by Krista Lakes
“Heading in that direction. Over,” Ethan replied. He clipped the walkie back to his belt.
“You're supposed to say 'Roger' or 'will do' on the radio,” Laura informed him.
“Thanks,” Ethan replied, trying to keep the snark out of his voice. He knew she was stressed and just taking it out on the nearest person. “And it's not 'will do', it's 'Wilco', as in 'will comply'.”
“Whatever.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. “Let's get going.”
“It's a good thing we were headed in that direction,” Ethan said, giving her a smile.
She just rolled her eyes and huffed off, stomping across the dirt.
Ethan took a deep breath in and let it out before following her. She was walking fast, either because of the cold or to get away from him, he wasn't sure. Probably both. He let her have some space. She was obviously struggling with not finding her brother right away. He knew that his presence wasn't helping with her state of mind.
The counselor house was a cute little building built off to the side of the regular house. It was off enough that the people inside would have a little privacy for themselves yet be close enough to where the kids were to keep an eye on them. They checked both doors and found them locked.
“I don't think they're in here,” Ethan said, peeking into the windows. The drapes hadn't been installed yet, so they could see into the empty building easily. There wasn't any furniture yet, and all the windows were shut.
Laura slammed her hand into the side of the house. It looked like it hurt she hit it so hard, but she didn't make a sound. She just looked up to the sky and took a shaky breath in.
A single snowflake floated down and landed on her cheek.
That was when she started to cry.
Chapter 8
Laura
Laura knew that the drone of the airplane engine ringing in her ears wasn't real. She knew it was just her own mind reminding her of what terrible things could happen. She'd started hearing that horrible engine anytime she was too quiet. It was the sound of loss.
She had to find Dallas. She needed her brother to be okay and safe. She was supposed to watch out for him. She was supposed to keep him safe. Mom and Dad had asked her to. They asked her before they left. They put it in their wills that she would watch over Dallas and Ivy if anything happened to them.
And she was failing.
She had only been in charge for a few months and she had already lost Dallas. He was out there, wandering around in the snow. He was cold and scared. She'd lost him. What was she going to tell Ivy?
Laura looked up, trying to see the airplane making the noise in her mind. A snowflake landed on her cheek.
And now it was snowing. Her brother was lost in the snow.
She couldn't have stopped the tears if she tried. The engine droned through her mind, telling her that she was going to lose everything she cared about. She tried to keep the sobs of terror and loss inside, to keep them where she was in control, but it was no use. Her body shook and couldn't contain them.
She didn't want Ethan to see her like this. She didn't want anyone to see her break like this, but especially not him. Of all the people in all the world, he was the last person she wanted to see her fall apart.
But, somehow, she was in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug and holding him to her. He whispered into her hair. She wasn't sure what he was saying, but it sounded comforting. It sounded safe. He was solid beneath her. The engines stopped humming as he held her close. He made her feel safe for the first time in months.
She cried into his shoulder, breathing in the scent of him. He smelled so good, just like he did at the Christmas party.
But, he didn't want her. His secretary had made that abundantly clear. He had changed his number just so he wouldn't have to deal with her. This comforting was just pity. He felt sorry for her.
She pushed him away and wiped at her face, turning into the wind. She didn't want his pity. She didn't need it.
“I have to find my brother.” The words hurt coming out of her raw throat.
“Laura,” he said, reaching out to touch her. She shied away from his touch. The last thing she wanted was for him to feel bad for her. He slowly brought his hand back to his side. “We'll find him.”
A fresh sob grew in her chest. “But where? Where is he? He could be anywhere!” She motioned to the mountains behind her, but even they were hidden with the snow coming down. “I have to find my brother. My parents need me to keep him safe.”
“Your parents will understand,” he said. “I'm sure they'll tell you it's not your fault.”
She turned on him, anger replacing despair.
“No they won't!” Her voice came out shrill and high. “They're dead. They can't tell me anything.”
His eyes went wide and his mouth opened and then shut. He cast about for a moment before finding the words he was supposed to say. “I'm sorry.”
She wrapped her arms around her. She took a deep breath. This wasn't his fault. He was doing his best to help.
“That's why I have to find him,” she said quietly, looking at the snow collecting on the grass. “I'm supposed to watch out for him. I'm not just his big sister. I'm his parent now. I'm supposed to make sure he's okay.”
Tears rolled down her face. They were hot, but as soon as the wind hit them they grew cold on her face. She tried to stop, but they just kept coming out of her eyes. He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. The touch was gentle and kind. She thought about pulling away, but his touch was warm and she needed it in this cold world.
“We'll find him. I promise.”
“How can you promise that?” she asked. They'd been searching everywhere and hadn't found him yet.
“Because I can,” he told her. “I'll get helicopters and the whole Denver Search and Rescue team up here. We'll find him.”
Laura lifted her eyes to his. He meant his words. His light green eyes held determination and honesty. He wasn't going to let her down. A little of his strength flowed into her and she nodded. She didn't dare open her mouth or she knew she'd just start crying again.
He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Let's keep looking, okay?”
She nodded. He moved to her side, guiding her to search in a new area. The snow was coming down harder now. It already coated the grass and was making the rocks and dirt wet. She tried not to think about what was going to happen when night came and everything froze.
“Did you know that Pluto isn't a planet anymore?” Ethan asked.
She frowned and looked up at him. “Yeah? Doesn't everybody?”
“No. I just found out today.” He shrugged and let out a long-suffering sigh. “My whole childhood was a lie.”
She chuckled at his melodrama, and he smiled at her. He was obviously trying to cheer her up and get her mind off her brother. She was grateful.
“Thank you,” she said, tucking her chin into her coat to hide her smile.
“For what?” he asked. “Crushing your hopes and dreams about Pluto, too?”
She smiled again.
Together, they circled the house one more time. They checked the doors just to make sure, but nothing changed. They were no closer to finding her brother. The snow continued to come down, hiding the world in white. It was so quiet now that it felt like they were the only two people left in the world.
“Let's go check over there,” Ethan suggested, pointing to a supply shed. It seemed like a good place to look. Two kids could easily hide inside of it, especially if they wanted to get out of the storm. She nodded and together they leaned into the wind and walked over.
Ethan pulled the shed door open. Laura looked anxiously inside to see just a wheelbarrow, a couple of shovels, and some bags of dirt for the summer. There were no boys and no dog. She blinked hard as she stepped inside to look again, just in case.
The shed was sheltered from the wind, so it was warmer inside. It smelled of sawdust and dirt, which made Laura's nose i
tch slightly. She stood in the center of the small storage shed and tried to pull herself together. Darkness pulled at her core, telling her that this was the end of things. Her brother was gone. She'd lost him and it was all her fault.
And then Ethan squeezed her arm, bringing her back to the present. His touch centered her. It comforted her. When he touched her, it didn't feel quite as terrible. There was hope when he held her. She let out a shaky breath.
“We'll find them,” he promised her again, as if reading her mind. She nodded, more because it felt like what she was supposed to do rather than she believed it.
“We found them!” the radio at Ethan's hip squawked. Laura's entire brain laser focused to the voice at Ethan's hip. He grabbed the walkie-talkie and held it up between the two of them. “This is Ella and Jace! We found the boys! We found them!”
Laura's heart started and stopped about three times. She forgot how to breathe. She forgot how to stand. The dark despair inside of her vanished so quickly it left her dizzy.
“They were out in the back field,” Ella explained over the walkie talkie, her voice bubbling with excitement. “Jupiter hurt his paw and they didn't know how to get him back home. We've got them and we're coming in! Over.”
Ella reached for the radio. She didn't even take it from Ethan, she just hit the talk button. “Dallas is with you, right? He's okay?”
“He's just a little cold,” Ella told her. “We'll be back at the main house in just a few minutes. Over and out.”
Laura stared at the walkie-talkie. Ethan was still holding it, but her hand was wrapped his. She felt giddy and light. She wasn't sure if she was about to start laughing, or crying, but either way she was on top of the world.
“He's okay,” she whispered. She felt like singing and dancing. Her little brother was okay. She wasn't going to have to go home to another empty room. She wasn't going to have to donate someone else's things again. There wasn't going to be a funeral.
“See? I told you we'd find them,” Ethan said, his smile big. He looked genuinely happy for her.
It might have been the smile. It was probably just excitement and nerves. Laura wasn't sure what made her do it, but she didn't stop to think. She just leaned forward, put her hands on either side of his face, and kissed him.
Chapter 9
Laura
The kiss blew all thoughts out of her mind. The way his lips pressed against hers, the way his hands instinctively cupped her body, and the heat of his touch all had her thinking of only one thing. Ethan.
It threw her off, completely. Despite the snow falling all around her, despite the fact that she had to get back to scold her brother, her thoughts flooded back to that night at the party.
One year ago...
She pulled him out of the Rocks, Crystals, and Gem exhibit and toward the back of the museum. She'd looked at the maps of the museum when she arrived, and she had a pretty good idea of where she was headed. It was supposed to be up the stairs and by the “Creatures of the Pacific Northwest“ exhibit.
“Where are you taking me?” Ethan asked, his voice amused as they went further into the museum. Most of the guests were either dancing or drinking, so the exhibits were empty and quiet. “I don't know if we should try another exhibit. That security guard is probably watching us to make sure we don't go at it again.”
“I have a better idea,” she said, pulling him down a hallway.
He pulled back gently. “The bathrooms?”
“Better,” she said, motioning to a room just past the bathrooms. “A mother's room.”
“A mother's room?” He frowned slightly but kept following her.
“It's for nursing mothers to have a quiet place to feed their kids,” she explained. She stopped at the door to the mother's room. “But I haven't seen any nursing mothers and their kids here tonight, so we should have it all to ourselves.”
He grinned as she pushed open the door. Inside was a comfortable looking couch, a rocking chair, a changing table, and a sink. It didn't look like it had been used at all.
“No cameras in here either,” he said as he stepped inside. Laura grinned and followed him in. She made sure to lock the door behind her.
The room was quiet, but they could hear the far away beat of the music through the walls of the museum. Laura was glad. It meant that no one would hear them in here over the music if anyone even came up to this level of the museum.
Ethan took off his jacket and loosened his tie while he smiled at her. She grinned back, stepping toward him. His suit gave him an air of sophistication, but it did not to hide his confident, bad-boy smirk. They met in the middle of the small room in a kiss. Her arms wrapped around his neck and he held her waist while tasted one another.
He tasted like sweet wine. She couldn't get enough of him. His lips, his tongue, his skin- it all tasted amazing, and she wanted all of it.
Laura wasn't usually the type for one-night-stands with almost-strangers. She was more of a 4th date to get to home plate, and she really had to feel a connection with them. She'd only really been with two other men in her life, and she'd been sure she was in love with both of them.
And neither one of them had made her feel like this. She'd never had this kind of heat coursing through her at just a single kiss. She'd never felt the urge to get him inside of her as soon as possible because it was the only thing that would stop the growing ache between her legs.
This was a one-night-stand, but it was the most turned on she'd ever been in her life.
The back of her legs ran into the couch. She hadn't been aware of even moving. She bent her knees, sitting on the comfortable love seat. Gently, he leaned her back, so her head rested on the seat cushion.
His mouth found her neck, and she moaned low as he nipped at the delicate skin. He kissed down her throat, finding his way to her collarbone and down to the fabric of her dress. He didn't stop there.
With a flick of his fingers, he had the straps of her dress off her shoulders. A gentle tug and the dress was down around her waist, baring her breasts to him in one smooth motion.
He continued to kiss downward, with a low growl of approval at what he found. She arched her back as he kissed her breasts, stopping to lick her nipples until they were hard in his mouth. His face held just the barest hint of stubble that made the sensation of his face against her skin her only focus.
He paused for just a moment to look up at her, a smirk in his eyes as he reached for the hem of her skirt. It didn't take much to push it up to her waist, baring the simple gray thong she'd worn underneath. His fingers danced across the tiny triangle of silky material, and she gasped. Every touch only turned her on more.
Dipping his head, he kissed her again, moving his fingers in slow circles across the tiny fabric of her panties. She gasped, arching her hips into him. “More,” she begged, her voice hoarse with desire. “Don't stop.”
He kissed her again, and hooked his finger under the fabric and pushed it to the side. His thumb found her again, only the bare skin and the heat of his thumb nearly sent her skittering over the edge. She hummed with pleasure as he worked his fingers, pleasuring her with every movement.
Her body started to tense. Her eyes closed and her eyelids began to flutter. She tipped her hips upward, waiting for the sweet release of pleasure she knew was coming, but then he stopped.
“What? Don't stop,” she gasped, opening her eyes and looking down. He simply grinned, his thumb still pressed against her but still.
“Be patient,” he told her. He hooked his fingers around the thin waistband of the thong and pulled down. She pouted, knowing she was so close to orgasming, and yet so far. She lifted her hips, and he slid the underwear off her legs.
Once she was free of her underwear, he resumed the circles with his thumb, only this time, he used his fingers too. First, one finger slipped inside of her, making her gasp, then two. He worked them in and out, still making the circles with the pad of his thumb.
She climbed to orgasm quicker this
time, but just as she closed her eyes to find it, he stopped again. His fingers stayed inside of her and his thumb still, teasing her with how close she was. She rocked her hips, trying to finish the last few needed swirls herself, but it was no use.
She glared at him.
“Be patient,” he told her again, his smile far too confident and knowing. She stuck out her lower lip, and he chuckled. “This is the last time, I promise.”
Slowly, he started the motions again. She soared up to climax this time, her body already knowing the way. She froze, her body staggering over the precipice into pure pleasure. This time, he didn't stop. He kept circling his thumb and working his fingers.
The orgasm that followed blew her mind. Stars and galaxies streamed past as her body shook and spiraled with pleasure. It never seemed to end. The bliss just went on for what felt like forever. A forever of absolute perfection.
“Death by orgasm,” she whispered once her body remembered how to breathe again. She opened her eyes to see him grinning. “You were right. It was worth the wait.”
He leaned forward and kissed her, pressing his fingers into her again. She moaned into his kiss, but she didn't want his fingers anymore. She needed him.
“It's your turn,” she said, pushing his hand away. She sat up and shimmied the rest of the way out of her dress while he stood.
She reached for his tie, pulling him into a standing kiss. She stood there in nothing but her heels, holding his tie and kissing him. He wrapped his arm around her, pressing her naked body into his suit. It felt naughty and sexy.
She pushed back and undid the buttons on his shirt as he undid his belt buckle and fly. She pushed the fine blue linen off his chest, and he shrugged out of the arms. The white undershirt was off in a second, leaving only his tie on his perfectly sculpted chest.
She let herself look for a moment as he stepped out of his pants and stood before her in only his briefs and his tie. She knew he wasn't lying about his climbing abilities. His muscles were lean and defined in his arms and chest. His abs tightened as he let a long breath out and she realized that he was looking at her as much as she was looking at him.