9781618850676UnchainedMelodyHunter (17 page)

“Lise,
I do please you in bed, don’t I?”

Her
heart melted. The car wasn’t very big, but it was big enough. She crawled into
his lap sitting astraddle with her back to the steering wheel. He jammed his
seat back as far as it would go. Thankful she had changed out of her jeans and
into one of her comfortable sundresses; she reached below and unfastened his
jeans. She felt him growing as she freed him from his clothing. “Can you rip
these, please?” She took his hands in hers and placed them under her skirt, so
he could feel her filmy lace panties. Taking both hands, he tore the fabric as
if it were tissue paper. He pulled them from between her legs and flung them in
the other seat.

“I’ll
buy you another pair.”

“Whatever.”
She eased up and he entered her, full, hard, and hungry. “Now, listen to me
closely, Ethan,” She said the words softly, yet with heartfelt conviction. “I
tremble with desire for you. I ache just thinking about you filling me. Now that
you’re inside me, I want to scream from the sheer pleasure you’re giving me. You
are the most wonderful of lovers. I come every time you’re inside me and I come
every time I think about you inside me.” As she spoke the words, she showed him
with her body how much she cared, how much he meant to her, how much she
desired him. “I could never tire of loving you.” She spoke the last word as
tremors racked his body. She kissed his lips then bit his neck, gently, in her
passion.

Ethan
laid his head against her heart. “Thank you. You’ve proved this to me over and
over. I can tell that I please you in bed. You are so open and so giving. It’s
just that seeing her, listening to her, brought all these terrible memories to
mind. I was miserable before you came back. I just hope I can be the one that
makes you happy. I just hope I can make you forget the other men in your life.”

Annalise
took his precious face in her hands and lifted it up to her lips. “What other
men are you talking about, Ethan? Sweetheart, I’ve never made love with anybody
but you. And I don’t intend to ever make love with anyone but you.”

Ethan
was stunned. “There’s been no one?”

She
shook her head.

“How
can that be? You are gorgeous, smart and successful. I don’t understand how
you’ve kept men beat off with a stick. Hell, I can’t be in the same room with
you without wanting to make love to you. I’m sure that any other red-blooded
man would feel the same way.”

She
wished they weren’t having this conversation. “Ethan, I’m different with you. Other
men don’t turn my head. Besides, I just don’t meet that many men. I don’t go to
places where men congregate. I write for women, I have women editors, a woman
agent. I shop online.”

“What
if you had never come here, what if we had never found one another again? Were
you planning to always be alone?” When he said it, it didn’t sound plausible. She
tried to come up with something other than the truth. She couldn’t.

“Yes,
I would have remained alone.” When he looked as if he were going to continue
the third degree, she held up one small hand. “Please, Ethan. I have my
reasons. I promise I will tell you what they are, just not now. I need more
time.” She could tell he was not happy with her. It broke her heart to see
anything other than a smile on his beautiful face.

* * * *

They
arrived back at the
Lost Maples
at three o’clock. Annalise prayed
Ethan was alright. He hadn’t said much since she confessed he had been her only
lover. The fact that she was hiding something from him was beginning to throw
up a barrier between them. Everything within her wanted to just open up and
tell him about the assault, the scars, Jeffrey—all of her sorrows—but she knew that
would the most selfish thing she could ever do.

He
parked the car and took both dogs for a much needed walk. She picked up the
little scrap of lace that used to be her panties.

As
she was about to enter her cabin, Alex walked up. Annalise even felt guilty
talking to Ethan’s brother. “I presume everything is going well.”

“We
ran into Francine today.”

“Shit.”

“Alex,
Ethan is going to be hurt. You’ve got to do something to help me.”

“What
can I do?

“I
want you to have a party. Invite as many young, eligible, sexy women as you can
find.” Alex stared at her as if she had lost her mind. “Alex, Ethan loves me. He
really loves me and God help me, I love him more than you can possibly imagine.
But I can’t stay, Alex. I’m loving him with everything I have, but I’m also
trying to protect myself and him from…from…my ugly reality. I’ve thought about
more surgery, but I have no idea if that will work. We need to make Ethan
realize there are hundreds of women out there that would love to be with him. Alex,
please help me distract your brother.”

“That’s
the stupidest plan I’ve ever heard. Why don’t you just show Ethan the scars,
tell him the truth—maybe he loves you enough that it won’t matter.”

She
wanted to scream, she was so frustrated. “Alex, Ethan
would
stay with me—that’s
the problem. I’m convinced now that he would never let on. He would continue to
make love to me, just as before, I would never be able to tell the difference. But
I would know! I can’t live like that.”

“I
hear you. I don’t agree with you, but I hear you. Let me tell you this, I know
my brother. We are basically just alike and I know how I would feel if I were
him. You are absolutely beautiful. If you belonged to me, I can tell you that a
few scars would not deter me in the least.” Alex was so sweet and so sincere
Annalise had to fight hope from growing in her heart.

“It’s
not a few scars, Alex. You can’t imagine how horrible it is. I have been so
careful making love to your brother. I make sure it’s dark, I try to—oh, don’t
make me say it. I can’t risk it, Alex. Now, if I walk away, especially if Ethan
finds someone new, I’ll be able to survive. I’ll have my memories to keep me
warm, but if I were to see the light die in his eyes after seeing the real me…that
would kill me.”

Ethan
walked back up about that time; she’d watched he put the dogs in the main
house. He looked from one to the other. “What’s going on?”

She
decided to get a step ahead of Ethan’s brother. “Alex is planning a party.”

This
news didn’t surprise Ethan; he had been expecting it. “In fact, a party sounds
pretty good. It’s been a long time since we entertained. Let me know what I can
do to help.” Alex nodded and excused himself fairly quickly.

When
Ethan turned back around he was his old self. “I have a request.” He walked
slowly toward her. She stood her ground. Relieved, she sensed he had let the
earlier drama go.

“Anything.”
Except the truth
.

“Tonight,
when we go to the concert wear a loose top and no bra.” She looked at him
curiously, not really understanding. “Humor me. This time it’s my fantasy.”

“All
right.”

Then
he turned serious and took her by the hand. “Come in, I want to talk to you
away from prying eyes.” Annalise looked around and noticed ten pairs of eyes
were watching every move they made. There were curious people sitting on almost
every porch. She followed him into her cabin.

As
soon as he shut the door, she was in his arms. He held her close. He didn’t
attempt to kiss her; instead he cradled her to him placing his forehead against
hers and looked deeply into her eyes. “I’m so sorry about today. I had such
high expectations and then everything just went to hell. I want to explain to
you exactly how I feel about all of this. I don’t want there to be any
misunderstandings between us. Francine is nothing to me, so her opinion means
nothing. Sex with you is—hell, it’s not sex—making love with you is absolutely
the most thrilling thing I have ever done. Unlike you, I have had several
lovers. Francine made me doubt myself, but I can tell the difference between a
woman who tolerates my lovemaking and one who revels in it. Your response to my
touch, to my kiss, to my body is the most incredibly exciting thing I have ever
experienced. Our fantastic chemistry is not the norm—it is extremely rare. And
I want you to know I cherish you—instead of questioning why you have never had
another lover—I ought to get down on my knees and thank high heaven you chose
to love me instead of the millions of other guys out there that would give
their eye teeth to love you. I don’t understand how or why I got so damn lucky,
but I want you to know you are my world, you are my life and you are my love.” When
he finished speaking, she stood on tiptoe and kissed him until they were both
gasping for breath.

“Now
get ready for a night out on the town. We’re headed to the UT campus for the
Austin City Limits and afterward we’re taking in 6th Street. I’ll be back over
after you in two hours. But remember the dress code I requested.” He kissed her
one more time then he was gone.

Annalise
let out a ragged breath. By the time Ethan had got through speaking, she had
felt as if her heart was being ripped from her chest. She loved him so much. Her
brain was going crazy. Thoughts she should never be having were running through
her mind. Could she have more surgery? Could there be a way for them to be
together? She sat down on her bed and shook like a leaf.

* * * *

The
hands on the clock were not still. If she didn’t get up and get ready, Ethan
would find her in the same clothes he left her in. In the shower, she tortured
herself once more. She tried to look at her thighs and vulva with a critical
eye. She tried to imagine Ethan looking at her without benefit of the cloaking
darkness. It had been four years since her marriage to Jeffrey; maybe the
ridges were smaller and paler. A hand mirror from the vanity drawer gave her
the answer she needed. As much as she wanted it to be different, in her eyes
the scars were still as disgusting as they ever were. If it had been her
mirror, she would have thrown it against the wall. But it wasn’t so she
replaced it where she had found it.

She
turned on the hot water and resolved to quit feeling sorry for herself. Ethan
wouldn’t be
hers
forever, but he was hers tonight. She
treated her body as if it were perfect; she creamed, perfumed and pampered as
if it were her wedding night and she was a pure, perfect bride. When Ethan came
to pick her up, he found her in a pair of soft Dolce jeans and a cotton shirt that
was a throwback to the peasant blouse, gathered around the neck and swinging
loose in soft pleats to just above the waist. As requested, she was braless.

Austin
City Limits was filmed on the UT campus in a studio on
Whitis
Street. They parked in one of the nearby garages and made their way over to the
performance area. The
White Keys
and
SOFRO
were set to play tonight and
Annalise couldn’t help but skip a few steps as they made their way across the
campus. She held hands with Ethan and her heart felt as light as a feather. She
was determined they would enjoy the night. Annalise decided no one knew what
tomorrow held, people lived for today and kept tomorrows at bay all the time. This
is what she would do.

The
studio held about three hundred and fifty. There were tables and chairs and
Ethan chose one near the middle, but off to one side. It seemed he was opting
for as much privacy as a crowd could offer. Soon the room filled to overflowing
with an excited crowd. Ethan got a beer for himself and a margarita for her. When
she looked up at him, he was watching her with such tenderness she sat her
drink down and kissed him full on the mouth. When the house lights came down
and the music started, Ethan’s fantasy began. He turned her chair sideways in
front of his so she could sit back almost in his lap, having no chair back
between them. He pulled her back against him and over the music and whispered
in her ear. “I was here alone about a year ago. You were all I could think
about. I imagined you were here with me, just like this. Absolutely surrounded
by people, the music is wild and our hearts are racing. You have on a soft
loose blouse and when I pull you back against me, there is absolutely no reason
why I can’t cup your naked breasts in my hands. No one can see and I don’t have
to stop.”

The
bands played, the crowd cheered and Annalise lay in her lover’s arms and
enjoyed the sweetest caresses imaginable. At times she closed her eyes,
hovering very near orgasm. It thrilled her that Ethan enjoyed himself so much. At
one point, he spread his legs to bring her closer to him and it was obvious he
was completely and utterly aroused. She held her head back and he kissed her
deeply and passionately.

The
concert was being filmed and whenever the camera would pan their way, Ethan
would attempt to ensure the camera could not interpret their actions. What the
camera could not ignore was the look of joy on her face. Although Annalise
enjoyed the music, for her the concert passed in a haze of pleasure. What the
hell, she could buy a CD; but the time spent in Ethan’s arms had been
priceless.

They
walked back to the parking garage. He held her close to him every step of the
way. When they reached the car, he walked around it carefully. “I’m always
afraid somebody will ding my paint job.” He seemed satisfied the beautiful
Viper was untouched. Annalise smiled at his obvious love for his car. He held
the door open for her. When he joined her, he took the time to thank her. “That
was the most fun I’ve ever had at a concert. The only problem was my constant
state of arousal.”