tell the truth. But I was afraid. Afraid that Ethan would see what Heath had meant to me. So before I could think about the consequences, I lied. “No. Of course not.”
He knew I was lying. I could see it in his eyes. But he didn’t call me out on it.
Instead, that night when we got back to his apartment a few streets from the fraternity house, Ethan fucked me. He’d never done that. Not the way he did that night. He had always been tender, thoughtful, gentle with me, pausing to ask if I was okay, spending the majority of his time on pleasing me. Coaxing me open and wet with kisses, hand strokes, his tongue between my thighs, before he entered me. He’d never been rough.
But as soon as we got in the apartment, he pushed me against the wall and kissed me hard, hand yanking up the skirt of my dress. His fingers were frantic stroking over me, in me, his tongue plunging deep into my mouth. I wanted to tell him to slow it down, let me catch up, but I couldn’t because I knew why he was doing it. He was staking a claim, putting his stamp on me. Reminding himself that he had me, and Heath didn’t.
I couldn’t deny him that, not when I knew what he must have seen on my face, not when the very night Ethan had asked me to marry him, I had been distracted and emotional over someone he had never even heard me talk about. If our roles had been reversed, I would need reassurance too, if some random chick showed up out of nowhere, and I wanted to give him that.
So when he pulled the zipper down my back and shoved my dress to the floor, I let him. I let him peel off my bra and suck my nipples with uncharacteristic roughness, surprised that my body did respond. It was different, yet I liked it. It was the distraction I needed and I gripped Ethan’s head, my own falling back as I moaned. I loved Ethan. His ring was on my hand, invisible in the dark, but foreign on my finger, so that I was very aware of it.
His touch trailed down my stomach and bending down, he pulled my panties to the side so he could shatter me with his tongue. I held onto his shoulders and gave him the moans he wanted, my verbal commitment in oral sex form. “Yes, Ethan, yes.”
As soon as I came, he stood up, unzipping his pants and lifting his erection out. I fought for breath as he lightly smacked my thigh. “Wrap your leg around me,” he said urgently.
I obeyed and then my back hit the wall hard as he pushed into me. All the air left my lungs before I sucked in another breath, holding onto his shoulders for balance.
“I love you,” he said, panting, his forehead pressing against mine.
But all I could think was that for the first time ever he hadn’t used a condom.
And his head was hard, his air stealing mine. I felt pressed, smothered. Turning my head to steal a fresh breath I whispered, “I love you, too.” Then after another thrust, felt compelled to remind him, “You have to pull out. Ethan. Please.”
Because he was Ethan, he did. He gave a groan of frustration but he pulled back, raking his hands through his hair. “Oh, my God, you felt so good. God. Caitlyn. Are you sure I can’t…”
The thought of getting pregnant had me shaking my head rapidly. “I’m sorry… no, we can’t…”
“Shit. I know. I know.” He helped me step out of the circle of my dress on the floor and he took me to the bed, his shoulders rising and falling rapidly with the urgency of his breathing. “I’m sorry.”
Once in his room, he was careful Ethan again, undressing himself and worshipfully taking off my bra and panties.
He was quieter, more subdued, in control again.
When he pulled me onto his chest afterwards, for the first time ever I felt there was a gap between us.
And I was afraid I knew exactly who had created it.
Chapter Four
“I’m freezing,” Aubrey bitched as we sat on a blanket in the stands at the football game the next afternoon.
Sipping my coffee, I tried to feel sympathy but I was distracted. Again. Still. “You need to