Chapter 3
I knew I was doing something risky.
But I never shy away from the consequences of my actions.
Ethan came out of the bathroom, his gaze zeroing in on what I was holding.
"What's that?" he asked.
"I saw online that you're supposed to use this first, so it doesn't hurt as much," I said.
"Wait, you and Ryan never?" he asked, surprised.
"He's a year younger than me. I thought I'd wait until he grew up a little," I replied.
Speaking of being grown, my eyes wandered over to Ethan.
He didn't have any clothes to change into, so he was just wrapped in a towel around his waist.
The towel was barely hanging on, like it might slip off any moment.
Every inch of his amazing body was on full display.
I was basically training Ryan to be husband material.
So I was always pushing him to work out.
All his roommates—including Ethan—were fitness freaks.
Ethan even focused on building up his legs.
He looked pretty amazing.
When Ethan heard me, he dropped his eyes, a shy smile flickering across his lips before he quickly tried to hide it.
"Trust me, you won't need that with me around," he said, a hint of confidence in his voice.
When he sat down next to me, the size difference between us was impossible to ignore.
He gently placed my hand over his heart. "This is what you like, isn't it?"
His voice was soft, his lashes kept fluttering as he looked down.
Every time Ryan finished his chest workout, I just had to feel up his muscles and admire the results.
Ethan had walked in on me doing that more than once.
I used to check out Ryan's pecs with zero shame.
But with Ethan, I suddenly felt a bit self-conscious.
Ethan caught the way I was getting shy.
He wrapped his hand around my ankle and gently pulled me right up to him.
"Chloe, I'm ready," he said.
I could feel him pressing against me, and I bit my lip.
Maybe I should just back out now. I feel like he's gonna fill me up completely.
Ethan didn't let me finish. His eyes were glistening as he looked at me, putting on that innocent face. "Chloe, are you scared?"
Please. As if I'd ever be scared. I'm a grown woman. Why would I be scared?
I stared at his sharp jawline and scoffed. "Scared? Hell no."
He let out a deep, muffled laugh.
His chest vibrated with the sound.
"Chloe, you're so cute," he said.
I was speechless.
When he called me "Chloe," his voice was so smooth and seductive, it sent shivers down my spine.
My ears were practically melting from how sexy he sounded.
This place is totally set up for couples.
It's got a romantic vibe and everything's arranged perfectly.
After all that back-and-forth, I was so wiped out I didn't even want to move.
But my stomach was still growling.
Ethan opened the fridge and spotted the little cake inside, his expression unreadable.
I sat on the bed, remembering that I'd made it for Ryan.
"I made it. Wanna share it with me?" I asked.
I booked this romantic room tonight because I was planning to finally sleep with Ryan.
I couldn't keep treating him like a little brother forever.
But turns out, the one I ended up sleeping with was Ethan.
Guess things turned out pretty well after all.
"Sure," Ethan said.
Ethan opened the cake box and saw "Ryan Carter" written across the top.
With a stone-cold expression, he grabbed a fork and scraped off the part with Ryan's name.
He downed it in one bite.
His face was so intense, it was like he was out for revenge.
I just kept quiet.
After we finished the cake, Ethan tossed the trash and came back to me.
He dropped the towel around his waist and leaned in close. "Chloe, feeling full now?"
I politely declined. "I'm full."
His gaze was electric. "Want some more?"
Oh come on, again? Didn't we just finish?
The next morning, I could barely walk when we left the hotel.
Ethan was carrying my bag, following beside me with his head down, a faint red mark on his cheek. He looked like he'd just been wrecked by a savage girl.
I glanced back at him. "You really know how to play the victim."
Ethan shook his head. "I'm not pretending. I just really care about you, Chloe."
I was speechless.
I couldn't help but remember all those filthy things he whispered in my ear last night.
And when I accidentally called out Ryan's name, the storm in his eyes was impossible to hide.
And the way he just kept going, totally relentless and not holding back at all.
If he really cared about me, he wouldn't have just ignored me like that.
We were both young and wild, but he looked totally unfazed—like nothing happened—while I was so wiped out my legs felt like jelly.