Free Misguided:Short Erotic Romantic Suspense (Adult Erotica for Women) by Kenzi Costello Page A

well aware that Ethan
had a dangerous side. I’d never witnessed it personally because most of his
misdemeanours had been carried out as a juvenile delinquent. (He once quipped
that the only reason for never running away from a fight in his youth was
because his tattered trainers might fall apart if he did) I didn’t want to know
the details quite honestly because my Ethan was pure of heart, ok maybe
a little scorched around the edges but 24-carat all the same. I had only known
him to be overly-protective of me, and I believe this was instilled in him
through seeing his mother suffer years of abuse at the hand of his father. At
age 13, and during a particularly violent episode, Ethan jumped in between them
and knocked his father unconscious. Losing control of his actions that day had
frightened him and was the reason he now trivialised intense moments, something
which I could find exasperating, especially when I was itching for a row. This
impulsive act severed their relationship completely and his father died from
alcohol poisoning not long after. This was around the time that Ethan began his
slow decline down a reprehensible path, emotionally battle-scarred by his childhood.
    His riotous
nature as an adult was rather more selective, seen only in exceptional
circumstances. The only time I’d had proof of it was very early on in our
relationship. I had expressed to Ethan my fury at a colleague, from our parent
company, who had taken a drunken lunge to indecently grope me at a corporate
event. I re-call Ethan being disturbingly quiet. He clicked his neck to the
side, his eyes blinked rapidly and I could see his jawbone repeatedly
clenching. I had never seen him react like that before, and haven’t since,
thank goodness. I heard through the grapevine three weeks later, that my
colleague had been seen with black eyes and a broken nose but had refused to
report the incident further. I never challenged Ethan about it, I didn’t need to,
but Iquickly learnt never to mention any
impropriety again, well not anything I could handle myself anyway.
    I hold my
forehead, trying to stop my shrivelled brain from banging against my skull. I
certainly didn’t miss this part of getting smashed. I can safely say that beingtee-total is the way forward , again. Then I feel my heart sink as
notions of Ethan’s alleged affair begin to persecute my soul again.

Chapter 2 – Smitten
    11 Years Earlier
    Pru had met the
notorious Ethan Cassidy when she was a wide-eyed 18yr old, and he, four years
older at 22. She was now 29 years old and more vibrant than ever but with Ethan
becoming strangely withdrawn, she had started to question whether the chemistry
was still there. It hadn’t always been like this. The hot-blooded attraction at
their first encounter was unmistakeable. However, at the time, Pru had needed
far more persuading than Ethan to act upon it…
    It was the
summer of 2001 and Ethan was enjoying a few beers at a local wine-bar, The
Clover Club, preparing for a boisterous Saturday night ahead with several
friends. Riley, his closest ally, was celebrating his 23rd birthday and their
plan was simple; spend as much money on their pub crawl and then win it all
back on the roulette table at Quantum Casino in the city. Riley reckoned
he had a fool-proof betting system and Ethan had bet the fool £20 that it
wouldn’t work; Riley never had been the smartest tool in the box. Ben, being
the youngest and unable to keep up with the others, had made other plans.
    “Shit! I really have to go. I’m
supposed to be on a dinner date at Caruso’s and I’m an hour late
already. Can someone remind me how to walk?” slurred Ben, his eyes glazing
over. His one knee would buckle every few seconds as if an invisible hand was
jabbing his leg from behind.
    As his friends burst into
derisive laughter, Ethan smirked and knuckled his friends crew-cut head with
fondness. “You can’t even entertain a sensible thought right now Benny, let
alone a