Falling for Sarah (25 page)

Ethan swung through the door. “I’ll be in to grab the chicken and steaks in about ten minutes. Does that work for you?”

Giving the potato salad a final stir, she glanced up. “Yeah, that’s fine. After I take care of the watermelon, things should be good in here.”

He winked and grinned before stepping back out.

She smiled, completely happy. Her baby was home, friends that meant everything surrounded her, and she was desperately in love. After the night on the deck, they’d spent their last two days of quiet wrapped up in each other.

Ethan had relaxed, becoming more comfortable with his feelings. He hadn’t said he loved her again since their night of candlelight and lobster tail, but she didn’t need the words. She
knew
how he felt. She snagged her lip between her teeth and smiled again as she thought of his gray eyes staring into hers while he told her, sending jittery waves of pleasure coursing through her belly.

She got back to work, balling the melon for the fruit salad she’d made.

Ethan strolled in. “Yum, watermelon.” He grabbed for a piece and she slapped his hand.

“You’ll have to wait for dinner.”

He snagged her around the waist, nuzzled her neck. “What if we share?”

Grinning, she plucked up a pink ball and turned in his arms. She bit the piece in half, popped the other in his mouth. “Don’t tell Kylee. I told her she had to wait.”

“I’m not sure if I can do that. I do take bribes though.” He closed his eyes, puckered up.

She chuckled and met his lips. His tongue darted into her mouth, sweet from the fruit. What started in play soon turned hungry. The melon baller fell to the floor with a clatter as she moved her palms over his back jean pockets.

His hand snaked up to capture her breast.

“Hey, what’s the hold… What the fuck?”

Sarah and Ethan jumped apart as Hunter stood in the doorway.

“Cooke, what are you fucking doing?”

Sarah watched Ethan’s smoldering eyes meet Hunter’s. “I’m kissing Sarah.”

Hunter looked at her next. “Sarah?”

Guilty for the surprise and hurt she saw on his face, she started toward him. “I’m sorry, Hunter.”

Ethan whirled her around. “Don’t you say you’re sorry. We have nothing to be sorry for.”

Morgan and Hailey rushed into the kitchen. Morgan clutched Hunter’s arm. “What’s going on in here?”

“I came in to ask about the food and found Ethan with his hands all over Sarah and his tongue down her throat.”

Ethan took a step forward. “That’s enough.”

“It’s hardly enough, you asshole. How could you do this to Jake? It’s always about the pussy with you.”

Gasps echoed before Ethan dove forward, punching Hunter on the jaw. They landed on the floor, swearing, rolling, blocking punches as fast as they threw them. Two well-muscled bodies slammed into the counter. Potato salad crashed against marble tiles, and the dogs came running. Hair up and teeth bared, they growled.

“Hold!” Ethan shouted at them.

They continued to threaten but didn’t lunge forward.

Kylee followed Reece and Bear into the room and began to cry. “Ethan! Unke Hunte!”

Hailey picked her up and left.

Heart pounding and horrified, Sarah moved into the thick of things, pulling at whoever’s shirt she could grab. “Stop this! Stop right now! You’ve just scared Kylee!”

Hunter landed a blow to Ethan’s mouth before Ethan rammed Hunter’s head against the floor.

Morgan walked forward with a massive bowl of cold water and poured it on top of the grappling men. They broke apart, eyeing each other, gasping.

Morgan crouched close to Hunter. “What is your
problem
? What are you
thinking
?”

“He was—”

She held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it. I don’t even want to look at you right now. You clean yourself up and stay out of my face.” She stormed out of the room.

Hunter got up, shook his head at Sarah, went after his wife.

Sarah stared down at Ethan as he wiped blood from his puffing lip. “Are you okay?”

He sat up. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

She walked toward the freezer. “Let me get you some ice.”

“No. I need to check on Kylee, make sure she’s not afraid of me.”

She grabbed his arm as he started past her. “I’ll talk to Hunter, Ethan. I should’ve talked to him about this weeks ago.”

“I’ll take care of it. I want to change and clean up my lip before I see Kylee.” He didn’t look at her as he walked away.

After Ethan left, Sarah rushed out to the porch where Hailey held Kylee. “I’m so sorry, Hailey.”

“It’s okay. I think she’s okay too. She’s just a little shaken up.”

Sarah took Kylee from Hailey’s arms. “Hi, baby.”

Kylee hugged her tight.

“Why don’t we go upstairs and read with Mr. Ruff.”

Kylee nodded. “O-tay, Mama.”

Sarah walked up the stairs with her daughter, trying to figure out how to fix this mess she helped make. She set Kylee down in the guest room, now crowded with toys and books.

The day before Kylee came home, she and Ethan gathered and boxed most of her things. When they’d returned to Ethan’s, he’d surprised her by clearing out a spare room, telling her he would be turning the space into a playroom with Wren’s help.

“What should we read, honey?”

Kylee walked to her bag, grabbing
Fuzzy Wuzzy Goes to the Park
. “Dis one.”

Sarah smiled. “Bring it on over.” She pulled Kylee on the bed, rested her back on the pillows, snuggling Kylee against her.

“Knock, knock.” Ethan stood in the doorway, eyes guarded.

“Ethan!” Kylee scrambled down, running with her arms out.

He scooped her up, hugged her close. “Hi, kiddo.”

Kylee pulled back, touching her little fingers to the raw wound on his swollen lip. “Boo-boo. I kiss it.” She puckered tiny lips, pressing them against his. She smiled at him. “All better.”

He hugged her tight again, closing his eyes for an instant. “Thank you. It feels much better.” His gaze met Sarah’s, and she held out her hand.

He walked toward the bed still holding Kylee, clasped his fingers with hers.

Sarah smiled up at him and relaxed. “Come read with us.”

He let go of her. “I should probably—”

“Sit down and read with us,” she interrupted.

“Ethan, read Fuzzy Wuzzy to me.”

“Okay.” He held Sarah’s gaze for another moment before sitting on the bed.

They settled back against the pillows, holding Kylee between them. He took her hand again. Sarah closed her eyes when his lips brushed her forehead. She laced her fingers with his, resting her head on his shoulder.

He wrapped his arm around Kylee while she held the book in her hands, settling her head against his chest.

Savoring the moment, Sarah smiled, listening to Ethan’s deep voice add expression to the words, delighting her daughter.

Minutes later, Hunter appeared in the doorway, a bruise blooming on his jaw. Her eyes locked on his before his gaze traveled over the three of them, settling on her fingers still twined with Ethan’s. “There’s a call from Europe. It’s urgent.”

Ethan’s fingers tensed on hers. “I have to take this.”

“Of course. Go.”

“Unke Hunte!” Kylee scrambled out of her and Ethan’s hold, ran to Hunter.

Ethan brushed past Hunter as he knelt down to Kylee’s level. “Hi, baby girl.”

“I a big girl, Unke Hunte.”

He grinned. “Yes, you are. I keep forgetting.”

Kylee pressed her fingers into his knotted purple bruise and he winced. “You boo-boo too.”

Hunter traced the welt before he looked up at Sarah. “Yeah, I have a boo-boo.”

“I kiss and make it better, just like Ethan.” She puckered up, kissed his jaw. “All better. I feed Mr. Ruff now.” She walked over to the stuffed dog and sat on the floor with the pretend bottle.

Hunter stood, rocking on his heels. “Hey.”

Sarah patted the bed. “Come sit down.”

Running tongue over teeth, he sat, staring at her.

They began to speak at the same time.

“Please, Hunter, let me.”

“Okay, shoot.”

“I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you about Ethan and me. I certainly should have.”

“I’ll admit I never saw this one coming.”

She looked down, picking at the navy blue comforter. “You think I’m letting Jake down.”

“No, I don’t.” He blew out a breath. “Jake loved you. I know he would want you to be happy.”

Eyes watering, she glanced up. “I’m the happiest I’ve been since he’s been gone. I will always love him, Hunter. He’ll always be a part of my heart.”

He brushed away the tear rolling down her cheek. “I made him a promise, Sarah. I hope you’ll let me keep it. I’m connected to you and Kylee.”

Overwhelmed by his sweetness, she hugged him and sighed when his arms came around her.

“Ethan is as much my brother as Jake was. I only want the best for both of you.”

She brushed his jaw, touching the purple bump gently as she stared into bold blue eyes. “I’m so lucky to have you. I love you so much.”

He touched her lips. “I love you too.”

“And me too.” Kylee stood at his knee.

Sarah chuckled when Hunter bent to her level and gave Kylee a noisy kiss on the cheek. “And you too, big girl.”

He stood. “I really have to get downstairs.”

“We’ll see you in a bit.”

Ethan hung up as Hunter walked in his office. “David Enzo was shot critically. I have to go to Italy.”

Hunter raked a hand through his hair. “Shit. What happened? I’m a little out of the loop.”

“He’s been providing close protection for Fabiano International’s CEO, Nico Fabiano. Apparently Nico discovered major discrepancies in numerous accounts about a month ago. Someone didn’t like it. An attempt was made on him an hour ago. David took a bullet to the chest. It missed his heart by millimeters.”

“Jesus. What about Nico?”

“He’s fine.” Ethan stacked files into a briefcase. “I’m heading over now. Tino’s covering Fabiano at our safe house until I can get there. I’m hoping you can handle anything Mrs. Enzo will need long distance. She’s a mess, understandably.”

“Yeah, of course. Why are you going over? Why can’t you send someone from one of the European branches?”

“Because I’m the computer geek. If I get into Fabiano’s systems, I can get to the bottom of this faster.”

“What about Sarah?”

On guard, Ethan stared into Hunter’s disapproving gaze. “That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? We’ll have to save personal business for later.” Glancing down, he zipped his laptop into its case. “I called Austin. He’ll be here in fifteen minutes. You two are going to have to cover her until I get back. I’m hoping I can get this wrapped up in the next couple of weeks.”

Hunter walked over, opened the file on his desk, picked up copied cardstock. “His notes are fucking sick.”

“Yeah, they are.” Ethan blew out a long breath. “I think he followed Sarah and me to the grocery store the other night, the night the girl was killed behind the restaurant. I talked to Tucker down at the Cop Shop. The time frame fits. The note sent the next day said, ‘I watched him touch you and now you’ll pay’. I’m the only person who’s been touching her, and that’s the only place he could’ve seen us.” He turned to the window, hating that he was about to leave Sarah. “The thing that concerns me most is I never spotted a tail. He knows what he’s doing.”

“Maybe you weren’t paying close enough attention.”

Anger burned in his gut, slow and hot. His fist clenched at his side as he turned back to face Hunter. “You may not approve of what’s going on between Sarah and me, but don’t ever question how I do my fucking job.”

Hunter sat in one of the leather chairs opposite the desk. They eyed each other as tension choked the room, until Hunter finally spoke.

“Let’s get this out of the way right now so we can move on. I’ll tell you, just like I told Sarah—all I want is what’s best for both of you. As much as I love you, man, as much as I think of you as my brother, I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure you’re what’s best for her.”

Hunter’s words wounded. “Fuck you.”

Hunter held up a hand. “Let me finish. She’s not like the other women that float in and out of your life. Sarah needs someone who’s gonna stick. She’s happy. You make her happy. As long as that continues, I wish you two nothing but the best.” His eyes hardened. “But if you have any doubts, Cooke, you better figure them out now, before this goes any further, because if you hurt her, I’ll break every fucking bone in your body.”

They continued to stare at each other as Austin walked in. “Hey.”

Neither responded.
“What’s going on? Is everything okay with Sarah?”

Ethan glanced at Austin. “Sarah’s fine. Thanks for coming so quickly. As I said on the phone, I’ll be out of the country for the next couple of weeks; less, I hope. You and Hunter are in charge. Sarah has several photo shoots and meetings coming up, which means we’re on red alert. This guy is smart. He knows what he’s doing, and he’s become extremely volatile. Every day he goes without seeing her appears to make him more unstable. I want a two-man team on her when she leaves the house. Pull Matthews to come stay here with Morgan, Hailey, and Kylee when Sarah goes out.”

“Maybe we should just pull Matthews and have him stay here,” Austin said as he took the seat next to Hunter.

Hunter shook his head. “I don’t think that’s necessary. If he could get in, he would’ve already.”

Ethan nodded. “I agree. With the two of you and the dogs, no one’s getting to anyone here on the grounds, but outside’s a different story. I want you to watch yourselves as well. The profiler I spoke to says anyone seen with Sarah is perceived as an enemy, especially people who are actively trying to keep him from her. The last three victims he’s killed, including the girl behind the restaurant, have almost been decapitated. He’s sick, escalated, and extremely dangerous.” He glanced down at his watch. “I really need to go.”