Arrogance suited him somehow, but it was my job as his fake fiancée to take him down a peg or two. “And unless I’m remembering incorrectly, in this day and age, it’s possible to stream pretty much any movie ever made—Rom-Coms included.”
Ethan stared at me and then chuckled. “Okay, you got me.” He picked up the remote and opened a menu on the TV screen. “Let’s see if we can find a compromise.”
A few moments later, a new movie came on, and in the opening scene, a familiar figure pointed a gun straight out at the camera. “James Bond?” I asked in disbelief. So much for getting away from car chases and shooting. I’d never watched an entire Bond film, but I’d seen plenty of violent snippets.
“But not just any James Bond. This is Casino Royale.”
“And that’s good because…?”
“That’s good because it’s filmed in London, Prague, Lake Como, Venice, and probably a bunch of other places on your itinerary.”
Oh. My head swiveled toward the screen involuntarily. The promise of seeing the places I’d soon be visiting was a pretty powerful temptation. “In that case, bring on the violence.”
Ethan laughed and put his arm around me, pulling me toward him.
And while I wasn’t expecting to become a 007 aficionado, I had to admit that sitting in a penthouse watching European scenery while snuggled up next to an incredibly attractive man was a pretty good ending to my first night away from my roommates.
After that, the newness of staying at Ethan’s place wore off, but only because the days were so full. Since I didn’t have to work, I made breakfast most mornings. I’d always been a morning person and a fairly decent cook, so I didn’t mind. Ethan claimed my omelets were the best in the world.
During the day, I worked with caterers or had a fitting for my dress, or met with Bridget to go over some of the thousands of details involved with the wedding plans. Twice, I went over to the old apartment to help Dan and Julie pack up. We got rid of quite a lot of things we didn’t know if we’d need once we got back. Over the years, we’d accumulated a lot of stuff.
We mostly talked about our trip, avoiding the subject of what would happen afterward. There’d be time enough to think about that toward the end of our year abroad.
In the evenings, Ethan made a point of picking up takeout on the way home from the office. He was still treating me to various world cuisines. Since we’d added Asia to the itinerary, he’d brought home Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, and Thai food. As we ate, he’d talk about the places he’d traveled with his grandparents when he was younger. Before he went off to the university, they’d often pulled him out of school for a week or two at a time for a trip. All told, he probably knew as much all the travel books up in my temporary bedroom.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad routine, spending my days planning for two major events—even though only one would happen. But the highlight of the day was sharing breakfast and dinner with Ethan. He was so easy to talk to. And he had a wicked sense of humor that could pop up at the most random moments. He kept me on my toes.
Even though I was beyond eager to start our trip, I wasn’t in any hurry for those days with Ethan to end. Because after they did, who knew when I’d see him again? Possibly never—a though which hurt too much to contemplate.
It was a shame there wasn’t more time to spend together, but the days passed quickly, until suddenly, it was the day before the rehearsal dinner.
Sixteen
Kate
“What’s all this?”
Ethan descended the steps as I put the final dish out on the table.
I blushed. “Back when we were studying up on each other, you said this was your favorite breakfast.”
He strode over to the dining room table. He had on black pants and dress shoes, but his gray shirt was completely open in the front, and his black tie hung loosely around his neck. Good god, his chest was impressive. He had some gym equipment in a room back by the laundry area, and it was clear he used it regularly. His abs were well defined and quite frankly, looked more delicious than the meal in front of us.
“Let’s see… eggs over easy, perfect. And bacon and pancakes, and wow, where’d you get the blueberry syrup?”
“Your grandmother told me where she used to buy it for you when you were young.”
“Thank you for doing all this.” Ethan touched my arm and then gave me a kiss on the cheek before sitting down.
My face flushed as I brought over two cups of coffee and then joined him. This all felt so… domesticated. And intimate. We were living in separate bedrooms, but our mealtimes, at least, made it seem like we were really a couple.
“Delicious,” Ethan said. He’d attacked the big stack of pancakes first. Halfway through, he set his fork down and looked over at me. My fingers ached to wipe away a small spot of blueberry syrup from his lower lip. Or maybe my fingers just ached to touch his lip.
“What’s on your agenda for today?” He took a sip of coffee. His shirt was still unbuttoned. I half wished I could push it the rest of the way off, dribble syrup all over his pecs and abs, and have him for breakfast instead of the pancakes.
Crap, what was wrong with me? This was the man I’d breaking up with tomorrow night. A man I wouldn’t see for at least a year—possibly never again. That thought put an end to my lustful imaginings pretty quickly.
“Kate?”
“Sorry. I was thinking about—I mean, today I’ll spend most of the day at your grandparents’ place getting ready for the rehearsal dinner.” Unlike the wedding, which wasn’t going to happen, the dinner tomorrow night definitely would. The menu was set and the Grants’ ballroom was being prepared, but there was still a lot to do.
“But you’ll be there all day Friday, too, right?”
“Yeah.” The dress I’d wear to the rehearsal dinner was already at the Grants’ mansion. I’d spend most of the day there taking care of last minute details and getting ready. Bridget had gone all out, arranging for a manicurist and a hairdresser to come out in the afternoon. The thought that it would be my last day seeing Ethan’s grandmother was also a painful one.
My face must’ve shown some of my feelings, because Ethan said, “It’s almost over.”
But that wasn’t exactly a comforting thought. Part of me wished we’d set the wedding for a month later—then I could’ve spent more time with Ethan. But it still would’ve ended with the same outcome, so I suppose it didn’t make much difference.
Except I didn’t really want it to end.
“What time is your flight on Saturday?”
Saturday. What was supposed to be my wedding day. My heart ached at the thought of that beautiful pavilion by the lake. I’d visited there once at sunset—the view was spectacular. “Six fifty. We had trouble getting seats together on the later flights.”
Ethan finished his meal with one last strip of bacon. “You didn’t eat much.”
I attempted a laugh. “Aren’t women supposed to diet before their wedding?”
His eyes swept up and down my white t-shirt and tan slacks. “Not ones who look like you do.”
Taking a sip of coffee to hide my confusion, I thought about his words. A routine compliment for a woman who was helping him out? Or something more?
“Tell you what… since you didn’t eat very much, and since you made this amazing breakfast in the first place, tonight we’ll have whatever you like. Has there been any takeout—or any restaurant—you’d like to have again?”
I thought about it. I’d loved pretty much all the places he’d taken me. “Surprise me.”
“Okay, I’ll do that.” He stood up and washed his hands as I cleared away some of the dishes. When he buttoned up his shirt and tucked it into his pants, I couldn’t help but stare at the way his hand dipped into his waistband. I wished it were my hand. And I wished I knew how to tie a tie so that I could volunteer to do that for him. Not that he wasn’t perfectly capable of doing so himself, but if I were close enough to tie his tie, it woul
d almost be like being in his arms. Which was a place I hadn’t spent nearly enough time in.
A half hour after I got back at the penthouse that evening, Ethan arrived accompanied by a large brown bag and an absolutely heavenly aroma. “I went with Moretti’s. I got Fettuccine Alfredo. For some reason, comfort food seemed to be in order this evening. And wine, of course.”
“Wine’s comforting.”
He set the bag down on the table and then turned back to me. His eyes swept over me once and then twice. “You look beautiful.”
“Thanks,” I said a bit self-consciously. Since it was our last night together here, I’d dressed up, putting on a silky white button-down blouse, a tan pencil skirt, and heels. My hair was loose, but I’d taken extra time with it and with my makeup. It was nice to know that Ethan appreciated the effort. He always looked so damn good, it almost made my dressing up pointless, but now I was glad I had.
The pasta was delicious, but our conversation didn’t seem to flow. Neither one of us wanted to talk about the wedding, and for once, I was reluctant to talk about my trip. Because setting off on the trip of a lifetime meant leaving the man of my dreams.
Mostly, we talked about inconsequential things. And drank wine.
The pasta was incredible, but the dessert was even better. “Oh my god, this tiramisu... I don’t remember it being that good when we ate at Moretti’s.”
Ethan looked a little sheepish for a moment. “I got from a pastry shop in Little Italy. It’s supposed to be the best in town.”
Wow. He’d gone to two different restaurants just to make this meal special? What a sweet man. An over-the-top, hot-as-hell sexy man, but a sweet one nonetheless. “More like the best in the world.”
“Wait until you try it when you’re in the real Italy.” His expression clouded a little, and mine probably did too. It was hard to believe this was our last night together.
“There’s something else, too.” Now his expression went from slightly sheepish to downright self-conscious. What was going on? I’d never seen him like this before.
He’d taken off his suit coat at the start of dinner, resting it on the back of nearby chair. Now, he reached over and plucked something out of an interior pocket. “This is for you.”
It was a fuzzy gray box—the kind that usually held jewelry. I stared at him in astonishment for a moment before taking it from him. “What’s this?”
“Open it,” he said.
First, I set the box on the table. My eyes never left it as I carefully wiped my fingers with my napkin. Not that I frequently got jewelry, but to me, the box looked too small for a necklace and too big for a ring.
I opened the lid and instantly a beam of light reflected off whatever was, just like it often did off the engagement ring. Peering closer, I gasped. Diamonds.
Gently, I ran a finger over the little jewels. It was a diamond bracelet. Good god, why was he giving me this? It had to cost—actually, I had no idea, but it had to be very expensive. Was it something for the rehearsal dinner? Something for me to give back when I returned the ring? It couldn’t be for me to keep—could it?
When I made no move to do so, Ethan reached over and took it out of the box, balancing the delicate little circle on two of his fingers.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said, my voice a whisper. “So gorgeous. But… why?”
Ethan took my hand and laid the strand of diamonds across my wrist. Automatically, I twisted my arm so that he could fasten it. Once he had, I held up my hand, staring at the delicate little bracelet. It was exquisite, each diamond encircled by smaller stones. It actually reminded me a lot of his grandmother’s engagement ring, and I wondered where he’d gotten it.
But where wasn’t the most pressing question at the moment. “It’s beautiful. Beyond beautiful. But… I don’t understand why…”
He took my hand in his. “It looks good on you.” For a moment, that seemed like all he was going to say, but then he looked at my pleading eyes. I really needed to know what this meant, if anything.
Ethan sighed. “I wanted you to have something to keep since I have to take back the engagement ring tomorrow night. I feel bad about that, so I wanted to give you something you didn’t have to give back.”
Good lord, this was for me? To keep? But—it was diamonds. I couldn’t accept that, could I? But tears threatened to spill over my lower lashes at the thought that he’d wanted to give it to me. I blinked so he wouldn’t see. “It’s—I mean, thank you. It’s lovely. But it’s too much. You didn’t have to do this.”
“I guess it’s a little something to remember me by.”
“Thank you.” The words came out of my mouth automatically, but my mind rebelled. I didn’t want something to remember him by, I wanted him. But I knew I couldn’t have him. I was leaving in less than forty-eight hours. For an entire year. And yes, I wanted to go… but that didn’t mean I wanted to leave Ethan.
For a moment, I glanced at my left hand. The diamond on my finger wasn’t the real deal. It represented Walter’s love for Bridget, not Ethan’s love for me. The diamonds on my wrist were from Ethan, but I didn’t know what they meant. Guilt? Gratitude? Friendship? Possibly something more? But even if it did mean more, it was too late. Tomorrow night, we’d break up. By Saturday evening, there’d be an ocean between us.
Ethan’s eyes were on me when I looked up. “It looks nice on you.” He cleared his throat. “It’s our last night… want to go out somewhere? A club or something? Or we could stay in and watch a movie.”
“I’d like to stay in.” A movie might help take my mind off the pain of losing the man next to me. For a few minutes.
Ethan held out his hand, and I took it, rising to my feet. For a moment, I was unsteady as I fought for balance. I hadn’t had that much wine, but it had been a while since I’d worn shoes this tall. Ethan put his other hand on my arm to steady me, and before I knew it, I was in his embrace.
Closing my eyes, I pressed my face against his dark gray dress shirt, inhaling his sandalwood scent. Would this be the last time I was this close to him? He wrapped his arms around me, and I could feel each of his long, warm fingers through my thin silk shirt.
He lifted one hand to my hair, stroking it like my brown waves were a prized possession. God, I just wanted to stay burrowed here against him forever. No rehearsal dinner. No messy, public breakup. No leaving him.
But if this was the last time I was going to be in his arms, then maybe I should make the most of it. I ran my hand up his chest and brushed my fingers lightly over the sexy stubble on his jawline. Then to his bottom lip. It was so warm and soft. And suddenly I needed to kiss him so badly it was almost a physical ache.
Even as I raised my face, his was dipping down, meeting me halfway. Our lips met and all my worries receded. At this moment, the only thing that mattered was his mouth on mine. His arms around me. His hard, long body pressed against me.
He fisted a handful of my hair, and if felt as if I were surrounded by him. Almost every part of me was pressed up against some part of him. It was almost like two people becoming one person, and I wanted that more than anything—even if it was just one night.
Ethan picked me up, lifting me easily. But we only made it as far as the spiral staircase because we couldn’t stop kissing, and we kept bumping into things. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone, and I couldn’t keep my hands off him.
He set me down at the foot of the stairs, his arms on either side of me as his lips continued to devour me. My hands were on his shirt, unbuttoning it, my fingers clumsy with desire.
Then his shirt was open, and I couldn’t get enough of the warm, hard skin of his pecs and abs. “Oh god, Ethan…” I moaned as he kissed my neck. “You feel so good.”
“Right back at you,” he growled, and he made quick work of the buttons on my shirt, too.
Ethan loomed over me, his muscled pecs brushing against the silky fabric of my bra as he kissed me. I clung to his neck as if doing so would keep him close to
me forever.
As his mouth claimed mine again and then traveled to my throat, his hand slid up my thigh, pushing my skirt up. I couldn’t help spreading my legs, and he pressed against me, even closer than before.
Even as I leaned my head back and groaned from the delicious sensation of his lips on my neck, I was very aware of his hand between us. He rubbed my bare thigh, trailing his long fingers up and down, every moment getting closer to my core.
“God, that feels good.” My voice was so low and husky that I hardly recognized it.
“Want it to feel even better?” he whispered in my ear.
“Yes,” I said, the syllable escaping without thought.
In response, he slid his hand up higher. I gasped when I felt his finger press against my damp panties and then slide under the edge of the elastic. “God, yes…”
His finger glided up and down my slit easily—I couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. He circled my entrance, and my back arched. Ethan’s lips returned to mine as he began to stroke his finger in and out of me.
It felt so good. So damn good. Ethan really knew his way around a woman’s body, but it was more than that. It was him. He was such an amazing man, and he was here with me. I intended to make the most of tonight—and not think about tomorrow.
I gasped as he continued to push in and out with his long finger, and then a second one. Then his thumb found my clit, and I was a goner. “Ethan…” I clutched at his arms.
“Shh…” he murmured in my ear. “Don’t speak, just feel. I want you to feel good. I want you to come for me. Can you do that for me, baby?”
I nodded, still clinging to his arms as he worked his fingers harder. Faster. He lifted his head to look me in the eye. Somehow, I couldn’t look away. It was so intimate, so raw to have his fingers inside me while he stared at me, but his blue eyes were mesmerizing. I just couldn’t look away.
“Come for me, Kate.” His thumb flicked back and forth across my clit and his fingers found my g-spot, and I exploded. Conscious thought fled, and I was left with endorphins and confused but happy thoughts. My whole body shook as I cried out, my muscles trapping his fingers as I rode out the sensations.
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