“Pretty sure we’ve already established that,” he said, thrusting his hips so that he slid between my legs. “But if you need further evidence…”
“You’re going to break me,” I teased, though I pushed my ass back so he could glide through my legs again, his length teasing my entrance with every pass.
Ever since that night in the attic, we’d been inseparable. It had been three days, and we’d barely left the house except for food. Who was I kidding; we’d barely left the bed. Ethan had made it his mission to discover what made me feel good, and I wasn’t going to protest. Though I didn’t orgasm every time, he was patient and caring. He never made me feel guilty or like I was somehow less than even when I didn’t climax. It was all fun and exploration; there was no pressure.
He smoothed his hand over my stomach, up to my breast, keeping his touch light. Just the way I liked it. I moaned, but then Max whined as if in response.
Ethan let out a heavy sigh then leaned over to kiss me. “Sorry, babe.”
He squeezed my hip before extricating himself from the covers. All the while, I tried to wrap my head around the fact that he’d just called me babe. And I’d liked it.
He threw on some clothes and then pressed a kiss to my bare shoulder. It was tender and intimate, and… I couldn’t deny how nice the past few days had been. How…normal and easy. It was easy to fall into the fantasy, into Ethan. Sharing memories by firelight, cuddling on the couch as we watched movies, cooking meals together, falling asleep in his arms.
I listened to the scuffle of Max’s claws on the floor as they bounded down the stairs. The world was silent, but my mind was screaming. I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling.What do you think you’re doing, Audrey?
Ethan was convinced we were on a vacation from the universe, but I couldn’t help wondering what we’d do when it was over. Did we pretend this had never happened? Did we sell the house and move on with our lives—assuming I could actually convince him to agree? And why did the thought of selling and moving on have my stomach clenching, filling with dread?
Maybe because, deep down, I’d never wanted to sell it.And now, even less so. My anger with my father had dissipated after my discovery in the attic. Lately, I’d been toying with the idea of renting out the house as a vacation home. And while that seemed like a decent compromise, the idea still made me sick to my stomach.
But, as Ethan liked to remind me, this was vacation. Those decisions could wait.
I pushed out of bed and dressed, splashing water on my face and pulling back my hair before heading downstairs. I hadn’t straightened my curls in days—hadn’t worn makeup either—and I wasn’t sure the last time I’d ever felt so carefree. Or so beautiful. I had Ethan to thank for that.
My phone vibrated on the counter, and Ben’s name flashed on the screen. I ignored it, letting it go to voice mail. But then he texted that there was some new evidence, and I immediately pressed his contact to connect the call.
“What’s going on?”
“Hello to you too,” he teased. “The doc review attorneys uncovered some new evidence.”
I pursed my lips and opened my laptop. “What kind of evidence?”
“Let’s say, it doesn’t look good for our client. I sent it over to you last night.”
I navigated to my inbox and cringed when I saw the new emails awaiting my attention. “Shit.”
“Geoff is livid.”
“He should be. Our client lied to us.” I glanced toward the backyard, where Max was chasing Ethan around. Ethan was laughing, throwing a ball to Max as their breath filled the air with white clouds.
I wasn’t ready to face reality—not yet. I hadn’t taken a break from work, from life, in…I didn’t know how long.Toolong. Even the trips I’d taken the past few years hadn’t been relaxing, and my job had always found a way to creep in. I had another week of vacation, bereavement, whatever, and I intended to enjoy every moment.
“Audrey?” Ben asked, bringing my attention back to him.
Right—the case.“Is there anything we can do about it right now?”
“I suppose not.”
“Exactly. We can discuss it more when I get back.”
“But—”
“I’ve got enough to deal with here.” It was a white lie, but I wasn’t in the mood. The evidence wasn’t good, but I was positive we’d find a way to handle it. I’d lost count of the times the firm rushed around to put out a fire that could’ve been prevented by stepping back and taking a moment to think. I was over it.
“Of course. Anything I can help with?”
The back door opened, and Ethan stepped inside with Max on his heels. I turned away and headed down the hall to my dad’s office. “No, but thanks. I need to get going. Thanks for the update, Ben,” I said before ending the call.
“Hey,” Ethan said when I rejoined him and Max in the kitchen. I sank onto one of the barstools, watching as he filled two cups of coffee. “I would’ve brought this up to you.”
