Rivals (25 page)

Ethan arrived late into the meeting. As he entered, Danato gave him a nod and raised his brow in question to his injuries. Ethan nodded back. The nurses had no doubt patched up his back and given him the appropriate antibiotics. His pink shirt was back on, covering any other bruises and scratches that he might have sustained in the fight.

Ethan looked over at the judges, who were standing in the corner of the office by the water cooler and fervently gesturing their points. He grimaced at Danato. Danato rolled his eyes back in testimony to the scene.

Ethan sat on the second chair in front of the desk, beside Cori. She looked over at him with a half-smile. She looked concerned, but she didn’t say anything to him aloud. Her attention shifted to her thigh.

Belus was offering first aid to her injuries. He had already stitched up the cuts on her calves. Danato was surprised to see him injecting her thigh wound with Lidocaine before starting his stitches. Danato was unfamiliar with any time Belus had numbed a wound prior to stitching. Either the wound was deep, or he was taking pity on Cori. A rare gift indeed.

He watched Cori’s hand drift down off the arm of her chair to hang off to the side. Ethan’s hand did the same and they interlaced their fingers. She looked back at the judges and then to Ethan. 

“I cheated,” she said, not taking her eyes from Ethan. “Give Ethan the wardenship.”

Danato froze along with the others and looked at her askance. The judges looked to him to answer for this. “That’s impossible, I observed the test myself. She was searched for cheat sheets prior to entering the room.”

The judges turned to her. “It is impossible to cheat,” one judge said. “The test is twenty-eight pages. You couldn’t possibly memorize all the answers in order. Where would you get a copy of the test? We don’t keep any here.”

“I used Cleos.” Cori looked to Danato. She knew he wouldn’t approve. “He told me what to study, what areas to focus on, so I wasn’t studying anything that wasn’t going to be on the test.”

“He told you the answers?” Danato asked, exchanging a look with Belus. Ethan revealed no emotion to the announcement one way or another.
Smart man.

“No, he didn’t even tell me the specific questions. He just told me what areas to focus on.”

A long pause filled the room as everyone thought about that. Danato looked to the judges and shrugged. He didn’t see that as cheating. Apparently neither did they, because they erupted into another debate.

“That’s not cheating, that’s just a study guide,” said one judge.

“No more cheating than a current warden offering his best knowledge to the successor. Danato could have just as easily hinted unknowingly to Ethan what areas to study harder on.”

Danato blocked out the rest of the conversation. He was already bored with it. He knew in the end that the three judges would concede to whomever his primary choice was. After all, he had been running this prison for too damn long not to have that privilege.

Cori leaned back in her chair. Sadness crept into her face and her shoulder sagged a little more. Ethan squeezed her hand, but she didn’t look up. He sat back with the same sad expression darkening his eyes.

Danato admired the remarkable change in them. Neither one was arguing one way or the other. They had all but given up the fight and were resigned to whatever lay ahead. He wasn’t sure he was happy to see that, but at least they weren’t tearing each other’s heads off.

“You two,” he said in a low tone so as to not disturb the judges. “Step outside with me.”

Ethan slipped out the office door while Danato waited for Belus to finish his bandage on Cori’s leg. Once she was mobile, he directed her out the door. She limped out into the hallway with Ethan.

As Danato stepped out with them, he shut the door behind them. The babbling of the judges was instantly cut off, without a murmur of sound to hint at their presence. He looked over his two potential wardens carefully.

Ethan’s chin lifted and his hands clasped in front of him. He was prepared for whatever reaming they were about to receive. Danato had noticed over time that Ethan had become immune to his particular anger, but he’d also developed a loyal respect that was far more impressive than emotional control.

Cori, on the other hand, slumped back into the back wall and crossed her arms. He had grown to love her as a daughter, and over the last months alone with her, that relationship had only grown. She still cowered at his angry rebukes, but their new bond made it almost impossible for him to use it against her.

“What do you two want?” He looked between them. They exchanged a look. “This decision will be made yet tonight. What do you want?”

“I want Ethan to stay,” Cori said.

He looked to Ethan, who nodded. “I want to stay.”

“Do you want to be warden, though?” Danato asked sternly. He turned his gaze on Cori. “And do you want to continue just being a worker bee?”

Ethan looked to Cori. He silently asked that same question. She looked at Ethan. “I just want us to be together. If that means being a peon, so be it.”

Ethan’s face shrank and he shook his head. “If this is important to you, you shouldn’t give it up. Maybe I can visit more often.”

“No!” Cori looked away from both of them. “I don’t want to be here alone.” Even as she said it, she looked wide-eyed at Danato. “I love you and Belus, but it’s not the same without Ethan.”

Danato smiled. “I know, sweetheart. Are you willing to give Ethan the warden position so you can be together?”

She nodded. “Can you make that happen?”

“I tend to get my way in the end.” He winked at her and she rushed forward to hug him in a tight embrace that she immediately retreated from in pain. She laughed at her self-punishment and instead gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“You understand, though. You are both going to be here the remainder of your lives.” They looked at him, seemingly not understanding why he was going over the same speech he had on their first meeting. “Ethan, Cori, this thing between you. I see it and I know it’s real, but this isn’t spring break. This isn’t the kind of place you want to explore your relationship to see where it goes. I strongly urge you both to consider the commitment you’re making.” When neither responded he added, “This job is forever. Your relationship needs to be forever. Or at the very least, strong enough to be right next to each other if it isn’t.”

Cori and Ethan looked at each other a moment as if a silent conversation were taking place. Their hands crept back to each other, embracing the way their bodies couldn’t. They both turned and nodded at him.

“Okay.” Danato nodded. He went back to the office door and they fell in line behind him. “You know,” and he turned back around so suddenly that Cori jumped, “this may take a while. There’s a bit of social maneuvering involved here. You two should really get back to the house and rest. You both look a little tired.” He smiled at them and went back into the office, closing the door on them.

48

Cori and Ethan managed to make it to the front door before anticipation drove them into each others arms and a heated lip lock. They fell through the door, and relinquished their embrace so they could remove their coats. She ripped hers off and threw it to the floor. The house would surely understand that hormones trumped cleanliness.

Ethan groaned and retreated away from her as he shrugged out of his. “Shit, that hurts.”

Cori helped him shift the sleeves down and off his arms. “How bad is it?” She lifted the back of his shirt and frowned. “Oh, Ethan, I don't know if we should do this right now. You're already—”

Ethan grabbed her and pulled her around to face  him. “I have waited long enough for you, Cori.” He pushed her back into the kitchen and up against the counter. “I will not wait another second.” He grabbed her face and kissed her. He pressed against her, introducing her to exactly what he had waited so long to offer her.

He grabbed her thighs and lifted her onto the counter. She yelped as she felt the cut on her thigh explode with fresh pain. He pulled away to look at her. His lustful eyes sobered and he frowned at her wound. “Shit, Cori. I'm sorry. You're too sore for this, aren't you?”

She shook her head. “No, I can do it.”

“Cori,” he whispered.

“I can!”

“I don't want to hurt you.” He touched her cheek and she leaned into it, kissing his palm. She reached for his waistband and tugged him closer. “I won't do this, if it's going to hurt—ouch!” He yelped as she bit his thumb. She had meant it to be playful, but she underestimated her enthusiasm.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” She kissed his finger, and then for an extra incentive she wrapped her lips around it, drawing it into her mouth suggestively.

Ethan closed his eyes and shook his head. “You are killing me here.”

“Then keep going,” she panted. “I know you want me.”

“More than anything.” He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her back against him. She instinctively wrapped her legs around him, pressing her calves against him. She gasped at the stinging pain from her wounds.

“Nope.” Ethan pulled away.

“Wait!” She grabbed on tight and slid off the counter after him, clinging to his chest like a monkey.

“Cori, stop. I don't want any part of this experience to be painful to you. I love you and I want our first time together to be special.”

“Ethan...” Cori stared into his resolute eyes and sighed. She released her legs and he helped her down to the floor. “I want it to be special too.”

“Don't pout.” He smirked at her and kissed her. She tried to deepen the kiss, but he backed away and leaned on the fridge. She leaned against the sink and crossed her arms, trading in her pout for a glare. “Glare all you want sweetness, it won't change my mind.”

Cori stared at him, looking over his handsome features. As frustrating as it was to have her desires put on ice, she was glad that he was being considerate of her comfort. Not that she didn't fully intend to get her way, before the day was through.

“You did good today.” He stared back at her. “You never cease to amaze me. Are you sure you're okay with me being the warden?”

Cori shrugged. “I never really expected to get it. I just wanted to try and frankly after you left, it took all the fun out of it.” She bit back her lip and moved to lean on the stove, closer to him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“Have you thought about the future?”

“As warden? I try not to. It still seems a little daunting to me.”

She cleared her throat. “No, I mean us.” She bit her nail.

“I've thought about you and I a lot, Cori. More than you'll ever know.”

She chuckled. “I don't mean sex, Ethan. Danato made a good point. This...” She motioned between them. “...needs to be more than a fling.”

Ethan's eyes drifted from her. “Is that what you think this is?”

“No, of course not, but...” She moved to him and touched his chest. “This isn't a normal situation. I mean we're committing to a life together, before we've committed to eachother.”

He looked at her, his eyes dimming with his mood. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“What? No, I just mean, that being warden and being with me doesn't have to be a package deal.”

“Are you kidding me with this, right now?” Ethan snapped and straightened his stance. “I just fought a dragon to stay with you. I'm here for
you
! Fuck the job!”

Cori backed away from him, raising her hands in surrender. “I'm not—I'm trying to tell you that I'm okay with it.”

“Okay, with what?”

“Forever!” she yelled. He stared at her, his eyes narrowed in confusion. She moved toward him again, but didn't touch him. “I love you, Ethan,” she whispered. “And I just came to the realization today, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, but I wasn't sure if you were at that point yet.”

He rolled his eyes and walked away. She didn't bother following him.

“I'm sorry if I'm not saying this right,” she continued to defend her statement. “I just know that some men don't like being tied down.”

Ethan scoffed and reached into his coat pocket. “Some men? I am not
some men
.” He dug around in the pocket, until he found what he wanted and pulled it out.

A glove.

He brought the glove over and pulled out a small black box he had stuffed into it. The kind of hinged black box that usually held jewelry.

He set the box on the island and crossed his arms. Cori eyed the little cube before turning her attention back to him. “What’s that?”

“The tenth ring. I told you I had it.” She looked back at the box. She reached out for it, but Ethan snagged it away faster than the last Twinkie. She stared at him in shock. “That’s not yours yet.” His face didn’t show a glimmer of amusement. “I just wanted you to know I have it.” He slipped the box in his back pocket. “I just wanted you to know that I have thought about our future. And no, not just the sex.”

Cori gulped and looked him over. “Ethan—”

“You told me to leave, and I did. You wanted me to make sure that I would still choose you, and I do.”