All right, maybe it wasn’t my entire life, but it sure felt like it.
“Did you get all of this up here yourself?” Ethan asked as he came in the front door. “Shit, I’m sorry. I thought I was going to beat you back here.”
“No worries,” I said. “I just had the movers unload everything in a pile. I wasn’t sure where we were going to put it all.”
“Sorry,” Ethan said again as he pulled me close and kissed the top of my head. “We’ll find a place for it all. I want you to feel at home here.”
He smiled broadly, and I stared at his face for a moment. Something was different, but it took me a second to figure it out.
“Ethan? When did you get that?” I reached up and gently touched the second ring in Ethan’s eyebrow.
“This morning,” he said with a shrug. “I can’t take it out until it heals, but, um…it has your name engraved inside of it.” He blushed and then tapped his temple. “You see, I’m not alone anymore. I needed you represented up there in my head with me.”
“Really?” I laughed.
“Why is that funny?” Ethan scowled, and I realized I’d inadvertently hurt his feelings.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” I said quickly. “Ethan, I love it. I didn’t mean that it was funny as in humorous—I think it’s wonderful. It’s the coincidence that made me laugh.”
“What coincidence?”
I glanced away shyly. I had planned on letting Ethan discover what I had done on his own, but now I had to show him. Looking into his eyes, I pulled up my shirt and unhooked my bra, revealing my newly pierced nipple. Ethan’s eyes went wide.
“Oh, fuck!” He took a step forward, his gaze fixated on my chest. He reached out and gently stroked it, taking great care not to move it too much. I was grateful for that—it was still quite sore. He glanced over at my other breast. “You only did the one?”
“I was going to get both, but dammit! That hurt!”
We both laughed, and Ethan examined me with heightened focus.
“Is it engraved, too?”
“Yes,” I said with a smile. “It’s says carpe diem.”
Ethan’s throat bobbed as his focus moved from my nipple to my face. His smile faded as a wave of emotion crossed over his features, and a single tear fell from his eye.
“Ethan? Are you okay?” I reached up and placed my palm against his cheek. “Did I do something wrong?”
“God, no.” He shook his head quickly. “It’s just…it’s just fucking awesome, that’s all. I’m not sure how to process it.”
I stroked the stubble on his jaw, and Ethan’s renewed smile lit up his whole face.
“Thank you,” he said. “I can’t believe you did that. What would your dad say?”
“Well, hopefully he’ll never know about it!” I laughed.
Ethan ran his thumb around my nipple, not quite touching the ring.
“Do you have any idea how badly I want to suck on that?” Ethan smiled wickedly as he looked up at me. “I’ll be good and wait until
it’s healed, but damn, baby…that’s so fucking hot.”
“Maybe if you go with me and hold my hand, I’ll be able to get through a second one.”
“Deal!”
Ethan bent down slightly, took my unpierced nipple in his mouth, and sucked hard. I moaned and reached up to grip his hair. He pulled back, kissed me deeply, and then looked down at my face.
“I’m so fucking hard right now.” Ethan reached around and grabbed my ass, pulling me against his erection. “I’m going to have to fuck you out here, right on top of the boxes.”