Chapter 1: Perfection
"Can you believe it?" Theresa said with a sigh.
Ethan pulled her closer and kissed her temple. "What?"
"This," Theresa said as she spread her arms out and pointed around their bedroom. "Finally, we're here, Ethan. We have everything we ever wanted." Ethan smiled. "You. Me. Together. It's like a dream…" She smiled up at him and he tilted her chin to meet his lips with hers.
"You are my dream."
Within minutes, their bodies were one again. Never could they tire of one another. Every bend of Ethan's muscles, every smooth expanse of skin, every deep breath he took set her alive again. And all Ethan needed were Theresa's eyes and he could be happy for the rest of his life. With them open or shut, he was complete in them.
"You know, we can't keep doing this, Theresa," Ethan breathed quickly, his chest still trying to keep up with his rushing heart.
"What? Enjoying the most intense passion all night long?" she asked before she kissed him again.
"Ah," he laughed. "All night long being the operative term, here, Mrs. Winthrop. How am I ever going to get through the day when all I can think about is sleep?"
Theresa pouted like a three year old that wasn't quite sure how cute she looked with her lip sticking out. "Well," she began, "maybe I can give you something else to think about, then."
Then Ethan felt her hand snake down his torso to where it took hold of him. He wasn't expecting her touch and it electrified him. His muscles began to tense and his breathing quickened just when it had started to slow. Theresa's hand grew tighter, pulling and squeezing him relentlessly until his eyes couldn't stay open anymore. She watched his face and took pleasure in the way he sucked his bottom lip behind his teeth. Wincing as if in pain, Ethan clenched his brow and held his eyes shut.
Theresa leaned close to his throat. "How's this? Taking your mind off sleep a little?" Ethan wasn't able to speak anymore. He simply nodded his concurrence. Then Theresa let go and stared at him, waiting for his visual response. "What if I stop?"
Ethan's eyes shot open and he turned to her, this time his eyes really in pain. Without a word, he pulled her to him and explored her mouth with his tongue.
"You're going to be late for work," Theresa said against his mouth. Ethan quieted her with his lips. "Again."
"Don't care," he mumbled as he rolled over her.
And they stopped all talking for the next hour.
______
"You're late," Ethan's blonde assistant reprimanded with the light tone she always had.
Ethan finished his sip from his coffee cup. "I know. I know. Sorry, Rand. It could not be helped."
She watched him walk into his office with a smile and hated seeing how happy he was. It wasn't normal for a couple to stay as happy as long as they had. "You know," she said as she followed him into his office, "the honeymooning period is only supposed to last three months."
Ethan set down his briefcase and circled his desk. "We like to go into overtime," he smirked as he took another drink. And then he got flashes of just how he and Theresa had pushed him to being late… for the second time that week, and the sixth time that month.
"Spare me the details," Miranda protested, her hands up in defense.
"Sorry," he laughed. "I'll try." He turned his attention to his desk and noticed the folders she's set down for him. "Am I still meeting with Morrison?"
She cringed as she checked her watch. "Yeah, he'll be here in about thirty-five minutes. You would have had longer to review the files if you had been here on time."
Again Ethan laughed. "I'll yell at Theresa for you."
"Ugh." And Miranda stepped out of his office for fear that she'd gag. It just wasn't normal for two people to be so happy. Maybe they had something special; maybe they were the ones that figured out the secret to eternal bliss. Whatever it was, there was only one thing Miranda knew for sure: she craved it in her own life.
"Hello, hello, hello," greeted a deep voice. "Where is he?" Ethan heard from the lobby.
Miranda was in Ethan's doorway within seconds. "Morrison's here." Her voice was dripping with overwhelming enthusiasm.
There was a slapping sound as Morrison smacked Miranda's behind. She jumped and did her best not to punch him in the face. He was a tall man, too young to have already started balding, but yet full of extreme confidence that no doubt stemmed from his bank account.
"Nice to see you, Rand," Morrison said as he passed her. "Very nice."
Ethan apologized with his eyes to his assistant and stood to take Morrison's hand. Miranda gave Morrison the look of the death before closing the door behind her.
"Mi-RAND-A!" Morrison pressed. "You're a lucky man, Ethan. Lucky man…"
"Uh… yes, please, have a seat. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water?" Ethan asked, hoping to change the subject.
"That depends," Morrison replied as he took his seat opposite Ethan's desk. "Is that hot assistant of yours going to bring it in?" He winked.
Ethan wasn't sure what to say. It was men like Morrison that he'd vowed his entire life to never become—men just like Julian Crane. "Um, well, actually… Listen, sorry," he said, quickly changing the subject. "I wasn't able to review the case files. I wasn't expecting you this early…"
Morrison waved his hand. "Oh, don't worry. I was just across the street and I thought I'd stop by since I was here anyway." Ethan nodded his understanding. "I picked up this cute redhead last night at The Blue Note." He punched the air excitedly. "Man! Redheads really are fiery!"
Ethan stared at the man with his mouth open, not believing that he could be such a pig. "Oh, well, that's nice." Ethan smiled and turned his attention down to the files on his desk.
"And what about you?" Morrison asked. "Pick up anything fun lately?" Morrison winked again.
The thought of what he was insinuating was beginning to make Ethan physically sick. He couldn't imagine being with anyone else but Theresa. She completed him in every way. She was the only one he'd ever made love to—besides Gwen—and he knew that he wasn't missing anything else. She was all he wanted.
"You do know that I am married, right?" Ethan defended.
"Meaning? How many married men do you know that haven't had a little piece on the side from time to time?"
"I'm not like that," Ethan said firmly.
Morrison laughed to himself. "Give yourself some time, kid. You've only been married, what? Two or three months?" He stared back at Ethan as he waited for a response. Ethan's eyes glared back in response.
"Four."
"Exactly," Morrison claimed. "Four months isn't enough to judge. Trust me, kid. Your eyes will start to wander soon enough."
Ethan refuted the idea in his mind, quickly deciding that he could never want anyone but Theresa. Since the day he'd met her, she was the only thing he knew he wanted for the rest of his life.
"Is this her?" Morrison asked, pointing to a photo on Ethan's desk. It was the picture of the two of them on their wedding day—the happiest day of his life. Finally, after eight years, they were together; years of pain were over. "Man," Morrison gasped. "She is a looker. I wouldn't want to pass her up too quickly, either. Never pegged you as a Latina lover. I always figured you for the tall blonds, you know…?" He whistled his appreciation of Theresa's beauty. "I bet she's a good time… Feisty. Is she feisty?"
Ethan was suddenly uncomfortable. "Can we just get back to the case, please, Morrison?" Upset that a pig like Morrison was fantasizing about his wife, Ethan had to tell himself to calm down. Still, he was filled with pride that he was married to a woman that other men fantasized about. And then he found his thoughts drawn to the smoothness of her skin, the sweetness of her scent, the roundness of her curves, and the sound of her moans as she writhed beneath his naked body.
______
"I'm all done for the day," Miranda announced as she peeked around Ethan's doorway. "So if there's nothing else…?"
"Get out of here, Rand," Ethan said as he looked up from the deposition he was reading.
She smiled. "Thanks. Night."
"Night." The phone rang and Miranda made to reach for it. "Ah, ah, ah." Ethan gestured her away from the phone. "Go home, Rand."
With a smile and without another word, Miranda left the office.
"Sanford, Winthrop, and Myles. Ethan Winthrop," he greeted as he pressed the phone against his shoulder.
"Are you alone?" the sultry voice spoke on the other side of the phone.
Ethan smiled. "Yes."
"So am I."
Ethan settled back in his chair, dropping his paperwork. "Well, what should I do about that?"
Theresa chuckled. "I don't know what you can do, but I have this new dress that I feel like wearing. It's short… black… lace… tight… I was kind of hoping that you'd help me take it off …"
Her suggestion filled him with adrenaline. "I'm leaving right now."
Then there was a knock on his door. "Hey, Ethan," dark and handsome Kyle Sanford interrupted.
Ethan looked up, his chest spinning in fallen excitement. "Oh, hey, Kyle. What's up?"
"Hey, a few of us are going down to Morgan's Pub with Watson. You ready?"
Just as Ethan was about to say yes, he remembered the person on the other line of the phone that was still pressed against his ear. "Umm… I… uh… I don't think I can tonight. Maybe some other time," he said in his most apologetic voice.
Kyle looked like his was physically pained. "You can't be serious," he said with a feigned smile on his lips. "C'mon, Ethan. Watson's making partner. You can't sit here and do work while we celebrate him getting into your firm."
Ethan thought about that for a minute and suddenly felt guilty. He knew Kyle was right. There was no excuse to not go out with the guys to celebrate Watson's integration of partner.
"Ok," he said, defeated. "Give me a minute?"
Kyle knocked on the doorway and smiled. "We'll wait for you downstairs."
Ethan waited until he was sure that Kyle wasn't in listening proximity before he turned his attention back to the phone. "I think I'm going to have to take a rain check…," he said with the same apologetic tone he'd just given Kyle.
Theresa let out a disappointed breath. "Yeah, I heard. That's ok. There's always tomorrow night," she hinted.
Ethan smiled, his mind already traveling back to the contours of her body. "There's always later tonight."
"Oooh," she played cooed with him. "Well, don't keep me waiting too long."
Ethan laughed, already planning to skip out on the bar scene as soon as he could to get home to his wife. "I love you."
"I love you, too. Don't be too late."
Hanging up, Ethan regretted having to take a drink with his partners when all he wanted to do was go home and wrap his arms around Theresa. He wanted to be next to her, feel her skin against his, and wake up looking into her eyes knowing that there was nothing better for him in the world.
Sighing deeply, all he could do was look forward to going home. Picking up his jacket by the door, Ethan turned off all the lights and headed downstairs. Kyle, Dave Myles, and Peter Watson were waiting for him just outside the lobby.
"Finish up with that deposition," Dave asked.
Ethan shrugged. "Not really. I'll just finish it up later." His frown wasn't hard to miss.
"Don't worry," Kyle said as he slapped Ethan's back. "She'll be waiting for you when you get home."
