Singer

“Don’t make me cry, Ethan.”

His hands are on my waist, mine under his jacket, wrapped around his middle. “Even if they’re happy tears?”

“I don’t want to cry anymore.”

“I never want to see you cry sad tears again. What can I do to make you happy?”

Leaning my head on his chest, I listen to his heart beating and savor his scent. “You’re doing it.”

“That was easy,” he replies, cocooning me.

“I never said I was hard.”

“What if I am?”

Popping back, my eyes are wide. “Wow, zero to a hundred just like that, huh?”

He shrugs. “Want to dance?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Leading me to the dance floor, he spins me out, making me laugh. When he whips me back to him, I’m caught in how much I feel for him, how much I missed him. “You came all the way to Boulder just to dance with me?”

He stops in the middle of the dance floor and cups my face. “No, I came for so much more, Singer.” Our lips meet again in want and need, in equal fervor as it deepens. When the clapping begins, we pause. Our eyes open, our lips still attached. As the applause grows, I duck my head, hiding in his arms. He eats up the attention. “Thank you. Thanks.”

I roll my eyes and grab his hand. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.” We pass the bride and groom who are clapping and smiling along with everyone else. As we stride by, I say, “You look beautiful. Congratulations on the nuptials.”

“Congrats to you.” She’s eyeing Ethan. Before I leave, she adds, “Melanie will be missed.”

“She will be,” I reply, and for the first time, I don’t cry when thinking about her. Because in this moment something becomes very clear. Many will miss her vivacious and outgoing self. It makes me sad, but it also reinforces how incredibly fortunate I have been. I hold many, many wonderful memories in my heart. My best friend, my sister, my candy-loving goof. We were all lucky to know her, to have her as part of our lives.

Ethan’s arm is around my waist as we walk toward the door. My mom is with Katherine’s, a soft smile on her face. I pull Ethan to a stop and go to her. “Mom, this is Ethan Everest. Ethan, my mother, Nance.”

My mom hugs him. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

When they step back, she pinches my chin lightly. “It’s good to see that smile again.” Looking to Ethan, she says, “Take care of her. She has a lot of people who love her.”

This is a point where our happy bubble could burst. But it doesn’t. He says, “I will, ma’am. I promise. I’ll protect her with my life.”

“Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.” Turning to me, she asks, “Should we expect you home tonight?”

I glance to Ethan. “I could lie.”

“You don’t have to,” she says. “You’re not a little girl anymore.”

Ethan’s hand is on my shoulder, giving me a gentle squeeze as I say, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“I love you, Sing.”

Hugging her, I tell her because we should always tell the ones we love how we feel. We may not get another chance. “I love you, too.”

We leave the reception we crashed, running to the parking lot. I stop outside the hotel doors and laugh. “My mom drove.”

A black SUV pulls up. “I’ve got us covered.”

He opens the door and I climb inside. Lars is behind the wheel, another wonderful surprise. “Good to see you, Ms. Davis.”

Now I really start laughing. “I should have known.” The door is closed and Ethan pulls the seatbelt over me and buckles me in. I have a feeling safety will always be a priority with him. “If Aaron were here, the whole gang would be back together.”

Ethan says, “He wanted to come. He tried. It was almost sad leaving him behind, but I gave him free rein of the penthouse, so he wasn’t too upset.”

Lars asks, “Where can I take you?”

I look to Ethan who is looking at me. He asks, “Where do you want to go?”

“Anywhere I can be alone with you.”

“Let’s go back to the suite.”

It’s dark inside the vehicle, but there’s enough light to see Ethan, his straight nose and full lips, the way the shadow cuts under his jaw, and the Adam’s apple that sticks out just enough to tempt me into kissing it.

I do.

Unlocking my seatbelt, I maneuver onto his lap. I kiss his neck because I can, and I never thought I would get to again. His fingers run into my hair, and he tilts my head back and kisses me. He’s not careful or gentle. He kisses me with all the pent-up passion from the last forty-five days apart.

Losing track of time and distance, the SUV comes to a stop and Lars gets out. Ethan doesn’t rush his words. He looks at me, and says, “I’ve missed you, Singer Davis.”

“I’ve missed you. So much, Ethan Everest.”

Just inside the lobby, I look up. “I’ve always dreamed of staying at the St. Julien.”

“Glad to make that dream come true. Come on. I want you naked in a bath in the next ten minutes.”

A blonde, too pretty for my liking and ogling Ethan like he’s naked, greets him, “Good evening, Mr. Everest. Can I send anything up to make your stay more comfortable?”

“I have everything I need,” he says, lifting my hand subtly as we walk. “Thank you.”

“It’s always going to be like that, isn’t it?”

We reach the elevators and while waiting, he asks, “Like what?”

“Women hitting on you right in front me.”

“Women that want me for my money don’t interest me.”

Nudging him in the ribs with my elbow, I whisper, “Although the money attracts women, I have a feeling you didn’t do too bad before you had it.”

Smirking, he winks at me. “You might be right.” The doors open, and he grabs me from behind and lifts me into the elevator. After pushing the button, he adds, “But I only have eyes for you.”

Reaching around, I playfully smack the side of his leg. “Feels like you have more than eyes for me, hot stuff.”

His hands work their way up the sides of my ribs, and I hold my breath momentarily. He says, “I like this hot-stuff business.”

Turning around in his arms, I reach up and rest mine around his neck. “I like you.”

The elevator dings, and he glances up as the doors open. “I more than like you, Singer. Let me show how much more.”

With my hand wrapped in his, we walk down the hall, and he unlocks the door. We walk into the suite, and I go straight to the glass doors that lead to a large balcony. “Wow, this is an amazing view.”

“You’re telling me.”

When I look back, he’s looking at me with that smile that gets me every damn time. I go to him, and he meets me halfway. “What are we doing, Ethan?”

“Falling in love.”

“I feel like we’ve been here before.”

“Let’s do it right this time.” He kisses me. And kisses me. Kisses me until I’m weak in the knees and holding his arms so I don’t become a puddle of mush at his feet.

It doesn’t take long before our clothes are shed, our bodies are intimately reunited, and we’re flying high on each other. My thoughts blur as my body takes over, our connection carnal, our desire raw and deep. I fall to the side in a bundle of satiated fireworks, every nerve tingling as the sparks of fire flutter out.

He rolls to his side and is watching me as my eyes open. I reach over and touch his cheek. “How was it for you?”

Smiling, he replies, “You don’t ever have to ask. It’s incredible every time with you.”

“You don’t have to woo me, Mr. Everest.”

“What if I want to, Ms. Davis?”

“Well then, by all means, go right ahead. Woo away.”

Taking my hand in his, he kisses my fingertips. “Will you marry me?”

My neck twinges from the hard double take. “Ethan?”

“It’s fast.” He kisses the palm of my hand. “I know, but I don’t need more time to know I don’t want to be without you again.”

Not able to find the words, I nod like a crazy person. Yes. Yes. But can we? “Ethan?” I repeat, still stunned.

“Aaron made me see. My life has no meaning without you. I settled the company case. I won against my ex-girlfriend. I can’t take away the pain caused by what happened, but we can try to heal together. I don’t just miss you, Singer. I need you.” Stealing a kiss, he says, “I don’t care about anything else unless you are there to share it. The money. The companies. The stuff. None of it matters. People matter. And maybe it took this tragedy to realize it, but I don’t want to hide behind timelines established by society. I feel everything for you. You make me feel alive. We have one life guaranteed, and I want to spend mine with you. Marry me, Singer.”

Wiping my eyes, I sniffle and then laugh. “You promised me you wouldn’t make me cry.”

“No,” he replies, smiling and kissing one of my tears away. “I promised I would never make you cry sad tears.”

“I love you too much to let you go again.”

He sits up excitedly, the bed bouncing from the action. “Is that a yes?”

Dragging him down to me, I kiss him this time and whisper against his lips, “That’s a yes.”

* * *

Ethan’s still in the shower when room service knocks on the door with our dinner. I throw a plush white robe on and rush into the living room, but I grab my chest when I see Lars sitting on the couch. “Good Lord, you gave me a heart attack.”

“Sorry,” he says, getting up to answer the door. “Two-room suite. I’m in that bedroom, but I won’t disturb you.”

With my heart still pounding, I say, “I guess that’s smart you’re staying there.”

“Safety measure.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s necessary.”

The knock echoes in the room again. He says, “I think it would be safer if you wait in the bedroom.”

I have a feeling I’m going to hear that a lot more from now on. He’s right, so I go and shut the door behind me, making my way to the bathroom. Ethan is drying off, and I go to the counter to lean against it. “You didn’t tell me Lars was staying with us.”

His eyes meet mine. I’m learning when he doesn’t answer right away, he’s working around a way to tell me something that would be a lot easier if he was direct. I wait him out, not letting him off the hook. He finally drops the towel on the floor and walks into the bedroom. Damn, he has a great ass, all muscles rotating, that sexy indentation at the sides, leading to sculpted legs. He plays dirty. I follow him into the bedroom and sit on the bed. “Well?”

“Well, what? He’s staying in the other room. We thought it best since we didn’t have lead-time to secure the hotel.

“Why do you need to secure the hotel?”

“You know, Singer.”

“But we’re in Boulder, not Manhattan.”

Eyebrows tug to the center, and his mouth goes to one side. “It would be nice if the threat was eliminated, but until it is, this seemed like a good bandage on the situation.”

As fear creeps back into my veins, I ask what I’m not sure I want the answer to, “Do you think we’re in danger here?”

“I think we’re in danger anywhere. Everywhere.”

“Then what do we do?”

“We live. We spite whoever it is and live.” He comes over, and I lean toward him when the bed dips. Rubbing my arms, he says, “Let’s enjoy tonight. We can worry about everything else tomorrow. We’re safe here. Lars is across the hall. So if we need anything, we call out for him.”

“What happens tomorrow?”

Chuckling, he asks, “You’re not going to let this go tonight, are you?”

“No, I can’t.”

He gets up and opens the door. “Can we talk about it over dinner? I’m starving.”

“Yes, I’m hungry too.”

We set the food on the table and sit across from each other. He sets his beer down and says, “I need to fly back tomorrow. I’d like you to go with me.”

“Why so soon?”

“I’m in the middle of renegotiations. I have a meeting I can’t move tomorrow afternoon.”

“What will I do there?”

“What have you’ve been doing here, other than the missing me part?” He waggles his eyebrows, making me smile.

“I’m looking for a job.”

“Look for one in New York. Chip told me to tell you he’d like to have you back.”

Now I chuckle. “I don’t want to go back to a job I hated.”

“You know you don’t have to work at all, right?”

He’s a billionaire.

It’s easy to forget because he’s so easygoing most of the time. Maybe I’ve been naïve to not realize what being with him really means. It just never occurred to me. “I want to work though.”

“Then work. But you can be there with me and look for a job.”

“Ethan, I’m not sure what to say to that.”

“We’re going to be married. You can literally do anything you want to do. I’ll support you . . .” He seems to catch himself and how that actually sounds. “Emotionally, as your husband, your friend, and financially. We’re partners. That’s what marriage is to me.”

Reaching across the table, I hold my palm up. When he sets his in mine, I say, “That’s what it means to me as well, but I don’t want to feel like another one of your obligations.”

His laughter is deep as his hand squeezes mine. “You are the furthest thing from a burden to me, Singer. Money’s not fun if you can’t spend it on the people you love. Let’s have some fun and spend our money together.” He releases me and pulls something out of his robe. Kneeling beside me, he holds a box. “I should have given this to you earlier, but sometimes when I look at you, I feel so grateful I forget to show you how much you mean to me.”

My heart races, my lips part, and those pesky tears resurface. Happy tears only.

He kisses the palm of my hand and says, “Singer Davis, my biggest regret will always be not kissing you on that fire escape. If I had, we would have gotten here a lot faster. The universe sometimes has a mind of its own. But no matter what has happened, we fought our fate and found our destiny. You are it for me. You are everything—my heart, my love, my soul, my minutes, my everything. I want to be everything for you.”

While slipping the ring on my finger, he spins it gently around my finger, admiring it. The diamond is big. Like really freaking huge. The ring is prettier than I ever allowed myself to dream about. But it’s the man who holds my complete attention, who captures my whole heart and forever seals it as his to keep. He says, “Aaron once asked me how do you repay the sun for shining.”

My heart clenches watching this amazing man repeating words I never understood, words according to Aaron that weren’t meant for me. Ethan says, “I didn’t understand what he meant at the time.”

“You do now?”

“I figured it out. That’s what brought me to Boulder today.”

“What is it? What brought you here?”

Pulling me to my feet, he takes one hand in his and the other holds my waist as we start to slow dance. “It’s never been about repaying the sun. It’s about making the sun shine in the dark. Let me be your moon and light your night. Will you marry me, Singer?”

I’m nodding as the happy tears fall down my cheeks, a beautiful ache in my chest reminding me we can live. We can live the rest of our lives together, appreciating every minute of this wonderful life. “I want to be everything you deserve. I’ll shine for you during the day if you shine for me at night.” I lift up and kiss him.

“Sealed with a kiss?”

Untying the belt of his robe, I give him my best wink. “I have a better way to seal this deal.”

I start pulling him toward the bed, but he stops me. “On one condition.”

“Name it. Anything.”

“I get to call you Singer Everest one day.”

My heart swells. He’s the most wonderful man I’ve ever known and is offering me his hand in return for mine. I can’t refuse my soul its mate and will not make the same mistake twice. This time, I’m ready. Yanking the belt from the loops, I toss it and watch as the robe falls open. Dropping mine to the floor, I turn around, giving him full view of my backside as I wiggle it just for him. “If you insist,” I tease.

“I insist, indeed.” His robe falls to the floor and he stalks toward me.

I crawl onto the bed and sit in the middle. “Batter up.”

“I’m going for a homerun.”

“I think your odds are very good.”

“God, I’m going to fucking love this union.”

“The sex tonight or once we’re married?”

Taking me down on the mattress, he settles between my legs and says, “Both, but let’s start with tonight.”

Best deal we ever sealed.