When the elevator opened to the waterfall lobby, Ron and Ellen Shelby gasped in amazement."What is this place?" Ron asked."It's hard to explain until you've seen more of it," said Anna.Ethan took the lead, showing Anna's parents the different parts of the underground mansion. The couple walked around wide-eyed and stunned, looking like they wouldn't even be able to walk on their own had they not been latched arm-in-arm on either side of their daughter.They walked through the communal living and dining areas, the lounge, the gym and pool room, the gaming center, and finally headed into the communications room.There, most of the team had finished work for the day, but Ethan showed Anna's parents a few of the projects they were working on at the workstations."So, Mom and Dad, Ethan built this whole thing as a sort of compound where he and the team could do the best charity work that would make the most difference in the world," explained Anna.Finally, Ron Shelby spoke. "This is jus
Instead of heading for the elevator, Ethan led Anna by the hand to the back bedroom of the charming country farmhouse."Let's sleep here," he said."Oh, we're going to sleep?" laughed Anna.He led her to the bed and took her in his arms as they sat down. As they kissed, he spun her around gently until he was on top of her, caressing her hips and pulling her toward him."I love you, Anna Shelby," he said."I love you, Ethan Greenfield," said Anna in between kisses.This time they undressed themselves, eager to get the clothes out of the way quickly. Once joined as one, they pressed into each other with slightly more force than they had before, each moaning with pleasure as they reached their climax together.They stayed fixed in each other's arms, drips of sweat melting into one another as a cool breeze blew through an open window. For several minutes, they laid together without a word, the only sound being the gentle rhythm of crickets in the country night."That was wonderful," said A
Ethan got up from his desk and practically ran over to Anna. "Move in?" he asked excitedly."Yes," she said, then gave him a kiss. "I'm moving forward with my life, and it's all about the animal shelter and my work here… and you, of course.""I couldn't be happier. I love you, Anna," he said, gazing into her emerald eyes."I love you, too," she said, wrapping her arms around him. Time stood still as they embraced tightly, their hearts beating in simultaneous rhythm as they basked in a feeling of contentment."We have a lot to do," he said after a while."Yes," she agreed. "I don't want to leave my house empty, so I think I'll ask if any of the new teachers need a place to stay.""That's a great idea," he said."I need to plan!" she said excitedly. "So I'll see you tonight.""No lunch?" he asked."Oh, I forgot to tell you. I'm having lunch with my parents. I need to talk to them about not teaching anymore. Do you want to come?""No, Anna. I know how much your mom loves that you're a tea
About a week later, Anna was starting to settle in. She'd taken one of the rooms in the mansion as her own, although she shared Ethan's bed every night. She had so many things that she didn't want to give away, so she used them to decorate a room as a quiet place she could go when she wanted to unwind. She also put Sammy's favorite chair in the room so he could feel more comfortable, although he loved the pets' room and was already warming up to Milo.Kelly helped her decorate. "This stuff looks even better in this room," she laughed."That's true," Anna agreed."When do I get to be a maid of honor?" asked Kelly, raising her eyebrows at her friend."I'm sure that'll come soon enough. We're so busy with everything, it's hard to even have much time together," explained Anna."Well, make time," said Kelly bluntly. "There's more to living here than building an animal shelter or working with the team. You need to take time to communicate so your relationship grows.""You're right," said Ann
Ethan called David early that next morning. He wanted to get the problem taken care of right away so that Anna didn't have to keep worrying. She had a lot on her mind planning the construction and opening for the animal shelter, and she was still working on the team's educational projects. All that was a lot on her plate, and she didn't need to have some drunk old business partner to worry about on top of it all."We need to talk," he told David on the phone."Yes, we do," said David."Let's meet in Bluewater. Name the place," said Ethan."Delany's Café. It's over on Melvin Street," he said."Alright," said Ethan. "I'll be there at noon."***Delany's was a rustic place. It was clear the owner wasn't too worried about decorating, but the food was good. Ethan and Rick had gone there many times when planning the mansion's construction.Ethan walked in the door and saw David already sitting in a booth. He slid into the seat on the other side."So why don't you tell me why you were screami
"Paris!?" exclaimed Anna after Ethan had suggested the trip."Yes, Paris. Have you ever been there?" Ethan asked."No. No, I haven't. Oh, my goodness, Paris! When would we leave?" she said, pacing around the office. She spied the files on her desk and spoke before Ethan could answer her. "But I have so much to do. We have so much to do. Do you think we can really get away?""That's why we have a team, Anna," said Ethan with a smile. "While your work is valuable, it's okay to take a vacation once in a while. And you've been going non-stop since the shelter construction started.""I guess that's true," said Anna. "I'll need some time to get my team up to speed, though.""As will I," he said. "We're not leaving tomorrow." He laughed, and she joined in."When should we go?" she asked."We'll give it two weeks. That should be plenty of time to get everyone in place to cover us while we're gone. Is your passport up to date?" he asked."I don't know. I mean, I've never been out of the country
Ethan and Anna's Parisian hotel room was stunning, decorated in shades of blue with grand curtains draped behind the bed and over the windows. A huge set of French doors opened to a large, splendid veranda with a view of the lit-up Eiffel Tower."I can't believe we're here!" exclaimed Anna, running toward the terrace to get a look of the city. Ethan tipped the baggage handlers and walked up behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist. She gazed up at him. "I love you so much! Thank you for this trip. This is amazing!" she told him.He faced her and caressed her cheek. "I would do anything for you," he said. "It's late, but we can probably order room service if you're hungry.""I am a little, yes," she said. "Maybe just a light snack, not a full dinner."Ethan called the concierge and arranged for a meal while Anna started to unpack. They would be in the city for two weeks, and she wanted to wear all of her new outfits. It wasn't long before there was a knock on the door.Room service
"Yes, yes!" Anna exclaimed immediately after Ethan proposed, as he held a large and beautiful sparkling diamond ring in front of him. She dove down and met him on the ground with a hug, practically knocking him over. He set the ring down for a minute, because the immediate joy for both Anna and Ethan was their kiss--and the excitement of their future together."Let's not forget this," said Ethan after a few minutes. He took her hand in his and slid the ring on her finger."It's so beautiful!" she exclaimed. "Thank you."They kissed once more, the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower glittering in the night sky above them.***As soon as they returned to their hotel room, Anna called Kelly. Her friend welcomed the news with more of a squeal than words at first, then she finally calmed her excitement."I knew he was going to propose in Paris! What better place for it?" Kelly said."I was hoping so, but I was happy just having a vacation together," said Anna. "Now, I'm just on top of the