Title: Forever
Author: SneetchesToo
Rating: Explicit
Pairing: Ethan/Leanne
Summary: Leanne wasn't one for fancy and frivolous things. She didn't do the whole dressed up, dolled up routine. She wasn't into lingerie or anything exotic in the bedroom. She hadn't been that way before John, and she certainly hadn't been that way with John. But there was something about Ethan that had changed her.
Author's Note: This idea hit me and I couldn't stop myself. How it become 32 pages I will never understand.
—
Leanne wasn't one for fancy and frivolous things.
She didn't do the whole dressed up, dolled up routine.
She wasn't into lingerie or anything exotic in the bedroom.
She hadn't been that way before John.
And she certainly hadn't been that way with John.
But there was something about Ethan that had changed her.
She wouldn't necessarily say it was for the worse, or even for the better, but it was definitely something.
And right now, something was a piece of black, lacy lingerie hanging in the display window of a small boutique.
She didn't know why it had caught her eye, because normally, she scoffed at such things, but today was different.
She was drawn in, mesmerized even, by it's sensualness.
Ever since she and Ethan had started sleeping together, she had started to see such things in a new light.
And that new light, was about to cost her $59.99 with tax.
"What are you looking at?" The sound of Jesse's voice broke her from her thoughts and she instantly scolded herself.
She shouldn't be paying attention to such things with him around.
Surely he would never let her live this down.
"Nothing." She huffed out as she started walking again.
But she quickly noticed that Jesse wasn't beside her and her heart sank.
He must have realized what had grabbed her attention.
She was a dead woman and she knew it.
"Is that what you were so enthralled with?" He gestured toward the window display with a raised eyebrow.
"Just not sure why they feel the need to display such things where everyone can see them." She was trying to cover herself just in case.
Three years ago, before Ethan, that would have been her exact tune.
"Riiiight." He eyed her suspiciously and she knew that she wasn't fooling him one bit.
"Come on Jesse, let's go." She turned back around and got ready to head toward the food court when he grabbed her arm.
"Nope." He held her in place and when she turned around there was a devilish look in his eyes. "We're going inside."
She huffed at him as her eyes got wide.
"We most certainly are not!" She couldn't believe he would suggest such a thing.
"Come on." He started pulling her toward the store's entrance and she did her best to dig her heels into the ground.
"But…" She wanted to argue with him.
She wanted to tell him all the reasons why she couldn't go inside that store.
But the only thing she could think of was how badly she wanted to find that piece in red.
"No daddy, no buts." They stopped just outside the door and Jesse eyed her softly. "Valentine's Day is coming up and you need something nice for your man."
He opened the door with his free hand and tugged her inside, stopping her in front of a display full of all things red and lacy and so incredibly sexy.
She couldn't believe that she was in this store.
More so, she couldn't believe that she was in this store with Jesse of all people.
"Now this," He grabbed a hanger that contained the smallest piece of red colored lace she had ever seen and held it up to her, "would definitely make Ethan go crazy."
She gasped at his words as her eyes went wide.
No one at Angels knew about her relationship with the Colonel.
Not a single one.
Including Jesse.
They may have been together for almost three years, but they were good at hiding it.
There were rules.
Too many rules.
And while Ethan was the king of breaking them, he respected that she normally, was not.
"How did you…?" She was almost certain that Ariel must have been behind this.
The teen had been begging them for months to tell everyone that they were together.
But they appreciated the privacy of no one else knowing.
That, and they didn't want to deal with a pile of paperwork from HR.
"Oh please," Jesse rolled his eyes as he placed the item back on the rack and grabbed another, holding it up as he raised a curious eyebrow at the item, "you two are so obvious."
"We are not!" She growled.
They had been doing an excellent job of hiding it, hadn't they?
"You two can't stay away from each other." He smiled at her as he dragged her further into the store. "Besides, didn't you think we would notice that you both take every weekend off now," He raised an eyebrow at her this time, "together? At the same time."
"We…" She felt her mind spiraling out of control. This was the last thing she wanted to happen.
"You want to spend time with Ariel," He stopped her in front of the rack containing the outfit from the window display and she let out a sigh, "we get it."
He grabbed the hanger off the rack and held it up.
She felt her heart stop in her chest.
It was red and lacy and perfect.
"But you're not fooling anyone." He shoved the item into her hands and turned her slowly, pointing toward the area designated 'fitting room'. "Now go try that on."
She shook her head back and forth.
She couldn't.
She wouldn't.
"Now." He whispered, giving her a gentle shove in the right direction.
She sighed as she eyed the item softly.
It was the most perfect thing she had seen here.
And she knew that Ethan would die if he saw her in it.
"I…." She stopped in her tracks and turned back toward Jesse.
"Go!" He waved at her as he smiled and she let out a breath.
She knew she shouldn't be so afraid to try on a piece of clothing.
It really wasn't that big of a deal.
Except, it was.
What if it actually looked good on her?
What if she actually liked it?
Sighing to herself she headed toward the curtained off area with a small smile.
Modesty be damned at this point.
She had a man to impress.
—
That night when she got home she had shoved all her bags from her shopping trip with Jesse into the back of her closet before pulling the door closed with a sigh.
The last thing she needed was Ariel going through her stuff and finding the outfit she had bought for Ethan's eyes only.
"Moooom!" The sound of the teen's voice calling to her from downstairs broke her from her thoughts and she was reminded of the fact that she was supposed to be making dinner.
Not daydreaming about how Ethan would react when he saw her in red lace.
"Coming!" She made her way downstairs and quickly got to work on dinner, but there was a certain tension in the room that couldn't be ignored.
"We need to talk." Ariel whispered.
Leanne let out a sigh.
Normally she was the one muttering those words, not the other way around.
"About what…?" She was curious as to what seemed to peak the teen's interest so much.
"Megan saw you and Jesse at the mall earlier." There was something in her tone that sounded slightly unfriendly and Leanne turned to face her, her arms crossing over her chest.
"And?" She didn't understand what the big deal was.
Her and Jesse went to the mall a lot together.
It was their go to place to de-stress.
That and the winery down the street.
But they weren't really in the mood for wine that day.
"She said she saw you guys in Lily's." The teen's face was set in a curious, yet unsettled look.
"So?" She didn't know what that had to do with anything.
They went in a lot of stores earlier.
"Lily's! Mom!" She shouted her words as she waved her arms around. "The lingerie store!"
"Oh." Leanne felt her heart drop.
The last thing she needed the teen knowing was that she had been buying lingerie to wear.
She knew that she would know it was meant for her father and no one else.
"Yeah, oh." Ariel looked so embarrassed and Leanne couldn't help but chuckle. "It's not funny mom! My best-friend saw you buying lingerie!"
"Well dear, Valentine's Day is coming up." She was trying to lighten the mood but she guessed that it wasn't working.
"Gross!" The teen slammed her head down onto the counter with a huff. "So gross."
"Oh honey." She moved toward the girl just as she heard the front door open and she let out a sigh. "Don't you dare tell your father."
And with that she dropped a kiss to her head and moved back toward the stove.
She didn't want anyone to ruin the surprise.
No matter how embarrassing it was.
"Don't you dare tell your father what?" Ethan poked his head around the corner of the kitchen as he toed his boots off by the side door.
"Nothing." Ariel huffed out, offering Leanne a look that could surely kill.
"Riiiight." She watched as Ethan dropped a kiss to the teen's head before moving toward her. "Someone in trouble or something?"
She shook her head back and forth and offered him a smile.
"Just Jesse." She shot the girl a look over his shoulder and she dropped her head back down.
"As always." He placed a kiss against her forehead before stepping around her and eyeing the stove curiously. "What's for dinner."
"Lasagna." She said softly, a shiver running through her body as his hand traveled down her arm slowly.
She heard Ariel let out a low growl before pushing herself up and off the stool she had been sitting on.
"Do I have time to shower?" He asked quietly.
She couldn't help but chuckle at the look in his eyes.
"You mean, do we have time to shower?" She raised an eyebrow at him as she smiled and he beamed back at her.
"Exactly my point." He whispered, dropping his head down to hers.
His lips had just pressed against the bare skin of her neck when they heard Ariel let out an exacerbated sigh from the den behind them.
"What's her deal?" He asked as he nipped at her collarbone.
"My parents are gross!" She hollered to them. "That's my deal."
"Your parents are in love!" He shouted back, his lips never leaving her skin.
"It's still gross." Leanne let out a chuckle as she watched the teen fall dramatically to the couch. "I'm moving in with Jesse."
Ethan rolled his eyes as he moved to the other side of her neck, his hands falling to her hips as he pushed at the material of her shirt.
"Jesse doesn't have the good snacks." He called back to her. "Or the fancy TV."
"I'm willing to make sacrifices so that I don't have to see," She lifted her head up from the couch and made a gagging noise at the sight in front of her, "that."
Leanne laughed as Ethan let his head fall to her shoulder with a sigh.
"Fine honey." She said softly, her fingers trailing up and down Ethan's spine as she spoke. "We'll take it upstairs."
"Please do!" Ariel flopped back down onto the couch and turned the TV on with a huff.
"Good." Ethan pulled back from her and grabbed her hand, dragging her toward the stairs. "Let's go."
She heard Ariel let out a dramatic sob as she turned the TV volume up.
"Don't let dinner burn!" Leanne shouted at her. "Please!"
"Yeah yeah yeah!" The teen shouted back.
She heard Ethan let out a laugh as he dragged her into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.
"Now," He pushed her back against the wood with a small smile, "where were we?"
The devilish look in his eyes told her all she needed to know.
"Right," She reached her hands out and grabbed a hold of his face gently, tugging him toward her, "about," she leaned up and rested her forehead against his, their lips barely touching, "here."
He let out a soft laugh before crashing his lips against hers.
She heard the TV downstairs hit what had to be it's maximum volume and she laughed.
"She needs to get a hobby." Ethan whispered against her cheek.
"She needs to get a job." She whispered back, her hands pushing his t-shirt upward slowly.
"Amen to that." And with that he crashed his lips back against hers as he hoisted her up, her legs wrapping around his waist as she ran her tongue along his lips.
And all she could think about was how much better this would be when she showed him her new purchase.
—
Three days later Leanne had been in the middle of placing staples in a patient's arm when she felt a presence at her side.
"Sooo…?" Jesse's voice was low and while she was used to him being next to her in Center Stage, she wasn't used to him just showing up next to her while she treated a simple stab wound.
"So what Jesse?" She whispered back.
She didn't know what he wanted or why he wanted it.
But she hoped it wouldn't take long.
She was fifteen minutes from the end of her shift and she had a very patient boyfriend waiting for her at home.
She was supposed to be off today, but she had agreed to work for a few hours.
For what reason, she still wasn't sure.
"Valentine's Day is tomorrow." He sounded like he was plotting something and she rolled her eyes.
"Yes Jesse," She finished with her patient's arm and started heading toward the nurse's station, "that it is."
She had every intention of dropping off this chart and getting the hell out of dodge.
She just wanted to get home to Ethan and the pile of Chinese food she knew was waiting for her.
"Do you and Ethan have anything romantic planned?" He was giving her a look that said he was up to no good and she really just wished that he would go away.
"Not that I'm aware of." She wasn't sure if Ethan had plans for them or not, but as far as she was concerned, it was going to be her, alone, with a bottle of wine and a nice warm bubble bath. "Ethan has to work."
"Does he now?" Jesse looked perturbed and she didn't understand why.
If there was anyone who should be upset about her boyfriend having to work on Valentine's Day it should be her. Not her best-friend.
"He's pulling a swing shift according to the schedule." She had scoffed when she found out that she was working a 3am-3pm and he was working a 1pm-1am.
They would see each other for all of two hours while at Angels and that was it.
"That little runt." She let out a chuckle at his words.
He was a runt as far as she was concerned.
"Yeah well, you know how Campbell is." She started heading in the direction of her office, praying that he wouldn't follow, but she had no such luck. "He probably did that on purpose."
"Probably." Jesse shut the door behind them and crossed his arms over his chest as he eyed her softly. "What are you going to do about your little gift?"
"What do you mean?" She was confused.
She was going to wear it, eventually, that's what was meant for after all.
"Well, you bought it for Valentine's Day didn't you?" He raised an eyebrow at her as she hung her stethoscope in it's spot and emptied her pockets onto her desk.
"Yes Jesse, I did." She let out a sigh as she grabbed her purse from her bottom desk drawer. "But there are 364 other days in the year."
"Yeah, but Valentine's Day is the most romantic day of the year." He huffed out.
She didn't understand what the big deal was.
Her and Ethan hadn't done anything special for the holiday in the past.
In fact, the first two years they had known each other he barely acknowledged the holiday's existence.
"Only because we make it." She pointed at him as she slid her arms into her coat and grabbed her phone.
She shot Ethan a quick text, letting him know that she was leaving, if Jesse ever let her out of her office.
"Just don't forget about it." He said with a sigh. "Ethan needs to see you in that."
"He will Jesse, I promise." She patted his shoulder as she stepped around him, opening the door slowly.
"Soon mamacita!" He called after her. "Soon!"
She waved a hand in his direction as she headed toward the elevator.
She was just as anxious and excited as he was for Ethan to see her in the red, lacy get-up.
And she sure as hell wasn't going to forget about it.
—
When she got home that night Ethan had been waiting for her, and sure enough, he had a pile of Chinese take-out spread out on the coffee table.
There was an episode of some cooking show playing on the TV and he had changed out of his usual work attire into jeans and a Dodgers t-shirt.
He looked every bit the domesticated man she knew he secretly was and it made something inside her stir.
"I'm home." She called softly from her spot in the kitchen.
He must not have heard her enter, or he didn't care, because he hadn't greeted her at the door like he normally did.
"Hi." He said quietly, turning toward her briefly and offering her a smile.
"Hi." She replied, dropping her bag onto the counter as she returned the smile. "Everything okay?"
"Everything's fine." He turned back toward the TV then and she let out a sigh.
She didn't think they were fighting, but sometimes she was the last one to know these things.
"I'm gonna go take a quick shower." She really wanted to eat, breakfast having been almost twelve hours ago, but she all of a sudden wanted nothing more than to put on the lingerie that she had bought last week and have her way with him.
"Okay." He didn't even flinch and she let out a huff.
Something was up.
Normally Ethan jumped at the opportunity to share the shower with her.
And given that Ariel was staying after school for soccer tryouts and then going to dinner with friends, they had the house to themselves until 9:00pm.
"Okay then." She whispered.
But he didn't even flinch.
She let out another sigh as she made her way upstairs.
She prayed that if she came downstairs wearing that very special piece of clothing he might just change his attitude toward her.
Shutting the bedroom door behind her quietly she made her way toward her closet and pushed all of the hanging items aside, her eyes searching for the small little purple bag she had stashed away there a few days ago.
However, after a few minutes of searching, she realized the item was nowhere to be found.
"Where the hell could it be?" She muttered to herself.
She had left it right there, under the pile of clothing she had been meaning to donate for the past six months.
"Leanne…" She heard Ethan calling her name from out in the bedroom and she let out a sigh.
It would just have to wait until another time she guessed.
"Hey!" She made her way out of the closet and offered him a smile as she shut the door behind her. "Sorry, I was just looking for… something."
"Uh huh." He nodded his head as he shut the bedroom door behind him.
"I um…" She didn't know why she was all of a sudden nervous. "I'm just gonna take my shower now."
She watched as he let out a chuckle and shook his head back and forth.
"You do that." He whispered.
There was something in his eyes that had trouble written all over it.
"Is everything okay Ethan?" She asked softly.
She watched as he slowly made his way toward her, his eyes darkening as he stopped in front of her.
"Everything's fine." He said quietly, his hand reaching out to brush her hair aside. "Go shower."
She nodded her head as she eyed him suspiciously.
He was up to something and she wanted to know what it was.
"Okay…" She slowly backed her way toward the bathroom door, her eyes never leaving his. "I'll be right out."
"Take your time." He stood there watching her up until the minute she shut the bathroom door and she felt a shiver run down her spine.
He was acting strange, very strange.
Sighing to herself she quickly undressed and stepped into the shower, making sure the water was just slightly warmer than normal, her muscles aching after the 36 hour shift she had just pulled.
She had just reached down to pick up her shampoo bottle when she felt a hand on her waist and lips against the bare skin of her back.
"Ethan!" If she hadn't been slightly expecting it, she would have been terrified by his presence in the shower. "What are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing?" He asked softly, his hand moving from her waist to run down her hip and onto her thigh.
"It looks like you're trying to make this shower last longer than I had planned." She whispered, her hand going out to grab his before it could settle between her legs.
"Just having a little fun is all." He whispered, his lips pressing against her shoulder blade as he pulled his hand free of her grasp.
She let out a sigh as he dropped it down to rest against her curls.
"Eetthhaan…" As much as she wanted him to touch her, this wasn't what she had planned.
He let out a chuckle as his fingers moved lower, running along her folds as he dragged his teeth along the pulse point in her neck.
"It won't take long." He growled as he slid a finger inside her. "I promise."
She rolled her eyes at his cockiness as she reached out to grab hold of the towel bar next to her.
"I don't believe you." She growled out.
Except, she knew that he knew what he was doing.
He could get her off in a few easy strokes if he wanted too.
"That's your prerogative I guess." He whispered.
He let another finger slide inside as his other hand moved around her to cup her right breast against his palm.
"Have you been planning this all day?" She asked softly.
She wondered how long he had sat around thinking up this one.
"Nope." He nipped at her ear lobe as he started stroking her in all the right ways. "Now shut up, I'm trying to concentrate."
She couldn't help the moan that left her lips when he flicked his thumb across her nipple.
"But…" She wanted to argue with him, but then he was picking up the pace with his fingers as his other hand fell down to join the first.
"Shhh." He hushed her as he let his fingers dance along her core and she felt her body start to lose control.
She got ready to speak when she heard the chime on her phone indicating that the front door had been opened and she huffed.
"Ariel's home." She whispered.
She didn't understand why though. The teen still had three hours before she was due to return home.
"I'm almost done." He let his lips settle against the spot just below her ear and he started working on leaving a mark.
Guess that meant she was wearing her hair down for the next few days.
Otherwise Jesse would see and she'd never live it down.
"Mom! Dad!" The teen's voice echoed through the upstairs and she heard Ethan let out a sigh against her neck.
"Be right out!" He hollered back as the bedroom door opened slowly.
She waited for a second before she heard the inevitable sigh and she couldn't help but chuckle.
"Are you two in there together?" Her question made Ethan chuckle against her skin and it sent a shiver down her spine.
"Go away Ariel!" She shouted back.
She wanted, no, she needed, Ethan to finish what he had started.
"Ew, gross!" And then the bedroom was closing once more and she heard the teen's stereo cut on a few seconds later.
"Please tell me she didn't kill the mood?" She asked softly.
Ethan shook his head against hers and picked up the pace.
"Has she ever?" She couldn't help but smile at his words.
They had learned long ago not to let the teen interrupting them stop them from finishing.
They were just thankful that she hadn't actually walked in on them yet.
"Don't stop." She whispered, her right hand reaching up to grab a hold of his bicep, squeezing tightly as he brought her closer and closer to the edge.
"Didn't plan on it." He dragged his teeth along her neck before nipping at her shoulder once more.
And then he was twisting his fingers in just the right way and he had her tumbling over the edge before she could even fathom what was happening.
She was taking quick, ragged breaths when he finally withdrew his hands from between her thighs and the next thing she knew he was spinning her around and his lips were crashing against hers.
And then, he was gone.
"Bastard!" She called out to him.
She knew he was still in the bedroom somewhere, the door having not been opened yet, and she wanted to make sure that he knew how much she hated him right then and there.
"Maybe I am." She saw his head poke back through the bathroom door with a mischievous look in his eyes. "But I'm not the one who's been hiding this in the back of my closet."
And that's when she saw it, the red, lacy piece of lingerie that she had let Jesse talk her into buying.
"Where did you…?" She felt her heart stop in her chest.
How in the world had he found that? And why in the world was he letting her know that he had?
"I was looking for a pair of shoes this morning." He raised an eyebrow at her before turning back toward the item in his hands. "Imagine my surprise when I found a small, purple bag in their spot instead."
She let her head fall forward as she brought her arms upward, her hands moving to cover her face.
"I…" She had no words.
None at all.
She was hoping to surprise him with it.
Not the other way around.
She waited for him to speak up again but when she lifted her head he was gone.
"Ethan!" But there was no response to his name being called and the next thing she knew she heard the bedroom door being closed as he made his way into the hall.
She let out a sigh as she leaned against the shower door, her legs still trembling from the high he had just given her.
She was in trouble, and she knew it.
And her best bet, was to try and fix it before he could think of something better.
—
Leanne had spent the rest of the evening narrowly avoiding Ethan, and when she got a call at midnight to come into work early she had jumped at the chance.
She had crawled out of bed with a sigh and gotten dressed in the dark.
And then she had pressed a kiss to Ethan's temple before leaving the room without a word.
It's not that they were mad at each other per say.
It's more that they were both afraid of what would happen if they got too close to the other.
She had gone to check on the teen before heading downstairs and out the door, her body driving on autopilot toward Angels.
Jesse had been waiting for her at the entrance from the parking garage and she rolled her eyes at him before speaking.
"What do you want now Jesse?" She growled out.
His medaling was starting to get the better of her.
"I'm not supposed to tell you this," He took a hold of her hand gently, pulling her along with him as he whispered, "but Ethan called out for his shift tonight."
"And?" She didn't know why that concerned her.
Ethan was a grown man, he could do whatever he wanted.
And if he wanted to fake sick and not come to work that night, so be it.
"I think he might have something special planned for tonight." Jesse said softly as they came to a stop outside of her office.
"Jesse, please, this is Ethan were talking about here." She made her way into the room and deposited her purse into it's designated drawer before grabbing her stethoscope and placing it around her neck. "He's not exactly Mr. Romantic."
This time it was Jesse who rolled his eyes at her.
"It's Valentine's Day Leanne." He huffed out. "Of course he's planning something romantic."
"I doubt it." She said softly.
Not that she would have minded if he did.
It would have been nice for him to take such a step in their relationship.
"Don't you guys ever do anything romantic?" He asked as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Ever?"
"He makes me breakfast in bed every Sunday." She couldn't help but smile with her words. Breakfast didn't normally last very long though before they were both naked and wrapped up in each other. "That's as romantic as it gets in our house."
"No fancy dinners?" She shook her head back and forth as she crossed her arms over her chest. "No romantic getaways? No candle lit bedrooms or flower petals lining the stairs?"
She shook her head 'no' at all of his questions.
She was dating Ethan, not Fabio.
"Have you forgotten about the fact that we work 36 hour shifts Jesse?" She gave him a questioning look as she pushed past him. "Or that we have a fifteen year old daughter?"
Once again, Jesse rolled his eyes.
"All the more reason for a little romance." He reached out and took her arms in his hands as he spoke. "You need to spice it up a little mamacita. Make him come and get it, if you know what I mean?"
Jesse was waggling his eyebrows at her and she couldn't help but bust out laughing.
"He comes and gets it plenty Mama," She laughed even harder at the look of disgust on Jesse's face, "trust me."
Her mind flashed back to their little rendezvous in the shower last night and she felt her body start to get warm.
Ethan certainly had no problem coming and getting it when he wanted too.
"But…" She could tell that Jesse was stumped.
"Look Jesse," She reached out and placed her hands on his shoulders as she offered him a smile, "just because we're not romantic and fancy, doesn't mean we don't still get it on."
He rolled his eyes as he hung his head.
"Because we get it on," He growled as she winked at him, "a lot."
He dropped his hands from her biceps and rubbed at his eyes furiously.
"How often?" She gasped at his question.
That was no one's business but hers and Ethan's.
"That's none of your business Jesse!" She couldn't believe him.
"Must be a lot with the way you two walk around here smiling all the time." He chuckled as he shook his head.
He was onto them.
Dammit.
"Jesse…" She tried to warn him to stop while he was ahead.
"How many times have you 'come and gotten it' here?" He raised an eyebrow and she felt her cheeks turn bright red.
She was not going to answer that question.
Nope. No way.
"Oh God," He shook his head as he scrubbed at his eyes once more, "that often?"
She let out a laugh at the look of horror on his face.
"That often." She whispered.
"You're nasty." He poked at her. "Both of you."
"What?" She couldn't stop laughing as Jesse continued to try and wipe some mental image from his brain. "We always lock the door."
"Always?" She shook her head back and forth at his question.
In reality, they never locked the door.
How in the hell they hadn't gotten caught she didn't understand.
"Please tell me you don't do it on the couch?" His eyes shifted to the couch behind her and she followed his gaze as her cheeks turned an even brighter red.
"Why do you think I got a bigger one?" She asked softly.
"Oh dios mío." Jesse whispered. "I've heard enough."
He turned away from her and headed out the door without another word and Leanne couldn't help but let out a laugh.
If nothing else, this conversation had been enough to make her thankful for coming to work tonight.
—
Jesse had been right, Ethan had in fact called out of his shift that afternoon, and when Campbell asked her if she could stay a few extra hours she had quickly told him 'no'.
"I have to get home to Ariel." She had muttered as she quickly dodged her way around him and headed for her office.
She had practically run out of the hospital at that point.
The last thing she wanted was to get stuck there if Ethan did in fact have plans for them.
But when she got home, the man was nowhere to be found.
And there were no candles lighting up the bedroom or flowers lining the stairs.
In fact, the house was completely silent and Ethan's bike was gone from it's spot in the garage.
She had let out a huff before changing into something more casual.
And then she was on her way out the door and toward Ariel's school.
She didn't know what Ethan was up to, but she bet it was nothing but trouble.
"Hey mom!" Ariel's voice broke her from her thoughts and that's when she realized that she must have driven to the school on auto-pilot.
She didn't even remember leaving the driveway.
"Hey sweetie." She greeted the teen as she climbed into the car with a giant smile on her face.
And that's when Leanne noticed the flowers in the girl's hand.
"Who are those from?" She raised a curious eyebrow in the teen's direction and she watched as she blushed.
"No one." She whispered, her free hand reaching out to buckle her seatbelt.
"No one gave you flowers on Valentine's Day?" Ariel chuckled as she turned her attention out the window, trying her best to avoid her mother's gaze. "How romantic."
"Isn't it though?" She asked quietly.
Leanne let out a laugh as she reached over and patted the girl on the arm.
"They're beautiful." She offered her a smile as she turned back toward her. "But you might want to come up with a better cover story before your father gets home."
Ariel's eyes grew wide as she stared down at the small bouquet resting in her lap.
"You think dad will be mad?" Her voice was barely audible and Leanne felt bad for her.
She didn't want her to ever think that she couldn't talk to them about these things.
It's what they were there for.
"I think you're dad will be curious." She replied as she pulled the car back out onto the street. "Nothing more. Nothing less."
"He's not my boyfriend or anything." She whispered.
Leanne turned her gaze toward her and raised an eyebrow as they pulled to a stop.
"Who's not your boyfriend?" She didn't know if she was ready to go down this road again.
Max had come and gone from the teen's life in such a whirlwind that sometimes Leanne forgot about his existence.
But then, when she did remember him, her heart ached for her little girl.
She had been so in love.
"The boy," She whispered once more, "who gave me the flowers. He's not my boyfriend."
Leanne nodded her head as they kept driving toward the house.
"Okay." She didn't much care that Ariel had received flowers from a boy. In fact, she thought it was probably a good thing that she was putting herself back out there and opening up some. "I'm just saying. Your father's gonna want the truth."
"I know." She huffed out.
They drove the rest of the way in silence and when they pulled into the driveway Leanne was sad to see that Ethan's bike was still gone.
She didn't know where he would have disappeared to like this.
Especially without telling her or Ariel that he was going to be gone.
"Where is dad?" Ariel asked as they exited the vehicle and made their way up the sidewalk.
"Who knows." She wished she had an answer.
She really, really did.
"I thought we were gonna go to dinner tonight?" Ariel shifted her gaze toward her and Leanne shrugged her shoulders.
"You and I are honey." She opened the door slowly and waited for the teen to enter the house before she locked the door behind her. "Your dad was supposed to work."
"Oh." Ariel answered quickly.
A little too quickly for her liking.
"What is your father up to missy?" She took the teen's arm in her hand gently and turned her toward her.
"Nothing." She shrugged her shoulders as she pulled herself free. "I'm gonna go put these in water!"
And with that, her long legs were carrying her upstairs and toward her bathroom before Leanne could get in another word.
She knew that Ethan and Ariel were both schemers, but this was kind of extreme.
—
It was a quarter to six that evening when Leanne's phone went off from it's spot on the kitchen counter.
She expected it to be Jesse, pestering her about her lack of Valentine's Day plans.
But instead, Ethan's name flashed across the screen and she let out a huff.
Opening the text message she let her eyes scan over the words three times before really processing what it said.
There's a bag on your dresser. Pack for two nights. You won't need much. She rolled her eyes at his words.
Why is that? She wondered why she wouldn't need much.
Were they just not going very far? Were their plans simple? Was he planning on just staying in the whole time?
Well I've already got that little lacy thing you bought the other night. You won't need much else. She let out a growl as Ariel descended the stairs and stopped in front of her.
"Are you in on this?" She held the phone up and Ariel laughed.
"I have strict orders to simply make sure that you pack." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I told dad to leave the details out of it."
"Why's that?" She started walking toward the teen as she shoved her phone into her pocket.
"Because I really, really don't need to know what my parents are going to do on a romantic Valentine's Day getaway." She huffed out as her face turned bright red.
"I don't even know what we're going to be doing sweetie." She followed the teen up the stairs and they stopped in Leanne's bedroom just as the girl let out a sigh.
"Yes you do mom." She offered her a disgusted look as she shuddered. "You're going to be doing stuff that no daughter should ever know that her parents do."
Leanne let out a laugh as she reached out and cupped Ariel's cheeks in her palms.
"We'll spare you the details when we get home." And with that she pressed a kiss against the girl's forehead before stepping into the room.
Sure enough there was an overnight bag on her dresser, a bouquet of roses sitting next to it, along with a note.
"Where is your father anyway?" She moved toward the items in front of her and smiled, her hand reaching out to bring the card up so that she could read it.
"I honestly don't know." Ariel was leaning against the doorframe with a soft smile on her face. "He said he was going to run errands and that he'd be home when I got home from school."
She wondered what he was up to if he was hiding something from the girl now too.
"Interesting." She let her eyes scan over the inside of the card as she flipped it open.
Pack light. I've already got the most important parts. I love you.
Just then she heard the front door open and she let out a sigh as she heard Ethan's boots against the hardwood.
"Girls?!" He called as the door shut behind him.
"Upstairs!" The teen answered, her eyes shifting back toward her mother.
Leanne suddenly felt very unprepared for facing Ethan.
"Come here for a second Angel!" She couldn't help but let out a breath of relief. "Need to ask you something!"
"Coming!" And with that the girl was gone, leaving Leanne alone to stare at the empty duffle bag.
She had a very, very interesting feeling about this whole thing.
—
Ethan had ushered her into the car a few minutes later and they had been off and on their way before she could get a word in edgewise.
They drove for about an hour before they stopped for gas and when Ethan climbed back into the car after filling up the tank she decided it was time for some answers.
"Where are we going?" She asked softly.
She wasn't big on surprises, especially not ones that involved mysterious destinations.
"You'll see." He offered her a smile as he put the car back into gear and pulled back out onto the street.
"Ethan…" She didn't know what he was up to, but she wanted to get to the bottom of it.
"We'll be there in a little over an hour." He shifted his gaze toward her and she could tell that he was getting annoyed with her. "Just relax."
"I…" She got ready to speak again when he shot her a glare and she stopped.
"Please Lea, just…" He ran a hand through his hair as he got back on the interstate and he let out a sigh. "Just let this be a surprise."
"Okay." She whispered, her head falling forward as she took a deep breath.
If he was really that invested in this surprise than she would let him have it.
It was Valentine's Day after all.
She figured he wasn't going to do anything bad or overly dramatic.
"Thank you." He reached across the center console and squeezed her hand before returning it to the steering wheel.
Letting out a breath she leaned back against the seat and let her eyes wander to the scenery outside.
They were headed toward the mountains, that much she could tell, and she wondered what exactly he had up his sleeve.
"We're not camping are we?" It's not that she was opposed to the idea of sleeping in a tent under the stars with him.
But it was February.
And even in Los Angeles, that meant it was a little cold for some amateur campout.
"No." He chuckled as he spoke. "I promise, we're not camping."
She nodded her head as she turned her attention back toward him.
He was facing forward fully, his eyes on the road in front of them, his right hand on the steering wheel, his left arm resting on the door beside him.
She let out a soft sigh as she took in the sight of him.
He was dressed down, wearing jeans and a flannel shirt, and his hair wasn't nearly as tame as normal.
He looked so at peace and so at ease and she felt her heart flutter in her chest.
She didn't know how she had gotten so lucky, but dammit was she glad that she did.
"Do I have something on my face?" He asked quietly.
She cleared her throat as she quickly turned her head back toward the window.
She hated it when he caught her staring.
"No." She didn't bother looking at him as she spoke though.
Her face was clearly red enough to give her away.
"You were staring." He said with a smile.
She shook her head back and forth.
"No I was not." She couldn't believe he was making such a big deal out of this.
"You wanna jump my bones right now don't you?" She coughed at his question.
He was getting bold when it came to their sexual relationship.
"I…" But, he had a point.
She did want to jump his bones.
And ever since their rendezvous in the shower yesterday she had been unable to take her mind off the idea.
She wanted him naked and in her arms.
And she didn't want to wait much longer.
"It's okay if you do." He whispered. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since yesterday."
"Oh." That was all she was capable of saying.
One simple little word.
Oh.
If she didn't get her hands on him soon they were going to be in trouble.
"We'll have two whole days of each other Lea." He turned and offered her a devilish smile and a wink.
"Thank God." She muttered under her breath.
It's not that they didn't have sex on the regular, because they did.
In fact, they had sex a lot.
But lately it had become harder and harder to find time for just the two of them.
Normally that's where the shower came in handy.
Or the couch in her office.
It felt like it had been weeks since they had actually made love, in a bed, with no distractions or mishaps.
She wanted to go back to that.
And she wanted to go back to it now.
—
Exactly an hour later Ethan pulled the Jeep into the driveway of a small cabin.
It was tucked back in the trees, far enough away from the road that you'd never know it was there if you didn't know where to look.
"We're here." He said softly, putting the car into park as he let his eyes shift toward her.
Leanne let out a sigh as she let her eyes scan over the building in front of them.
It was a nice enough little place.
She supposed there were worse places to spend Valentine's Day.
Unbuckling her seat belt she slowly exited the vehicle without a word.
She knew that it was driving Ethan crazy that she wasn't talking.
But she was trying to process it all.
Ethan was as far from romantic as they came.
And this, this was pretty high up there on the romance chart.
She watched as he grabbed their bags from the back of the vehicle before heading toward the front door.
She offered him a smile as he walked past her but he just let out a sigh.
She frowned a little before following him, her arm linking through his as they made their way up the walk.
"It sure is quiet." She whispered.
She hoped that breaking the silence would help ease the tension a little.
"That's the point." He whispered back.
She didn't miss the look in his eyes though.
The look of desire and want and need.
She supposed that he had had enough of sneaking away to the shower whenever they wanted to have sex too.
"It's nice." She watched as he pushed the door open after unlocking it and her eyes went wide at the sight in front of her.
The cabin was small.
Really small.
Just one big room with what she could only assume was a bathroom tucked into the far corner.
"It's so small." She heard him let out a chuckle as he dropped the bags by the couch.
And that's when she noticed it.
There was no bed.
"Where are we supposed to sleep?" She most certainly wasn't going to sleep on a couch for the next two nights.
"Up there." Following the direction in which Ethan pointed she finally noticed the steps against the wall to her right.
"Up, there?" She was confused and it showed.
"Come here." He reached his arms out toward her and she sighed.
It felt like it had been forever since she had actually been in his arms.
Letting out a soft sigh she stepped toward him, a small smile coming across her face when he raised an eyebrow at her.
"Is this your big, romantic getaway?" She whispered her question as she stopped in front of him.
"Yeah." He pulled her toward him by her hips, a devilish look in his eyes as he pushed at the material of her flannel shirt. "You like it?"
"It's nice." He dropped his head to her neck with a soft sigh.
"Care to see the upstairs?" He nipped at the skin of her neck as his fingers dipped below the waistband of her jeans.
"Sure." She huffed out.
His thumb brushed along her hip bone before he pulled back, offering her a small smile.
She waited for him to speak again but he didn't.
Instead he turned toward the stairs and extended his hand to her.
They made their upward in silence and when they got to the top she let out a sigh.
There were candles, lots of them, and they covered the entire room.
"Candles? Really?" She had a sneaky feeling that Jesse had relayed her message about Ethan's lack of romantic gestures to the man.
"It's supposed to be romantic." He whispered, stopping in front of her, his hands falling to her hips as he eyed her softly.
"Are there flower petals on the bed?" She was going to kill Jesse if the answer to that question turned out to be 'yes'.
"Maybe…" His lips found the spot in the juncture of her neck and shoulder blade that he knew drove her crazy and all thought went out the window.
"I'm gonna kill Jesse." She whispered as her hands started to undo the buttons of his shirt.
"He said I needed to be more romantic." Ethan whispered back, his hands pushing her unbuttoned shirt off of her shoulders.
She shivered as the cold air hit her arms and Ethan chuckled against her skin.
"Figures." She mumbled, her hands undoing the final button of his shirt as she slowly pushed it off of him.
"I told him that you didn't seem to mind my tactics." His hands were slowly pushing at the material of her tank top as he let his lips press against the bare skin of her shoulder.
"Let's just leave him out of this from now on." She let her hands run over his bare chest, stopping them when they got to his waist.
"Sounds good to me." He nipped at her collar bone before pulling the material of her shirt upward.
He pulled back long enough to remove it and she let out a sigh.
She really wished she had had something nicer on.
Preferably something red, and lacy.
"It's in my bag." He whispered.
It's almost like he could read her mind.
And she hated it.
"Am I allowed to change into it?" She reached out and cupped his cheeks in her hands, pulling his forehead down to rest against hers. "It cost me a great deal of money you know?"
"$59.99 plus tax." He winked at her as a blush came over her cheeks.
"How did you…?" She didn't understand.
Was he stalking her?
"Jesse ratted you out." He nipped at her lips before pulling away and making his way toward the stairs.
"I'm gonna kill him." She muttered once more.
Jesse Sallander was officially a dead man.
"He didn't mean to if it makes any difference." Ethan's voice was calm as he headed downstairs, grabbing his bag and digging through it.
"I don't care." She crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke. "He's still a dead man."
Ethan let out a chuckle before turning around and holding the desired piece of clothing up in front of him.
"You know it's not going to stay on you very long right?" His eyes were dark and lustful and Leanne felt something deep inside her stir.
"I know." She whispered, reaching out to take it from him. "I just wanted to do something, different. Something nice, for you."
"Having you in my arms is all I need." He pulled her close once more, his fingers brushing over her cheek softly before he leaned down and pressed a kiss against her lips.
"I'm gonna go change." She really wanted him to see her in it.
Because despite how much she didn't give a damn about her appearance, this outfit actually looked downright amazing on her.
"I'll be upstairs." He winked one last time before pulling away from her and heading back up the steps.
She heard him move around for a minute before climbing into the bed and she let out a soft sigh.
She really, really hoped that he liked what he saw when she joined him.
—
Leanne had opted for a quick shower.
Both to wash away the grossness of the day.
But also to calm her raging nerves.
She didn't know why she was nervous to let Ethan see her in the lingerie she had picked out.
He had seen her in far less in their almost three years together.
But there was something about the sensualness of the act that made her body tingle in deep, dark places.
After drying herself off and applying her lotion she stood and stared at herself in the mirror for a few minutes.
She wasn't sure if she could do this.
"You okay babe?" Ethan's voice was soft as it echoed through the downstairs of the house.
She guessed she maybe should have told him that she was going to be longer than a few minutes.
"Yeah." She called back, running her brush through her hair quickly. "Be right out."
"Take your time love." And then she heard him head back up the stairs and back to the big cozy bed and she let out a sigh.
It was now or never.
Grabbing the red, lacy item off it's hanger she slowly stepped into it, pulling the material up over her body slowly.
She slid her arms through the straps with a gentle sigh, adjusting the item around her until it hung on her every curve just right.
She thought she looked decent enough, but she guessed that it was up to Ethan to make the final decision.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed her black robe from the back of the door and slid it over her shoulders slowly.
And then she opened the door and headed for the stairs.
She tugged the material of her robe around her tightly as she made her way toward him and she couldn't help but smile softly.
She knew that he would absolutely die when he saw her.
She wasn't dumb.
He thought she looked sexy in scrubs, of course he would enjoy her in this.
Stopping at the top of the stairs she watched as he pushed himself up and out of the bed slowly, his eyes darkening as he made his way toward her.
"Where is it?" He practically growled out his question and she let out a chuckle.
He was so needy sometimes.
"Under the robe." She whispered.
She watched as he stopped at the foot of the bed and raised an eyebrow.
"Well…" She shook her head back and forth at him as she started to walk in his direction.
"Well what?" She wanted him to tell her what he wanted.
This whole being coy thing wasn't going to work for her right now.
"Oh come on Leanne." He growled out, his hands reaching out for her. "I'm dying here."
She let out another laugh as she wrapped her arms around herself tighter.
But she was no match for his strength and before she knew it he was pulling her arms away from her body and letting the robe fall open.
"Damn." He whispered, his eyes going almost completely black as he licked his lips.
She felt a blush creep over her body as he reached his hands out, pushing the material of her robe off of her shoulders.
A shiver ran down her spine and she let out a sigh.
"I mean…" He inhaled slowly as his eyes travelled down her body. "I knew you were hot, but this…"
Her cheeks had to have been blood red at that point because she felt like her body was on fire.
"Do you like it?" She stuttered out her question and he let out a chuckle as he ran his fingers down her arms.
"Like it?" He took her hands in his gently, pulling her toward him. "I fucking love it."
And then the next thing she knew he was crashing his lips against hers with every ounce of passion he could manage.
They stayed that way for a minute, their tongues dancing together as he let his fingers roam up and down her arms.
She had settled her hands on his shoulders but by minute three of their little make-out session they had made their way into his hair.
He let out a moan as he turned them slowly, pushing her backward until her legs came in contact with the mattress.
"Gorgeous." He whispered against her lips.
"Shut up." She whispered back.
He never failed to tell her how attractive she was, and yet, she never truly believed him until that very moment.
"I love you." He nipped at her lip as he gently lowered her back against the soft material of the bedding.
"I love you too." She kept her hands on his neck as she gently pulled his head back down to hers.
She got ready to kiss him when he gently settled his hands on her hips and pushed her upward until she was fully on the bed.
And then he settled himself on top of her, his hands pushing gently at the small straps of her outfit.
"As much as I love this on you," He dropped his head to her shoulder and dragged his teeth along the bare skin there, "I want it off of you already."
She let out a small laugh as she rolled her eyes.
"Ethan…" She watched as he pulled back, his fingers stilling as the straps laid halfway down her arm.
"But…" She shook her head back and forth before letting her fingers run down his bare chest.
She was kind of mad that he had already stripped down to his boxers.
Undressing him was half the fun.
"Fine." He growled a little as he dropped his head down to her chest, his lips pressing kisses against the warm skin. "But I can't do much with it on."
She sighed as she pushed herself up against the giant pile of pillows at the head of the bed.
"Take your time." She whispered.
It was his turn to shake his head and she watched as he let it lower itself between her breasts.
The dip in the material came to just above her belly button and she knew he was enjoying having access to her stomach in such a way.
"I don't wanna take my time." He whispered back. "I wanna ravage you."
She laughed as she ran her fingers up his back and to his neck, tugging on the longer hairs at the bottom.
"Just don't rip it." She said softly.
He chuckled against her stomach as his fingers pushed the straps the rest of the way down.
"I would never." And with that he dragged the material the rest of the down her upper body, letting it bunch up around her hips as he lifted himself up slightly.
Pushing herself up she dragged his head toward hers and crashed their lips together, her legs wrapping around his waist as she did her best to bring him as close to her as possible.
"Easy girl." He let his hands move from her waist up to her chest, taking each of her breasts against his palms.
Letting out a moan she fell back against the bed, pulling his head down with her.
She never wanted to stop kissing him.
Not ever.
"Need you." She whispered against his lips.
She had always enjoyed sex with Ethan.
Ever since the start.
But right now she needed him more than she had ever needed him in her whole life.
"Yes ma'am." He pulled his head from her hands then, dropping it down to rest between her breasts once more.
And then he was pressing kisses against the smooth skin as he ran a thumb along her nipple.
She felt a wave of pleasure shoot through her body and she couldn't help the moan that left her lips.
"Ethan…" She wasn't one to beg, but she wasn't above it. "Please."
He chuckled as he moved his head to the other breast, repeating his actions from before.
"I thought you told me to take my time." He ran his tongue along her right nipple as he dropped his hands to her waist.
"Well I was clearly full of shit." She muttered.
She didn't know why she was so incredibly turned on right now, but she was.
And she wanted nothing more than for him to get to it.
"Shhh." He pushed at the material then, his fingers sliding under it and across her hip bone.
She arched her back as she growled, her arms falling away from his shoulders as they settled on the bed beside her.
She wanted to speak.
She wanted to tell him what she wanted and where she wanted it.
But then his hand was pushing the lacy material the rest of the down her body as his head nestled against her stomach.
He pressed a kiss against the scar from her c-section, and then against the scar from her accident that had left her unable to have anymore children.
He always paid special attention to that scar, especially after he knew what it was related too.
"Love you." He whispered against the mangled skin. "Forever."
She let out a pained sigh as she turned her head to the side.
She was fighting off tears.
Just like she did every time he did this.
It still shocked her to her core that he hadn't run for the hills the first time he had seen her naked.
And the first time he had seen her scars, he had been nothing but loving and gentle.
And when she had told him that she would never have children again she had expected him to erupt into chaos and anger.
But instead he had pressed kiss after kiss against the scar, telling her repeatedly that he loved her.
And then he had made love to her like he had never done so before.
"You're shaking." His whispered words brought her out of her thoughts and she opened her eyes and looked down at him.
"Sorry." She barely got the word out, her throat burning as she tried to compose herself.
She was an emotional mess when it came to him.
"Everything okay?" He pushed himself upward, bringing his forehead to rest against hers with a gentle sigh.
"Yeah." She reached her hands up and tangled them in his hair as she dragged his lips down to hers.
Despite being so fragile and broken, she was always strong when she was in his arms.
"Shall I continue?" He pulled back and lifted an eyebrow at her, a small smirk on his lips as he let his right hand fall to rest between her legs.
"Please do." She leaned upward and nipped at his lips playfully, chuckling when he tried to duck out of her way.
"Your wish is my command." And then he was letting his head fall back down, his lips making contact with her bare skin as he kissed his way back down her body.
The next thing she knew he was running his tongue along her stomach and she let out a laugh at the ticklish feeling.
She knew, that he knew, that she hated it when he did that.
"Ass." She growled out, her hand slapping at his shoulders playfully.
"Tease." And then he was settling his head between her legs, his fingers having stilled against her core as he paused to look up at her.
She shook her head with a small chuckle and let her head fall back against the pillow as he pressed a feather light kiss against her inner thigh.
And then his tongue was against her core and she felt all control leave her body.
If there was anything that Ethan Willis knew how to do in the bedroom, it was that.
She let her left hand fist against the blankets as he continued his motions with his fingers and tongue.
And before she knew it she was tumbling over the edge, her eyes slamming shut as a wave of pleasure shook her entire body.
She couldn't believe he had gotten her off that fast.
But then again, she had been waiting not so patiently for this moment to come.
"You good?" He whispered his question against her rib cage and she nodded her head.
"Better than good." She could barely get the words out and she felt another shudder run down her spine.
"Good to know." He pressed a few kisses along the underside of her breast before lifting himself up so that he was hovering above her fully. "More?"
She couldn't make words form so she simply nodded her head again.
He let out a chuckle as he brushed some of her hair aside, his lips pressing against her cheek softly.
"I love you." He whispered as he settled his hips against hers.
"I love you too." She whispered back.
She just wanted him to get on with it.
"Forever?" He cupped her cheek gently as he lined himself up against her core and she let out a low moan at the contact.
"Forever." She leaned up and kissed him then and she whimpered as he slid into her with ease.
It didn't take them long to set a rhythm and before she knew it her insides were tightening in all the right ways and his breathing was becoming more and more ragged.
"Let go." He whispered against her shoulder.
He didn't have to tell her twice.
And the next thing she knew she was tumbling over the edge and he was coming with her.
She felt his teeth break skin just above her collarbone and she let out a whimper as she grabbed at his shoulders hungrily.
"Eeettthhan." She couldn't help but moan out his name and she felt him smile against the mark he had just left on her flesh.
He didn't say anything though, instead, he kissed her shoulder gently.
And then he was moving his head up to hers where he captured her lips against his as he thrust into her a few more times.
When she had finally calmed herself down she noticed that he was shaking slightly in her arms and she tangled her hands in his hair as she dragged his head upward.
The look of love and lust and passion in his eyes was enough to send her heart into overdrive.
Before Ethan, no one had ever looked at her like that.
"You okay?" He asked quietly, his fingers dancing gently against her neck as he tried to calm his breathing.
"Yeah." She whispered her response as she tried to regain control of her own breaths. "Are you?"
"Never better." He dropped his forehead against hers with a sigh and she couldn't help her heart from fluttering at the smile on his face.
"This is probably the best Valentine's Day I've ever had." And it was true.
She and John had never really celebrated the holiday.
Sure they would occasionally exchange small gifts.
But he never would have dreamed of taking her away and making love to her like that.
"It's not over yet." He whispered, his lips pressing against hers as he tangled his fingers in her hair.
"No," She whispered back, her legs locking in place around his hips as she rolled him over onto his back, "it most certainly is not."
—
They had made love twice more before he had dragged her downstairs and into the shower with him.
Then he had made her a simple dinner, complete with wine and dessert.
After eating Ethan had started a fire and they had curled up on the couch together and watched a movie.
And then he had carried her upstairs and gently tossed her into the pile of pillows on the bed.
They made love once more, before allowing their tired bodies to tangle together under the covers, sleep overtaking them almost instantly.
When Leanne awoke at a little after two in the morning she was shocked to find Ethan awake.
He was staring at her, his eyes soft and glowing, the light from the moon sneaking in through the skylights above the bed.
His right hand was resting on her hip, his fingers tracing lazy patterns against her bare skin.
He let out a soft sigh when she opened her eyes and focused them on him.
"Hi." He whispered, his hand stilling against her side.
"Hi." She whispered back.
She didn't know why he was so obsessed with looking at her.
She certainly wasn't that beautiful.
"Did you sleep?" He moved his right hand up to her face, cupping her cheek gently as he pushed her hair aside.
"Yeah." She reached up with her own right hand, running her fingers along the scruff on his chin.
There had been a time when she had thought that he looked out of control and untamed.
There had been a time when she had hated his facial hair and crazy haircut.
Now though, now she couldn't get enough of either one.
"I love you." He dropped a kiss to her nose and she smiled.
"I love you too." She would never get tired of saying it to him, not for as long as she lived.
She had been hesitant to say it to him at first.
Scared of what it would mean for her still healing, widowed heart.
But it had been easier than she had expected.
And she hadn't stopped saying it since.
"Marry me?" His question shocked her more than it probably should have.
She knew that he wanted to take their relationship to the next level.
She knew that he wanted to get married and make their family a permanent and forever thing.
She knew it was coming, and yet.
"What?" It still scared the hell out of her to even think about it.
"Marry me?" He rolled over onto his back and grabbed something from the nightstand by the bed.
"Ethan, we've talked about this." And they had, several times.
And every time they did they came to the same conclusion.
They didn't need to be married to be a family.
"I wanna adopt Ariel." He plopped back down beside her, his hand bringing a little, black velvet box into view. "I wanna marry you and I wanna adopt Ariel and I wanna make our family a forever thing."
"I…" She had no idea he wanted to adopt Ariel.
None at all.
Sure she knew that he loved the girl.
Probably more than he had ever loved anyone in this entire world.
Probably even more than he loved her.
But she didn't know that he felt so seriously about this.
"I know it's a lot." He looked down at her with a saddened look and she instantly knew that he was waiting for a 'no'. "I know… I know you said that you needed time. But… I…"
He took a deep breath as he reached out with his other hand in order to open the box.
Inside was the most beautiful rose gold ring she had ever seen and she felt her heart stop in her chest.
"Oh my God." She swallowed as she tried to calm herself down. "It's beautiful Ethan."
"It was my mom's." He said softly, removing the ring from the it's place and holding it up in front of her. "She would have wanted you to have it."
She let out a soft sigh as she reached out to touch the object in his hands.
"Ethan…" She felt her entire body start to tremble.
She couldn't believe this was happening.
"I know that you said that you need time." He reached down and took her left hand in his as he spoke. "But it's been six months since you said that."
"Six months isn't that long Ethan." She was being an idiot and she knew it.
Six months was plenty of time.
Hell, after only being with Ethan for six months she had figured out that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.
"I wanna marry you." He whispered, his eyes filling with tears. "I want you to be my wife."
She wanted to say 'no'.
Somewhere deep down inside she felt like she was betraying John if she didn't.
But then her eyes locked with his and all of that concern went out the window.
Ethan was hers and she was his.
End of story.
"Ask me again." She whispered.
He swallowed as his face lit up, a giant smile taking over.
"Leanne Marie, will you marry me?" His question sent a shiver down her spine.
She never imagined that she would ever hear those words uttered to her.
"Yes." She nodded her head as she smiled back at him. "Yes, Ethan James, I will marry you."
He didn't say anything back, instead, he slid the ring on her finger slowly before pulling her in for a kiss.
"I love you." He whispered against her lips, his hands cupping her face gently.
"I love you more." She whispered back, her hands moving to cup his face as well.
"Forever?" He pressed his forehead against hers and smiled down at her hopefully.
"It looks that way doesn't it?" She smiled up at him before leaning up to press her lips against his.
She felt him smile even more into the kiss, his body slowly moving to hover over hers.
She had never imagined that she would fall in love again.
And if you had asked her when Ethan had first walked into Angels if she would ever fall in love with him, she would have told you you were insane.
And yet, here she was.
In bed with him, their naked bodies tangled together under the sheets.
And she was his fiancé.
And he was hers.
And they were so in love that it was gross.
And they would be for the rest of time.
For forever.
*Don't forget to comment.