Chapter 7

• What should Nathalie think about that last part? Did Ethan take the week off for her, or simply because he needs to clear out his parents' place before the week is over? And why did he feel the need to disclose that information? Did she mention her job doesn't start for another week? She can't quite recall, but she doesn't think she did. Their conversations thus far had been minimal—more moaning than talking.
• "My spare key is under the mat," he continued, before Nathalie could even formulate a response.
• Clearly, he was inviting her over. Still, Nathalie wasn't sure if he meant for just the one night they had agreed on, or for the entire week. She found herself hoping it was for the week. Please, not just one night. However, she knew she'd agree to anything, even if it was just a single night.
• "Earth to Nathalie," Shina teased, poking her in the ribs a little too hard. "Who's texting you?"
• "Daniel?" Nathalie replied, frowning as a message from her ex appeared on her phone's screen.
• "Daniel?" Shina exclaimed, grabbing the phone and reading the message out loud: "Did you really move? When can we talk?" She gasped and handed the phone back, thankfully. Nathalie didn't want her to see Ethan's messages or discuss them.
• "I don't want to talk to him," Nathalie grumbled. "How does he know I moved?"
• Shina suddenly looked guilty. "Well, I sort of ran into him when I bought you all this stuff," she said, gesturing to the plants and pillows stacked against the far wall. "And he asked what I was doing. I didn't know it was a secret."
• "Oh," Nathalie sighed. "It's fine. It's not a secret."
• She replied to Daniel, acknowledging that she had moved and expressing that she wasn't inclined to talk. Despite this, he called, but she didn't answer. They hadn't left things on good terms, and even though almost a year had passed, every encounter back home left her feeling awful. He had called her nearly every day during the first month post-breakup, but before her move, they hadn't spoken much. Occasionally, they'd run into each other at the grocery store or the movies. Why the sudden interest in talking now?
• Shina, knowing full well what had transpired between Nathalie and Daniel, didn't press further. They'd exhausted the topic and weren't about to let past events dampen their spirits now. Instead, they drank some more wine and eventually headed to bed.
• Nathalie only had one bed, so they got into it together. Having grown up practically as sisters, it wasn't a big deal. Shina was known to be a blanket hog, though, so Nathalie warned her with a playful threat to push her out if she tried to take them.
• Of course, sleep eluded Nathalie. Thoughts of Daniel kept her restless, anger simmering within her, tempting her to call just to yell at him. Instead, she forced herself to steer clear of her phone. Reaching out would do her no good. Despite having dated two others after him, the wound still felt fresh on nights like this.
• Whenever she closed her eyes, she envisioned Ethan's green eyes, vivid and intense. Her pulse quickened at the thought, wishing he were there to distract her from Daniel, from herself, from everything.
• He's just next door, she reminded herself. As soon as Shina leaves tomorrow, you can go see him. Be patient.
• Patience had never been Nathalie's strong suit. Eventually, she quietly got out of bed, careful not to wake Shina. She grabbed some clothes and dressed in the bathroom, scrutinizing her reflection in the mirror. Red lacy panties, matching bra, short black dress, flip-flops—it would do. She smiled at herself, attempting to quell her nerves. Her pulse raced at the thought of what she was about to do.
• The night air bit at Nathalie's skin as she hurriedly retrieved the spare key from beneath Ethan's mat. It was exactly where he'd said it would be, and she unlocked the door with trembling hands, hopeful that he genuinely wanted her there.
• Expecting him to be in bed, she was surprised to find the spare room door wide open and the bed unoccupied. A light glowed from under the living room door. Closing the door behind her, she placed the spare key on the side table. Before she could make her way down the hallway, the door swung open, revealing Ethan standing there clad only in black boxer shorts.
• "Oh, thank God," he exclaimed, his face lighting up with a smile. "I wasn't sure you'd actually come."
• Nathalie smiled, still somewhat uneasy, but reassured that she had interpreted his messages correctly. They stood there, locked in each other's gaze, neither moving.
• "Shouldn't you be asleep?" she asked, her voice coming out breathless.
• "I could ask you the same," he replied, his eyes traveling down her body as he stepped toward her. "Do you always sleep in a dress?"
• "Don't be silly," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "Of course not."
• "Oh, I'm the silly one?" he quipped with a smirk. "You're the one who got dressed just to come here, knowing full well I'll have you undressed in five minutes."
• "Five minutes?" she echoed, failing to conceal the longing in her voice. "That's a bit long for just three items of clothing and flip-flops."
• His eyes widened as she grasped the hem of her dress, pulling it over her head in one swift motion. If she was here, she might as well be bold; there was no point in pretending she was here for any other reason than to pick up where they'd left off.
• "Only two left," she teased, turning to walk toward the bedroom. "Are you coming or what?"
• She heard his quick footsteps before he caught her, spinning her around to kiss her fervently. His fingers expertly unhooked her bra, freeing it so he could touch her. Nathalie moaned into his mouth, her hands traveling down to tug at his boxers. They certainly didn't need five minutes to get undressed—nowhere near it.
• Lying on the bed, the way Ethan looked at her made Nathalie feel like the most beautiful woman in the world, despite knowing it wasn't true. He took his time, just as he had the previous night. She yearned to grab him, kiss him, feel him, but he held her back, pushing her gently onto the mattress whenever she tried to escalate things, his smile teasing her. Part of her wished he'd hurry, though another part never wanted this to end. He was intent on memorizing every reaction she had to his touch, every move, every kiss.
• "You're driving me crazy," she complained after what seemed like forever. She was on the verge, and he had to know it. Yet, he just laughed and flicked his tongue over her again.
• "I like you crazy," he whispered as he moved up, pressing kisses along her stomach, inching toward her chest. Without warning, he took her nipple into his mouth, biting gently while wrapping a hand around her throat.
• Panting, Nathalie arched against him, edging closer to the release she desperately craved. His fingers expertly circled her, finding the right spot with practiced ease, while his hold on her throat intensified, making it hard to breathe.
• As her body trembled against him, he bit down again, pushing her over the edge. She couldn't hold back even if she wanted to. He grunted, positioning himself over her, relishing the way she shuddered beneath him. Her nails dug into his back as she clung to him, savoring the moment without hurry, enjoying the closeness before they'd continue.
• "Get the condoms," she instructed, not caring how eager she sounded.
• Ethan shifted, still half-covering her, reaching over the side of the bed. Nathalie's fingers traced up and down his body, delighting in the movement of his muscles as he sat up to put on the condom. Their eyes remained locked, unable to look away.
• "I've been thinking about you all day," he admitted, his voice thick with desire. "All. Damn. Day."
• "Me too," Nathalie confessed, pulling his face down for a kiss.
• Even now, Ethan didn't hurry. He touched her again, nearly pushing her over the edge before they'd truly begun. Like the night before, he moved to her earlobe, biting softly. She shivered, and just as he had her on the brink, panting and moaning, he slowly shifted to enter her with deliberate care.
• "Okay?" he asked, though doubt was impossible now about what she wanted. When she nodded, he pushed into her.