Nora sat up and moved to the side so she could look at Ethan while they talked.
Maybe she needed to empty her soul while not looking at him.
But his actions, his movements, his caresses, they all warmed her. Soothed and comforted every word that escaped from her mouth in a jumbled mess.
He understood what she was explaining even when she wasn’t making all that much sense to herself.
And what did he do? He kissed her and said what they had was fate. That he was glad what she thought was something to get her in trouble actually turned out to be... right.
God, when was the last time she felt she did anything right in anyone’s eyes?
But today, today of all days, at his family’s home with everyone surrounding them, she’d felt as if she got the acceptance she’d been dreaming of her whole life.
Now, she just wanted to get Ethan’s love.
In order for her to move on, she wanted to know more. She needed to know that he wasn’t keeping secrets from her. That he wasn’t going to change as she’d been accused of doing.
That he wasn’t just enamored with her looks and what she could do for him in the office.
“Can you tell me about your past dating history now? I don’t have much more to share. I’d say the thing with Jordan was the last and the deepest.”
“You said the deepest but didn’t mention the word love. Were you in love?”
“I was. Or I thought I was. I can’t say it just stopped like a flip being hit, but more like the sand coming out of an hourglass. Slow, steady, draining everything until the last grain was gone. By then, it was easy to walk away. Probably makes me sound cold, but when he asked me to choose, the fact I could do it so easily said it was time.”
“You’re the least cold person I know,” he said. “For me, I don’t have anyone like that. I’ve had a few relationships that lasted around a year. My biggest problem has always been figuring out what I wanted, if they could give it to me, or if they even wanted me or my name.”
She lifted her eyebrow. “What is it you want?”
“I thought it was someone to go out and have a good time with. Someone who wasn’t clingy because I wasn’t always around.”
“That’s not easy, I’m sure, but plenty of women would say they were fine with it to be with you.”
He laughed. “There was that. And I had my fair share, which is what made me so selective. You never know who is being truthful or not.”
“I hope you know I am. I know we didn’t have the best first experience together.”
Which was going to haunt her.
“It was a great first experience,” he said, his leg coming out, his bare toe rubbing on her thigh.
He even had nice feet. How did men have nice feet?
“I’m glad you think that. Are you still looking for someone to have a good time with? You said that is what you thought. I mean, I think we have fun together, but I’m not really fancy. I’m not sure it’s my thing.”
That was information she needed. But she wouldn’t nor couldn’t change for a man. Not everything.
“When Eli and Bella got engaged, I saw it was possible to find your person. But, there was Bella, coming in at the same social status so I had my doubts or wondered in terms of me. Then I reminded myself a lot of my cousins who are right there with me, their wives don’t have our background. Some have ones that lesser families would turn their nose at. My family, they just want to see everyone happy.”
She wanted details but knew that would be intrusive. “Blake’s background is upper class.”
“It is. And did she tell you she moved here to reconnect with her father also? You have that in common. Her mother divorced and moved her to California and she rarely saw him.”
“No,” she said, pursing her lips. “But again, it didn’t come up about me.”
“Now you know for the next time you see each other. Probably July Fourth. My mother will want to have a picnic. If not on Saturday, then Sunday. We can go over for the weekend also.”
“I’d like that.” And the fact he was already planning for the future. Even if it was just a few weeks.
