and shyly welcomed him. All thoughts of breaking it off disappeared as his tongue caressed hers and he wrapped her in his embrace.
“Oh, Brittany,” he groaned. “I’m sorry. This is wrong.”
He felt her stiffen, but neither of them made a move to pull apart.
“Why is it wrong?” she asked against his cheek.
He nuzzled her neck. “You know why. I want you so much that I can’t keep my hands off you. I’ve always known you were off limits and even so I’m breaking all the rules.”
She tipped her head back and looked at him. “What rules?” She seemed genuinely puzzled. “You said you and Hannah were divorced.”
He blinked. “We are. This has nothing to do with Hannah. I’m talking about you. Your age, for one thing. You’re so very young.”
Her eyes widened. “You don’t like young women?”
“I teach young women, I don’t make love to them.”
They’d come to a good lead-in and he might as well bring the question he needed to ask out in the open now and get it over with. “Are you experienced, Brittany? Have you ever been with a man?”
For a moment she just looked at him, then she buried her face in his shoulder. “No.” It was little more than a whisper. “But I’ve never before met one I wanted to be…um…with in that way.”
Pride and regret warred within him. He was proud of her for waiting to have that momentous experience until she met the man she considered the right one, and he deeply regretted that he wasn’t and could never be that person.
He brushed her hair away from her cheek. “I’m flattered that you think I might be that man,” he murmured into her ear. “I wish I were, but I’m afraid I’m not. Shall we go downstairs to the family room and talk about it?”
She nodded but made no move to pull away from him, and the very thought of letting her go was intolerable. What harm could it do if he held her for just a little while longer? Now that he knew she was attracted to him, too, they could bring their mutual enticement out into the open and deal with it.
With his left arm he turned her so she could walk along beside him while he hugged her close to his side. As they made their way down the stairs, across the foyer and along the hall to the family room, Ethan belatedly remembered his father.
“Where’s Nate?” he asked Brittany. “I haven’t seen him—”
“He went to bed early,” she said. “He was pretty well worn out after all the upheaval this afternoon and evening.”
Ethan seated her on the sofa and dimmed the lights.
“Would you like something to drink?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’d like a cola if you have one.”
He smiled. “Coming right up.” He headed for the kitchen.
A few minutes later he returned with two glasses and handed one to her. He set the other one on the coffee table and lowered himself down beside her so close that their hips and thighs touched. That was a mistake he hadn’t intended to make, but he had and he wasn’t going to rectify it now. Her soft flesh against his was too alluring for him to deprive himself of the pleasure unless she objected.
She didn’t, and he leaned forward and picked up his glass of vodka and water. He needed something to fortify his fractured nervous system if he ever hoped to keep his wits about him and behave like a gentleman instead of a lusting adolescent.
Brittany locked her fingers around the glass of soda to steady her hands and keep from spilling the contents. She was totally overcome by Ethan’s kiss. Although she’d often dreamed of it happening, she’d thought her feelings had all been one-sided. Until tonight he’d never shown any sign of even liking her let alone being attracted to her. Although they’d only known each other for two weeks, she’d been drawn to him from the minute they’d met.
He put his arm around her shoulders and snuggled her against him. She relaxed and laid her head on his chest. “You were saying,” she murmured.
“I don’t remember,” he admitted as he rained tiny kisses on the top of her head. “All I can think of is the taste of your lips, the scent of baby powder on your hands, and the way our bodies fit together as if they were made for each other.”
She liked the sound of that. “Maybe they were.” Her voice was little more than a whisper. Should she come right out and say what she was thinking? All her girlfriends let the guys know when they were willing to sleep with them. The women claimed the fellows liked having them take the initiative. It made men feel macho, pumped up their ego and started the testosterone flowing.
Her more-experienced women friends teased her about her reluctance to have sex with a man as opposed to making love with one. To make love you had to be in love, and Ethan was the only one she’d ever felt that strongly about.
Well, nothing ventured nothing gained, as her grandpa always used to say. She cleared her throat. “I…I guess we could always find out. That is…”
She felt him tense and knew she’d made a mistake. She was being much too forward. She’d been propositioned many times, but she’d never come on to a man before.
Ethan didn’t seem pleased, even though it was all too evident that he wanted her.
She stirred and raised her head to look at him. His face was expressionless and the hot swell of humiliation surged through her. “I…I’m sorry,” she said, and tried to stand up, but he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back down. “You must think I’m a real…a real…”
“That’s enough,” he said angrily as he refused to let her loose. Don’t you ever let me hear you call yourself disrespectful names.”
“I only wanted to let you know…” Her voice broke and she couldn’t go on.
“I know what you wanted to let me know, honey,” he told her softly, “and I didn’t answer you right away because I was fighting off an overpowering urge to sweep you into my arms and carry you upstairs to bed.”
He hugged her close. “On the other hand, I’ve got to warn you, don’t ever come on to a man unless you’re prepared to carry through.”
She sighed and relaxed again in his arms. “I was prepared to carry through, but telling you was a mistake I’ve never made before and will never make again. You didn’t like it, I could tell.”
“I loved it,” he told her, “but I don’t think you realized how difficult it is for me not to take you up on your offer. A lot of men would simply have taken advantage of your innocence and then blamed you for ‘leading them on’ when the experience was unsatisfactory for you.”
He tipped her face up and rubbed her nose with his own. “Some day you’ll thank me for not taking your virginity. Save that precious first time for the man you truly love.”
She pressed her cheek against his. His five-o’clock beard was bristly but endearing. “Why are you so sure you’re not that man?”
He paused as if gathering his thoughts, then answered. “Because I’m all wrong for you. You’ve only recently lost your parents and you’re alone and vulnerable. You’re looking for a father figure, and who better than me? Although, I’m a little young for that role.”
She drew in a breath to protest but he hurried on. “Factor in Nate as a perfect grandfather model and Danny, whom you could grow to love like a son, and you’ve got a family again. What you feel for me is security, possible infatuation, but you need a young man you can grow up with, not a middle-aged one who comes from a different generation.”
Brittany turned and put her palm flat on his shoulder, then pushed herself away from him. “That is the most ridiculous thing I ever heard,” she said angrily. “I suggest you’re the one who