Stopping the car outside the basketball house, I take in a deep breath. I can't believe I'm about to do this. Is it too late to duck?

I shake my head with a frown on my face when my thoughts register in my brain. I can't chicken out now. Taking in a deep breath, I step out of the comforts of my car and walk towards the door.

With each step that I take towards the main door, my breathing turns harsher as more questions fill my head. Doing what I am about to do this morning when he was sitting right in front, in the comforts of his arms, would have been so much easier, but now that I'm alone, I can't take comfort in anything.

I wish I could say that I reached the door before I know it, but that's a lie. I could tell you about every step I took towards this door in great detail. To me, it felt like the weather changed with every step. One moment it's bright summer where my mind is running on thoughts of us, lying happily on the beach and the next moment, it's raining down heavily on me and we're far away from each other, drowning in our own sorrows.

After what feels like an eternity, I am standing in from of the door with my hand raised, ready to knock. Taking a deep breath, I knock and wait.

I hope someone else opens the door, but then again; I don't want to have this conversation in Ethan's room because if he rejects me, running away from his room would be a little more awkward than turning around and walking down the steps of his house.

Before I could decide what I want, the door opens to reveal Ethan with a rugged look on his face, like he was already on the verge of passing out. Maybe this isn't the best time to do this, considering everything happening back at his home.

"Iris?" He wonders out loud and looks behind me, probably to see if I brought along Dani or Riley and it's a group thing.

"Hey..." I say, awkwardly. "I wanted to talk to you."

"Do you wanna come inside?" He asks, stepping aside.

I think for a while, deciding what's better. Soon, I come to a decision. Doorstep is equal to faster escape.

"No, I think I'm-I'm good here." I say, slipping a little as my hands fiddle with each other.

"Are you okay? Is Riley okay?" He asks, his voice laced with concern.

"Yeah, she's fine. I mean, of course, she's not fine with everything going on but you know, she's fine." I try to explain before groaning when I realize that I probably make no sense. "God, this is a disaster."

"Hey, relax." He says, stepping out and closes the door behind him. "It's just you and me."

Taking a deep breath, I realize I need to do it now before I decide it's better to leave it.

"For the next five minutes, I am going to speak and you'll not utter a single word." I say, seriously, and hold up a finger, seeing amusement flash across his face.

"Okay, mam." He says, amused.

"Not a word." I repeat.

"Okay, so I know that my timing couldn't have been worse with everything happening with Hanna and the baby but I couldn't wait." I say and watch a sad expression take over his face.

Motioning between him and myself, "This couldn't wait."

"When Olivia called us and told us what happened, I could only think of how... random it was. And if something like that happened to you, I don't know what I'll do." I tell him. A small, sad smile appears on his face.

"And that helped me realize so much. Well, that and Lauren." I say, remembering the call.

"But... we both know I was protecting myself when I said no to you. No to us." I say, recalling our conversation from the morning. He nods his head, likely knowing what I'm talking about.

"I don't wanna do it, anymore." I tell him, and a look of immense surprise takes over his face as soon as those words escape my lips.

"Iris..." He mumbles.

"Not a word, Knight." I chuckle.

"I don't want to protect myself anymore because the last three weeks have been absolute torture. The only good moment I've had in these three weeks is the moment we shared this morning before everything happened and I don't want that to be the last good thing we share." I say as bright smile blossoms on his face.

"What I'm trying to say here is..." I take a deep breath.

"I want this. Whatever this is. Whatever you want it to be. We want it to be." Just as the word leaves my mouth, he grabs my head and presses his lips against mine.

It's like it lifted a rock from my chest. As soon as his lips touch mine, I feel instant relief, like I found everything I could find in this lifetime. I could almost breathe easier.

I grab his shoulders to keep my balance as his kiss surprised me and kiss him back with equal fervor. The kiss isn't gentle. It's rough, passionate, possessive, and demanding. His lips move against mine like this is the first and the last time he's kissing me and I reciprocate because honestly, it's been far too long since I kissed him last. I need to know that nothing has changed, no matter how far away I pushed him.

He pulls back from me breathless, "Say it." He demands, keeping his hands around the back of my neck and forcing me to look up into his eyes.

"I like you." I say, feeling a sense of power.

At this moment, Chase, my parents, my issues, none of those things matter. They don't make this decision for me anymore. I do.

"God, you've no idea how long I've waited to hear this." He says and presses his lips back on mine. Wrapping his arms around my waist, he picks me up in a swift motion and I wrap my legs around his waist like I've done this a thousand times.

Swiftly turning around, he presses my back against the wall next to his door and bites down on my bottom lip, making me moan, giving him the chance to slip his tongue inside my mouth. His tongue strokes mine in a way that makes me light-headed.

After what feels like hours, I pull away, but his lips simply shift to my neck and start kissing my throat. I moan, exceptionally loud when I feel him bite down on the soft spot right behind my ear, where my jaw meets my neck.

My head falls backward in pleasure when he kisses the same spot softly while his erection presses into my stomach, making the ache between my legs intensify.

I tangle my fingers in the strands of his hair and pull his head back up to kiss him. Pressing his lips against mine, he moves them with expertise but this time I'm in control and that's why he groans in the back of his throat when I bite down on his lip and then run my tongue over it, to soothe the sting.

I pull back from him abruptly, making him look up to me, but the lust and want in his eyes make it difficult for me to see the concern.

"I want you, Ethan." I tell him, my breathing coming out in harsh pants.

Hearing me, a dark look takes over his face, which honestly further elevates the sexual tension.

"Are you sure?" He asks me, the effects of our actions clear in his voice.

I nod my head because my voice box seems to have lost its power of producing sounds as soon as Ethan spoke in that lust-laced, husky, low voice.

"I need words, baby." He says, nudging my nose with his.

"Yes, Ethan. I am sure. I am so sure that if you don't take me in your room right now, I might have to drag you to my car." I say, frustrated as his erection keeps pressing in my stomach, and his hands on my ass aren't doing anything to help the situation.

Silently nodding, he slowly drops me down on my feet and grabs my hand. He's about to open the door when I pull on his arm and stop him.

"You can't go in there..." I say, before moving my eyes to the very prominent and visible erection. "Like that."

"Don't worry." He smirks. "There is no one in the living room. Everyone is in their room or out."

"Okay." I nod my head. This is as far as my concern and sense of respect go. I warned him, if there's someone inside, it's on him. I'm not going to be the one cock-blocking myself.

Pushing the door open, he pulls me inside. I step inside the house, only to realize how silent and uncharacteristically empty it is.

"This is weird..." I murmur, half expecting Noah or Gray to jump out from behind the counter and tease us.

"Iris... not the time." Ethan says, turning around and pulls me in for a hard kiss, which instantly clears every thought I have of Noah or Gray and now, all I want is to get to Ethan's room.

Pulling back, he starts climbing the stairs and I follow him, my heart beating in my ear because of all the anticipation.

Reaching the floor, he pushes the door of his room and motions for me to step inside, making me smirk a little. He steps inside the room after me, kicks the door close behind him, and locks it.

Turning around, he stares at me with a dark look on his face, like a predator waiting to hunt down its prey and devour it.

Smirking at me, he takes the smallest step in my direction and I step back in retaliation, causing him to raise his brow in challenge.

"You wanna do it the hard way?" he asks huskily, in a whisper.

"I wanna do it the fun way." I whisper back with my eyes set intently on him.

He doesn't reply to me but instead takes another step towards me. I take a huge step back, but my feet hit the back of his bed and I fall on the soft mattress of his bed.

He walks over and steps in between my legs, which are still dangling over the edge of his bed. My breathing turns harsher as he leans over me, placing one knee between my legs, and leans on his elbows, caging my head.

"That wasn't the fun way." He says, placing a light kiss on the hollow of my collarbone and I suck in a deep breath. "You were just delaying the fun."

He sucks on the skin he just kissed, making me moan and grip his hair between my fingers.

"Ethan..." I say. I intend it to sound like a warning, but when he bites down on the already sensitive skin, it comes out like a moan, making Ethan chuckle against my skin.

"You wanted fun, Iris." He says, as his hands move trails down my chest and grab the exposed skin of my waist.

"You're getting fun." He says, looking up at me and presses his lips against mine. His hand slips under my t-shirt and strokes the skin right under my bra.

His hand grips my right boob, making me moan against his mouth when he squeezes it. Trailing my nails down his back, I move my hands to the front and trace his bulge through his sweatpants, making him groan and pinch my nipple through the bra.

"Fuck!" I moan out as I feel the waves of pain travel down right to my core.

I trail my hands upwards, taking his t-shirt with me, and urge him to take it off. He sits back on his knee and pulls it over his head, revealing his toned and well-built abdomen. Watching the hard ridges of his body, I feel the urge to drag my nails down them and claim him as mine.

Grabbing the edges of my T-shirt, he looks back at me.

"Can I?" He asks, softly. I am about to reply with a nod when I remember his words from earlier.

"Yes." And in a swift motion, the t-shirt and my bra are off of my body and somewhere on the floor. Stepping back, he stands back on the floor and kneels to pepper my stomach with light kisses.

His hands trail up my legs so lightly, it makes me want to pull him back up and kiss him. His lips reach the top of my boobs, whereas his fingers reach the waistline of my denim pants. He plants light kisses on the swell of my boob and his fingers softly trace my waistline. He looks up at me through his lashes as his lips move a little lower and take my right nipple in his mouth, making me suck in a deep breath as the warmth of his mouth increases the heat of my core.

I keep my eyes on him as his mouth bites down on my nipple and pull it back with his mouth still on it, making me close my eyes and grab his hair between my fingers. Simultaneously, his fingers, expertly, open the button of my jeans, and his hand slips inside. The knuckles of his hand faintly trace my opening over the lace panties, making me moan from shock waves that go through me from the faintest of touch.

"Fuck! You're so wet for me." He says, raising his head as his breath fans over my already wet nipple, making them harden further if that's possible. I grab his head and pull him up for a kiss.

Pulling away from me a little, he peppers light kisses down my neck. Moving down, he places his hands on both my boobs as his lips move to my stomach, completely ignoring my boobs. When his lips reach the waistline of my pants, he pulls away completely and stands up between my legs, towering over my half-naked body.

"Damn, you're beautiful." He says, making me blush instantly. I have never been shy of my body. In fact, I am proud of the way I look, but hearing him say that makes me feel beautiful.

Bending down, he kisses me and I kiss him back as my hands trail down his chest to his abdomen. I let my nails trace the outline of his abs, making him groan in my mouth.

My hands go lower and I slip them inside his sweatpants and boxers and wrap my fingers around his rock-hard length. I pump my fist a little, making him groan and bite my neck. I wrap my leg around his hip, pulling him closer.

"Damnit, Reed." He curses as his back muscles tenses beneath my fingers.

He lets me tease him for a while longer before he grabs my hand and pulls it out of his pants.

"This is not how we start." He says, in a rather determined voice, and kneels on the floor.

He grabs my waistband and pulls my pants down my legs with a little struggle. Throwing them away, he places light kisses on my ankle. He's going torturously slow, making me whine. Chuckling at my impatience, he places a soft kiss on the inside of my thigh.

"Patience, baby." He mumbles against my thigh and bites down a little, making me hiss as warmth spreads through my stomach and the ache between my legs further increases.

Finally, he reaches the place I want him the most and places a kiss right at the center, making me close my eyes as the lace rubs against me.

He slowly pulls my panties down my legs and grabs my thighs, spreading my leg.

"You tell me whenever you wanna stop, okay?" He says, looking up with a tenderness in his eyes.

"I will." I say, nodding with a small smile.

He places a small kiss directly on my clit and I am shocked by my reaction to such a light touch. I am never this sensitive. He moves his tongue from my vagina to my clit, lapping up my juices. Taking my clit in his mouth, he sucks on it in a way that makes my head explode. Pushing my head in the sheets, I grab onto the first thing I can find. His hair.

"Oh god." I moan as his speed increases. I've never been the one to orgasm from slow and gentle and I've no idea how Ethan figured that out because his speed right now is absolutely perfect for me to see stars in my vision.

"Ethan." I moan loudly when one of his fingers slips inside me and the intrusion makes me clench around him. A knot forms inside my stomach and I'm not sure whether I want him to continue or just stop and let me out of my misery.

"You're so damn tight and warm." He whispers against me, making me feel the vibrations. The knots inside my stomach increases as he curls his fingers inside me repeatedly.

I am already a moaning and withering mess, but then he adds another finger and moves them in a scissoring motion, hitting a spot inside of me that makes me scream out in pleasure.

"Yes. Right there." I whisper, absent-mindedly, and close my eyes as my mind is completely focused on him, his mouth on me and his fingers inside me.

"Open your eyes, Reed." He whispers and I do it, but then he hits that spot again and I can't help it when my eyes roll back inside my head in sheer pleasure.

"Open your eyes, or I'll stop." He says and slows down as if proving his point and my eyes open instantly and connect with his. The view in front of me is one of the most erotic things I've ever seen. Ethan's head is between my legs as he looks up at me through his eyelashes and his hair falls on his eyes, making the already dark eyes appear darker.

"I wanna see the look in your eyes when you come all over my fingers." He says, pumping his fingers inside of me faster than earlier.

I rise on my elbows to keep my eyes connected to his as he bows his head and latches his mouth onto my bundles of nerves, sucking relentlessly. Moving my hands from his hair to the bedsheets, I see my knuckles turn white from the force.

"Ethan..." I say, almost like a warning as the knot inside my stomach feels ready to burst. The feeling is overwhelming and agonizing,

"Don't hold back. Let it go, baby." He says and bites down on my clit just when his fingers hit that spot again, making me scream out as the knot unravels in the most delicious way possible.

He keeps pumping his fingers in and out of me slowly, making me feel the after waves of my orgasm in ripples. I close my eyes in ecstasy as a serene feeling washes over me.

He pulls his fingers out of me and climbs over my body. Grabbing my chin, he kisses me, making me wrap my arms around his neck. Tasting myself on his tongue, I can't help but wonder why it took me so long to do this.

"That was... amazing," I say, smiling when he pulls back.

"I enjoyed it more than you." He teases and places his fingers inside his mouth, sucking them clean.

"I'm sure you did." I say, smirking and push him on his back. Moving to straddle his legs, I lean to kiss him before trailing my lips toward his ear.

"Now, my turn." I whisper and peck him on the lips before trailing my lips down his body. My nails trail down his chest after my lips, making him groan.

When I step on the floor, I grab the waistband of his sweatpants and pull them down his legs, along with his boxers, making his cock spring free.

Throwing his bottoms behind me, I lean over to wrap my hand around his cock and teasingly pump it a few times. Looking over at him when I see his eyes closed and his face contoured in desperation and determination, I realize I've teased him enough and lean over to trail my tongue from the bottom of his cock to the top, making him groan.

"Fuck." He whispers, making me smile.

Wrapping my mouth around him, I bob my head up and down, slowly, but because of his length, I couldn't take him inside my mouth completely. So, I settled for pumping the base of his cock with my hand.

The little groans and moans falling out of his lips encourage me to go faster. Just when I start to get the hang of it, he leans up and grabs my hand, stopping me.

I look up with questioning and confused eyes.

"As much as I'm enjoying having your smart mouth wrapped around me, this needs to stop." He says, the control evident on his face. "I need to be inside you, Iris. This can wait."

Nodding my head eagerly, I lean forward to connect our lips as he grabs my waist and pulls me over his lap. Wrapping his hand around my neck, lightly enough to make me breathe comfortably, he kisses me back.

He twists us around