by Alice Ward
I leaned into him. “I’ve been here longer than anywhere else. But home has never been a particular place for me. Wherever the people you love are, that’s home. And I love you, Ethan.”
“Everyone else you love is here,” he reminded me. “I feel selfish for asking you to leave them.”
“No law says we can’t move back when you finally do retire,” I pointed out.
Ethan relaxed against the back of the couch and pulled me to his chest. “You know we’ve spent a lot of time talking about the future, but we’ve been dancing around one particular topic.”
“What topic is that?” I asked, already knowing exactly what he was talking about.
“Well, you’re willing to move away with me. You’re talking about moving back together years down the road… but neither of us have ever mentioned the ‘m’ word.”
I snuggled closer. “I just assumed we were on the same page about that.”
“Oh yeah? What page are you on?” he asked playfully, squeezing me a little tighter.
“The page where we get married and live happily ever after. What page are you on?” I leaned back and stared at him, pretending to be worried.
“That page, baby. Definitely that page.” My stomach twisted as he cupped my cheeks in his hands and kissed me hard on the lips. He pulled away, suddenly giddy with excitement. “Did we just get engaged?”
“I think so,” I agreed with a grin, happiness coming out of every pore.
“Do you want me to get down on one knee and do this the right way?”
I shook my head. The corners of my mouth ached from smiling so hard, but I couldn’t stop.
“I think the way it happened is perfect, thank you very much. It was exactly like the way we met… unplanned, unexpected, and exactly what was supposed to happen.” I kissed him again, slowly this time, reveling in the way his body felt against mine and the knowledge we’d be together forever. Ethan kissed me back just as passionately before pulling away in a sudden panic.
“Shit, was I supposed to ask for Walt’s permission?”
“No,” I assured him with an amused grin. “He’d see that as archaic. He won’t be ‘giving me away’ either, though I’m sure he’ll walk me down the aisle.”
“Let’s go ring shopping,” Ethan insisted. He kissed me again, then pushed me off his lap and moved for his keys.
“Slow down,” I teased. “We can’t so much as have a cup of coffee together right now, remember? What do you think your parents will do if they wake up tomorrow to see pictures of us ring shopping all over the internet? Besides, it’s like ten-forty-five. Jewelers aren’t open.”
“You’re right,” he agreed, sinking back onto the sofa. “I’m just too excited. I want to make this official and put a ring on your finger before you change your mind.”
“That’s the last thing you ever have to worry about,” I assured him. I snuggled up close again and looked into his clear blue eyes.
“This has been hands down the best day of my life. This morning, I was terrified I’d be carted off to prison any day. I was afraid we didn’t have a future. And now… now everything is so perfect. I love you so much, Ethan.”
“I love you too, Emily. And I’m committed to making sure you have the perfect future you deserve.”
I crawled back onto Ethan’s lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. I lowered my face to his, teasing his skin with my lips.
“I think a celebration is in order, Mr. McAlister,” I whispered.
Ethan shivered beneath me and ran one hand up the back of my neck, cradling my head.
“I think you’re right, Mrs. McAlister-to-be,” he replied before pressing his mouth into mine.
We moved together with fluid motions until I was on my back with Ethan hovering above me. I fumbled with the buttons of his dress shirt, unable to see what I was doing because I refused to take my lips off of his.
“Just rip it,” he directed urgently, dropping his lips to my neck. He teased it with long, passionate kisses and then sat up as I gripped either side of his collar. I tugged hard, sending mother of pearl buttons in all directions and exposing his perfect, chiseled chest. Ethan pulled the shirt down his arms and tossed it to the floor as I ran my hands down his hard abs. He unfastened his belt and kicked off his slacks as I slipped my hand down his boxer shorts. I gripped his long, thick cock and stared up at his perfect body. Ethan closed his eyes, moaning in pleasure as I stroked him.
“Oh God, Emily. I want you right now.”
“Then take me.” I released him and stripped out of my clothes in record time, desperate to be filled. He stood and stepped out of his boxer shorts before lifting me into his arms. I wrapped my body around Ethan and his cock pressed into my pelvis. I lowered one hand and pushed the head of it inside me as Ethan carried me toward the bedroom.
“Oh Christ, Emily,” he said into my hair as he staggered down the hallway. He let me fall a little, impaling me deeper. I held Ethan tight and with each step he took, his cock rubbed against a different place inside me. When we finally reached the bed, Ethan laid me on my back and drove the rest of his shaft deep. I cried out with pleasure and pulled Ethan’s face to mine.
“Open your eyes,” I whispered. I tightened my pussy around him as I spoke and Ethan’s eyelids fluttered for a moment before opening. “I love you,” I told him. I was so happy and so emotional, it was all I could do not to break out in tears of joy. “And I love knowing that no matter what happens, we’ll have this for the rest of our lives. I’m going to make you so damn happy, Ethan McAlister,” I promised.
Ethan rocked in and out of me, never breaking eye contact. “I love you too, Emily. You’ve already made me the happiest man on Earth. If I had my way, we’d never leave this bed.”
He dropped his lips to my breasts, licking and teasing them as he thrust into me, harder and faster each time. He pinched one of my nipples between his teeth, the other between his fingers. I felt my eyes roll back in my head and he lifted his hand to my face.
“Eyes open,” he reminded me, stroking my cheekbone. I opened them and Ethan smiled, thrusting deeper. “Are you close, baby?”
He thrust again and I moaned, too overwhelmed with pleasure to form words.
“Me too,” he whispered back. He hovered above me and covered my face with soft kisses. I moved beneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust.
“I’m going to come,” he warned, his eyes fluttering.
I held his face and he focused his gaze on me. I wanted to tell him I was close too, to just keep doing exactly what he was doing. I couldn’t speak, but Ethan seemed to read them in my eyes. He lowered his lips to mine and kissed me, our tongues and mouths twisting. We came together. Our lips never parted. Our gaze never broke. It was one of the most beautiful moments of my life.
CHAPTER 12
“Emily, relax. You and Melissa have both had time to calm down. You just said yourself that talking things out went well yesterday. As soon as she gets here, we’ll break open the wine and you’ll see that everything’s back to normal,” Linda assured me.
I sank down onto her white sofa and stared at the pregame show. “I know you’re right about Melissa. I have a bad feeling about the game. I can’t stand the thought of Ethan being hurt and not being able to get to him.”
It was New Year’s Day, and I was at Linda’s house to watch Ethan’s bowl game. Henry’s mother had broken her leg two days before and was in Atlanta taking care of her, leaving just us girls. Melissa and I had spoken the night before, not wanting to carry our fight over into the new year.
“Ethan’s going to be fine. And look at it this way. If he gets a little bumped or bruised, the end of the season will be over soon. I still can’t believe you’re moving. Any ideas where you’re going yet?”
I shook my head. “It all depends on which team offers Ethan the best deal. He feels pretty confident that he’ll get multiple offers. But we won’t know for sure until he’s able to actually talk to people about it. We should
have a pretty good idea sometime around Easter.”
“That doesn’t give you much time to find a job,” Linda warned. “Are you thinking about taking a year off?”
“I hope not. We’ll be in a new city and Ethan will be working a lot, so I’ll need something to do with my time. And I can’t imagine doing anything else. I wouldn’t be a very good stay at home girlfriend.”
Linda gave me a sly smile. “Girlfriend?” she asked, her brow piqued with curiosity. “You’re willing to pick up and move God only knows where with the man. I’m pretty sure that makes you a little more than his girlfriend.”
“Says the woman whose boyfriend just picked up and moved here from Atlanta,” I teased back. I had every intention of telling my friends Ethan and I were engaged, but I wanted to wait until the three of us were all together. At that point, only Uncle Walt knew. He gave Ethan and me his blessing and started pitching the pros of a double wedding.
Linda frowned. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but Henry’s been in Atlanta almost as much as he’s been here.”
“Are you worried?” I asked, my voice full of sympathy.
“A little,” she confessed. “I don’t think he’s cheating on me or anything. But I think leaving his old life has been a little harder than he expected it to be.”
“I’m sure he’ll adjust,” I promised.
“I hope so.”
A knock echoed through the room and Linda rose to her feet. She padded across the polished oak floors and opened the door. Melissa stumbled in, her arms loaded with pizza boxes.
“Sorry I’m late,” she offered. She set the boxes down on the coffee table and struggled out of her bulky coat. “The pizza place screwed up our first order of wings, so I had to wait for the second batch. They threw in some free breadsticks though, so I forgave them. Did I miss kickoff?”
“No, you’re just in time.” I slid over on the couch, making room for my friends to join me. Linda disappeared into the kitchen and returned a few moments later with plates and a huge roll of paper towels. I uncorked the bottle of red, already waiting on the coffee table, and poured us each a glass.
“I can’t believe we’re having a football party,” Linda said with an amused grin. Like me, she’d never taken much interest in sports before I met Ethan.
“I can’t either,” Melissa agreed. “And I’d just like to say that this is awesome. It’s so weird to hear the two of you talk about interceptions and yard lines, but in the best possible way.”
“Want to hear something even weirder?” I asked.
“Always,” she replied, her voice piqued with intrigue.
“For the next few months, we’re going to be talking about things like centerpieces and maids of honor dresses,” I announced, my cheeks hurting with the enormity of my smile.
“What?” Melissa squealed.
“I knew it,” Linda added triumphantly.
“When did this happen?” Melissa pressed.
“Just a few days ago. Obviously, we won’t be making any public announcements for a while. Ethan and I were talking about our future, and it just sort of happened. I don’t have a ring yet or anything, but I’ve honestly never been happier.”
“I’m thrilled for you, Em,” Linda gushed.
“Me too,” Melissa added. “I can’t believe you’re marrying Ethan McAlister. This is all so insane.”
“I know. I keep expecting to wake up and realize that it’s all been a dream.”
“So we’re planning the wedding in the next few months?” Linda asked.
I nodded. “I want to do it before we move.”
“That makes sense,” she agreed. “You know we’ll help any way we can.”
“Of course we will. But right now, we’re missing kickoff,” Melissa announced. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume. Linda opened all of the food, and we gorged ourselves while watching Ethan lead his team to one of the most definitive wins in football history. The Stallions beat New Orleans seventy-two to seven. We opened a third bottle of wine to celebrate the victory.
“You know, Emily, this is a win for you too,” Melissa told me. “After the way Ethan played tonight, he’ll have his pick of teams once he leaves the Stallions. The two of you have an incredible future in front of you.”
***
“Good morning, sunshine,” Ethan greeted me as I stepped into the kitchen. Christmas vacation was over, and I was about to set off for my first day of work after Alfie’s incident. I was nervous but thrilled to be with my students again.
Ethan stood behind the stove, scrambling eggs. He folded them onto a plate, added fresh fruit and a yogurt parfait, and set the food on the kitchen table.
“Breakfast is served, darling.” He pulled out my chair and I smiled back at him as I sat down.
“You’re in a good mood,” I said, biting into a ripe strawberry.
“I’m in the best mood,” he agreed. “I’ve made a decision.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m hot right now, baby. You saw the way my offense crumbled during the bowl game. Newscasters are saying they’ve never seen a single player carry a team the way I did. Victor would look like a fool if he cut me, regardless of the reasons. So today, I’m going to tell my parents exactly where they can stick their opinions. And then, I’m going ring shopping.”
I gaped at him, another strawberry stuck between my lips, mid-bite. It dropped to my plate. “Are you sure about this?” I hesitated; my nerves were already on edge without the added pressure of dealing with the Montez’s. I wanted to go public with our engagement more than anything, but I worried Ethan was feeling a little too cocky after a string of big wins.
“I’m positive. If Victor tries to pull anything, we’ll go public with our side of the story. I think I know someone who’d put us in front of the camera,” he teased.
“I’m sure Melissa would love the story,” I agreed. “But we’re so close to the end of our original plan. I’m not sure rocking the boat is a good idea.”
“We’ll be fine, Emily. I promise. You’re just nervous about today. That’s completely normal after everything you’ve been through. But the moment your kids start filing into the classroom, your nerves will disappear. We’ve been through hell, Em. But it’s over now.”
I didn’t feel as confident as Ethan, but I wanted to. I was tired of the sneaking around and hushed phone calls. I decided to take a leap of faith. “Okay, baby. This is your career and your family we’re talking about. If you think it’s safe to tell them the truth, I’m in.”
He smiled and kissed the top of my head as I ate another bite of my eggs. “Perfect. Now, you don’t want to be late on your first day back. Eat your breakfast, and I’ll take you to your car.”
“Just think, baby,” I said with a smile. “This is the last time you’ll have to sneak me in and out of your house. No more hotel stays, no more takeout food.”
“I’m still very much in favor of takeout food,” he teased. “But yes, no more sneaking around. In fact, I think we should make a public spectacle of ourselves in the very near future.”
***
Ethan was right. The moment my students started arriving that morning, all of my nervous energy disappeared. They greeted me with wide smiles and squeals of delight, begging me to never leave them again. Under the advice of the school counselor, my kindergarteners weren’t told that my absence had anything to do with what happened to Alfie. They asked me where I’d been, and I told them I had some grown up stuff I had to take care of. They accepted my simple explanation and asked if we could have a longer than normal story time, as their substitute hadn’t been a fan of reading out loud.
“She played books on tape, Miss Kinkaid,” Parker Murphy complained, his pudgy lower lip turned down in the most adorable pout. “It wasn’t good.”
“We’ll definitely have extra-long story time,” I promised.
The morning was fairly uneventful, and the kids and I happily fell back into our old routine. As Pri
ncipal Matthews had predicted, the school board had put me on probation instead of reinstating me completely. But fortunately for me, they appointed Linda to supervise me. I was required to check in with her twice a day, and she had been asked to pop into my room unannounced periodically. So really, it was if nothing had changed at all.
I wasn’t on recess duty, so I was able to take a little time to myself after my class finished eating lunch. I walked the abandoned halls, picturing the man who’d broken into my classroom and trying to understand his motives. Knowing someone had invaded the school so easily was unsettling, and I couldn’t get it off of my mind. Distracted, I walked straight into Ben as he stepped out of the gymnasium. It took us each a moment to recover from being startled, and then we stared at each other awkwardly.
“Hey, Emily,” he finally spoke, shoving his hands into the front pocket of his baggy athletic pants. “How’s your first day back going?”
“Pretty good,” I replied, my voice light and easy. I no longer held any ill will toward Ben. He’d certainly screwed me over, and he’d acted like a child after Ethan and I got together. But given recent events, he was the least of my problems.
“I’m glad,” he said, his eyes shifting around the empty hallway. “Look, I know I’m a bastard for the way things ended between us. And I know cornering you in the breakroom and outside the assembly was way out of line. I… I didn’t handle things well, Emily. I’m sorry about that.”
“Apology accepted.”
“Really?” he pressed.
“Really,” I assured him and actually meant it. “Look, Ben, I was pissed by how things ended too. But in the long run, you did me a favor. Everything happened for a reason. I’m happy now… truly, almost disgustingly happy.”
“I’m glad to hear that, honestly. And I’m so glad they lifted your suspension. When I found out what happened to Alfie, I wanted to call and check on you. I never for a second believed that you poisoned that little boy, Em. I can’t imagine how being accused of it felt.”
“It wasn’t my finest moment,” I agreed. “I’m just happy Alfie doesn’t have any lasting damage. Though I don’t blame the Hollis family for deciding to homeschool.”