“I don't know what would make you say that. After all, he's been coming over every Friday like clockwork for the past year, and even started coming late to accommodate your schedule when you began working the Friday evening shift.”
Rebecca finally looked up and shrugged. “But it's not like it's a date or anything. We're two friends getting together to watch movies.”
“Well, that's neither here nor there.” Edna waved her hand dismissively. “What's important is that you have feelings for him, and I can certainly see why. He's handsome, rich, and has a great job. He loves his family and loves animals every bit as much as you do. And you know what I think is the best thing about him?” She paused momentarily until Rebecca met her eyes. “I haven't met a nicer, more gentlemanly young man since my Freddie,” she added, answering her own question with a wistful smile. After allowing herself a moment to indulge in fond memories, Edna crossed her arms over her chest and exclaimed, “So what are you waiting for? Tell him how you feel.”
“Oh, Edna,” she sighed. “It's not that easy.”
“Any relationship worth fighting for never is,” Edna countered.
“It's more complicated than that. I may have fallen in love with Ethan, but that doesn't mean he feels the same way about me. If he doesn't, I'll lose him. It would be too awkward to try to continue our friendship after one of us dropped a bombshell like that. Besides, I'm still not convinced that Ethan isn't seeing Lindsay again.”
“Why would you think that?”
“The few times I've seen them together, he's been pretty solicitous toward her.”
“You told me he was working on a really important business merger with her. Maybe he's just being nice to make sure the deal goes through.”
“I suppose it's possible. But that doesn't explain Lindsay answering the phone when I called Ethan's room at the resort where they were supposed to be working on the merger, or the things she said to me tonight. I'd rather be pushed into the pool a dozen times than to hear her tell me that Ethan belongs to her and all but say that she's sleeping with him.”
Edna's eyes widened in surprise, but it didn't take long for the wheels to start turning in her head. She might be an old woman, but her mind was still sharp. “Tell me exactly what this Lindsay said.”
“I don't remember precisely. Something like a poor church mouse like me didn't stand a chance with a rich, handsome man like Ethan. And then she said my fantasies were all I'd ever have to keep me warm at night, because she'd have the real thing in her bed, and he was damn good in it.”
“And what did she say when you called the hotel?”
“That Ethan couldn't come to the phone because he was in the shower.”
“Was that after she told you about Ethan funding your sponsorship?”
“Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?”
“Hmm,” Edna hummed while tugging her earlobe in contemplation. “You know what I think?” Before Rebecca had a chance to answer the rhetorical questions, she continued, “I think she's jealous and scared of you.”
“What?”
Edna could tell that she'd completely shocked and bewildered the poor girl. “I said that she's scared of you,” she repeated. “And all the things she's said and done to you were engineered to make it look like she had the upper hand.”
“But why would she be scared of me?” Rebecca asked, still obviously puzzled.
“Because I've seen the way Ethan looks at you, and she probably has too.”
“And how does he look at me?” Rebecca asked skeptically.
Edna rolled her eyes heavenward and threw up her hands dramatically. “Why, the same way you look at him, for goodness' sake. His eyes light up like a firefly whenever he's around you, and he looks like a man in love. Tonight, when you opened the door all dressed up in your cute little sundress and strappy sandals with your hair and makeup so pretty, I thought his eyes might pop right out of his head. And while you were chatting with me before you left, he couldn't take his eyes off you. In fact, he was practically devouring you from head to toe. Looked like he'd like nothing better than to scoop you up and carry you off to his bedroom.”
“Edna!” Rebecca gasped before turning a bright shade of red.
Edna spread her hands in a placating gesture and glanced at Rebecca. “I'm just calling it like I see it.”
“Maybe you should get your eyesight checked.”
Edna gave her a look of indignation. “My glasses are perfectly fine, dear. And I'm telling you that boy is madly in love with you. You know, that night you were so upset and cut your finger, he looked utterly miserable, and I even saw him crying too.”
“Really?”
“You better believe it!”
Rebecca's brows drew down in thought. “But if he's in love with me, why didn't I pick up on it?”
Edna gave her a motherly smile. “Rebecca, dear, you may be twenty-five, but in the ways of the heart, you're still very young. Maybe you don't have enough experience with men to pick up his signals. Tell me, has he ever found little ways to touch you that make you feel special?”
Rebecca's eyes came up to meet Edna's, and they glittered in the light from the porch lamp. “Tonight he massaged my feet while I was soaking them in the pool.”
“Ooh, that's a good one!” Edna exclaimed while bumping shoulders with Rebecca conspiratorially. “How about gifts? Has he ever given you some little thing that might show he cares?”
Rebecca thought about this one a little longer. “One time, he went out of his way to buy me my favorite chocolates. Not to mention he went way overboard at Christmas,” she answered as the beginnings of a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
Edna gasped. “See, what did I tell you? How about looks? Has he ever given you a longing look? You might have to think a little harder about that one, especially if you didn't know what it was at the time.”
Rebecca ruminated on that one for a while, and finally responded with an affirmative nod. By now her face was practicality beaming. “I do remember him giving me some odd looks. It was usually only for a moment, so I thought I was imagining it.”
“It's true that the eyes are the windows to the soul, my dear. They never lie.”
Rebecca's gaze dropped as she added so softly Edna had to strain to hear, “He kissed me once too.”
Edna's eyes flew wide. “What? When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me?”
“It was the night we made up after arguing about the sponsorship. I didn't mention it because he seemed embarrassed and kind of blew it off. He said he got caught up in the emotion of the moment.”
That sealed it in Edna's mind. “Rebecca, sweetheart, that boy is crazy about you.”
“But if he really does love me, why hasn't he said anything?”
Edna chuckled. “Why haven't you?”
“Because I'm...” Her voice trailed off as Edna saw the light going on in her head. “Oh!”
“From the look on your face, I'll guess you finally figured out that he's as afraid as you are.”
“Oh, Edna!” One hand flew to her mouth, and she appeared completely overwhelmed with joy. “What should I do?” She'd come full circle to the question that had started their whole conversation.
“Tell him that you love him, dear,” Edna answered simply.
“Oh God!” Rebecca's hand now pressed against her chest, and she looked overwhelmed in a different way. “I'm so scared. I don't know if I can.”
“Allowing yourself to be vulnerable to another person is always frightening, but you've done it with Ethan before. After all, it was him you went to first when you were hurting so much last year, not me. Even though you didn't know you loved him then, I think that's very telling. You can do this,” Edna said with certainty, “and I don't think you'll be sorry.”
“All right. OK,” Rebecca stammered nervously. “Now I have to figure out how and when and where...”
“Don't overthink it, dear. Let it happen naturally.”
> Rebecca threw her arms around Edna. “Thank you so much.” After expressing her appreciation, Rebecca pulled back. “It's really late. I should probably let you get some sleep. But I probably won't be able to,” she finished with a laugh before getting to her feet and collecting her dress and shoes.
“Have a little faith in yourself, Rebecca, and you'll do fine.”
“I'll try. Thank you again, Edna.” The young woman threw a little wave back over her shoulder as she headed for her own apartment.
Edna sighed and chuckled to herself. Oh, the wonder of young love, she thought. There's simply nothing like it. She couldn't wait to receive an invitation to this couple's wedding, and as sure as the sky was blue, she knew it was going to happen. She could feel it in her bones.
* * * * *
Ever since her talk with Edna, Becca had been on cloud nine. The mere thought of Ethan loving her as much as she loved him made her feel like dancing on air. For three days, she worked on mustering up the courage to finally tell him the truth, and planning exactly how to do it. She decided on their usual Tuesday lunch date, but instead of going to their favorite little bistro, she packed a surprise picnic lunch for them to share at the Japanese Friendship Garden, only a few blocks from Ethan's office.
With the when and where settled, she now rummaged through her closet searching for something pretty to wear that Ethan might not have seen before. Her wardrobe was pathetic, leaving her with few choices. She finally picked a simple pair of black leggings and an emerald-green tunic top. The shirt had cute little cap sleeves, pretty embroidery on the shoulder, and best of all, a plunging neckline that showed a bit of cleavage. It had always been one of Becca's favorites, because it complimented her hair and skin tone perfectly.
Once dressed, she added comfy black sandals and a pair of faux diamond stud earrings in a silver flower-shaped setting. She brushed her hair and gathered it into a high ponytail before applying a little makeup. Taking one last look in mirror, she smiled at her reflection. Nothing could bring her down today.
Becca gathered her purse, the picnic basket and blanket. Locking the door of her apartment behind her, she headed for her car with a spring in her step. During the drive to Ethan's office building, she hummed along with the upbeat songs on the radio and imagined what her lunch with Ethan would be like. After sharing their meal in the beautiful garden, she would take Ethan's hand and tell him about her feelings. She hadn't rehearsed exactly what she would say, because she wanted the words to come straight from her heart. In all her dreams of how the scene would play out, Ethan was always surprised. He couldn't believe that she loved him too, and was ecstatic to find out. Then he gathered her into his arms for a deep, passionate kiss that left her breathless.
After replaying the fantasy in her mind several times, Becca arrived at the parking garage for Ethan's building. She pulled into an empty space and bounded from her car into the elevator. Excitement thrummed through her veins, making the ride up to the twentieth floor seem to take forever.
When Becca stepped off the elevator into the reception area, she nearly ran into Cathy on her way out to lunch. The secretary greeted her warmly, and Becca gave her a sunny smile in return.
“Mr. Montgomery is finishing up a business meeting, but he should be out shortly,” Cathy told her as she took the elevator Becca had just vacated.
“Thanks,” Becca replied before the doors closed.
She seated herself on the sofa, with the picnic paraphernalia at her feet, and stared out the window. Now that she was finally here, her nerves started to get the better of her. She rubbed her sweaty palms against her leggings and took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. When that didn't work, she got up and paced the length of the waiting area, making sure to avoid getting too close to the windows. The last thing she needed in her current agitated state was a case of vertigo.
After a while, she checked her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed since she'd arrived. Ethan was late. It was highly unusual for him, so he was bound to be out soon. Cathy had said he would. Instead of allowing her mind to conjure any further anxiety, Becca sat down again and picked up a magazine from the coffee table. She found an interesting article on animal welfare that engaged her attention. By the time she finished reading it, another fifteen minutes had passed.
Where on earth was Ethan? Had he forgotten their lunch date? It was becoming harder and harder to remain patient, but this was a really important day for Becca. She was determined to wait as long as necessary. When another ten minutes went by and Ethan still hadn't emerged from his office, her resolve began to waver along with her excitement.
Not knowing when Cathy would return from her lunch break, and not wanting to leave without seeing Ethan, Becca headed toward the hallway to his office. She hated to interrupt his business meeting, but maybe he wouldn't mind if she just said a quick, “Hello.” If he was still too busy to go out, she would simply leave.
After taking a couple of steps down the hall, Becca could see Ethan's door stood ajar. Taking that as a sign that he was finally finished with the meeting, her steps quickened, the smile returned to her face, and her heart felt like it might leap out of her chest.
Lindsay was determined to get Ethan back, but Becky had become an ever-present obstacle to her reaching that goal. It was obvious that the girl was crazy for Ethan, and for some reason that was beyond Lindsay's comprehension, Ethan seemed taken with the little mouse too. So far, her efforts to separate the two hadn't worked, so now it was time to get down and dirty.
She had arranged everything perfectly, and now it was time to put her plan into action. After months of negotiations, which she had purposely drawn out to spend more time with Ethan, they had finally reached an agreement for the merger deal. She was supposed to be at Ethan's office at noon Tuesday to sign the contracts, but knowing that Ethan had his usual lunch date with Miss Goody Two Shoes that day, she had deliberately showed up a half hour late. Luckily for her, the normally punctual Ethan was so disconcerted by her tardy arrival that he had forgotten all about his “date.”
He now sat at his desk, scanning the contracts before placing his signature on the bottom line. While waiting for him to finish, Lindsay excused herself to use the ladies' room, but instead, she crept down the hall far enough to see Becky pacing the reception area.
Lindsay smiled gleefully. The girl was obviously agitated, which played into Lindsay's plan perfectly. Hopefully, Becky would get impatient enough to come to Ethan's office, where she would soon get an eyeful.
Lindsay returned to the office quietly, carefully leaving the door ajar. She turned to see Ethan signing the last page before gathering up the papers and arranging them in a neat stack.
“Well, that's all of them.” he said. “Looks like your father and I are now officially business partners.”
She put on a wide smile and walked to his desk, swinging her hips enticingly. “We should celebrate.”
“What did you have in mind?” he asked suspiciously.
She bent over to retrieve her tote bag from the floor, making sure that Ethan got a good view of her shapely rear and long legs in her short business skirt. With a flourish, she pulled out a bottle of champagne and two glasses. “I brought some bubbly for the occasion.”
“All right,” he agreed, “but only one glass. I still have a lot of work to do and need a clear head.”
Lindsay placed the glasses on the corner of his desk and retrieved a corkscrew from her bag. She opened the bottle and filled both flutes, then rounded the desk, ostensibly to give one to Ethan. As soon as she was close enough, she pretended to catch her stiletto heel in the carpet. Pitching forward, she spilled both glasses down the front of Ethan's shirt just as she'd planned.
Ethan jumped as the cool liquid penetrated the garment, but being the gentleman he was, he grabbed her waist to steady her. “Easy there, Linds. Are you OK? Did you twist your ankle or anything?” he asked with concern.
She put on a show of testing her ankle while
savoring his hands on her hips. “I'm fine. Oh, Ethan, your shirt and tie are ruined,” she purred sympathetically.
He looked down at his soaked front with a rueful smile. “I thought I was going to be drinking champagne, not getting christened with it.”
“I'm so sorry.”
“Don't worry about it.” He loosened his tie and began to unbutton the shirt. “I have a spare in the bathroom closet.”
“I'll get it for you,” she offered enthusiastically. “And here, let me take these too. I'll see if I can salvage them. I've heard cold water helps. It's the least I can do for being such a klutz.”
By then, Ethan had the shirt unbuttoned, and he stood to tug it out of his pants. “All right,” he acquiesced as he shrugged out of the shirt and tie and handed them to her.
The sight of his bare chest made her feel like drooling. She wanted to run her tongue all over it, lapping up every drop of champagne. Instead, she ruthlessly tamped down her desires, reminding herself that there would be plenty of time for that once she got rid of her nemesis.
Lindsay glanced out the slightly open door on her way to Ethan's private bathroom. No Becky yet. She continued on her mission, putting the shirt and tie to soak in a sink full of cold water and retrieving a crisp, clean white shirt from the closet.
She stopped a moment in the bathroom doorway, once again taking in the sight of a shirtless Ethan. He was turned away from her, which gave her the perfect opportunity to stare without him knowing. He reclined in his leather executive chair, looking relaxed as he perused a business magazine. He looked so powerful and masculine sitting behind his desk, the muscles of his upper body hard and well defined. As her eyes roamed his partially naked body, she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. The sight before her and the thought of what she was going to do next aroused her.
A quick glance through the cracked office door brought a smile to her lips. Excitement coursed through her veins as she saw Becky entering the hallway, headed this way. Tossing the shirt over a nearby chair, Lindsay opened her blouse wide, rounded Ethan's desk, and flung herself into his lap, straddling his thighs. Faster than lightening, she claimed his mouth in a searing kiss before he could even protest just as she saw the little mouse gasp in horror from the corner of her eye. Her revenge complete, Lindsay was sure Ethan would now be hers for the taking.
His Heart's Desire Page 18
