"Game set!" Marcus yelled, lobbing the ball across the net to Ethan.
His face a mask of intense concentration, Ethan watched the ball arching towards him, every muscle tense and ready to spring. As the ball bounced into his side of the court, he unfurled from a crouch and with a powerful swing of the racket, sent the ball flying back towards Marcus.
A triumphant grin spread over his face as Marcus missed the shot, the slew of obscenities his friend let loose only serving to add to his good humor.
"Tired, Marc?" Ethan walked over to the net, watching as Marcus dabbed at the sweat running down his face with a towel.
"Nah," Marcus grinned; face red with the exertion of an hour of hard playing. "I'm just gonna be the good guy and let you win this time. Next time, you won't b
"I brought coffee!" Nicky held up two extra-large cups, a wide grin on her face. "And there are croissants, freshly made by your favorite baker."It was barely eight in the morning and yet Nicky somehow managed to look beautiful in a summer dress bright enough to hurt Erin's eyes."Must you be so perky in the mornings?" Erin grumbled, moving aside to let her cousin into the room.Her brain perked up a little as the delicious aroma of life-giving caffeine wafted into her nostrils. She shut the door and padded into the living room, flopping onto an armchair while Nicky laid out the offerings."How the hell do you manage to look so happy before noon?" She asked, slightly annoyed.Nicky chuckled. "I'm a morning person," she hande
"A helicopter?" Erin shrieked, eyes wide in disbelief, as she stared through the windscreen at the black behemoth that sat on the simmering tarmac, looking like a giant wasp in search of prey.She tore her gaze from the sleek machine and turned to Ethan. "What the hell are you up to now?"Ethan turned away to hide his grin at the look of pure disbelief on Erin's face.God! I like seeing her this way.He pulled the Corvette to a halt at the edge of the wide tarmac. He was aware of her eyes boring into his side, demanding answers, but Ethan chose to ignore her, focusing his attention instead on the man in a gray jumpsuit ambling towards them."Have you lost your ability to speak?" Erin demanded, prodding his arm with a finger.
The helicopter touched down gently on the helipad and the pilot began the task of shutting down the engines. Erin leaned forward to peer out the window, wondering where they were. The wind and dust churned up by the rotor blades made it impossible to see out.She leaned back against the seat and bit down on her lower lip to stop the flow of questions. There was no way in hell she would ask Ethan anything, she'd rather die of curiosity first.Erin wondered what Todd would think when she failed to show up for their date. A flash of guilt churned in her gut.How could she have let one simple kiss scramble her brain and lead her into this trap? Deep down, Erin knew the answer to that question but she refused to acknowledge it.Extremely conscious of Ethan's disconcerting pre
The helicopter touched down gently on the helipad and the pilot began the task of shutting down the engines. Erin leaned forward to peer out the window, wondering where they were. The wind and dust churned up by the rotor blades made it impossible to see out.She leaned back against the seat and bit down on her lower lip to stop the flow of questions. There was no way in hell she would ask Ethan anything, she'd rather die of curiosity first.Erin wondered what Todd would think when she failed to show up for their date. A flash of guilt churned in her gut.How could she have let one simple kiss scramble her brain and lead her into this trap? Deep down, Erin knew the answer to that question but she refused to acknowledge it.Extremely conscious of Ethan's disconcerting pre
Erin opened the door of the stateroom and peered down the narrow corridor that ended in a flight of stairs leading to the deck above.Still smarting from Ethan's desertion, she walked towards the stairs, mentally retracing the path Ethan had led them through when they'd boarded. The polished wood floor echoed her footsteps in a rather unsettling way and Erin wondered if she was the only one on the boat.She wouldn't put it past that arrogant bastard to leave her marooned in the middle of the ocean. It was the sort of petty, ridiculous thing he seemed to enjoy.Another cringe ran through her as she remembered how easily she had given in to him. Granted the man could kiss like it was a talent, but that was no excuse.Christ Lord Almighty! She'd acted like a hormonal sex starved teenager, letting him make love to her not just once or twice in the space of one evening. And now she had muscles aching in places she hadn't been aware of existing.Her chee
Erin took a deep, fortifying breath and stepped out the elevator into the private ward where open, her father lay recuperating from the surgery.After her shower, she'd fallen asleep with memories of the night spent in Ethan's arms swimming about her mind and plaguing her dreams. Frankly, she was even surprised she'd gotten any sleep at all.Cautiously, she made her way to her father's room half hoping she wouldn't run into Todd. Though she knew she would have to face him sometime soon, her nerves were just too high strung from the encounter with Ethan and the poor man deserved more than a few curt words of apology. In fact, he deserved a full blown bout of groveling from her and a pound of flesh.She reached the door and hearing muted voices coming from within, she jerked it open and walked into the room.
He was going to kill if someone didn’t start explaining soon.“I believe I asked a simple question.”Ethan’s gaze stayed fixed on Erin who stood with her eyes shut, rubbing her temple. His eyes flicked over her tussled hair, the flush of color on her cheeks; sliding down to the swell of her breasts beneath the t-shirt and finally down to the point where the shirt ended mid-thigh, revealing creamy, supple skin and shapely legs.Had those legs - the same ones that had been wrapped around his waist while he pleasured her- had they been locked around her lover’s waist only a few minutes ago?Had she screamed out his name as she came?The possible answer elicited a growl from him, his hands clenching
Her footsteps echoed loudly in the underground parking lot as Erin walked towards her car in quick determined steps. She managed a nod to the guard standing outside the security post, her thoughts completely focused on her destination.Reaching the sleek silver Infiniti, she slid into the warm interior of the car, resting her head against the soft leather seat, her breath coming in short puffs from the exertion of walking.“Now what?” She muttered, gripping the steering wheel. She had no idea where Ethan even lived, had never bothered to find out. The only clue she had was that he lived quite close to the hotel, but where exactly, Erin had no idea.“Argh!” The frustrated sound slid from her lips and she banged her head against the wheel in frustration. “Great plan Erin, real great.” She mocked herself, already regretting the impulse that had got her out of bed in the first place. But she really needed answers, needed to speak