by Megan Ryder
Finally, he was seated to the hilt and he rested his forehead on hers, heavy breath mingling with hers. “Are you sure? I can’t go slow, Laney.”
She ran her hands down his back, gripping his buttocks, and wrapped her legs around him, seating him farther, wordlessly urging him on. He reared back and plunged deep again, wringing a low cry from her. Nature took over and he lost himself in the feel of her body, the sounds of her cries and the pounding of blood in his head. He lowered his head for a punishing kiss, their tongues mimicking their lovemaking. It only took a few quick thrusts, the tight squeezing of her inner muscles, before he was bellowing his release, her own orgasm echoing his. He collapsed on top of her, breathing hard, the raging wind and thunder from the storm keeping time with the rapid beating of his heart.
“Holy shit.” He barely got the words out between breaths.
“Ditto.” Barely a whisper, but the words arrowed straight to his heart.
He laid there for a moment then kissed her deeply and rolled over. She protested and reached for him, but her hand fell to the side, exhausted.
“Be right back.” He pushed himself to his feet and padded to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. When he returned, he slid next to her and pulled a blanket from the couch over both of them, gathering her into his arms until she was where she belonged, next to his heart, and fell asleep.
Delaney snuggled into Ethan’s furnace of a body, the warmth feeling good with the coolness from the air wafting around them. They had gone upstairs sometime in the night, to his bed, once the fire had burned down, made love one more time then fell into a dreamless sleep. She relaxed, satisfied and completely boneless, and that was only partly due to the amazing sex they had just shared. His arm wrapped about her midriff, anchoring her in place, and, for the first time in many years, she felt safe, secure, loved. It was different this time. They were different. Ethan had never made her feel safe. She hadn’t needed him to. The world was her oyster and she owned it all. She hadn’t realized how fleeting it had all been, how flimsy the world her life had been built upon actually was. Having been on her own for several years, responsible for her mother, she had a whole new perspective on everything.
She couldn’t help but think what would have happened if she had stayed with Ethan. Would they have been like this—teasing, passionate, friends? They had dated, had a good sex life, been friends, but now something was different. It was no longer expected that they would be together. They no longer had family expectations dictating their lives. They were each different people now, had different lives, different experiences. Maybe circumstances could be different too.
She shifted slightly, trying to face Ethan. He murmured and tightened his arm around her. She reached up with her hand and traced his cheek lightly with her fingertips, noting the new lines on his face, the more weathered look from working outside with the vines.
“Stop thinking so damn hard and go to sleep. Haven’t I tired you out enough?” he whispered in her ear and his cock stirred against her backside, reminding her how he could make her tired.
She chose that moment to yawn, a jaw popping sound, reminding her how little she had slept since receiving the invitation to the island. She turned over and burrowed closer, her head resting on his chest, the sound of his heart a soothing rhythm against her cheek. He shifted so she could settle in more comfortably, his arm across her back and holding her hip.
She sighed and let sleep overtake her.
Chapter Sixteen
Delaney was quiet as they drove to Galveston the next morning. After Ethan had satisfied himself that the vines and facilities had not received any damage from the storm or power outage, he agreed to head back to the island, leaving his farm manager to handle things until the power was fully restored. They had eaten a quick breakfast in silence, emotions still raw and exposed from their conversation the previous evening. Waking up in Ethan’s arms in his bed had been everything Delaney had wanted, still wanted, if she was admitting the truth. It would be so easy to slip back into old rhythms, familiar patterns, and accept everything Ethan was offering. But it wasn’t the same as before. They had both changed, both grown. He seemed to accept her for who she was now and wanted to try again.
Why did she hesitate?
She glanced at his profile, focused on the highway, not that there was much traffic between Hermitage Vines and Galveston. The muscles in his jaw clenched, the only outward sign of the tension he must also be feeling. As if sensing her regard, he turned a cool stare to her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she longed to stretch out a hand and smooth the lines from his face. Afraid of his reaction, she fisted her hand in her lap and turned back to the road.
Dammit, she wasn’t a coward. No, she had had her trial by fire and she had come out the other side stronger. If she wanted Ethan, she damn well was going to take him. But was that what she wanted? What about him going back to Houston? She could have her position back, have her revenge on all those people who turned their back on her, have the money and the status she had lost. Or they could stay on the vineyard, planting grapes and making wine, hiding. Was that any different than what she was doing now? Yes, it was different because she’d have Ethan, a man she still loved, had never stopped loving. Only now, she loved him as a woman, as the woman she now was, not the girl she had been. But what if he chose Houston? What would she do? Could she return there and take her place by his side?
She stretched a hand out and covered his hand on the gearshift, squeezing once for good measure. He turned his hand over and grasped hers in a firm grip.
They shared a look.
“Are you sure?”
She smiled and lifted his hand to her lips, kissing it. “Yes.”
A broad smile crossed his face, true happiness smoothing the lines of tension, turning back the clock on them. A wave of happiness crested over her, a sense of rightness, of belonging, for the first time. Not even before, when the world was at their feet, had everything felt so right, so good, so perfect.
She couldn’t help but wonder what would go wrong to destroy it?
The flight over had been smooth, the sky blue and clear after the tumultuous prior day. They had a good tailwind and made excellent time to the island. He circled the island once to survey the damage. Nothing major seemed obvious beyond some trees down, debris on the shores, and a slightly higher surf as the storm pulled south of the island. The side where the hotel was showed more damage, especially to the gardens and the trellis. They’d have a lot to do to get ready for Saturday.
The weather reflected his mood, light and happy. For the first time in many years, things seemed to click. He had Delaney back in his life, filling a hole that had never seemed to go away, even when it was filled with anger and resentment. But he still had a decision to make. Return to Houston and fulfill his father’s wishes or stay and run the vineyard. He hadn’t quite gotten a solid answer out of her about her future—Houston or the vineyard—and he had noted the careful wording of her response. But she hadn’t hesitated on trying a relationship again. Maybe this time they could make it. This time, maybe he could help her the way he should have back then, given her everything she should have had—his name, his loyalty, his protection.
He glanced at Delaney and thought back to their conversation the prior evening about his plans. She had worked so hard to reinvent herself, her life, and overcome the legacy of crime and pain left by her father. He could boost her the last bit of the way and bring her back to the life she was meant to have, the path she was on before everything crashed. If only he accepted his role in the firm and took up the Van Owen mantle at the firm and in society. Delaney would be elevated again and they would be together, reigning over the society that had rejected her.
And it had the added benefit of pissing off his stepmother, whose insults had not been ignored by Ethan in the years since the breakup. She would be forced to support Delaney and stand by while Delaney retook her place in society. The ultimate revenge for both of them.
He circled the airport and landed. Delaney waited while he settled the plane and they headed back to the house, hand in hand. When they got inside, it looked like an explosion had gone off in the living room and dining room. Tissue paper, small gift bags, and piles of travel accessories littered every surface.
Caroline emerged from the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand. She noted the hand-holding and grinned. “About time. Now, where are my candles?”
“In the truck. With everything else. I’ll get it.” Ethan beat a hasty retreat, leaving Delaney to answer any lingering, awkward questions.
When he got outside, Matthew stood by the truck, a serious expression on his face. He clicked the locks and opened the door. He started unloading, handing Matthew some of the boxes of candles.
“You okay, man?”
Matthew nodded. “You and Delaney?”
“News travels fast.” Ethan grunted as he lifted a couple of the boxes.
“Where’s it going? You back together again?” Matthew leaned against the bed of the truck and stared at Ethan, arms folded in front of him.
Ethan shrugged. “We’re going to try again. We never really resolved things and we realized there’s still something there.”
“You can resolve things without taking up again.” Matthew shifted. “Look, I get that you loved her but she ripped your heart out. Do you really know what you’re doing here?”
Ethan pulled out from the truck cab and glared at Matthew. “What are you saying? You think this is a mistake?”
Matthew shook his head. “I’m just saying you can’t go back again.”
“We’re not going back. We’re starting fresh, five years later.” Ethan straightened and planted his hands on his hips, letting out a frustrated breath. “Why are we arguing about this? I thought you’d be happy since it was your fiancée who started all of this matchmaking nonsense.”
“Really? She’s in Houston and you’re not. Does this mean you’re bowing to your father’s pressure and returning to Houston with Delaney at your side as your wife? How is that different?” Matthew put the box down and spread his arms out. “I love Delaney, you know that. But she destroyed you when she walked out on you, on all of us. You’re still trying to save her.”
Ethan was shaking his head even before Matthew had finished speaking. “No, I’m not saving her. She saved herself.”
“Then what are you doing?” Matthew’s words were soft, puncturing a hole in Ethan’s anger.
Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. “She makes me happy. I haven’t been happy since we broke up. Why do you have a problem with that?”
Matthew took a step forward and laid a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. “I am happy. I just wonder if you’re doing this for the right reasons. If you’re both doing this for the right reasons.”
“What are you saying?”
Matthew hesitated, as if choosing his words carefully. “Are you sure Delaney is in love with you or just wants a free ride back into society?”
“You think she’s using me? If she was doing that, do you really think she would have broken up with me years ago when she really needed my money?”
Matthew grimaced. “I know. Just be sure this time, okay? I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
Ethan slammed the door of the truck. “I’ve got this. And don’t say anything to Delaney, okay? I don’t need you upsetting her.”
Matthew followed Ethan toward the house. “I never wanted to hurt either one of you. I’m just worried about you both.”
Ethan continued into the house, ignoring his friend, anger coursing through him. But the words echoed his own unspoken and unacknowledged fears. Did she want him for herself or his position? Did he care or did he just want her back in his life?
Chapter Seventeen
Thursday passed in a flurry of pre-wedding activities—guest gift bags, cleaning up the outside of the hotel, and putting together centerpieces for the tables. The day was marred by only one huge fight, when Brigid was summoned back to Houston on her legal case. Caroline was furious, especially when Matthew backed up Brigid. No one knew if Brigid would be back in time for the wedding, even though she promised. Grady took off for the hotel and repairs and everyone scattered. By dinnertime, everyone was tired, but the mood was still upbeat and it looked like Caroline had at least two successful matches, while they all avoided the topic of Brigid. They all separated to get ready for the bridal party dinner, the last time they would all be together alone.
Delaney slipped into her Donna Karan cream silk sheath dress and twisted around to reach the zipper. Another set of hands replaced hers and zipped her up. Ethan then placed something around her neck. She fingered the necklace and walked to a mirror to check it out. Her hand caressed a piece of rare, blue sea glass wrapped in silver and dangling from a silver chain. Tears stung her eyes and she turned to Ethan.
“I thought we gave this to Caroline after the scavenger hunt?”
He smiled. “I stole it back and had the jeweler set it last night.”
“So, that’s why we had to stop in Galveston again? Why didn’t you tell me?”
He smiled sheepishly. “I wanted it to be a surprise. You’re not disappointed, are you?”
“Why would I be disappointed?”
“You deserve diamonds.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and tugged his head down to her. “No, Ethan. This is perfect. I don’t need diamonds or jewels. I need you. Only you.”
She pressed her lips to his in a sweet, nonsexual kiss that rapidly heated up. He dragged her up against him, pressing her into his arousal. She wound her hands around his neck, burying her fingers in his hair, holding him in place. Finally, they broke apart, breathing heavily.
“We don’t have time for this.” His voice was filled with regret.
She glanced at the clock. “Are you sure?”
He laughed. “Positive. Let’s go before we miss it completely.”
Much later, the group was gathered around their favorite spot, the fire pit on the patio. No one seemed to want to go to bed, wanting to prolong the intimacy of the group before the insanity began the next morning. Caroline and Matthew seemed tense, on edge, not like a couple about to be married. Caroline passed it off as the stress of the wedding, but she barely touched dinner and turned in early, saying she had a headache.
Ethan stood and held out his hand to Delaney. “Want to take a walk on the beach?”
Delaney took his hand and stood, ignoring the smirks of the remaining couples. Ethan wrapped her in his jacket and retook her hand. They walked across the grass to the dunes and the soft beach. Delaney slipped her shoes off to walk barefoot in the sand, holding her shoes in her opposite hand. The moonlight reflected on the waves softly rolling in. They walked quietly, enjoying the night and the silence, not wanting to disrupt the peace by talking. Finally, Ethan broke the silence.
“I’ve made a decision.” He stopped and drew her in front of him.
“What decision is that?”
He took a deep breath and held both of her hands. “I’m going back to Houston.”
His words sent conflicting emotions through her. Fear, excitement, anger, happiness. Everything rolled up into one conflicting mass of emotion tumbling inside her. She pulled her hands out from his grasp and turned away, pulling his jacket around her tighter, clinging to it like a lifeline in the sea of swirling emotion. She walked a few steps away, the ripples of the ocean licking at her feet. After a few moments, Ethan joined her, hands in his po
cket, silent as he padded next to her.
After a few long moments, he spoke. “I thought you’d be happy.”
How did she feel? How could explain the conflict warring inside her, fighting for dominance? What could she say? For so long, she had wanted her old life back, her money, her status, but somewhere along the way in the past five years, that dream died. She didn’t know where that had happened, or when, but it was dead and buried so deeply she wasn’t sure she could resurrect it, or if she wanted to. She didn’t want to go back to being the old Delaney Winters, the spoiled, selfish girl who had everything handed to her. Her life was far from perfect and she struggled more than she was comfortable but it was all hers. She had earned it and the pressure was off. No one reminding her how to act, how to talk, how to be a Winters. She could just be Delaney and that was enough. But if she went back with Ethan, she’d be in the same old pattern again except she’d have the lodestone of the Winters’ name attached and that could drag them both down until they drowned under the resentment and pressures. Could she really do that to Ethan? Wasn’t that why she walked away the first time?
As the silence dragged on, she had to say something. Ethan shifted restlessly next to her, but he didn’t push.
“I’m happy for you, if that’s what you want.” Her voice was soft, tentative, still testing their fragile union.
Ethan made a sound of annoyance. He grabbed her shoulder and turned her to face him, both of his hands grasping her upper arms. He leaned forward to look her directly in the eyes. “I am happy. I’m doing this for us. Once back in Houston, we’ll have the life we were meant to have. Your mother won’t have to worry about people rejecting her. And you can do anything you want. We’ll be a team again. And my dad had been sick so this will help him too. It helps everyone.”