buried his face in the side of her neck, continuing to drop kisses along her neck and jaw. As he captured her mouth in another searing kiss, she felt his hard erection press against her thigh and gasped. She sobered.
With great effort, she pulled her mouth away, gasping for air. She dropped her head against his shoulders. She knew where this was leading and she couldn’t allow it, no matter how much she wanted him. She trembled all over as she tried to reign in her desire. It had been a long time since any man touched her and she needed this, needed him. In Ethan’s arms she felt like a desirable and sexy woman. But good things never lasted long, not for her. Sooner or later, this too would go bad.
Julia took a deep breath and pictured diving head first into the Atlantic … in December. The time for self-indulgence was over. Gorgeous, sexy, mouth-watering Ethan had short-circuited her brain. She’d given in and allowed herself to feel and it had been sinfully good. Now it was time to get back to reality and time to re-engage her damn brain.
She reminded herself she couldn’t have everything she wanted. No one could. Even if they overcame the past Ethan would wake up one day and conclude she wasn’t enough for him. Then she’d be left alone to pick up the pieces of her life and her trampled heart all over again. That’s what life had taught, what Matt had taught her. Men were fickle creatures that didn’t stick around when they didn’t get their way and not when life was too real.
Julia worked to control her emotions, but a single tear escaped and slid down her cheek.
“Hey, beautiful, what’s this?” Ethan asked as he tilted her chin up and kissed her lips and cheek. “No tears now. I know I’m out of practice a bit, but I’m not that bad, am I? I’m sure with some additional practice sessions, I’ll improve. You can be my tutor. What do you say?”
The hopeful, innocent look on his face had her laughing. Ethan could always make her laugh and forget her troubles.
She pushed at his chest and said, “No, I think you’ve been perfecting your trade over the years. You don’t need any more practice. I’m the one that’s out of practice. It’s been a long time since anyone has been … uh. Oh, never mind. Look, this isn’t a good idea. I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that.”
Julia pulled her robe closed and looked up to find him studying her with desire-filled eyes. She wasn’t naïve; she knew when a man wanted her. She was surprised, however, he could still want her after so many years. She wasn’t a young girl anymore and no longer had the body of a teenager. She was a forty-year-old woman who’d carried a baby and hadn’t quite lost all her pregnancy weight, even after two years. Her own husband had found her lacking enough to step out and find a much younger woman to please him, and that was before she was even pregnant.
She blushed from head to toe and dropped her gaze from his, feeling exposed and inadequate.
“You promised lunch and I’m starving. I’m going to dress fast and I’ll be right down. Okay?” She tried to slide past him, but she wasn’t fast enough. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms. Her startled eyes met his in question.
“You do know you’re a stunningly sexy woman, right?”
Julia couldn’t hold his gaze and looked away. What was she supposed to say to that?
“Look at me, Jules.” When she still wouldn’t look at him, he tapped under her chin with his fingers. “Baby, please look at me.”
Julia raised her head and met Ethan’s eyes.
“I don’t know what that dick of an ex-husband did or said to you to make you doubt yourself, but I can assure you of one thing. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Your body is perfect and I can’t keep my hands off of you. In fact, you’re sexier today than you were at eighteen. You have a delicious body that one day you’re going to let me fully explore and enjoy. There
With great effort, she pulled her mouth away, gasping for air. She dropped her head against his shoulders. She knew where this was leading and she couldn’t allow it, no matter how much she wanted him. She trembled all over as she tried to reign in her desire. It had been a long time since any man touched her and she needed this, needed him. In Ethan’s arms she felt like a desirable and sexy woman. But good things never lasted long, not for her. Sooner or later, this too would go bad.
Julia took a deep breath and pictured diving head first into the Atlantic … in December. The time for self-indulgence was over. Gorgeous, sexy, mouth-watering Ethan had short-circuited her brain. She’d given in and allowed herself to feel and it had been sinfully good. Now it was time to get back to reality and time to re-engage her damn brain.
She reminded herself she couldn’t have everything she wanted. No one could. Even if they overcame the past Ethan would wake up one day and conclude she wasn’t enough for him. Then she’d be left alone to pick up the pieces of her life and her trampled heart all over again. That’s what life had taught, what Matt had taught her. Men were fickle creatures that didn’t stick around when they didn’t get their way and not when life was too real.
Julia worked to control her emotions, but a single tear escaped and slid down her cheek.
“Hey, beautiful, what’s this?” Ethan asked as he tilted her chin up and kissed her lips and cheek. “No tears now. I know I’m out of practice a bit, but I’m not that bad, am I? I’m sure with some additional practice sessions, I’ll improve. You can be my tutor. What do you say?”
The hopeful, innocent look on his face had her laughing. Ethan could always make her laugh and forget her troubles.
She pushed at his chest and said, “No, I think you’ve been perfecting your trade over the years. You don’t need any more practice. I’m the one that’s out of practice. It’s been a long time since anyone has been … uh. Oh, never mind. Look, this isn’t a good idea. I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have done that.”
Julia pulled her robe closed and looked up to find him studying her with desire-filled eyes. She wasn’t naïve; she knew when a man wanted her. She was surprised, however, he could still want her after so many years. She wasn’t a young girl anymore and no longer had the body of a teenager. She was a forty-year-old woman who’d carried a baby and hadn’t quite lost all her pregnancy weight, even after two years. Her own husband had found her lacking enough to step out and find a much younger woman to please him, and that was before she was even pregnant.
She blushed from head to toe and dropped her gaze from his, feeling exposed and inadequate.
“You promised lunch and I’m starving. I’m going to dress fast and I’ll be right down. Okay?” She tried to slide past him, but she wasn’t fast enough. He grabbed her hand and pulled her back into his arms. Her startled eyes met his in question.
“You do know you’re a stunningly sexy woman, right?”
Julia couldn’t hold his gaze and looked away. What was she supposed to say to that?
“Look at me, Jules.” When she still wouldn’t look at him, he tapped under her chin with his fingers. “Baby, please look at me.”
Julia raised her head and met Ethan’s eyes.
“I don’t know what that dick of an ex-husband did or said to you to make you doubt yourself, but I can assure you of one thing. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Your body is perfect and I can’t keep my hands off of you. In fact, you’re sexier today than you were at eighteen. You have a delicious body that one day you’re going to let me fully explore and enjoy. There
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