Theresa awakened in Ethan's bed, and reached for him. When her arms hit only soft sheets and a goose down comforter, she opened her eyes. She guessed that he had wandered off somewhere without waking her.
She couldn't believe how much she missed him already. To top it all off, she had just had a nightmare. Gwen had broken out of jail, killed Ethan, and she came after Theresa. Theresa was so happy to find that she had been dreaming. Ethan wasn't going anywhere. He was right here with her.
Well, he WAS right there...
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ethan pushed open the door. He was carrying a silver tray, complete with pancakes, toast, and strawberries. A small bouquet of daisies lay on the tray, too.
Theresa gave him a sweet smile, and waited until he set it down before enveloping him in a big hug.
"Aww….morning to you too beautiful."
"Ethan, did you make those yourself?" He smiled, recalling the last time he had attempted anything in the kitchen. He had managed.
"From scratch. Hope you enjoy them." He said, feeding her a strawberry. She dipped it in the whipped cream, and ate it slowly. Ethan watched her intently, and lay on the bed next to her.
"Got any plans for today? I'm so scared that something bad is going to happen. I don't want anything else to tear us apart, Ethan."
Pulling her into his arms so her head rested on his shoulder, he sighed. It had been tough for them. But they could conquer the world.
"I'm going to take you somewhere special today, Theresa. No one will find us, or call us. At least for a few days."
"Thank God. I feel so safe with you."
He smiled, and lay his head on hers. Her hair was soft, and warm. She was the most beautiful thing in this room.
And this town.
And in his life.
He leaned down for a kiss, and slipped his tongue in through her lips. Going limp in his arms, but keeping a firm hold on him, she moved onto his lap.
"Mmmm…I don't want to get up, Ethan."
"Then don't."
Letting him kiss her neck, she leaned her head slightly back.
"Ahem."
Pilar came in the room, and Theresa smiled.
"Mama!"
"Theresita. You spent the night in Ethan's bedroom?"
Getting up, Ethan slipped on his shirt.
"No, it's not what you think, Pilar. You know I would never take advantage of Theresa."
She nodded. "Of course, Ethan. I'm worried about Gwen. She was very angry when you had her arrested."
Theresa spoke up.
"Gwen has some problems that she needs to deal with. I'm sorry….but someone who attempts murder, trashes the home of several people, and tries to use sex to win someone over isn't right in the head."
Ethan stifled laughter. He couldn't help it. He had lost a lot of respect for Gwen after last night's events. How could he have dated her for years, and not noticed it?
Dated her for years.
Unlike Theresa, whom he had known for a single year. Gwen had tried throwing some garbage at him to insinuate that Theresa had known him longer.
He didn't buy it. It was spite, jealously, and paranoia talking.
Theresa's innocent brown eyes smiled playfully at him as she ate a piece of toast, and her lashes fluttered seductively.
She was any man's dream.
And the woman that he loved.
He was going to make up for all the heartache he had caused her.
"When you're done, I want you to pack your things right back up."
"But Ethan, wh-"
"Shh…" He put a finger to her lips.
"It's a surprise."
"Oh…all right." She smiled.
"One hint, please??"
He couldn't resist her puppy dog eyes, but he had to hold out on her this one time. It was going to be torture.
"Sorry, no can do."
"You're no fun, Crane."
"Says who?"
"Me!" She hit him with a pillow. He jumped back, and then laughed.
"Impatient, are we?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she crawled behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Theresa?"
Smiling, she began to rub his shoulders. Massaging in her sensual way, she leaned down and traced her lips along his neck. He groaned softly, closing his eyes.
Theresa was loving every minute of this.
Turning up the heat, she let one of her hands slide lower. Reaching the waistband of his pants, she slid her hand underneath, but only a little. Suddenly, she pulled away from him.
It had broken Ethan's trance, and he turned around.
"Gotcha." She gave him an evil grin. It only made it worse for him.
"Now that's really not fair. That's hitting below the belt…ah, literally."
"That's what you get for tempting my curiosity, among other things."
"Okay…I know how you feel now. I'll give you a clue."
Theresa moved back over to him, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Now that's what I like to see in a man."
Standing, he headed for the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a shower. When I'm done, I'll meet you downstairs. Then I'll give you your hint, Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"But you said-"
"Ha ha. I wouldn't need a cold shower so badly if you hadn't tried getting revenge on me, Miss."
Standing, she walked to him. Leaning up by his ear, she whispered..
"Maybe I'll continue what I started later this week….if you're a good boy."
"You kill me, Theresa. Go into the other room, and my mother will help you pack."
"I brought clothes.."
"Camping gear?" He loved the look that appeared in her eyes when he said this.
"We're going camping, Ethan? I love camping!! As long as I can bring my laptop.."
"Is that enough of a clue for your unsatisfied mind?"
"Plenty. I'll let you take your shower." She kissed him softly on the lips, reveling in the way he kissed her so gently, and at the same time with all the passion she had ever dreamed of.
"I love you Ethan."
Pulling her into his arms, he sighed.
"I love you too."
She couldn't believe how much she missed him already. To top it all off, she had just had a nightmare. Gwen had broken out of jail, killed Ethan, and she came after Theresa. Theresa was so happy to find that she had been dreaming. Ethan wasn't going anywhere. He was right here with her.
Well, he WAS right there...
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ethan pushed open the door. He was carrying a silver tray, complete with pancakes, toast, and strawberries. A small bouquet of daisies lay on the tray, too.
Theresa gave him a sweet smile, and waited until he set it down before enveloping him in a big hug.
"Aww….morning to you too beautiful."
"Ethan, did you make those yourself?" He smiled, recalling the last time he had attempted anything in the kitchen. He had managed.
"From scratch. Hope you enjoy them." He said, feeding her a strawberry. She dipped it in the whipped cream, and ate it slowly. Ethan watched her intently, and lay on the bed next to her.
"Got any plans for today? I'm so scared that something bad is going to happen. I don't want anything else to tear us apart, Ethan."
Pulling her into his arms so her head rested on his shoulder, he sighed. It had been tough for them. But they could conquer the world.
"I'm going to take you somewhere special today, Theresa. No one will find us, or call us. At least for a few days."
"Thank God. I feel so safe with you."
He smiled, and lay his head on hers. Her hair was soft, and warm. She was the most beautiful thing in this room.
And this town.
And in his life.
He leaned down for a kiss, and slipped his tongue in through her lips. Going limp in his arms, but keeping a firm hold on him, she moved onto his lap.
"Mmmm…I don't want to get up, Ethan."
"Then don't."
Letting him kiss her neck, she leaned her head slightly back.
"Ahem."
Pilar came in the room, and Theresa smiled.
"Mama!"
"Theresita. You spent the night in Ethan's bedroom?"
Getting up, Ethan slipped on his shirt.
"No, it's not what you think, Pilar. You know I would never take advantage of Theresa."
She nodded. "Of course, Ethan. I'm worried about Gwen. She was very angry when you had her arrested."
Theresa spoke up.
"Gwen has some problems that she needs to deal with. I'm sorry….but someone who attempts murder, trashes the home of several people, and tries to use sex to win someone over isn't right in the head."
Ethan stifled laughter. He couldn't help it. He had lost a lot of respect for Gwen after last night's events. How could he have dated her for years, and not noticed it?
Dated her for years.
Unlike Theresa, whom he had known for a single year. Gwen had tried throwing some garbage at him to insinuate that Theresa had known him longer.
He didn't buy it. It was spite, jealously, and paranoia talking.
Theresa's innocent brown eyes smiled playfully at him as she ate a piece of toast, and her lashes fluttered seductively.
She was any man's dream.
And the woman that he loved.
He was going to make up for all the heartache he had caused her.
"When you're done, I want you to pack your things right back up."
"But Ethan, wh-"
"Shh…" He put a finger to her lips.
"It's a surprise."
"Oh…all right." She smiled.
"One hint, please??"
He couldn't resist her puppy dog eyes, but he had to hold out on her this one time. It was going to be torture.
"Sorry, no can do."
"You're no fun, Crane."
"Says who?"
"Me!" She hit him with a pillow. He jumped back, and then laughed.
"Impatient, are we?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she crawled behind him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Theresa?"
Smiling, she began to rub his shoulders. Massaging in her sensual way, she leaned down and traced her lips along his neck. He groaned softly, closing his eyes.
Theresa was loving every minute of this.
Turning up the heat, she let one of her hands slide lower. Reaching the waistband of his pants, she slid her hand underneath, but only a little. Suddenly, she pulled away from him.
It had broken Ethan's trance, and he turned around.
"Gotcha." She gave him an evil grin. It only made it worse for him.
"Now that's really not fair. That's hitting below the belt…ah, literally."
"That's what you get for tempting my curiosity, among other things."
"Okay…I know how you feel now. I'll give you a clue."
Theresa moved back over to him, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Now that's what I like to see in a man."
Standing, he headed for the bathroom.
"I'm going to take a shower. When I'm done, I'll meet you downstairs. Then I'll give you your hint, Lopez-Fitzgerald."
"But you said-"
"Ha ha. I wouldn't need a cold shower so badly if you hadn't tried getting revenge on me, Miss."
Standing, she walked to him. Leaning up by his ear, she whispered..
"Maybe I'll continue what I started later this week….if you're a good boy."
"You kill me, Theresa. Go into the other room, and my mother will help you pack."
"I brought clothes.."
"Camping gear?" He loved the look that appeared in her eyes when he said this.
"We're going camping, Ethan? I love camping!! As long as I can bring my laptop.."
"Is that enough of a clue for your unsatisfied mind?"
"Plenty. I'll let you take your shower." She kissed him softly on the lips, reveling in the way he kissed her so gently, and at the same time with all the passion she had ever dreamed of.
"I love you Ethan."
Pulling her into his arms, he sighed.
"I love you too."
