Banking On Love

by Anna James

  Ethan paid the merchant. “We’ll have to eat pastry while we walk to the house. We’re running a little late.”

  Rachel licked the sugar from her finger and grinned. “No problem.”

  They hurried along the tree lined streets filled with brownstone row houses, apartment buildings and scores of charming restaurants and unique shops.

  “I love this area. It reminds me a lot of Beacon Hill in Boston. I remember when I first arrived my freshman year of college, I would stroll around and fantasize about living in one of the brownstones.” She shook her head. “It was so different from where I grew up. There are tons of things to do and everything is within walking distance.”

  Ethan couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opening for the question he’d been planning to ask her today. “Would you consider moving to the city now?”

  Instead of answering, she asked, “Is that your real estate agent?”

  He noticed the woman standing across the street. She waved her hand at them. “Yes, but you haven’t answered my question.”

  Rachel sighed wistfully. “Not at this point.”

  Damn. She wouldn’t even consider it. He thought she wanted to be with him. Had he been wrong?

  “Good morning, Ethan.”

  He glanced up. Eileen Austin had crossed the street to meet them. He refocused his attention on her. “Good morning, Eileen, this is Rachel.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Rachel. Ethan told me you’d be joining us today.”

  Rachel shook her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “Come with me.” Eileen pointed to the elegant limestone residence two doors down.

  They walked the short distance and then climbed the stone steps to the grand entrance. Eileen unlocked the door and they went inside.

  ***

  Ethan parked in Rachel’s driveway several hours later and stopped the engine. Instead of getting out he sat staring straight ahead.

  “What did you think of the two houses we saw today?” Rachel asked.

  Ethan grunted. “I didn’t like either of them.”

  What’s wrong? He’d been quiet ever since they arrived at the first house this morning. “Not even the first one with the large garden?”

  He snorted. “You call that a large garden? It’s smaller than a postage stamp.”

  “I wouldn’t say that. I—”

  “I don’t want to talk about the houses we saw today.”

  “Then what do you want to talk about?” Obviously, something was bothering him.

  “Why won’t you consider moving into the city? Is it Emma?”

  She shook her head. “No. Emma loves the city as much as I do.”

  He turned to face her, his eyes blazing with an emotion she couldn’t decipher. “Then why won’t you sell the house? You and Emma could move—”

  Rachel flinched. “I can’t sell the house.”

  He raked shaky fingers through his hair. “Why?”

  She scowled. “Damn it, Ethan. If you must know, I’m upside down in the mortgage right now.”

  His eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

  “The house is worth about thirty percent less in this economy than when Ryan and I took out the home equity loan to put on the family room a few years ago. I owe a significant amount more than it’s worth.”

  “Is that the only reason?”

  Rachel laughed. “It’s a pretty big reason.”

  Ethan grinned. “I can fix that. I’ll transfer the money to your account on Monday. You can pay off the balance, and we can get this house on the market.”

  Her eyes widened. “That’s a generous offer, but I can’t accept it.”

  He frowned. “What do you mean? Of course you can.”

  “No, I can’t.” Voice firm, she added, “In another couple of years, I’ll have the equity loan paid off—”

  “Rachel, you’re being ridiculous.”

  Her lips tightened. “I’m not being ridiculous, and I’m not accepting your offer.”

  “You accepted Connie and Frank’s offer to pay for Emma’s new school. Why won’t you accept mine? If you’re worried about paying me back, don’t. I can well afford to—”

  Rachel stiffened, and her voice shook when she answered. “I don’t need or want your money. I can take care of myself and Emma.” She flung the car door open and almost fell in her haste to get out. Tears slid down her cheeks as she strode toward the house. How could he throw that in her face? Didn’t he realize how much she’d hated accepting Connie’s and Frank’s offer to pay Emma’s tuition? Knowing she couldn’t afford to pay for something Emma wanted and would benefit from had nearly killed her, and Connie and Frank knew it. They held it over her head and reminded her how grateful she should be every chance they got. She’d rather have given up her computer and cell phone forever than take money from them. But it wasn’t realistic, and she wouldn’t disappoint Emma. So she’d sucked it up and did what needed to be done.

  Her hands shook as she shoved the key into the lock. She missed three times before finally thrusting it into the slot. Rachel jerked the door open and slammed it shut once inside. A loud sob escaped from her throat. She leaned back against the wall and gave into the hurt consuming her.

  Later, after the tears stopped falling, she dried her eyes and trudged to the kitchen. On her way to the stove, she paused, changed direction, and headed toward the arched entryway leading into the family room.

  Her gaze flicked around the décor, taking in the custom-made solid maple wood book cases, the custom-stained dark maple flooring, the floor to ceiling stone fireplace dominating the room.

  Anger and resentment flooded through her. She hadn’t wanted any of it, had tried to convince Ryan they had more space in this house than the three of them could ever need. But he’d insisted, and they’d taken out a second mortgage at an exorbitant interest rate.

  The increased loan payments meant she had to go back to work full time, which meant postponing finishing the final year of her undergraduate degree indefinitely. It also meant finding someone she could trust to care for Emma. And where had all these sacrifices left her? Up to her eyeballs in debt.

  She sighed. Dwelling on the situation was getting her nowhere, so she stalked to the freezer, grabbed the container of Ben and Jerry’s and a spoon, padded back into the living room and turned on the television.

  The first spoonful of Cherry Garcia ice cream, her favorite, made her smile. It tasted delicious. The smile evaporated when she thought of Ethan. Why had he insisted she sell her house and… Oh gosh, Ethan didn’t just want her to move into the city, he wanted her to move in with him. But he hadn’t said that—not exactly. And she’d been so offended by his comment she’d initially missed the fact. Understanding the truth put a whole new light on their earlier conversation.

  But, it didn’t change anything. She still couldn’t sell her house, and no way would she let Ethan give her money. Not even if he loaned it to her. She could and would take care of herself and Emma on her own.

  The shareholders dispute wasn’t even close to being settled yet. Moving in with Ethan now would jeopardize everything she’d worked hard for over the last few years. How could he ask her to risk her future?

  Rachel jerked up into a sitting position, and the empty container of ice cream fell to the floor. Her eyes flicked to the TV. The movie she’d been watching earlier had ended, and the local news streamed across the screen. Darkness enveloped the house, and rain pounded down on the roof. She must have fallen asleep.

  A banging sound made her flinch, and she realized someone was knocking on the door. It must have been what woke her in the first place. She hurried to open it. Ethan stood on her front porch, his clothes and hair plastered against his body. Her heart fluttered. He came back. She rubbed her hands over her sleep-filled face. “You’re drenched. How long have you been standing out there?”

  He wiped his feet on the door mat. “About twenty minutes. Can I come in—please?”

  She o
pened the door wide and stepped aside. A cool breeze blew in making her shiver. “Why were you standing outside in the rain?”

  “I’ve been trying to figure out what to say to you.”

  Rachel noticed a puddle forming around his feet. “Let me get you something to dry off with.” When she returned, Ethan had shed his jacket. She handed him an over-sized bath towel.

  He rubbed it over his face and head.

  A tense silence filled the air. Rachel turned away and walked into the living room. “Take off your shoes before you come in.” Instead of sitting on the sofa, she opted for one of the arm chairs.

  Ethan strode toward her and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet. “I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier. I don’t want us to fight.” He caressed her cheek.

  “I don’t want to fight either.”

  He shook his head. “I’ve been driving around for hours trying to figure out what I said to make you upset. I just want to help you. I want us to live together. You, me and Emma. And I don’t understand why you’d accept help from Connie and Frank but not from me.”

  He hadn’t been taunting her earlier. “I didn’t want to accept their offer.”

  “Why?”

  “It’s important for me to be able to take care of Emma and myself without relying on anyone else.”

  “I don’t understand. Everyone needs a little help now and then.”

  Rachel dragged in a deep breath. She’d never admitted this to anyone else. “Maybe, if I’d been stronger thirteen years ago, things would have been different.”

  Ethan’s eyes glittered. “You blame yourself.”

  She shook her head.

  He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. “Yes, you do. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “I—”

  He eased back. Cupping her face in his hands, he gazed into her eyes. “You are not to blame for the past. You need to believe that.”

  “Ethan—”

  He touched a finger to her lips to stop her protest. “Move in with me, Rach. I—”

  She pulled out of his arms. “I can’t, Ethan. Not now. It’s not that I don’t want to. If you’d give me a little more time.”

  He lifted her chin and waited until her gaze met his.

  “I need to know one thing.” He paused and sucked in a deep audible breath. “Do you want to be with me?”

  She kissed him fiercely. “Yes.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The next morning Rachel woke to find Ethan’s hand gliding down the length of her arm, his warm, delicate touch tender and enticing. A girl could definitely get used to waking up like this.

  “Come on, sleepy head,” he whispered in her ear. “We’ve got to get going if we’re both going to get to work on time.”

  The deep vibrations in his voice washed over her body. “Five more minutes,” she mumbled. I want to lie here for a little longer and enjoy your touch.

  He brushed his lips over her shoulder.

  “Mmm, that’s nice.”

  “How about this?” He rained soft kisses over her hips, her thighs, her stomach.

  A sigh escaped from her parted lips. “Oh.”

  He lifted his mouth to hers and kissed her slow and sweet then scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the shower.

  Rachel screamed when the tepid water sprayed over her. “Ethan!”

  “I told you we need to get going. Taking a shower together will save time.”

  She sent him a dubious look. “I don’t think so.”

  “Trust me.”

  His mouth covered hers, and he kissed her with hungry ardor sending spirals of ecstasy through her.

  “Ethan.” She moaned when his hand glided over her bottom, and he pulled her tight against him.

  She broke the kiss and gave him a wicked grin, lathered the soap in her hands, then glided them over his torso, luxuriating in the smooth texture of rock hard muscles and hair-roughened skin beneath her fingertips. She slid her hands lower.

  His eyes closed, and he let out a low groan when her soapy fingers caressed his thighs and buttocks.

  With one quick movement, their positions reversed. He pinned her against the wall with his long, lean frame and caressed every pleasure point on her body.

  Mouths mingled, tongues twined. Her body burned for him.

  “Now, Ethan. Now.”

  He grabbed her bottom and lifted her against him. In a hoarse whisper, he commanded, “Wrap your legs around me and hold on tight.”

  A hot tide of passion raged as she skyrocketed toward the stars, soaring to new heights of passion. Hungry desire spiraled through her, and she yielded to the searing need building inside.

  “Rachel,” he cried when he reached his climax.

  She followed a moment later and drifted slowly back toward earth.

  Rachel slumped against his chest, and he gathered her close. God, would she ever get enough of this man? She didn’t think so. They’d spent the better part of yesterday in bed—making up after their fight—and, dear lord, she’d never experienced sex that good in her life. Every time they made love she felt herself falling for him more and more. He’d asked her if she wanted to be with him. The truth was she didn’t think she could live without him.

  “Rach, you okay?”

  She smiled into the crook of his neck. “I’m more than okay.”

  He lowered her to the floor.

  She lifted her chin and looked him in the eye. “You’re right. Taking a shower together is definitely a great idea. Not much of a timesaver though.”

  He let out a hearty laugh, grabbed the soap and lathered her from head to toe. When he finished, she rinsed off. He gave her a pat on the bottom. “Go get ready while I finish washing up.”

  An hour and a half later, Rachel gathered her purse and briefcase and, opening the passenger door, slid out of the car. The shrill of Ethan’s cell phone stopped her.

  “Can you wait while I answer this?”

  She nodded, got back inside the car, closed the door and waited patiently for him to complete his conversation. Outside, horns blared and obscenities filled the air as cars whizzed by them. Ethan had parked in front of the office building in downtown Manhattan, where she was currently on assignment.

  He ended the call a moment later and glanced at her. “That was Eileen Austin. She has a house for me to check out this afternoon. This one is right down the road from the house on President Street. Can you get away right after lunch and join me?”

  Rachel reached into her purse and fished around for her blackberry. “Let me check my calendar. I’m tied up until twelve thirty. Is that too late?”

  “No. The appointment isn’t until one thirty.”

  “Why is she in such a hurry to show you this particular property?”

  “It’s not officially on the market yet, but Eileen says it has everything on my wish list, including off-street parking and a garden with a grassy area. She wants me to check it out before it’s listed.”

  “Good. We haven’t had much luck with what we’ve seen so far. Maybe, this will be the one.”

  He nodded. “I’ll come and get you around one, and we can go over together.”

  “Okay, I’d better get going.” She leaned over to kiss him good-bye.

  “Have a good morning. I’ll see you soon.” He winked at her.

  When she arrived in her office, a message sat on her desk. She picked up the small slip of paper and read. “Damn.” With a weary sigh, she dialed Ethan’s number.

  “Miss me already?”

  She frowned, gazing at the note. “Yes,” she answered truthfully. “But that isn’t why I’m calling. I can’t meet you today. The review panel for the company whose records I’m currently investigating has demanded I meet with them this afternoon at one. The meetings usually go for at least an hour—”

  “No worries. I’ll postpone the appointment until you’re available.”

  “No, it’s not fair to you. Go see the house. I don’t want yo
u to miss out.”

  “Not without you. Your opinion is important. You find things I tend to miss. We make a good team, and it’s no good if we both can’t go. If I can’t reschedule, I’ll text you.”

  “Are you sure? I feel bad making you change things because of me.”

  “Positive, and if you’re still worried I’ll let you make it up to me later tonight.”

  “Ethan!” Her eyes closed. Images of what they’d done in the shower earlier flashed through her mind, and she shivered in response.

  “What?” he asked innocently. “I’m only suggesting you take me out to dinner.”

  “Oh.” Heat crept up her neck and flooded her face.

  “I like your idea better.”

  Rachel sucked in an audible breath, her body reacting to the potent combination of his words and the husky tone of his voice washing over her.

  He gave a soft chuckle. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  The phone clicked and the connection went dead. With concerted effort, she got her wayward libido under control and sat down to work.

  Ethan’s text came an hour later. Can't change the appointment. Schedule conflicts for the rest of the week. Will go on my own, and we can catch up over dinner.

  “Damn.” She sat for some time staring at the screen. “Your opinion is important to me.” Ethan’s words echoed in her head. The truth was she wanted to be at the house with him because he was important to her, too.

  Without hesitation, she picked up the phone and dialed Susan, her assistant on this assignment. Pacing back and forth, Rachel waited. It seemed to take forever, but, finally, Susan answered. “It’s Rachel. Any chance you can postpone the board meeting until later in the day?”

  “I’m afraid not. Three of the review panel members are tied up with other meetings after two.”

  “Can we postpone it until tomorrow morning?” Rachel asked.

  “The panel wants to meet at one today. They were very clear about that.”

  “They’re being unreasonable. We gave them an update last Friday. It’s only been a little over a week. I don’t have anything new to tell them.”