Still Into You (43 page)

How could she even doubt that he wouldn’t?

“Of course I do.”

“Okay then. I need to get ready. Just let me take a quick shower,” she announced and stood up to walk away.

He grabbed her hand, stopping her. “Oh, you’re so not going in there without me.”

Mia turned and went to help him up, but of course, that wouldn’t happen. He outweighed her by at least one hundred pounds.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to get you up,” she grunted, still pulling at his arm.

“I don’t want to get up just yet,” Ethan teased, exerting a bit of force and bringing her back to him, her breasts crushed against his chest.

“Ethan,” she warned, making him laugh. He kissed her nose before letting her go. She stood up and backed up a few steps. “I’ll meet you in there,” she said, hurrying to the bathroom.

With a sigh, Ethan pushed himself out of bed and strolled into the bathroom, listening to her humming some tune he didn’t know. He got into the shower to find her under the spray. Seeing her under the water, the way the light reflected off her wet skin, it tempted him, but his exhausted body wouldn’t allow it. Though he wasn’t so tired that he couldn’t explore her beautiful naked body.

Reaching out, he let the tips of his fingers glide down her chest, over her breasts, and down her slim stomach. She inhaled sharply with his touch. He may have affected her, but it hadn’t stopped her from showering. She smiled at him and then grabbed the shampoo to wash her hair. As she massaged the shampoo in, her eyes followed his hands as they went further south. Her lids drooped as he caressed her, cute, little sounds escaping her parted lips.

Mia shook her head, determined not to get distracted. She turned around, rinsing her face off, and that’s when he saw the flashy color on her back.

“What the heck is that?” Ethan exclaimed loudly. He turned her so he could get a better look. “Is that a tattoo?” he asked, coming closer.

“Yeah,” she said, soapy water over her face. She moved her head under the water to rinse off the rest of the shampoo.

He studied the colorful . . . what was it? A tree of some sort. It was above her waist along almost the entire left side of her back. It looked like a painting that should be in a gallery or a museum, not on someone’s skin. He couldn’t believe she’d marred her skin like that. Her beautiful back. But as he studied it further, he could see the breathtaking way the tree followed along her curves. He’d never thought that about a tattoo before. But on her . . . a work of art. He was completely fascinated by it.

“So, a tree?” he asked, hoping he didn’t offend.

“A very pretty tree?” she said playfully, looking at him over her shoulder.

Ethan laughed. “Well, yeah, but there’s meaning behind it, right?” he asked, taking the soap and lathering it over her skin.

“Yeah. The cherry blossoms are a sign of power. The Chinese symbols carved in the trunk mean ‘love yourself.’ And the cherry tree itself represents reawakening, new life,” she explained, shrugging her shoulders. “I have another one,” she admitted hesitantly.

His eyes did a quick scan of her body. “Really? I don’t see it.”

“That’s because it’s hidden,” Mia said. She lifted up all her hair and that’s when he spotted it on her neck, right at her hairline. It was simple and small, two stars moving towards each other.

“Two stars colliding,” he said thoughtfully.

“Well, I guess colliding, but more like finding each other again.”

“Why did you get it there?” he asked, tracing the tattoo with his finger.

“’Cause I knew it was going to hurt there.”

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Well, I was trying to drown out the pain of the two stars drifting apart.”

Her answer hurt his heart. He wanted to know what these years had been like for her. He knew of some of her struggles. The drugs. Her therapy. But not much else. God, how he wished he could take all that pain away from her.

“Mia.”

She released her hair and rolled her neck from side to side. Ethan knew she was uncomfortable. He just hoped she’d talk to him instead of running away.

“So, that ends the tour of Mia’s body art,” she announced, her tone failing at levity.

Closing his eyes, Ethan sighed in disappointment. He had to remember that she’d shared the other tattoo. She was sharing and gave him something. More than she had before . . . but he wanted more.

“Well, they are beautiful. Though you don’t have any plans for others, do you?”

“No.” She chuckled. “Those were painful enough.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “I cried.”

“Really?” he asked, wanting to know why. From physical pain or the emotional kind?

She sighed, gathering herself. He knew she was thinking about it, remembering it, and he wanted her to share it with him. To not keep her pain from him. To break the cycle.

“Yeah.”

He let out a terse puff of air. “See this right here? What you just did?”

“What?” she asked, her head cocked to the side, bemused.

“I know there’s more to what you’re saying, but you didn’t tell me. Why? You can talk to me, Mia.”

He saw the tears in her eyes and had a feeling she’d rebuff him. After a shaky exhale, she spoke and surprised him. “I cried because of the physical pain, but also because of the weight of the emotional pain that was wearing me down.”

“When did you get these?” he asked, his hands moving over her shoulders and then down her back.

“Um, I got the stars about two and a half years ago and the one on my back was finished in January.”

He needed more and said so. She kept her eyes locked on his then stepped under the spray and rinsed herself off. Before leaving the shower, she smiled timidly at him and kissed his wet chest, her lips warm against his now chilled skin. His hope rose with that smile. Maybe she would give him something more, but then she stepped away from him and quickly exited the shower, telling him to hurry up.

“Goddamn it, Mia,” he sputtered, beyond frustrated now. He heard her sigh and he didn’t care.

After a few moments of tense silence, she spoke. “What I have to say to you will take a long time. I can’t just say a little and stop. There’s too much. Plus . . . I cannot miss Kaitlyn’s birthday party. I
need
to see her. What I have to say can wait. It’ll still be there.”

“So, you will talk to me?”

She peeked in the shower, a towel wrapped around her head and one around her body. “I will,” she said, crossing her heart. “Now hurry!”

“Yes, suga.” He’d just have to be happy with that. He quickly washed his hair and body, while she made lots of noise on the other side of the curtain, bottles crashing, plastic crinkling, curse words flying out of her mouth faster than he could throw a football.

“Uh, Mia? What’s with all the racket?”

Before answering, she cursed again, quite colorfully this time. “I can’t find my glasses!”

“You wear glasses?” he asked, surprised that he didn’t know that. Lots of changes over the past three years. He wondered what else had changed.

“I’d wear my contacts but my eyes are killing me. I promise I’m super cute in them. Hipster cute.”

He didn’t care how she looked but he decided to tease her . . . just a little. “Are they like bi-focals?”

That silenced her and the quest to find her glasses. “What?” she shrieked. “How old do you think I am, old man?”

Ethan laughed. God, he loved teasing her. It was so easy.

“Stop laughing. The doctor said I probably needed them for years.”

“I’ll help you find them. I’m almost done.”

He would ask more later. Turning off the water, he grabbed the towel she thoughtfully threw over the bar. He dried off and then wrapped it around his waist, regarding the beautiful, naked woman in front of him.

Mia had pulled her hair up into a loose pile on top of her head and was busy securing it when he set about searching for her glasses. She glanced over at him with a small smile. “I’m going with the glam nerd look today if I can find my damn glasses. They should be in here. I had them yesterday morning.”

He scanned the counter quickly and spotted the black glasses in her makeup case. “Right here, suga,” he said, sliding them onto her face. He smiled as he regarded her. The glasses put the focus on her big brown eyes. Not only that, she appeared younger, like she hadn’t aged at all since they broke up. Hell, she looked pretty much like the girl he met five years ago.

“You do look super cute,” he agreed, kissing her soft lips, tasting her minty toothpaste. “Now all you need are some clothes.”

“Working on it!” she said, hurrying from the bathroom. Ethan followed right behind her and gathered up his clothes from the foot of the bed. He observed her rummaging through her suitcases, pulling out random clothes. He would prefer her to stay naked, but the direction she was taking wasn’t bad either. She put on a black strapless bra over which she slid on a loose white crocheted tank. She wore just that as she looked through another suitcase. He swallowed down the desire that he started when she bent over and all he could see was the round globes of her ass and just a tease of her sweet as honey pussy.

Mia slipped on a pair of the tiniest black panties which was not helping. He hurriedly put on his clothing as she finished dressing, needing another barrier, a distraction. She had thrown on a pair of very holey jeans tucked into laced brown boots, and to top it off, an army green jacket.

She ambled over to the desk where she added a card to the very large gift bag that must be for Kaitlyn.

“What did you get her?” he inquired, slipping his feet into his shoes.

“Way too much! Lots of clothes plus an iPad.”

“An iPad?”

“Yeah, I have one too and now we can use it to keep in touch more.”

“That’s pretty cool. She’ll love it!” He looked at his watch. “Ready?”

She nodded and they made their way to his car.

“You don’t mind if we stop at my place? I’d like to change, plus I need to get my present.”

“That’s fine,” she said, getting into his car. That word!
Fine.
What was going on in that head of hers?

Mia

The ride to Ethan’s house was quiet. Mia was still a little sleepy, but the main reason for her silence was due to her nerves. She didn’t know how to really act. Should she act all lovey-dovey, holding his hand or putting her hand on his knee like she used to do when he drove? Were they supposed to go right back into their old routines? She had absolutely no idea.

Ugh. Maybe they should have talked instead of having the mind-blowing sex last night.

Were they officially back together? Or was last night just sex?

No . . . he told her he loved her. It was more than just sex. They reconnected on a physical level. Now what they needed to do was hash things out. Talk about everything. Their goals. Their dreams. Kind of like starting a new relationship because that’s kind of what it was. So much had happened during their time apart.

Things had changed, plain and simple.

Ethan pulled the car onto the driveway and put it in park. She looked at his home, remembering a time when it was her home too. She regarded the large brick and stone structure, taking it all in and then she sighed happily.

She was finally home.

“Come on,” he said, getting out of the car. She lagged behind him as he hurried up the steps to his bedroom. She hadn’t expected the interior of the house to look so different. He had updated his kitchen, added new furniture and new paint in many of the rooms that she was able to see.

As Mia walked up the stairs, she grasped the railing, overwhelmed by all the memories flooding her mind. Her first time at his house. Their first kiss down in the media room. The first time she told him she loved him . . .

The changes to the bedroom, their sanctuary, hit her especially hard. It was like she had never been there. The art work—gone. Furniture she’d picked out—absent. It looked like a man’s bedroom—all creams, tans, and browns, with dark wood furniture.

Her eyes settled on his bed and she wondered whether he’d had other women in it. She knew there had been. Everyone seemed to enjoy telling her that fact over the years. She shook her head before that line of thought went any further. “Don’t think about it,” she muttered to herself.

But once her mind caught on the topic, it processed it against her will. Did he bring Kristen here? Did he sleep with her in that bed? She assumed he’d slept with her. They were together for a few months. She put her hand to her forehead, squeezing hard. Morbid thoughts—STOP, she ordered herself, the noise of Ethan moving around in the closet barely reaching her over her own internal yelling.

“Almost ready,” he spoke up.

“Okay,” Mia squeaked out, sitting down on the edge of his bed, facing the large walk-in closet. She glanced over at the pillows on the bed and the strong urge to climb under the covers—with him, of course, and just sleep. Hopefully soon. Her dreams would happen—they had to happen.

“Ready!” he said and strode out of the closet towards her. Her heart stopped. He looked unbelievably gorgeous (hell, when didn’t he?) in his tight, tan corduroy pants which he paired with a baby blue, wool sweater. He even left his face scruffy. Mia wanted to get her hands on that face while she kissed him senseless, then underneath his sweater before she lifted it over his head. She moistened her lips before giving her head a shake.