Ethan's Song

Home > Other > Ethan's Song > Page 10
Ethan's Song Page 10

by Jan Carol


  comforted her the best he knew how, patting the hand

  his still covered. "How long ago did this happen?

  Where?" Did he sense her need to talk?

  "It’s been almost a year, in Atlanta." With a hint of

  a smile she looked up at him, remembering. "I freaked."

  She confessed to him in a squeak. "I absolutely went out

  of my head. I spent several days in the hospital. I don’t

  remember much about it, just the awful screams and the

  heat I can’t forget." The look on her face said she was in

  the past, remembering what would never leave her mind. "I’m grateful to that person who pulled you from it.

  You have a wonderful voice. I enjoyed listening to you

  during dinner last night." Both his hands now held the

  one he picked up from her lap. One of his thumbs

  stroked her left ring finger. "Single?" A small nod came

  from her, then her eyes were on something else, other

  than his. "Not engaged?" Again she answered with just

  a movement of her head, negatively. "Lucky me, then.

  You aren’t serious about anyone, are you?" She moved

  her eyes to his, nodding her head. "Oh." He sounded

  very disappointed. "That’s a shame. Always my luck.

  Who might be the lucky one?"

  "Me." Ethan stood behind the man, watching as he

  dropped her hand back to her lap and stood to face his

  host. "Jenà?" Ethan questioned her state.

  "Ethan!" The man stuck out his hand, shaking his

  host’s as if it had been a long time since they’d met.

  Though he pretended to be happy to see him, he was

  disappointed at his loss. "Why is it that you always seem

  to have all the luck with the pretty women?" He

  chuckled, walking away from the couple.

  "Everything is fine now." Ethan assured her. "He

  wasn’t bothering you, was he?" The look on her face

  was a mixture of emotions, he felt unsure of his friend’s

  intentions, not able to understand what her expression

  was saying.

  "No. Actually he helped me through a pretty rough

  time." She explain briefly what had happened, wishing

  she had thanked the man for staying, talking her through

  her fears.

  "I’m glad he was here." Squatting as the man had

  been doing, and in the same place, Ethan spoke

  sincerely, though the look on his face said something

  completely different. "I have some things to attend to.

  You can go back down to your rooms, if you wish. I’ll

  bet you’re hungry." She shook her head. "Alright."

  Standing, he pulled her from the chair. "I’ll be down as

  soon as I have things straightened out."

  "Please, Ethan." Her voice and eyes begged him to

  understand. "I don’t want to start things over again." She

  knew he would get her meaning. As she took several

  steps away, she felt his hand on her arm, gently stopping

  her. "I mean it, Mr. Ayers."

  "Jenà, you are so mixed up." His eyes sparkled at

  her. "I’m going to have to help you sort it out." His lips

  then touched hers long enough to make her want more. Without answering, she walked away from him,

  going to the stairs. She was mixed up, more than he

  knew. She wanted to find that place again, the one where

  he wouldn’t be able to find her. But at the same time,

  she wanted to be waiting for him in his room. She was

  sure that was where he wanted to find her.

  Slowly she went down the stairs. Fear mixed with

  excitement stayed with her. She knew many of the men

  in her life had wanted her, and maybe as strongly as

  Ethan did. But she hadn’t wanted them. They would

  have given her the world. What was Ethan offering her? Inside her rooms, she went to her drawers for

  something to change into. The cameo top was the first

  thing she found, and a growing pain began gnawing at

  her stomach. Yes, she wanted to be in his bed when he

  came back. Letting her feet take her to the bathroom, she

  quickly undressed, putting the lacy things on for him. Back at her dresser, she found her favorite perfume,

  spraying it very sparingly in the right places. Leaving the

  door open between their rooms, she wanted him to

  wonder where he would find her. If an unlocked door

  was an invitation, as he had warned, what would the

  open door signify to him?

  In his bedroom, her skin tingled as she took off the

  short, silky robe and lay it across the chair. Pulling back

  his covers, she slid between the sheets that he had slept

  in not so many hours ago. She could smell him as she closed her eyes, picturing how he would look at her when he came in. His masculine scent mixed with cologne and soap, brought more tingling sensations to

  her insides.

  When she heard the first door close a short time

  later, she tensed a little, asking herself what she was

  doing. It was too late now. He was in his sitting room.

  She heard him emptying his pockets of keys and other

  things he carried in them, placing them on his desk. He

  seemed to know exactly where she was, because he

  appeared in his doorway seconds later.

  "Jenà." He stood in the opening between the two

  rooms, leaning on the frame for just a few seconds. He had spoken her name in such a way that it sent

  a shock wave down her spine, creating deeper feelings

  for him. "Ethan, I..." She was going to tell him she didn’t

  know what she was doing there, but she couldn’t. She

  closed her eyes, remaining very still in the waterbed. The

  trembling, was it from the desire she felt for the man

  who stood looking at her as she pictured he would, or for

  fear that he would take her obvious offer for what it was. She opened her eyes as he slowly walked toward his

  bed, having pushed the door closed quietly. He began

  undressing, never taking his eyes off her. The covers

  were over her breasts, but her shoulders were uncovered,

  and he could see that she was wearing the lacy top she

  had pulled from her dresser so long ago, or so it seemed.

  He had pictured her just as she was so many times, that

  he questioned the reality of it now.

  "Ethan..." She began again, the fear she felt was in

  her voice, but her breath caught in her throat as he took his shirt from his chest, exposing the upper half of his body to her. Again she closed her eyes, wanting to run her hands over that chest, around to his back, to feel his

  chest on her breasts, to feel all of him against her. "Sh-h-h." He knew she was frightened, but he could

  see the want in her eyes. As he continued slowly to the

  bed, he unbuckled his belt, undoing his pants. At the

  edge of the bed, he dropped them to the floor, as he

  reached for the covers, throwing them away from her

  nearly naked body.

  Her first thought was to recover herself, but she

  didn’t move. When he knelt beside her, she felt the

  mattress move, as the water shifted away from them. Her

  hands went instinctively to his chest, feeling the muscles

  as he continued to move, placing a knee on the other

  side of her.

  "Are you sure this is what you want?" He asked

  huskily as he lowered himself t
o her, kissing everything

  that was exposed to him, then moving to her lips before

  she could answer him. Ethan rolled to his back, taking

  her with him.

  "No." She whispered against his mouth, but then

  answered him very differently when she began kissing

  him as she always had, always would. She felt a

  shudder from his body as she moved her hands around

  his shoulders and chest. "Yes." She answered him again,

  quietly, feeling the excitement build in her. "I want you,

  Ethan."

  His breath became quick, yet halting as he began his

  gentle love making. Pulling her top up, he exposed a

  breast, which he began teasing. He was so gentle she relaxed under him when he rolled them both over again, letting him control her emotions. Up beside her ear, he

  whispered, "I love you, Jenà."

  She wanted to believe that. She wanted to return

  those words. But she was silent as she kissed all she

  could find within reach. He moaned as she brought his

  head back to where she could kiss his lips. So much for

  letting him control her!

  <<<< >>>>

  SHE HADN’T seen him so relaxed, nor had she felt so complete as she lay in his arms. Beneath her fingers, his chest swelled as he took in a deep breath. His arms tightened around her, bringing her up to him. His slow, searching kiss caught her up in the love she knew she felt for him. "Tell me." He coaxed her, kissing her with great tenderness everywhere he could reach without moving.

  "What do you want me to tell you, Ethan?" With her eyes closed, she returned the kisses until he caught her lips again. The love was there, she was certain he could feel it.

  When he let her come up for air, he chuckled at the look on her face. "Tell me what you feel inside." He lightly tapped her chest where her heart beat beneath his fingertips. In a swift movement, he rolled her over, following. The motion of the bed moved them rhythmically together.

  "What I feel inside?" She echoed his words. "What do you think I feel?" She teased him, her growing passion was calling to him to love her again.

  "Tell me how much you love me, Jenà. Tell me it’s with all your heart. I need to hear that you return the love I have for you." As he whispered the words, he continued nibbling at her neck and ears, stopping to taste of her lips again.

  "Are you sure it’s me and not my sister?" The words she spoke hurt her, and she saw the expression on his face change, but she needed to know.

  Pushing himself above her, the look he gave her was hard. "Your sister was a young man’s dream, Jenà." All the tenderness had been pushed aside, and he let her know with his look that he didn’t want to hear that again. "I’m no longer that young man, and it’s you I hold in my arms. You, sweetheart, that I feel so deeply about." As he spoke, the gentleness returned.

  "I shouldn’t have asked, but I had to know. I love you, Ethan, with all my heart." Hearing it come from her lips just confirmed what she already knew was true. Here she lay in his bed, confessing the love she felt for him, and yet she knew so little about him.

  He kissed her with all he felt. Her response was overwhelming, he found it hard to control himself. He knew he had to be gentle with her, teach her everything she needed to know about him. Yet, the way he felt, he wanted all of her, right now. Taking a deep breath again, he pushed himself back from her once more, seeing a confused look come across her face. So accepting she was of him.

  "Are you hungry?" He had to take his mind off of his feelings and concentrate on her needs.

  "I am." She confessed with a grin. "But what I really want is right above me. Kiss me, Ethan," she begged him. "Let me know how much you love me. I need to know that." Her words went through him, sending shivers down his back where her hands were moving.

  "Before that, darling little tease, I want some answers." His tone and expression had changed. He had gone completely serious, making her wonder what she had done wrong this time. Moving from her again, he lay on his side, propped up on an elbow. His fingers were running up and down her arm. "Will you marry me? And if so, how soon? And where? How shall we spend our honeymoon?" He fired the questions at her so fast, she was dumbfounded by his suddenness.

  "But..." Her voice stopped there, her lips still moving slightly, mostly from the trembling that was bringing tears to her eyes.

  To stop the trembling of her lips, he pressed his against them. Then looking into her eyes, he continued speaking to her. "I have never felt what I did that night I grabbed you up in that first kiss. When I saw you fighting Mr. Marx off, I knew you’d be a challenge, and I love a good challenge." In his eyes she could see the truth of what he was telling her.

  "I knew that about you. I was afraid you would want me because I posed a great challenge to you." She lay still beside him, wanting to hear more.

  "You became even more of a challenge when you promised so much in your kisses, then turned me down when I wanted to make love to you. I admit you cooled me down when you said you were a virgin." His fingers trailed down the middle of her stomach, circling her navel.

  "I thought having an untouched woman was every man’s dream." She teased, reaching up to his chest, spreading her fingers in the fine hair.

  "I still wanted your body, sweetheart." He let her know without a doubt. "I wanted you so bad, I couldn’t think of anything else. But the thought of taking that purity... Spoiling the clean, sweetness of you..." His fingers left hot streaks, as hers were now doing on his back. "Though you spoke readiness with everything you possessed, I knew you weren’t. I had to prime you, so to speak." His grin was boyish.

  "And when you came down here this morning to find me waiting in your bed? Were you not surprised?" She moved toward him, arching her back to press closer.

  "I was." His confession came with a chuckle. "You told me you didn’t want to start again, and I was going to leave it at that, for now." Taking her movement as being what it was, he rolled over her, kissing her. "Surprise isn’t the word I felt when I saw the door open, then found you here." He was kissing her passionately again, taking all she was offering.

  <<<< >>>>

  WHEN SHE awoke, she was alone. The room was totally dark. He had shut off the light when he left her. A disappointment fell heavy over her as she lay in his bed, wondering where he was.

  After a good stretch, she stood, turning on the lamp beside the bed. The door was closed to his sitting room. Her thoughts were on taking a shower, then going out to look for him to ask why he had left her.

  A towel wrapped around her, she walked back into the lighted room, a smile finding her lips when she saw him sitting in the chair he had taken to the side of the bed, a cart of food before him.

  "It’s almost a replay. Different room, same setting, different feelings," she mused, her voice teasing him as she walked to his side. "You could have warned me that you were leaving." She placed her hand on his shoulder.

  "You were sleeping so peacefully, I didn’t want to disturb you." He put his arm around her hips, pulling her down onto his lap. "You are hungry for food now, aren’t you?"

  Her arms around his neck, she kissed him before answering. "Maybe I could sit through a meal with you." She reached over to uncover one dish. "And this is?" She asked looking at the concoction.

  "It’s something from the island. With the kitchen a mess, it wasn’t easy to find these dishes, much less something to put into them." Lifting a cover, he found dark grapes in the dish. Picking one up, she opened her mouth as he set it on her tongue. "Most the pantry was destroyed. Edward’s quick thinking had the fire under control before I got up there." His fingers toyed with the top of the towel until it came loose. "You are the most desirable woman I’ve ever known, Jenà." He kissed her shoulder as she tried a bit of the food before them.

  "This is good. Have you tried it?" She was trying her best to ignore what he was doing to her.

&
nbsp; "You didn’t answer any of my questions, sweetheart." He continued assaulting her as the towel was pushed down by his chin.

  "Did you ask something?" Putting the food down, she turned in his lap, looking into the golden flecked, brown eyes.

  "You haven’t said you would, where or how long I have to wait." He closed his eyes as he teased one nipple then the other.

  In an almost inaudible voice, she spoke to him. "I thought you brought this tray down so we could eat." Her breathing became quite rapid, her voice very sexy.

  "I’m sorry, Jenà, I get carried away every time I’m near you." His hands put the towel back over her, holding it up. "I want to marry you, now, on this island, then send the ship home while we stay here until you are ready to go home."

  "What island?" Her eyes took on a different look. "I don’t remember seeing land when I was up there worrying about you being in the kitchen.

  "One of the details I had to take care of before I came down to find you." Picking up two grapes, he placed one in her mouth, the other in his. "We weren’t far away. While we were there," his eyes moved to his bed, "they were carrying out orders upstairs. We are among the Bahamas." Using just his fingers, he drew the islands on her bare shoulder as he told her their location. "Right here," he pointed to the middle of his drawing, "is where I want to get married. You haven’t answered me, Jenà." He kissed the spot where he pointed.

  "Ethan, what do you know about me, and viseversa?" She knew of the love she had for him. But was it totally enough? "So quick to give up your freedom, are you, Mr. Ayers?"

  "For you, Miss Wisdom, I would give up everything I have." His eyes sparkled with the words he spoke. "I realize there’s been so little time, but you know, as I do, that we were made for each other. We belong together." He accepted the food she offered him.

  "I know I gave to you all that was precious to me, because of the love I feel for you. That, Mr. Ayers, I couldn’t give to any other man." Again she fed him a bite, then took one for herself. "I want to say yes, truly I do. But there’s something that won’t let me. Some doubt that I can’t shake. My mind keeps asking if it will last. Will you be happy with me the rest of our lives, and me you. I don’t want to go through a divorce like Darlene did. It’s what killed her."

  Quietly he spoke then. "I didn’t know she was married." He felt compassion for all the things this woman had been through in so short a life. He wanted to take her home, protect her from everything bad in the world, but he knew that wasn’t entirely possible.

 

‹ Prev