Page 438 of One More Kiss

ETHAN

I haven’t sleptwith a woman since Alana. I’ve had plenty of one-night stands, but sleepovers weren’t a thing I allowed. At least not until right now.

Having Vada sleeping against my chest feels intimate, yet I’m not pushing her away like I should—like I usually do. Her body heat feels nice, and for the first time, I’m not going to bed feeling empty and alone.

Even if that’s exactly how I wanted it all these years.

Closing my eyes, flashes of Alana and the memory of the life we shared evades my mind. I manage to get a few hours’ sleep before those memories wake me.

After a half hour of watching Vada sleep next to me, I decide to stop fighting it and get out of bed. I slide on my shorts, and before leaving the guest bedroom, I turn around and stare at her. I don’t know what comes over me, but I walk to her side of the bed, pull off the covers, and wrap her in my arms. As quietly as I can, I carry her out of the room and walk us to my bedroom where I lay her down and cover her back up. She looks good in here. Looks right.

And that scares the shit out of me.

The guest room is the only bed I’ve let women be with me in, and the status of being a one-night only hookup doesn’t fit right with Vada. I know I’ve set the rules for us, and we both know what to expect of this, but our connection isn’t on the same level as a random one-night stand. Leaving her in there just didn’t feel right.

Once I’m in the hallway, I shut the door and tiptoe down the stairs. I decide to make a pot of coffee since I know sleep won’t be coming to me anytime soon.

After filling up my mug, I head upstairs and go to the tower. The sun should be rising shortly, and the tower has a perfect view of it.

Memories of Alana and I first looking at this house comes to mind. We met in a small town, high school sweethearts you could say, and were each other’s firsts. Everyone expected us to get married, have kids, and live happily ever after.

Too bad life had other plans for us.

After living the apartment life for two years, we decided it was time to start house hunting. It just so happened we found the right one at just the right time. Alana was six months pregnant when we found our house.

“Babe, come check the view from up here!” she called from the third story when I was still climbing the stairs to the second floor. It was a traditional southern house with original wood, wraparound porch with three-bedrooms and two point five bathrooms. It even had a big yard, which was something we both wanted.

“Coming, hold on,” I called back. “How’d you get up there so fast?”

Alana might’ve been pregnant, but she didn’t let that stop her. She was as active as she’d always been. Both in and out of the bedroom.

“This is the part of the house I wanted to see the most. It’s amazing,” she said with adoration in her voice.

I finally caught up to her, taking the final steps into the tower. Windows surrounded it in a complete three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view. You could see for miles up here.

“Wow,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind. She covered my hands with hers as we stood in the middle of the tower and just stared out.

“I know,” she whispered. “Imagine all the sunrises and sunsets we could watch from up here.”

“And fireworks over the water,” I added. “It’s perfect.”

“It’s like being on the Eiffel Tower.” She beamed, and I knew no other house would even come close to this one. Alana had been obsessed with the Eiffel Tower since our honeymoon when we visited a couple years ago. The beauty of it inspired her to focus more on what made her happy.

“I could do all my pottery up here,” she told me as we both glanced around the space. “Put my wheel in the middle, my wood shelves along that wall over there for all my mugs, and put the kiln on the other wall. What do you think?” She looked over her shoulder at me with pleading eyes. Alana loved pottery, and even more, loved creating it. I couldn’t deny her of what made her truly happy, especially if it meant I got to see that beautiful smile every day.

“I think you’re absolutely right. The space is perfect for it, and you really can’t beat the view.” I gave her a tight squeeze for emphasis. “You think you’ll still have time after the baby arrives?”

“Probably not at first, but eventually when we have a schedule down,” she explained, and I agreed.

“Good.” I kissed the top of her head. “You’re too talented not to.”

“If you don’t buy me this house, I’ll divorce you,” she teased with a laugh.

“It’s pretty perfect,” I agreed. I turned her around and knelt down. Rubbing a hand over her belly, I spoke softly, “What do you think, Paris? Do you want this to be your first home?” I looked up at Alana, smiling down at me as I talked to our daughter.

Seconds later, she kicked.

And that was all the confirmation we needed.

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