“Sure. I keep some in the freezer for when the guys come over. But is that what you really want? I could make you something better.”

  “Something better, or something healthier?” I teased him. “Because there really isn’t anything better than pizza. Unless, of course, the pizza you have is made of tofu or something. It isn’t, is it?” I was hoping it wasn’t.

  “No, it’s not made of tofu. It’s totally greasy and bad for you.” He was smiling and I loved it.

  “Perfect!” I smiled back and watched him take the pizza out of the freezer. He was an amazing guy. I wondered why he was single. I was just about to ask him when his phone rang.

  “It’s one of my staff. We usually go over some things at the end of the night. I’m sorry. It’ll only take five or ten minutes,” he said apologetically.

  “Absolutely,” I said. “Do you mind if I jump in your shower?”

  “Absolutely not,” he said smiling. “Go for it.”

  As I got undressed, I could feel Ethan’s hands, just like he had undressed me the last time I’d showered here. He was so sensual and sexy about it and I just wanted him to fuck my brains out. I was surprised he was still interested in me after all that.

  I stepped into the shower. It felt so warm and relaxing. I stuck my head under the sprayer and stood there, letting it wash over me. I took Ethan’s shampoo and scrubbed my hair. I had put so many products in it that morning that it felt almost crunchy. Then I lathered the rest of my body. When I reached between my legs I hesitated, like I didn’t want to wash away whatever Ethan may have left there. I knew that was silly—I’d have the memory forever—so after a slight pause, I lathered and rinsed.

  ***

  Ethan

  My phone rang, it was Rose. She wanted to go over the numbers for the night, I assumed. I told Gia I’d only be a bit and she asked if she could shower.

  “Go for it.”In my mind all I could see was her in all her beauty standing in front of me, water running down her perfect body, fire in her eyes, wanting me to take her to the edge. That was the best shower I’d ever had. Oh, I almost forgot about Rose.

  “Rose, hi—sorry about that, you caught me in the middle of something.” I was glad she couldn’t see me blushing.

  “Oh, sorry, Ethan. This won’t take long,” she said. “The tills were outstanding tonight, very few overages and shortages. The girls were all upbeat and seemed happy with their tips. Shelley was in a mood, though. Asked if I’d seen you. You may want to touch base with her and make sure she’s all right.” I knew what that was about already. “Anyway, record breaking numbers, just as we’d expected. I’ll have the paperwork for you tomorrow evening and we can go over the whole weekend.”

  “Thank you, Rose. Go to bed now, we have all week to go over the numbers.” She was always in a rush to get things done, so efficient. “You’re still the number one woman in my life,” I told her, and suddenly Gia popped into my head.

  “Someday I hope to be number two, honey,” Rose said, like she was reading my mind or something. She’d never said that before, but I knew her and Don had always hoped I’d find someone. They were such a big part of my life, closer than any of my real family.

  “I know, maybe someday,” I said. “Good night, Rose.” I hung up.

  I checked the pizza, grabbed a couple more waters, and then I heard a knock at the door. I opened it and Shelley was standing there, drunk as a skunk.

  “Hey, lover,” she slurred, “can I come in?” She stumbled over the threshold, pushing past me.

  “Now’s not a good time, Shelley. I’m still on my date.” It felt so good to say that, knowing that Gia was here with me, and not just for sex.

  She looked surprised. “Oh, well, isn’t that nice!” She pushed her hands against my chest. She looked pretty upset.

  “Do you have a t-shirt I could wear?” I heard Gia ask and looked toward the bathroom. There she was with a towel wrapped around her and she stopped when she saw us. Her smile turned to confusion.

  Shelley was crying now. “What does she have that I don’t? What makes her so dateable?” she screamed at me, but she glared at Gia.

  I would’ve loved to give Shelley a list of everything that Gia had that she didn’t, but she didn’t have that kind of patience or time. I didn’t want Gia to witness any more of this.

  “Gia, in the second drawer,” I told her carefully so she’d know everything was all right.

  I turned to Shelley. “I’m sorry about you and Bob. You’re obviously upset and drunk. You need to go back to your place and get some sleep. We can talk when you’re sober, if you want to.” I knew she’d take me up on that offer, unfortunately. I’d have to decide what to do about this later. She was one of my best bartenders, I hated to lose her over something that was partially my fault, but she was crossing the line.

  I called Gwen to come and get her. Gia headed back to the bathroom and Shelley never took her eyes off her. “Stop looking at her—she has nothing to do with this,” I told her.

  I walked Shelley out to wait for Gwen. “Shelley, you need to stop this—now. You and I have been over since last summer, you know that. I’ve met someone and I want to try to build something real with her. You need to back off.” Gwen pulled up and Shelley stumbled to her car.

  That could be a problem, I thought as they drove off.

  I walked back in and locked the door. The pizza was done, so I sliced it and headed to the bathroom.

  I knocked on the door softly so I didn’t startle her. “Gia.”

  When she opened it and I saw her, she took my breath away. There was Hotness, in my t-shirt. It said, “The Lock” across her breasts, and it hung down about mid-thigh. Her hair was damp, her freshly scrubbed face was glowing, and her bare feet were looking sexy as hell. I wondered if she was wearing panties, because I could tell she didn’t have a bra on.

  “I’m so sorry about that, Gia. If you want me to, I’ll tell you about it while we eat. By the way, you look a million times better in that shirt than I ever have.” She gave me a sexy smile and I could tell she wasn’t too concerned about Shelley.

  I pulled her to me and ran my fingers through her hair as I kissed her softly. She smelled like my soap, and as I let my fingers come around to her neck, she felt warm and soft. I was turned on, big-time. I pulled back. I had to have those eyes.

  Her stomach growled and it caught me off guard. “Sorry,” she said. “Maybe we should eat.”

  Laughing, I took her hand and led her to the kitchen. She grabbed a slice of pizza and hopped up onto the counter where I had set her when I was making her breakfast. I caught a glimpse of her panties as my t-shirt lifted slightly. She took a big bite. “Mmmm.”

  Yeah, that’s exactly what I was thinking, but not about the pizza. “Greasy enough for ya?” I asked as I grabbed a slice and hopped up on the counter across from her.

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, swinging her bare, sexy legs.

  She tipped her head back and held the slice above her mouth. The cheese dangled from the corner of the slice, and as she lowered it down into her mouth, I fidgeted. She chewed slowly with her eyes closed, savoring it. Her lips parted, allowing her tongue to lick the sauce from them. Pizza had just become my favorite food. I could do this every meal, every day and never tire of it.

  “Tell me about Shelley,” Gia said as we were finishing our last pieces.

  “Okay. She’s worked here for five years. We hooked up one morning after we’d pulled an all-nighter trying to get the cash registers programmed and ready for opening weekend. We were both lonely. We’d been spending a lot of time together working and we got along great, giving each other a hard time—flirting, I guess I’d say. It just happened, and then it happened again, and pretty soon she was calling once a week or so asking if she could come over. I’d say yes or no, depending on what I was doing. She’d go back to the city at the end of the season and we’d talk maybe two or three times during the winter. Then she’d come back the next summer.” I paused and took a drink of my water, hoping she’d be satisfied with that, but I could tell she was waiting for more, so I continued.

  “While we were working together, before we’d slept together, I told her that I didn’t have time for a relationship but it would be nice to have company every once in a while. She said she felt the same way and there was an understanding between us. There were a few times during those summers that she mentioned ‘going out’ somewhere. I told her that I didn’t ‘date’ because I didn’t have the time to do it right and I didn’t want the drama of it all while I was trying to get this place running like it does now. Then last year, I found out she had a boyfriend back in the city and that she was cheating on him with me. I don’t believe in that and didn’t want any part of it, so I told her not to call me anymore.”

  “That must be Bob?”

  “Yes. When I went to get drinks at the VIP area, Shelley was working. She suggested maybe she could come over later and that her and Bob broke up. She must’ve felt hurt when I said I was on a ‘date,’ and then she showed up here drunk, as you saw.” I finished my water.

  “Friends with benefits, but she obviously wanted more,” Gia said.

  “I guess so.” I’d always wanted someone I could really talk to, and at that moment Gia felt like that someone. She even seemed to have empathy for Shelley, as I did, but Gia didn’t even know her, and from what she’d seen, I was surprised by it.

  “Thanks for the pizza,” Gia said, lightening the mood a little. “What’s for dessert?” She winked at me.

  “Tofu brownies.” I winked back. I’ll never tire of flirting with her.

  She hopped off the counter, turned off the light, took my hands, and led me to my bed. What’s she up to? I remembered how things turned out the last time. I was nervously wondering but I didn’t say anything.

  She reached for my shirt and lifted it up. I put my arms up and leaned toward her. She slowly pulled it off and dropped it on the floor. I really liked how nice and easy she was moving. She was so much different than the last time we were here.

  ***

  Gia

  I looked at his bare chest and abs and took a deep breath. Then I unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and pushed them down, exposing his amazing body in boxer briefs. I wondered if he wore underwear, now I knew. I’d never seen a body like his. It was so perfectly athletic and defined.

  I wanted to give him something he wanted. So I pulled back the covers, crawled into his bed and patted the sheet beside me. He crawled in and I pulled the fresh smelling comforter up around us and then I nuzzled into him, putting my head on his chest. He put his arms around me and I told him something that surprised even me.

  “I’m broken inside—I can’t have a baby.” I held as still as could be. I didn’t want to look at his face. There was silence. He was completely still, also. I could feel his heart beating against my face.

  “Lex, that’s my ex-husband, wanted a family more than anything in the world. Over the years we tried everything we could to have a baby. I got pregnant three times but miscarried all of them. It was too much for Lex. He couldn’t bear living a life without children, and since I had already lost three of them, he didn’t want me to lose anymore. We stopped having sex. We talked about adoption and surrogacy and all the other options but it was too late. We had grown apart, and every time Lex looked at me, I knew he was disappointed.” I felt the tears run down my face onto Ethan’s chest.

  Ethan pulled me up to the pillow so we were facing each other. He wiped the tears from my eyes. “I’m so sorry, Gia. That must’ve been very hard for you to go through. I can’t imagine how it felt for you and how lonely you must’ve been. Your husband obviously put his wants and needs above yours and that was unfair to you. Please don’t feel like you’re broken inside because you weren’t able to fill a void in someone else’s life. Maybe it was he who wasn’t meant to have your children because he can’t love unconditionally.” Then he slowly kissed my eyes and my face where the tears had run down. He held me close and I felt some of the pain leave my body as I exhaled. There was something so gentle about the way he talked to me and touched me—it made me relax into him.

  “Thank you, Ethan,” I whispered.

  “Thank you, Gia,” he whispered back.

  Chapter 4

  Ethan

  We laid there looking into each other’s eyes. I was holding Gia’s hand, stroking it with my fingers, wondering how anyone could hurt her like Lex did. Her eyes were teary now, sad. I wanted to take all her pain and disappointment away. She deserved someone who could love her unconditionally.

  I traced her face with my finger, gliding it over her brows and down her soft glowing cheeks, across her chin and then up to her lips, lingering on them and memorizing their exact shape. I ran it under her chin and down the front of her neck. I opened my hand and cupped the side of her neck as I locked eyes with her. I ran my fingers through her damp hair and she arched slightly as they grazed lightly down the middle of her back. She smiled. She must be ticklish.

  My hand traveled across her side and stopped to softly stroke her hip bone before finding its way to her flat, firm stomach. I caressed it gently back and forth as I confirmed how absolutely perfect it was, not at all broken. Her eyes looked hungry. As I worked my way up to her breast, I felt myself growing hard.

  I massaged her breast and carefully played with her nipple between my fingers. She reached over and ran her hand up my arm and behind my neck, pulling me to her lips. Our mouths opened—we kissed long and slow, sending heat through my body and filling me with a sense of connection I hadn’t felt in a long time, if ever. I wanted to make love to her and I wanted to make her feel unbroken.

  I rolled to my back and gently pulled her on top of me. I reached under her shirt again to those perfect breasts. They were soft and filled up my hands plentifully. Her nipples grew even larger as they pressed against my palm. Gia pulled her shirt off slowly, dropping it beside the bed. Good girl, slow and easy. My eyes had to pull away from hers so I could take in her beautiful body in the moonlight. Her skin glowed and I could faintly detect the scent of my soap on her. I watched as I ran my hands from her neck to her chest and down to her thighs, which were straddling me. I placed my hands on the sides of her waist and squeezed as I moved her slightly over my growing erection. She responded to the sensation by leaning her head back and giving me a sexy moan. I took a deep breath as she arched her back and her breasts heaved in front of me. I touched her everywhere I could reach. She was exquisite, all of her.

  I sat up and met her mouth with mine as I placed my hands flat against her back. As her tongue tried to chase mine, I caught it and sucked on it. She opened her eyes and smiled. She liked that. I moved my hips up and down. I could feel her wetness on my cock. I moaned in her mouth. I felt like a teenager about to lose his virginity. Gia made everything feel new—I had to concentrate to keep my excitement in check. I kissed her neck, sucking softly. She tasted sweet and her hair tickled my nose as I worked my way around her ear. She ran her hands through my hair and twirled pieces through her fingers, then pulled on them firmly. It felt relaxing as she twirled, so I closed my eyes and felt goose bumps run down my neck and arms. Each time she pulled it surprised me, even though I knew it was coming. It sent shivers down my spine. I felt such a connection with her, an emotional connection not just a physical one, and that made me want her so much more. I suckled her breasts and nipples which were slightly salty now after being pressed up against my body as we turned each other’s heat up. She still had her hands in my hair, guiding me and pulling me closer when she especially liked a particular spot, I appreciated that I didn’t have to guess what she liked and what she loved. I moaned as she pulled on my hair so hard that I bent my head back and gave her full access to suck and nibble on my neck. Every time her tongue traveled across my skin, my shoulders hunched and I shivered. I put my hands in her thick, soft hair and pulled slightly. Her breathing quickened. She grabbed my face and kissed me hard, her hips rocked stronger, she wanted to go fast.

  “Don’t go there, Gia. Stay with me, slow and easy,” I whispered, knowing it was hard for her to believe a man could want her so passionately. But I did, more than she could ever know.

  She took a deep breath and kissed me again, softer; her fingers relaxed in my hair. I moved toward her, laying her down under me. She ran her hands up and down my back as we kissed, which made me arch and push slightly against her. She massaged up to my hairline and along the back of my neck. It felt so loving—I wondered briefly if she touched Lex that way. I pretended I was the only one, ever. She softly ran them around my ears and along the sides of my face. Her fingertips were soft but strong, and when her nails grazed me I took a deep breath in and moaned as I exhaled. I was under her spell. She pulled away from me but kept her hands on my face as she gazed into my eyes for a moment. Her eyes told me all I needed to know so I moved down and pulled her panties off. When I slipped them over her long, silky legs and feet, I had to kiss them. I started at her feet and moved slowly up both legs, kissing softly at first but then nibbling and sucking as she tried to control her hips from thrusting. She tasted and smelled amazing and it was getting difficult to keep it slow.

  I got a condom and put it on. I caught Gia watching me, but this time I knew why she didn’t have experience with them. I kissed her softly. I wanted to say, ‘it’s okay, beautiful. This is completely about you and me, passion and trust, nothing else.’ But I didn’t, she’d know soon enough.

  I carefully moved between her legs, reached down between them, and put my finger inside her. “Mmm,” I said softly as it slid in and I felt how warm and wet she was. She slid her hand down her body and when she put it around my cock I felt electric tingles shoot all the way down to my feet. I slid my finger into her again and she squeezed and pulled on my cock at the same time. I had to be inside her now. She felt overly ready and relaxed. Good, because I won’t risk hurting her again. I looked into Gia’s eyes as I pressed against her—any sign of pain and I would stop. She tipped her head back and arched her back. I moved into her slowly… she felt amazing. She looked at me and smiled.