Page 10 of The Sound of Silence

“I know how it probably looks, but actually, I do have plans. I’m going back to school for interior design, something I enjoy and have an eye for. I hope to enroll for the spring semester at the University of Cincinnati.”

“Good for you.” He nodded his head and smiled in admiration.

“Taking on the role of Suzy-homemaker is far from what I want in life. After watching my mother struggle for years to make ends meet by working two, sometimes three, jobs, I vowed to take my life in a completely different direction. To do that, I need to secure an education. Yes, my plans were put on hold for various reasons, but it’s always been a temporary thing.”

I fell silent, unable to believe how open I was with him. I rarely mentioned my mother to anyone besides Natalia, yet this was the second time I’d brought her up in less than fifteen minutes time. I didn’t even talk much about her to Ethan. It was just too painful—a wound that would never quite heal. For some reason, I wasn’t holding back with this man. My brow furrowed in confusion as I studied the stranger. For a moment that seemed to stretch on for hours, he simply stared back at me. Eventually, he placed his hands on his knees and slowly stood.

“I hate to end our conversation, but I need to get back up to my room,” he said with obvious reluctance. “I have to be up before the sun rises in the morning.”

“Thankfully, I don’t have to be up that early. My husband was smart when he booked our honeymoon to St. Lucia. We don’t leave until Monday morning, so I can sleep all day tomorrow if I want. What’s dragging you out of bed so early?”

“My flight. Apparently, I wasn’t as smart as your husband when I booked it,” he joked. “I’m only here for the weekend. I’m headed home in the morning.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.

And damn…

If that wasn’t the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, I didn’t know what was. Now that he was standing, I was able to take in his full height. I estimated him to be a couple inches over six feet tall and he was built—very built. His thick biceps grabbed my attention, and I didn’t know how I’d missed them earlier. His black t-shirt stretched wide across his chest and I could easily make out very defined pectoral muscles. When my gaze traveled down to his narrow hips, I froze.

What am I doing? I should be dancing with my husband, not out here, gawking at a man I just met.

Despite my internal lecture, I was clearly a glutton for punishment. Instead of letting him walk away as he should have, I compulsively asked an open-ended question that would further our conversation.

“Were you here visiting family? Or was it something else?”

“No family. I was here on business. I had to meet with a silent partner about a business I’m starting.”

“Oh, well, that sounds fun. What’s your business?”

Another question—undoubtedly, I had lost my mind.

“Fitness.”

My gaze skimmed over his hard, muscular biceps once more.

Of course, fitness was his business.

“Interesting,” was my only reply. I was afraid to say more and risk embarrassing myself by saying something inappropriate. I really needed to get back inside.

“Yeah. I was tired of working for others and wanted to branch out on my own. In a few months, I’ll be opening my own gym and training facility. A friend of mine agreed to help finance it, and we met this afternoon to finalize the contract. I will admit, though, it’s scary as hell. Working for a gym is one thing, but owning one yourself is a risk. I already have an established client base and the expertise needed, but the market is competitive. I know I can do it, but there’s always that little seed of doubt, you know? For the first time in my life, I’m afraid of failure.”

His raw vulnerability was unexpected, and not something I was used to. Ethan was always so confident and never second-guessed going after what he wanted. Yet here this man stood, telling a woman he barely knew about his fears. I found his honesty endearing and considered him with new respect.

“I’m sure you’ll do just fine. In fact—”

The slam of a door cut off my words and caused me to jump. I looked toward the sound. Ethan was striding toward me, looking frantic.

“What are you doing out here? I was looking all—” He stopped short when he saw I wasn’t alone. Something flashed in his eyes but I couldn’t quite place it. Anger? Jealousy? Whatever it was, he masked it quickly and reached out to take my hand. “Come back to the reception, honey. Our guests will be missing you.”

I stood and slipped my arm through Ethan’s. He pulled me close possessively, and I could feel the hard tension in his muscles. I looked back at the man who had kept me company for the last thirty minutes and realized then I didn’t even know his name. When I thought about it, I never told him mine, either.

“It was nice chatting with you,” I said.

“Likewise. Congratulations again… to both of you.”

“Thank you,” Ethan responded tersely, then coaxed me back toward the door to the hotel. Once we were inside, I felt his stiff body relax slightly. “Don’t do that again, okay?”

“Do what?”

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