AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He pressed his head against my boobs and shook his head between them, making me laugh. It was unexpected, and while I cursed myself for succumbing so easily, the laughter subsided.
"And you kick ass," he added, making me blush. "I've never met a woman who could have pulled off what you did."
"You saved my life," he said, pulling me closer and looking up at me with his dark eyes.
As Ethan drew us both down onto the bed, I felt myself start to fall onto it. As he guided my body down onto him, I landed softly on him.
"You are so beautiful," he said, and I felt fuzzy all over again. I wanted him to tell me more about his feelings for me and how he saw me.
I was certain of my feelings for him, but I needed to know if he shared them, and every expression was gratifying.
"I want to kiss you," Ethan said, not waiting for a response. I kissed him back, climbing atop him.
We kissed until I was hungry, then sat in bed to eat the meal I had prepared for him with the assistance of his cook. Ethan fed me, and I returned the favor by lying in bed with him as if we were playmates. His bruises were less visible than the night before.
He was still my strong Ethan, albeit with a few moments of wincing whenever I touched him in the wrong place.
Our hungers were satisfied as we lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. I couldn't tell what Ethan was thinking. His body was stiff, and his brows were furrowed in concern. It wasn't difficult to guess what was on his mind, but I still asked him.
"What's on your mind?" I asked.
"A lot of things," he sighed. "I still cannot completely shake off yesterday."
I could see the pain in his eyes when he looked at me. I couldn't get the rage that had overcome him when he was kept away from me.
What concerned me was Ethan's approach to such grudges: revenge. As I had been unfortunate to witness, this frequently involved guns and fist fights. I fearedfor his safety.
I remembered his uncle's words. Ethan was a strong-willed man, and while I knew he would fight twenty men to get to me, I also knew he would not back down from a fight or allow a transgression to go unpunished. So I tried to steer him down a path that I hoped would lead him to a better and less dangerous career path.
"Ever wondered what life might have been if you didn't end up a Mafia boss?" I spun on him.
"I would have been my brother's righthand man," he replied sharply as though I should have known.
"If you could have gotten out," I corrected him.
Ethan returned his gaze to the ceiling, lost in thought once more; his pensive expression was always so handsome.
"There were a few things. I wanted to be a rockstar for a while, but that was when I wasmuch younger and we were stupid," he said with a smile that made me smile.
"No, I would have loved to see that," I swore emphatically.
"Perhaps you would have, but that phase was brief. Then I aspired to be a stockbroker. You see them driving around in their flashy cars and wearing flashy suits. You know what I mean? It was sleek."
I laughed and nodded. It was strange to see another side to him, one that was dreamy and almost childish.
"You can't imagine me in one of those, can you?" he asked, his brow furrowed.
Oh no, I thought, having struck a nerve. Ethan loomed over me, and though I was terrified by his sudden demeanor, I didn't believe he would harm me. But he would certainly punish me.
I couldn't stop the laughter that burst from my ribs as Ethan tickled me. I tried to pull myself out from under him, but he wouldn't let me, tickling me until I begged for mercy.
"You're wicked," I retorted after mercy had been shown to me. Despite knowing I was nowhere near his strength, I continued to oppose him and was punished without the opportunity for retaliation.
"I was just born into it, you know? My life could not have turned out any other way. Why fight it andlive in regret?" he said to me as he rolled back onto his back.
"What matters is the present, right now, you being here with me," Ethan said, and my face flushed.
I wantto stay. I realized as I became entangled in his arms.
I was undeniablyin love with Ethan Levine.
