Serendipity (12 page)

“I brought a down payment for the work on the house. I figured it would help you get started,” Ethan said.

“Thank you!” She was obviously, pleasantly surprised.

They hadn't spoken about contracts, pricing, or anything specific, but he knew she had limited funds and he wanted to help her any way he could.

Nick stood watching them both like an overprotective brother. Or boyfriend.

Faith cleared her throat. “Nick, do you want to get to work on the modem? Ethan and I have business to discuss.” Her look told Nick any more comments about Ethan wouldn't be welcome.

Ethan wanted to applaud, but that would only set off things between him and Mancini again.

Nick's scowl indicated exactly how he felt. “Tell you what. I have to check on my crew at one of my sights, so how about I just stop by later to set up the modem?” he asked, his gaze on Faith.

She nodded. “That would be great. Thank you.”

“I'm pretty good with electronics, so why don't you call first?” Ethan suggested. “She might not need your help after all.”

Nick's shoulders and jaw tensed. “Just be careful.” He slid a glare Ethan's way, then kissed Faith on the cheek and headed out of the store.

After he'd gone, Ethan realized his hands were still clenched into tight fists over that kiss, one no doubt meant to piss Ethan off.

And it had.

He forced himself to relax before meeting Faith's gaze.

Her hair was tousled and messy from her stint under the desk, her cheeks flushed, and desire licked through him, the flame burning hotter inside him now that they were alone.

“Sorry about that. Nick was a little too overprotective,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow. “A little? The man wants you for himself.”

“Actually, he doesn't. We settled that question already.” The color in her cheeks deepened, giving away way too much information.

“Settled it
how
?” he asked, his voice a low growl.

She perched her hands on her hips. “Frankly, that's none of your business.”

She was right. That didn't make the need for answers go away. “Okay, what about us? You and me? Is that any of my business?”

She opened her mouth and closed it again.

“I'll take that as a yes.” He stepped in closer until he felt her body heat and inhaled her intoxicating scent. “So tell me something. You told Nick we were
friends
.”

She didn't back down or break eye contact. “I thought we were.”

“Do you kiss all your friends like you kissed me?”

Her tongue darted out and swept across her lips. “I was drunk.”

“I remember. So maybe we need to clarify things again now that you're not,” he said, dipping his head and capturing her lips in a kiss.

Faith wasn't drunk or tipsy and she'd remember everything about
this
kiss. Ethan cupped his hands over her cheeks, holding her head in place while he thoroughly devoured her mouth. At the first touch of his tongue to her lips, she let out a moan and couldn't find it in herself to be embarrassed.

He felt too good.

He ran his tongue back and forth over the seam of her lips until she couldn't stand it another second and opened to let him inside. Eager to taste him, she slid her tongue over his, and the next groan came from deep in his chest. She took a heady pleasure from the effect she had on him, from knowing she wasn't in this crazy web of desire alone.

And understanding it was equal, she wound her arms around his neck, kissing him back and pressing her needy body against his, seeking closer contact. Since the night he'd brought her home, she hadn't been able to get him out of her mind, her thoughts, or her dreams. And this is what she'd been dreaming about since last time.

Him.

Her.

Their bodies locked together tight.

He pulled her closer, her breasts pressed tight against his chest, his hard erection wedged between their bodies. Her heart pounded harder. Her desire for him grew, the emptiness inside her yearning to be filled. As if he knew, he levered one knee between her legs, raising his thigh so he applied weight at just the right spot, pumping his leg up and down, building the pressure inside her until waves of sensation crested and eased, crested and eased.

She clenched her fists in the back of his shirt, bunching the material, silently begging him not to stop.

He murmured coaxing words, urging her on as his lips trailed moist, wet kisses over her cheek, her throat, reaching her collarbone where he paused to graze at her skin. One part of Faith was lost in sensation, another part unable to believe she was riding his leg seeking an orgasm he seemed intent on giving. She arched her back, thrusting her pelvis forward with the same rhythm he'd found, enabling her to grind into his hard, unyielding leg. Suddenly she was close, panting and closing her eyes as the brightest stars exploded behind her lids, taking her entire body along for a ride that never seemed to end.

As the sensations ebbed and reality came back, Faith realized what she'd just done.

And what he hadn't.

And she knew she wasn't prepared to open her eyes and deal with him just yet. Not when her underwear was damp and her body still quaked with little after shocks. Not when she felt warm and sated and while she still clung to him.

Slowly she loosened her grip on his shirt. Even more slowly she forced her eyelids open. Just as she'd expected, he stared at her with those deep, fathomless eyes.

“Was it good for you?” A sensual smile raised the corners of his mouth, but unfulfilled desire still pulsed in his gaze.

“It was okay.” She couldn't hold back a grin of her own. They both knew it had been spectacular.

A pulse still pounded in the base of his throat, and she wanted to lean in and kiss him there. Somehow she refrained.

“Have dinner with me tonight,” he said, his tone indicating this time he wouldn't take no for an answer.

She swallowed hard, knowing that
this time
dinner would involve a lot more than just food. There was so much unfinished between them, not just from this interlude but because there was so much more about him she wanted to explore. He might not be a bad boy anymore, but to her he was still the rebel in her dreams and she wanted to find out just how good it could be between them.

Any why not? She was single. He was single.

“Okay.”

A mixture of surprise and relief flickered across his handsome face. “Not going to make me work for it this time?” He brushed her hair off her cheek.

“I think you just did.” She ducked her head in embarrassment, putting space between them.

But his laughter followed her as she attempted to pull herself together, though she knew she'd spend the rest of the day looking as frazzled as she felt.

She finally met his gaze. “Thank you for the check,” she said, bringing him back to what really had brought him here. “It wasn't necessary since we haven't even agreed on anything yet.”

He raised an eyebrow. “How about I wanted an excuse to see you?”

Pleasure wrapped around her at the admission. “Well, if you aren't comfortable, you can hang on to the money until you see and approve my ideas.”

His hand came down on her shoulder. “Here's the check.” He reached into his pocket and handed her a folded piece of paper. “Cash it and don't argue, okay?”

She nodded. “Thanks.” Joel was allowing her to use his name and credit with key accounts until she'd established herself, but the cash infusion would allow her to set up credit on her own. “ I've been working on some ideas I can show you tonight.”

“Sounds good. Instead of going out, why don't you come over? I know Rosalita would love to cook for you.” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

She shook her head and laughed. “You know I can't turn down one of her home-cooked meals.” And he didn't hesitate to use it to get his way.

“Then I'll pick you up at seven.” He started for the door and she raised her hand in a silent wave.

What in the world was she doing? Faith asked herself once she was alone. She was single for the first time as an adult. She barely knew who she was and what she wanted out of life. For a woman coming off an ugly divorce and not interested in a relationship with any man, she seemed to be diving into
something
with Ethan Barron way too fast.

 

 

By the time Ethan picked up Faith and she returned to the house, Rosalita was long gone. She'd left a set table and dinner ready to be served, something Ethan did an admirable job of handling on his own.

Faith was impressed.

There was something inherently sexy about a man at ease with serving a woman dinner. Of course there was something even more sexy about the man himself. He wore a simple white short-sleeved collared polo shirt and a pair of khaki-colored pants, yet she couldn't tear her gaze away. There was nothing simple about the way he filled out the clothes either.

As delicious as the paella tasted—she'd always loved Rosalita's signature dish of Spanish rice and seafood, she could barely concentrate on what she was eating. She was distracted by Ethan and thoughts of what they could very easily end up doing together after they finished the meal.

Despite the easy flow of conversation, she couldn't help noticing that he was preoccupied too, only with what seemed like more than just the company.

Like right now.

They'd finished eating, but he turned his fork over and over, lost in thought.

“What's going on?” she asked at last.

He glanced up, meeting her gaze. “What do you mean?”

“Up here.” She pointed to her head. “Every once in a while, I lose you. What's got you so preoccupied?”

He treated her to an apologetic grin. “A business problem that I shouldn't have brought with me to dinner.”

She shrugged, unconcerned. “Obviously you couldn't leave it at the office. So? What's going on? Sometimes if you put it out there, it's easier to forget about for a while.”

He groaned and leaned back in his chair, bracing his hands behind his head. “You know I'm in weapons software development, right?”

She nodded.

“Well, I'm working on a bid for a new government contract. Both the software and the bid itself are proprietary. But someone's funneling information to my competitor.”

“Ahh. That explains your distraction.”

“Don't tell me you thought I wasn't interested in you . . .” He snagged her gaze and the heat in his eyes promised her that wasn't the case.

“No, I think we've already established that you are.” She felt the blush rush to her cheeks. “I just figured something important was bothering you.”

“I appreciate your asking.”

And she was grateful for any insight into who he was, what he did for a living, anything that made him tick. Up till now, he'd been closed about himself and she was curious.

“So tell me. How'd you get into weapons development of all things?” she asked.

He leaned forward in his chair. “Didn't know I had the brains, did you?”

She grinned. “Hey, I didn't say that. Now spill.”

Ethan laughed, seemingly more relaxed than he'd been all evening. “Let's see. I didn't last six months on my own. I woke up on a park bench one day and realized I was on the road to nowhere. I passed an army recruiting center, walked in, and signed up.”

“You were in the army?” she asked, stunned. She couldn't see the younger version of Ethan succumbing to anyone's rules.

“You sound surprised. What's wrong? Don't see me obeying orders?” He chuckled.

She shook her head. “That's an understatement.” He was so on target he might just be reading her thoughts.

“The army was exactly what I needed. Someone had to kick my ass and get me to shape up. I actually got a scholarship through their ROTC program. Uncle Sam paid for my education and I gave him three years.”

She blinked, looking at him in a whole new light. “So you finished your military obligation, what? Three years ago?”

“Exactly. Luckily for me I was a computer simulation gaming freak. Bet you didn't know that about me either.”

He winked at her and her stomach curled into a delicious knot.

“Anyway,” he continued, oblivious to the sexual sparks he'd fired up with that one wink. “The army put my skills to good use, so I ended up at a military base Stateside. In my free time, I started working up weapons software specs.”

“ Wow.”

He shrugged. “I know it sounds nuts, but this stuff comes naturally to me. But I needed to support myself, so after my tour was up, I took a job at Lockheed Martin. Heard of them?”

“Yes, but I couldn't tell you what they do,” she admitted. Leaning forward on her hands, she waited for him to continue his story. His history was fascinating to her and she wanted more.

“Lockheed is a global security and tech info company, but by then I'd had it with rules and regulations.”

She grinned. “Big shock.”

“Exactly. It wasn't a good fit so I turned independent. Luckily I had connections and I'd already been working privately on a system that would revolutionize the capabilities of our country's next fleet of military jets. An old army buddy turned up and together we nailed the glitches in my software. Dale Conway and I started Magnum, our weapons software development company. We secured our first government contract, and bingo. Here I am.” His hand swept around the house with pride.