Page 56 of Unfolding Kiara

A gasp escaped my lips when Ethan wrapped his hand around my throat, his lips pressing against mine. He swallowed my moan. The intensity and passion of his kiss amazed me, rocked me to my core, making my toes curl in pleasure. I pulled him closer until there was no space between us and kissed him until I felt dizzy in my head. I wanted him to know how much I had missed him for all these years. I wanted him to know that I still remembered our teenage days. The last night of the prom. And the way we had made love during that night. I wanted him to know that I could never forget that or him.

I felt heady after the kiss when he pulled away. My breathing was heavy and my eyes hazed. Ethan’s hair was tousled, his shirt ruffled, but his blue-green eyes were light and clearer than ever before. They were staring straight at me, making my legs tremble.

His thumb brushed over my cheek and he whispered, “Why are you crying, Bella?”

I blinked up at him. Ethan. I kissed Ethan.

“I kissed you.”

“You did.”

My eyes widened, and I looked at his handsome face, his sharp jawline, and cheekbones which I was cradling in my palm moments ago. A shiver spiraled down my body and I pressed my back on the cold wall. I touched my lips and felt the tingles of his lips when they kissed me, biting them.

I shook my head, “I kissed you.Oh, God.”

Ignoring the sudden dizziness, I pushed him away, rushing to my room. He followed me, “Kiara, what happened?”

“I am sorry,” I said and closed the door behind me, my heart pounding in my ears. I stared at the reflection in the mirror. My face and neck were flushed. I cupped my mouth where I could still feel the lick of his tongue, the delicious pressure of his lips on mine, and the soft bite of his teeth.

“Bella.” His voice was soft and almost pleading, “Tell me what happened, what’s going on in your head?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I am sorry, Ethan.”

“What are you apologizing for? Was the kiss that bad?”

My cheeks heated thinking about moments ago. That kiss was electrifying and had rocked me to my core. I shook my head even though he couldn’t see me.

“That kiss was . . . everything, Ethan,” I replied, not knowing how to put it in words.

“Open the door, I want to see you,” his voice was firm, all the softness gone.

Nerves balled up in my stomach as I unlocked the door and looked anywhere but his face. But I should have known that Ethan wouldn’t want that. He made me look at him, his hand on my jaw, holding my face. His face looked sharp with rough edges under the dim hallway lights, which made him look much more intimidating than before.

I licked my lips, waiting for him to say something or do something.

Ethan gave me one last look before tucking my hair behind my ear. I took a sharp intake of breath when he leaned closer, his lips pressing on my forehead. I missed the warm heat of his body when he pulled away.

“I am taking you out on a date tomorrow. Be ready at seven.”

My eyebrows raised and before I could stop him or ask him about the date, he turned and went to his room, closing the door shut.

I stayed there, my lips parted, as I stared at the closed door of his room. Closing my door, I leaned back and exhaled the breath I was holding. I knew that he meant it. He would take me on a date tomorrow.

What am I going to do?

* * *

The date was in the evening, but Ethan had to meet his agent at the last moment, so he had called me and told me he wouldn’t be able to pick me up. I searched for the address of the restaurant he had sent me, and my nerves tightened. He was pulling all the strings right. If his plan was to woo me then so far, he was succeeding. The restaurant was Italian and luxurious where you had to make a reservation a week in advance to get a terrace view table overlooking a beautiful lake.

I didn’t know how to dress up for it. I was confused, conflicted, and overwhelmed. Ethan was pushing me out of my comfort zone, breaking my walls, and pressing all the right buttons. Two hours left till the date, but I wondered if my plan was going to fail or not.

But he was Ethan, he would understand. Or even try to understand. He would do it. He would agree with me. I trusted him.

Take a deep breath, Kiara. It’s all going to work out.

For the first time in a while, I grinned to myself and couldn’t wait for it. I was excited and scared. In the next two hours, I showered, pampered myself, and washed my hair, giving it a blow-dry. I changed into a short black dress with a neck deep enough to show my little cleavage. The dress fabric was thick enough for me to skip wearing a bra, so I did. He wouldn’t be the only one pulling all the strings tonight. As the hem of the dress ended on my mid-thigh, I wore black sheer stockings and hooked them with lace garter belts.

With black sandals, gold earrings, and bold red lipstick, I was ready. I felt and looked great even though I was a nervous mess on the inside. I tugged the dress lower and pushed my wavy hair over my shoulder. I closed my eyes and counted to ten.

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