Saved by Love (Willow Valley Book 3)(29)

Ethan tilted his head back to look her in the eyes, and the intention he saw there was unmistakable. “Are you sure?”

She bit her lip, driving him crazy with the simple gesture, and nodded. “Absolutely.”

***

Abby’s breath caught in her throat as Ethan stood wordlessly and held a hand out to her. Her heart was hammering in her chest and every nerve was tingling as he stared into her eyes. She stood up, and he pulled her hard against him, never tearing his eyes from her.

He was trying to make sure she knew what she was saying. To erase any doubt from his mind, she pressed her body flush against his and trailed her fingers up his strong chest to his broad shoulders and around his neck. Then she kissed him with a passion that surprised even her.

He responded instantly, his arms going around her, sliding down her back to her hips where he pulled her even closer against him, if that was possible. It was as if suddenly they couldn’t be close enough. She wanted to be surrounded by him, filled by him, consumed by him.

Her pulse was beating out a furious rhythm as they explored each other’s mouths, hungry for more. Then he was picking her up and cradling her against his chest, never tearing his mouth from hers, and striding back up the beach toward the villas.

He didn’t even stop to pick up their shoes, and she couldn’t have cared less. She just wanted to be in his arms, and right then nothing else mattered.

Then they were at the room, Ethan opening the door deftly and carrying her through. Abby glanced around the living area of the villa, glad to find that no one else was in sight.

Ethan must have felt the relief in her body, because he smiled down at her. “They’re all resting up for tomorrow. It’s been a long day.” He didn’t stop, carrying her straight into his room and shutting the door.

She bit her lip. “Do you need to go to bed too?”

He grinned wickedly. “Hell yeah. But sleeping is the last thing on my mind.”

Abby should have been embarrassed, but all she felt was a zing of heat flooding her body as Ethan looked at her with desire in his eyes.

He pulled her back to him, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “You’re sure about this?” he asked again, his intense gaze searching her face for any sign of hesitation.

“What do I need to do to make it any clearer how much I want you, Ethan?” She smiled at him, confident in her decision. “This is what I want.”

Wordlessly, he cupped her face in his hands, almost reverently. Then he kissed her so softly, so sweetly, that she thought her heart would burst. In such a short amount of time this man had changed her life. She felt more alive than she’d felt in years. What she felt for him was more intense than anything she’d ever experienced in her life. It was as if he was a kindred spirit that she didn’t even know she was looking for but now felt complete for having found.

“Abby,” he murmured against her lips. He pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes, raw emotion in his gaze. Everything she needed to know was right there on his face. They hadn’t put a label on what they were or what they felt for one another, but Abby knew in that moment that she had never loved someone as much as she loved Ethan.

She tried to convey what she felt for him without words. Words weren’t necessary with them. He could see right through her, had been able to from the start.

Turning her cheek in his hand that still cupped her face, she kissed his palm, then placed her hands on his chest and said, “I need you, Ethan.”

“I need you too. More than you know.” His eyes were blazing with barely contained desire. A man had never looked at her with such want, and her chest swelled so tightly that her heart felt that it would burst.

“Then take me to bed.”

He crushed his mouth to hers, the gentleness that had been there moments ago replaced with a fervor that wouldn’t be denied. She surrendered herself to him, body and soul, and as he picked her up once again and carried her to his bed, she knew nothing had never felt so right.





CHAPTER TEN





Sunset Bay was indeed even more beautiful in the daylight. And Abby didn’t think that was only because everything this morning seemed brighter and more alive. Much like Abby herself. Last night was like a dream. A beautiful, magical dream. When she’d awoken in Ethan’s arms with the sun streaming through the window, she felt more at peace than she had in a long time. She felt loved, and even more unbelievable, she knew she felt love for him. It was something she never thought she’d experience again. Even more shocking was that it was so much more intense than anything she’d felt before.

Yes, she’d loved Derek. But they had been young, and she knew now that what she’d had with him paled in comparison to what she felt for Ethan. The thought both alarmed and comforted her. It meant that she wasn’t broken. She could love again. And be loved. From the way Ethan had cherished her the night before, it would be hard to deny that he didn’t feel something just as deeply as she did.

But it also meant that she had more to lose. She’d lost one man she loved, and the idea of losing Ethan was too terrifying to even contemplate.

Shaking those kind of thoughts from her head, she focused instead on what was ahead that day. Tackling her fears. If she’d been strong enough to open herself up to someone again the way she had with Ethan, surely a little water couldn’t defeat her.