Page 49 of Masquerade Mistake
And he doesn’t. He rips open the package, slides the condom on, then slides just as easily into me. I arch my back as an involuntary gasp escapes my lungs. Then we’re moving, my hands clutching his hips in an effort to bring him closer while he tugs at my hair and devours my neck. He smells so goddamn good, like salt and earth, and I bury my face in his chest to inhale his whole being. Every nerve in my body is electrified, so much that the simple stroke of his hand on my skin has me erupting in goosebumps, makes my body shake, and brings me closer and closer to orgasm. Then I shatter, coming completely undone as he thrusts harder. His skin is covered in a thin sheen of sweat. I nip at his arm to keep myself anchored, tasting the salt of his body as I cry out against him, followed by his own shuddering grunts.
Once the final tremor subsides, we stay connected as our breathing slows to a steady, identical pace. I wrap my arms around him, stroking his back, feeling the fullness of his weight on my body. I feel like I can breathe easier with his body covering mine.
He slides off me, disposing of the condom before facing me again. He traces lazy circles on my belly, between my breasts, over my arms. A smile tugs at his lips as his touch leaves a trail of more goosebumps.
“I think you like that,” he murmurs.
“I think we spent too long apart,” I say, leaning up to give him a slow, sensual kiss. His hand cups my cheek as he deepens the kiss, but he keeps the unhurried pace. Now that we’ve released that built-up tension, it’s nice to just be here, tangled in the sheets with nowhere else to be. I’m grateful for the amount of work I’ve done this past week, affording me a day of absolutely nothing but lying in Ethan’s arms.
“So…” he starts.
“So…” I repeat, lowering my eyes. There’s a glimmer of awkwardness between us, and I know it has everything to do with him meeting Finn last night. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” he says. “The question is, how are you feeling?”
I check myself then. There’s still a small pit of uncertainty in my belly, but I attribute it to the fact that I still haven’t told Ethan everything. But as far as how last night went, I couldn’t have expected better, and I tell him as much.
“What was your biggest fear?” he asks, and my mind immediately thinks of my mother disappearing to the bedroom with some nameless guy. But when I look in Ethan’s face, I realize just how different this is. I know him. At least, I know this isn’t some casual fling.
“I guess I was afraid of Finn feeling like I was abandoning him,” I say. Ethan strokes my arms, his lips curving into a soft smile, but he says nothing. “And I was afraid I’d lose myself in you and really would abandon him.”
“You’d never do that,” he said, squeezing my arm.
“Yeah, but I think I understand how easy it is. I mean, the way I feel about you…”
I stop myself, but not soon enough for his eyes to widen, his mouth slipping into an easy grin. He pulls back to look at my face.
“And how is that?” he asks.
He’s already confessed his feelings at the carnival, and even though I’ve been feeling the same way, I haven’t been able to tell him. I want to, but it doesn’t feel right to say those words when I still haven’t admitted my biggest secret to him.
“That I think you’re pretty special,” I say lamely, and I try to ignore the flash of disappointment that crosses his face. “And I can see this growing into something so much bigger than it already is.”
It’s only a fraction of what I’m feeling, and I can’t help hoping he’ll see through my careful words to know how I feel. He nuzzles my neck, sliding his arm across my waist before he climbs over me again.
“How much bigger,” he whispers, then lowers to my mouth. My phone on the nightstand starts ringing at the same time, and I groan against him.
“It could be Finn’s school,” I explain as I roll out from under him to reach my phone. On the display is my mother’s name. I frown, wishing I could just ignore it.
“Hello?”
No one speaks, but I can hear breathing on the other line. I sit up in bed, switching the phone to my other ear.
“Mom? You there?”
“You need to get over here,” a gruff voice says.
“Duke?”
I’m sure it’s him, but I don’t get to find out for sure because the phone goes dead. When I turn to Ethan, the alarm must be painted across my face because he gets up and starts pulling on his shirt.
“It’s my mom,” I explain, grabbing my sweats from the floor. “I just…” my hands won’t stop shaking. I’m used to my mom calling me, but never Duke.
“I’ll drive,” he says, taking my hand in his. I nod, thoughts racing through my head, but the words unformed.
My leg bounces as I navigate, and I’m glad he’s the one behind the wheel. No one is in a hurry as we enter the freeway, and we’re stuck in place as traffic moves at a crawl.
“Get off at the next exit,” I say. “We’ll take the side streets.”