A Week in New York (The Empire State Series Book 1) (11 page)

Rory had strict instructions to be waiting for us in an hour when he
dropped us. As soon as I climbed out of the car, Ethan was beside me, his arm
around my waist, guiding me toward the sound of music and chatter beyond the
line of trees right in front of us.

“Whose house is this?” I asked.

“Some dick banker that Andrew is friends with.”

“Why are all bankers dicks?” I asked. “Do you think banking turns them
into dicks or that they only employ dicks to begin with?”

“An interesting philosophical question, Miss Anna. Why don’t we go back
to the house and debate it. In bed. Naked. Me between your legs?”

I looked up at him and grinned. “Later. We have plenty of time.”

But we didn’t have plenty of time. We had exactly two nights before I
flew back to London. My skin prickled at the thought. It wasn’t enough time. I
wanted another week with him. Or maybe just a few more days.

Before panic could overwhelm me, we were confronted by a mass of people.
It felt like they were all looking at us. Ethan squeezed me closer to him as we
made our way through the crowd toward the bar that had been set up at the other
end of the pool. Ethan briefly shook hands with a couple of over-tanned, middle-aged
men, but kept us moving.

Ethan

Jesus, I really didn’t want to be here. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t
insisted that we stay at home. Having her in that skimpy red dress, pressed up
against me, knowing she wasn’t wearing underwear—it was almost painful. Even
though I’d spent more time inside her today than not, I still wanted her. I
wanted her to myself, without all these people getting in our way.

She didn’t fit in in this environment. She didn’t have to try so hard. I
was so sick of this scene. I didn’t understand why Andrew and Mandy were still
doing it. Andrew was almost as well connected as I was, so it couldn’t be for
business, and Mandy certainly didn’t fit in with these women—her face still
looked normal and not like a frozen Pillsbury Doughboy.

Andrew and Mandy were heading toward us.

“Hey guys, you made it,” Mandy said, hugging first Anna and then me.

“Yeah, we did it for a good cause—Andrew’s balls,” I said. Anna elbowed
me in the ribs.

“Fuck you, dude,” Andrew said.

“I was excited to come. Thanks for inviting us,” Anna said.

Mandy clasped her hands together like an over-excited seal. “I’m so
pleased you’re an ‘us’ and you’re here!”

I rolled my eyes at her excitement. I hoped she wasn’t making Anna
uncomfortable. She didn’t want pressure to be an ‘us,’ I knew that for sure.

“To be honest, I’m not sure why we come to these parties. Although I like
to see the women’s faces. It’s so bizarre,” Mandy said.

“I’ll go and get us some drinks,” I offered. “Andrew?”

“Yeah, a beer, thanks.”

“No, you dick, you’re coming with me.”

“Fuck you.”

“Stop being children and go and get your ladies some drinks,” Mandy
instructed.

“She’s great, man,” Andrew said as we headed toward the bar.

I grinned and nodded.

“You like her.”

I nodded. “Yeah, of course.”

“So when does she go back to London?” I didn’t want to think about it.
I’d promised her uncomplicated, and I didn’t go back on my promises.

“Monday.” I felt my jaw tense. “Can we get a beer, a whiskey, a Manhattan,
and a glass of champagne?” I said to the bartender.

“She is your perfect woman if she drinks whiskey.”

I grinned and raised my eyebrows.

I felt a hand on my shoulder. When I turned, I was faced with Julie … or
Julia, or something.

“Hey, handsome,” she drawled. I cringed—I didn’t remember fucking her, but
I knew we’d fucked. And I cringed that she had her hand on my shoulder when the
only person I wanted touching me was Anna. I moved to the right to encourage
her to remove her arm, but she just moved with me. Fuck. I hoped Anna wasn’t
watching this. Would she care? I wasn’t sure, but I cared.

“Hey. This is my friend Andrew,” I said. I couldn’t introduce them
properly when I couldn’t remember her fucking name.

“Hey, Andrew,” she said dismissively and turned back to me. “So, you
should give me a call sometime. We could hang out again.”

Fucking hell. I put every effort into never having to have these
conversations. I was always clear that they would have no call from me. Ever.

“I don’t think so. I’m with someone.” I wasn’t sure if I said it to
soften what I was saying or because I wanted it to be true.

“I won’t tell if you don’t.”

Jesus, that made my stomach churn. As if I’d ever fuck her again.

“I’m not interested,” I said. It was rude, but I didn’t care. And it got
the result I wanted: She removed her hand from my shoulder, called me an asshole,
and walked away. Thank fuck for that. I turned to see if Anna had caught any of
that, but she was talking to Mandy and that bitch Clarissa. Fuck, why had I
agreed to come to this shitty party?

“I hate these parties, man.”

“Me, too,” he said. “I think it’s going to be fun until I actually get
here.”

“Is this bartender on a go-slow?” I wanted to save Anna from Clarissa.

Just as we picked up the drinks, we were ambushed by the Zetter twins and
some girl I’d never seen before. I worked with their father, so couldn’t brush
them off as easily as I had Julie. Julia. Whatever her name was. But eventually
we broke free and headed back to Anna and Mandy.

Anna

“Do you have parties like this in London?” Mandy asked.

I shrugged. I didn’t know what that meant. “We have parties. But indoors,
mainly.” She laughed. I looked over to the bar. A tall, very tanned woman
wearing a very short skirt had her arm draped over Ethan’s shoulder. Had he
slept with her? Was she his type?

“Hey, Clarissa,” Mandy said, as an equally tanned woman came to join us.

“Hi.” She smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile. There was something off about
it. She kissed Mandy on the cheek and then held out her hand to me and actually
looked me up and down. Wow.

“Clarissa, this is Ethan’s girlfriend, Anna.” I took her hand and shook
it.

“Ethan’s
girlfriend
?” she asked.

I should have set her straight. I should say that we were just friends,
or lovers, or … how would I describe us? ‘Oh, I’m just having hot sex with him
for a week to get over my ex’? I was pretty sure that wouldn’t be appropriate.
And besides, I liked to see Clarissa squirm, which was apparently what she was
doing.

“Nice to meet you,” I said.

“Yes, we had dinner together last night. They are so cute together,”
Mandy said.

“Well, nice to meet you, too,” Clarissa said. It felt like she had to
force the words out. “I was just on my way to the ladies room, so excuse me.”
And she turned and walked away.

“She is such a grade-A bitch,” Mandy confided. “She’s been trying to land
Ethan for years. She’s pissed as hell to meet you.”

“But I’m not his girlfriend, Mandy. You got that, right?”

She shrugged. “Well, you’re both putting on a pretty good act, and it’s
as close as he’s ever come.”

There was no point in arguing with her. I glanced over at the bar and
Ethan was draped in a different woman now, and there were two others that were
also hovering around him. I felt a pang of jealousy. Would one of them be next
in line, after me?

“He’s attracting his fair share of admirers over there.” I nudged Mandy
as I looked over at him. He caught my eye and I quickly looked back at Mandy.

“He always does. Look at the man, for Christ’s sake. He’s hot and rich
and charming, and most importantly, unattainable. He’s not short of women who
want him. I’m sure every woman he fucks just wants to be the one who tamed him.”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit cruel of him to have a series of one-night
stands with women who want something more?”

“I’ve had this discussion with him a million times. He says to me—and I
believe him—that he makes it clear from the outset that he’s only in it for one
night. He has these rules to keep things from getting ‘complicated,’ as he puts
it.”

“Rules?” I prompted. I thought I was the one with the rules.

“Yeah, like, he never stays the night with them. He never takes them back
to his apartment, never takes their number. A couple he sees more than once,
but only if he thinks they can handle his rules, and even then, never more than
once a month. So the waters don’t get muddied, or so he says. There are others.
I can’t remember them all.”

“So he’s like an ethical man-whore?”

Mandy laughed. “I suppose. I keep thinking he’ll grow out of it. He’s
been like this since I met him in college. But he never has, until you.”

“Mandy, the rules may have been flexed a bit, but only because I live
3,000 miles away. There’s not going to be a happy ending here.”

She shrugged. “Maybe.”

Before I could convince her, Ethan and Andrew came back with our drinks.

“You’ve been making new friends,” I said softly to him.

He shook his head and bent his head to kiss my neck. “You’re the only new
friend I want to make this evening,” he whispered into my ear.

My skin tightened with goose bumps and my hands snaked around his neck.

“Get a room, guys,” Andrew admonished, and grinning, we turned back to
them as Ethan slid his hand over my pantyless ass. Why had I suggested we come
to this party? I was an idiot.

Eventually, I started to enjoy myself. Mandy was sweet, kind, and funny,
and I loved seeing how she interacted with Andrew. I found out they’d met at
college and had been together ever since. Ethan seemed to be the third wheel in
their relationship, which I thought was super cute. How this god of a man could
be a third wheel, I had no idea.

I was coming back from the ladies room and heading back to Ethan when I
checked my watch. We’d been here for an hour and a half, and I was done. Ethan
was right: I didn’t fit in here. It felt weird. I liked Mandy and Andrew, but I
wanted it to be just the two of us again.

As I approached our group, I noticed Clarissa was at Ethan’s side. Jesus,
I hated that woman and I’d spent all of five minutes in her company.

I slid the other side of Ethan to Clarissa and I warmed as his arm came around
my shoulders.

“You ok?” he asked, just so I could hear.

“Our time’s up. I want you take me home and get me naked,” I said.

“You don’t have to ask me twice,” he said as he threw back the rest of
his whiskey and found a passing waiter to give his glass to.

“Excuse me, guys. My girl wants to take me home and ravage me, so we’re
leaving.” And apparently that was his goodbye. He took my hand and started to
pull me to the entrance. I grinned at Mandy and Andrew and waved goodbye.

***

The next morning I woke to an empty bed.
This is how it will be when I
get back to London.
Tonight would be my last night in New York. My heart
was heavy as I dragged myself up. I turned the shower on and steam bellowed
from the stall.

I stood under the water for what seemed like hours, wondering if Ethan
would appear and jolt me out of this cloud I was in. It was so hot it almost
burned, but it felt good. Eventually, I got out, pulled on my jeans and a
t-shirt, and started to pack my stuff while my hair dried in the air.

“Hey.” Ethan appeared at the doorway in shorts and a bare chest, sweaty
and god-like, as usual.

“Hey,” I said.

“You were sound asleep and I didn’t want to wake you. I went for a run.”

“I never mind you waking me.” I meant it to sound flirtatious, but it
came out sounding melancholy.

“Are you packing?”

“No, I’m churning butter,” I snapped. I was in a horrible mood.

He ignored my bitchiness. “What do you want to do today?” he asked,
passing beside me and into the bathroom. “Anna?”

“I don’t know. I guess we have to head back to the city. You have to work
tomorrow and I need to pack properly.”

I didn’t know if he heard me, but he didn’t respond. I heard him step
into the shower. I finished my packing and took my case downstairs and placed
it by the door.

Only a few minutes later, he came into the kitchen looking so handsome I
thought my heart would stop. His hair was wet and his white shirt made his skin
shimmer slightly. I sighed.

“So, first things first,” he said, wrapping his arms around me as I sat
at the breakfast bar, and then placing my arms around his waist when I didn’t
respond. He took my face in his hands and brushed his lips against mine. Then
he placed small, feather-light kisses at the corner of my mouth before running
his tongue along the seam of my lips. I heard myself sigh and he took it as a
sign to continue and pushed through my lips, his tongue meeting mine. I
squirmed in my seat. My reaction was to want to be closer to him. My knees
parted and he took half a step forward, opening them still wider. His tongue
grew more insistent and passionate. His hands dropped to my back, pressing me
against him. I reached around for the button to his jeans, but he pulled away
and our kiss finished, two hours too early.