That it still haunted him that he hadn’t been there when she’d needed him most.
He tipped her head back and settled his lips very softly over hers, began a gentle persuasion. He wasn’t beyond using sex to get what he wanted. One thing he knew: Val liked sex and she liked it with him.
Ethan deepened the kiss, kissed her until she moaned into his mouth. If the car hadn’t been so close to the duplex, he might have had the driver raise the privacy partition and taken her right there on the seat.
Instead, he eased a little away, kissed the side of her neck, dropped slow kisses along her jaw. “I’ll give you as much space as I possibly can, all right?”
She slid her hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth back down for another steamy kiss. Her lips were soft and moist and he was rock hard. Ethan bit back a groan.
The limo pulled up in front of her house. Steeling himself, he ended the kiss and shifted his erection into a more comfortable position.
The driver opened the door. “We’re here, Ms. Hart.”
Ethan climbed out of the car and made a quick check of their surroundings. His Jeep was parked in front of Val’s garage, where his brother had moved it for him.
Seeing nothing but a woman out walking her dog and a man riding his bicycle beneath the trees overhanging the street, Ethan helped Val out of the limo while the driver took their suitcases out of the trunk.
The door to the other duplex swung open and an elderly lady dressed in turquoise Capri pants and a loose white cotton blouse shuffled out. She waved, setting her thin gray curls in motion.
“Welcome home,” she called out. “Kinda surprised to see you. I didn’t think you’d be comin’ back so soon.”
Val hurried up her neighbor’s walkway, then climbed the steps to the porch and gave the old woman a hug. “We weren’t supposed to be back, but the tour got canceled. Long story. Thanks so much, Mrs. Oakley, for taking care of Snoozie. I hope he wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Not a bit. But I think he’s been missing you. He wanders out in his yard and prowls around like he’s looking for you. He’ll be glad you’re back.”
The women chatted while the limo driver carried the luggage up to Val’s front door. Ethan tipped the man, then walked over to join the women.
Val turned to her neighbor. “Mrs. Oakley, this is Ethan Brodie. He’s my . . . he’s a friend.”
The older woman’s eyes took him in from top to bottom. “Well, aren’t you a big strappin’ fella. ’Bout time Valerie found herself a man.”
Val flushed and he felt a trickle of amusement. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Oakley.”
“You too, Ethan. You be good to our girl now, you hear?”
“I will, I promise.”
Val tugged him down the steps and over to her side of the duplex. She waved at her neighbor, who went back inside and closed her door. “She’s a sweet lady, but Mrs. O. will talk your ears off if you aren’t careful.”
But the lady thought Val needed a man and he was currently that man, so he kind of liked the old woman.
Ethan took Val’s keys and went inside to clear the house. Her big gray tom sauntered up to him and meowed. Ethan scooped him up and stroked his short gray fur, making him purr as he carried the cat back to the living room.
“Snoozie!” Val hurried over and took the big cat from his arms. “Mama’s sweet baby. I missed you so much.”
Ethan grinned. Damn, she was cute.
While Val carried the cat into the bedroom and started to unpack, Ethan got on the phone to his office. He spoke to Ian, bringing him up to speed on Byron Mahler’s recent demise, as well as the idea of revisiting the people in Delilah Larsen’s past. He talked to Luke, who was back in town after picking up his latest bail skip.
Once his calls were made, he set up his laptop. Basically, he was moving in with Val, a notion that should have made him run as far and as fast as he could. Instead, knowing Val was in the house, that they would be sharing a bed, he felt completely at ease.
He walked over to his suitcase. He didn’t have much to unpack. His tux would have to go to the cleaners. His underwear and socks, T-shirts, and jeans needed to be laundered. He had a feeling Val wouldn’t be thrilled if he asked to use her washing machine. She might feel he was getting too close, penning her in—exactly the wayheshould have been feeling.
Hell, therewassomething kind of intimate about it.
Ethan grinned and started walking toward her bedroom. Almost sex had gotten him this far. Maybe he needed to finish what he’d started in the limo. His groin tightened as he imagined her lying on her big king-size bed, imagined himself driving hard inside her.
With any luck, what he had in mind would convince her she was glad he was there.
