“Do you, Brynne? I think you are really grateful for the ride home last night,” he spoke in a softer voice, “and you seemed to like your dinner too.” He paused for a moment. “You thanked me.” More silence. “In your condition you would’ve never made it home safely.”
Seriously? His words returned me straight back to the overwhelming emotion I’d felt last night when he’d brought me the water and the Advil. And as much as I hated to admit it, he was right.
“Okay…look, Ethan, I owe you for the ride last night. It was a good call on your part and I do thank you for the help, but—”
“Then have dinner with me. A proper dinner, preferably not something enclosed in plastic or foil, and definitely not in my car.”
“Oh, no. Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good ide—”
“You just said, ‘Ethan, I owe you for the ride,’ and that’s what I want—for you to have dinner with me. Tonight.”
My heart pounded harder. I can’t do this. He affected me so strangely. I knew myself well enough to realize that Ethan Blackstone was dangerous territory for a girl like me—Great White shark is hungry for lone swimmer in cove—territory.
“I have plans tonight,” I blurted into my phone. A total lie.
“Then tomorrow night.”
“I—I can’t then. I’ll be working late afternoon and photo shoots always exhaust me—”
“Perfect. I’ll pick you up from your shoot, feed you, and take you home for an early night.”
“You keep interrupting me every time I speak! I can’t think straight when you start barking orders, Ethan. Are you like this with everyone or am I just special?” I did not like how the conversation turned so fast in his favor. It was maddening. And whatever he meant in the way of an early night left me imagining all kinds of forbidden.
“Yes…and yes, Brynne, you are.” I could feel the sex dripping off his voice through my phone, and it scared the shit out of me. And I am a stupid idiot for wording the question like that. Way to go, Brynne, Ethan says you’re special.
“I have to get back to work now.” My voice sounded thready. I knew it did. He just disarmed me so damn easily. I tried again. “Thanks for the offer, Ethan, but I can’t—”
“Say no to me,” he interrupted, “and that’s why I’ll pick you up from the shoot tomorrow for dinner. You admitted that you owe me a favor, and I am calling it in. It’s what I want, Brynne.”
Fucker did it again! I sighed into the phone loudly and let that sit in silence for a moment. I was not going to give in to him so easily.
“Still there, Brynne?”
“So you want me to talk now? You sure change your mind quickly. Every time I speak you interrupt me. Didn’t your mother teach you any manners, Ethan?”
“She couldn’t. My mother died when I was four.”
Fuck. “Ahhh, well that explains it then. I’m very sorry—look, Ethan; I really have to get back to my work. You take care.” I took the chicken way out and ended the call.
I set my cheek on the worktable and just rested for a minute, or five. Ethan wore me out. I don’t know how he managed it, but he did. Eventually I got up from my chair and headed for the break room. I got the biggest mug I could find, filled it with a shitload of half-and-half and sugar, and a moderate amount of coffee. Maybe a caffeine/carb buzz would help me, or put me into a coma.
Looking over at my workspace I saw the captivating Lady Percival prepped and waiting so elegant and calm as she had been doing for more than a century. Coffee in hand, I returned to her and attended to cleaning the grime from the book she so lovingly held to her breast.
3
Benny’s beautiful brown skin looked divine against the pale yellow shirt draped onto his muscled frame. Confidence poured out of Benny in every aspect of his life. Totally optimistic. I wish I could be more like him. I was giving it my best shot but let’s just say my best shot at it sucked.
“So this Ethan bloke is trying to get all up in you, huh? I saw how he watched you, Brynne. He never stopped looking,” Ben muttered, “not that I blame him.”
Benny’s always been sweet like this. My go-to guy when I need a shoulder. He’s nosy though. I’d tried all night to keep the conversation about his photography and gallery show, but he kept steering the talk back to Ethan.
“Yeah, well he has a way of getting the upper hand and I don’t like it, Ben.” I dipped my French fry—that I refuse to call a chip—into some ranch dressing and popped it in my mouth. “And thanks for making an honest woman of me tonight.” I ate another fry. “I told Ethan I had plans, which was a total lie until you called.”
Ben pointed a fry at me and smirked. “So that’s why you nearly jumped me through my cell.”
I took a swig of my Sheppy’s cider, no longer hungry for the burger and fries. “Thanks for the invite, my friend.” Even to my ears I sounded like a bore.
“Well why don’t you go out with him? He’s hot. He wants you badly. He can certainly afford to show you a good time.” Benny picked up my hand and pressed his soft lips to my skin. “You need to have a little fun, luv, or some sex. Everybody needs to get some once in a while. How long’s it been?”