Kiss Me at Midnight (Entangled Flaunt) Read online

  “I’ve never been ‘one of the guys.’” He dropped his hand from her shoulder. “But then, you already knew that, didn’t you?”

  “I did.” She looked him up and down, her gaze scorching over his length. “But something tells me you don’t have such a hard time fitting in anymore. Not with those muscles.”

  He shrugged, his cock hardening when she zoned in on his belt buckle area as if she wanted to see if he’d grown bigger under there, too, or some shit like that. “I do okay.”

  “I’m sure,” she scoffed, tearing her eyes off of his dick. “Now if you’ll excuse me…?”

  He should take the hint and leave her alone. But this Ashley was so different from the girl he’d loved in high school. He didn’t know her anymore. And he was damned intrigued to find out more about the confident, sexy woman she’d become.

  He’d changed. She’d changed. Perhaps that meant they could put the past to rest and start something new. “Can we talk?”

  “I’m here for one reason tonight, and it’s not to talk to an asshole who wanted nothing to do with me back when he was supposed to be my best friend.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “And you’re cock-blocking me.”

  Cock-blocking? So she was here for the same reason as he was. Yet, the idea of her seeking out someone else’s cock didn’t sit well with him.

  There was only one man for Ashley tonight, and it was him.

  “Come on. Can’t you pretend to not hate me for five minutes? I’ll buy your drink, and then you’ll be free to walk away after I do my thing. I swear it.”

  She looked down at her empty drink, then back up at him, her stunning features reflecting her skepticism. “I don’t know…”

  He reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, watching as she flinched a tiny bit. Her curls were silky soft. Even softer than he’d imagined, which seemed impossible. All those years, as kids, he’d wanted to do this. Touch her. And now that he had the chance to finally touch her? He’d be a fool to walk away from it. “Please?”

  He should be surprised at the level of lust she brought out in him, even after all these years, but she hadn’t just been a girl from his past—she’d been the girl from his past. Maybe after tonight, he could finally lay his outdated obsession with her to rest.

  “Yeah, I don’t think so.” She chewed on the corner of her lip and studied him, then shook her head slightly. “It’s been too long for you to come up to me and act like nothing happened.”

  “I know...” Eight years and six months, to be exact. “But what can I say? Time flies when you’re busy being an asshole.”

  Ashley’s choked on a laugh. “Excuse me? Did you just call yourself an asshole?”

  “If the shoe fits.” He held his hand out, stepping closer so his thighs brushed against her knees. She didn’t move away. “I’ll call myself worse names, too, if it’ll get you to agree to have that drink with me.”

  She looked at his offered hand, but didn’t move. “Is that a promise?”

  He leaned in closer, his lips only a breath away from her ear. “Yes. And you can call me anything you want, too. I’m yours to yell at…or whatever.”

  “Or whatever, huh?” Her hand rested on his bicep, burning through the thin fabric. “Deal. I’ll have a glass of pinot grigio.”

  He stepped back from her, his heart lurching. He had a feeling she was giving the whatever portion of his statement serious thought. Thank fucking God.

  “Go sit at that table, and I’ll meet you over there.” He nodded at her friend. “It was nice seeing you.”

  “Yes. Nice seeing you, too.” As he headed for the bar, he heard Ashley’s friend exclaim, “That was dorky little Ethan Pierce? Are you freaking kidding me? If you won’t do him, I will.”

  He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. Interesting offer, but there was only one woman he had his eye on tonight, and she was currently spitting fire at him. But even so, deep down he knew…

  One way or another, tonight was going to be epic.

  …

  At the table, Ashley watched Ethan make his way through the crowd, with two glasses in one hand and a whole bottle of wine in the other. How the hell did he morph from the scrawny, dorky boy she loved and remembered fondly into the built, muscular, brown haired, brown-eyed, and devastatingly handsome devil of a man coming her way? She’d always liked Ethan, but now?

  Holy crap. He was freaking hot.

  So hot all she could think about was bringing him back to her place for the night and banging him out of her system.

  Literally.

  Sideways, backwards, upside down.

  As long as tonight ended with him inside of her, she’d be a happy girl.

  She couldn’t believe she was actually entertaining the thought of taking home Ethan, of all men. If he’d come over and acted as if he’d done nothing wrong, she would have stuck to her guns and told him to fuck off. But now she wanted to hear what he had to say. To see if he’d changed inside as well as out. Maybe he was telling the truth about wanting to make up for his behavior back then.

  Because she certainly had some ideas on ways he could make it up to her.

  She had no doubt that’s what he’d meant by whatever.

  Everything about him made her want him. His eyes, his smile, the way he carried himself when he walked. That was all the same as back in high school. Yet, he was completely different. Self assured. Cocky, even. Oozing sex appeal and ripped from head to toe.

  With a newly developed sense of humor about himself.

  She liked the new him.

  She watched the way his muscular arms strained against the sleeves of his dress shirt. Hot damn, she needed to touch him and see if he was as solid as he looked. When Ethan got closer, she sat up straighter, watching him intently. He came to her side and inclined his head.

  Holding his arm out, he said, “Here you go.”

  “Thank you.” She took the proffered drink and raised it to him. “No more glasses?”

  He looked at her with a raised brow. “Uh, no. I got Lasik .”

  “Oh, yeah, Lasik…” She flushed, feeling like an idiot for giving such a lame response. Being around him was throwing her off of her game. “So, what was that about you being an asshole? I’m all ears.”

  He cleared his throat. “It wasn’t right, what I did to you. I should’ve talked it over with you. Should have gotten the fuck over it. And by the time I had, it was too late. We were both in different colleges...”

  “That doesn’t tell me what I want to know.” She took a sip of wine and scooted closer, her knees brushing against his as she adjusted herself on the high chair. God, he was tight. She’d always liked him, even back when they’d been nothing more than kids. But like was an understatement for what she was feeling now.

  Still…

  “Why did you stop talking to me?”

  He flexed his jaw and took a long sip of his wine. “It’s stupid. I don’t even want to say it, it’s that fucking stupid.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.” She pursed her lips, even more intrigued to hear the reason behind the slight than ever before. “Spit it out.”

  He sighed. “I saw you with Roger.”

  “Roger?” She raised a brow. So he saw her with her friend—her gay friend. Big deal? What made him so angry about that that he didn’t talk to her ever again? “And then…?”

  “You were kissing him at our spot.” He took a big gulp of wine and then set down the empty glass. “And instead of putting on my big boy panties and accepting that you didn’t want me the same way I wanted you, I twisted them in a bunch and acted like the worst friend in history. I’m truly sorry for that.”

  She tightened her grip on her glass. “That’s why you stopped talking to me? Oh my God. You’re such an asshole.”

  “I already agreed to that, so if you’re expecting an argument from me, you’re doomed to be disappointed.” He glared down at his empty glass. “I was a jerk to you, and I know you probably won�
�t be able to forgive me…but I had to at least apologize.”

  She studied him. He did look sorry… “I see. And that’s supposed to make it better?”

  “No. I know it doesn’t. But I felt you deserved an explanation.” He poured himself more wine. “I might be nine years late, but there you have it. The reason I’m a prick.”

  She chugged the rest of hers and then held her empty glass out for more. She needed another drink after that. “You’re right. It was a stupid reason. And I was really upset.”

  “I was, too. My poor little high school heart was shattered with angst and horror.”

  She laughed despite herself. “Stop! It’s not funny.

  He looked up sheepishly. “You’re right. Treating your friends like crap is never funny.”

  “Yeah, well.” She shrugged, warming to his apology. “Coping was never your strong suit. Even back then. You’re kind of a runner.”

  His brown eyes bore into hers, direct, heated, intense. “I was a boy then. I’m a man now.”

  No joke. He’d certainly manned up about his behavior.

  And his body was all man…

  He filled her glass to the rim and she frowned at him. “If I can make it up to you in some way…let me know. Anything.”

  The way he said that last word… God, she wanted to climb all over him and have her way with him, once and for all. And he was here, looking at her with those eyes she’d never been able to resist, and she didn’t want to resist. Sure, he’d been a jerk to her, but that had been years ago when they’d both been kids.

  She’d been crushing on him since freshman year, even if he’d been clueless about it. Which meant tonight was twelve years in the making. They’d both been too shy to make a move back then. She’d be damned if she was going to shy away tonight.

  He brought his glass to his lips. She watched, way too mesmerized by how kissable his lips looked as he swallowed. “You’re staring.”

  “I’m thinking,” she corrected.

  “A penny for your thoughts?” he asked, his lips quirking.

  She played with the rim of her glass, her finger tracing it slowly. “I was just thinking…well, remembering actually. I wasn’t kissing Roger because I liked him. It was an experiment.”

  He cocked a brow. “Do tell.”

  “He’s gay. I was his guinea pig.”

  His features froze in shock. “No way! Roger? Gay? I never would have guessed.”

  She understood his reaction. By all appearances, Roger had been the stereotype of the quintessential, All-American, football captain straight man. It had created quite the scandal once he finally came out. As far as Ashley knew, Ethan didn’t keep in touch with people from high school. He’d hated almost every second of being here and had lit out like a fire was under him after graduation. She wasn’t surprised that Ethan hadn’t heard about Roger, given all of that.

  He shook his head. “So I created all that drama back then over…nothing.” He laughed but it was laced with bitterness. “Damn it.”

  While she couldn’t deny the amount of time they’d lost was a waste, she wasn’t going to spend another minute on what ifs. That was then. And tonight was now. She grinned, remembering that night with Roger. It felt like a lifetime ago, really. “He said it was like kissing a dead fish. That’s how much he enjoyed it.”

  Ethan chuckled, then quickly forced it back down with a gulp of wine. “Sorry.”

  “I think that assessment was his problem. Not mine.” She leaned closer, resting her hand on his knee. “I have it on good authority I’m an excellent kisser.”

  He moved his leg closer to her, shifting his position so he faced her more fully. “Hm. I’ll have to take your word on it, won’t I?”

  “You’ll never know until you try it,” she said, reaching out and laying a hand on his hard bicep, her mouth watering at the way he felt under her palm. Strong. Hard. So freaking hot. His skin, even through the protection of the shirt he wore, burned her. “Maybe it’s time you tried.”

  His bicep flexed under her hand. His eyes were narrow and burning a hole through her. All she could think was yes, take me now. He looked so determined to do exactly that.

  She moved her fingers over the table restlessly, tracing invisible patterns in the wood. He caught her hand and trapped it between his and the table. Her breath caught in her throat as he scooted closer, his knees touching her left thigh. She drew in a deep breath.

  After giving her a slight smile, he played with a lock of her hair. When he tugged on her hair slightly, it sent shivers down her spine and heat coursing through her blood.

  “It might sound crazy after all these years…” He tugged her hair harder, and she bit back a moan. How could something so stupid as him playing with her hair make her want to jump his bones? “But I missed you so damn much, Ash.”

  So he wanted to get all handsy on her in public? She could play that game. She turned and pressed more fully against him before resting her hand on his knee, creeping upward slowly, inch by inch. His nostrils flared, and he took a big gulp of his wine.

  Good. He looked as affected by her as she was by him.

  She trailed her hand a little higher up his thigh and leaned in close. “I hear you’re an IT guy now.”

  “I heard that, too.” He dropped her hair. For a second, she thought he might be pulling away. Rejecting her. But then his hand touched her lower back, and he urged her even closer. It was like the years they hadn’t spoken had faded away. Hell, it was like the years they had spoken had faded away, too. This was a whole new dynamic between the two of them, and it had been a long, long time coming.

  God, she wanted him. Now. Here.

  “Do you live here now? Or are you just in town visiting family?”

  She moved her hand a little higher on his thigh and smiled at him, her eyes lowered. Just right. “Why do you ask?”

  He gave her a cocky look. “Because we both know what’s happening here, and we both know how it’s going to end.”

  “Oh?” She leaned in even more, her nose practically touching his, until she could feel his warm breath on her skin. “And how might that be? Enlighten me.”

  He chuckled, his hand pressing on her lower back more determinedly. “Okay. Look. I don’t play games with women.” She cocked her brow at him, and he grinned. “Not anymore, anyway. If I see something I want, I go after it. And you know what I want right now?”

  She let out a whoosh of air. He was so…so…alpha male. She couldn’t wait to see how take charge he was in the bedroom. Hot damn. “What do you want?”

  “I want you naked and screaming my name out so loud the whole town hears you.” He ran his other hand up her thigh and under her skirt, making her entire body clench down in need. He stopped at her upper thigh, not even edging closer to where she most wanted him. “I want to fuck you until you’re so sore you’ll be limping for a few days after I’m done with you. I’ve wanted to have you since I was nothing more than a stuttering kid, but now? I need you. So my only question is…are you in, or are you out?”

  She took an unsteady breath. Well, okay then. That was one way to kick things off. Honest and forthright. She could work with that. “Just for tonight, right? No strings attached?”

  He shrugged as if he didn’t care what she wanted, as long as she went home with him. “Yeah. Think of it as a night of fun between old friends. Catching up on lost time.”

  “In that case…” She chugged the last of her wine and set it down on the table with a clunk. “My condo is a three minute walk from here.”

  He removed his hand from her thigh and stood up. “After you.”

  His cheeks went red, and she knew it was because he stuttered. He always got embarrassed when he lost track of his words, but it only made her like him even more back then. He had been so freaking handsome with his soft brown hair and dark brown eyes that him having a quirk that he hated only made him more real to her.

  She reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing tight. “E
than, I don’t care if you stutter. You know that.”

  “I know,” he said, offering her a cocky grin. The vulnerability was gone. “But enough about the past. I’m more interested in what happens next. You ready to go?”

  All of this time, she’d been hurt—and yes, angry—that he stopped talking to her. But being with him again, seeing him again, hearing his apology, made something else far too clear…

  She’d missed him, too.

  And it was time to see what he hid under those clothes.

  Chapter Three

  “So this is where I live now.” Ashley unlocked the door to the small condo, her hand trembling as she turned the light on. So…she was nervous. Good. That meant she wasn’t sure what to expect out of him. He liked that idea, because it meant she realized how much he’d changed. “I bought it a few months ago, after my dad died.”

  “It’s nice,” Ethan said, his voice low. “And I’m sorry for your loss, by the way.”

  She smiled and opened the door, motioning him inside before following. “Thanks. After I graduated med school, I—”

  The second she closed the door, Ethan was on her. He’d waited his whole teenaged-life for a chance to kiss her. To have her. He wasn’t about to waste a fucking second of tonight with hesitance or second-guessing. Hell no. He’d take her, and if she wanted him to?

  He’d take her again.

  Simple as that.

  She clung to his shoulders, her nails biting into his skin through his thin shirt, and moaned into his mouth. When her tongue brushed against his, his cock hardened even more than it already had. She reached down between them and cupped him, squeezing and stroking with perfection. When he groaned, she slid her fingers over his length, exploring him.

  Jesus fucking Christ, the woman was going to kill him, and he hadn’t even gotten into her bedroom yet. He backed her toward the couch, his eyes on the end goal so he didn’t fuck it up and make them tumble over a discarded heel or some shit like that. Luckily, she was a neat freak and nothing stood in the way of him getting her where he wanted her.