“Mmm. I love kettle corn,” I say around a mouthful. Despite how nervous he makes me sometimes, I force myself to act like I would around my friends in Austin, which means my inner tomboy is at full throttle. Thus, I’m stuffing my face.
He dips his hand into the bag. “Me too. Between our desserts and your dinners, I’m gonna weigh two tons by the end of the summer.”
“As if. You must burn four thousand calories a day.” It’s true. Ethan works like a dog, slaving from sun-up until sun-down in the sweltering barn. Sometimes after the kids are in bed, he ties the long-range baby monitor to his belt and toils some more. The man has a remarkable work ethic.
And I’m guessing remarkable stamina.
I mean, I can only imagine.
When a commercial comes on for a concert, I smile at the memories. “Ryan Hunter was so good live.”
Ethan turns to me with a nod. “Saw him and his band a few years ago. They kicked ass.”
“I didn’t peg you as an alternative music fan.” Ryan Hunter is known for his acoustic style, original songwriting, and his hot AF face and bod.
Though, now that I’m sitting next to Ethan, I’d say my number one celebrity crush has some competition.
Ethan shrugs. “Brady got me into his music, strangely enough.”
I push him playfully. “He got me into Ryan’s music too. I was in my senior year of high school, and Brady wouldn’t shut up about this band he knew from Boston.”
He gives me a sexy smirk. “I forget you’re still a baby.”
I roll my eyes, but I’m laughing. “Whatever. You can’t help that you’re old.”
It’s weird how natural it feels to give him a hard time. It’s even weirder to figure out we were both at the same Ryan Hunter concert all those years ago.
With us shooting the shit, I can’t help but let down my defenses because, after a week of hanging out, this vibe between us seems natural.
Despite my better judgment, I find myself liking Ethan more than I should. But if the only way I’m going to not like him is to avoid him altogether, then I’ll just have to deal with this puppy crush. Because disappearing in the evenings only hurt his feelings, which I won’t do again.
I’ve also learned that the beautiful redhead I saw last week is a client, and judging from the comments I’ve overheard from Logan, she’s not someone whose attention Ethan welcomes.
Still.
I need to tread carefully.
I figure it’s only two months, and then I’ll go back to Austin. The thought saddens me, but it’s not like I’m a permanent member of this family. Even though I sort of wish I was. Unlike when I was dating Jamie, however, I don’t let myself fantasize.
It would be so easy to daydream. To wonder what it would be like if Ethan and I were together. Like right now? I’d sit closer to him and lean into his broad chest. He’d band one of his big arms around me and kiss the top of my head, and I’d sigh happily and let my hand meander over his stomach and appreciate every one of those ridges. Maybe I’d nuzzle against him. Smell his sexy scent. Lick and nibble my way up his neck until I straddled his lap and felt his thick, hard length through his jeans.
Yes, please.
The benefit to living with this man is seeing him in all manner of dress. My favorite happens to be those thin nylon sweatpants that show exactly how much he’s packing.
More than a mouthful.
The sound of baseball fills the room, snapping my attention to the TV.
“You didn’t check the MLB app, did you?” he asks.
His voice is so sexy. Deep and masculine. Commanding.
“No.” I shake my head to get out of whatever loony place it had gone a moment ago. Is it hot in here? “I would never cheat and see who won.” Squeezing my thighs together, I realize I might need a verrrrry cold shower later.
“Good girl.”
“But I might’ve seen that someone hit a grand slam.” I cringe playfully and wait for him to freak out. The goofball DVRed the Astros game since they played earlier today. He’s very serious about not seeing spoilers before he can watch.
His eyebrows furrow, and he holds his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, Victoria. No ice cream for you this week.”
“What? That’s not fair, you big bully.” I push him, and he yanks me closer and tickles me. Popcorn goes flying.
I yelp, and instantly, his giant paw covers my mouth, and he laughs in my ear. “Shh. Don’t wake up the kids.”
Wiggling as hard as I can, I try to tickle him back, but he’s so big, I’m like a rag doll in his arms. I’m cackling and squealing and kicking my legs. And Jesus Christ, I’m turned on. The harder I fight against him, the stronger that throb between my legs pulses.
He shifts, leans sideways, and the next thing I know, we’re horizontal on the couch. I’m huffing and puffing into his palm and laughing so fucking hard when his amused eyes meet mine.
“Say, ‘Ethan is the tickle master of the universe,’ and I’ll let you go.”
I squint but nod slowly. When he removes his hand, I smirk. “Ethan fights like a little girl!”
Those taunting words are barely out when he covers my mouth with his palm and starts tickling me again.
“Okay!” I scream into his hand. It comes out muffled. “Okay, okay!” I’m practically hyperventilating.
He props himself up, straddling my legs, and hauls my arms over my head. “I’m sorry. What were you saying? Something about how I’m the strongest man you know? How my muscles are so big and impressive?”
I shake my head, smiling, gasping and trying to catch my breath when his gaze travels over my chest. I look down and realize my nipples are rock hard and happily pointing straight at him, my sheer bra and white tank top doing little to mask how turned on I am right now.
His hand tightens on my wrists, and my pulse beats out of control. I love when a guy takes control. And I want Ethan to control this.
When those cobalt-blue eyes brimming with need meet mine, I practically melt into the couch.
Panting, I realize he’s leaning closer, and I let out a small gasp when he lowers himself to me. I’m overwhelmed by his heat. By his weight. By his erection, hard and insistent on my hip. Fuck, yes.
He licks his lips as one hand slowly moves down my arm where goosebumps erupt. And just when I can feel his breath on my skin, just when I start to close my eyes and arch up and give into the desire detonating inside me, a disgruntled baby voice cries, “Daa-dee!” from the monitor.
Like teenagers getting busted for making out, we scramble away from each other.
Ethan rubs his face and takes a deep breath before he turns slowly to me. I can’t read his expression, but now’s not the time to chat.
“It’s okay. Go.” I motion toward the hall. With as much calm as I can muster, I give him a steady smile. “I’ll pause the game.”
Then I wait.
And wait.
And wait some more.
An hour later, when he still isn’t back, I poke my head into Cody’s room and see the two of them passed out.
Disappointment washes over me, but also relief. Maybe that interruption was a blessing in disguise. I don’t want to mess this up, and sex or whatever Ethan and I were about to do on the couch definitely would’ve wreaked havoc on our delicate ecosystem here.