Page 63 of A Certain Step
“You’re… you’re something else, Willa. You’re everything,” he rasped.
The hunger in his eyes burned a hole through her chest. “Is that so?”
He tipped her chin and kissed her again, once, twice. Slow and sweet. He didn’t need words to answer. His lips were meticulously drafting an entire novel. “Was all of this okay?” he questioned.
She couldn’t help but smile at that—the amenity in his genuine and selfless care. “It was more than okay. I don’t want you to tiptoe around me, Ethan. I might not be ready for certain things right now, but you don’t have to be such a gentleman. I feel safer with you than I have with anyone else, plusI’vebeen wanting to kiss you for quite some time now. You don’t have to ask.”
His eyes crinkled at the edges, and one of her favorite smiles made its way onto his face. “So, if I want to pull you inside my dressing room after a show and make out with you until your lips are swollen, I don’t have to ask?”
She shook her head with a laugh. No, he definitely didn’t have to ask. And God, now she wanted that—badly. “You don’t have to ask. You don’t have to stick solely to my lips either,” she added.
He swallowed abruptly, his eyes blown wide. “Are you telling me the three little moles against your collarbone aren’t off-limits?”
Her lips parted. “Oh, we’rethatobservant,” she noted.
“Willa, I wouldn’t even know where to begin with what I’ve observed.”
Her breath hitched. She wouldn’t know where to begin either. His neck, his hundred-watt smile,those damn biceps and forearms. “No, they aren’t off-limits. Not to you,” she assured.
She was selfish with her declaration, too. She’d happily give Ethan what she wanted to take, the places she wanted to plant her lips—to lick and bite and kiss without restraint.
He lowered his head suddenly, carefully moved her shirt aside, and planted his lips against the moles on her collarbone. Lingering there, he kissed her softly, then skated his lips toward her throat. A low whimper threatened to emanate out of her, but she repressed it. His fingers moved to her jaw. His mouth was all over, avidly taking from wherever she’d permit.
He met her lips again, dazed and warm. They stayed like that for a few moments again, kissing like their lives depended on it.
He nipped at her bottom lip. “Stay, please. I’ll take the couch,” he asked breathlessly.
“I want to, but I need to shower before I can sleep.”
He peppered kisses along her face as he spoke. “You know I have a shower, right? And, also, an extra, unused loofah. You can have it.”
“You have an extra loofah because?” she questioned, planting a kiss against his nose.
“I buy things in twos, just in case I need a new one.”
She laughed, moving away for a second to look him in the eyes. “We live in one of the biggest cities in the world. Are you scared Target is going to run out of loofahs?” she mocked sweetly. Frankly, it was adorable, but she loved riling him up.
“No, it was all a part of my devious plan to get you to stay here.”
“That’s less concerning than you’re secretly worried there will be shortages of basic human necessities.”
“Is that a yes, then?”
She smiled. “I’m going to have to borrow your largest T-shirt. None of the fitted stuff that puts your biceps on blast.”
He hummed, moving his hands up and down her arms. “What does that mean?” he teased.
“You know damn well what it means.”
He smirked, smoldering almost. “I didn’t think you’d be checking me out, but I’m happy to hear those bench presses aren’t for nothing.”
She kicked her legs off him and stood up, holding her hand out to him.
“Only your arms,” she lied. If she could wink, she would have. “Now get me that shirt.”
Ethan laced their fingers together and led her to his bedroom.
“Also, you’re not sleeping on the sofa. We can both fit on your giant bed.”
