Shake The Frost (Crystal Lake #6) - Juliana Stone Page 0,49
the two of them rode it for as long as it took, until she collapsed over him.
“What the hell just happened?” she asked hoarsely. “I’ve never… That was…”
He dropped a kiss to her nose and rolled them both under the blankets. “I know.”
Ethan had pretty much lost his mind, so it was going to take a bit for him to recover. Watching Emily on top of him, all that hair sliding across silky skin, those expressive eyes and a mouth bruised from his own, had blown away every single fantasy he’d ever had. She was everything. He was done for. Finished. There would never be another woman for him. Not now. Not after what they’d just shared. If she up and left and he never saw her again, he’d be celibate the rest of his life, because how could sex with any other woman come close to what they’d just shared?
He kissed the top of her head and pulled her close, cradling her against him. They were nestled under the comforter, and Ethan could have stayed exactly where he was for the next twenty-four hours. Or the next week. Or month.
“What are you thinking about?” Emily asked softly, leaning her chin on his chest as she gazed up at him.
“I’m thinking that this right here is the last thing I would have considered happening when I rolled out of bed this morning.”
She took that in and angled her head to the side. She seemed to be considering something.
He frowned. “What is it?”
A soft sigh escaped her. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch yesterday.”
“It’s okay,” he replied, watching her closely. She looked so damn sincere. “I know pregnant women can be emotional sometimes. Or at least that’s what I’ve heard. Don’t worry about it.”
“But it’s not okay.” She shook her head. “I mean, we can be hormonal, and fair warning, you’ll see more than enough of that side of me in the coming months, but yesterday…” She blew out a long breath. “Yesterday was something else entirely.”
“Yeah?” Ethan didn’t give a crap about something that had happened the day before. In his mind, what was done was done, so why bother fixating on it? But something was bothering Emily, and he wanted her to know she could talk to him about anything. “What’s going on?”
“I’ve gotten used to you being around, and after the lovely day at your parents’, I was annoyed I was alone. That I can handle. It’s the other part I have trouble with, and I feel kind of dumb just thinking about it or talking to you about it and…”
Her eyes darkened, and Ethan caught a vibe he didn’t like. She was worried about something, and somehow, he was responsible for that worry. “Emily, I don’t want you to be afraid to talk about what’s on your mind. Just say it. I’ve got nothing to hide.” He sat up a bit. “Ask me anything.”
She glanced away. He could tell from the set of her mouth that she was more than just a little upset. It killed him to know they could go from the heights of ecstasy to this in the space of an hour.
“Rick used to come home late sometimes. He always had an excuse, like he’d had a few beers with boys after work and time got away from him. I let it ride because he’d always been like that. In high school, he’d be late for a date because of football practice, or he was out at the lake with you and some of the guys. The last few years of our marriage, something changed. He wasn’t just late anymore. There were times when he didn’t come home at all. I’d send him text messages or try to call, but his phone always went straight to voicemail.”
Ethan’s mouth clamped tight. He knew where this was headed.
“He’d stroll in the next morning as if everything was good and tell me he’d had one too many beers and spent the night at your place or at Cam’s or whoever’s name he pulled out of his ass. He’d get pissed when I asked him why he didn’t call or text. He’d always say the same thing. Tell me his phone was dead and he hadn’t read the messages until an hour ago. Then he’d kiss me on the cheek, hop in the shower, and head to work like the world was good. Like we were good. Like he didn’t just lie and spend the night Megan