Page 22 of A Soldier's Pledge
“Oh my God, I can’t believe you…” He cut her off with the kiss he’d been holding back since lunch. This time there was no restraint, he licked and nibbled on her lips then demanded entrance into her mouth with his tongue. He needed her, all of her, and he couldn’t wait.
By the time he pulled back from their kiss, her face was flushed, and she was limp in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open and flashed emerald fire in molten-chocolate. Her words were barely audible and came out more like a sigh.
“I want you.”
“Baby, I never stop wanting you.” He pulled off his t-shirt and kicked off his shorts exposing his huge erection. They were waist deep in the water, and he slid her down the front of him until she stood in front of him. Her eyes never left his. His hands sought the zipper on the back of her dress, and as lowered it, she dipped her shoulders, so the soaked dress slid down exposing her satin bra. Ethan couldn’t remember when she looked sexier, standing in the water, her long dark hair spread out over her shoulders, he lips swollen from his kisses. Like a mermaid, she looked exotic and sexy, and he needed to sink deep inside her.
After removing the dress, he opened her bra and tossed it onto the pool deck, then her matching panties. They were both panting with desire and pent up emotion, almost desperate for each other.
This time wouldn’t be gentle, and he prayed he wouldn’t hurt her. But she was ready for him, and he slid into her like she was made for him. Her muscles gripped him and tried to hold on has he started slowly but soon built up the pounding rhythm they both needed. He wrapped her legs around his hips as he drove deep. Thrusting over and over again while his tongue swept her mouth, taking all she had to offer.
Her nails dug deep into the skin of his shoulders, as she clung to him. She broke their kiss as she orgasmed, clenching so tightly around him she pushed him over the edge.
Making love to her in the water was even more intense than he’d expected. But now he wished they were someplace soft and flat where he could cuddle her and show her just how much he cherished her. Instead, he moved them over to the waterfall and like something out of a tropical paradise he rinsed her hair under the water, and with water drops sparkling on her eyelashes she looked like a sea goddess in his arms.
“I love you, Anna. The words don’t even come close to how I feel, but they’re all I have. But I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me if you’ll let me.” He knew what he was doing, it was as close to a proposal as he’d ever gotten in his life, and he had no idea how she’d respond. But at that moment it felt right, and the words had a mind of their own.
“Oh, Ethan. You are amazing.”
Not what he was hoping for, but he’d take it. The words she hadn’t said shone in her eyes as clear as the water they were floating in. He would wait, and when she finally uttered those words, he was so desperate to hear he’d be in paradise.
Chapter Nine
Monday became Tuesday and then Wednesday and soon the entire week had passed, and they’d fallen into a routine. Anna was surprised how quickly she got used to having Ethan around. As much as she wanted him to solve the case, it would mean he wouldn’t have to stay with her. That would also mean she wouldn’t have him in her bed, in her arms, and wake up in the morning snuggled in to his side. And that didn’t even include the excellent meals he’d been making every night and sharing coffee in the morning. There was something to be said for sharing her home with him.
She had a decision to make about their future living arrangements. As much as she loved having him there, she still hesitated about making it permanent. That frisson of fear she couldn’t shake, that something would happen to him and she’d lose him like she lost Ryan. She didn’t know how she’d recover a second time from that kind of a heartbreak.
The thought of only seeing Ethan on the weekends and maybe one night during the week made her sad to think about. Having him there had made her feel safer and cherished. She didn’t doubt Ethan’s love for her at all, even though she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say the words to him. In her heart, she knew she loved him, maybe more than she’d loved anyone. But to say the words out loud scared the crap out of her. And there was the rub. If she couldn’t tell him, was she ready to take the next step in their relationship?
Ethan and Steele were both disappointed that their visit to her meeting hadn’t turned up anything. She knew they had more information then they could share, but still, as the days went on her tension eased in the office as it looked like her employees would be cleared. Anna wanted to tell them ‘I told you so,’ but she still had a niggling feeling she was missing something. She also hadn’t seen Mr. Creepy Pants again, but she could have sworn she’d caught the truck in her rearview mirror one or two times. She was a good girl too; she’d told Ethan as soon as she’d gotten home. It was too bad Florida didn’t require front license plates, or she might have had a chance to get more than just the first two letters.
The week flew by, and they still hadn’t solved the case. Now it was Saturday again. Would there be another break-in? Or had Ethan’s investigation scared them off? Hoping for a nice quiet evening, they decided to stay home, order pizza and watch the movieDeadpool. Unfortunately, their luck didn’t hold out. The phone rang at eleven-thirty. Anna was half asleep leaning against Ethan, but the ringing was like an instant ‘On’ button.
“Damn.”
“I know. I was hoping, too.” It was Steele, he’d gotten the call first and was passing on the news which wasn’t all that good. Again, it was a Willow Haven Realty listing that had been hit. That much she’d figured out from listening to Ethan’s half of the conversation, but the look on his face scared her. An ominous feeling turned the pizza and beer in her stomach into a roiling bucket of acid.
“Got it. I’ll be there in about ten minutes. I don’t have to tell you if the press shows up we have no comment, right? Did someone contact his wife? Okay.
Contact his wife? It didn’t sound good. What horrible thing had happened now? Had one of their clients been home? But why would the wife have to be notified then?
Ethan disconnected the call and when his eyes met hers she knew. She wasn’t sure how she did, but she knew.
“It’s Hugh, isn’t it?”
“I’m afraid so. Did he have an open house today?”
“Yeah, I think so.”
“Apparently, he didn’t bring a ‘buddy,’ and his wife called the station when he didn’t come home for dinner and didn’t answer his phone. It was too soon for her to file a missing persons’ report, but given the circumstances, they’d decided to check it out. Before they could send a unit to his house, they got a call from one of the neighbors who had just returned from the movies. The lights were on, and the front door was wide open.”
Dizziness hit her like a wave, and if she hadn’t been sitting, she’d probably have fallen over. “Why was he there alone?”
“That’s what I’d like to know. Did you assign partners or leave it up to them?”
“I left it up to them, but they were supposed to tell Jenny so she could keep track of everything.”
“Good. If he followed the rules, then we should know who was supposed to be with him.” Words wouldn’t form, so she nodded. Hugh Johnson was dead? It didn’t seem possible, she’d seen him earlier in the day, and he was as obnoxious as always, but that was him. It had been for as long as she’d know him. Poor Betty. They’d been married forever; all their kids were grown and gone. She would be devastated.
