We'll Never Tell (Secrets of Ravenswood) (9 page)

“That’s because we love
you. I remember when you used to be excited—couldn’t wait to fly halfway across
the world. But lately you just seem tired.”

“Maybe it’s because
we’re getting old.” She glanced down and grinned. “I’m sipping tea in flannel
pajamas. I think that says it all.”

Darby snorted. “I don’t
mean physically tired. You’re probably in better shape than you were ten years
ago. But mentally, you’ve exhausted yourself. Take a break—a long one.”

“I can’t do nothing. I’d
go crazy.”

“Volunteer with your
local Search and Rescue. Find a new hobby. You have a creative mind. I’m sure
you can come up with something.” She let out a short laugh. “I bet Ethan would
be happy to keep you occupied.”

“Funny. Everyone’s a
comedian lately.”

Darby sighed. “If I
weren’t in the middle of a genealogy project, I’d come up there. Unfortunately,
I’m committed here for a few more weeks with side trips to New York and Boston
on the schedule.”

“Good. The farther you
are from Ravenswood, the safer you’ll be. I wish I could convince Juliette to
leave town, but she’s stubborn about not closing the ballet studio.”

“Pot, kettle, Sam.”

She choked on a swallow
of tea, and it was several moments before she could speak. “I may be a teensy
bit obstinate.”

“Just a little? You be
careful, promise me.”

“Cautious is my middle name.
I’ll talk to you again soon.”

She hung up the phone,
drank the last of her tea, then glanced at the digital clock on the stove.
Nearly eleven. She might as well go to bed. Putting her mug in the sink, she
walked through the dark living room to her bedroom and flipped on the overhead
light.

A single sheet of yellow
tablet paper lay propped against the pillow on the bed. A message was written
in bold, black marker.

I’m watching you.

Ethan accelerated up
Sam’s driveway, jerked to a stop, jumped out of the pickup, and ran up the
walkway. She opened the front door before he could knock.

“He’s long gone, Ethan.
I told you I was fine.” The hand that pushed a strand of hair behind her ear
displayed only the slightest tremor. “You didn’t have to come.”

“The hell I didn’t!” His
own hands hadn’t stopped shaking since he’d answered her call. “I kept
picturing this dirt bag hiding in your closet, just waiting for you to climb
into bed.”

Her lips curved slightly
as she shut the door behind them. “The closet was the first place I
checked—right after I grabbed the fireplace poker. I don’t recall much about
how he looked all those years ago, but I do remember he was big.”

Ethan stepped forward
and framed her face in his palms. Fear lingered in the depths of the wide green
eyes staring back at him.

“You scared the crap out
of me.” Pulling her into his arms, he hugged her swift and hard before stepping
away. “I want to check around outside.” He paused. “You didn’t leave the house after
you found the note, did you?”

She shook her head. “You
give me way too much credit for bravery—or stupidity.”

His thumb stroked across
her cheek. “I’ll be right back.”

After retrieving a
flashlight from his truck, he walked around the cottage, shining the light in
the bushes and beneath the windows. Confident there was no one lurking nearby,
he headed toward the main house. Frogs croaked in the ornamental pond at the
foot of the garden, and the crushed shells of the path crunched beneath his
feet. The windows were shuttered; alarms activated if the blinking red light
over the door was any indication. He guessed no one had been near the place.

Ethan hurried back the
way he’d come. At the door to Sam’s cottage, he wiped his feet on the mat and
entered, then locked the door behind him. She stepped out of the kitchen to
meet him.

“I’m heating water for
tea.” Rubbing her arms through the sleeves of her blue fleece robe, she stared
at him with worried eyes. “Did you find anything?”

“No footprints in the
dirt beneath the windows or signs of forced entry. I wonder how he got in.”

She glanced away then
crossed the tiled kitchen floor when the tea kettle whistled. “I may have left
the door unlocked.”

He barely heard her
mumbled words. Biting back a sharp comment, he forced out a slow breath. “Not
very smart, considering.”

She glanced over her
shoulder. “Your self-restraint is commendable. Would you like a cup of tea?”

“Sure, as long as it
doesn’t taste like flowers or fruit.”

“Black. Got it.” She
pulled a plain box from the back of the cupboard and a second covered in
flowering vines from the front, poured boiling water into two mugs, and brought
them to the table. “I shouldn’t have freaked out and called you.”

He dropped onto the
second chair and placed his hand over hers. It was small and delicate,
vulnerable. “I’m glad you did.”

She picked up the honey
bear sitting on the table and squeezed a dollop into her tea. “You like beating
the bushes for homicidal maniacs at midnight?”

“I can think of better
ways to end the evening.”

Slow color crept up her
neck and tinged her cheeks pink. He was pretty certain she was remembering the
night they’d spent together. God knows, he’d tried to forget it for the last
five years with little success. He’d meet a perfectly nice woman, go out with
her a few times, and then wind up comparing her to Sam. Afterward, it was a
downhill slide to nowhere. The only solution was to get Sam out of his system
completely—or make her a permanent part of his life.

“The fact that you
called means you trust me. You reached out to me. I like that.”

She sipped the tea, met
his gaze briefly, and looked away. “I do trust you. We have a connection beyond
a single night of sex. At least I hope we do.”

He set down his mug and
stood. Rounding the table, he pulled her up off the chair and tugged her
against his chest. Circling her waist with his arms, he looked into her eyes.
Trepidation mixed with a hint of desire.

“Are you going to ask me
to stay?”

She leaned her forehead
against his chin, and her breath whispered across his neck. The sweet scent of
mangos teased his senses.

“I’ve been wondering
that very thing since you walked through the door.”

He shifted
uncomfortably, his jeans straining tight, and ached with wanting her. “And?”

“I think we both know
you aren’t going anywhere.”

“I was certainly
hoping.” His mouth slanted across hers, tasting the warm sweetness within as
she opened to him. He cupped her face between his palms and, without breaking
contact, backed her out of the kitchen and toward the open bedroom door.
Stopping beside the bed, he hesitated.

“You’re sure? I don’t
want to push you into something you aren’t ready for.”

She rubbed her
fingertips over his jaw then touched his bottom lip. The gesture sent a bolt of
desire straight to his groin. His breath hissed out, and he sucked the finger
into his mouth.

Her eyes glazed, and she
spoke in a breathless voice. “I’m sure.”

“Do you know how long
I’ve wanted to do this?”

Her hands splayed across
his back beneath his T-shirt, searing his skin like a brand.

“Since we saw each other
in the fire station?”

“Try since you walked
out over five years ago. You got to me, Sam.”

She pressed tighter
against him. “You weren’t the only one affected by that night. Honestly, when I
was in Africa or the Philippines or any of a half-dozen other places, homesick
for a taste of the familiar, I’d think of you and the night we spent together.”

Pressure built in his
chest, and he swallowed against a knot of emotion. “I don’t know what to say.”

She gave a little shrug then
grinned. “Stupid thing to do. All it accomplished was to make me lonely
and
frustrated.”

Lifting her off her
feet, he swung her around and dropped her on the bed, coming down beside her.
“You make me laugh. It’s one of my favorite things about you—that and your
amazing legs.”

Kicking aside the robe,
she wrapped pajama clad limbs around his waist. “You have a thing for flannel?”

He nuzzled the side of
her neck and breathed in the fresh scent of her. “You aren’t going to be
wearing anything for long.”

“I hope not.”

Her breathless gasp
stole the last of his composure. Stripping the green T-shirt with a
RAW
logo over her head, he cupped her breasts in his hands, rubbing his thumb
across pink nipples. The little moan that escaped her sent his hands on a quest
across her smooth stomach to slip beneath the elastic waist of her pajama
bottoms. He pulled downward, taking her panties with them. Leaning back, he
feasted on the sight of her. Tanned and glowing, sleek and supple—and oh so
tempting.

“I’m crazy for you,
Sam.”

Her fingers worked the
button fly of his jeans. “Then help me get these off. I want skin on skin.”

When her hand brushed
the ridge of his erection, he gritted his teeth. Standing, he toed off his
sneakers, shucked his jeans and boxers, and ripped his shirt over his head.
Covering her body with his, he lay still, absorbing the feel of her soft skin
pressed against his hardness. It had been too long.

She moved restlessly,
and he surged against her damp heat. Sinking his fingers into her hair, he
kissed her, melding lips and tongues and teeth, unable to get enough of the
taste of her.

When he feared he’d
explode, he leaned over the side of the bed and felt for his wallet. “I have
protection.”

She took the foil packet
from him, ripped it open, and smoothed it down his length with shaking hands.
Ethan squeezed his eyes closed and prayed. The second he was covered, he slid
inside her.

“Oh God, oh God,” she
whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

Pressing deep, he pulled
out and surged forward. Stroking hard, he couldn’t hold back, exploding in a
shattering moment that pierced his soul. Still buried deep inside her, he
rolled to his side and pressed his face against her sweat dampened neck.

“I couldn’t wait. Next
time will be better, I swear.”

“If it got any better, I
might not survive.” She lifted her head to look deep into his eyes before a
slow smile spread across her face. “I was with you the whole way.”

He slumped back as his
heart rate slowed. “Thank God.”

She blinked down at him.
“Even if I hadn’t been, I wouldn’t hold it against you. I’ve
never
wanted someone as badly as I want you.”

He pulled her close and
stroked her silky hair. Releasing a long breath, he reveled in the simple
pleasure of holding her. “I couldn’t agree more.”

****

Sam woke slowly,
cocooned in addicting warmth. Sunlight crept between the cracks in the blinds.
She pressed her nose against the bare, musky skin of Ethan’s chest and breathed
deep. Stretching, her legs tangled with his hair roughened ones, and his
morning erection pushed against her stomach. Her pulse accelerated.

He kissed her forehead
and cheek then lingered on her lips. “I wish I could stay, but the dogs need to
be fed.” Pulling away after a second kiss, he hunted for his clothes on the
floor and dressed.

Sam scooted up in bed
and pulled the sheet across her breasts. She glanced at the bedside clock and
blinked. When was the last time she’d slept past seven? When had she ever
awoken feeling this happy?

He tied his sneakers
before glancing over his shoulder. “Do you feel comfortable being here alone?”
A frown creased his brow. “Maybe you should hang out with Juliette today, or
better yet, come with me and the dogs on a hike. I’ll be working with them, but
I’d love to have you with us.”

Some of her pleasure
faded. Last night, she’d let herself forget everything but Ethan. Reality
washed over her in a chilling wave, leaving goose bumps as it receded.

“Of course I don’t mind
being alone. I won’t let
him
chase me out of my own home, but a hike
sounds wonderful. I could use the exercise. ”

“I’ll go feed the dogs
while you shower and dress and be back in an hour or so.” He stopped and
turned, his eyes clouded. “Maybe I’d better wait. I don’t like the idea of you
alone—”

She held up her hand.
“Stop. I said I won’t let him intimidate me in my own home. I’ll be fine for an
hour.”

The frown lines
deepened. “You’re sure?”

She nodded. “Positive.”

With a final kiss, he
left. The cottage echoed hollowly after the door closed behind him. He’d been
gone two minutes, and she already missed him.

“Pull it together, Sam.”
Leaping out of bed, she headed for the shower. Standing beneath the spray, she
savored memories of a night spent in Ethan’s arms and compared it to the first
time they were together. Definitely better. Though he’d rocked her world on
both occasions, this time her emotions were involved.