Page 93 of Run
“Yeah. I’ve left her like three messages, but then I backed off. I feel like any more is stalker territory.”
“Damn.”
“You’re telling me.” Gino leans his forearms on the high-top table and grips his beer.
“I don’t get it.”
“Eh, maybe I read too much into it. I thought we hit it off at the bar, but maybe I was wrong.”
I shake my head. “Oh, no. You weren’t wrong. She was totally into you.”
Gino’s head snaps in my direction. “Really?” I nod. “I knew it! So … what gives?”
Since I don’t feel it’s my place to tell Gino that, with the exception of Lars, Sophie has only ever encountered the worse ofthe male species, I’m simply offer, “It’s not you.” I place a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll talk to her.”
Gino stands up straight. “Well, I don’t want you to have to talk her into it, but … Actually, fuck it. Yeah, I want you to talk her into it!”
“Don’t give up on her just yet. Let me loosen her up a little.” I bump him with my shoulder.
He picks his beer up and gives me a smile. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
Before I look away, I harden my stare at him. “But,” I say as sternly as I can, “you hurt her, you mess with her in any way, you are not 100 percent honest with her from the start, I will remove your balls. Got it?”
His eyes widen and he slowly puts a hand up, palm out, like he’s taking an oath. “Got it.”
I break into a smile. “Great!”
Before Gino can recover, a set of big mitts snake around my middle from behind and I turn my head to find Ethan coming up on me. “Care if I take my girl back?” Gino shakes his head and I wink at him as I turn in Ethan’s arms.
We spend the rest of the night socializing, enjoying a dessert bar, and Ethan even spins me around the dance floor for a bit, holding me close and moving me like I’m his personal marionette. But as the evening wears on, the smoldering fire between the two of us becomes almost intolerable.
So when Ethan pulls me away from conversation with his boss with a simple, “I’m ready to take you home, Red,” I nod and reply with, “Lead the way.”
CHAPTER 31
ETHAN
Pulling up the driveway and into the garage, I don’t see Fonz’s car. “Looks like he’s still out.” I give Ari’s hand a squeeze. The moment we got into the Jeep, I reached over and took it, and haven’t let it go since.
Once inside the house, she starts walking along the island through the kitchen. I drop her bag on the floor, and fish my keys, wallet, and phone out of my pockets and set them on the counter. “You need anything?” I look up to see Ari standing at the threshold to the dining room, her back to me. “Water? Seltzer?” I trail off as I take in the exposed peachy skin of her back, and strawberry red hair cascading down the center of it. Her long, lean legs stretch out from under that flirty skirt.She’s barefoot, having kicked off her shoes midway through the kitchen.
I take slow steps, bringing myself closer, as she turns to face me. Ari places her hands on my biceps. When she speaks, it comes out in a rush. “I was going to try and be all sexy and lead you to your bedroom, but then I got to the edge of the kitchen and realized I can’t make it all the way without falling over, so now I just have to resort to telling you that I want you to take me to your bedroom and do filthy things to me, which is much less sexy.”
Bringing one hand up and cupping her face, I kiss her softly as I kick off my shoes. “Here”—I nudge my toes into hers on the carpet while kissing the corner of her mouth—“step on my feet.” I kiss her cheek, her jaw, her neck.
“What?” Her breathing picks up.
I place an open mouthed kiss on her collarbone. “I said stand on my feet.” Wrapping an arm around her waist, I lift her up just enough to position her feet on top of mine, holding her close.
“Oh.” She blushes.
Slowly, I walk her backwards, locking my mouth over hers as I go. She holds onto my arms as we move, until we are passing through the doorway to my bedroom. I stop us once we’re in the center of it, and she pulls away slightly, looking at my upper lip and smiling. She comes in and licks my scar, pulling my lip between hers and giving it a little tug. “That may be one of my favorite things about you.”
“Oh, yeah?” I trail my fingertips along her hairline. “Why’s that?”
“I remember what it felt like all those years ago when we danced and kissed in your backyard, and I always wondered if I was remembering correctly how it felt against my lips.”
“And how did it feel?” I run my fingertips down her spaghetti straps.
