Page 11 of Chance

Ewan pulled back, mumbling something about, “You don’t have to,” but there was nowhere for him to go, so he was stuck. I glanced up enough, while I took as much as I could in my mouth, to see his head tilted back against the tiles and his hand bracing him on the wall. His other hand threaded into my damp hair, and he pumped his hips, driving himself to the back of my throat. When his sounds became more intense, I slid my body up his and took him in my hand. His fingers wrapped around my upper arm, and Ewan gently bit into the curve of my neck. His other hand gripped my waist and his whole body shook as his release coated my hand. I reveled in the reaction, wearing a cocky smile. Having never done that before, his enjoyment gave me a surge of confidence, making me want to do it again. Damn lustful demons.

When he pulled away slowly, his eyes moved from my face to where he gripped my arm a little too hard. He jerked back revealing a red imprint of his hand. I hadn’t even noticed how tight the grip was and fair skin meant I bruised easily. He winced at the sight. “You didn’t have to do that.” His face and ears flushed. I smirked.

“I know.” I turned to pick up his shampoo, but Ewan snatched it from me and squeezed some in his palms before lathering it into my hair. I stepped back to rinse my hair, and he took the opportunity to run his hands over my chest and stomach. Ewan buried himself in my chest, licking and teasing my nipples while he slid his hand down between my thighs and nudged them apart. I shook my head, stuttering through him not needing to return the favor, but went quiet when his mouth crashed into mine. His hand worked, teasing me at first, making me whimper against his mouth. Just as I was about to beg, Ewan moved back down to nibble at my breasts, and his thumb started making small circles against my clit. I grabbed at him as I was pushed toward my release, clawing at his shoulders. Then I came undone, moaning, and grinding my hips into his hand. When he was satisfied, he released my nipple with a pop and kissed my forehead like nothing happened. Ewan then commenced to washing his own hair with the same shampoo while I stood panting against the wall.

Once we both smelled sufficiently like him, I was handed a towel and went to get dressed. Suddenly his madly in love comment was less offensive. His eyes kept darting to the mark he left on my arm.

“Jove, I’m—” I shook my head and tugged my shirt on. He wasn’t going to apologize for enjoying himself. I pushed him out of my way to untangle my hair in the mirror and braided it down my back. His fingers brushed the purpling handprint. “No one has ever … And that’s how I thanked you.” He tripped and stumbled over his words, refusing to meet my gaze in the mirror.

I spun to face him. “Whoa, what happened to your massive ego from last night?” He chuckled, and I skimmed my fingers through his short beard and around to the back of his neck.

His eyes flashed from embarrassment to mischief. “You seem to have an affinity for my massive ego.” I laughed and fell into his chest. We had obviously stopped talking about his ego. But Ewan was right about my affinity and being massive.

Amelia was downstairs at the kitchen island when I finally got him to stop groping me long enough to make it out of the bedroom. She handed me a cup of coffee. I felt like I had a giant blinking sign over my head that said, “I went down on your brother” over my head, but she didn’t look at me any differently than the night before.

“Do you need help with any party stuff?” I broke the silence, and she looked up from her phone.

Amelia tapped the rhinestone-covered phone against her chin. “I planned on pedicures and movies and junk food. There are only going to be six of us since Tia and Addie can come now. Should I aim higher?” Ewan settled next to me against the island and leaned over to kiss my forehead. Amelia gagged but was grinning.

“It’s your party, but if you want my help, I’m volunteering. I haven’t been sixteen in a while, but I’m at your disposal.” I thought for a moment. “My sisters might have suggestions; I can ask them today.” Amelia put her phone in her pocket and hugged me, whispering a, “Thank you” in my ear. I squeezed her back and found myself aching for her. The poor girl hadn’t had a mother in nearly eleven years, no older female advice, no maternal dating tips. Ewan had obviously done an amazing job raising her, but there was something to be said about having a mother figure. Amelia sniffled and pulled back, wiping her face. She cleared her throat and was on her phone again in an instant. Ewan watched our exchange with a troubled look in his eyes, but kept quiet as he sipped at his coffee.

“Well, I need to go mentally prepare for my family,” I washed my mug and set it back in the cabinet. Amelia hugged me again and Ewan followed me to my car. Outside, I pulled him into me. “What’s wrong?” I looked up at the mixed emotions on his face.

His fingers found the end of my braid. “Please don’t get upset, but my sister liking you so much concerns me.” He sighed. “I mean, if you and I end things, Ams is not going to take it well, and I don’t want her to have to deal with the break-up. It’s why I’ve avoided relationships.” He looked like it pained him to even say the words. It stung to hear, but I understood. She shouldn’t have to suffer because he and I messed up.

I shook my head. “As much as I don’t want to think of us ending, I understand. I would like to think that I am not the type to take our issues out on your sister, though.” Ewan cocked his head, like he didn’t understand. “I like Amelia and I can’t see myself being any different toward her whether you’re involved or not.” His sister and I had made evening walks with the dogs our routine and she spent as much time texting me as she did her friends. I kind of loved the girl.

Ewan kissed me. “You really are too perfect,” I rolled my eyes, and he snatched my chin between his finger and thumb. “Don’t roll your eyes when I compliment you, Jovie.” Ewan smirked, but I could tell he meant it and I pulled my chin from his hand. His accent saying my nickname made me surrender as much as the sincerity in his voice. I wanted to take him with me, more for support than anything, but it wasn’t time to pop our bubble yet. Ewan, Amelia, and I were all still getting to know each other, and my family would be too much.

A few short hours later, my green Honda joined the other mass of cars in my parents’ driveway, and Merlin nearly leapt from the window to get out. My dog followed me around to where the kids were playing in the backyard and immediately accosted Olive the basset. Before I could make it up the stairs, a series of foam darts popped me in the back. I turned slowly to see my cousin Austin with a Nerf machine gun aimed at me and a wide grin on his face. He was the little brother I never wanted, but we had grown distant as he got older. Panning the yard, I spotted a discarded weapon and made a mad dash for it. I stooped to snatch it up and grabbed a handful of darts from the bucket before scrambling up the ladder into the fort to load. Austin and two of my other cousins, Jay and Jordan, circled my hide out. Then my nephew, Ollie, joined in. I aimed and picked them off one at a time before swinging from the monkey bars and hauling ass to the bucket for more ammo as the darts rained down around me. Every time I spun fast, I caught the scent of Ewan’s shampoo in my hair and my chest fluttered.

I finally gave in when I was surrounded and out of ammunition. They murdered me under the deck, forcing me to my knees, and I rewarded Austin with a punch to the arm as I walked off. The kid was as tall as me; a far cry from the four-pound baby my aunt had brought home nearly fifteen years before. I went in through the back door, ignoring the creepy neighbor, Shane, and his lustful look following me in, and poured some coffee before dropping next to my grandmother at the dining room table. She patted my arm with a wrinkled, overly-jeweled hand, and I waved at the rest of the table. My mom, my sisters, my sister-in-law, and three aunts were all there. Hen party came to mind.

“I didn’t know you were here. I just texted you.” My mom eyed me suspiciously from across the table. I pulled my phone out and read the text. Amelia had obviously gotten a hold of my phone the previous night because my background was a picture she had taken of the three of us. I chewed my lip and turned my phone off, trying not to blush. Creepy Shane came and parked his fat self near Mom.

“Sorry, I was out back laying waste to some teenagers with Nerf guns.” I sipped the coffee. My grandmother was reading a new book so I snatched it from her to read the back and then handed it back. I couldn’t help but laugh at my eighty-year-old grandmother reading Jefferson Bass.

“You’re in a good mood considering you hate Easter.” My sister-in-law, Kristin, tossed me a Peep from the other end of the table, and I popped it in my mouth, shrugging. She tossed me another.

My aunt, Chelle, handed my mom her phone. “It’s because our Jovie has a boy toy she’s hiding from us.” Chelle grinned, and I fought the urge to fly across the table and murder her. I felt my eyes bulge. How did she know, and what the hell is on her phone? The whole table quieted, staring at me. Even my dad leaned out of his recliner to see me. Reese covered her mouth, laughing her ass off, and I forced myself to swallow the Peep whole. Mom handed me Chelle’s phone to reveal the picture of Ewan and me at the sink doing dishes. It looked like the cover of a romance novel. Damn, Ewan made everything look good, even dishes. I flipped through the photos from the night before of the three of us looking like a cute little happy family. Apparently, the same Tia who would be attending the party was my cousin, and Chelle’s daughter. I stood to hand Chelle her phone and sat back down rigidly.

“Do we embarrass you?” my mom demanded. Uh, yes.

I shook my head. “No, we just haven’t been talking long enough to do the family thing yet.” It was true. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him off with my family before we had a full week under our belts.

Tia appeared next to her mother. “Ewan is super-hot.” She winked at me. “That’s why Mom wasn’t letting me go to the party. Most of Amelia’s friends like him.” I forced out a breath through the tightness in my chest.

“What party?” Mom looked from me to Chelle. “What are you guys talking about? The picture looks a little more cozy than ‘talking’, Jovie.” Mom used air quotes when she said talking.

Chelle answered for me, “Tia’s friend Amelia is having a sleep over in two weeks, but the only adult there is her brother, so I told her she couldn’t go because she talks about how hot he is and I don’t know him. But then Amelia assured us that her brother’s girlfriend was supervising instead, so Tia’s going. I found out when Amelia posted these pictures on Facebook this morning that Jovie is the girlfriend.” Pretty much summed it up. I braced for the fallout, but there was silence again until my phone rang.

A picture of Amelia and me appeared over her name. The girl was way too comfortable with my phone. “Hey,” I forced myself to sound chipper.

“Are you mad? Ewan said you were going to kill me. I didn’t know Tia was your cousin.” The poor girl sounded at the brink of tears, and all my anger vanished. I should have known better than to let her take pictures. Or I should have asked her not to post them.

“No, I’m not.”

“Are you sure?” I could hear Ewan letting out a sailor worthy string of obscenities in the background and started laughing.

---