Forced Proximity (Bluebell House Duet Book 1)
Forced Proximity: Chapter 19

I was running. Running and screaming. Running harder than I’d ever run before, but nothing moved around me, as if I were stuck in the same spot.

“Come out, come out, Evelyn. Your time in this world is done.”

He hit me from behind, and my skin burst in flames as gunfire filled the air.

A crash had me shooting up in my bed, my heart pounding so hard that it hurt my chest. At first I thought the crash was part of the dream, until there was another bang, and the windows shook in my room.

A storm had rolled in while I slept in fear, and now I had a waking fear to deal with. I yanked the blanket over my head, having hated the sound of thunder since the day my world was destroyed.

It reminded me of his footsteps crashing around the classroom, each bang bringing another surge of fear. My limbs trembled, and my head felt light as I fought the debilitating terror, fought through the air frozen in my lungs, while black spots danced before my eyes.

Fuck! Fucking fuck. I had to get out of here before I lost my mind and started to scream at the top of my lungs. Connor would love to see me fall apart like that, and honestly, I’d rather die than give him the pleasure.

Stumbling from the bed, I mindlessly moved, struggling to get the lock on my door open. This ancient relic might be solid, providing a false sense of security against the men in this house, but it wasn’t easy to maneuver when one was in a rush.

“Come on,” I sobbed, wiggling and jiggling, relieved to hear the heavy click as it finally released.

Falling through the door, I caught myself on the handle, and there was no real thought of where to go until I reached his door. I couldn’t ride this storm out alone, not without losing my shit completely, and I had no more drugs left to dull the pain.

No more painkillers. No more sleeping tablets.

Which was fine most of the time, but I’d have given anything for a pill tonight.

At first, I thought his door was locked, and in my panic, I let out a low sob. Trying again, I was relieved to hear the low click of it opening; these old handles needed an extra shove to get them moving.

It was pitch-black inside, with only the occasional bolt of lightning illuminating his room.

Thank Jesus fucking Christ that it was set out in a similar style to my room, so I headed straight for his bed, too panicked to second-guess my actions. My breaths wheezed in and out so loudly that I woke him up with a start. “Eve,” he mumbled, shooting up in bed as I shuffled closer. A flash of light showcased his concerned expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Storm,” I choked out, another rumble of thunder shaking me as hard as it shook the house. “I can’t handle storms after the attack.”

Without hesitation, Ethan was out of bed, arms wrapping around me as he lifted me from the floor and into his body. He felt all warm and rumpled from sleep. “Come on, baby,” he whispered against my cheek. “I’ll keep you safe.”

A fraction of my panic eased as I let Ethan encase me, dragging us under his blankets, until we were cocooned together. He held me close, his hands rubbing up and down my spine in a soothing manner, and I felt myself relaxing against his hard body.

As we melded together, I felt his muscled chest, bare and firm under my touch. I couldn’t see anything in the dark, but his hard length was pressed against my side as he held me close, and now all I could think about was sex.

Sex with Ethan.

Damn. It wasn’t that I’d run into his room looking to bang my professor, but the attraction between us was like wildfire, intense and hard to control.

“Brodie and I kissed.”

The words spilled from me in a rush, making it very clear that I’d been harboring a little bit of guilt over what happened. Ethan’s hands stilled for a moment before he resumed his gentle, soothing rub along my spine.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you straightaway,” I continued, my mouth running away from me once more. “I know we’ve been skirting around this intense attraction between us, and the kisses are amazing, but there’s something with Brodie too… I’m sorry I’m such a hot mess, but I really don’t know what the hell is happening.”

Ethan let out a long sigh, his warm breath feathering over my skin. “I wish I could say I’m surprised but…he’s Brodie.”

Confused, I shifted to face him, trying to make out his expression in the darkness. “I don’t… What does that mean? Are you angry?”

He groaned, one hand leaving my body to rake through his hair. “Furious,” he admitted, “but not at you, beautiful Lilith.”

“At Brodie?” I asked in a small voice. That idea filled me with a sick feeling. I respected the family connection between them all, and the last thing I wanted to do was cause fights.

Ethan gave a small laugh, then pressed a kiss to my throat. “No. That dickhead is too damn loveable for his own good.” He kissed my throat again, scraping teeth over my skin and causing a sultry moan to escape me. “You don’t owe me anything, Eve. I’m not just your teacher. I’m also eight years older than you and tragically mixed up in a criminal organization. I’m desperately thankful for the moments you give me, but I’m in no position to tie you down and demand exclusivity.”

This bothered me more than I’d admit because I didn’t want Ethan hooking up with another woman. I wasn’t nearly as open-minded about a casual relationship, and selfish or not, I wanted him to touch no one else but me. The criminal comment was something I filed away for later.

“Do you have a girlfriend?” I asked him. “Or plans to get one who is someone else?”

“Nope.” His reply was instant. “There’s no one I’m interested in other than you, Eve. I want to explore whatever this is between us.”

“But what about your job? And…Brodie?” Because that kiss was still in my head, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to do it again.

His chest rumbled, and his fingers flexed against my skin. “Don’t get me wrong, sweetheart. I intend to do everything possible to capture your whole focus, but I won’t begrudge you exploring things with him if that’s what you want to do.”

I was so fucking confused. “You won’t be jealous?”

Ethan laughed. “I will. I’m already intensely jealous of him sitting next to you while I present your Economics of Crime class. Did you even notice he was playing with your hair during today’s session?”

“What?” I squeaked. I hadn’t noticed, because I’d been so fucking focused on my sexy, enigmatic professor, no doubt. “But⁠—”

“Jealousy isn’t a bad thing, Lilith. It just makes things…spicy. Trust me to manage my own emotions, beautiful.” He kissed my jaw, then nipped my earlobe between his teeth. “But if he hurts you, all bets are off. I’ll fucking kill him.”

Holy crap. Why was that dark edge to his threat so hot? Maybe because it wasn’t a threat—it was a promise. The kind that made me go all fluttery and warm inside.

I’d all but forgotten about the storm during this somewhat awkward but necessary discussion, but as the loudest boom so far rocked the room, I was catapulted right back into my distress, a whimpering scream wheezing out of me.

Ethan wrapped his arms around me and yanked me into his chest as his lips crashed against mine. It felt like the storm infiltrated his room and erupted between us, energy crackling as I moaned into his mouth. This time, Ethan didn’t ease up on the kiss, his tongue swiping against my lips, demanding entry. Apparently, he was making good on that intention to consume my focus 100 percent. There was no room between us now for thoughts of any other man, that was for sure.

As soon as I opened my mouth, he devoured me as if he’d been desperately waiting for a chance to taste me again. “Fuck, Eve,” he groaned, gentling a fraction as his hands traced down my spine. “Kissing you is destructive perfection.”

I understood exactly what he meant. We shouldn’t be doing this, and it was my fault for coming into his room in the first place, but of any of the men in Bluebell House, he was my safe harbor in the storm. A literal storm in this case.

Using both hands, Ethan cupped my face and tilted my head back for better access. His kisses were slow and drugging, until my body throbbed so intensely that it actually hurt. “Ethan, please,” I mumbled, half-delirious from the sensation of his hands and mouth on me.

“What do you want, baby?” he rumbled. “You need to tell me exactly. Nothing is going to happen until I hear the words from your pretty mouth.”

Oh God. He was giving me a chance to back out if this wasn’t what I wanted. He was my professor, and I was the student, but tonight, I held the power.

“I need you to touch me,” I said, no hesitation. This was going to happen, and I wanted it to be tonight, when I needed him the most. “Touch me wherever you want, Professor Sullivan. I’m already wet, and I need your mouth on my cunt and your cock inside me. I need you to make me come over and over until I can’t breathe. Until there’s no fear. Please. Please.”

I wasn’t beyond begging—in fact, I was ready to get on my knees for Ethan if that was what he wanted.

A guttural, desperate sound erupted from his chest, and he flipped me over to my back so fast that I was dizzy from the sensation. “I’ve been dying to taste you,” he murmured, his touch slow and firm as he traced over my breasts. “I’m going to take my time with you, Evelyn Lewis. I’m going to enjoy every fucking moment of this.”

In one swift movement, he yanked my shirt up and over my tits, his mouth on my nipples, moving between them as he sucked the throbbing ends between his teeth. When he bit down, I cried out, and he slammed his big hand over my mouth to choke out the sound.

“Quiet, baby,” he murmured against my skin. “If you bring the other guys, the fun stops.”

His teeth pressed down harder, and I had to bite my lip so hard I tasted blood to halt from crying out. He slid his palm off my mouth, pressing it down to my stomach, as he kissed his way down my stomach, tasting every inch of my skin he could reach.

“Oh my god,” I gasped as he hooked his thumbs under the elastic of my panties and tugged them down my legs, baring me entirely. If there was even a touch more light in the room, I might have been embarrassed—not to mention he’d glimpse the bullet scars on my back, which I’d rather not dwell on during sex—but in the semi-darkness, I eagerly spread my legs wide.

Ethan’s breath fanned across my core as he kissed my inner thighs, his rough stubble tickling my flesh. I squirmed in need, and he responded by kissing me right where I needed him.

“Ethan,” I moaned, no longer giving a flying fuck who heard us. In return, his tongue flicked my clit, and his finger slid inside my aching pussy. I was already so hot, so wet… “More,” I pleaded, bucking my hips against his face. “I need⁠—”

He added another finger, curling them to tease my inner walls and my pleas evaporated into a sultry whimper. One thing was for sure: Ethan Sullivan knew how to eat pussy. My responsiveness only spurred him on, making him double down on his efforts with one hand pinning my thigh so hard I knew he’d leave bruises. Knew it and loved it.

I came loudly but by some small miracle the storm had ramped up and a thunder crack perfectly masked my cries of ecstasy. Ethan cleaned me up with his tongue like some kind of big cat, then prowled back up my body with smug satisfaction radiating from his every pore. A flash of lightning lit up the room briefly, betraying his pleased grin.

“Had enough, little Lilith?” he purred, cupping my breasts and tweaking my already hypersensitive nipples.

Moaning, gasping, boneless…I shook my head. “Not even close, Professor.”

Summoning what little strength I had left in my shaking legs, I flipped our positions and settled my weight across Ethan’s hips. He’d been sleeping in just his boxers, which I clumsily stripped him out of without losing my dominant position.

Ethan, bless his socks, let me manhandle him with a dazed sort of smile flashing at me with the lightning strikes.

“You’re so freaking sexy,” I marveled, running my hands over his well-toned chest. A dark shadow covered one side of his ribs, curling up over his shoulder and bicep. “Is this ink?”

He hummed, hands on my hips as his hardness ground against my soaking core. “Yeah. Want me to turn on the light, so you can take a better look?” He was teasing, but I was tempted. If I didn’t have more urgent plans I probably would have accepted.

“Maybe later,” I murmured, reaching down to grasp his erection. He was solid, girthy, the kind of handful that was going to hurt in the morning…in the best kind of way. Unable to wait any longer, I rose up on my knees just enough to notch him at my entrance. Just the tip stretched me and my eyes widened with anticipation.

Sucking a breath, I lowered myself in a smooth, aching motion right as Ethan hissed my name.

“Wait,” he groaned, grasping my hips tight as our pelvises lined up, his entire thick length buried between my folds. “Shit. Eve…condom…”

Ah. Crap. That would definitely have been the responsible thing…and yet, there was something so intimate and raw about having his flesh against mine. “I’ve got an IUD,” I whispered, already breathless and trembling with need.

“Thank fuck,” he replied with a feral sort of growl. Then flipped us and took all control back. He pounded into me hard enough to shake the bed, each thrust drawing a cry of delight from me as the headboard smacked the wall.

My pussy clenched and pulsed around his thickness, grasping tight each time he buried deep, and when Ethan snaked a hand between us, I couldn’t hold back any longer. His long fingers tweaked my clit and I exploded.

This time, his hard, demanding kisses swallowed my screams, and just a moment later, his hips jerked, his rhythm faltering as he also found climax deep inside my body.

He rode it out, thrusts slowing as my pussy quaked and spasmed around him, then he kissed me over and over, collapsing in an exhausted heap half-on, half-off my equally jellified body. For a long time, we just lay there, legs intertwined and breathing heavy while the storm continued to rage outside.

“I changed my mind,” I finally said, my voice rough and husky.

Ethan lifted his head slightly, his body tensing. “Oh?”

I grinned into the darkness. “Mm-hmm. I decided storms are actually pretty great after all.”

Tension flowed out of him in an instant and he buried his face into the side of my neck. “Cheeky girl,” he muttered. “But I agree. Storms are my new favorite weather event. I hope it storms every night forever.”

Every night. Forever.