“Ethan,” she says, surprised. “I was just trying on dresses. The girls made me buy two, and I can't decide which one to wear to the party.”
I stand and stare at her like an idiot.
“Is everything okay?” She steps back and gestures for me to come in. “You look like you've seen a ghost.”
I walk into her apartment on autopilot. The living room is smaller than mine but cozier, with soft lighting and pillows everywhere. There’s a second dress draped over the back of the couch. It's red and probably just as stunning as the one she's wearing.
“I brought you something,” I say, finally finding my voice. I hold out the velvet box. “A thank-you gift for everything you've done.”
She takes the box and opens it slowly. Her lips part when she sees the necklace, and her fingers trace the delicate chain. “Ethan, this is beautiful. And too much.”
“It’s not nearly enough,” I argue. “Because of you, I might actually get back on the ice.”
“Will,” she corrects. “Youwillget back on the ice.”
“Will,” I agree, unable to stop my smile from forming.
The smile she gives me in return is devastating. One that I’ll play in my mind on a loop before I go to sleep tonight. I get lost in it — her. Memorizing the way her eyes are lit up. The curve of her lips. And then I remember how soft they felt against my own.
I clear my throat, shifting on my feet. “Can I?” I gesture to the necklace.
She nods and turns around, lifting her hair off her neck. I take the chain from the box and step closer. My fingers brush against her skin as I fasten the clasp, and she shivers at the contact.
The necklace settles against her collarbones, and I don't step back. I stay there, close enough to inhale her scent. I lean down and press my lips to the curve of her neck.
I don’t miss the tiny gasp she lets out. “What are you doing?” she whispers.
My voice comes out low. “What I’ve wanted since you got off my lap in that locker room.” I kiss her neck again. This time, I let my tongue drag along her skin.
She gasps and tilts her head to give me better access. My mouth trails up to the spot just below her ear. My hands find her waist and pull her back against me so she can feel what she’s doing to me.
The evidence of how badly I want her presses against her ass, and she makes a sound that goes straight to my cock.
“Ethan,” she moans.
“Tell me to stop.” I kiss her neck again, my teeth grazing her skin. “Tell me to stop, and I'll go back to my apartment, and we'll pretend this never happened.”
She turns in my arms and faces me. Her eyes are dark with desire, and her chest is heaving, and she looks just as desperate as I feel.
“I don't want you to stop.”
I crash my mouth against hers, and she opens for me immediately. The kiss is hungry. Urgent. My tongue slides against hers, and she moans into my mouth, lacing her arms around my neck. I've never wanted anyone this badly in my entire life.
I walk her backward until her shoulders hit the wall. My hands are everywhere, sliding up her sides, cupping her breasts through the thin fabric of the dress, gripping her ass and pulling her tighter against me. She's just as frantic, her fingers clawing at my shirt, trying to get to bare skin.
I pull back long enough to yank my shirt over my head. She runs her hands over my chest and abs, her nails scraping lightly over my skin, and I groan at the sensation.
“I need this dress off,” I say, in a rough voice.
She turns around, and I find the zipper at the back. I drag it down slowly, exposing inch after inch of golden skin. The dress pools at her feet, and she steps out of it, turning to face me in nothing but a tiny pair of lace panties. Her breasts are full and round, her nipples already hard.
“You're so fucking beautiful.”
She reaches for my belt, and I let her unbuckle it. She unfastens my jeans and pushes them down along with my boxers. My cock springs free, hard and aching.
She wraps her hand around me, and I hiss at the contact. The sight of her hand around my cock is almost enough to make me lose control. She strokes me slowly, exploring my length, her thumb tracing the veins that run along the underside.
“You're so hard,” she whispers.
