What Becca didn't know was what to wear. Had Ethan really meant to get comfortable, or was he using that phrase euphemistically, meaning she should change into something sexy? She stripped out of her dress and looked at herself again in the bedroom's full-length mirror. She'd purposely worn a pretty lace bra and panty set just in case. She could go out there in nothing but her underwear. That would certainly get his attention. Becca quickly discarded that thought as too forward, given that they had barely even revealed their feelings for each other.
Then her mind lit upon the perfect idea. She hurried over to where she had dropped her Victoria's Secret bag when she'd entered the room. Becca carefully unfolded the tissue paper and pulled out the silky white chemise and matching peignoir. They were much more elegant than her undergarments, while hopefully still conveying the message that she was his for the taking.
Becca removed her bra and slid the silken chemise over her head. The garment slithered down her body to just above her knees. She quickly donned the peignoir before taking another look at herself in the mirror. As she reached up to smooth a few stray hairs back into place, her hand trembled.
She swallowed hard. Her heart pounded like it was trying to leap out of her chest. She knew it was silly to be nervous–he was still the same Ethan, after all, the man she loved and trusted like no one else–but she couldn't seem to help herself. She'd waited for this moment for so long, and now that it was finally here, her mind failed her in knowing what to do. She went to the door and took a deep breath to calm her nerves before opening it and stepping into the living area.
The sight that met Becca's eyes made her gasp. A crackling fire burned in the hearth, casting a warm inviting glow over the sitting room. Its light was complemented by a half-dozen lit candles placed strategically around the room. The coffee table had been moved back against the wall to make space for a thick fur throw, which covered the floor in front of the fireplace. Several large throw pillows were piled at one end. Off to the side, a bottle of champagne was chilling in a bucket with two crystal flutes next to it.
Becca feasted on the scene before her. She couldn't have created a more romantic setting if she'd tried.
Her attention was suddenly diverted as Ethan strode from the kitchen carrying a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. He still wore the same polo shirt, but he had changed into jeans, and his feet were bare. Immediately, Becca felt self-conscious of her choice of attire.
The moment Ethan caught sight of her, he stopped in his tracks. His mouth slightly agape, his gaze traveled the length of her body and back up before settling on her face.
“I–I'm sorry,” Becca stammered. “I guess I'm a little under-dressed. I'll go change.”
She turned toward her room, but Ethan quickly set the plate on the dining table and was at her side in an instant. He grabbed her wrist, preventing her from leaving, and pulled her back against his chest, wrapping his arms around her waist. The warmth from his body surrounded her as he leaned down to murmur in her ear, “Maybe it's me who's overdressed.”
He chuckled before turning her to face him. The smile he wore lit up the room and warmed Becca all the way to her toes. As he held her gaze, Ethan lifted his hand to caress her cheek. “You don't need to change a thing. You're absolutely perfect the way you are.” He lowered his head until his face touched hers and whispered, “You're so beautiful you take my breath away.”
“Oh, Ethan.” All coherent thought had left Becca's mind. For the life of her, she couldn't think of another thing to say.
Ethan kissed her temple, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. “Are you cold, sweetheart?”
The timbre of his voice rumbled against her cheek. Still unable to speak, Becca simply nodded.
Ethan stepped back and took her hand in his. “Come over by the fire.”
He picked up the plate of strawberries and led her down into the sunken living room. After depositing the dish on the coffee table, he seated her on the fur rug.
He sat down facing her. Placing his hand on the other side of her legs, he leaned in close. His other hand trailed up and down her arm as he spoke. “I have a confession to make. The whole reason I brought you here is that I've been dying to tell you how much I love you for a long time.”
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Why didn't you tell me?” she asked softly.
His hand continued its lazy exploration back up her arm. “I was afraid you didn't feel the same way, and it would ruin our friendship.”
A little snort of laughter escaped her. “Me too. Edna kept telling me you loved me, but I didn't believe her.”
“You should have,” he murmured. “She's a wise woman.”
Ethan tucked a stray wisp of hair behind her ear and then cupped the side of her face. The look in his eyes was one of complete adoration. “Oh, Becca.” His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “I've been madly in love with you for so long it almost hurts to think about it.”
Becca brought her hand up to cover his and turned her head to plant a kiss in the center of his palm. “How long?” she asked softly.
“I'm not sure. I think I fell in love with you the day we met, but I didn't fully realize it until that night you came to me. The way you trusted me to take care of you warmed my heart.” He entwined his fingers with hers and nuzzled her cheek. “And waking up with you in my arms the next morning...” His voice trailed off on a sigh.
“I liked that too.” Her mouth turned up at the corners as she recalled how safe she'd felt in his arms.
After planting a soft kiss on her temple, he pulled back just far enough to gaze into her eyes. “Do you realize that was one year ago tonight?”
Becca thought about it for a moment. “You're right. It was,” she replied, rather surprised that he remembered the exact date. It had also been the day of her mom's funeral.
Becca experienced a brief moment of melancholy as she was reminded of her mother, but her joy over finally being with Ethan chased it away.
“Are you thinking about your mom?” Ethan asked gently.
Becca's head jerked up, and her eyes went wide with astonishment. “How did you know?”
“I thought I saw a little sadness in your eyes. You're a pretty easy person to read, you know.”
“Am I really that transparent?”
“Mm-hmm.” He smiled. “Well, sometimes anyway. I certainly didn't guess that you were in love with me, at least not until recently, and even then I had some doubts. Either you were really good at hiding it or I was too afraid to see it. But right now, everything you feel seems to be written on your face.”
“OK then, what am I thinking right now?”
“Well, let's see.” He looked contemplatively into her eyes. “You're thinking what an amazing, awesome guy I am, and how you can't wait to get me drunk, so you can take advantage of me.”
Becca gasped in shock. She snatched up one of the pillows and started beating him over the head with it.
Ethan fell back onto the stack of remaining pillows, laughing. He grabbed the pillow she was using to pummel him, trying to take it away from her, but with her having a death-grip on it, he only succeeded in pulling her down on top of him.
Ethan instantly stopped laughing, and his eyes went dark with desire. With one hand, he grasped the back of her head and raised up until his lips met hers. His other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. His lips waged a sensual assault on hers while his tongue teased playfully, until all coherent thought left Becca's mind. When he finally pulled back, he was panting hard and his eyes were heavy-lidded.
“Why did you stop?” Becca asked softly, barely able to form the words around her own erratic breathing.
“Because if I don't stop now, I might not be able to.”
“Oh.” Becca's single-syllable reply sounded lame even to her own ears. She had no idea how to take Ethan's response. Feeling uncertain, she slid off his chest, although his strong arm around her waist kept her anchored to his s
ide. Idly, she toyed with a button on his shirt. “Don't you want to...” She lowered her gaze as her voice trailed off in embarrassment.
“Becca, sweetheart, look at me,” he commanded huskily.
Unable to resist, she lifted her head. He looked into her eyes lovingly as his hand gently covered hers. His eyes never leaving hers, he slowly slid her palm down his chest, to his abdomen, and even lower still until she cupped the bulge in the front of his pants. Becca's breath hitched at the intimate contact.
“Does that feel like a man who doesn't want you?” he asked, still gazing deeply into her eyes.
Her mind devoid of words, she merely shook her head in reply. Finally, her eyes flicked down to where her hand still rested on his erection. She'd never touched a man like this before.
Her curiosity aroused, she began to lightly caress him through the fabric of his jeans, and his flesh seemed to swell and become even harder than it was before. She wondered what it would be like to touch him, skin to skin, without the thick denim in the way.
As she raised her hand to the button of his jeans, he grabbed her hand. “Stop,” he rasped.
Hurt washed over her at the harshness of the word, and she snatched her hand away.
Ethan lifted her chin to look her in the eye again. “Becca, honey,” he said, his voice softening, “make no mistake. I love you, and I want you like I've never wanted any woman in my life. God, you have no idea how many times you've made me hard like this. But there's something I promised myself I'd do before I make love to you.”
“What?” she asked, her brow wrinkled in confusion.
“Soon, sweetheart. I promise I'll get to that in a minute. It's another one of your surprises.”
Finally relaxing a little, she gave him a small smile. “Ethan, I don't know how many more surprises you could possibly give me.”
“I still have a few more up my sleeve.” He grinned impishly. “How about some champagne first?”
She nodded. “I'd like that.”
Ethan filled the champagne flutes from the chilled bottle in the ice bucket. He handed one to her and then reached for the plate of berries.
“Strawberry?” he offered with a quirked eyebrow.
“Please.” She eagerly reached for one only to have Ethan pull the plate away. “What–”
He picked up a plump berry and raised it to her lips. “Allow me.”
She bit into the sweet, chocolaty fruit. The pleasure bursting on her taste buds caused Becca to close her eyes and make a soft noise at the back of her throat. She opened her eyes again to see Ethan looking like he was being tortured–but in a good way.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are right now?”
Becca demurely tucked her hair behind her ear. Ethan's compliments always had a way of making her feel shy. “Nobody's ever called me sexy before.”
“Well, you are, and I plan on telling you that a lot more. So you better get used to it.”
He offered her the rest of the strawberry. As she bit it off from the stem, a trickle of juice ran down her chin. She reached up to wipe it away, but Ethan grabbed her hand and pulled it away.
He leaned in so close she could feel his heated breath on her cheek.
“I wanted to do this last night when you had chocolate on your face,” he whispered seductively.
His tongue lapped up the drop of juice and retraced its path back up to the corner of her mouth. Then his lips covered hers in a sensuous kiss. His tongue dipped inside as though searching for another taste of the sweet berry.
He pulled back a little and leaned his forehead against hers. “You're going to make me forget my promise,” he chided with a smile.
“That was nice.” She sighed. “You're a really good kisser.”
“Thanks. So are you,” he murmured while caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.
“Really? I don't have a lot of experience, you know.”
“You're a natural. And I fully intend to take care of that lack of experience.”
“Do you now?” she asked coyly.
Ethan leaned in until his lips nearly touched hers. “That sounds like a challenge,” he whispered in response before his mouth claimed hers once again.
His lips and tongue plundered hers with sensual abandon as he slowly laid her back onto the furry throw. He covered her body with his own, pressing her down into the softness of the pillows.
She wrapped her arms around his neck as he trailed kisses across her cheek to her ear. He gently nibbled on the lobe and the pulse point just beneath it. Her hands clasped his head, wanting to keep him there longer, and he obeyed her silent command, his lips and teeth continuing their tender ministrations before finally continuing their downward trek. His tongue dipped into the small hollow at the base of her throat.
Becca gasped as he placed tiny, feather-light kisses all along her collarbone. Her hands slid down to caress Ethan's chest. She hated that the fabric of his shirt was in the way, and began tugging it from the waistband of his jeans. When it was free, her hands slipped underneath to roam freely over the heated skin of his back, then around to his muscular chest and stomach.
Ethan groaned before lifting his head to look at her with eyes heavy-lidded with desire. His gaze traveled down to her breasts, which were heaving with her erratic breathing beneath the silky chemise.
He flicked one pebbled nipple through the fabric with the pad of his thumb, drawing a moan from her kiss-swollen lips. Ethan slipped the peignoir down one arm, raining kisses over her shoulder. He toyed with the strap of her gown before finally sliding it down as well. One finger glided along the upper swell of her breast above the falling chemise, sending tingling sensations throughout her body and moisture pooling between her legs. Then his lips replaced his fingertips as he kissed and licked a path across her chest while tugging her gown to her waist.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, his voice husky with desire as he gazed at her bare breasts. The combination of his heated stare and the cool air washing over her naked skin made her nipples harden even more.
Suddenly feeling shy, Becca resisted the urge to cover herself, and she was glad that she had when his hands cupped her breasts and he took one in his mouth. He alternated between suckling and swirling the tip with his tongue before switching to the other side.
Becca's fingers tangled in his hair and her back arched as she whimpered with need. Her legs moved restlessly. The soft hairs of the furry rug beneath and the coarse fabric of Ethan's jeans above abraded her already sensitive nerve endings, sending waves of pleasure through her body.
Her fingers trailed around the top of his waistband to the button at the front.
“Ethan, please make love to me,” she begged shamelessly while tugging at the stubborn closure.
Becca's fevered plea jolted Ethan out of his passion-drugged state. He'd very nearly lost control, despite trying to keep his promise. His breathing still erratic, he lifted his head to look into her eyes. The yearning and desire he saw mirrored there almost made him toss his promise out the window.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I can't,” he ground out through clenched teeth.
Her fingers stilled on his zipper. “Why?” she moaned in frustration.
“Shh.” He placed a finger to her lips. “Because I have something to ask you first.”
“What?”
Ethan could hardly stand the look of pained confusion on her face, but he knew that his next words would wipe it away. He turned onto his back, reclining against the pillows, then drew Becca into his arms, caressing her back while settling her head on his shoulder.
He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out his grandmother's ring. The small heart-shaped diamond flanked by two tiny rubies glinted in the firelight.
Becca's head popped up as a small gasp escaped her lips.
“Becca, the day we met at the animal shelter, I thought you were the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Even with a smudge of dirt on your
face and soaking wet from Buddy pushing you into the tub. That hasn't changed one bit. If anything, you've only become more beautiful the longer I've known you, because I've gotten to know the person inside too. Your kind, giving, caring heart reinforces my belief in the goodness of humanity. Your passion for animals equals, if not exceeds, my own. The quiet strength you've shown through all the curveballs that life threw at you this past year is inspiring. You being a hopeless romantic who can't live without your romance novels is utterly endearing. Sweetheart, everything about you makes you perfect for me. I know this may seem fast, but I've spent a whole year thinking about it. Becca, I'm deeply, truly, passionately in love with you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Almost the moment Ethan began his proposal, silent tears started coursing down Becca's face. “Yes,” she replied tearfully before flinging her arms around him. She clung to his neck, sobbing.
Ethan held her tightly as he placed kisses in the silky hair that smelled faintly of her floral-scented shampoo. He kissed her temple and then her ear before teasingly whispering into it, “So can I put this ring on your finger now?”
Once again, her head shot up. “Oh God, yes!” Her voice still quavered as she offered him a trembling hand.
Ethan slid the ring on her finger and pressed his lips to the back of her hand, all the while smiling like a besotted idiot. He rolled Becca to her back and covered her with his body. One more time, his lips locked with hers, stirring the embers of desire. Her hands slipped under his shirt, heating his body again too. He pressed his erection to her mound and rubbed against her as his mouth left hers to nibble the tender flesh of her throat.
“Will you please make love to me now, Ethan?”
Ethan stilled his body and leaned his forehead against hers before answering. “I know it might sound old-fashioned,” he answered, his voice hoarse with passion, “but I was thinking we should wait until we're married.”
Her response was a tortured moan.
His Heart's Desire Page 26