Read Online No Sweeter Love (Sweeter in the City Book 3) by Olivia Miles - Free Book Online
Authors: Olivia Miles
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towels from the linen chest when Ethan reentered the cottage.
“You don’t have to sleep in the bathtub,” she said, giving him a faint smile. “But there will be a roll of towels separating our bodies.” She held up a pointer finger, locking his eyes. “I swear to God, one move, one finger crosses those towels, and the wrath of your sisters will pale in comparison to what you’ll see from me.”
He nodded and set the bags down in the corner.
“Four days, Eth. I mean it. And next time you talk to your mom, you tell her we’ve broken up, got it?”
He nodded. He got it. It was the kind of conversation he had a lot of experience with, unfortunately.
Chapter Five
C laire took her clothes and toiletries into the en suite bathroom and firmly locked the door behind her. Her heart was pounding, and she wasn’t sure why. Normally she felt comfortable with Ethan, more comfortable than she did with Hailey half the time. She could say anything, do anything, didn’t have to monitor herself around him, didn’t have to watch her words or worry if she had food in her teeth or laughed too loud at a joke that wasn’t all that funny.
But something about being here, out of the city, trapped in this tiny boathouse, made her start to feel prickly and weird, as if something was shifting between them, a heightened awareness she didn’t exactly like.
She checked the knob, just to be sure it was indeed locked, and then stripped out of her clothes before turning the taps to the shower. It was a pretty bathroom, light and airy, with a skylight above the tub. She laughed as she closed the glass door to the shower, imagining Ethan curled up in there, with his pillow and blanket. With his six-foot athletic frame, it would no doubt be a tight squeeze. She supposed it was sweet of him to offer, but then that was Ethan. Thoughtful. Dependable. Readable. There was no mystery with Ethan. No pretense, no façade. She knew him inside out.
So why did she suddenly feel a flutter of nerves at the thought of him being on the other side of that door?
She hurried to shampoo her hair and rinse the day off her skin. Ever so hospitable, Barbara had left a stack of towels within arm’s reach. Claire took the top one from the pile and wrapped herself with it, jumping when she heard the knock at the door.
“You decent?”
“What?” Her cheeks flared. “No! I’m not!” Panic caused her voice to screech, and even though she knew she had locked the door, she eyed the handle in horror, waiting for it to turn, for Ethan to walk in and see her . . .well, not decent.
“Well, hurry up! If we’re late I’ll never hear the end of it!”
Claire rolled her eyes as she towel-dried her hair. It was a warm evening, and there would be plenty of time for it to dry on its own before they went to the clam bake at Ethan’s aunt’s house. According to him, it was just a short walk down the beach. Claire set a hand to her stomach as fresh nerves pumped. More friends and families to fool. More lies to tell.
She slipped on the pale blue sundress she’d brought for the occasion and added a touch of makeup. She rarely wore much, especially in the summertime. Ethan said it was a casual affair, and, hoping that was the case, she wedged her toes into a pair of espadrilles and unlocked the bedroom door.
Ethan was lying on the bed—in the middle of the bed—when she opened it, the steam from the shower filling the small room.
“I see you forgot my rule about staying on your side,” she observed, raising an eyebrow.
He had the nerve to look confused. “It’s not bedtime yet. Besides, I needed to rest if I’m going to make it through this shindig tonight.”
“Gee, I’m really looking forward to it now,” Claire said, laughing slightly under her breath as she walked to her side of the bed and folded her dirty clothes into a bag in her suitcase.
“Oh, you’ll have a great time,” Ethan said with confidence.
“And why won’t
“You don’t have to sleep in the bathtub,” she said, giving him a faint smile. “But there will be a roll of towels separating our bodies.” She held up a pointer finger, locking his eyes. “I swear to God, one move, one finger crosses those towels, and the wrath of your sisters will pale in comparison to what you’ll see from me.”
He nodded and set the bags down in the corner.
“Four days, Eth. I mean it. And next time you talk to your mom, you tell her we’ve broken up, got it?”
He nodded. He got it. It was the kind of conversation he had a lot of experience with, unfortunately.
Chapter Five
C laire took her clothes and toiletries into the en suite bathroom and firmly locked the door behind her. Her heart was pounding, and she wasn’t sure why. Normally she felt comfortable with Ethan, more comfortable than she did with Hailey half the time. She could say anything, do anything, didn’t have to monitor herself around him, didn’t have to watch her words or worry if she had food in her teeth or laughed too loud at a joke that wasn’t all that funny.
But something about being here, out of the city, trapped in this tiny boathouse, made her start to feel prickly and weird, as if something was shifting between them, a heightened awareness she didn’t exactly like.
She checked the knob, just to be sure it was indeed locked, and then stripped out of her clothes before turning the taps to the shower. It was a pretty bathroom, light and airy, with a skylight above the tub. She laughed as she closed the glass door to the shower, imagining Ethan curled up in there, with his pillow and blanket. With his six-foot athletic frame, it would no doubt be a tight squeeze. She supposed it was sweet of him to offer, but then that was Ethan. Thoughtful. Dependable. Readable. There was no mystery with Ethan. No pretense, no façade. She knew him inside out.
So why did she suddenly feel a flutter of nerves at the thought of him being on the other side of that door?
She hurried to shampoo her hair and rinse the day off her skin. Ever so hospitable, Barbara had left a stack of towels within arm’s reach. Claire took the top one from the pile and wrapped herself with it, jumping when she heard the knock at the door.
“You decent?”
“What?” Her cheeks flared. “No! I’m not!” Panic caused her voice to screech, and even though she knew she had locked the door, she eyed the handle in horror, waiting for it to turn, for Ethan to walk in and see her . . .well, not decent.
“Well, hurry up! If we’re late I’ll never hear the end of it!”
Claire rolled her eyes as she towel-dried her hair. It was a warm evening, and there would be plenty of time for it to dry on its own before they went to the clam bake at Ethan’s aunt’s house. According to him, it was just a short walk down the beach. Claire set a hand to her stomach as fresh nerves pumped. More friends and families to fool. More lies to tell.
She slipped on the pale blue sundress she’d brought for the occasion and added a touch of makeup. She rarely wore much, especially in the summertime. Ethan said it was a casual affair, and, hoping that was the case, she wedged her toes into a pair of espadrilles and unlocked the bedroom door.
Ethan was lying on the bed—in the middle of the bed—when she opened it, the steam from the shower filling the small room.
“I see you forgot my rule about staying on your side,” she observed, raising an eyebrow.
He had the nerve to look confused. “It’s not bedtime yet. Besides, I needed to rest if I’m going to make it through this shindig tonight.”
“Gee, I’m really looking forward to it now,” Claire said, laughing slightly under her breath as she walked to her side of the bed and folded her dirty clothes into a bag in her suitcase.
“Oh, you’ll have a great time,” Ethan said with confidence.
“And why won’t
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