Chapter Forty-Nine
Ethan
T his time, the meeting with Jennifer is much happier. I’m much happier. Because I have hope that not only will I get the girl, I might even be able to keep my job.
“Are you two all caught up now?” Jennifer asks as we settle into chairs at her meeting table.
“I don’t want Ethan to resign. Please don’t accept his resignation.” Sadie jumps straight in.
“Oh, I never had any intention of accepting his resignation. Now that everything is out on the table, I have to tell you how sorry I am that I had to recall you from Egypt, Sadie. But since Riley had copied Martin in on her email—and we now know why—I had to be seen to be taking things very seriously.”
“Thank you.” Sadie sags with relief.
“You should, however, consider your wrists slapped. If you’d told me upfront, all this idiocy could have been avoided. And I’m afraid I can’t avoid HR putting a note in your files.”
“Understood.” I try not to smile. If that’s the worst thing to come out of this, I’m way ahead. No regrets.
“Anyway, if you both want to stay on, here’s the way it’s going to work. I will supervise Sadie’s PhD from now on. Ethan, you’ll have to appoint a new tutor for your classes this semester. Fortuitously, I’ve heard a rumour there’s a student at Cambridge looking to do a couple of semesters here. Do you know an”—Jennifer looks at one of the papers in front of her—“Edward Simpson?” she finishes, looking up with a broad smile.
I should never have doubted this woman had my back.
“As for the accusations Riley made, they’ve already been withdrawn. I also have statements from the other students on the dig refuting all her claims. I’m meeting with the vice-chancellor this afternoon to discuss Martin’s role in this debacle. I’m pretty confident he’ll be announcing early retirement by the end of the week.”
“What about the, umm, intimate thing? That’s true.” Pink creeps perfectly up Sadie’s cheeks.
“Honestly, I don’t give a fat rat’s pyjama coat about your sex lives. The problem for me was only ever about the favouritism. Oh, and endangering the life of a student.” Jennifer roars with laughter.
“And what about Sadie’s reputation? You’re aware of her family history. It’s important to her not to be gossiped about.”
“I’m a genius, not a miracle worker, Ethan. But I think we’ve got it pretty well contained. It’s not in anyone’s best interests for this to get out. Garret has agreed to suspend his complaint about Riley Hall on the proviso that she keeps the whole sorry tale to herself. Which I think she’s happy to do since it hardly covers her in glory. Meanwhile, here’s a form for you both to fill out for HR, which is what you should’ve done in the first place, advising them of a prior relationship.” Jennifer hands over the paperwork and stands.
“Thanks, Jen. We’re sorry we caused so much drama.”
“Ahh, don’t worry about it. Makes a nice change from arguing about who’s taking what subject and who’s hogging the admin staff. I’m just sorry it all blew up just as I was going away.”
“Thank you, Jennifer. I’ll forward you all my thesis work now.” Sadie holds out a hand, and Jennifer clasps it warmly.
We’re almost out the door when Jen speaks again.
“Now that I know what’s been going on, I can’t believe I didn’t see this before. You two are perfect for one another.” And with a shooing motion, she sits behind her desk and turns to her computer.
Sadie gives me an incredulous look as we stand in the hall, somewhat at a loss for what to do now.
“Did she just say …?”
“Yes, she did. Something you probably don’t know about Jen is she’s a hopeless romantic. Never accept an invitation to the movies unless you’re prepared to sit through a rom-com.” Because I can now, I reach out and tuck a loose strand of hair behind Sadie’s ear. We grin at each other.
“How about …”
“Why don’t we …”
We both start to speak at once. Then laugh and speak together again.
“Yes.” And without even needing to discuss it, we’re in the lift and leaving the uni behind for the day.
I fumble sliding the key into the lock. This time, not because it’s dark. And not because there’s a hand in my trousers, although I sincerely hope there will be in the not-too-distant future.
I fumble because I’m nervous. Terrified.
Sadie followed me home in her car. Neither of us wanted to have the conversation we need to have with prying eyes and ears around every corner.
We stand facing one another awkwardly in the living room, which has improved marginally since Sadie was last here. The boxes of books that used to line the hallway have been emptied onto shelves I’ve had built, and the TV has been mounted on the wall. But that’s it.
The silence drags on.
I don’t know who moves first. Me or Sadie. It doesn’t matter. Because the only thing that matters is she’s here. In my arms. Everything else can be sorted out later.
Her lips are on mine. Her hands are in my hair. My hands are lifting her against me, and I stumble to the bedroom, falling to the poorly made bed, where it all began, with a groan.
Clothes and shoes are flying. Buttons popping, zippers zipping, belts clanging as we race. Desperate. Rolling across the bed to get the access we need.
And then we’re naked and our calloused hands—yes, Sadie has them too, despite only being on the dig for a couple of weeks—are roaming bare skin. Raising goosebumps. Raising temperatures. Raising heart rates.
I can’t wait to taste her. Sliding her onto her back, I push her knees apart, and my lips work their way down her chest, across her trembling belly, over the mound where a narrow triangle of caramel hair waits, pointing me home. Because Sadie is home. As soon as we’ve told each that with our lips and our tongues and our hands, I’ll tell her with my words.
She’s already slick and ready, her flesh hot and swollen. And she tastes like heaven.
This is not the time for teasing. For drawing our pleasure out. We both need release. Now.
Her back arches off the bed as I clamp down on her clit and devour her. A loud hiss breaks from her lips. Her every muscle tenses, and my mouth floods with her climax.
“That’s it, gorgeous. You don’t need to be quiet now. Scream. Shout. Tell me what you want.”
“You, Ethan. I want you. Now.”
She doesn’t have to ask twice. I rear up, grab a condom from the bedside drawer and roll it down my dick. Sadie’s eyes glitter as she watches me press the tip to her entrance. I can’t decide whether to watch her face or watch myself sink into her heat and warmth. Because it’s all beyond sublime.
With a flex of her hips, Sadie takes me inside, and I plunge. The tension, the intensity is almost unbearable. Until Sadie starts to move beneath me. And I can’t hold on anymore.
We’re both gasping and grunting, the rich sound of flesh slapping flesh echoing around the room before I shout my release, and Sadie whimpers hers.
Slick with sweat, I roll to the bed beside her and pull her in to my chest.
“That was quick.” I can feel her lovely lips smiling as she murmurs against my chest.
“I’ll do better next time. Promise.” I kiss the top of her head.
“Oh, there was nothing wrong with that time. Nothing at all.”
There’s so much to say. So much to work out. Right now is not the time. For now, all I want to do is enjoy the feel of Sadie in my arms. Knowing we don’t have to sneak around. Or deny it. Or ignore it. Anymore.
But there’s one thing that won’t wait. One thing that’s burning my tongue. I pull back, tip her chin up and look into her eyes.
“I love you, Sadie Montgomery.”
“I love you too, Ethan Carter.”
And we both drift off into the best kind of daytime nap. The post-sex-we-have-nowhere-else-to-be-today nap.
As I was in Bangalay, I’m the first to wake. Sadie doesn’t stir from what seems more like hibernation than sleep, as I pull her closer and run my fingers through her hair. That’s okay. I’m content to lie here, holding her close. Thinking about the things I want to say to her.
Eventually, my need to pee overcomes my contentment, and I slide out of bed. When I come back, Sadie is propped up on her elbows, blinking, eyes bleary, hair a tangled mess. The smile that appears when she sees me fills my heart, and I take a moment to admire the beauty of the view.
“What?” she asks, voice husky.
“Just appreciating how beautiful you are. How lucky I am.”
Fluffing the pillows up against the headboard, I climb back into bed and pull Sadie to my chest. I want to tell her about my conversation with Mum. Because she was right about the heart growing. And about me experiencing it for myself.
“A few days before I flew to Egypt, Will and Freyja had a naming ceremony for Theo and Cora,” I start. I don’t need to tell her how painful that could’ve been for me. She knows. She also doesn’t need to ask if I went. She knows that too.
“Were you okay?” Her hand comes up and covers my heart.
“I didn’t think I would be. But I needed to go. Because I knew I couldn’t keep running like I had been.”
Sadie is silent, waiting for me to continue.
“The night before the ceremony, when I arrived, I decided to go to the meadow and try to make some peace with it. I took Ben’s baby, Andrea, with me.”
Sadie looks up from my chest, one eyebrow quirked.
“He’s surprisingly good company. For a baby. I think he’s going to be a lot like Ben. Anyway, Mum came looking for me, and we had a good talk. I told her what you said about erasing Jessie.”
“Oh, no. She must hate me.” Sadie covers her face with the hand that was gently stroking my chest. I take her wrist and put it back where it was.
“She agreed with you. She also said something that’s been going around in my head ever since. She said the heart expands to make room for new love. She was talking about children, but she meant you. She meant that loving you wouldn’t in any way lessen my love for Jessie. And neither would it be a lesser love. They can coexist. Different, but just as strong as one another. There’s room for you both.”
“Oh.” Sadie’s voice is no more than a watery whimper. Her tears tickle as they leak onto my chest.
“I used to think I’d never love anyone as much as I loved Jessie. But Mum was right. I love you just as much. She’ll always be there, beside you in my heart. But my love for her will never diminish my love for you. I need you to know that.”
“I do, Ethan. And I need you to know I never want you to feel you can’t talk to me about Jessie and your life together. She’s one of the people who made you the man you are, and I’m so grateful for her having been in your life.” And she seals her promise with a kiss.
I don’t know what I did in a previous life to deserve not one but two spectacular women. What I do know is when it comes time for the weighing of my heart, it will be as light as a feather if I get to spend the rest of my life with Sadie.