The #5Star Affair (Love Hashtagged Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

picking up a lot about the business side of things. Making contacts. That kind of stuff.”
    His tone had shifted. In addition to his standard confidence, there was an extra trace of pride. He believed in what he was shooting for. She liked that. The coffee maker sputtered out its last drops, and she hopped from the stool. She grabbed two mugs from the cupboard.
    “Behind you.” He rested his hand at the small of her back, and sent a spike of warmth dancing over her skin. Focusing on his touch was such a bad idea. Too bad her body didn’t agree. He handed her the cream.
    “Sugar?” She managed to find her voice, as she filled both cups with coffee, then milk.
    “It’s on the counter, and no thanks.” His breath caressed the back of her neck, while he traced tiny lines over her spine with his thumb. She should pull away, but the contact, his scent, it was all too comforting.
    Images flashed through her mind. Leaning back into him. His lips trailing along her skin. His groans filling her head, as he spun her, lifted her onto the counter, and pushed between her legs. The fantasy seared her veins, and tingled in her gut. She dragged up what little restraint she could find. It didn’t smother her swelling desire, but it gave her enough reason to think around it. What was she doing? Playing house with some guy she just met?
    She broke away from his touch, and put several feet and the counter between them again. Her heart hammered in her ears, and her mind jerked over the contradiction of the moment—how simple it was to fall into this pattern, and how little sense it made for her to do so. “So that’s why you’ve got business cards?” Like the one he’d given her at Gwen’s diner with his home address on it. She hoped she managed to hide her uncertainty as she struggled to bring the conversation back to neutral ground.
    His gaze slid over her, and paused on her face. “Yeah. You okay?”
    She swallowed, to try and get some moisture back in her throat. She’d gotten over Nick faster than was right, considering how long they’d been together, and that made her realize all they’d had was comfort. She didn’t want to make that mistake again. Besides, she barely knew Ethan. She shared an apartment with him, and finding this place had been tough enough. If she let her hormones drive her decisions, things would end badly.
    “I’m good,” she managed to say. “I just remembered I have work to do today. Do you mind if I take this with me?” She gestured to her plate.
    “No.” Ethan furrowed his brow, still studying her.
    “Thanks again for breakfast,” she called over her shoulder as she disappeared into her room. She leaned against the door to close it, pulse still screaming. Seriously. What the hell was wrong with her? Worse, she didn’t know if she was more frustrated with her desire to give in or the fact she hadn’t already done so.
     
    *
     
    Ethan dropped his palms onto the counter, locked his elbows, and closed his eyes. What was he doing? He didn’t like to make assumptions about what kind of signals a woman gave off, but with Jaycie, it was a struggle to back off.
    Standing behind her near the coffee maker, he’d wanted to bury his face in her neck. Slide his hands up her stomach. Kiss every inch of her body, and see if she tasted as amazingly as the faint honeysuckle drifting from her skin smelled. His cock twitched at the temptation, still hard from the encounter a few minutes ago.
    He didn’t know how to react to the entire situation. She seemed into him sometimes, but then pulled away abruptly. If he were a better man, he’d ask her outright if she was interested, but he was just as concerned she’d tell him she didn’t know as he was that she’d tell him to back off.
    He raked his fingers through his hair, and shoved aside his breakfast. Fuck it. He wasn’t going to be the asshole who made too many assumptions and forced things into awkward—or even threatening—territory.
    Maybe he