Page 88 of Ignite

“Oh, I’ve checked out yourbudgie.“ I said, mockingly. No matter how sexy he looked, I couldn’t let his remark go uncontested. “I’ve even wrapped it in latex a couple of times, remember.”

“I haven’t forgotten, but have you?”

In one step he stood inches away from me. Kissable distance, really. If he leaned in, I’d confess everything. How I’d dreamt about him, fought with my friends over whether I was being too stubborn and judgmental over the bushfire thing.

If he kissed me, I’d wipe the slate clean. I’d take Ethan for everything he could give me and learn to accept the rest.

If he kissed me.

I didn’t realize I was biting my lower lip, until he brushed his thumb from one edge, to the other.

I didn’t realize I was moaning his name, until I became lost in his lips.

I didn’t remember why it had seemed so important to be mad at Ethan or why we weren’t together, when it felt so perfect to be in his arms. His strong arms surrounded me in his musky, clean, freshly-showered scent and I’d never felt more in love.

It had taken weeks of wasted time to get here and I didn’t want to waste another moment. If we could spend one more perfect night together, tomorrow I would tell him. I would make us breakfast in bed and tell Ethan Cooper that I’d fallen madly, truly and deeply in love with him.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him tightly against my body, knowing we had the choice of an old and uncomfortable couch three steps to the left, or back to my bedroom.

“Rylee, I …” Ethan broke our kiss to murmur into my neck.

Slam.

“Where’s the fucking love of my life. Ryleeeee? Ryleeeeeee?”

I’d recognize the drunken slurs and the rotten timing anywhere. Only Darin.

The local rumor mill loved to fill me in on how his wedding plans hadn’t been going according to plan. Not that I needed gossip. Any time Darin had second thoughts about leaving his now fiancé, I ended up with a drunk-dial or the man in person.

“Darin, I’m in here.” I sighed, shrugged, and hoped Ethan would hold all thoughts until I could get rid of my ex.

Darin knew my parent’s home from years of dating, only he seemed startled by Ethan’s presence. Especially when there was no mistaking our body language, or how we were dressed.

How we were dressed.

Only then, did I realize that Ethan was wearing the same clothes as he had the night we’d hooked up at the Beringi pub. I recognized the sexy dark blue, short-sleeved shirt and black fitted jeans that made me want to bite his ass. He’d put as much effort into dressing up for our non-date as I had.

Only for Darin to turn up and destroy the moment before Ethan and I had a chance to have one—well, other than another kiss that could ignite a blaze.

“Fuck, Rylee. Him?” Darin snorted, storming into the room and sizing up Ethan with disgust. For the first time, I could see the two men side-by-side. Their physique and their character. There was no comparison. Ethan had the graceful yet imposing stance of a boxer and wore all the pains from his past as medals of honor. Darin had skated through life, and love, with the ease of a mummy’s boy who knew the ground would be waiting for his next step.

I’d once loved Darin, but he’d been right to move on before we ended up being each other’s first marriage instead of nostalgic first loves.

Ethan? He’d made himself a part of the community. Felicity refused to hear a bad word against him, my cousin thought Ethan hung the moon and was hisfavorite big broand Trey even let Ethan take his RX7 for a drive.

When the town called an emergency meeting after some old-timers wanted to cancel Ethan’s contract because he hadn’t joined the RFS, Reece and Felicity had stood up to vouch for him. When the voting seemed to be close, I’d stood up and invoked my family’s name. I’d faced down Ethan’s detractors and told them they needed to give him time to feel part of the community before throwing the fine print of his contract at him.

My voice had carried weight with the town meeting. I needed to believe my own words.

Did I think his kisses were more important than him signing up for the RFS? My bruised lips would say,yes.

“Darin, this isn’t a good time—“ I started before Darin charged at me. Stopping inches from my face, his jaw clenched with drunken rage.

“Moving on from one Captain-Coach to another?” he snarled, and I wiped the spittle from my cheek. I was more worried about him smearing or ruining my makeup in the process than I cared about his judgment. “Should we get the club to put it in the contract? Sex on tap with—“

“No!” I screamed as Ethan gripped Darin back by the shirt collar. Before I could react, Ethan launched a fist at Darin’s jaw which sent my ex stumbling backward until he landed against the hand-carved coffee table. Grandpa knew how to make furniture to last, and only alcohol saved Darin from screaming in pain.

“Rylee’s mine. She’ll always be mine. She’s the love of my life, and I’m so sorry,” Darin sobbed from his fetal position on the floor. Ethan stood over him, rubbing his knuckles and prepared to do more damage if Darin got up or threatened me again. But Darin moaned and clutched his knees while rolling around the floor. Drunken Darin was not sexy. But, seeing his car parked in front of my house told me two things: he’d seen Ethan’s ute before he’d arrived, and he was in no state to drive home.

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