Okay, so that was a little bit sweet. “Like what exactly?” I toss my sandal into the closet without getting up. “I can’t do anything by myself. I mean, you had to teach me to work the dishwasher for crying out loud.”
He lets go of the doorknob and sits down beside me on the bed while I take off my other sandal. “So what? Everyone has to learn sometime. You’re just learning a little bit later than most people.”
“Because I’m a spoiled brat who had a maid.”
“You don’t any more, though. You’re becoming an independent, strong Lila.” He winks at me and gives me a lopsided grin. “And that Lila doesn’t belong in a strip club.”
I think I may have just fallen in love with him. No one has ever said something so nice to me or put that kind of confidence in my character. In fact, I’ve been told the opposite for as long as I can remember. Lila, you’ll never make it. Lila, you’re worthless. Lila, you’re messing up this family. No one will ever love you if you don’t change into something they can love. Be perfect. Be beautiful. Because no one will want you if you’re not.
“Even though I know you’re to going to get annoyed with me for saying it,” I begin, slipping my foot out of my sandal, “you’re seriously really sweet when you want to be.”
He frowns with annoyance. “I’m not sweet. I’m actually really, really mean.”
“You’re so full of it.” Once I get my shoe off, I flop back on the bed, not bothering to tug my shirt down when it rides up over my stomach. “I have to take more of my clothes down to that store tomorrow because I’m running out of money. Can you give me a ride? Or can I borrow your truck?”
He lies down beside me on the bed, surprising me, and turns his head toward me. “You say that like it’s the most tragic thing that’s ever happened to you.”
“It kind of is.” I pout with my arms overlapped on my stomach and my gaze fixed on the ceiling. “As shallow as it’s going to sound, I love my clothes.”
“You’ll get over it.” He runs his finger along my exposed stomach, right above the scar hidden behind the waistband of my shorts, and I fight back the urge to shiver and moan. “Besides, you’re not dressed up all fancy now.” He props up on his elbow, keeping his fingers on my stomach, although I’m not even sure he realizes they’re there. He peers down at my tight, purple T-shirt that Ella left behind and my denim shorts I’ve never worn until today. “And you look pretty f**king good.”
“I’m dressed this way because of where I applied.” I have to work to keep my lungs moving as he continues to trace his fingers back and forth across my stomach. The insides of my thighs are starting to shake, more than any other time a guy has touched me. “I had to play the part.”
“And what part is that?” He cocks an eyebrow and then playfully pinches my stomach right above my belly button and a hot sensation coils deep within me. “Come on, just tell me where you might be working because I’ll end up finding out anyway.”
I begrudgingly sigh. “Fine… at Danny’s Happenin’ Bar and Entertainment.”
His fingers stop moving and his eyebrows arch. “The one on the old strip?”
I nod, avoiding eye contact with him. “Yep, that’d be the one.”
His fingers stay on my stomach for what seems like forever, blinding me with heat and deafening me with desire. I’m so relieved by the time he pulls them away because I swear I’m seriously on the verge of having an orgasm. “You dance?”
I tilt my head toward him, finally encountering his gaze. “Why do you sound so surprised?”
He wavers, chewing on his lip. “It’s just hard to picture you dancing… like that.”
“What? Slutty? I don’t see why you’d be surprised about that.”
“It’s not slutty,” he says, still seeming puzzled as his eyes do a quick sweep of my body. “It’s… sexy and kind of erotic, at least from what I can remember. It’s been a while since I’ve been down there.”
“It’s not that sexy… I mean, I don’t take my clothes off or anything,” I explain. “It’s just dancing at a bar and sometimes on the bar, depending on what night. I get to wear normal clothes… well, normal tight clothes. And eventually they’ll teach me how to bartend.”
“I know what it is, Lila.” His hand lazily scrolls up my body again and I swear to God I’m going to melt from the heat emitting from his eyes. Then he catches sight of his fingers on my stomach and, blinking at them, he quickly pulls his hand away.
I sit up, no longer wanting to be on the bed with him because I’m seriously about ready to straddle his lap and force myself on him. “Look, I really need to get some rest.” I climb off the bed and backtrack to the door, opening it wider so he’ll get the hint to leave and let me be horny for him in peace.
He doesn’t get up, only pushes up on his elbows. “You want me to leave?” He fakes a sexy pout, trying to be mocking, but it comes off more mouthwatering than anything. “I thought you were going to show me the moves you used when you applied.”
I place my hand on my hip and give him an overdramatic look of aggravation. “Ethan, seriously, stop teasing me. I only had to fill out an application so far. Besides, you really don’t want to see me dance. You just want to try to make me blush or something.”
“Why would I ever want to do that?”
“Because… I have no idea. You tell me.”
He sits up and crosses his arms, his muscles flexing. “It’s just something to think about. You could practice on me.” He smirks. “I’m an excellent judge.”
I’m smiling at the thought when he starts muttering in his sleep. At first it’s really quiet and it almost sounds like he’s saying “Lila.” But then he starts to get louder and I realize he’s saying “London, don’t leave me… Please, stay… I need you…”
London? Is it a person? If so, Ethan’s never mentioned a London before. Who could they be? A girlfriend? But if they are then why has he never introduced us? An endless list of things runs through my mind and I realize that even though he sleeps around, the idea of him having a girlfriend is like a knife to the heart. Sex is meaningless, but a girlfriend he could care about.
Maybe even love.
Ethan
“Oh, Ethan,” London singsongs as she skips through a field. There’s a bonfire burning near the trees in the distance and the smoke rises to the starry sky. There’s a party going on and people are laughing, shouting, drinking, hav**g s*x and London is out in the field skipping like the strange girl that she is.