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“Nice to meet you, ladies. It’s nice to put faces to the names.”
“Has Amelia been talking about us?” Noelle prompts, sipping on her champagne.
“Just about how important you all are to her.”
Noelle smiles, Charlotte casts me a curious glance, and Penelope purses her lips. “That’s right, Ethan. So, if you do our friend dirty here, you’ll have to answer to us. Just so you know, we’re aware of how out of line you have been as well, so don’t think you’re not on our radar.”
“I understand your reservations completely. Amelia and I didn’t get off on the best foot, but now, honestly? I just want to do dirty things to Amelia, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to take her away for the rest of the evening.”
My mouth falls open, as does Noelle and Charlotte’s, but Penelope just smiles. “You’d better live up to the promises you just laid down because we will undoubtedly be discussing your prowess during brunch on Sunday.”
“Penelope!” I admonish. “Don’t listen to her, Ethan. Let’s just go.”
“I won’t let you down,” he says to Penelope with a wink and then reaches for my hand. “You guys have a good rest of your night.”
“You too. Just remember to use protection.” Penelope waves her fingers at us as Ethan pulls me away from my friends.
“See you Sunday!” I call out to them as he whisks me away. But then I almost fall as I attempt to follow his lead. “Ethan, I can’t walk that fast in these heels.”
“Sorry,” he mutters, slowing down his gait as he holds the door open for me, leading me out into the crisp summer night with his hand on the small of my back now.
“You really didn’t have to come get me.” He holds open the passenger door to his car as I get situated inside, not bothering to answer me until he also climbs in and pulls out of the parking lot.
“I know I didn’t, but like I said, all I kept thinking about was something happening to you if I hadn’t. My alter ego did not approve.”
“Alter ego?”
“Grumpy,” he says, winking in my direction quickly before putting his eyes back on the road. “My grumpy side was not having it.”
“Oh.” I chuckle. “I see.”
“By the way, Oliver loved the picture we took earlier this week. I forgot to tell you.”
This information has me twisting to face him in my seat. “Really?”
“Oh yeah. He’s been bugging me for another, but I told him the gnomes didn’t move again.”
“Remind me on Monday, and we’ll take another.”
He laughs. “I told you, we shouldn’t have even started this. He won’t let it go.”
“He’s a kid, Ethan. There’s only a short amount of time where he will believe in magic, where thinking gnomes move at night to guard treasure will bring him excitement. Kids are so pure, and the world is so fascinating to them. Honestly, it brings me joy being able to do this for him, so don’t worry about it.”
He reaches over and grasps my hand, kissing the top of it. “You’re incredible. And you look fucking amazing tonight, by the way.”
I glance down at the silver dress I wore, the sequins glinting from the lights outside the window, reflecting off it as we cruise down the road. “Thank you.”
“I wasn’t lying to Penelope either. All I want is to do dirty things to you. I can’t stop thinking about it. Not seeing you this week after Tuesday was torture.”
His words resonate in my body, sending a thrill down my spine just like they did when I was standing in front of my friends and Damien. And then it hits me. “Oh fuck.”
“What?”
“Damien was there. You said that in front of him, and he’s friends with my brother. If he says something to Nick…”
“Jesus, I’m sorry.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“Let me text Charlotte, tell her to talk to him.”
“Good thinking.”
I shoot off a text as quickly as I can, but Charlotte doesn’t read it right away. I’m sure she’s busy and will get it later. “Do you have Damien’s number just in case he sees Nick before I see Charlotte on Sunday?”
“No. Like I said, I only met him the one time.”
“Shit.”
Ethan reaches over and grabs my hand, squeezing it in comfort. “Don’t worry. Even if for some reason he sees your brother and says something, I’ll handle Nick.”
Shaking my head, I stare out the passenger window. “What are we thinking, Ethan? Being casual fuck buddies? I mean, are we crazy? It’s not like we want the same things.”
“The only thing I want right now is you, Amelia. All the other shit doesn’t matter, in my opinion.”
I sigh, knowing there’s not much more I can do at this moment except doubt and debate whether continuing with this charade is really worth it. I already feel like I’m in too deep. This last week—well, at least the two days when we saw each other—gave me a glimpse at the man beside me that I’ve been dying to discover more about. And even though he has multiple sides that he’s shown me so far, this side—the protective man that chose to drive out of his way to pick me up so I was safe—is my favorite one, with seeing him in the role of a single father at a close second.
“So, where is home?” Ethan asks before I rattle off my address and then verbally give him directions as we drive through the streets of Los Angeles, my nerves and uncertainty increasing with each passing second as we close in on my house. Luckily for me, Charlotte texts me back and eases my anxiety, assuring me she’ll talk to Damien tonight.
When Ethan pulls into my driveway, he shuts off his car and turns to me. “Can I walk you to your door?”
“Sure.”
My limbs shake from the chill in the air and the nervousness I feel. I want to invite Ethan inside, but part of me doesn’t think that’s a good idea either. My mind is all over the place, but before I can get a word out, Ethan crowds me against the door when I spin to face him.
“Ethan…”
