Chapter 4

A Cambias Merger Comes to Light

"Simone…"

"Shhhhhh." replied Simone, "Just kiss me."

His day had been so bloody awful. Whenever Ethan stepped out of his office he had to face snickering employees, weird stares, blushing coworkers and gag gifts that kept swamping into the office. It all seemed never ending. Ethan had sent most of the picnic baskets home with employees but the 'gifts' kept coming even after everyone besides his secretary had packed it in and left.

The last thing he expected was to be laughing and having a good time. Simone was just so different from anyone he'd ever been with. They were moderate friends while he was dating Kendall and tighter friends during the breakup. But how everything changed so fast was a mystery to him. Was he happy about it? Hell yes! Did the depth of emotion he felt for her so shortly after he'd thought he was in love with someone else just a few short months ago confuse him? Hell Yes!

But all the things that made her so different made it so easy for him to let his guard down. She was so effervescent, so unpretentious and so comfortable with who she is and what she wants. He wasn't sure how long he'd been living in a vacuum but Simone made him happy. She liked him for who he was and who he is. More importantly she made him happy he is the man that he is. Until recently that is.

Lately Ethan had been withholding something from her. He'd wanted to tell Simone about how he felt and about the dreams he was having. Dreams he was too anxious to even think about. It definitely seemed too soon. But he often found himself on the brink of saying it. The words were there on the tip of his tongue, tickling his lips. And then he would second guess the timing and bury what he wanted to say in a kiss.

He was afraid to put his hopes into words. So instead he would find himself making love to her. Trying to say with his body what he couldn't say out loud. He didn't want to be one of those men afraid to commit, afraid to say what he felt.

But he was. Now.

All he knew for certain was that Simone had become the most important person in his life. And she wanted him. She wanted him as a friend and a lover and Ethan wanted her too. But deep down he knew he longed for more but he was afraid to ask, afraid to change what they had. He felt like a coward, keeping quiet, too frightened to risk losing her.

Ethan held Simone in his embrace and ravaged her mouth with his kisses. Holding her pressed tight to his body Ethan took a deep breath and pulled away from her long enough to look into her warm dark eyes before taking her mouth with his again. He wanted to convey with his touch how grateful he was that she was here with him. He was filled with the joy of her presence in his arms and in his life.

He helped Simone unbutton his shirt and he was surprised to see his hands were shaking. He studied her face as he traced the lids of her eyes with his trembling fingertips, her lips, her neck, and her body. And he bent his head to taste her flesh, raining kisses on her neck and breast. Soft kisses that grew in strength as she clung to his head and clutched at his hair. His warm mouth and wet tongue brushing aside any thoughts Simone had. When she was with Ethan everything just faded away locking her in the moment.

The urge to make love to her was so strong that he was frightened of hurting her. He wanted to devour her, claim her. Drive her to the same emotionally frenzy he was feeling. He pulled her to him nearly sick with need and kissed her so violently Simone gasped. Taking a deep and cleansing breath Ethan forced himself to loosen his hold on her. Letting go of her body he stopped kissing her and helped Simone pull her dress off and toss it onto the floor. Pausing to gaze at her, the beauty of her unassuming smile dazzled Ethan; mirth intermixed with sultry desire. Simone kept Ethan locked in her gaze as she reached to unbuckle his belt and unbutton his pants.

Taking her once again in his embrace he slowly turned bringing Simone's body beneath his. He was determined to reign in his emotions. But Simone's kisses were thick with desire and it wasn't long before he forgot all thought. He returned her frantic kisses, leaving her head dizzy and her lips bruised. His hands left her warm hair to span her small waist and brought his mouth to her breast and proceeded to kiss her body. He tasted the salt of her skin and breathed the musk of her scent as his kisses and hands trailed across her small frame to where he knew she was most vulnerable. Ethan felt her hands leave his back as she reached to grasp his hair wrapping it in her fingertips.

Soon Ethan felt Simone's back arch to meet his kisses and he lifted her hips to kiss deeper. Overwrought, Simone called out Ethan's name desperate to join with him. She pulled him upward, back toward her mouth so she could kiss his lips and feel the full weight of his body over hers. She lifted her hips and moved against him, gently calling his name with a depth of emotion that rocked him to the core.

Ethan spread her legs with his knees and paused to look deep into her eyes.

"Yes!" Simone cried unwilling to wait, "Ethan, please!"

Her frenzied cries pushed him to the edge and he lifted her hips with his hands and thrust into her. Simone called out to him overwhelmed by the sensation of her soft tissue stretching to accommodate his flesh. She ruthlessly clutched at his back with her fingers and he knew she had drawn blood. Ethan held still, pressed deep against her womb, struck by the wonder of her pulsing flesh that encased his own.

Once she was adapted to the sensation of his body within her she withdrew her hands from his back and reached tenderly for his face in an apology. Unsure Ethan paused, wanting to ask her if she was all right when he felt her gently rocking her hips to encourage him to continue. Bending his head toward her he began with a ragged kiss and allowed her to set the pace as he fought his own voracious desire to devour her.

Lost in the sensation their movements went from tender to frenetic. Their lovemaking taking on an identity of it's own. Ethan reveled in the sounds Simone made as she moved in sync with him. Her soft encouraging murmurs push him even further to the brink but it was as if the moment was forever to be suspended. He felt caught in a loop of time in which he couldn't find release. And then was Simone called out his name, her hands clutching his shoulders her movements ever more urgent, "Ethan! Ethan!"

Suddenly the light behind his eyes burned bright and the sound of her voice was nearly obliterated by the crashing resonance of his rushing blood filling his ears. Again and again Ethan called out for Simone telling her he loved her.

"Ethan! Ethan!" Simone gasped, "Stop!"

Stop? Ethan wondered before he could talk, "Stop?"

"Isn't that Lauren Clark from 'Surprise We're Live' at WGPV news?" whispered Simone looking over Ethan's shoulder before hiding her face in his chest.

Ethan paused afraid to look behind him. He knew in an instant that what caused the bright lights through his closed eyelids was not a phenomena caused by their lovemaking. Lifting his face from her hair he slowly opened his eyes and saw that it was a news camera's floodlight. The camera crew was plainly visible in the mirror behind his desk.

Ethan buried his face in her hair and sighed, "I believe it is. And she's with the Cambias Industries board of directors."

Coming up Chapter 5 'Love Me, Love Me Not

Ethan prepares to deal with the Board, Simone and the world at large.