Out of Control (Losing Control Series Book 2) (5 page)

Chapter 7

Ethan

As I watched Gia go into the motorhome, it struck me how great we were together. I slept better than ever last night, and waking up with her in my arms this morning was a dream come true. I’d love the chance to make all of Gia’s dreams come true and give her everything she’d been missing all those years with that selfish coward, Lex.
Wouldn’t it be obvious for us to keep seeing each other after she went back to the city today?
She was everything I’d always wanted and more. I already knew that after spending only two days with her.
How does she feel about me, other than physically or sexually?
I have to find out and I have to try to set up another
date with her before she leaves.

I headed to the morning meeting. Everyone was really pumped up about the weekend we were having. All in all, no big problems, just a few minor kinks that needed to be worked out before next weekend. I was really proud of these people. I had the best staff I could’ve possibly had and I knew it.

“Before everyone heads out and breaks more records today, I’d just like to take a moment to say a few words.” I wanted to make sure everyone knew how I felt. “First of all, each and every person in this room has been a part of making this not only the biggest and best opening weekend The Lock has ever had, but also the smoothest running, and that says an awful lot. I appreciate all of you and I know you’ve all worked your asses off. Thank you so much. I hope we can keep this team together all season long.” Everyone cheered. I wasn’t expecting that, it was very humbling.
What a great bunch of people.

Trey and I stood at the door and watched everyone take off. They seemed eager to get working for the day.

“Good speech, boss.” He patted me on the back. I always knew when Trey was giving me a hard time because that’s when he’d call me ‘boss.’

“Thanks, shithead.”

Here comes trouble.

“Ethan, could I talk to you for a minute?” It was Shelley.

“I’ll see you in a little bit,” Trey said and took off. I didn’t even get a chance to ask him how things were with Dana.

“Sure,” I said but I really didn’t want to. It was taking away from my time with Gia.

“I’m really sorry about the scene I made at your place last night. I was jealous that you were on a date with someone. I guess I felt like you’d always be there for me and when you were with someone else, it hurt.” She teared up a little and I felt bad for her.

“Shelley, we had a lot of fun together at one time. But we had both agreed that we weren’t looking for anything more. The fact is, you were cheating on someone else with me and I don’t play games like that. Now, you and Bob broke up so you want to crawl back into my bed and that’s not going to happen. It doesn’t matter if I’m alone forever more or I’m in a relationship with someone, because it’s never going to happen. I’m sorry that you feel hurt, I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know. You’d never intentionally hurt anyone. I was really drunk and I’m sorry about that, too. I know the rules, it won’t happen again. Truce?” She held out her hand.

“Truce,” I said, and gave her a hug instead. She was still a friend of mine and a valuable employee. “I’m still here for you for work-related stuff. I know you have Gwen and the other girls to help you with your recent break-up. If you need some time off, talk to Rose. I’m sure she can arrange it.”

“Thanks, Ethan. I’m going to be fine,” she said with a forced smile. She gave me a little wave and headed for the door.

I was glad that was over.

Now I needed to make a plan with Gia. As I grabbed my phone I realized I didn’t even have her number yet. It made me panic for a second. I was already feeling nervous about Gia heading back to the city with a new openness. I was sure there were guys dying to have a chance with her and I didn’t want her to give them the opportunity she had given me. I wanted to spend as much time with her as I could before she left.

I jumped in the truck and headed for the campground.

When I pulled up I saw her outside. “Hi, beautiful.” My heart skipped a beat when she headed toward me.

“Hi, yourself.”

I told her why I was there and we handed each other our phones. I noticed she didn’t have very many contacts and that surprised me. I put my number in under ‘Your biggest fan.’

We made a plan for me to pick her up in forty-five minutes. I couldn’t wait!

When I got home, I didn’t waste any time. I jumped in the shower, shaved, and got dressed in fifteen minutes. I needed to set something up for our lunch date. I wanted it to be special. I didn’t know what she liked to eat besides pizza. I couldn’t get any flowers fast enough.
What could I do?
Then I had an idea.

I called Wanda at the sub shop and ordered some salads and sandwiches. “Could you put everything we need to eat them in the bag? It’s for a picnic.”

Then I called Don. “Is there somewhere around the campground that I could cut some of the flowers without messing up what you’ve made look so beautiful?” He was happy to tell me a spot, knowing they were for a girl.

I put some ice and drinks in a small cooler, leaving room for the food, and drove over to the sub shop. I came back home, grabbed the blanket out of the truck, and strapped it all on my motorcycle. I knew we’d probably give the other girls a ride, so I hopped back in the truck and headed over to the campground. I passed the main entrance and drove around back and cut some flowers where Don told me. They were beautiful and sweet smelling, just like Gia.

I headed over to lot sixty-nine to pick up an amazing woman for what I knew would be an amazing date. I felt like a kid again.

Chapter 8

Gia

I saw Ethan’s truck coming down the little road and my butterflies were fluttering.

He pulled up. When he got out I could see he was carrying flowers.
He’s so sweet, I really could get used to this.

He gave me a kiss and handed me the flowers. “They’re not as beautiful as you are, but then again, nothing is.” Right in front of Jo!

“Oh, that’s so sweet!” Jo said.

“Yes, it is,” I said, looking at Ethan. “Thank you so much.” I gave him a kiss.

Jo came over and took them from me, “I’ll run in and put them in water.”

“Thanks, Jo.”

“You look amazing, Gia. I love the tank, thanks for the support.” He smiled. “If you want things from here, please just tell me. I don’t want to take your money.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m sleeping with the owner. I have to buy a shirt at least!” We laughed. “Do you want something to drink before we go?” I asked Ethan.

“No, thanks. I’ll wait for lunch.” He was anxious to go, I could tell.
What was he up to?

“Okay, I think we’re ready.” I took my glass to the motorhome and handed it to Jo. “Ready?” I asked her.

“Ready!” she said and we got in the truck.

I loved sitting by Ethan, really close. I even put my hand on his leg and leaned up against him. He seemed to like it. He and Jo were making small talk and I was glad Vince’s name never got brought up.

We got to the gate and met Trey and Dana. They looked like they’d been together for years, holding hands and talking. They were very cute. I was about to follow them in but then Ethan said we’d see them later.

“Where are we having lunch?” I asked him, assuming we were eating at one of the places near the arena.

“You’ll see.” He took my hand.

When we got over to his place, I saw a motorcycle with a cooler and blanket strapped to it. I got really nervous. I’d never ridden on one. Lex thought they were very dangerous.

“You look scared,” Ethan said as he led me over to the bike.

“I am,” I said. “But I trust you.” I had to go with it. He planned this for us.

“I’d never put you in danger, Gia.” He kissed me. I knew that was true.

We got on and I loved the feeling of his body between my legs. I wrapped my arms around him tightly.
I can do this.

When he started it I could feel the engine vibrating and I liked that, too. We took off and it wasn’t long before I knew exactly where we were headed. This time we drove all the way to the tree, taking the bike beyond where the dirt road ended.

“How was that?” Ethan asked when he turned the bike off.

“I liked it!” I said and gave him a kiss.

“Good. Are you ready to eat?” He unloaded the bike. Again I got the feeling he was feeling anxious.

“Yes.” I took the blanket and laid it out. Then I kicked off my flip flops, sat, and looked out over the edge. It was just as awesome during the day as it was at night. The concert was getting ready to start and the place was packed.

Ethan joined me on the blanket and opened the cooler. He had subs and salads, perfect. He asked what I wanted to drink. He had water, beer, soda, and some wine coolers.

“Just water, please,” I told him. “Thank you, Ethan. This is really something. You planned this in forty-five minutes?” I was impressed.

“Forty-two, actually.” He raised his eyebrow like, ‘pretty good, huh.’

I got on my hands and knees and crawled over to him, very slowly, eyes locked to his. I climbed onto his lap and wrapped my legs around his waist. “You’re very sexy today,” I told him.

“Gia, I want to keep seeing you after you go home.” It took me by surprise and he even looked a little surprised that he’d said it, but I was happy he had.

“I was going to wait until after we ate to talk about it, but I just have to know. I have to know how you feel about me so far and if you’d be willing to let me take you out again.” He looked nervous.
That must’ve been why he’d been anxious!

I felt like I’d just won something huge. I put my hands on his face and kissed him softly. “I would love to see you again, Ethan. And as far as how I feel about you, well, I think you know when you look into my eyes how I feel.” I kissed him softly again. Now I didn’t want to leave today. I wanted more time with Ethan.

“Gia, meeting you and sharing this weekend with you has been the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I’m being totally honest when I say that. When I look at you, I see something that completes me, something that I’ve always wanted in my life.” We just stared at each other for a while. The feeling was mutual. I gave him a big hug.

“Let’s eat!” I said and hopped up off his lap. “You didn’t put tofu on mine, did you?” I loved teasing him about his healthy eating. I ate pretty healthy too, even though I loved pizza, but I didn’t want to tell him that because then I couldn’t tease him about it.

“Yes, eat it. It’s good for you,” he said, teasing me back.

As we ate, Ethan pointed out all kinds of stuff we could see from up here. He told me about his grandpa starting the campground when he was a kid. About him and his buddies buying it back after his dad sold it and how he had to turn around and buy them out when they decided to quit. He said The Lock was a dream of his for a long time and now he finally had it the way he’d always wanted it. He even talked about his mom and dad a little bit. I could tell he didn’t have the closest relationship with his dad, but I didn’t ask him about it.

“You should be really proud of yourself, Ethan. I’m proud of you. You’ve overcome a lot to be where you are now.” It was true. He was no quitter, that was for sure.

“Thanks, Gia.” He smiled. “Now I just need someone to share it with.” He kissed me.

I laid down and looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. Ethan laid beside me and held my hand.

“It seems like I’ve been doing all the talking today,” he said. “Tell me about your family.”

***

Ethan

I turned toward her and propped up on my elbow so I could watch her talk.
She had a more natural look today, less makeup and her hair was in a pony-tail. I liked it. She had shorts on and one of my tank tops that said ‘I ♥ to Rock at The Lock.’ It hugged her breasts and I knew if people saw her wearing it today I’d probably sell out. After a bit of hesitation she started to talk and I gave her my full attention.

“I have a younger sis
ter, Lilly. She has two kids and a wonderful husband, Pete. I’m really close to them, we talk almost every day. They live about five minutes from me. I’m also very close to my parents, they’re the best. They’ve always been super supportive of us girls, no matter what crazy things we think we want to do. They’re both retired. My dad, Ron, was a seventh grade math teacher, and my mom, Ruth, was a bookkeeper for a construction company. They both worked really hard to give us a great home life.” She turned her head and looked at me. I was taking in every word and wanted her to keep going. I loved learning about her and I wanted to know everything. She looked back up and continued.

“I work at Palmer, Hogan & Evans law firm as an assistant for Mr. Evans. He’s a fantastic boss. He’s very easy going and I enjoy what I do there. I live in a small but charming apartment above a salon that Mr. Evans’ wife owns. She’s an awesome lady. Her name’s Bridget and she insisted I move in there after Lex and I divorced.” She looked at me again. “Are you bored yet?” she asked.

Ha! Fat chance.
“No, not at all, I want to know everything about you. And I love listening to you and watching you talk. Please keep going.” I was very content.

“Okay, um, for the ten years I was married to Lex we lived in a nice house on Brent Street, over by the Lakeside Mall. He’s a realtor. The last two years we were married he set up a lot of open houses and showings in the evenings, so we didn’t see each other much. One time we went an entire week without saying one word to each other. I moved out and filed for divorce two weeks later. We split everything. Neither of us cared about material things too much so it was very civil. He’s remarried already and his new wife has two kids, so I’m sure he’s on top of the world.” I felt jealousy, sadness, and even some anger as I listened. Lex was a real piece of work! I understood Gia even more now. Her husband of ten years abandoned her even before they split up, but he wasn’t even man enough to file for divorce or move out so she could get on with her life. I wondered what attracted her to him in the first place.

“Do you still love him?” I don’t know why I asked her this—I think it was the jealousy.

“Sure, I mean I was with him for thirteen years total, so I love him in a way that I care about his well-being and want him to be happy.” I thought that was very forgiving of her, considering how he’d treated her. “I can’t remember being
in love
with Lex, although I’m sure I was at some point. It’s just hard to remember that far back, before all the trouble conceiving and such.” I squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek. I felt very close to her at that moment. She’d shared a lot with me and I could tell it was hard for her to re-live some of those memories. I was going to do everything I could to make sure she never felt that way again.

“Okay, I’m done talking about myself for a while,” she said. “We’ve learned a lot about each other today, haven’t we?” She turned and looked at me again.

“Yes, we have. And I’ve loved every minute of it—thank you.” I kissed her softly. “When can I take you out again? Since you work days, how about tomorrow night for dinner?” I had to get something set up and I didn’t want to wait until next weekend to see her again.

***

Gia

He is so stuck on this!
“We aren’t even done with this date yet and you want to plan the next one?” I pulled myself up and straddled him. I took his arms and pinned them back onto the ground beside his head. “Now who’s the one going fast? Stay with me, Ethan, slow and easy, remember?” I was teasing him. I let go of his arms and tickled his sides.

“Oh, you want to get tickled, do ya?” With that he had me flipped over and under him in like two seconds flat. I was laughing and trying to wrestle back but I couldn’t move. He pinned my arms down. “I’m sorry, what were you saying? I think you were teasing me.”

“Okay, I give up. How about breakfast tomorrow?” I said.
That’ll really confuse him
.

“Sure, whatever you want. What time do you want me there?” He didn’t even hesitate.

“You’re willing to drive two hours to take me to breakfast in the morning?” I asked.

“Of course. What time do you have to be to work? Eight?” He was totally serious. He would actually do this if it was what I wanted.

“Kiss me,” I told him. He let go of my arms and pulled me up. Then he sat and pulled me onto his lap. He kissed me. It was long and passionate and it turned me on. I never knew a man like him could even exist.

“I was thinking breakfast at your place tomorrow. I have the day off.” I couldn’t let him suffer any longer.

“Are you serious? You’re going to stay with me tonight?” He was so excited.

“Yes, if you’ll give me a ride back to the city tomorrow.”

He hugged me. “Like you even have to ask!”

We had a serious make-out session and I could tell Ethan had relaxed considerably after I told him I could stay the night. I was looking forward to it, too. I wasn’t ready to head back to the city and back to the real Gia yet.

“Should we head to the concert? I think it’s the second one already. We’ve been up here a while,” I said.

Ethan looked at his watch. “Yes, we missed the entire first show. I had so much more fun up here with you than I would’ve down there, anyway. I mean, I love the concerts and all, but I’ve spent the last nineteen years down there and it’s been really nice being away from that for a while.”

“Should we just skip the concerts today? I’m good if you are,” I asked him. I couldn’t imagine spending as much time down there as Ethan had and I was happy to have meant enough to him to be up here having a picnic. I loved the concerts, too, but spending quiet time with Ethan was trumping that in a big way.

He gave me a huge smile. That answered that question. “Do you want to go to my place? Or we could stay up here, or go for a ride, or whatever you want.” He was excited.

“I don’t want to go for a motorcycle ride. Even though I liked it, I’m not ready to hit the open road just yet. As far as staying here or going to your place, I’m open to either.”

“What am I going to do with you for the next twenty-four hours? How many hours of sleep do you need?” He had a naughty smile on his face.

“Let’s go back to your place.”