Ethan had been gone twelve hours max. Not long in the scheme of things but long enough to know he couldn’t wait to get back to the two most important women in his life. He understood his feelings for Tess. He already loved the little stinker. Faith was more frightening because he loved her too.
The revelation came to him at thirty thousand feet, while he was staring out the plane window at the peaceful, beautiful clouds and realized Faith brought that same peace and beauty into his life. Things he’d given up on and thought he didn’t deserve. It had taken Tess and her fragile honesty to convince him otherwise because she didn’t believe she deserved good things either. He knew better.
As for himself, maybe he didn’t deserve Faith, but he’d fallen hard and fast. And deserving or not, he wasn’t giving her up. Ethan put his heart and soul into the kiss, breathing her in. He hoped she understood everything he was showing her because he knew telling her would scare her away. When she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him close, aligning her body with his, he realized she wasn’t frightened by the intensity of his feelings—as long as he didn’t verbally express them.
She tipped her head back and met his gaze, her eyes heavy lidded and sensual. “What was that for?”
“I missed you.”
He eyed her warily, but her lips turned upward in a smile.
“Gotta say, I missed you too. But you’ve got to know, I’m fighting myself here, Ethan.”
Her honesty was more than he’d expected. “Why?”
She bit down on her lower lip. “When I was married to Carter, I gave up so much of myself to be his wife. It was as if Faith Harrington and what she liked and cared about no longer mattered. I came back to start over and be independent, but I can’t seem to stay away from you.”
Instead of frustrating him, her words soothed his concerns. “Am I asking you to be anything other than what—and who—you are?”
“No, and that’s why I keep coming back.”
“Smart girl.” He placed his hand behind her back, lowered his head, and slid his tongue across her lips.
She trembled in his arms. “We have this entire house to ourselves,” she murmured.
And he wanted to make use of it. Later. “I thought we’d go out first.”
Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Seriously?”
As much as it pained him not to get into bed with her immediately, he was looking at his long-term goal. He wanted her in his bed and his house for much longer than one night. “I haven’t eaten all day. I thought we could grab a bite in town.”
“And keep an eye on Tess and Nash?” she asked.
Ethan actually trusted Nash with their sister. It was Tess he had his doubts about but not enough to follow after them. He just wanted to go out with Faith. Stake his claim publicly. Make a statement about them as a couple, something she might not be so quick to go along with.
So, if assuming he had an ulterior motive helped convince her . . . “I wouldn’t mind checking up on Tess,” he agreed.
“I can understand that.”
“Then we can come back here and be alone.” He grinned, knowing that for this one night, he had everything he wanted and more.
Faith hadn’t been to a Wednesday night in Serendipity since she was a teenager hanging out with her friends. Holding with town tradition, every Wednesday of the summer meant a different local band, Italian ices, cotton candy, and zeppoli. Apparently Ethan had a sweet tooth she didn’t know about because he’d decided dinner wasn’t as important as sampling the various treats.
“Look, there’s Tess.” Faith pointed to where Tess and Nash stood beneath an awning on Main Street, where the Guiding Eyes, with its Seeing Eye puppies, was located, raising money for its cause. The teenager knelt down and was playing with the puppies.
“You know they loan them out to families to help socialize them before they’re fully trained and given to their person.” Faith nudged Ethan in the side. “And she looks really attached to them.”
He shuddered at the thought. “Maybe she’ll talk Nash into an overnight visit.”
“Are you telling me you’re not a dog person?” she asked, disappointed. “Because they say people who don’t like dogs aren’t really good people.”
“I like dogs just fine. But Tess and a dog might be a bit much right now.”
She laughed at the exaggerated fear in his voice. “Okay, good point.” Faith glanced across the street only to see Nash coming their way. “Uh-oh. Company.”
Ethan looked over, caught sight of his brother, and immediately wrapped a protective arm around her waist. She didn’t need him to look out for her but liked the fact that he did it anyway.
“How’s it going?” Ethan asked as Nash strode up to them.
“She’s begging me to take home a puppy.” Nash’s grimace was priceless.
“I take it you don’t like dogs?” Faith asked. A silent understanding passed between her and Ethan and he lightly squeezed her hip, causing her to chuckle.
“I like dogs,” Nash said defensively. “I just happen to think Tess is enough of a handful for one night.”
Faith raised her eyebrows, surprised Ethan and Nash would have such similar reactions. To anything.
“I hear you,” Ethan said.
“She told me you’re thinking of enrolling her at Birchwood.”
“I am.”
Faith stiffened, waiting for the inevitable criticism. Though she couldn’t imagine what Nash could find objectionable, she figured if Ethan’s brother had crossed the street to discuss it, he had issues. If only because Ethan had suggested it.
“Do you have something to say about it?” Ethan asked.
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Nash’s blue eyes bored into Ethan’s.
Ethan’s grip on her waist tightened. “Well? What is it?”
Nash’s jaw tightened. “I think it will be good for her.” The words sounded torn from him. Obviously giving Ethan credit for anything was painful in the extreme.
Faith exhaled a breath she hadn’t been aware of holding.
“I agree,” Ethan said.
“She looks up to you,” Nash said.
Ethan shrugged. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“She’s protective of you.” Nash’s gaze darted to Faith, acknowledging her earlier point. “I’m not sure what you did to deserve it, but don’t let her down.”
“I don’t intend to,” Ethan said, annoyance clearly simmering below the surface.
“Good.” Nash’s eyes flared a darker hue, the message to his older brother clear. Nothing between them had changed.
“I have to get back and make sure the little tyrant hasn’t forged my name on the permission slip for the dogs.” Nash turned and headed back across the street.
“It’s enough already!” Faith exploded when Nash was out of earshot. “The man acts as if he’s never made a mistake in his entire life.”
Ethan’s mouth curved upward.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s not funny. It’s sweet.” He caressed her cheek with his knuckles. “How you stick up for me.”
“It’s second nature,” she admitted. He dipped his head for a long, thorough kiss, his tongue teasing and tangling with hers. “Mmm. You taste like sugar.”
Her stomach curled deliciously. “Want some more?”
His gaze burned into hers, making her yearn to have him, skin against skin, his body hard inside hers. “You bet I do.”
She shuddered in anticipation of heading home to his bed. Instead, he turned and walked away.
She caught up with him at the zeppoli stand, where he bought her another piece of fried dough, laden with powdered sugar, then watched as she tortured him in return. She slowly ate the treat, deliberately savoring the warm dough, licking the sugar thoroughly with her tongue. She hoped she was stoking his flames because she was already completely aroused and couldn’t wait to end the evening in his bed and his arms.
But he evidently intended to make her wait, because first they walked hand in hand through town. Faith felt people staring. At her? At him? Them as a couple? She didn’t know nor did she care, because as the music played around them and Faith strode through the town she called home, Ethan by her side, an odd sense of peace filled her.
Odd because she was finally feeling like she just might fit in. Back when she was a teenager, she had her group of friends and thought her life was amazing, but she hadn’t a clue about the real world. Now she had a business she was building, friendships she was renewing, and a man who represented all sorts of possibilities if she was willing to explore them. And hadn’t he given her every reason to believe in him? Didn’t he admit he liked her just the way she was?
“What?” he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“What what?”
He laughed. “You’re smiling, so I wondered what you were thinking about.”
“That’s an easy question to answer. You.”
He grinned. “Now that I like to hear.” He reached out and brushed his finger over her lips. “Powdered sugar,” he explained before she could ask.
Her skin tingled from his heated touch, a flame she felt all the way to her core. But they were still in town, in public. “So how did your business go in D.C.?” she asked, trying to keep things between them proper and acceptable. Otherwise she’d wrap her body around his and try to crawl right into him.
“Actually, it went well,” he said, unaware of her building desire. “It seems that Dale is still his own worst enemy. Yes, he’d been sleeping with my executive assistant so he could steal information—”
“You mean she wasn’t just handing it over?”
He nodded. “That was another plus. She was gullible but not guilty. He used her. Unfortunately for him, he’s still the most arrogant SOB I’ve ever come across and he thought her feelings would counteract her common sense.”
Faith raised an eyebrow. “One of those men, huh?”
“Yep. When my PI told me about their relationship, my hunch told me Amelia wouldn’t deliberately sabotage my business. She’s just not the type. I was right. When I showed her the evidence that Dale used my specs on his own bid, she broke down. She was devastated. Even quit.”
“You let her?”
“Of course not. I told her to take a paid vacation and get herself together. She agreed to testify in my lawsuit against Dale for stealing proprietary business information. And I grabbed the next flight home. To you.”
Okay, so maybe he wasn’t as unaware of her needs as she’d thought.
She couldn’t stand another minute of small talk on the street. “And I couldn’t be happier that you did.”
“Same here,” he said in a husky voice that reassured her he wanted her every bit as much as she needed him.
Faith leaned in close, inhaling his sexy masculine scent. “So . . . when are you going to take me home?”
Ethan wouldn’t call himself a romantic, not by a long shot, but even he knew when he was about to get lucky—and he didn’t mean it in the obvious sense. Having the entire house to himself wasn’t something that would happen often. Especially not an entire night alone with Faith on the same day he’d accepted his feelings for her.
The drive home was comfortably silent yet sexually charged. Two things he appreciated about Faith: her ability to ease away the tension in his life and keep him in a constant state of arousal. Not a bad combination and one he looked forward to remaining in for a good long time.
Hand in hand, they walked from the garage through the house. She automatically kicked off her sandals by the door and he ditched his sneakers. She was dressed in white jeans and a purple asymmetrical flowing tank top, the same color as Tess’s streak of hair, he noted, amused. But there was nothing funny about how she looked, casual and relaxed, and so sexy she took his breath away with her bare feet and light pink polish peeking out from beneath the bottom of her white jeans.
His body felt primed and ready as they walked up the circular stairs toward his bedroom.
“I can’t wait to get this place finished,” she said, unaware of his thoughts. “The painters are coming in next week to strip all the wallpaper, prime, and paint. Then Nick will come in and put up the molding and chair rail.”
“Sounds great.” He was barely listening. He tugged her hand, pulling her down the hall and into his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him with his foot. Just in case Tess decided to make an unplanned return home.
“You’re not paying attention, are you?” Faith asked, sounding upset.
“Hell, no.” He swung her into his arms and dropped her onto the mattress. “Do you really think I can concentrate on home decorating?” he asked, pinning her to the mattress with his body, letting her feel the hard ridge of his arousal flush against her.
“I guess not,” she said on a dreamy sigh, no longer caring about his lack of attention to her house plans.
He held her wrists in his hands and lowered his head for a kiss, sweeping his tongue inside her mouth at the same time he rolled his hips against her waist.
“Oh God.” Her entire being shook in reaction.
He could barely hold himself in check. “Feels good?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She met his gaze, but another shift of his hips had her eyes rolling back in her head.
He grinned. He liked giving her this kind of pleasure. While her eyes were closed, he released her wrists and slid his hand beneath her shirt, pulling it up and over her head, revealing a white bra edged in pink lace. A flick of his finger released the front hook, exposing her breasts, full, ripe, and ready, not just for his gaze either. He dipped his head and pulled one already rigid nipple into his mouth.
She groaned and threaded her fingers into his hair, holding him in place. Time was a luxury and he took his, lavishing all his attention on the soft mound of flesh. Only when he was finished with one did he move to the other breast, keeping her writhing beneath him. Every shift of her hips caused him a mix of pleasure and pain, but he wasn’t finished enjoying her yet. He trailed his lips down the center of her stomach, her flesh quivering beneath his mouth, until he reached the waistband of her jeans. With her help, they got rid of her clothing and his followed, after which he picked up where he’d left off, tasting her soft flesh. He was relentless, arousing her with long, damp strokes of his tongue until he came to her center.
She was already wet and damp and when he licked her there, her hips rose off the bed. He held her in place and continued a gentle assault, until she was shaking and begging for relief. One touch at exactly the right spot and she came apart, her climax more gratifying than any of his own. Though right now his body was aching for release, he still took pleasure in hers.
Because he loved her.
Rising up, he settled his hips over hers, and then, holding on to her gaze, he thrust deep inside. His entire body registered the moment, every nerve ending, every part of him joined with Faith.
He belonged to her. And she to him.
Awareness lit her gaze. She felt it too. Whether she accepted it or not was another story.
She shifted beneath him, the shock waves echoing everywhere, and he began to match her rhythm, his hips pumping in conjunction with hers, their pace and tempo perfection. Next thing he knew, he was spinning out of control, losing himself inside her.
Later, spent, he knew he’d given her everything he had. He could only hope she’d find the strength within herself to give back.
Faith awoke cushioned in heavy, delicious, body-hugging warmth. As awareness came to her, she realized where she was, who she was with, and she never wanted to leave. Of course, the notion ran contrary to every thought she’d had since she and Ethan had . . . renewed their acquaintance. She couldn’t stop the smile that curved her lips. They’d done so much more than become reacquainted. And she could no longer deny her growing feelings for this man or the obvious truth.
She loved him.
Faith didn’t know how it had happened or when. She only knew she couldn’t picture her life without him in it. All her reasons for steering clear, the ones that revolved around her being independent, fell apart when it came to Ethan. He wouldn’t stand in the way of her growing into the woman or the interior designer she wanted to be. Nor would she allow such a thing to happen to her ever again. So maybe, just maybe, she could allow a little bit of hope to enter her life and believe the pain and the past were behind her.
She rolled over and found her face buried in Ethan’s broad chest and she took a moment to inhale deeply and snuggle closer into his embrace. “I like waking up like this,” she said, her voice muffled and lost.
“I can’t hear you,” he said, laughing.
She tipped her head back and looked into his eyes. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” he said in a sleep-roughened voice she found incredibly sexy.
As she stared into his handsome face, suddenly and without warning, nerves kicked in. True, they had a deep connection and he seemed to want more from her than a casual fling. But the fact remained, she’d stayed the night without discussion and without asking. She’d never been a big one-night-stand girl, and though her heart told her this was anything but, her mind had her wanting to run. Especially since he just stared at her with those fathomless eyes. Talk about awkward, she thought as the silence stretched endlessly between them.
Ethan stared into Faith’s gorgeous eyes, feeling like he could wake like this every morning for the rest of his life. Suddenly her happy, serene, satisfied morning-after expression vanished, replaced by wide, anxiety-filled eyes and a distinct stiffening of her body. He recognized her panic for what it was, and when she tried to pull away he was mentally prepared and grasped her arms before she could roll over.
“Going somewhere?” he asked.
She blinked, startled. “I don’t know. I thought . . .”
He knew what she thought, his heart clenching in his chest. “You were going to run away like a one-night stand who’d suddenly overstayed her welcome.” His voice sounded harsher than he’d meant to, but he’d never held back with her when it mattered and wasn’t about to now. Not about anything, he decided.
She inclined her head. “I don’t remember falling asleep and I thought maybe you never wanted—”
He cut her off, closing his mouth over hers, showing her just how wrong she was about what he did and didn’t want. She got the message immediately. Her lips softened and soon she wasn’t just kissing him back—she was climbing on top of him.
They’d slept naked and he slid his hand between them to find her already wet and, seconds later, she straddled him, enclosing him in her damp heat. She ground her hips against him and his climax immediately beckoned. Good thing hers did too, and his world exploded at the same moment she cried out his name.
A few minutes later, his breathing slowly returned to normal. “Do we understand each other now?” he asked, stroking the back of her hair with his hand.
“Mmm-hmm. I’m not a one-night stand who overstayed her welcome.” She snuggled backward into his arms. “And I’m allowed to sleep over when Tess isn’t home,” she murmured sleepily.
Not quite what he had in mind and he rolled her over until she faced him. “No, you’re not a one-night stand. You’re so much more.” She’d distracted him when she’d climbed on top, but he had his mind back where it belonged now.
He saw the questions in her eyes. “Go ahead, ask me.”
She swallowed hard. Ran her tongue over her lips. “How much more?”
“You’re everything,” he said simply. “I love you.”
Her mouth opened and closed again. “You love me? I—”
A cell phone rang somewhere in the pile of clothes on the floor. Not his ring tone.
Her gaze darted toward the sound. “That’s mine.”
“Let it wait.”
“Okay.” She drew a shaky breath.
The phone continued to ring and the moment between them was gone, lost in the distracting sound.
“Get it.”
She nodded and rolled over, climbing out of bed, but by the time she found the cell, the ringing had stopped. She checked the phone. “My mother,” she said.
“You sound surprised.”
“She rarely calls me.” Faith rose and climbed back into bed, pulling the covers over her naked body before redialing the number.
Her mother answered on the first ring. “Mom?”
“Have you seen it?” From right beside Faith, Ethan could hear Lanie’s voice loud and clear.
“Seen what?” Faith asked.
“It’s your father. He’s destroyed my life all over again!” Lanie Harrington cried into the phone.
“Calm down and explain,” Faith ordered her mother in a composed voice, but at the mention of her father, her hand began to tremble.
Faith’s mother was obviously incapable of coherent conversation, so Faith ended the call, promising to come right over.
Their morning, their moment had passed. They wouldn’t be discussing the three words Ethan had spoken, and whatever she’d wanted to say in return would have to wait. His heart pounded hard in his chest, making him painfully aware of what he’d put out there, left unanswered.
