffee or showering. I just need to find him.

I sigh and roll out of bed, reaching for my discarded robe and tying it around me as I head to my front door. The door is shut, the deadbolt unlocked, as if the last person to leave didn't have a key to lock it. Dammit. He really did take off while I was still sleeping, but why?

I run my hands through my tangled hair, staring at my front door. What do I do now? If I never see him again, how long am I going to spend regretting last night?

You won't,I tell myself firmly.If that's all you ever get, then you'll cherish it, dammit. And maybe down the line, you can have Ryan kick his ass.

The thought should make me feel better, and it does, for two seconds, and then I'm back to feeling like shit again.

It's a wild thought, but I felt emotion deeper than anything I've ever experienced when I was with Ethan last night. It was like seeing him again had ignited our friendship back to life, and my crush along with it. But there was a depth that wasn't there before, and the possibility that my crush could actually come to fruition now that we were living our own adult lives.

Being with him is so easy. It's like we didn't even miss a step. Like I'd just seen him the day before. And now that I have proof he feels the same way about me? Ugh. How can I let that go and just forget?

And that's not even considering the incredible, hot-as-hell sex. Just thinking about never being able to experience that with him again makes me majorly bummed out. Hell, I even feel like crying.

Chin up, old girl,I tell myself, sniffling back tears.We've got a store to open for the day and a world to face. Let's go.

A shower, two cups of coffee, and a Pop-Tart later, I feel a little better. I'm ready to get on with my day … until the door opens.

For a panicked second, I think it might be Jason, but the man who walks through the door instead is my brother, Ryan. I blow out a breath of relief, but it's quickly replaced by annoyance.

"I told you that key is for emergencies only," I say, folding my arms over my chest.

Ryan holds up his hands in defense, a grin spreading on his face. "You weren't answering my calls," he says. "And I can't live another day unless you tell me how speed dating went."

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