“If it makes you feel any better, I hit him,” Becca said timidly.
Ethan's head jerked back up. “You what?” he asked.
“When he admitted what he did, I slapped him really hard in the face and told him he was a bastard and a lousy excuse for a lover.”
Ethan was so stunned by what his petite and ever-so-polite little Becca had said and done that he couldn't help but shake his head in wonder and laugh. He hugged her tightly and smiled against her hair. “Good for you, Becca.” Ethan couldn't have been more proud of her, but at the same time, he knew that Jay deserved a hundred times worse than what he'd gotten.
“Obviously, my bravado didn't last very long, though,” Becca said as she pulled back, her face mere inches from Ethan's. “After that, I ran from his apartment as fast I could and drove around aimlessly until I finally ended up here. I even sat outside in my car for a long time before coming to the door, because I was so upset. The whole time I kept getting more and more depressed, wondering how I could possibly have so much bad luck all in one day. That's why I was such a mess when you found me.”
Ethan noted the deep sadness in her eyes that deadened their usual sparkle. “You did the right thing coming to me, Becca,” he reassured her while chafing her shoulders. “You just need some rest and TLC, and eventually you'll start to feel better again. I promise. I'm going to be here for you as long as you need me and take care of you until you do.” He mustered up a sympathetic smile and touched his finger to the tip of her nose affectionately. A little shiver ran though Becca, reminding Ethan that she was still sitting there soaking wet. “Let's start with getting you out of these wet clothes and warmed up.”
Chapter 2
With Ethan's help, Becca slid off his lap and stood. She didn't feel quite as weak and wobbly as she had earlier, but he still led her down the hallway with a protective arm around her waist. He steered her though the doorway of a large bedroom that she immediately knew must be his. The sturdy, dark cherrywood furniture and the deep burgundy linens and pillows adorning the bed gave the room a masculine feel. A cheery fire crackled in a fireplace like the one in the living room.
In spite of her indiscretion tonight, Becca had never been in a man's bedroom before, and the intimacy of it suddenly made her feel shy. She cast her eyes downward toward the thick carpeting and pulled the blanket more tightly around her shoulders.
Ethan left her side for a moment. No sooner had he disappeared through another doorway to the right of the bed than a light illuminated the previously dark portal. Becca heard water running and assumed it must be the bathroom.
“Come on in here, Becca,” Ethan called.
Becca slowly made her way to the threshold and peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened at the sight of the biggest bathroom she had ever seen. The sound of rushing water came from a huge whirlpool tub big enough for two people, which was situated in one corner of the room.
Taking her hand, Ethan drew her inside and seated her on a wicker chair. “It shouldn't take long to fill the tub. Then you can get warmed up with a nice soak.”
Becca sat there, still rather awed at being surrounded by such luxury, while Ethan pulled thick, fluffy towels out of a cabinet and placed them on the wide ledge of the bathtub. Finally, she found her voice. “You don't have to go to all this trouble, Ethan.”
“It's no trouble. Besides, you got drenched to the skin. You need to warm up before you take a chill. I don't want you getting sick.” He raised a finger as though he'd just remembered something. “I'll be right back,” he said as he headed back toward the bedroom.
A moment later he returned with three bottles, which he placed next to the towels. Opening one, he poured a generous amount of its contents into the water, immediately transforming the bath into a frothy cloud of bubbles and filling the air with the scent of lilac.
Becca couldn't help but smile at the notion of Ethan owning bubble bath, and him having thought to bring out that little comfort just for her. It lifted her spirits a little, and she couldn't help teasing him. “I thought you didn't have any feminine things. What are you doing with bubble bath?”
While Ethan replaced the cap on the bottle, he turned to look at her. His mouth dropped open, then his brows drew down in a puzzled expression. Becca could tell that she had taken him by surprise. The moment her meaning took hold, his face relaxed and a wide smile graced his handsome features, though she thought she detected a bit of color rising in his cheeks.
As he set the bottle back on the tub with the others and twisted the knobs to turn off the water, he glanced at her and answered, “Well, I still don't have any of those feminine things. I bought the bubble bath and matching body wash and shampoo as a birthday present for my mom. Now you can rest easy, knowing I'm not a pansy.” He turned back to her with a mischievous grin.
Becca giggled shyly at his last comment.
“It's really good to hear you laugh, Becca,” he said hoarsely.
“You always seem to know how to make me feel better,” she replied. Her eyes traced the pattern in the tiles at her feet. “I feel really bad using your mom's birthday gift, though.”
“Becca.” Ethan drew out her name with a bit of exasperation. “Her birthday isn't for another two weeks. I can easily get her some more by then. Besides, I don't think you want to smell all manly from using my stuff, right? I'm glad I remembered I had it. You deserve a little pampering tonight,” he finished in a slightly husky tone.
Becca's eyes rose to meet his in a meaningful gaze. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of something more than friendship in his regard, which left her wondering if her grief-stricken mind was playing tricks on her.
Ethan cleared his throat. “Well, you better get in the bath before the water turns cold,” he said, his light, matter-of-fact manner returning, “or this exercise in warming you up will have been for nothing.” He smiled. “You can leave your wet clothes on the floor, and I'll come back to take care of them after you're in the tub.”
“You don't have to...” Becca began softly as she watched Ethan's retreating back. Before she could finish, he exited the room and quietly closed the door behind him.
After pondering what had just occurred between them–if anything–Becca finally rose from her perch on the wicker chair and draped the blanket over it. A small shiver went through her. She wasn't sure if it was caused by the cool air hitting her damp clothes or the recollection of how Ethan had looked at her a moment ago. Still, she knew that she wanted to warm up, and the bath looked incredibly inviting.
Slowly, Becca peeled out of her damp clothes and climbed into the steaming tub. She lowered herself into the fragrant bubbles, moaning as her aching muscles protested the movement. The warmth of the water immediately set to work relaxing and thawing her chilled body. Even the soreness between her thighs that she wanted so desperately to forget was beginning to calm from a sharp pain to a dull ache.
Becca folded one of the fluffy forest-green towels behind her head and leaned back, letting the bath work out all the discomforts. If only it could do the same for her battered heart, she thought wistfully. At least she still had Ethan, and in the past twenty-four hours, he had proven to be the best friend anyone could ever hope for. He had offered her more tender care than any man ever had before.
After leaving the bathroom, Ethan traversed his bedroom and lowered himself into a chair next to the fireplace. He leaned forward, propped his forearms on his knees, and stared into the flames.
He wasn't sure when he had first fallen in love with Becca. Looking back, he'd been attracted to her since the day they met. What he did know was that, over the past several months, he'd started to feel things for her that were decidedly more than friendly.
But he never would have disrespected her relationship with Jay, although now he wished that he had. Even if Jay hadn't been in the picture, he knew Becca didn't need any further complications in her life. Like her best friend suddenly declaring himself madly in love with her. Somewhe
re along the line, though, he'd lost any interest in dating, much less sleeping with other women. Now, the adoring look Becca had given him over a simple bubble bath was seared into his mind, and the memory of her soft, slight body wrapped in his arms stirred his desires.
As he leaned back, his gaze wandered to the closed bathroom door. He couldn't stop himself from imagining what she was doing behind it: stripping off her clothes, climbing into the tub, sliding down into the steamy water as the bubbles cradled her body in a foamy embrace. He wanted nothing more than to be in there with her right now. He would take a soft washcloth and run it over her entire body, bathing her in the sudsy foam. Then he would wash her hair with the lilac-scented shampoo, rinse her off, and lift her from the tub to dry the beads of water from her skin with a big, thick towel before wrapping her up in it and carrying her to...
A rough tongue licking his hand jolted Ethan out of his sensuous fantasy. He glared at Buddy, then moaned at the realization that his lustful thoughts had gone straight to a certain part of his anatomy, which was now pressing painfully against the front of his jeans.
It only took a moment for him to recall the events of the day, which instantly brought his desire into check. He let out a disgusted sound as the thought occurred to him that he was no better than Jay. Well, perhaps he was marginally better, because he had no intentions of acting out the images that his brain had produced.
Ethan firmly reminded himself that, in spite of losing her virginity tonight, Becca was still very innocent and her tender heart had been broken in multiple ways. Right now she needed a friend and protector. That was exactly what he was going to be, even if that meant protecting her from himself as well. He was only going to think of what was best for Becca. If that meant putting his own feelings on hold, so be it.
“Thanks for bringing me back down to earth, Buddy,” Ethan said as he reached over to scratch his dog's head. Back in control of his faculties and his formerly errant body, Ethan began to focus on what else he could do for Becca that would make her feel safe and loved, and keep that sweet look of adoration on her face.
The first thing that came to mind was dealing with her wet clothes as he had promised. Before doing that, Ethan realized she would need something to wear while they were washing and drying. He went to his walk-in closet and rummaged through the drawers, settling on one of his t-shirts. He couldn't help thinking that, as tiny as Becca was, she'd probably be swimming in it. At least it would keep her warm and covered.
As he was leaving the closet, he grabbed his terry-cloth robe from the back of the door before heading to the bathroom. He gently rapped his knuckles on the door, waiting for a reply before entering. When none was forthcoming, he knocked a little louder. Still no answer. Beginning to get worried, Ethan turned the knob and was relieved to discover Becca hadn't locked it. He slowly eased the door open a few inches, not wanting to give her a fright, and called, “Becca?”
When his inquiry was still met with silence, Ethan threw caution to the wind. Opening the door wide and stepping inside, the sight that met him made his heart clench. Becca was asleep, her head resting on a makeshift pillow made from a towel, her honey-colored hair fanned out over it. The bubbles gently lapped at her chest, barely covering her breasts as she breathed in and out. In her sweet repose, she looked like an angel newly fallen from heaven. She couldn't possibly be any more beautiful. All coherent thoughts flew out of his head, and he couldn't seem to stop staring at her.
Drawn by an unseen magnetic force, he took a step forward, only to clumsily trip over the leg of the chair and go crashing into the cabinets next to it with a loud thud.
Becca awoke with a startled gasp. She sat straight up in the tub, giving Ethan a brief but tantalizing glimpse of her almost bare breasts covered in nothing but a few soap bubbles. Automatically, her arms came up to cross over her chest.
Ethan quickly averted his gaze as heat crept into his face. Although he hadn't taken the time to check her cheeks for a telltale blush, he imagined that Becca was probably equally as, if not more embarrassed, than he was.
Ethan cleared his throat uncomfortably. “I'm sorry for waking you.”
“Oh...um...it's OK.” Becca's soft voice still sounded a bit sleepy. “W–what were you doing?”
Oh God, Ethan inwardly moaned. If she actually knew what he'd been doing in the moments before he'd so rudely awakened her, she'd think he was a pervert and run the other way, never looking back. And after what she'd been through tonight, she would have every right.
Still with his back to her and staring at the open doorway, Ethan decided to simply tell her the truth. “I, uh...I came to bring you something to put on after your bath, and to take your wet clothes to wash like I promised,” he said hurriedly. “I–I, uh, knocked first, but you didn't answer. I got worried and came in to make sure you were all right.”
“I'm sorry. I guess I was more exhausted than I thought,” she replied. “It was really sweet of you to check on me.”
Ethan mentally berated himself for not being entirely “sweet,” as she had put it. To his credit, his intentions had been pure–until he'd seen her looking so completely innocent, beguiling, and thoroughly naked in his bathtub.
“What was that crashing noise, anyway?” Becca said, breaking into his thoughts with her inquiry. “You didn't hurt yourself, did you?”
“Oh, I caught my foot on the chair and fell into the cabinets. Really klutzy of me. Anyway, uh, here are the things I brought you,” he said in a rush. He laid the robe and t-shirt on the chair that had managed to be a tool for bringing him back to his senses for the second time in the last half hour. “I'll just get your clothes and leave you alone.”
As Ethan gathered up the soggy pile, a muffled growling noise emanated from the area of the tub. He realized almost immediately what it was, having heard the same disgruntled sound coming from his own stomach not more than an hour ago. “Have you had anything to eat tonight, Becca?” he asked.
“No,” she answered rather sheepishly.
“After I get your clothes in the wash, I'll fix you something.” Ethan smiled. “When you finish up in here, come out to the kitchen,” he threw back over his shoulder as he walked out the door. With the tasks at hand giving him a renewed sense of purpose, he was finally back in control of his senses and determined to stay that way.
After Ethan left the room, Becca set herself to the task of bathing. As she lathered her body in the sweet-smelling suds, she thought of how strangely intimate it had been to have Ethan there while she was naked in his tub. It made her feel vulnerable, but at the same time, there had been an odd tingling sensation in her stomach that had instantly departed once he did. It was almost as though her body had wanted him to stay. For what purpose, she didn't know. A fleeting thought of him cradling her in his arms like he'd done earlier passed through her mind, except this time she was still in her current state of undress.
Becca shuddered. What on earth was she thinking?
She had already allowed her desperate desire for human contact to get out of control once tonight, and it had served no purpose but to completely shatter her already-broken heart. Not to mention Ethan was her best friend, and she'd never thought of him as anything else before. It must be the grief making her crazy. Or maybe it was hunger. Or lack of sleep. Or all three. When she really thought about it, the idea of sleeping with any guy right now didn't appeal.
Becca finished squeezing the water from her hair and released the drain plug before climbing out of the tub. She grabbed one of the thick bath towels from the pile Ethan had left for her and wrapped it around her head. As she took another towel and started drying her body, she was reminded of how painfully sore she was. That alone was enough to turn off any momentary sexual desire she might have been experiencing. That, and being completely spent on an emotional level. How could she have been so blind to the truth of what Jay had really wanted from her? Maybe it was because she had met him during a difficult time in her life, when she needed to
believe that a handsome jock could be attracted to, and care for, an ordinary girl like her.
Whatever the reasons, they had been her downfall, and she definitely didn't need to make things worse by having even a momentary fantasy about Ethan. Anything she might be feeling for him right now was probably a result of him being nice to her. That was the kind of person he was, a guy who would never let a friend down. She had to make sure it stayed that way–just friendship–and she'd have to do it by somehow keeping her wildly fluctuating emotions in check and not allowing herself to be driven to do something stupid ever again.
Becca dropped her towel in a heap on the floor and reached for the shirt Ethan had left for her. As she drew it over her head, she was surrounded by an almost intoxicating redolence. The smell of cotton and laundry soap blended with another masculine scent that belonged distinctly to Ethan. That tingling sensation returned to her tummy, but this time an odd sense of comfort swept over her as well.
Feeling a slight chill, she wrapped herself in his robe as well and was instantly aware of the same pleasant odor. It made her feel that if she cocooned herself in the soothing aroma long enough, it might heal her aching body and soul.
Becca pulled the lapels up to her nose and took one last deep breath before snuggling them around her neck and cinching the belt at her waist. She walked over to the sink and smiled briefly, realizing Ethan hadn't forgotten a single thing. He'd even laid out a brand-new toothbrush for her. After putting a dab of toothpaste on the bristles, she vigorously scrubbed her mouth, needing to rid herself of the bitter taste of Jay's betrayal.
A quick spit-and-rinse later, she still didn't feel any better about it. Instead, she decided to apply herself to the tangled mass of wet hair. Dropping the towel in a pile with the other one and picking up the comb, she lifted her arm to perform the task, only to stop dead at the sight of her reflection in the mirror.
His Heart's Desire Page 3
