The Prequel to Ethan: Chapter 4

Ethan releases tomorrow, so this is the last chapter in the Ethan prequel. Hope you enjoyed getting to know Skye and Ethan before the book release on Friday!

“Welcome,” Ethan said, opening the door to the suite. 

Skye stepped through the door ahead of him and into the posh room. Designed to look like an apartment, the room contained plush cream carpet, a dining area, comfortable-looking sofas arranged around a glass table, and across from them, two large windows presented the Atlanta nighttime skyline in all its glory. 

The buildings reached toward the sky in the darkness, all of them illuminated by squares of light on each floor. 

“Mind if I take off my shoes?” Skye asked over her shoulder.

“Not at all. Make yourself at home. Get comfortable.” 

Ethan’s eyes swept her body down to her feet, and she felt his gaze like a touch on her bare back where the dress dipped to right above her bottom. She removed her heels and came close to sighing, wiggling her toes in the soft threads of the carpet. 

She strolled to the window. “You weren’t kidding. This is a marvelous view.”

She turned away from the window and watched Ethan make his way to the small bar. Behind the glossy surface, three shelves were stocked with all types of liquor choices. 

“Can I fix you a drink?” he asked. 

“Water is fine. I’ve had enough to drink for the evening.”

Besides, she needed to keep a clear head. She suspected she could easily lose her common sense with this man. 

Ethan poured them both a glass of water and handed one to her.

“Thank you.” Skye sipped the chilled water. “Do you live here?”

He shook his head. “I have a house outside the city. I sometimes spend the night here when I don’t want to go all the way home. It’s especially convenient if I work late and tell my driver he doesn’t have to pick me up. Then I just come here to sleep.”

“You have a driver? Must be nice.” He must be extremely well off. Perhaps wealthier than she initially thought. 

He chuckled. “Yes, it is.”   

Skye’s gaze sauntered around the spacious room. She figured the door at the far end led to a bedroom, but what captured her attention was the black piano. 

“Explain that.” She pointed. “Don’t tell me you play.” 

“You sound surprised. What if I told you I do?”

“You play the piano?” 

“It’s not for show, I can tell you that.” He leaned on one arm against the bar. “I started playing my freshman year of high school and took two years of piano before I stopped.” 

Her eyes widened. “No way.” 

If true, this was a side of him she hadn’t expected. 

Ethan shrugged. “Blame teenage hormones. The private school I attended offered classical piano classes as an elective. I signed up for the class because a girl I liked took piano, and I wanted to be near her.”

Skye let out a short laugh and shook her head. “How many times have teenaged boys used similar tactics to be near a girl or impress her?”

“Too many.” Ethan drained his glass and set it on the bar top. “I ended up enjoying the class.”

“Did you get the girl?” Skye asked, a teasing lift to her eyebrow.

“What do you think?” 

If he looked anything in high school like he did now, he didn’t need that class to win his crush. Ethan had great bone structure, making his symmetrical face sexy and appealing, and his dark-mahogany skin was smooth-looking and blemish-free. 

“I think you got the girl,” she answered. 

“I did,” he confirmed. “Our “relationship” didn’t last more than a school year, but after we broke up, I continued to take classes until I moved on to other electives.”

“As an adult, you decided you wanted to continue playing?” 

“I don’t get to play much, but I have a piano here and at the house for when I’m in the mood. I practice because I don’t want to lose the skill.” 

Skye’s attention bounced between him and the piano. “You know you have to play for me, right?”

“Why? You don’t believe I play? You need me to prove I’m telling the truth?”

 “I’m a little doubtful,” she admitted with a grin.

His face turned grim with mock gravity. “Prepare to be impressed.”

“Oh boy, you’re serious now, aren’t you?” Skye stifled a laugh at the back of her hand.

Smooth as you please, Ethan removed his jacket and tie, folding and placing them on the sofa. The little strip tease turned her on and gave a better view of his physique. She admired his lean hips and how his wide chest funneled into a vee from the waist up. She watched with bated breath as he rolled back the cuffs of his shirt and strolled over to the piano bench, exuding confidence.

The man was just sexy, and she became aroused. If he could really play, she might come on the spot.  

Ethan sat on the bench and straightened his shoulders. He held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. Skye chuckled at his theatrics and then ambled over to the piano. She found Ethan fascinating. 

On the one hand, he was a wealthy investor giving off an unyielding, arrogant air. On the other hand, he was generous to staff, kind to her, and to her surprise, had a good sense of humor. He was a study in contrasts. 

Ethan lifted the keyboard cover and, after a brief moment, began to play. His fingers ran across the keys in a recognizable tune—Beethoven’s “Fur Elise.” Her mouth fell open. 

Using excellent form, Ethan played the entire song without flaw, performing like a professional. When he finished, he lifted his gaze to her. 

“Well…?” Nothing but cockiness in that single-word question. 

“Wow. I. Am. Impressed.” And turned on, she added in her head. 

Skye moved to the other side of the bench and sat beside Ethan. 

“Don’t tell me you play too…?” he said. 

She laughed. “My mom wrote jingles and composed music for plays. I grew up in a house filled with music, and though I don’t have any formal training, I learned to play because of her.” 

She flipped the sheet music to Mozart’s “Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major, K 331: III. Alla Turca.” “Let’s see if you can follow my lead.” 

She started playing, fingers moving rapidly over the keys. Ethan jumped in, and after a brief stumble, they played together as if they’d been practicing for weeks. 

The bouncy tune and the overall excitement of playing rejuvenated Skye and made her feel alive. Laughing, she bumped shoulders with Ethan and grinned when he bumped hers back. 

When the song ended, she threw her hands up and fell against him, giggling. “That was fun! We make a great team.” 

Ethan’s warm hand rested on the back of her neck, and his intense dark gaze locked with hers. “Yes, we do.” 

Silence filled the room, and Skye’s pulse quickened. 

“I love your laugh,” Ethan said.

His thumb moved back and forth across the top of her spine. 

When he leaned in, she had time to react. She could have pulled back. She could have turned her head and said no or lifted a hand against his chest to stop him. She did none of those things. 

Instead, she closed the gap between them and welcomed the kiss. When their mouths touched, her heart exploded in her chest, racing and beating fast. Ethan’s hand tightened on her nape and held her firm so he could push his tongue between her lips and deepen the kiss. Heat jettisoned between her thighs, her nipples hardening and fingers curling into a fist on the bench next to her thigh. Her nails dug into her palms as her chest heaved from the coming excitement.

Ethan pulled her onto his lap with ease so she straddled him. Not once did he release her lips, masterfully taking her higher as their mouths moved hungrily over each other. She’d imagined what his mouth would feel like and taste like, but the reality was much better than the mediocrity conjured by her mind. Ethan’s kisses were blissfully good and his mouth the right balance of firm and soft. 

Her hands snaked up the back of his broad neck and into the short, coily hair on his head. He peeled the dress off her shoulder and, tipping her head back, she let feverish passion overtake her—a feeling she hadn’t experienced in a long time. 

One of his hands slid up her thigh, pushing her dress higher so he could cup her ass and drag her tighter against his groin. The impact of his hardness against her soft core made heat flood between her legs. Ethan squeezed her ass while his teeth nipped gently at her sensitive throat. Their breathing was harsh and inelegant in the room, a testament to the craving they both experienced and longed to assuage.  

Ethan buried his mouth in the curve of her neck, and her lips parted on a hoarse moan. Thighs on either side of his waist, Skye flattened her breasts into his hard chest to relieve the ache in her nipples. 

“How about we take this back to the bedroom?” His deep voice was nothing more than a husky whisper. 

Skye nodded her agreement.

Cradling her bottom in his large hands, Ethan stood with her in his arms. She was lightheaded from desire, and her heart thudded with the speed of an out-of-control locomotive. But she was not so lightheaded that she didn’t know exactly what she was doing. She wanted Ethan and grasped the back of his head as she kissed the corners of his mouth and swiped his tongue with hers—all of these acts signaling the acuteness of her desire and that she was all in.

Ethan marched them through the door she saw earlier. The room was dark, with the only light coming through the parted curtains from the buildings around the hotel.  

Ethan placed Skye on her feet beside the bed and then lifted the gold dress over her head. She stood before him in nothing but a black thong—bare-breasted and ready for him to make love to her.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Skye.” He placed a soft kiss on top of each of her breasts. But then he lifted his gaze and looked into her eyes. “Do you remember what I said in the bar?”

She nodded. “I haven’t forgotten. You told me you’re the kind of man I should avoid.” 

“That’s right.” He searched her eyes for the answer to his unspoken question.

“You also told me you don’t play games. Neither do I, Ethan. I enjoyed my time with you tonight—the dinner, the conversation.” She hooked a finger in the waistband of his trousers and pulled him closer. They were mere inches apart now. “I don’t have any expectations, except to continue our good time.”

She gave the answer he’d wanted to hear because heat sparked in his eyes, and his mouth covered hers in a fierce kiss. They fell onto the bed, their mouths sliding over other each in an amorous caress. 

Skye yanked his shirt from his waistband and smoothed her palms over the muscles in his back. She groaned her satisfaction as his fit body pressed her into the mattress. 

Ethan rained kisses over her breasts and sucked on her sensitive nipples. Writhing under the consuming heat of hunger, Skye caressed Ethan’s head as he slowly moved lower—licking the underside of her breasts and then kissing his way to her navel.  

She had no idea what would happen after tonight. Ethan had made no promises and, in fact, had issued a warning. 

But this was hot. It was passionate. It was exciting. 

She would enjoy herself tonight and let tomorrow worry about itself.

__________

Ethan arrives on January 28, 2022.

Buy links: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | BN | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

Join my Readers Lounge to participate in the release party on January 28 and the book chat on February 10.

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