Chapter 5
Nelly
Ethan and I get married a week after lunch with Grandpops, and we finally take our trip to St. Barts, and he gifts me a platinum wedding ring to make our ruse more believable.
Ethan leaked a few pictures of us with our close family together at the courthouse to the media to get them talking, and it’s been a spiral of social media attention since then. All of this still feels a bit surreal to me, but I try to enjoy our time here.
We live in a two-bedroom suite at a resort for our week here, and I’m more comfortable knowing that Ethan and I only have to be close when we’re out in public.
I can relax better with that knowledge and enjoy this mini-vacation. I haven’t taken a break in two years, so this is a relief.
St. Barts is where I was born. My mom talked about the sandy white beaches and flawless blue waves of the ocean each chance she got.
She loved it here. But she never got the chance to come back and relive the experience she had here before I was born. She had been too focused on the company.
My parents worked extremely hard to give my brother and I the life we now live. They are the only reason I’m doing this. I glance at Ethan and find him enjoying the view, too.
The beach is a bit crowded this evening. Kids play by the shores, building sandcastles and sticking straws in to defend their territories, while the adults enjoy the rushing waves as they surf and sit languidly by the shores.
“Amazing, isn’t it?” I ask, hoping Ethan will turn to me as the silence between us has stretched out for far too long. He barely said a thing to me during our flight here, and he stayed in his room when we finally checked into a two-bedroom suite at the Majestic Resort.
There’s a bubble of anticipation brewing inside me at the thought of what will happen after our week here. Ethan’s silence doesn’t help me feel any better.
“We should talk about what happens after our time here, right? When will we meet with your granddad? When will we sign the merger deal?”
“Yeah, all of that happens when we get back to L.A. This getaway’s simply our honeymoon.” A gleam enters his eyes when he says the word, and heat rushes through me.
“Should be easy.” I try my best to sound optimistic. “I mean, we can fake being in love for a year as long as we both keep to the terms of the agreement.”
“I think so too,” he answers, but his dry tone makes me suspect there’s more he wants to talk about.
“I hear a tone,” I say, reaching for his arm. “Am I missing something?”
“No,” he answers but doesn’t meet my eyes.
“Come on, if we’re going to do this, the least we can do is stay honest with each other, right?”
Ethan hesitates a little bit, then he finally admits with a sigh. “Right.” He nods once, and his gaze trails from my eyes to my lips before he shakes his head.
“It’s just … I keep thinking … Wondering … You and Joe Storms? Is there something there that I should know about?”
“Something like?” When Ethan’s expression stays stony, I laugh lightly. “We talked about staying out of each other’s business, didn’t we?”
“Of course,” he answers easily. “I mean, I’m not trying to pry or anything, but if you’re seeing someone, then I think I should know about it, and likewise…Because it has to stay discreet, or else it’ll ruin our plans and…”
“Joe and I aren’t dating,” I interrupt. “It was a business lunch meeting. My parents had a contract running with his company and I had to finalize it before the merger. I still need to handle my own business before we merge, don’t I?”
His eyes search mine, slowly drawing me in like he’s trying to figure out if I’m telling the truth. Joe Storms is a mere business associate, and it’s no news that Joe and Ethan are competitors.
There are enough gossip articles in the business columns and on social media to prove the billionaires’ business rivalry, but no one has ever been able to say exactly what caused the brewing dislike that seems to be far more than a business competition.
“Okay,” Ethan finally replies, and he audibly inhales. “Good,” he adds. “Because a man like Storms is trouble.”
“And you’re not?” The teasing question slips out before I think about it, and the smirk on Ethan’s face instantly sends a spiral of tingles through my center.
“Oh, I’m trouble when I want to be,” he admits, his gaze lingering on my face one more time before he looks away.
We are silent for the rest of our walk down the beach, and when we arrive at a beach stand, I find a spot under the shade to sit while Ethan finds a table that faces the beach.
He seems lost in thought as I order a drink. “Virgin Mojito, please.” I say, stealing a glance at him to take in the light flutter of his hair under the influence of the sea’s breeze, and the smooth cream of his exposed skin, legs crossed in front of him.
He combs his fingers through his hair and suddenly looks over his shoulder in my direction, catching me right in the act of gawking at him.
I feel my face heat up and it spreads to my ears and the back of my neck.
Why does he make me feel this way after all these years?
Ethan never recognized my feelings for him, and he had dated a series of women over the years. I had tried to confess to him before, but despite our growing closer and having more personal conversations, it seemed he didn't feel the same way about me as I did about him.
We had even hung out at the movies without Tom a few times. I know more than anyone else that his reputation with the ladies is that of a full-bred player.
Different models and hot celebrities almost every week? I doubt there’s a female celebrity in Hollywood that hasn’t dated Ethan Everhart.
Okay, that’s overstretched. But his track record is enough reason for me to know that feeling anything for him is a dangerous slope.
Annoyed with myself once again, I sip down my drink quickly, order another, and try to ignore the steady beat of my heart against my ribcage.
The chilled drink doesn’t help quench my heated nerves at all, but I start relaxing after a while, and a cute guy who was at the stand begins to move closer.
I glance over my shoulder to check for Ethan when he does, and I spot him standing near the shore, his phone pressed to his ear while he’s staring at the blue ocean.
I stiffen when this stranger joins me at my table. “You’ve got pretty eyes, you know that?” he compliments in a sultry tone, a sly smile widening on his lips.
I try to shift out of his reach when he suddenly puts a hand over mine. “Why don’t I buy you a proper drink?” he asks when my glass of mojito arrives. “A mojito won’t help you relax.”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass,” I reply, sliding my hand out from underneath him.
“Come on, sugar, don’t be shy,” the stranger coos. “You know you’ll have so much more fun.”
I ignore the man and try getting on my feet, but he clamps a hand over my wrist, speaking rapidly in Spanish to call the attention of two other guys around us.
“Let me go!” Panic shoots through me when he forces me down onto my seat again.
“That’s enough!” Ethan’s stern voice thunders around us as he walks toward us, and I exhale deeply. The pent-up breath I didn’t realize I held whooshed out of me and a sense of calm settled after.
The stranger next to me instantly drops his hand from my shoulder.
“Fun’s over folks. You should leave the lady alone.”
“Excuse me?” He laughs. “And who are you?”
“I’m her husband,” Ethan's eyes narrowed into tiny slits that make him look fierce. There’s a twitch in his jaw as he moves closer to me again and gently tugs me to my feet.
“She’s coming with me,” I hear him say before he lowers his head to the side of my neck and whispers. “Right babe?”
The feeling of his hot breath on my skin makes me stiffen. Ethan’s nearness is all I can feel or think about. I melt into his embrace and ignore the warning bells in my head, yelling for me to stay away from him.
“Yes,” I stutter, my breath hitching in my throat. “I … Uh … We should go back to our suite, honey.” I place one hand on his chest and angle my body towards him. “I’m tired, anyways.”
Ethan nods before taking out cash from his wallet and handing it over to the amused bartender.
He doesn’t take his hand off my waist as we head back to the resort. The elevator ride to our suite is laced with tension, and my heart is pounding loudly.
I’m only aware of him—his scent, his warm touch that seeps through the fabric of my light chiffon blouse and heats my skin. Ethan holds the door open for me to get into our suite and faces me once we are inside.
His serious expression stays on for a long moment before we both burst into laughter. “That was good, wasn’t it? Playing the protective husband?”
“It was,” I agree with a snicker, then straighten my shoulders and stand on tip-toe before mimicking Ethan in a deeper tone. “I’m her husband … You’re coming with me. I haven’t seen you that serious in a while.”
More laughter erupts around us, and mine ends with a breathless sigh as warmth spikes to my cheeks. I love how Ethan’s eyes dance as he looks at me again. His lips press together as silence slowly assumes the air and turns the moment serious.
“Thanks for looking out for me,” I hold on to his gaze. Heat spikes to my cheeks and I flatten my palms over them.
“I always look out for you,” Ethan replies in the same hushed tone I used. “You know that.”
I do know that.
Regardless of Ethan’s playboy nature, he has always taken care of me.
I move to walk past him, but he slides his hands around my wrist to bring me closer to him again, then fixes his gaze on my lips.
“You should know, Nelly, that the thought of those men putting hands on you nearly drove me insane with anger. The thought of anyone touching you has always riled me up.”
“Why?” The question slips out of my lips in that moment of weakness, and my heart pounds, causing a slight ache in my chest.
Ethan’s eyes search mine, holding on till I’m drowning in his mesmerizing depths. “Because you’re innocent, Nelly, and I’ve always wanted to protect you.”
A knot tightens in my throat, stifling my breath as his eyes search mine, and I know I should back away at that moment and put some distance between us, but it’s like I’m frozen in time.
“I’m not that innocent,” I defend, gasping when his fingers brush over the sides of my face. My eyelids flutter close on their own accord, and I lightly sigh as I lean closer to his touch.
“You are,” he insists breathlessly. My eyes snap open again to find him peering down intently at me.
I finally find my words when he lifts a hand to stroke my cheek. “Ethan,” I murmur, licking my lips quickly. “We agreed, no touching.”
It sounds more like I’m reminding myself more than him. Ethan inches closer to me, increasing the unrelenting desire I feel for him.
“Ethan …”
“Stop me right now, Nelly. Tell me you’ve not thought of this too … You’ve not wondered what it’ll feel like … What a moment of weakness would be like if we just …” His words end in a sigh as he dips his head to the crook of my neck and inhales sharply like he’s trying to fill his insides with my scent.
“You smell heavenly,” he mutters, dropping a simple kiss to my neck before he moves and brings his eyes to mine. I’m drowning in the flood of hunger rising in me and it’s worse because I know I won’t be stopping him.
His nearness is a sweet torment, a pulsating surge of desire hums inside me because of it, its threat is very clear. It will consume me if I don’t back away right now.
Everything in me strains to give in to this madness this one time.
I can worry about the consequences tomorrow.
Something snaps in the air between us then and I can’t tell which of us moves first before our lips touch in an explosive meeting.
Ethan's lashes flutter closed as he finally claims my lips. My lips part for him and I shudder as his hands sweep around my waist, drawing me closer.
His lips are warm and soft. His taste arouses me, shunning every reasonable thought that comes to mind. I give into the moment, my blood roaring out of control when his tongue slides into my mouth.
This is more than I imagined.
My hand moves around his neck as he deepens the kiss and the sound of Ethan’s phone ringing shocks us back to reality.
We split apart like we’ve been burned and he backs away from me, eyes wide in shock.
“I …We …” I stutter.
“I’m sorry,” Ethan blurts. His words send a chill through me and I gasp for air again, trying to find my words. “I shouldn’t have done that … I’m so sorry,” he rambles before rushing to pick up his phone.