A Nantucket Wedding(32)

In any case, no one flirted with anyone, and quickly the meal was over and Felicity had to round up her children and get them ready for the ferry ride back to Hyannis. Poppy and Patrick organized their family for the airport.

Before Felicity left, she found Jane in the kitchen and gave her a good long hug.

“See you soon, I hope.”

“Soon,” Jane answered.



* * *



—

David drove Felicity and her children to the ferry. Alison drove Poppy and her family to the airport in Jane’s rental car and returned it so Jane wouldn’t have to rush at the airport. David picked Alison up and brought her home.

Jane and Ethan were alone in the big house, clearing the table and cleaning the kitchen. For a while they worked in silence. Jane brought the dishes in and handed them to Ethan to rinse and put in the dishwasher. Such an ordinary, boring thing to do, but when their hands touched, her pulse skyrocketed. The atmosphere grew thick with unacknowledged lust. Jane slid open the door to the deck to let cool air into the room. She stood, looking out at the sea and sky, and after a moment, Ethan came to stand behind her. He didn’t touch her, but she could feel his breath.

    “It turned into a clear night,” Ethan said.

“It did.” She didn’t turn around to face him.

“Jane.” Ethan put his hand on her waist.

For one long moment, she allowed herself to soak in the sensual pleasure of his touch. The devil on one shoulder whispered: Go ahead, no one else will ever know. But the angel on her other shoulder stamped her foot. You’ll know. And it will only lead to trouble.

“The laundry!” Jane said, relieved to think of it. “I want to get some laundry started, I don’t want my mother to have to deal with all of it.”

Ethan stepped back to let Jane pass. In the laundry room, bath and beach towels rose in a soggy heap on the floor. Jane put a few of the bath towels into the washing machine.

“Maybe,” she said brightly to Ethan, “you could take those beach towels out and give them a good shake over the deck railing. Get rid of the sand before they go in the wash.”

Ethan smiled. “At your service, madam.”

Once he had gathered up the striped beach towels, Jane continued putting the softer, plusher bath towels in the wash. Had she ever felt such soft fabric? It was like hugging a stuffed animal. She buried her face in the thick white bath sheet and moaned very quietly. It wasn’t the towel that was ringing her chimes. Obviously, she was going mad, acting like a repressed spinster.

Ethan came back into the room. “I think I got them all. Do you want to add them in with the bath towels or do a separate load?”

“Um, separate load, I think.” She knew he’d seen her with her face in the towel and forced a laugh. “These bath towels are so heavenly. I need to get some.”

Ethan grinned. “Jane, I think you’re suffering from sensory deprivation.”

“Of course not!” she argued. “How could I? I mean, I can see and hear the ocean, I can smell the wild roses, I’ve just eaten your delicious eggplant parmesan—” She went silent. What was the fifth sense?

    “Touch,” Ethan said, as if he’d read her mind and he continued, with a smile and a joking lilt in his voice. “You’re molesting that towel because you need to be touched.”

“Oh, that’s silly,” Jane said. Turning away from him, she stuffed the towel into the machine.

“Maybe.” Ethan handed her more towels. “Maybe not.”

Jane busily put in the detergent and pushed all the buttons. And then there she was, alone in the room with Ethan and nothing else needing to be done.

He stepped closer to her and put his hand along her cheek. “You’re so beautiful.”

She couldn’t move. She was melting.

Keeping his hand on her cheek, he bent down and kissed her neck, his warm breath stirring her hair. He moved so that only an inch existed between their bodies as he kissed the hollow of her throat and her cheek, his mouth hovering teasingly just above her mouth.

“We’re back!” David strode in the front door and down the hall.

Jane tore herself away from Ethan. “We’re in here starting the laundry.”

“Thanks for doing that,” David called. “I want to catch the end of the Red Sox game.”

“I’ve got to finish packing and get to the airport,” Jane said, not meeting Ethan’s eyes.

She hurried up the stairs to her bedroom and quickly tossed her belongings into her suitcase.

When she came down, her mother and Ethan were in the front hall.

“Felicity and Poppy are off. I returned your rental car. I’ll drive you and Ethan to the airport.” Alison checked her watch. “If we go now, I can get back in time for Masterpiece Theatre.” She beckoned to Jane and Ethan.

    “Come along, children,” she said teasingly.

If you only knew how R-rated we’ve been acting this evening, Jane thought. She was glad to let Ethan, with his long legs, sit in the front of the Jeep while she sat in the back, too far away for him to touch. At this point in her life, she wasn’t sure she could resist him. She wasn’t sure she wanted to.





eleven