Stitches and Scars (21 page)

“Distracted?”

It wasn’t until Ethan really looked at her that he realized she was completely unaware of what had transpired. She was clueless as to how beautiful she was to him, and that only made him want her more.

“You’re beautiful, and I don’t think you understand how entirely drawn to you I am.”

Her already large eyes grew wide at his response and her lips spread into the smile that Ethan was beginning to think he wouldn’t be able to live a day without seeing.

“Do you want to get out of here? We can get our dessert to go.”

Her words caught Ethan off guard, but he wasn’t about to turn her down. He couldn’t imagine a more comfortable setting than sitting on a couch with Kate and eating dessert. Signaling for the waiter, they placed their order for the chocolate mousse and paid the bill.

The comfortable conversation they’d had during dinner continued the entire walk home. When they turned onto Kate’s street, she was in the midst of telling a story about her first camping experience with her two best friends.

“You should have seen their faces when I told them there were no bathrooms. I thought for sure they were going to kill me,” she said with a laugh.

Her eyes sparkled as she talked about her friends. Her adoration for them was evident. And after seeing the way they acted around her, Ethan knew their feelings were mutual.

“I don’t know Sophie very well,” he started, “but from what I can gather, she’s a lot like Elle. From what I’ve seen, Elle’s pretty much the same as she was when we were kids, and I can guarantee you, she would never have gone to a place with no running water.”

They were in the hallway just outside the kitchen when Kate turned around. “I always forget that you know Elle and Logan. It’s so nice not having to worry about them approving of who I date. Their opinion is important to me and you’re important to me…” Her voice trailed off, nervous that she’d said too much. “Do you want some water or something?” she asked quickly trying to change the subject.

“Sure.”

She took a deep breath and walked into the kitchen, flicking on the under-counter lights, casting a soft glow around the kitchen. Ethan followed behind her and watched the small curve of her back as she grabbed two bottles of water out of the refrigerator. Her skin looked so soft and smooth that he wanted nothing more than to touch it. Turning around slowly, she looked into his eyes, and Ethan wondered briefly if she could see how much he wanted her.

Taking a step toward her, he took the two bottles from her hands and placed them on the counter. Finally getting what he wanted, he reached around her and placed his hands on her bare back, sliding his fingers across her silky skin.

He leaned in. “You’re important to me too, you know,” he whispered in her ear.

Kate closed her eyes and let the words he spoke register in her mind. She relaxed under his touch and inhaled calmly. Turning her head to the side, she grazed her lips across his jaw until she met his lips. She kissed them twice, softly, before moving back to his jaw and down his neck, leaving a trail of kisses behind her.

“Let’s go in the other room and have our dessert,” she breathed into his ear before turning away and grabbing their water bottles.

Her words went straight through Ethan’s body. He felt like a teenager around her and was finding it hard to know how to act. He was lost in her, everything about her.

With a quiet groan, he picked up the take-out bag and followed in the direction Kate had gone. She was already in the living room, seated on the couch with her feet curled up under her. He paused in the doorway, admiring her beauty. The dim light from the side lamp reflected off her skin, making her glow. When she noticed his watchful eyes, she patted the seat beside her. He followed her silent order and sat down, fighting off his urges to make out with her like an adolescent schoolboy. Looking for a distraction, he decided dessert would be the safest bet. He grabbed the Styrofoam box and opened it up. The rich aroma of chocolate wafted through the air.

“Umm, that looks and smells delicious.” The pitch of her voice rose and her eyes were wide.

“What is it with women and chocolate?” Ethan asked with a laugh.

“Oh, come on, who doesn’t like chocolate?” She grabbed the container from his hands and held it up, showing the contents. “You can’t tell me this doesn’t look delicious.”

Completely ignoring the chocolate filled container, Ethan looked directly into Kate’s eyes. “Yes, it does. It looks delicious.” He leaned forward slightly, hoping that she would understand his advances.

Without taking her eyes from his, she placed the container on the coffee table and shifted closer. “I guess that part of dessert can wait,” she said in a low voice.

Thank you,
Ethan thought and immediately grabbed hold of her waist, pulling her toward him. They both clung to each other, not able to get enough. He pulled away from her lips only long enough for her to catch her breath and turned his attention to her neck. Sliding his nose along her jaw line, he breathed in her scent, all woman and delicious. He stopped just short of her earlobe and gently traced it with his tongue. Kate released a breathy sigh that sent chills down his spine.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he said roughly.

She hummed in response and dropped her head back to one side, exposing her bare neck. He kissed along the path of a blue vein that ran the line of her throat and felt the pulse under his tongue as he tasted her skin. His hands were itching to move, desperate to touch the curves of her body, and when Kate arched her back toward him, silently urging him onward, he did just that. Swallowing thickly, he followed her lead and allowed his hands to roam her waist, her smooth back, her firm stomach. She was perfect.

Kate kept her eyes closed and was lost in the sensation of his mouth on her lips and her neck. Everywhere he touched felt on fire and it was almost overwhelming.

Sensual kisses slowed until they were tender and loving. Ethan memorized every inch of skin he felt and every freckle he saw. He traced the lines of her face and the curve of her lips before covering them with his once more. When they finally parted, both of them appeared to be in a daze. Light flickered in Kate’s heavily lidded eyes, and the pink of her cheeks looked like a permanent blush. She curled up beside him and nuzzled into his neck.

“Do you want that dessert now?” she asked, her voice slightly raspy, like raw silk.

“That sounds great.” He nodded, maneuvering their bodies into a more comfortable position. “There, now I’m ready for some chocolate.”

“I thought you’d never say that.” She laughed, quickly reaching for the mousse. Scooping a large bite onto her fork, she popped it in her mouth and immediately moaned in satisfaction.

“Good dessert?” he asked.

“What, this?” She motioned to the cake. “Oh, this is all right,” she said in an indifferent tone.

Ethan was shocked. “All right? You
do
know that’s one of the chef’s specialties right?”

“Like I said, it’s all right.” She shrugged. “I simply think the first dessert I had was better.” She smiled and gave him a playful wink.

Ethan returned her smile and didn’t argue. After all, he didn’t have to taste the mousse to know she was right.

Chapter 17

Desperate Times

E
than woke the next morning to the shrill sound of his cell phone cutting through his sleepy haze. Blindly feeling around on his nightstand, he looked at the screen with squinting eyes, not recognizing the number.

“Hello?” he asked, confusion lacing his voice.

“Hey, Ethan. It’s Sophie.”

“Oh, hey, how’s it going?”

“I’m fine. But I’ll be
great
if you can help me out with something.”

Making a mental note that Sophie wasn’t much for small talk, he propped himself up on his pillows and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Okay, shoot.”

“I need you to talk to Trent and see if he can get us football tickets for two weeks from tonight.”

“I don’t think that will be a problem. He’ll probably have us sit in one of the boxes with the other players’ families.”

“Really? That’s even better.”

Ethan could almost hear the gears shifting while she absorbed the new information. “Does this have something to do with your master plan?” he asked knowingly.

“Yes. And if you don’t do your part, it won’t work, so I need you to swear to me that you will.” Her voice rose to a desperate level.

“I swear. I’ll talk to Trent, and we’ll be there with bells on,” he assured her.

“Good.” Sophie felt her anxiety click down a notch. “Now, there is one more
little
thing I need you to do,” she said casually.

“And what’s that?”

“I need you to keep the new
Sports Illustrated
issue away from Trent.” Her words rushed out, toppling over one another, but she was fairly certain he’d heard her. There was silence on the other end.

Sophie didn’t know Trent at all, but from what Ethan had told her about him, she knew that he was a huge
Sports Illustrated
fan and the swimsuit issue was probably his favorite. It was
every
man’s favorite issue.

“Ethan, are you going to say something?” The silence continued. “Ethan?”

“Sophie, I don’t think you realize how hard that’s going to be. There are few things in life that Trent counts down for. The Super Bowl, Thanksgiving, the Annual Philadelphia Car Show, Christmas, and the swimsuit issue of
Sports Illustrated
.”

“Come on,” she begged. “If there is one person I know can do it, it’s you. I need you to do this or nothing else will work.” She was met with silence once again and found herself holding her breath.

“Fine.” He sighed. “I’ll try. But I can’t promise anything.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squealed. “Now, the issue is released the same day as the game, so make sure to check the mailbox. He can’t see it before the game. Do whatever it takes. Desperate times call for desperate measures, Ethan.”

He laughed at her choice of words. “Whatever you say, Sophie.”

The two said their goodbyes, and Ethan laughed once more to himself. He’d never before met someone with Sophie’s enthusiasm and excitement for life. She was quickly becoming one of his new favorite people.

Rolling over in bed, he took a moment to relax and enjoy the picture that hung on his wall. His thoughts immediately turned to Kate. At the time he’d purchased it, he had no idea that he would meet its maker again. He knew she was special the first moment he saw her and never in his life had he experienced something like that. Just thinking back to that moment and the energy he had felt made his body feel alive.

He remembered exactly how she looked. How her dark eyes grew angry when she thought he doubted her talent. Watching her get flustered when he told her that he thought she was beautiful. At the time, he knew he’d probably never see her again and he needed to have something to remind him of her. That’s when he’d decided that he needed the picture,
her
picture. The very one that they’d met in front of.

He stood in front of it now, admiring the colors that danced off of it. The orange-red hue that grew darker as it met the gray sky. The way the tree stood alone, strong and dark against the colorful backdrop. It was beautiful, just like the person who took it.

Ethan hadn’t told her about his purchase. He was hoping that someday soon he’d be able to show her. He smiled as he thought of her and grabbed his phone. It was still early, but he was willing to take his chances. It went straight to voicemail, and even though he was disappointed he couldn’t speak with her, he was glad to have heard her voice. After leaving her a brief message, he grabbed his shoes and headed out to the living room.

Trent was sitting on the couch half-naked, eating a bowl of cereal and watching ESPN. He noticed Ethan walk in and flashed him a knowing grin.

“How was your night?” he asked with implication while swallowing another mouthful.

“Great,” Ethan replied simply. “How was yours?”

“Oh, come on. You finally score a hot date with the produce chick, and you’re not gonna dish?”

“Her name is Kate. And no, I’m not dishing on anything.”

“Fine,” he said, returning to his Cocoa Pebbles.

Looking for a way to change the subject, Ethan turned his attention to the TV. The announcer was discussing the upcoming playoff games, and he figured it was perfect timing to act on Sophie’s wishes. “Hey, do you think you could get a bunch of us in for the game?” he asked casually.

Trent faced him with raised eyebrows. “Maybe.”

Ethan knew exactly what he was getting at. Trent wasn’t going to give in unless he did. “Fine. We went out to dinner, had a great discussion, went back to her place, and hooked up.”

Ethan was never the kiss-and-tell type, but Sophie’s phrase ‘desperate times call for desperate measures’ kept running through his mind.

Trent’s smile grew even wider and he pumped his fists in the air, splattering milk from the end of his spoon. “Now that’s what I’m talking about. It’s about time.”

“What are you talking about? It hasn’t been that long,” Ethan defended himself.

Trent’s celebration stopped short and he looked at his friend. “Okay, so maybe it hasn’t been that long if you count Cindy. But seriously, do you really want to count her? The psycho harpy needs to be erased from your memory.” He waved his hand around as if swatting a fly. “How’s that going by the way? You see her at work yet?”

Just the mention of Cindy made Ethan’s skin crawl. “Thanks for bringing that up,” he said sarcastically. “I think she’ll be in later today.”

One of the many down sides of Cindy being a medical sales rep was that it was inevitable that Ethan would run into her. No matter how hard he tried, it was bound to happen.

“Good luck with that,” Trent snickered while turning to the TV. “Oh,” he paused. “Just so you know, the countdown has begun. We are down to fourteen days.”

“What?”

Trent looked at his friend like he was an idiot. “Come on, Ethan, you know I don’t count down days unless it’s something good.”

Suddenly it hit him. “
Sports Illustrated
,” he said out loud with a nod.

“No, Ethan. It’s not
just Sports Illustrated
. It’s the swimsuit issue of
Sports Illustrated—
the issue that every guy waits months to get. And I, for one, am dying to see who they got for the cover this year. They’re keeping it under wraps.”

“I’m sure whoever they get will be spectacular.” Ethan walked into the kitchen when he remembered that Trent still hadn’t answered his initial question. “So can you get us into the game, or what?”

“Are you forgetting who you’re talking to? I can get you into the box; don’t you worry.”

He shook his head laughing and grabbed a cereal bowl. At that moment, Trent walked in and Ethan noticed for the first time that his friend was wearing his scrubs. “Trent, do you think you could not wear my work clothes to sleep in?”

“What? They’re comfortable. Besides it’s not like you don’t have, like, twenty pairs.”

“Yeah, well, make sure you wash them before returning them.”

“Who says I’m giving them back?” he asked with a grin.

Ethan rolled his eyes and laughed. “Fine, keep them.”

“Thanks, bro.” He grabbed the box of Cocoa Pebbles and poured another bowl. “Hey, you never told me how many people are coming to the game.”

“Uh …” He stalled, not knowing if he should tell him about Elle, but figured it couldn’t hurt. After all, Trent had never learned her name. “There will be six of us, including you. And we’re all going out after the game.”

“Six? Who’s all going?”

“Me and Kate, my old friend Logan—you remember me telling you about him, right? Anyway, he’ll be there with his girlfriend, Sophie, and … his sister, Elle,” he mumbled through her name.

Apparently, his attempt failed. Trent choked on his cereal as he looked at him with wide eyes. It took him a minute before he could start talking. “Are you talking about chubby Elle? The girl you knew when you were little? What did you call her again? Softy, mushy?”

“Squish. We used to call her Squish. And Trent, she doesn’t look like that now. She’s really … nice.”

“Nice? Ethan, you
do
know that ‘nice’ is like the code word for ‘fat,’ right?”

“Don’t worry,” he said with a laugh. “I’m sure you’ll be able to handle her.”

“Whatever, man. I’ll go, but you’re going to owe me big time,” Trent said, walking back into the living room.

Once his friend was out of earshot, Ethan laughed to himself. “No, Trent, I’m pretty sure you’ll owe
me
big time.”

***

The first half of Ethan’s work day went by quickly, but it was daunting. Try as he might, he couldn’t shake his sour attitude. Of course, everything changed as soon as Kate returned his call. Simply hearing her voice seemed to make all the difference. They made plans to meet up later that night after he finished with work, and Ethan hung up feeling an immediate change in his mood.

“Well, it looks like someone is having a good day,” Henry said upon seeing Ethan’s smile. “Does this have something to do with a certain lady by the name of Kate?”

“Trent told you, I assume?”

“Of course,” he said with a nod. “She’s a sweet girl. And I’m glad to see you happy.”

“Wait, what?” he asked, turning to face him. “How do you know Kate?”

“I’ve treated her friend a few times, and Kate’s always been the one to bring her in.”

“Oh,” Ethan realized aloud as he thought back to the conversation he’d had with her more than a week ago.

“You’ll have to bring her over to the house sometime for dinner. I know Lori would love to meet her. You know how she feels about meeting the girls you date.”

“I know,” Ethan said with a laugh. Lori was like a second mother to him, and she was always concerned about his wellbeing. Nothing brought her more joy than knowing that he and Trent were happy. “I’ll talk to Kate and get back to you.”

“I’ll let Lori know. She’ll be thrilled. Especially since that son of ours hasn’t dated anyone seriously in over a year,” he said, rolling his eyes.

“He’ll find someone soon enough. He just hasn’t met his match. Actually, he has,” he said to himself out loud, “he just doesn’t know who she is yet.” Henry looked at him with furrowed brows, confused by his cryptic statement. “Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon enough,” he assured.

“Whatever you say, Ethan.” He shook his head. “I have to go finish my rounds. I’ll see you later.”

“All right, see ya.”

Still laughing to himself, Ethan made his way over to the nurse’s station, but froze when he heard a familiar laugh. He swallowed slowly and continued on his route. Surprisingly, Cindy was not alone. Slouched down beside her was Lisa.
Great, now I have to deal with both of them,
he thought with a groan. “Ladies,” he said, tipping his head in acknowledgment.

“It’s so good to see you again, Ethan,” Cindy sneered. “It’s funny that you should walk up right now. We were just discussing you,” she said in an overly sweet voice.

“Really? Interesting, since I never discuss you.”

Cindy’s fake façade fell for an instant before her smile returned. “Oh, I’m sure that isn’t true. Surely you must have mentioned me to your new girlfriend?” Ethan’s back stiffened, but he didn’t respond. Apparently Lisa had done her job in filing everyone in on the hospital gossip. “And if not her, then I’m sure you’ve mentioned me to your parents. By the way, how are they doing? It’s been ages since I’ve talked to Sabrina. I was thinking about giving her a call and arranging a friendly tennis match the next time she’s in town.”

“They’re doing fine, actually,” he stalled. “And calling them won’t be necessary. I’ll make sure to give them your regards.” He handed Lisa one of the charts in his hands. “When you’re finished spreading the latest
news,
I’d like for you to check on Mr. Harris in room two-fifteen. He’s still waiting on his meds.”