Page 45 of Ignite

I hadn’t expected him to chase me. I hadn’t expected him to hold me while I cried. But somewhere between mad hot sex, pizza and more mad hot sex, we’d gone past the point of random hook-ups.

When he’d held me, I felt safe.

When he’d made love to me, I felt loved.

When he came, I felt complete.

When I’d awoken in Ethan’s bed, I had something to lose if we fell apart. The longer I stayed asleep, the longer I could have hidden away from reality.

I didn’t need Ethan Cooper to look at me with those sultry blue eyes if he wasn’t going to stick around—in town or with me.

But my slight stretch woke my sleeping giant.

“Now, that’s a sight worth waking up to,” Ethan murmured, rolling towards me. Before I had a chance to even moisten my lips, his lips were on mine, and all my reservations disappeared.

We could make this work.

Iwantedto make this work.

Iwantedto forget the date and forget about everything waiting for me in Meringa.

I opened myself to Ethan and let him take control.

His rough stubble grazed my chin and warmth seeped bone-deep down my body as it wakened for him. I loved the contrast between soft lips and rough stubble. I loved the way his hands worked their way from cupping my cheeks, down to caressing my breasts, not stopping until he found my ass.

“Right where you left it,” I whispered between breaths. “All yours.”

“I love it when you agree with me.” His breath was hot and his kisses even hotter. His eyes were open, and I wanted to drown in them, and in him but I couldn’t let his taunt go unchallenged.

“I think you’ll find thatyouagreed withme.”

He rolled me onto my back and spread my legs apart with his knees, melting my core. I’d lived without sex for months, but I’d lived without Ethan all my life. One night in his bed and I’d become addicted. All he had to do was give me a filthy look, and if I was wearing panties, they’d be soaked.

“What?” I tried to decipher his expression. His eyes were a beautiful mix of desire and sleepy, but one eyebrow was raised and after almost planking above me, he didn’t move. “What?” I asked again.

He looked down and my nipples hardened as if to grab his attention. He looked lower to where my pussy purred his name.

“I don’t want to keep arguing with you over everything,” he said. “I don’t want drama. I don’t want conflict. Life’s too short, yeah?”

I thought back to all I’d lost. Lifewastoo short. I didn’t want to look back in five years’ time and realize we’d wasted months or years because I didn’t want to give the small-town gossips their fun. I didn’t want drama or conflict, but I could use more of Ethan’s kisses.

“I’m not going to agree with you all the time. I’m not built like that.” As much as I wanted him to make love to me again, I wasn’t a submissive doormat and refused to make promises I wouldn’t keep. “But I don’t want unnecessary conflict either.”

“Not asking you to agree with me. I actually love the way we bring different ideas and opinions to the table.” He looked up and down the bed and continued, “Or bring to the bed.”

“I like the sound of that.” I wriggled my hips, hoping he’d get the message. Talk was fine, but if he wanted conversation before coffee, then my body needed some pleasing.

“There are very fewdie-on-a-hilltopics.“ He leaned down and kissed each cheek, avoiding my lips. “Let’s save our real fights for those.”

“Well,” I teased. “If you start something and don’t finish, I reserve the right to buy an argument.”

“Buy an argument?” He tilted his head, “Are you a fan of …”

“Monty Python? My daddy raised me well.”

“Rylee?” He nibbled around my neck, making me giggle and thrash about until he stopped. “How about you don’t mention your father when I want to sink balls-deep inside you.”

“How about you find a way to stop me from talking.”

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