Page 51 of Mess With Me
“I thought as much.”
He kissed her. “I’m glad you shared that with me.”
“Nothing wrong with helping each other out,” she said, hoping he’d understand the friends-with-benefits nature of their arrangement. It seemed the safest way to go for both of them. Casual and light. “Has it been a while for you too?”
“Come on.” He took her hand in a warm clasp and led her back to where their friends were packing up.
“I’m guessing no?”
He didn’t reply for a few minutes as they passed some of the guys, who sent them knowing looks. Finally they reached his Jeep and he opened the passenger-side door for her. “It’s been a little less thanmumblefor me. Don’t worry, I still remember where all the parts go.”
She laughed and climbed into his Jeep.
She swore he broke the speed limit getting back to his place. He denied it all the way inside his townhouse.
But once they made it to his bedroom, all teasing stopped.
11
Ally followed a quiet Ethan upstairs to his bedroom, which was considerably cozier than the rest of his place. A Mission-style king-size bed with a warm natural wood finish dominated the space with a matching dresser and nightstands. The comforter was a deep green. It was almost like he slept in the forest—the furniture like trees, the blanket like moss or rich green grass. Outdoorsy like him.
She turned at the clatter of Ethan emptying his pockets onto the nightstand—keys, wallet, coins. Seemed like he was just going to strip down without bothering with a lot of foreplay. Cool. That was like the easiest signal that this was totally casual.
She kicked off her shoes and lifted her sweater over her head, hanging it over the footboard for later. She heard a sharp intake of breath and then he was next to her, his rough palms spanning her ribs.
“Ally, you are luscious.” His voice was gravelly, his gaze locked on her breasts still cradled in her pink satin bra. Her breasts were on the larger side; most men got a kick out of them.
“Thanks.”
His hands slowly slid up her ribs, his gaze still glued to her breasts.
She kept her hands to herself because it was starting to feel like foreplay on his end and she needed to make sure they were on the same page. “Eth, before this goes any further, I want to make sure we’re clear on the nature of this relationship.”
He closed his eyes as if pained and his hands stilled on the sides of her breasts. His voice sounded strained. “You want to talk about the relationshipnow?”
“This isn’t a relationship.”
“You just said…” He shook his head and dropped his hands. His gaze met hers. “Yes,it is. We had three dates.”
“We did not.”
He retrieved her sweater and handed it to her. “You want to talk, put this on.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m not.”
She tossed her sweater to the side. “I just want to be clear, that’s all. Naked is where this is headed.”
He looked to the ceiling, his chest heaving in and out. Then he pinned her with a hard look, not even peeking at her breasts. “Fishing,” he barked, holding up a finger. “Two hikes plus lunch that I paid for and snacks that I shared.” Another two fingers went up. “That’sthreedates. I picked you up at your place and dropped you off. I gave you the shirt off my back.”
She warmed at the memory of his generosity. “You did. I really appreciated it.” And she’d kept it too because she’d loved the chivalrous gesture.
His gaze dipped to her cleavage before he jerked his head up. “You think I do that for just anyone?”
Her brows scrunched together. She had thought it was just his generous nature. Also, those so-called dates hadn’t made her a nervous wreck. Sure, she’d fussed a little, but not nearly to the level she normally would if she’d known it was an actual date. Not only that, she’d been wearing an unattractive tick-repellant outfit for two of them and looked like a drowned rat on the other after an unexpected dive in the lake. She couldn’t believe she’d been dating Ethan all this time without knowing it after she’d committed herself to singlehood!
He pushed a lock of her hair back over her ear. “I get the feeling I wasn’t clear enough. No, I don’t do that for just anyone. I typically fly solo or go out with the guys. I’ve never invited a woman to go hiking or fishing with me.”
