CHAPTER 1
I close my eyes and rest my head against my pillow, snuggling up with my favorite fuzzy blanket.
“Are you going to bed already?” Ethan asks with a chuckle, and the mattress sinks down under his weight as he joins me.
“That wine went to my head and I had to lie down,” I say, laughing as well. “Though now that you’re here…” I wiggle against him. We got back from a dinner date in downtown Thorne Hill. I had a glass of the best red wine I’ve ever had with my meal, so we bought a bottle to bring home. Of course, we opened it not long after we got back to the house, sitting in the library by the fire.
Normally, I’m careful with what I drink. Too much alcohol makes it hard to keep my mental shields up, and I need them to block out the disembodied voices of passing spirits. But whatever spell Great-Aunt Estelle cast on her house I inherited keeps all the spirits out, and I don’t have to worry.
Hence, the overindulgence in wine. Though, to be fair, one glass at dinner and another a good hour later probably isn’t overindulgence for most people. I’m just a lightweight, I guess.
“What did you have in mind?” Ethan spoons his body around mine, lips going to the back of my neck, breath hot against my skin. Smiling, I wiggle closer to him, feeling heat flooding my body.
“We do need to shower.”
“That we do.” He balls the hem of my shirt in his hand, kissing my neck.
“But my clothes are still on. I think you should take them off for me.”
“That would be helpful.” In a swift movement, he pins me between his body and the mattress, bringing my hands up over my head.
My body melts against his, and I curl my legs up, wrapping them around his waist. I pull against Ethan’s hold on my hands. He’s much stronger than me and knowing how easily he can physically overpower me is a turn-on. It’s easy to feel small and delicate next to him, and while I refuse to be controlled in my daily life, I love when Ethan puts his lips next to my ear and growls for me to obey.
He sucks at my neck and then moves his mouth to mine, kissing me with fervor. I buck my hips, pressing my core against his hardening cock. It never fails to amaze me just how fast Ethan can get me hot and bothered like this. He plays my body like an instrument crafted especially for him, and the anticipation of what’s to come makes me desperate for more. And, spoiler alert, it will be me coming—multiple times.
Suddenly letting go of my hands, Ethan sits up. He brings me with and gathers the bottom of my long-sleeved shirt in his hands. I raise my arms above my head, waiting for him to strip me bare. Our eyes lock for a quick moment, and my heart skips a beat in my chest. Fuck, I love this man.
He pulls my shirt over my head and then pushes me back down onto the mattress. Moving down, he takes my leggings and underwear off next, dropping them on the floor next to my top. He dives back onto me again, lips going to the base of my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone as he slips his hand behind me and unhooks my bra. I shimmy out of it and Ethan sits back up, looking at my naked body, bathed in the pale moonlight streaming through the bedroom windows.