The Sweetest Temptation

by Rochelle Alers

  “I wanted to hear you play. Promise me the next time we come here you’ll sit in with the band.”

  Looping an arm around her waist, Ethan pulled Faith to his side. “I promise, sweetness.”

  He smiled when she went completely pliant against his length. Faith was talking about returning to North Philly with him when he’d refused to think beyond tonight. He didn’t know what had come over him when he asked Faith to spend the night at his house. He just didn’t want to spend three or four hours with her, then say goodbye, but days and weeks. He wanted her to see him exclusively, because the thought of her with another man made him a little crazy, kept him a little off balance.

  Pressing a button on a remote device, Ethan unlocked the doors to his car. Waiting until Faith was seated and belted in, he closed the door and rounded the vehicle. The night wouldn’t end when he took her back to Greenwich Village—it was about to begin.

  * * *

  Faith couldn’t come up with an excuse why she shouldn’t spend the night with Ethan by the time she returned to New York City to change her clothes and pack a bag for her overnight stay in New Jersey. They’d stopped at a twenty-four-hour supermarket that was stocked with everything she needed to prepare her Lowcountry breakfast and Chinese-themed dinner. At the last possible moment, she selected two bouquets of pale pink lilies as a centerpiece. Whenever she met her cousins for their biweekly get-togethers it was Simone who always provided the floral arrangements.

  “Are we there yet?” she intoned when Ethan increased his speed along a four-lane highway.

  Ethan gave her a quick glance. “Living in Manhattan has spoiled you. I bet when you grew up in Mount Vernon you didn’t walk out of your house to find a supermarket, deli or greengrocer around the corner.”

  “No, but I didn’t have to drive more than a mile to get to one.”

  He patted her knee covered by a pair of jeans. “We’re almost there.” Ten minutes later the attendant in the gatehouse waved to him as the retractable stanchions lowered, and Ethan drove through. “I’ll bring in the groceries after I show you your bedroom,” he told Faith when he parked inside the attached garage.

  “I’ll help you.”

  “No, you won’t,” he countered, “because the bags are too heavy.”

  Faith unbuckled her seat belt. “They wouldn’t have been that heavy if you hadn’t tried putting everything into three bags.”

  Ethan got out and came around to assist her. “I’d rather carry three bags than a dozen.” Tightening his hold on her hand, he eased Faith to her feet. “Walking from the garage to the house more than twice is a waste of time.”

  Smiling and inching closer, Faith tilted her chin. “What’s your hurry, darling? Are you trying to send me off to bed because you have a hot date with another woman?” she teased with a wide grin.

  His expression stilled. “Is that what you believe? That I’d bring you here, then go off to see another woman?” She placed her hand alongside his face, but he caught her wrist, pulling it away.

  Her smile faded. “Don’t be so serious, Ethan. I was only teasing.”

  With wide eyes, Ethan stared at her as if she were a complete stranger. Didn’t she know? Did she not know he was serious about her? He hadn’t come on to her, because he wanted Faith to trust him, wanted her to believe he wasn’t drawn to her because of sex. That was something he could get from a complete stranger.

  He released her wrist. “But I am serious, Faith. Very, very serious when it comes to you and me.”

  There was a swollen silence as Faith stared at the man staring back at her. He was serious and she wasn’t. She did not want a repeat of her past relationships with men whom she initially had thought would become the one with whom she would share her future.

  She wanted what her parents and aunt and uncle had, she wanted what Tessa and Micah had found, what his parents shared. She wanted a man she could trust unconditionally, a man whom she would marry and bear his children and a man whom she’d grow old and spend the rest of her life with. However, she’d dated too many men, and with disappointing results.

  “It’s not going to work, Ethan.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “Why, Faith? Because you say it won’t work?”

  She closed her eyes and bit down on her lower lip. “It’s never worked for me.”

  Resting his hands on her shoulders, Ethan pulled her flush against his body. “Open your eyes, sweetness.” Her lashes fluttered wildly before she met his gaze. “There are no guarantees in life, but there is one thing that I’ll swear to and that is I will never deliberately hurt you. And I’m serious as a heart attack when I say that I want to see you exclusively.”

  Faith swallowed a gasp. Ethan had suddenly turned the tables, because in the past she was the one who wanted exclusivity, a commitment. “Where were you when I was looking for exclusivity?”

  Twin dimples winked at her when he smiled. “Even if we’d met before, I doubt whether we would’ve hit it off because you probably were involved growing your business, while I was going through changes deciding whether to give up flying.”

  “You’re right,” Faith agreed. The reason she’d dated so many men was because most of them saw her as driven, too ambitious. The exception was her pastry instructor. He’d understood her drive, and he’d also wanted to control her.

  Taking her hand, Ethan led Faith up the six steps to the door that led directly into the kitchen. Within seconds of opening the door a shrieking sound rent the air. Punching in a code on the wall keypad, he deactivated the security alarm.

  Faith walked into a kitchen that would meet any gourmet chef’s expectations. The towering ceiling claimed a quartet of skylights, while the color of the black-and-white ceramic floor tiles was repeated in white cabinets, black appliances and granite countertops. Gleaming pots and pans were suspended from a rack over a cooking island with a stovetop grill and six burners. There were two dishwashers, two eye-level ovens, double stainless-steel sinks and another oven with a warming drawer.

  She stared at the French-door-refrigerator, then turned to look at Ethan, who’d draped his jacket over the back of one of the stools pulled up under the island with a place setting for one. “You don’t cook, yet you have a refrigerator with a built-in television.”

  He gave her a sheepish grin. “I only turn it on when I don’t want to miss a game.”

  She rolled her eyes upward. “Don’t tell me you’re a football fanatic?”

  “I happen to be a fan of football, basketball and baseball.”

  “What about soccer and hockey?”

  “I’ll watch them, too.”

  Faith groaned inwardly. There was no doubt Ethan would get along quite well with the men in her family. They talked and walked sports year-round. “I just want to warn you that I don’t do sports.”

  Ethan pulled Faith into an embrace. “I’d never ask you to do something you don’t want to do. I suppose I’ll have to ask someone else if they want to go with me to see the Nets or Yankees.”

  “You have tickets to see the Yankees?”

  “I thought you didn’t do sports.”

  “I don’t play sports, Ethan. I said nothing about becoming a spectator.”

  He angled his head. “I suppose I could take you whenever you’re not working.”

  “Speaking of working, how do you get so much time off?”

  Ethan sobered. “What are you talking about?”

  “You’re a driver, and I thought weekends were the busiest times of the week for private car services.”

  He lowered his head until their lips were inches apart. “I have a wonderful boss, plus I have seniority. So, whenever I want time off, I’m fortunate enough to get it. I don’t believe it,” he crooned without pausing to take a breath.

  Faith wanted to look away, but couldn’t. “What?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “I’ve never kissed you.”

  She blinked once. “Are you asking whether you can kiss me?”

&n
bsp; “Yes, I am.” He smiled. “May I?”

  Her smile matched his, bringing his gaze to linger on her parted lips. “Yes, you may.”

  Faith had just permitted Ethan the opening he needed to take their relationship to another level. She’d given him permission to touch her. Angling his head, he slanted his mouth over hers, caressing, tasting, sampling her sweet, sexy mouth.

  Succumbing to the gentleness of his mouth, Faith pressed her lips to his. Her arms went around his waist inside his jacket, deepening the kiss as his tongue eased slowly into her mouth. Everything around them stood still as she lost herself in the soothing, healing joining.

  She sank into the warmth of the man holding her close to his heart. A slow, creeping desire swirled through her body. She felt a longing that made her want to remain in Ethan’s embrace until she gorged herself on his sensuality. The tantalizing smell of his cologne, the solid wall of his chest and the mastery of his tongue made her knees weak, yet somehow she found the strength to drag her lips away from his. Burying her face against his throat, Faith waited for her breathing to return to normal.

  Ethan felt Faith trembling and wondered if he was moving too quickly. It was only their second date—actually the first if he didn’t count their dinner at the Rainbow Room. He didn’t want her to believe he’d invited her to his home in order to seduce her, because that wasn’t his style. He’d become wary of women since his divorce. However, there was something about Faith Whitfield that lowered his defenses.

  “Did you invite me here to seduce me?”

  Easing back, he stared down at Faith with an incredulous look on his face. Had she read his mind? “That wasn’t my intent,” he admitted, “but after kissing you I’ve changed my mind.”

  Faith placed her fingers over his mouth. “We can’t. I can’t.”

  He pulled her hand down, smiling. “You don’t have to, sweet thing. Not until you’re ready.”

  Her gaze met his. “What if I’m never ready?”

  “Then we won’t. We can hang out together without having sex.”

  She shook her head. “I’m not that naive, Ethan. Most men, if they’re normal and straight, won’t date a woman without expecting to sleep with her.”

  “Do you sleep with every man you date?” Faith didn’t want to tell him that she’d only had two serious relationships. Both were wonderful until she slept with them, then they became Dr. Jekyll. Their possessiveness, jealousy and controlling behavior made her life miserable. After a while she began blaming herself. What was it that turned them from princes to frogs once she opened her legs to them? “No.”

  Cradling her face in his hands, Ethan dropped a kiss on her hair. “I’m not going to put any pressure on you to sleep with me. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to refuse if you ask.”

  Faith forced a smile. “At least we know where we stand with each other.”

  Ethan nodded. “We toasted to trust and openness, and that’s what we’ll have. Come. Let me show you to your room. I’ll bring in your bag, then I’ll put away the groceries.”

  “I’ll help you with the groceries.”

  “That’s not necessary. I know how to wash vegetables before storing them in the refrigerator.”

  “Don’t put the shrimp in the freezer.”

  Looping an arm around Faith’s waist, he led her out of the kitchen to the front of the house and the staircase leading to the second story. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Are you also going to arrange the flowers?”

  “No, ma’am. I’m a little deficient when it comes to flower arranging.”

  “You have to see my cousin Simone’s arrangements. She can make a bouquet of weeds look like orchids.”

  “We all have our gifts, darling.”

  Faith didn’t visibly react to his endearment, because Ethan had called her dessert lady, sweetness, sweet thing and now darling. Did he toss around endearments, or did he really think of her as his darling?

  He led her down a carpeted hallway to a room on the right. “This is your bedroom. The bathroom is through the door on your left.” Flipping a wall switch in the bedroom, light glowed from a table in a sitting area. An oversize chaise was positioned under a window covered with pale blinds in a honeycomb design.

  Walking into the room, Faith stared numbly at the carefully chosen furnishings. It wasn’t as much a bedroom as a bed chamber. A handsome mahogany four-poster bed, covered with pillows and goose-down quilts over a vintage linen bed skirt, invited her to sleep away the hours. The mahogany furniture was repeated in the dressing table and chair and another round table with two pull-up tapestry-covered chairs. The table was the perfect place to enjoy an early-morning or late-night cup of coffee.

  “It’s beautiful, Ethan.”

  He inclined his head. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll be right back with your bag.”

  Faith nodded. What she’d seen of Ethan’s house was exquisite, and she wondered whether he’d selected the furnishings or employed the services of a professional decorator. She was standing in the same spot when he returned with her bag. She took it from him, smiling.

  “Thank you.”

  Staring down at her, he angled his head. “There’s no clock in this room, so what time do you want to get up?”

  “If I’m not up by nine, then come and get me.”

  Taking a step, Ethan leaned closer and kissed her cheek. “Good night, sweet thing.”

  A gentle smile softened Faith’s mouth. “Good night.” She waited until he turned and walked out of the bedroom, closing the door behind him before making her way to the bathroom. Her smile became a full grin when she spied the bathtub. Despite the lateness of the hour, she planned to fill the tub with scented bath oil and relax. She loved her apartment, but the only drawback was not having a bathtub.

  Walking back into the bedroom, she hung her jacket in a closet. Three quarters of an hour later, Faith lay in the tub with a pillow cradled under her head as water swirled around her body.

  I could get used to this, she mused, not opening her eyes. In fact, it was very easy to get used to Ethan McMillan. He allowed her the space she needed not to feel overwhelmed by his presence.

  Even though she’d told herself that there was no room in her busy life for romance, she wanted a romantic relationship with a man. Her eyes opened and she stared up at the ceiling. She’d dimmed the recessed lights. He’s a prince, a voice whispered in her head.

  Faith shook her head. She’d allowed her thoughts to surface. Did she think Ethan was a prince because she’d been without a man for too long? Or did she want him to be one because she missed the intimacy of sleeping with a man?

  She quickly banished her thoughts. Only time would tell if Ethan was the one. And the reckoning would come when they went away for Valentine’s Day weekend. Then she would know without a doubt whether she would continue to see him.

  Reaching for a bath sponge, she filled it with a liberal squeeze of creamy bath wash and began soaping her throat and chest. Slowly, deliberately, she washed and rinsed her body. It was after one when she finally pulled back the quilt and slipped between crisp, scented Egyptian cotton sheets.

  Faith sighed once, closed her eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber.

  CHAPTER 10

  Ethan glanced at the clock on the microwave for the third time. He’d alternated watching the clock and listening for Faith’s footfalls since nine o’clock. Stirring restlessly on the stool near the cooking island, he finally turned the page on the Arts and Leisure section of the Sunday Times.

  When he’d left his bedroom earlier that morning, the door to her bedroom was closed. He’d contemplated knocking on the door, but changed his mind because she could’ve been in bed, in the bathroom or dressing. His relationship with her was much too new and fragile to walk in on her if she were half-dressed.

  The image of Faith naked flashed through his mind, forcing him to smother a groan. Covering his face with his hands, he tried imagining the sight of her long legs, t
he narrowness of her waist, the firmness of her round breasts and the velvety smoothness of her sable-brown skin.

  “Good morning, Ethan. Sorry I overslept.”

  The object of his musings’ dulcet voice came from somewhere behind him. Shifting on the stool, he stared at Faith. She looked fantastic. Her unmade face, ice-blue tank top with a pair of matching stretch pants and sock-covered feet gave her a laid-back appearance. There was something about her dressed-down look that made her more approachable. She’d tucked her cell phone into her waistband.

  Rising from the stool, he closed the distance between them, leaned over and brushed a light kiss over her mouth. “Good morning.” The heat from her body seeped through his T-shirt. “Hush, baby. There’s no need to apologize about oversleeping. It’s obvious you needed to rest.”

  “But I wanted to go to church early.”

  Cradling her face between his palms, Ethan trailed kisses along the column of her scented neck. “We have all day to go to church. The last mass is at five.”

  Faith braced her hands against Ethan’s chest. She wanted to tell him that he was too close and that he made it difficult for her to draw a normal breath. Before making her presence known, she’d stood at the entrance to the kitchen staring at the breadth of his broad shoulders under a white T-shirt. The well-defined muscles in his back visible through the cotton fabric and the slimness of his waist in a pair of low-ride jeans made her mouth go dry, constricted her throat and had her heart pounding in her chest like booming beats from a kettle drum. If he’d turned before she was able to acknowledge him he would’ve known with a glance that she’d been lusting after him.

  She forced a smile. “I’d like to be on my way home around that time.”

  Ethan lowered his hands and cradled her waist. “Spend another night with me,” he crooned. “I’ll take you back early tomorrow morning.”

  Resting her forehead on his shoulder, Faith inhaled the scent of clean laundry and the metallic fragrance of a sensual men’s cologne. The man holding her to his heart had showered, but neglected to shave. The stubble on his jaw only served to enhance his good looks. The color of the emerging beard verified that his graying hair had been a sandy-brown, not dark brown or black.