Page 64 of Big Balls
I’m overwhelmed.No, that’s too small of a word. The complete emotional breakdown I’m currently having defies easy categorization.
Let’s recap tonight’s highlights.
First of all, Zoe Deveraux is living in New Orleans again. And working for a nonprofit that one of my friends runs. And if I weren’t sure that he knew, I could tell by the way she greeted the guys tonight that they’ve all been in touch. Probably even hanging out.
I watched Jackson have his hands all over her as I walked in the room, and I wanted to rip his throat out. Then when Sebastian put his mouth on her skin like that, I was almost blind with possessiveness and jealousy.
Because even if she doesn’t know it yet, I already know that Zoe belongs to me. I’m not going to settle for anybody else, and I’m willing to knock my friends’ teeth out to keep them away from her.
Second, she touched me. Admittedly, it was more likely than not to break up the impending fight that I was spoiling to have with my asshole best friends. But whatever the cause was, the fact remains that Zoe held hands with me voluntarily.
Third and fourth, she looked fucking amazing in that sparkly red dress. Yes, it was so good that it counts twice. I’m not sure which one of my asshole friends bought her a sequined cocktail dress in my team colors, but I’m going to thank him later by beating him up less than the other two idiots.
Let’s not forget the part of this saga where Zoe acted almost upset about me being here on a date. As if. I didn’t know how she knew I was here with someone, but I was confident she didn’t know I’d come with my mother. The family resemblance is striking and obvious, and also my mom is definitely not my type when it comes to dating.
Was it possible she was jealous? The mere idea makes my heart thump a little bit faster in my chest.
And when I felt like I was finally under control of myself, making a reasonably decent impression in public and everything, then Zoe named the scholarship after my Lisa…my late wife and Katy’s mother.
I definitely didn’t see that coming. No wonder the charity’s director asked if I wanted to be part of the speech. I would have made a complete fool of myself, standing there weeping on stage, though, so bullet dodged.
And now I’m touching Zoe again, pulling her close against me and directing us both to the small conference room in the back that looked like a makeshift staging area for the event.
When we’re finally inside, I pull the door closed. Then I move toward her, but she backs away.
“Stop it, Ethan. You’ve got the wrong idea about what kind of person I am if you think I’m going to make out with you in the back room while you’re on a date.”
She is glaring at me with so much hurt in her eyes that it felt like I was doing something wrong, but now is definitely the time to clear all of that up.
“Zoe, listen. I’m here with a guest, but not on a date.”
Her eyes burn back at me. “Don’t bullshit me. You’re here with a plus one. For girls like me, that’s considered a date, okay?”
I move toward her again. “It’s my mom, okay? I brought my mother to the charity poker night as my plus one, and if that’s a problem for you—”
Her kiss drives the rest of the words from my mind. Because this is it. I can feel the urgency and happiness in her movements, the way she’s pressed herself against me, and I give it back to her immediately.
“Ethan, next time start with the fact it’s your mom.” Then her mouth is on mine again, and her hands are running down the length of my body until she’s stroking me through my tuxedo pants.
I pull away with a hiss and stare at her, her smudged lipstick and wild, sexed-up looking hair that I’ve been tangling my fingers in as we’ve kissed.
Her eyes are wide, and her pupils are huge and sparkling. She looks like she’s been dying to be kissed by me. So I kiss her again, wrapping my fingers into the hair at the base of her skull and pulling ever so slightly.
Zoe makes a beautiful little noise, and it takes all of the self-control I have ever possessed to keep myself from throwing her onto one of these tables and burying myself inside her right now.
“You’re not dating anyone,” she says, a little smile lingering on her swollen lips. “Oh Ethan, I got lipstick all over your mouth.” She fiddles around in a giant black bag along one edge of the room and comes back with a makeup wipe.
“Much better,” she sighs. “Now how do I look?”
I reach for her again, but she darts back from my touch. “Not yet. Not here, either. My boss is out there. We’ve waited this long, so I’m pretty sure we can wait a little bit longer.”
I want to complain, but I also don’t want to be that guy who does the wrong thing with the woman he loves anymore, so I keep my mouth shut. For now. “Later,” I state firmly.
She nods. “Did you honestly think there was any chance I’d say no to you?”
Then her face softens. “You did think that. But why?”
I sit down and pull her onto my lap, then attempt to sort out the worst of her tangled up hair by combing it through my fingers. “Because you deserve better than me, Zoe. I have messed things up between us over and over again, and I figured if you felt anything for me, you might reach out after that interview finally aired.”
