IF YOU WANTED THE MOON (14 page)

Tori didn’t know what to do, as she laid there in one of her skimpy gowns, her heart pounding so loudly that she was certain he could hear it. Yet they laid there for the longest, Ethan on his back, Tori on her side, neither making a move or even breathing out loud. Until finaly, after exhaling as if he’d made up his mind, Ethan looked over at Tori’s back, and neck, and beautiful hair. “Victoria?” he said in that calm, even voice she loved.

Tori exhaled too. “Yes?” she replied.

“Come here.”

He said it so softly, so sensuously, that Tori had to take a moment to compose herself before she turned over and moved toward him. He puled her into his arms and smoothed back her hair with the

palm of his hand. He looked at her hair, and then he looked into her eyes. “You okay?” he asked her.

She began nodding before she could formulate a word to say. “Yes,” she finaly said.

“Good,” he replied and kissed her on her forehead. When she thought that would be al she needed to take her through the night, he kissed her on her cheek, and her throat, and her neck. And then he puled back up and kissed her on her mouth. He lost it then as they both grabbed hold of the other and kissed hard and kissed long. He even puled her body on top of his as he kissed her. They were hungry and it showed, as Ethan slid his hand underneath her gown and began massaging her butt as he kissed her. Then he stopped. He couldn’t do this, not with a woman who might very wel have

betrayed him.

But he looked into her eyes, and saw nothing but love in hers, and he lost al restraint. He lifted her gown over her head and alowed his naked body to rub against hers. Before he could count up the cost, before he could think at al, he had to have her. He tossed her on her back, laid on top of her, and then entered her. He could barely contain himself when he did. And it was him, this time, screaming her name.

Afterwards, Ethan moved off of her and leaned his head back, terrified of how far he had gone. And he didn’t use a condom. Every woman he had ever been with, he’d used a condom. But not with

Tori. Because, he angrily admitted, he wanted her a hundred times more than he’d ever wanted any other woman before. He wanted her, this woman that had possibly betrayed him. The last thing he needed right now was to fal any harder for his betrayer. Although, he also admitted, that last thing he needed had probably already occurred.

He was nearly hyperventilating as he lay beside her. He looked over at her. She was staring at the ceiling, wondering, he knew, why she alowed it, too. She looked so radiant to him that he smoothed her hair out of her face, and kissed her one more time. Then he puled her o top of him. He held her, even tighter than when they were in the throes of their highest passion. He held her on top of him al night long.

Ethan took a long run on the beach early the next morning. He thought it would clear his head, he thought it would make him understand al of the pitfals he’d falen into by going so far with Tori last night. But it yielded no such results. Al he could think about was Tori, and how passionately she kissed, and how wonderful she felt inside of him. He wondered how it could be that Tori, of al the women he’d known, could make him feel so complete.

And that was how he felt the morning after. Complete. Ful. Energized. He even cut his run short, just to see her pretty face again. And she was, as he had left her, stil asleep, her shapely body exposed as she lay peacefuly on her stomach. He smiled and then stared at her. He was asking for trouble, he knew, because he wanted her more than anything, when getting her would alter his life in ways he wasn’t ready to alow. She made him too emotional, and too needy, and too worried sick over her when he never, ever wanted to tie himself down that way. And she was using him? Was that what was going on? She had no idea he would bring her to Florida with him, but when she found out did she decide to use this opportunity to her advantage?

Somehow Ethan couldn’t believe it. Not
Tori
. Of al the human beings he’d ever met in al of his life, she was the one he had been wiling to lay bets on. She was the one he just knew wouldn’t betray him. She was also the one, he realized with an exhale, that had him so confused. And that was how he felt. Confused. Needy. In love?

He shuttered at the thought of being in love with Tori. How in the world could he love a woman who was seling his company’s secrets right under his nose? He had loved her, before he knew the real

deal, but could he stil love her? He, instead, dismissed such foolishness and moved up to her bed and slapped her on her behind, effectively waking her up.

She roused awake unsure if that was a love pat or an intentional slap, but as soon as she saw Ethan’s face, she smiled. “Good morning,” she said.

“Good morning, sleepy head.”

“Oh, it’s late, isn’t it?” she asked as she turned on her side and looked at the clock on the night stand. “What time is it?”

“It’s get up time,” he said as he went into the bathroom to take a shower. A very cold one.

By the time Tori had showered and dressed and made her way out of the bedroom, Ethan was already downstairs talking with a tal man Tori had never seen before. They were standing near the front

door talking very low, which Tori knew meant that it was a private conversation, so she tried to ease down the stairs and quietly slip into the kitchen. And she was almost there before she heard Ethan’s door talking very low, which Tori knew meant that it was a private conversation, so she tried to ease down the stairs and quietly slip into the kitchen. And she was almost there before she heard Ethan’s wondrously sexy voice. “Victoria,” he said and her skin turned warm. She loved the way he said her name.

When she turned, he smiled at her. “Come here,” he said, “I want you to meet somebody.”

She moved slowly toward the two men as they both stared unceasingly at her. She decided to wear jeans, tennis shoes, and a button-down, white, sleeveless blouse today. She also had her big, flop hat in her hand.

“Tori this is Mel Koch,” Ethan said as soon as she made it to his side. “He works for a councilman here in town. Mel, this is my assistant and the head of my logistics department, Victoria Douglas.”

“Helo, Miss Douglas,” Mel said, shaking her hand. “You have a beautiful assistant, Ethan,” he added.

Ethan didn’t respond to Mel, but he did look at his smiling, and, yes, he’d admit, beautiful Tori. “I’l get that folder for you,” Ethan said to Mel and headed for his study. Mel and Tori began engaging in smal talk, about how she was enjoying her time in the Keys, the weather, the best places to eat. Just as Tori was teling him that the only place they tended to frequent was the Sunshine Café, Ethan returned with a file folder in his hand. When he saw Mel’s eyes move from Tori’s face to her large breasts whose cleavage showed above her low-cut blouse, he moved quickly. He took her hand and placed it in his, a not-too-subtle way of teling Mel to knock it off, as he handed Mel the folder.

Mel smiled. “We appreciate this, Ethan,” he said as he began sifting through a thick envelope inside of the folder.

“Just take care of the zoning and I’l be happy.”

“And that’s what we want. Happy businessmen. That’s what makes the world go ‘round.”

Ethan and Mel both smiled. “Good day, Miss Douglas,” Mel said as he left the house.

Tori looked at Ethan. “That was money.”

“Yes.”

“I thought you said he works for a city councilman.”

“He does.”

“Ethan, you’re giving bribes to a city councilman?”

“Of course not. I’m giving bribes to an aide whose giving them to the city councilman. It’s insurance, Tori.”

“It’s wrong, Ethan.”

“Is it now?” Ethan said as he puled Tori into his arms.
And what you’re doing is right
, he wanted to add.

Tori smiled. “What are you doing? This is serious.”

“And you think I’m not? I’l show you serious.” Ethan placed his lips on Tori’s and began kissing her hard, his probing not satisfied until she opened her mouth and let him in. She loved the way he kissed, as he knew how to relax her, and just like that she had forgotten her concern about how Ethan conducted his business. It was his business for now, she thought. She couldn’t expect to change his heart without being a part of it herself. But from how he did her last night, and how he was doing her this morning, she had a sneaking suspicion that he was finaly, finaly opening that heart and alowing her safe passage in. And, in time, maybe her high ethics would rub away some of his occasional low ones.

They spent the afternoon in town as Ethan met with city officials about possible sites he could consider and Tori took careful notes. They sat side by side, as if their relationship was al about business.

But Tori knew better than that. She couldn’t keep her eyes off of Ethan, staring at him as he listened far more than he talked, as each and every one of those officials seemed so impressed by him although he barely spoke a word.

Afterwards, Ethan seemed as upbeat as he had been al morning, which pleased Tori greatly. She was afraid he’d drift into his shel again and refuse to admit that he felt something wonderful for her too.

He had to have felt it. The way he kissed her and stroked her and held her al night, and kissed her again this morning, made her certain he had strong feelings for her. Even when they walked into the grocery store of al places, Tori believed she already knew what he was up to.

“What’s in here?” she asked him as he grabbed a shopping cart.

“Food,” he said.

“I know that, sily. But what are we doing in here? The Sunshine Cafe not good enough for you anymore?”

“It’s not good enough for you,” he said before he realized he had said it. He looked at her. She was beaming. His heart dropped. “I’m going to cook you a meal, that’s al,” he said, as if to shield his obvious feelings, and pushed his cart away from her. Her heart dropped, too. Why was he so resistant, she wondered, but her cel phone began ringing.

She answered it and smiled when she realized it was Macy. She went outside, to talk more freely, as Macy couldn’t wait to hear the details and she couldn’t wait to tel them. And she told them, every moment of her time with Ethan, from their first kiss on that first night, until last night and this morning.

“Made love to you? Slapped you on the behind?” Macy said as if it were a horrible turn of events.

Tori laughed. “Yes!” she said as she leaned against the store’s display window and folded her arms. “He thought I was asleep and he caled himself waking me up.”

“That don’t even sound like no Ethan Chandler.”

“I know, girl, I know. That’s what’s so amazing about it. He’s nothing like I thought. I mean, he has his moments, no doubt about that, but he seems to realy care for me, Mace.”

“I told you! Before you left Chi-town I told you that man had the hots for you. Why else would he want you down there with him?”

“Sheila seems to think he likes my brain power.”

“Sheila’s a fool,” Macy said and Tori laughed.

“Sheila’s a fool,” Macy said and Tori laughed.

“You wrong for that, girl.”

Ethan came out of the store but Tori was too immersed in her conversation to see him. But he saw her, as he stood there with his bag of groceries placing his change back in his bilfold.

“I’m sorry, but it’s true,” Macy said into the phone. “Sheila is an educated fool who has no clue about men and why they do what they do. That man wanted you, Tori, from the first moment he laid eyes on you. Now he’s kissing you al night, making love to you, slapping you on the behind, okay? Child please. He’s sprung beyond repair.”

Tori smiled. “I wouldn’t go as far as that,” she said, but as soon as she said it she heard a scream. Both she and Ethan looked toward the sound but it was Tori who saw the danger first. A smal boy, no more than four or five, was running for a bal out toward the busy street. His mother, or grandmother as she appeared, was trying to run after him but she was too overweight and far too slow to have any chance of catching an active little boy.

Tori immediately dropped her cel phone and ran, as fast as she could, for the boy. Ethan, seeing Tori, dropped his bag of groceries and ran, as fast as he could, for Tori. The cars were coming, the boy was running blindly, and Tori was able to sling the boy up into her arms and out of one car’s way, but she and the boy were about to be broadsided by another car. Ethan, then, grabbed Tori and effectively saved her and the little boy from the oncoming wreck, his movement so swift that al three of them tumbled to the sidewalk. But they were al safe.

The screaming grandmother quickly retrieved her grandson, thanking Ethan and Tori as she did, while Ethan held Tori, tightly, on his lap, the fear of what could have happened to her gripping him like a noose. Tori, whose heart was pounding against her chest, leaned her head on his shoulder. She understood just how close a cal that scene was too, and that was why they just sat there, dazed and frightened, with Ethan barely able to regulate his breathing.

They drove home quietly, although Tori tried to make smal talk. “His grandmother was so grateful,” she said, but Ethan didn’t respond to her. He couldn’t. He was stil stunned by what had happened.

Not just because something terrible could have happened to Tori, but because the fact of the matter was disturbing him so much. He was in too deep with this woman, he felt, and his heart couldn’t handle it.

Since last night he hadn’t thought about anything or anybody except Tori.

And even beyond the heart of the matter, the survival of his company could very wel depend on him keeping his distance from Tori, yet he was doing al he could to pul her closer to him. This had to stop and it had to stop now, he decided. Or not only his company, but his very soul, would be in mortal danger.

He drove his Lexus up to the front of his house and stopped the car. Tori waited for him to get out and open her car door, but he just stared straight ahead.