Page 429 of One More Kiss

I’ve spent the last few years pushing men like him away, knowing they were bad news, yet here I’m standing in front of Mr. Bad News himself and not running away.

“Fine,” I bite out. Two can play this game.

I unbutton my shorts and slide them down to my ankles before kicking them into the pile in front of us. Standing in only my bra and panties, I feel him studying me. His eyes slowly trace over my chest and move down my stomach and legs. When his eyes slide back up to mine, there’s a knowing smirk taking place of his serious one.

His fingers wrap around the waistband of his boxer shorts, and I inhale deeply as he slowly peels them off. I tell myself to look away, but I can’t. His eyes pin me to him, daring me to look away. Bending down, he pulls the shorts all the way to his ankles before standing back up and showing me the whole package.

Sweet fucking hell.

His ear isn’t the only thing that’s pierced.

Blinking, I swallow and try to act as if I am keeping it together. His cock should be packaged with a red ribbon tied around it because the way it hangs between his legs is like a gift to all women. Not to mention, I’m shamelessly curious how a piercing would feel inside me.

I want to make some kind of joke about it being cold outside and insinuate I’m not impressed by his size, but I’m fairly certain my voice would crack and completely blow my cover. My throat is so dry, I’m not sure I could form coherent words even if I tried.

His cock is thick. Thicker than I’ve ever seen and without staring at it too long, I shift my eyes away. I hear him chuckle as if my reaction to his naked body is funny.

“What?” I snap my eyes back to his, although I can see his cock in my peripheral vision. It’s there all thick and big, and it might as well have a huge neon sign on it that says Look at me! I’m your wet fantasy!

“You act like you’ve never seen a naked man before.”

I glare at him, making sure to keep my eyes above his waist.

“Wait. You have, right?” he asks, stepping closer.

“I’m twenty-seven years old. I’ve seen a naked man before,” I snap.

“Then why are you acting like I have a poisonous snake between my legs?”

“Snake,” I repeat with a laugh. “Sounds appropriate,” I mutter to myself, though I’m sure he heard me.

“You want to feel it?” he asks, palming his fingers around it as he takes another step closer.

“What?” I gasp, blinking my eyes back to his and making sure I heard him correctly.

“The creek,” he clarifies, but I know his purpose was to shock me. “It’s like bath water.”

“Oh.” I swallow again, wishing my throat would stop feeling so damn dry. This guy has turned me into an idiot.

“Are you going to go in like that?” He jerks his head down to my bra and panties.

Looking at him, I try and find the courage to follow suit. I’ve already had to give myself permission to have fun this week, but I’m not sure this is a good idea. In fact, I know it’s not a good idea. A guy like him could ruin me, and that’s something I’ve promised myself since I was a teenager that I’d never let happen since watching my father verbally and emotionally abuse my mother for years.

You’re a worthless piece of shit, and maybe if you ever took that stick out of your ass, you’d actually be a joy to be around.My father’s words repeat in my head for the hundredth time since he’s said them to my mother years ago. I hate how I allow his words to get to me even after all this time. I force them away when they surface, but I don’t know why they’ve surfaced now.

I push his ugly words away and wrap my arms behind my back, so I can unhook my bra. Ethan watches me, and when my bra slides down my arms, he arches a brow.

“What?”

He rubs along his scruffy jawline, a noticeable smile charming his lips. “Keep going,” he tells me, having no shame as he stares intently at my breasts.

I hook my fingers in my panties then slide them down my legs before adding them to our clothes pile. Thank God I waxed before this trip, which was mostly because I had a gift certificate to use at the salon before it expired. A birthday present from Nora who gets on me for my lack of self-care since I’ve starting writing full-time.

“No carpet, huh? Interesting.”

I roll my eyes, shaking my head and pinching my lips together, so he doesn’t see me smiling. He’s totally eye-fucking my body, and it feels good knowing someone appreciates it.

“Only during the winter months when we Midwesterners need to stay warm,” I tease as he grabs my hand and walks us down to the water.

---