Page 73 of Lovestrung

Tongue in cheek, I leaned closer. “There’s definitely nothing tiny about Ethan,” I whispered and nodded sagely. “He’s a beast, in more ways than one.”

“Oooh, do tell us more,” Eliza bent her head, making the three of us look like we were conspiring against something we shouldn’t, no doubt.

Ella nodded, her mouth grinning as wide as the Cheshire cat’s.

“He’s so…intense, I guess? When he kisses me, he takes his time, and phew! That man can kiss…every kiss feels like it’s new, but hot as hell at the same time. So hot, in fact, that I cease thinking altogether…just like a kiss is supposed to do. I’ve never felt that way before.”

“Shit, now I’ve got a lady boner,” Ella muttered, making me snort.

I wet my lips. “I’ll ignore that, just this once, because you’re my friend. But no more lady boners for my man, got it?”

She grinned and winked at me. “Sure, babe.”

I shook my head, exasperated at her.

“Tell us more,” Eliza sighed dreamily.

“He gets this determined glint in his eyes when he’s turned on, as if he wants to absorb everything about me – about us – especially when he’s inside me.”

Eliza fanned her face. “Oh, bloody hell, I love the sound of this.”

I sighed, not caring in the least that I sounded like a lovestruck fool. “Yeah. And when we’re not busy tearing each other’s clothes off, he’s attentive, funny, and…he listens. I mean, really listens to me. I never knew how much I needed it – that I missed having a man like that – in my life until now.”

I fell silent and looked each girl in the eyes before I took a deep breath. “But…”

“Fuck me, I knew there was a ‘but’ coming,” Ella groused and slumped back in her chair.

I ignored her outburst and rested my head on the palm of my hand. “He has a second job that he’s being quite evasive about, and even though he asked me to trust him, to give him the time he needs before he tells me about it, I’m worried. Well, a little freaked out, to be honest.”

“Wait, what?” Eliza jumped in, a worried frown between her eyes. “That’s odd.”

I nodded. “Yeah, it kinda is, isn’t it? But I don’t want to seem like this super invasive girlfriend who doesn’t trust her man, so I’m giving him time.”

“As long as it’s not illegal, I wouldn’t worry too much.”

I raised my eyes at Ella, surprised she felt that way. “He’s assured me it isn’t, so I’m not worried about that at all. It feels like there’s this huge cloud hanging above my head, waiting for disaster to strike. I don’t know, it’s just…weird. We’ve never kept big secrets from each other before.”

The words had barely left my mouth before I started doubting them. Were they even true? I’d kept my crush from him for so long, and even Ethan had admitted he’d lied to me about his own feelings.

My thoughts automatically veered off to Astrid.

“And then there’s this other thing,” I sighed.

“Dang it. I was beginning to think this guy was pretty perfect.” Ella pointed an accusing finger at me. “All my illusions are torn to shreds today.”

I wrinkled my nose – I guess it did seem that way.

“What is it?” Eliza asked.

“We were out having brunch yesterday, and this woman came up to our table.” I glanced back and forth between my friends. “You should have seen her – she was gorgeous. Curvy, with this amazing brown hair I’d kill to have, and her make-up on point…”

“And?”

I pushed my hands under my thighs, preventing myself from fidgeting. “Apparently, they work together at the secret place that Ethan won’t yet tell me about. She was all over Ethan, girls.” I frowned at them. “I mean, she touched him in ways that I can only describe as intimate even though nothing would suggest they were to an outsider. But she…ugh, she made me mad with jealousy, especially when she kissed him.”

“She did what?!” Ella almost shrieked and I hurried to shush her.

“Yeah, well, at least there was no tongue.”