Page 40 of Ethan's Sky

The shit.

“First of all, no oneletsme do anything. I’m a grown woman. I can dress myself, go wherever the fuck I want, and take care of myself.” I snap back. “Second…you know what? Tell Gabe thanks for his concern, but I can take care of myself. I don’t need aKingon my ass every second of the day, especiallythisone,” adding a hint of sweetness to my sarcasm, gesturing in Ethan’s direction, while speaking directly to Jake. Dismissing Ethan once again. I take a step forward. Ethan moves in eating up the space between us.

Damn.I’d forgotten how good he smells and how big his body is compared to mine. He towers over me by at least a full head, maybe a little more, leaving me with only three options. Tilting my head to stare up at him. Stare directly at his brick wall of a chest. Or take a step back and meet his gaze. I choose the latter.

Staring at his chest would lead to ogling and ogling him would not be a good idea, and staring up at him would only give him the upper hand in trying to intimidate me.

Fuck that.

“Seems to me you’ve had nothing butKings on your assfor some time now. Isn’t that right, Sky?” Ethan growls. I instantly take another step back looking to Cash in confusion. Cash brushes his hand down his face and around the back of his neck. He’spissed.If I didn’t know him so well, I might’ve missed the hint of guilt in his eyes. But for what?

Walker growls from his place on the wall across the room. “Watch yourself Anderson.”

Cash’s face remains expressionless to the rest of the room, but I know he’s trying to keep his temper in check. Probably because Jake and Walker rank above him, and this is Gabe’s town. But I know if Ethan keeps pushing, Cash will break, consequences be damned, to protect me.

When Cash says nothing, my eyes meet Ethan’s again. His fury is palpable. I can feel every ounce of anger pulsing from his body. See the tension in his shoulders, the flair of his nostrils, even the vein in his neck is pulsing rapidly...again.

“You’ve had Kings protecting your ass for how long now? Hiding you away all this time? Now, here you are.That poor girl,”he says in a soft, pitiful voice I’ve loathed hearing from others since my Mama passed away. “Losing George hurts, I’m sure. And for that I am sorry, but you’ll forgive me if I don’t share everyone else’s concern. After what you did to me and Emily, you can imagine how nice it is to know you’ve been doing fine all these years with all my Mountain Heightsbrotherstaking care of you. Or is it the other way around?” He circles his finger, motioning between Cash and me.

“What the hell are you insinuating?” I can’t believe what I’m hearing. “You think me and Cash…”

“Cash, Walker…Eli.You all seemreally close. I guess the rumors in high school finally came true, huh?” His verbal shot hits home as I remember the way girls in school joked and teased about me becoming a club whore someday. I lunge forward, Cash is on me in two steps, his arm banding around my waist spinning me away.

“Fuck, Ethan,” Jake groans jumping to stand between us. “Back down, now.” He barks his orders at Ethan. I look to Cash again seeking answers to the tension and insurmountable bullshit going on in this house.

“Sky! Settle down, babe.” Cash says in my ear. “Don’t stoop to his level. Let him think what he wants. You can’t hit a brother. You know that. Just let it ride for now.”

Easier said than done.

It takes three deep breaths and a whole lot of strength I wasn’t sure I possessed to calm down. I nod, pushing Cash’s hands off my waist. After taking a deep breath I tell him, “I’m good.”

8

ETHAN

“Sit down, babe. We need to talk.” It’s Walker who speaks this time. Cash grabs Skyler by the shoulders spinning her toward the dining room table. She takes off her tank top that’s soaking wet, sticking to her skin, not giving a shit about all the men in the room.

A low growl rumbles up my chest before I can stop it, but she doesn’t turn around.

God, that body. She’s leaner, more muscular than I remember, but those curves are still just as tempting as I remember. And those tattoos? Fuuuuck.

Blake walks in from the porch, through the kitchen, handing Skyler a dish towel and a cold bottle of water. My eyes follow him, glaring. Why is everyone catering to her ass?

Maybe because they’re all getting a piece of it.The thought has my blood boiling for reasons I don’t want to examine right now.

I don’t like how nice everyone’s being to her. He’s from my chapter, he should be on my side, not fawning after Skyler like the rest of them.

He’s following Pres’ orders.

“Thank you,” she says, twisting off the cap, taking a long pull while wiping the sweat from her neck and face with the shirt leaving the towel on the table on front of her. She turns back facing the rest of the room, sets the bottle down and continues wiping herself off. My eyes track her movements with curiosity when I take in the ink along her ribs. I can’t make out the full design from this angle. It looks like a phoenix, but there’s more to it, I can’t see. I lick my lips when she moves the towel over her breasts then down across her abdomen. She catches me staring. Her face turns a beautiful shade of pink. She’s still affected by me.

Or maybe I’m imagining things. And why do I give a shit?

“You have tattoos,” I state, my voice sounding gruff even to my ears.

“Yeah?” She’s waiting, probably for me to say something judgmental but instead, I say the first things that comes to mind.

“You were always afraid of needles,” I want to lick the pattern that trails down her torso to her thigh. She scoots the chair back a little, probably out of habit. When someone asks about a tattoo it’s common for people to draw more attention to them, showing off the full view. I was right. It’s a colorful phoenix, with flowing wings that span across her lower abdomen, diving beneath those tiny ass shorts. With long flames and the tail swirling down her thigh.

---