Tell Tale Kiss

Chapter 17

Kate came over to her bedroom and knocked on the door.

"Ethan? She's left."

No answer came from inside. Kate sighed and opened the door. There Ethan laid across her bed, with his arms behind his head. His eyes closed.

Kate drifted over to stand beside him. She laid his shirt at the end of the bed. He must have fallen asleep. Ethan looked peaceful and a lot less intimidating this way. Kate hated him for being so cute.

Ethan had known her since her art school days. They were both photography majors. She always knew he held feelings for her, but it always scared her to act on that knowledge. She feared losing him as a friend.

When she went through all the hardships of being framed and having to take the fall for the scandal, she hadn't talked to him about it. She felt too ashamed. Kate never knew he was upset about it until he mentioned it today. However, she should have guessed that's how he would feel, as he's always been protective of her.

Kate leaned over to gently push a piece of hair out of his face. Ethan suddenly came to life and grabbed hold of her, flipping her over him to the other side of the bed. Kate screamed from being startled.

"Don't you know better than to touch a man while he's sleeping?"

Ethan still had a hold on her wrist and was now leaning over her.

She looked up at him annoyed. "Was it your goal to scare me half to death?"

Ethan leaned in his face so close to hers, that Kate realized she only had to lift her face slightly and she could kiss him.

"You really have no feelings for me whatsoever?"

"What would admitting to it get me?" Kate challenged.

"A little bit of this," Ethan said nuzzling her neck.

"Not worth the wait," Kate told him.

Ethan looked to be considering her words. "What about this?" His lips grazed over hers as his hand traveled over her thigh to her hips and up to her ribs stopping just short of her breasts.

Kate's breath caught in her throat. Her heart was beating a wild rhythm against her chest.

Ethan pulled away. "Better?"

Kate nodded not trusting herself to speak. Ethan kissed her again and Kate surrendered to him, but then she tried to push him away. Ethan didn't press his advantage. Instead, he let her go and flopped onto his back.

"We can't do this," Kate said.

"And why is that?"

Kate leaned over so she could see his face. "I can't lose you as my friend."

Ethan reached up and touched her face. "You can't lose something you never had, Kate."

Kate pulled back confused.

"You honestly think I've hung around you all this time because I wanted to be your friend?"

Kate knew that wasn't true. She had always known how Ethan felt about her, even though he never confessed his feelings to her before.

"That's what I thought," Ethan said putting an arm over his eyes. He couldn't take looking at her at this moment. She looked so conflicted. So unsure. Why couldn't she return his feelings?

Kate pulled his arm away. His face showed his disappointment. "I know you've been waiting for me but I fear after all this time you might realize I'm not worth the wait."

Ethan reached up and cupped Kate's face in his palms. "If that's what you think, then you don't grasp how deep my love for you goes. If you allow me, I'll show you that you have nothing to fear." Ethan pulled her to his lips and spent the rest of the night convincing her that she was definitely worth the wait.