I follow Ethan into his apartment. I never thought the wheel of my luggage would squeak in this apartment again, but I’m glad to hear it now.

We haven’t discussed sleeping arrangements, but I don’t protest when he drags my luggage into his bedroom. I’ve never shared a bedroom with a man before, but this feels right.

It would be weird for me to go back to my old room. I feel like I’d be sneaking into his room most nights anyway, or the other way around.

When I moved out, I couldn’t even imagine that Ethan would ever invite me back, much less come and find me at Mom’s place and move me into his bedroom.

I even called it “wishful thinking” to hope that Ethan, Penny, and I could be a real family.

I guess Ethan’s right. I don’t expect much from the world, or from the people around me. Maybe I’ve been disappointed too many times before to believe.

I find it easier to keep my expectations low. It’s less exhausting that way, especially when so many things are outside of my control.

“How was it, living with your mom?” Ethan asks as he takes a seat on the edge of his king-sized bed.

“It was okay,” I say, standing awkwardly at the door. The sunlight shines from the glass wall behind me, casting my shadow on the floor.

“That bad, huh?” Ethan grimaces.

I laugh.

“You know, I had to stay with relatives for a few years while I was trying to get my business off the ground,” he says.

“Really?” I’m glad it’s his turn to tell me a story now.

Being the one to disclose information makes me feel vulnerable—not that I don’t trust Ethan, but it just drains me.

I’m used to being the one to ask the questions, the one with the recorder and the notepad for conducting the interview. But today Ethan has turned the game upside down and made me play defense for a change.

“Yeah.” He puts his hand on the soft white sheet of the bed, patting the empty spot next to him. “Come here and I’ll tell you all about it.”

I approach, taking slow steps as my whole body begins to tingle all over. I’m alone with Ethan now. Not even Penny is home because she’s still in school. It’s just the two of us.

I know we’re inevitably going to end up naked in each other’s arms, but I don’t know if it’s going to be right now or tonight at bedtime. Or both.

As I sit my ass down beside Ethan, I feel the heat of his gaze searing into my flesh. We’re not even touching, and yet I can feel his desire for me, threatening to eat me alive.

And the crazy thing is, I want it, too.

I want Ethan to unleash his lust on me, like he did when he took my virginity and showed me a whole world of new sensations I’d never felt before.

“So at the time, I had just gotten funding for my business idea, but I was still broke. That was the capital for the business, you see. I didn’t personally have any money yet. My savings were drained because of my medical treatments, and—”

“I don’t think you ever told me what your illness was,” I cut him off.

“I had brain tumor.”

My breath catches in my throat. “Brain tumor?” I ask slowly, as if that could change the meaning of the words.

“Yeah. I had a seizure in the middle of the night. I was still married at the time, and Ashley got me to the hospital. She hated me, but not so much she wanted me to die.” Ethan chuckles, as if there’s anything funny about what he’s telling me. “There wasn’t much chance of survival, even after a complex and expensive surgery, but I made it.”

“I had no idea you went through something like that.”

“You even touched the scar,” Ethan says with a sexy smirk. “There’s a raised scar on my head, which you would’ve touched when you were grabbing my hair.”

“Can I touch it now?” I ask. I raise my hand to the top of his head in an attempt to divert his attention from my reddening face, although I think he notices anyway. We both know the only time I ever grabbed his hair was when we were being intimate.

“Of course.” Ethan takes my hand and places it on his head so my fingers trace a long, raised scar that’s shaped like a big C.

My heart races as I touch his hair, my brain bringing up memories of other parts of our bodies tangled together.

“So anyway, Ashley had also just left me. When I survived after the surgery, she finally filed for divorce and managed to get some of what little money I had left.”

“She left you when you were sick?”

“Yeah, she actually said that I was going to die anyway, and that she had to learn to look after herself and Penny. So she left and took Penny with her.”

“What the hell?” I curse. What kind of a monster would say something like that?

Ethan bursts out laughing. “This is the first time I’ve heard you curse. I like it.”

“You like it?”

“I like that you’re comfortable enough around me to do that, and I like that you’re getting angry on my behalf.”  He gives me a panty-melting smile, accompanied by a loving gaze. He puts his arm on my shoulder, pulls me closer, and plants a kiss on my forehead.

I beam. I’ve never used that word before, but I really can’t find a more suitable word than that. I’m beaming at Ethan, knowing how much I’m being treasured, knowing he’s going to treat me like a queen.

“So I lost everything to medical treatments and to Ashley,” he says. “And all the money I had left went to the lawyer, who was fighting to get Penny back to me. It wasn’t easy. The courts often sided with the mother back then. They still do, but not to the extent that they used to.”

I nod.

“So I lived with my dad’s sister. My aunt isn’t cruel or anything, but she’s… Well, like me, she’s not very warm to most people, and she likes her personal space. I eventually got Penny back and we lived there for a while, but I moved out as soon as I could. I felt like I was intruding.”

“That’s how I felt, too.”

“I’m surprised you’d feel that way at your own mom’s house. That’s where you grew up, right?”

“Well, it’s not just my mom who lives there. There’s also Frank, her boyfriend.”

“Right. I didn’t get to meet him,” he says.

“You’re not missing out.” I laugh wryly.

“I take it you don’t get along, then?”

“That’s one way of putting it, yeah.”

“Did he ever… Did he ever do anything to hurt you?” Ethan asks, concern reflected in his darkened eyes that have suddenly turned stormy.

“No, it’s not like that,” I say quickly. “He never beat me or anything. He’s just selfish and angry. I hate the way he treats my mom.”

“I’m sorry, kitten,” Ethan says as he strokes my hair.

“What for? You haven’t done anything wrong.”

“You’ve been through so much, and I didn’t even have any idea. I could’ve done something to help you.”

“Like what?”

Ethan pauses. “I don’t know,” he admits. “It just breaks my heart to know you’ve been suffering and I haven’t done anything to help you.”

“You’re really sweet.” I smile as I return his gaze. I raise my hand up to his cheek, caressing his skin, grazing against the rough stubble on his jawline.

Ethan laughs. “I don’t get told that very often.”

“That’s because you put on this tough front and you’re always all business—which, I mean, it’s fine, because I used to only see you at the office before. But you don’t really open up to anybody, do you?”

“I don’t really have much time for a social life. I have to take care of Penny,” Ethan says. “I don’t mind it, though. Not until you came along and showed me just how much better things could be. You made me miserable when you left.”

“‘Miserable’? Really?” I level my gaze at Ethan. A guy like him must have better things to occupy himself, rather than mope around over an ordinary girl like me.

“Yes, kitten. I think I’ve fallen for you,” he says with the kind of sincerity that can’t be faked.

His dark blue eyes reach deep into my soul; it’s like we’re communicating so much more than mere words can convey. Our marriage may be fake, but whatever is going on between us is real, even if it wasn’t there at our wedding.

Then, a kiss.

I admit I expected it—hoped for it, even. And now that Ethan’s hot, firm lips are on mine, it feels even better than I could imagine.

Ethan grazes his lips lightly against mine. I open my mouth for him, but he’s already gone. I keep my eyes closed, knowing he’s coming back for more. Sure enough, his breath feels closer and suddenly he brushes his lips over mine again. This time, I move closer, but again he’s gone.

He’s teasing me, I realize. It makes me impatient. I want him, and I want him now. It annoys me that he’d taunt me like this, but at the same time I have to admit it only whets my appetite.

Finally, I lean my entire body forward, landing in Ethan’s embrace, searching for his lips. His strong arms wrap around my waist as he places me on his lap.

And then he kisses me. Really kisses me. He captures my mouth and claims it as his own. He licks, he nibbles, and he bites, giving me a preview of what’s to come, showing me how much he wants me.

It has only been a couple of weeks since we last kissed, but this feels like new again. My heart is thumping in my chest, knowing and wanting where this is going, but anxious about it nonetheless. He feels strange and familiar at the same time.

Ethan’s hands pull me flush against his chest, squishing my tits against his hard body. He grabs my hair and pulls it to the side, exposing my neck. Without asking for my permission, he bites the sensitive flesh of my neck, making me gasp.

He’s biting so hard it starts to hurt, but it feels too good for me to stop him. I never knew pain could feel this amazing. He’s going to leave a mark on my skin, but I don’t care. Why should I worry about what strangers would say about me?

He’s getting rougher, more desperate. There’s no more teasing now. Gone is the gentle Ethan who looked at me like he wanted to shield me from the world, replaced by a primal version of him.

“You’re so sexy I can’t stand it,” Ethan says in a low, gravelly voice. He grabs my waist and pulls me down until I’m straddling him, sitting right on top of his hard bulge. “See what you’re doing to me?”

I bite my lower lip and sink down on his lap. I don’t know how I figure out what to do, but I get the urge to rock back and forth against him. Instinctively, I just know that’s going to help with the ache between my legs.

“I asked you a question, kitten,” Ethan says. It’s hard to focus on his words when his body is doing all the talking necessary. But he wants me to answer with words, and I want to please him. He knows he's got me. Sneaky bastard. He repeats, “Do you see what you’re doing to me?”

“Yeah.” Tentatively, I follow my intuition. I rest my weight on my knees, which are splayed out on either side of him, and start rubbing myself against him.

I feel too self-conscious to say much. I may be a wordsmith, but at a time like this, I’m at a loss for words. Still, my body can show him what I feel.

“Fuck,” Ethan groans as he pushes his hips up, letting me grind myself on him more easily. His mouth gapes open over my neck, huffing his hot breath on my skin. I’m surprised and flattered by his reaction. I have no idea what I’m doing. Yet here's this beautiful man, looking like I’m slaying him with my hips.

Getting bolder, I put my palms on the lapels of Ethan’s designer suit jacket and pull it open. An asymmetrical smile appears on his handsome face as he shrugs it off and throws it down on the floor.

My hand stays on his chest, tracing the hard ridges and lines of his muscles underneath his crisp white shirt. My heart races as my breathing gets more labored.

It's strange. Pictures of attractive men on magazines have never appealed to me. But it's different with Ethan. Just imagining his naked body gets me leaking onto my panties. His heart beats rapidly against my palm, telling me he feels the same way.

“I’ll take it off if you take off yours, too.” Ethan looks deep into my eyes as I play with his shirt buttons.

“Okay,” I say as I unbutton his shirt hurriedly, eager to feel his skin on mine. I lift my hands up when I’m done, letting Ethan pull off my shirt and dump it on the floor to join his suit jacket.

While I have both my hands on Ethan's shirt, trying to take it off, he leans all the way back onto the bed. I lose my balance as he pulls me down with him, chuckling when I cry out with surprise.

“This, too,” he says as he unhooks my bra, yanks it off, and throw it in the air. For someone who lives such a sober, responsible life, Ethan sure knows how to have fun in bed.

I laugh, although my eyes remain fixated on him as he removes his shirt, revealing his magnificent body. My pussy misses the pressure of his hard-on, so I lower myself down and get back to riding him, moaning when a stroke feels particularly good.

“Are you ready?” Ethan asks as something wicked glints in his eyes.

“What for?” I ask with concern. I trust Ethan to take care of me and make sure I feel good, but I don't know what to expect.

“For me to rock your world.” After this vague answer, he does something that makes it crystal clear just what he wants.

He rolls me over until I’m on my back and takes my nipple into his mouth, bathing it with the warmth and wetness of his lips and tongue. I surprise myself when my sigh turns into a moan, and a sexy one at that.

It's not that I’m not aware of my sexuality, but I’ve only ever used it as a tool. I focused on making my appearance enticing to men in power. When I got the internship at The Goss, for example, I’m pretty sure the HR manager hired me so he could ask me out—which he did, a few times.

But my sexuality has never been something I enjoy for myself, and now Ethan's showing me how to do just that.

I raise my hips off the bed to let Ethan slide my jeans off, and he gives my nipple one last lick, flattening his tongue and brushing against the hardened little pebble. Then, he yanks off both my jeans and my panties, and I’m completely naked.

Ethan kneels between my legs and stares at my body as I lie before him, bared and vulnerable. Out of embarrassment, I pull my legs together. But Ethan places his hands on my thighs, keeping them spread.

“You’re going to keep these legs open for me,” he commands in a voice I can't say no to. He asks, “Is that clear?”

I nod.

“Good,” he says, his voice hoarse with desire.

I don't know where to focus. He makes every cell of my body come alive.

His blue eyes roams over my body, like he has just bought himself a new car and is now admiring it, like I belong to him and I please him. His erection strains the front of his jeans, mirroring the way my pussy is yearning for him, pulsing and throbbing.

I’m about to pull his pants off when he suddenly grabs my ankles and turns me over. I shriek again and he chuckles.

I push myself off the bed with my elbows, but Ethan grabs my wrists from behind me. He pins them against my own back and pushes me down.

“Bad kitty,” he whispers darkly in my ear as he hovers over me. “Stay still.”

I turn my head to the side. With my cheek against the soft bedsheets, I look behind me, but I still can't see him clearly.

I can feel him, though. Damn, can I feel him.

I shudder as he trails kisses up and down my spine. My heart races; I can’t tell where his lips are going to land next, and it keeps me guessing.

“You’re so wet you’re staining the bedsheets, kitten,” he says as he puts his hand over my pussy. “You’re enjoying this, aren't you?”

“Yeah,” I answer breathlessly.

Running his fingers between my folds, he continues to kiss my back.

With my hands restrained and my legs spread by Ethan's powerful thighs, all I can do is hold on as my body shudders from Ethan's skillful manipulation.

“Fuck, I love it when you do that.” I faintly hear Ethan unzip his pants, and I realize he's no longer restraining my hands. It only takes one of his fingers right on the hood of my clit to keep me still now. It's crazy how even the lightest touch from him affects me so much.

When he gets on top of me, his chest on my back, he's already naked. I can tell because his hot, hard cock slips between my thighs. He slides back and forth along my slit, teasing me as he grabs my hair and bites the back of my neck.

“Ethan,” I moan, spreading my legs wider for him. I clutch the bedsheets, letting his strength and sensuality overwhelm me.

“Tell me what you want, kitten,” he says, nibbling my earlobe.

“I want you inside me.” I don't know what comes over me, but I’ve lost all of my inhibitions. Now there's only one thing on my mind, one thing that I want. “Please, Ethan, I want you inside me.”

“As you wish,” he whispers. He lines the head of his cock against my opening and spears inside me, burying himself to the hilt. Unlike the first time, now he enters smoothly, aided by my overflowing wetness.

I whimper and quiver when as he slides in and out of me with his thick, hard cock. He thrusts at an angle so he's hitting me at my sweet spot.

“Fuck, kitten. If you keep squeezing me like that, I’m not going to last long. You’re so damn sexy.”

“Do it,” I sigh.

“Do what? What do you want?” Ethan asks urgently.

“Do it. Come inside me. Don't hold back.”

Ethan goes quiet, even though he keeps thrusting into me faster and harder. “And here I thought you couldn't talk dirty to me.”

“Fuck me hard, Ethan,” I moan desperately, ignoring his teasing. I want to be used. I want him to satisfy his lust with my body. Like a mantra, I repeat, “Fuck me hard and come inside me.”

Ethan gets up to his knees. I miss his weight and his warmth on my back. But by the way he’s roughly grabbing onto my waist with his powerful hands now, I know he's about to get serious.

He pins me down against the bed and pulls me back onto his cock. Soon, I’m crying out into the mattress, my body shaking uncontrollably as Ethan growls and slams into me again and again, until his whole body stills all of a sudden—only his cock continues moving, twitching and spurting inside me.

He leans his sweaty body on top of me, careful not to crush me with his weight. He grabs my hair again firmly, although with no urgency this time. He whispers, “You little minx.”

I smile and reach behind me to stroke his thick, dark hair. My smile grows even wider when he sighs with contentment and drops his head on the bed.

“Don't ever leave again,” he says.

“I won't,” I blurt out before I can think.

When my brain starts working again, I realize with surprise that I mean it. It's not just the happy brain chemicals from my orgasm talking.

“I love you.” Ethan gazes softly into my eyes, looking strong and vulnerable at the same time.

“I love you, too,” I say.