Chapter Three
Gordo spent the night holding Lizzie as she drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, and gently steering her to the garbage can Ethan had left next to the bed. He finally drifted off to sleep around 6am, only to be awakened when Lizzie got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. "Lizzie?" He followed her, frowning when she slammed the door in his face. "Lizzie, come back to bed, you're sick."
"No shit, sherlock," she replied through the door.
Gordo heard the sound of running water, and waited until his girlfriend emerged. "You need to stay in bed," he tried to slide an arm around her waist to help her walk, but she shoved him away. "Baby.."
"Asshole," Lizzie muttered, shuffling back to the bed and crawling under the covers.
"I'm sorry about last night, sweetie," Gordo said apologetically, sitting down next to her.
"Sorry?" Lizzie looked at him, her eyes wide in astonishment. "You accuse your sick girlfriend of being drunk, and lock her out of her room and all you can say is SORRY? Fuck you," she hissed, rolling over onto her side and turning her back on him.
"Lizzie, I was drunk…"
"Yeah, and I wasn't," she interrupted angrily. "Ethan could see that, Gordo," she rolled over to look at him, her expression growing sad. "If Ethan could, why couldn't you?"
"Ethan wasn't drunk?" Gordo offered.
Lizzie snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Asshole."
"We should go back to our room, I'm sure Ethan wants his back," Gordo suggested, rubbing her back.
Lizzie shrugged him off, shaking her head stubbornly. "You go. I'll stay here."
"But Ethan…."
"Is a wonderful guy, Gordo," Lizzie said softly. "Maybe I'm just delirious or something because I'm sick, but you know what? Ethan was there for me last night, and you weren't. I think I'm going to stay right here and…" she groaned, and rolled over, sticking her head in the garbage can right as she threw up again.
Gordo sighed, and brushed her hair down her back as she shuddered. "I guess you shouldn't go anywhere."
"Whatever," Lizzie pushed him away, and snuggled up in the covers. "Tell Ethan thank you."
"When?"
"When you go tell him he can have his room back."
"But you're here," Gordo frowned.
"And you're leaving," Lizzie said evenly. "Goodbye, Gordo."
"Lizzie, I…"
"I'll talk to you about this when I can think straight, ok? Right now, I can't. All I know is that you were an asshole last night, and Ethan wasn't. So I'd like Ethan here," she replied, before yawning. "I'm gonna try to get some more sleep."
Gordo's face fell, and he stood up, his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, baby," he said softly.
"Goodbye, Gordo," she repeated without opening her eyes.
"Bye, Lizzie," he sighed.
Ethan grinned widely at the end of the conversation, hightailing it back to the other room so Gordo could "wake him up" and tell him to go back to his room. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, really, he'd just woken up and wanted to go get some clean clothes. But, hell, when he'd heard them talking about him, how was he to resist? So…Lizzie liked him at the moment, did she?
Good.
Because he sure as hell liked Lizzie too.
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Lizzie woke up a few hours later, sweating from head to toe, and burning up under the pile of blankets she'd burrowed under. She lay on her back with her eyes closed for a moment, waiting for the churning in her stomach to force her out of bed. When it didn't, she slowly opened her eyes, finding Ethan asleep in a chair across the room. "Don't you have to work today?" She asked softly, smiling lightly when he woke up with a start. "No?"
"No," Ethan yawned and stretched in the chair, groaning as his sore muscles protested the movement. "Nothing until Monday afternoon. That's why we had the party last night, remember?"
"Oh," she kicked the covers off of her, and lay sprawled out on her back, relishing the feeling of cool air on her skin. "God I'm hot."
Ethan's mouth dropped open at the sight of her, the silk shirt that had been merely clingy the night before now sticking to her sweaty skin. He bit his lip as his eyes trailed over her body, noting the way sweat pooled between her breasts, and at the hollow of her neck. What he wouldn't give to just lick… He cleared his throat and shifted in the chair, hoping to hide what was soon to become pretty clear evidence of where his eyes had gone. "Want something else to wear?"
"I think I need a shower," Lizzie remarked, raising her arms above her head and stretching. "I'm all sticky," she groaned when her stomach cramped up, and frowned. "Although I don't know if I can stand upright for that long."
"I have t-shirts and stuff," Ethan said helpfully, standing up to dig through a bag in the corner. "Want?"
"I think, as much as I'd rather not," Lizzie sighed. "I need my boyfriend."
Ethan nodded, putting the t-shirt in his hand back in his bag. "Want me to go get him?"
"Yeah," Lizzie said, before sitting up, "wait, Ethan?"
Ethan turned around to look at her curiously. "Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. "You didn't have to be as nice as you were to me last night, or this morning…I kind of hijacked your room from you."
"You were sick," Ethan shrugged. "You ARE sick. I couldn't just leave you out there."
"My boyfriend seemed more than willing to do just that," Lizzie said wryly. "And I'm sorry for that too, you don't belong in the middle of my fights with Gordo."
"That's ok," Ethan grinned. "Nobody knows Gordo the asshole better than me."
Lizzie started laughing, before groaning and rolling over onto her side. "Laughing hurts, dammit."
"I'll go get Gordo," Ethan smiled, and left the room.
"Tell him his girlfriend needs a shower, and if he doesn't come and give it to me, I'm gonna ask you to do it," Lizzie called after him with a small laugh. Well, if that wouldn't get Gordo to help her, she figured, nothing would. Dammit, she pulled the sweaty silk away from her skin with a disgusted frown. She'd ruined her shirt, and one way or another, she was gonna get a shower.
Lizzie looked up with a grin when Gordo came charging into the room a few minutes later. "Hey Gordo."
"What's this I hear about Ethan giving you a shower?" Gordo scowled at her.
"No, I said, if you didn't, I would ASK Ethan to," Lizzie corrected. She raised her arms to Gordo, smiling when he obediently picked her up. "Go slow, the room's still spinning," she said softly, resting her head on his chest.
Gordo carried her out of the room, nodding his thanks to Ethan as the door closed behind him. "Lizzie, I am sorry…"
"I know," she replied, smiling at the security and warmth she always felt in his arms.
"I love you…"
"I know," Lizzie said again, looking up at him. "You're just an asshole sometimes, you know that?"
Gordo sighed, and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down on the closed toilet bowl. "Don't fall over, ok?"
"Just get me clean, ok?" She shot back, staring down at the floor as she fought her dizzyness. "I'm all icky."
"Baby, I'll take a shower with you anytime," Gordo said seductively as he turned on the water.
Lizzie looked at him, tears filling her eyes. She loved him so much…asshole and all. "I love you, Gordo."
Gordo looked back at her, and smiled. Imitating her tone, he said sincerely, "yeah, I know."
*******************************************************************
"Gordo?" Lizzie closed the door to the hotel room behind her, and leaned up against the back, looking slyly at her boyfriend.
"What a day, huh?" Gordo yawned as he walked through the large suite, pulling off his shirt and tossing it on to a chair. "You were so sick, and it's like THIS your first day back?"
"I'm fine," she replied, following him into the bedroom, her shirt joining his on the chair. "It's been a few days, really, I'm fine."
"Yeah, but those questions the teacher was firing at us?" Gordo sat down on the bed and began unbuckling his pants, shaking his head. "I saw you steaming."
"That was then," Lizzie grinned, and sat down on Gordo's lap, grabbing his hands tight in hers. "This is now," she said, before bringing her lips down on his, kissing him deeply.
"Lizzie, god, not tonight," Gordo groaned, pulling his head away with a frown.
"Christ, why not," she breathed, grinding down onto him. "Gordo…"
"What the hell has gotten into you?" Gordo pushed Lizzie off of him, his eyes narrowing when he looked her over. "You're still sick, aren't you," he accused.
Lizzie glared at him for a moment, before getting up and yanking her skirt down from where it had ridden up to her hips. "I'm not sick, jesus," she said angrily, quickly locating a nightshirt and pulling it on. "I just wanted to make love to my boyfriend, is that so terrible?"
"Baby," Gordo became instantly apologetic, getting up and sliding his hands over her waist, pulling her to him. "I'm just not really in the mood tonight, not after the day we've had."
Lizzie looked up at him, her face flushed, her breath heavy. "That's the difference between you and me, I guess."
"What?"
"I'm so in the mood tonight, because of the day we've had," she said seductively, reaching around and running her hands over her rear. "Doesn't it get you all worked up, Gordo? Don't you just want to work off all that frustration?"
"Sleep. I want to sleep," Gordo said flatly, pulling away from her and walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Sleep. I want to sleep," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. Great. Now she was totally excited, far from tired, and all Gordo wanted to do was go to sleep. "Fine, fine, sleep," she grumbled, pulling off her skirt and carefully hanging it up in the closet. After Gordo finished in the bathroom, she took her turn, emerging to find the lights off, and her boyfriend sound asleep.
"Well, isn't this cute," she whispered, rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like lying down and sleeping now, she felt like…like…doing something. To work off her excess energy.
Biting her lip, Lizzie returned to her bag, digging around in the dark and finding a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Work off..work out..same difference. She'd go run a few miles on the treadmill, take her mind off of what she really wanted.
So so she hoped.
*****************************************************************
Lizzie really had intended on heading for the workout room, but she'd passed the pool on the way and decided a swim was really a better idea. One big cold shower, exactly what she needed. Thirty laps later, and she was breathing heavily at the shallow end of the pool, looking around the empty space, realizing what she'd done. Skinny dipping in the hotel pool in the middle of the night? Not too smart.
She quickly got out of the pool and ran for the stack of towels, grabbing one and wrapping it around her body. "I can see it now, getting busted by the principal, skinny dipping on a school trip. And then him telling my parents."
"How about Lizzie McGuire caught talking to herself, seeks mental help?"
Lizzie whirled around at the sound of the voice, nearly dropping the towel from shock. "What?"
"Taking a swim?" Ethan asked smugly, his eyes trailing over her body pointedly.
"I was, yes," she replied evenly, clutching the towel tight around her body. "Dammit, Ethan, you scared me," she frowned, pressing a hand to her chest and feeling her heart pound.
"You were the one talking to yourself," he shrugged, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it onto the ground. "And I'm wearing a bathing suit," he smirked, gesturing to his suit. "You?"
Lizzie scowled, walking past him to her clothes in a pile on the ground where she'd left them.
"Right, you're wearing a towel."
"I felt like taking a swim," she said as she picked up her clothes, refusing to look at Ethan.
Ethan grinned and tilted his head as she bent over…bingo! He KNEW she had an amazing ass, why the hell did she hide it in the clothes she wore? He straighened as she stood up, the grin still plastered on his face. She might as well drop the towel, it wasn't like it was hiding anything. "Naked?" He couldn't help but ask, loving her flustered reaction.
"I thought I was going to work out."
"Alone?"
"Aren't you?"
"I'm not taken," Ethan shot back.
That did get Lizzie to look at him, her eyes narrowing angrily. "He's sleeping."
"I repeat. Alone?"
"Since I'm here? Yes."
Ethan just continued to look at her, his eyes twinkling, "why?"
"Why what?" Lizzie knew full well what he was asking, but had absolutely no desire to answer his question. "I should head upstairs…"
"Why," the corners of Ethan's lips turned up in a grin, as his eyes ran over her body again. "Are you here, swimming alone…naked?"
"I felt like it," she replied bluntly, pulling the towel tighter around herself.
"And Gordo didn't mind?"
Lizzie just shrugged.
"Or Gordo didn't know?"
"I told you, Gordo's asleep. Not to mention, I'm a grown woman, I have every right to do what I want to do."
"Trouble in paradise?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Fuck you."
Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh, "fine, I'm going to take a swim anyway." Making sure her eyes were on him, he dropped his bathing suit to the floor, kicking it away with a small laugh. "You had a good idea there."
Lizzie's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of Ethan standing completely naked in front of her, and she blushed when she realized where her eyes had gone. Dear god… "Have fun," she stammered, turning around to leave.
"Wait, Lizzie?" Ethan called after her, standing with a hand on his hips.
"Yeah?" Lizzie refused to turn back around, but she stopped walking, waiting for him to reply.
"Sure you don't want to join me?" He asked coyly. "I'm sure you saw, I got something of a problem here…"
Lizzie wasn't sure why she didn't just run out of there, it was as if her legs were frozen in place. Well, she was fighting an urge not to turn around and look at that problem again, she hadn't really looked at it all that closely before.
"Not everyday a man runs into a beautiful woman walking around pretty much naked, you know? You got me all worked up," Ethan's voice dropped an octave, and he took a step towards her. "Tell me, Lizzie, did seeing me naked do the same to you?"
"No," Lizzie snapped, leaving the pool before she lost the will to. She heard a splash behind her, and shook her head, heading back to her room…and her boyfriend.
Damn that Ethan Craft, she thought as she waited for the elevator. He always knew just how to get to her, didn't he. She'd spent an hour swimming laps to cool herself off, and then he goes and does…THAT?! "Asshole," she muttered when the elevator came, impatiently pounding the button for her floor. A small smile crept over her face as she remembered what she'd seen, and she smirked as the doors closed. "What a beautiful asshole, but jesus...." She sighed, and wondered if she should wake up Gordo. She really REALLY needed to work this off…
Asshole.
Gordo spent the night holding Lizzie as she drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, and gently steering her to the garbage can Ethan had left next to the bed. He finally drifted off to sleep around 6am, only to be awakened when Lizzie got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. "Lizzie?" He followed her, frowning when she slammed the door in his face. "Lizzie, come back to bed, you're sick."
"No shit, sherlock," she replied through the door.
Gordo heard the sound of running water, and waited until his girlfriend emerged. "You need to stay in bed," he tried to slide an arm around her waist to help her walk, but she shoved him away. "Baby.."
"Asshole," Lizzie muttered, shuffling back to the bed and crawling under the covers.
"I'm sorry about last night, sweetie," Gordo said apologetically, sitting down next to her.
"Sorry?" Lizzie looked at him, her eyes wide in astonishment. "You accuse your sick girlfriend of being drunk, and lock her out of her room and all you can say is SORRY? Fuck you," she hissed, rolling over onto her side and turning her back on him.
"Lizzie, I was drunk…"
"Yeah, and I wasn't," she interrupted angrily. "Ethan could see that, Gordo," she rolled over to look at him, her expression growing sad. "If Ethan could, why couldn't you?"
"Ethan wasn't drunk?" Gordo offered.
Lizzie snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Asshole."
"We should go back to our room, I'm sure Ethan wants his back," Gordo suggested, rubbing her back.
Lizzie shrugged him off, shaking her head stubbornly. "You go. I'll stay here."
"But Ethan…."
"Is a wonderful guy, Gordo," Lizzie said softly. "Maybe I'm just delirious or something because I'm sick, but you know what? Ethan was there for me last night, and you weren't. I think I'm going to stay right here and…" she groaned, and rolled over, sticking her head in the garbage can right as she threw up again.
Gordo sighed, and brushed her hair down her back as she shuddered. "I guess you shouldn't go anywhere."
"Whatever," Lizzie pushed him away, and snuggled up in the covers. "Tell Ethan thank you."
"When?"
"When you go tell him he can have his room back."
"But you're here," Gordo frowned.
"And you're leaving," Lizzie said evenly. "Goodbye, Gordo."
"Lizzie, I…"
"I'll talk to you about this when I can think straight, ok? Right now, I can't. All I know is that you were an asshole last night, and Ethan wasn't. So I'd like Ethan here," she replied, before yawning. "I'm gonna try to get some more sleep."
Gordo's face fell, and he stood up, his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, baby," he said softly.
"Goodbye, Gordo," she repeated without opening her eyes.
"Bye, Lizzie," he sighed.
Ethan grinned widely at the end of the conversation, hightailing it back to the other room so Gordo could "wake him up" and tell him to go back to his room. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, really, he'd just woken up and wanted to go get some clean clothes. But, hell, when he'd heard them talking about him, how was he to resist? So…Lizzie liked him at the moment, did she?
Good.
Because he sure as hell liked Lizzie too.
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Lizzie woke up a few hours later, sweating from head to toe, and burning up under the pile of blankets she'd burrowed under. She lay on her back with her eyes closed for a moment, waiting for the churning in her stomach to force her out of bed. When it didn't, she slowly opened her eyes, finding Ethan asleep in a chair across the room. "Don't you have to work today?" She asked softly, smiling lightly when he woke up with a start. "No?"
"No," Ethan yawned and stretched in the chair, groaning as his sore muscles protested the movement. "Nothing until Monday afternoon. That's why we had the party last night, remember?"
"Oh," she kicked the covers off of her, and lay sprawled out on her back, relishing the feeling of cool air on her skin. "God I'm hot."
Ethan's mouth dropped open at the sight of her, the silk shirt that had been merely clingy the night before now sticking to her sweaty skin. He bit his lip as his eyes trailed over her body, noting the way sweat pooled between her breasts, and at the hollow of her neck. What he wouldn't give to just lick… He cleared his throat and shifted in the chair, hoping to hide what was soon to become pretty clear evidence of where his eyes had gone. "Want something else to wear?"
"I think I need a shower," Lizzie remarked, raising her arms above her head and stretching. "I'm all sticky," she groaned when her stomach cramped up, and frowned. "Although I don't know if I can stand upright for that long."
"I have t-shirts and stuff," Ethan said helpfully, standing up to dig through a bag in the corner. "Want?"
"I think, as much as I'd rather not," Lizzie sighed. "I need my boyfriend."
Ethan nodded, putting the t-shirt in his hand back in his bag. "Want me to go get him?"
"Yeah," Lizzie said, before sitting up, "wait, Ethan?"
Ethan turned around to look at her curiously. "Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. "You didn't have to be as nice as you were to me last night, or this morning…I kind of hijacked your room from you."
"You were sick," Ethan shrugged. "You ARE sick. I couldn't just leave you out there."
"My boyfriend seemed more than willing to do just that," Lizzie said wryly. "And I'm sorry for that too, you don't belong in the middle of my fights with Gordo."
"That's ok," Ethan grinned. "Nobody knows Gordo the asshole better than me."
Lizzie started laughing, before groaning and rolling over onto her side. "Laughing hurts, dammit."
"I'll go get Gordo," Ethan smiled, and left the room.
"Tell him his girlfriend needs a shower, and if he doesn't come and give it to me, I'm gonna ask you to do it," Lizzie called after him with a small laugh. Well, if that wouldn't get Gordo to help her, she figured, nothing would. Dammit, she pulled the sweaty silk away from her skin with a disgusted frown. She'd ruined her shirt, and one way or another, she was gonna get a shower.
Lizzie looked up with a grin when Gordo came charging into the room a few minutes later. "Hey Gordo."
"What's this I hear about Ethan giving you a shower?" Gordo scowled at her.
"No, I said, if you didn't, I would ASK Ethan to," Lizzie corrected. She raised her arms to Gordo, smiling when he obediently picked her up. "Go slow, the room's still spinning," she said softly, resting her head on his chest.
Gordo carried her out of the room, nodding his thanks to Ethan as the door closed behind him. "Lizzie, I am sorry…"
"I know," she replied, smiling at the security and warmth she always felt in his arms.
"I love you…"
"I know," Lizzie said again, looking up at him. "You're just an asshole sometimes, you know that?"
Gordo sighed, and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down on the closed toilet bowl. "Don't fall over, ok?"
"Just get me clean, ok?" She shot back, staring down at the floor as she fought her dizzyness. "I'm all icky."
"Baby, I'll take a shower with you anytime," Gordo said seductively as he turned on the water.
Lizzie looked at him, tears filling her eyes. She loved him so much…asshole and all. "I love you, Gordo."
Gordo looked back at her, and smiled. Imitating her tone, he said sincerely, "yeah, I know."
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"Gordo?" Lizzie closed the door to the hotel room behind her, and leaned up against the back, looking slyly at her boyfriend.
"What a day, huh?" Gordo yawned as he walked through the large suite, pulling off his shirt and tossing it on to a chair. "You were so sick, and it's like THIS your first day back?"
"I'm fine," she replied, following him into the bedroom, her shirt joining his on the chair. "It's been a few days, really, I'm fine."
"Yeah, but those questions the teacher was firing at us?" Gordo sat down on the bed and began unbuckling his pants, shaking his head. "I saw you steaming."
"That was then," Lizzie grinned, and sat down on Gordo's lap, grabbing his hands tight in hers. "This is now," she said, before bringing her lips down on his, kissing him deeply.
"Lizzie, god, not tonight," Gordo groaned, pulling his head away with a frown.
"Christ, why not," she breathed, grinding down onto him. "Gordo…"
"What the hell has gotten into you?" Gordo pushed Lizzie off of him, his eyes narrowing when he looked her over. "You're still sick, aren't you," he accused.
Lizzie glared at him for a moment, before getting up and yanking her skirt down from where it had ridden up to her hips. "I'm not sick, jesus," she said angrily, quickly locating a nightshirt and pulling it on. "I just wanted to make love to my boyfriend, is that so terrible?"
"Baby," Gordo became instantly apologetic, getting up and sliding his hands over her waist, pulling her to him. "I'm just not really in the mood tonight, not after the day we've had."
Lizzie looked up at him, her face flushed, her breath heavy. "That's the difference between you and me, I guess."
"What?"
"I'm so in the mood tonight, because of the day we've had," she said seductively, reaching around and running her hands over her rear. "Doesn't it get you all worked up, Gordo? Don't you just want to work off all that frustration?"
"Sleep. I want to sleep," Gordo said flatly, pulling away from her and walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
"Sleep. I want to sleep," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. Great. Now she was totally excited, far from tired, and all Gordo wanted to do was go to sleep. "Fine, fine, sleep," she grumbled, pulling off her skirt and carefully hanging it up in the closet. After Gordo finished in the bathroom, she took her turn, emerging to find the lights off, and her boyfriend sound asleep.
"Well, isn't this cute," she whispered, rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like lying down and sleeping now, she felt like…like…doing something. To work off her excess energy.
Biting her lip, Lizzie returned to her bag, digging around in the dark and finding a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Work off..work out..same difference. She'd go run a few miles on the treadmill, take her mind off of what she really wanted.
So so she hoped.
*****************************************************************
Lizzie really had intended on heading for the workout room, but she'd passed the pool on the way and decided a swim was really a better idea. One big cold shower, exactly what she needed. Thirty laps later, and she was breathing heavily at the shallow end of the pool, looking around the empty space, realizing what she'd done. Skinny dipping in the hotel pool in the middle of the night? Not too smart.
She quickly got out of the pool and ran for the stack of towels, grabbing one and wrapping it around her body. "I can see it now, getting busted by the principal, skinny dipping on a school trip. And then him telling my parents."
"How about Lizzie McGuire caught talking to herself, seeks mental help?"
Lizzie whirled around at the sound of the voice, nearly dropping the towel from shock. "What?"
"Taking a swim?" Ethan asked smugly, his eyes trailing over her body pointedly.
"I was, yes," she replied evenly, clutching the towel tight around her body. "Dammit, Ethan, you scared me," she frowned, pressing a hand to her chest and feeling her heart pound.
"You were the one talking to yourself," he shrugged, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it onto the ground. "And I'm wearing a bathing suit," he smirked, gesturing to his suit. "You?"
Lizzie scowled, walking past him to her clothes in a pile on the ground where she'd left them.
"Right, you're wearing a towel."
"I felt like taking a swim," she said as she picked up her clothes, refusing to look at Ethan.
Ethan grinned and tilted his head as she bent over…bingo! He KNEW she had an amazing ass, why the hell did she hide it in the clothes she wore? He straighened as she stood up, the grin still plastered on his face. She might as well drop the towel, it wasn't like it was hiding anything. "Naked?" He couldn't help but ask, loving her flustered reaction.
"I thought I was going to work out."
"Alone?"
"Aren't you?"
"I'm not taken," Ethan shot back.
That did get Lizzie to look at him, her eyes narrowing angrily. "He's sleeping."
"I repeat. Alone?"
"Since I'm here? Yes."
Ethan just continued to look at her, his eyes twinkling, "why?"
"Why what?" Lizzie knew full well what he was asking, but had absolutely no desire to answer his question. "I should head upstairs…"
"Why," the corners of Ethan's lips turned up in a grin, as his eyes ran over her body again. "Are you here, swimming alone…naked?"
"I felt like it," she replied bluntly, pulling the towel tighter around herself.
"And Gordo didn't mind?"
Lizzie just shrugged.
"Or Gordo didn't know?"
"I told you, Gordo's asleep. Not to mention, I'm a grown woman, I have every right to do what I want to do."
"Trouble in paradise?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.
"Fuck you."
Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh, "fine, I'm going to take a swim anyway." Making sure her eyes were on him, he dropped his bathing suit to the floor, kicking it away with a small laugh. "You had a good idea there."
Lizzie's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of Ethan standing completely naked in front of her, and she blushed when she realized where her eyes had gone. Dear god… "Have fun," she stammered, turning around to leave.
"Wait, Lizzie?" Ethan called after her, standing with a hand on his hips.
"Yeah?" Lizzie refused to turn back around, but she stopped walking, waiting for him to reply.
"Sure you don't want to join me?" He asked coyly. "I'm sure you saw, I got something of a problem here…"
Lizzie wasn't sure why she didn't just run out of there, it was as if her legs were frozen in place. Well, she was fighting an urge not to turn around and look at that problem again, she hadn't really looked at it all that closely before.
"Not everyday a man runs into a beautiful woman walking around pretty much naked, you know? You got me all worked up," Ethan's voice dropped an octave, and he took a step towards her. "Tell me, Lizzie, did seeing me naked do the same to you?"
"No," Lizzie snapped, leaving the pool before she lost the will to. She heard a splash behind her, and shook her head, heading back to her room…and her boyfriend.
Damn that Ethan Craft, she thought as she waited for the elevator. He always knew just how to get to her, didn't he. She'd spent an hour swimming laps to cool herself off, and then he goes and does…THAT?! "Asshole," she muttered when the elevator came, impatiently pounding the button for her floor. A small smile crept over her face as she remembered what she'd seen, and she smirked as the doors closed. "What a beautiful asshole, but jesus...." She sighed, and wondered if she should wake up Gordo. She really REALLY needed to work this off…
Asshole.
