Satisfaction Guaranteed

Chapter 15

Dinner was quiet. Ethan refused to discuss the case, or anything else for that matter. He didn’t pout-exactly-but she’d never seen him like this. He’d always been either teasing or professional, but right now, he reminded Beth of a wounded bear and she wasn’t about to push him into lashing out.

She didn’t know where the words she’d spoken before leaving the hotel room had come from. She hadn’t made a conscious decision to pull away from intimacy with him. In fact, she’d realized on the drive back from the coast that as painful as his rejection of her intense nature was, their relationship was giving her an opportunity to get to know the woman who lived inside her skin in a way she’d shied away from doing before.

But his comment about trying to control the intensity in their sex had sparked something inside her. Not an explosion so much as a weary acceptance. She was not what he needed and he would never be what she needed. And she couldn’t handle making love with him under those conditions. She was half in love with him already, wasn’t even sure it wasn’t a full-blown loss of insanity. Continued intimacy would tear her apart when she had to walk away, or watch him do so.

And if he wanted her, he had to want all of her…not just the parts he was comfortable with. He’d made it obvious he didn’t and that left her no choice. No sex.

They were in the car, headed back to the hotel when she said, “Can we stop at a store that sells camping equipment?”

“Why?”

“I’d like to get a sleeping bag. I think it would be easier if we didn’t share a bed, but I assume you’d have an issue with asking for another room or a rollaway.”

“You’d assume right.”

“That leaves a sleeping bag.”

He nodded, but didn’t say anything. When they reached the store, he left her in the car to go inside and buy it. He was so cold and uncommunicative, she didn’t ask him to get her a pad for under it. She didn’t want another one of those emotionless looks slicing her way.

When they got to the hotel, he made the pallet on the floor in silence. She noticed he’d gotten one of those extra long sleeping bags and a pad.

“Thank you.”

He turned to face her, his green gaze flat. “For what?”

“The pad. It will make the floor a lot more comfortable.”

“Will it?”

“I think so. I’ll just go get ready for bed.”

He nodded.

When she came out, he was in the sleeping bag, his back to the bed.

“I didn’t mean for you to be the one to sleep on the floor.”

Silence.

“Ethan?”

“Go to bed, Beth.” He even sounded like a wounded bear.

“I really don’t mind taking the floor.”

“If you want me to ignore the way my body is aching for yours right now, I suggest you be quiet, get in bed, and go straight to sleep.”

Even she wasn’t going to argue with that tone and she did exactly as he suggested. Except going to sleep. She lay in the dark, thinking about Ethan, about her decision, and trying not to move so he wouldn’t know she was still awake, long into the night.

Ethan got up a little after dawn. Beth was sleeping. Finally. She’d been awake most of the night. Like him.

She hadn’t wanted him to know she was awake and he hadn’t been sure of his self-control if he acknowledged it. It was that lack of self-control that had dumped him in his current predicament. The way he responded to Beth-the way she responded to him, the amount of pleasure they found in one another’s bodies-had spooked him.

He’d thought he could control it, put some kind of barrier around it, but that hadn’t worked. He’d hurt her in his attempt to regain a measure of his self-control. She’d lumped him in with her parents and Hyatt and that was not a place he wanted to be in Beth’s brain. He knew she didn’t consider any of them people she could truly rely on and he wanted her to rely on him.

Right now, she needed to rely on him for her safety and as much as he didn’t like her “no sex” boundary, he had to wonder if it wasn’t for the best. He didn’t think straight around her and he couldn’t afford to have his thinking and reactions clouded right now. Which he’d known all along, but Beth had been the one professional enough to take the stand that really needed taking.

And he was going to start acting like the professional he was. Starting today. The next two days would be best spent making themselves familiar with the area and getting a feel for the small towns closest to the north and south of Prescott’s estate. It would also keep them out of the hotel room and away from the temptation of the bed that looked too big with Beth’s small form curled in the middle of it.

They moved into a small cabin a few miles from the Prescott estate on Monday as Ethan had promised. The second bedroom had been rigged up as a home office for the pseudoau-thor. The state-of-the-art computer and peripherals would serve two purposes. Ethan would use it to oversee their security and continue his research on Prescott. It would also perpetuate the cover of a writer seeking his muse in the coastal forests.

Beth noticed that a daybed graced the wall opposite the computer desk. She would insist on sleeping on it and this time Ethan would listen. He was much too tall for the twin bed, but she wasn’t. And she didn’t want to sleep in the middle of another king-size bed that only succeeded in making her wish she’d never made the no sex decree.

She didn’t regret it. Not really. She had no choice if she wanted to maintain a shred of her emotions when the case was over, but she wanted Ethan. So much. He was no longer a fantasy, but a living, breathing man who she knew could give her more pleasure than she’d ever experienced-or probably ever would experience again.

But he didn’t want that intense pleasure and she had to keep remembering that fact.

Despite its setting, the cabin wasn’t at all rustic. The small kitchen was filled with ultramodern appliances and the television had satellite access. There was a whirlpool bath in the master suite and the furnishings were modern retro.

As she looked around, she realized it fit the image Ethan had chosen to portray of himself perfectly.

“Are we safe to talk here? Always?” Beth asked after discovering her clothes unpacked right along Ethan’s in the master bedroom.

She supposed that made sense, but it felt funny in the pit of her stomach all the same. Did the special training Ethan had mentioned help a woman separate the fantasy from reality in situations like this?

Ethan was looking out the window with field glasses and jotting on his PDA. “Yes. We’ve got a signal jammer activated that mocks television satellite interference.”

“Clever.”

“We like to think so.”

She swallowed, suddenly tired of the distance between them but unsure how to bridge the gap without opening the sex issues. “I like the cabin.”

“Good. It fits my image…our image.”

“Yes, it does.”

“I know you are going to want to sleep on the daybed in the office.” His voice was devoid of emotion, but she sensed that offended him.

“Um…yes.”

“Don’t go in there dressed for bed at night until the privacy curtains are shut both there and in the master bedroom.”

“You think Prescott is going to spy on his new employee?”

“He might. We don’t make stupid mistakes counting on the opposite…ever.”

“Got it, sir.” She saluted smartly.

And he smiled. “Sassy, aren’t you?”

“I’ve been accused of it a time or two.”

“I bet.”

At the return of his teasing demeanor, some of the tension that had clung to her since Friday evening dissipated. “I start work tomorrow,” she offered for lack of anything better to say.

“I know.” He turned to face her fully, putting the full weight of his attention directly on her.

For no reason she could fathom, her stomach dipped.

“Are you mentally prepared?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“You were nervous before.”

“I’m not any longer.”

“Why?” he asked, disconcerting her.

She wasn’t about to tell him that she’d realized the reality of working for Prescott wasn’t going to be nearly as overwhelming as the reality of living with Ethan in the small cabin.

“I guess I just settled down. Like you said I would.”

“Did it change how you feel about anything else?”

“You mean my decision to move away from D.C. or the sex thing?” she asked with more bravado than she felt.

“Either…both.”

“No.”

He nodded. “My car and your cats arrive in Portland on Thursday from the transportation company. We’ll pick them up after you get off work.”

“You could go in the morning, after you drop me off.” She couldn’t wait to see the kittens again and appreciated the fact that Ethan hadn’t expected her to board them out for the duration of the assignment.

“No.”

She frowned. “Why not?”

“I’m not leaving you alone at the estate.”

“I’m going to be working there five days a week for who knows how long…it’s not a problem.”

“I will be here whenever you are there. Close enough to get to you if there’s a need.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

He just shrugged. The man and his protective attitude were going to drive her insane. But he’d figure out on his own that he had better things to do with his time than sit around the cabin and twiddle his thumbs while she worked.

He moved out of the room, going to the window in the kitchen to look out and take more notes on his PDA.

“What are you looking for?”

“It’s just basic recon. I want to know what I can see of our environment from each vantage point in the cabin in case the information is necessary at some point in the future. I’ll do outside recon in a little bit…checking to see what areas have a good vantage point for looking in through our windows.”

“Can I go with you? I’d like to explore the woods a little.”

“No problem.” But a tightening around his mouth indicated a lack of enthusiasm for the idea.

“I can go for a walk on my own, if you’d rather.”

“Not happening.”

“Do you want me to stay here?”

“I said you could come with me.”

“I sort of sensed you’d rather I not.”

“Being around you without being able to touch you is a strain, Sunshine, but I’m not a hormonal kid. I can handle it.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugged. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

His understanding made her feel guilty, which was really pathetic. But there it was. “It’s not that I don’t want you.”

He turned to face her full on, his face cast in grim lines. “Hearing that is not helping. I respect your choice. Let’s leave it at that, all right?”

She nodded. “I’ll stay here.”

“No. I’d rather you came.”

“But-”

“You need to be familiar with our surroundings for your own safety. This is a job and we both have to remember that.”

“How can I forget? We wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

“No, we wouldn’t. Let me finish my interior recon and then we’ll go.”

“Okay.”

The walk in the woods was a revelation. Ethan discreetly pointed out where they had motion sensors set up for the security system, he also showed her where a hidden assailant could see right in through the master bedroom window and the kitchen window. There was no such covered spot for spying on the living room or smaller front bedroom.

However, he still reiterated his desire she close curtains before getting ready for bed and going into the second bedroom to sleep.

“We’ll have to do some cuddling on the couch watching television and light touching now and then in case we’re watched.”

“Why would he watch us?”

“He didn’t get where he is in high-tech espionage by being careless with a new employee. We know he ran a background check on you. It would only make sense for him to follow it up with at least cursory surveillance in the beginning.”

“So, we have to act like a couple when we are alone?” The thought made her stomach knot.

Not touching Ethan…not begging to be touched by him was growing more difficult with each passing hour. If they had to touch and pretend to be a couple when there was no one overtly around to help keep her urges under control, she was afraid she was going to lose the battle with herself.

“Don’t worry, we can shut the drapes when it gets dark like any normal couple and hide our physical distance from prying eyes then.”

“You really did think it would be easier to run this assignment if we were in a sexual relationship.”

“I thought you’d already decided that.”

“I just didn’t realize all the ramifications of living together I guess. I thought we’d be off camera when we were alone at the cabin.”

“Mistakes like that lead to blown covers.”

“Sorry. I’m not an agent.”

“I don’t expect you to be. Follow my lead and we’ll be fine.” He slipped his arm around her shoulder, obviously taking his own advice to heart. “Okay?”

“Yes.” Her voice was a mere squeak, but she was doing everything she could not to run a possessive hand over his chest.

She allowed herself to lean into him, telling herself she was trying to look natural, but underneath she knew she did it because she simply couldn’t help herself.

Beth looked forward to going to work for Prescott as much because it would get her away from Ethan’s presence as that she could start doing the job she’d been assigned. Ever since the walk, Ethan had continued the policy of “looking like lovers” whenever they were in a position to be observed. By the time they had closed the curtains the night before, she’d been a walking mass of oversensitive nerve endings.

And she’d missed his touches-the freedom to touch him-until it was a gaping ache inside her. On the other hand, besides a couple of speculative looks she could not read, Ethan acted as if he wasn’t affected at all. He’d simply spent more time going over strategy and what they knew about Prescott.

She’d gone to bed determined to do a better job today of maintaining her emotional distance. So far, so good.

After being waved through the gate, Ethan pulled up in front of Prescott’s house and stopped the car. He turned to Beth, reaching to cup her nape. She realized he was going to kiss her a scant second before he did so. His lips covered hers with possessive tenderness that felt all too real. He didn’t linger, but he was thorough so that when he pulled away, she sat dazed for a couple of seconds.

“Be good today,” he said.

She nodded and got out of the car, forcing herself not to feel her still-tingling lips. The man really knew how to kiss.

The job was very much as she expected and Beth actually found she liked the full-time secretary, Audrey Fisk, as well as the security guard assigned to the house.

“Mr. Prescott has a lot of security,” she said to Audrey at one point.

The older woman shrugged pencil-thin shoulders. “He’s a very wealthy man. In today’s world, he needs it.”

Prescott allowed his secretary to brief Beth on her job, but made a point of stopping by her desk to ask how things were going later that day.

“Great. I should have a preliminary analysis of your portfolio to you within a couple of days.”

“Good.”

He didn’t linger, but he stopped by her desk twice more for small talk before she left for the day. The rest of the week fell into a similar pattern and Ethan made no bones about the fact that he didn’t like how much personal attention Prescott was showing her. Since Beth wasn’t encouraging the man, she didn’t feel she was going against the agent in charge on the case.

But she thought that it was a good thing. Ethan would think so, too…if she’d been an actual agent. She was the conduit, though, and common sense dictated that the more personable her relationship with Prescott, the better chance she would have of opening doors for Ethan’s investigation.

That Thursday, Prescott came in to see her and leaned against her desk. “How are things going? Do you like the job?”

“It’s familiar…easy, if you don’t mind my saying so.”

“No. I’m glad to hear it.” He smiled, the look not quite warming the depths of his eyes. “I’m impressed with your recommendations on diversification already.”

She’d created a report for him the day before with some basic changes recommended to his investment plan. “I’ll give you a more detailed analysis next week, but I need to research your investments and markets of interest more thoroughly before I do.”

He leaned a little closer. “I knew you were the right woman for the job.”

“I’m glad you think so.” She scooted her chair back a little.

Where Ethan’s sensuality could reach out and wrap around her like a blanket, this man’s masculine presence choked her.

Mocking amusement filled his eyes at her movement. “You remember I told you about some possible after-hours work time?”

“Um…yes.”

“I’m having a little get-together with some business associates tomorrow night. I’d like you to be there to offer your advice.”

She bit her lip, having no problem manufacturing an image of nervousness. “I don’t suppose my boyfriend could come?”

Prescott’s eyes narrowed, but he surprised her by nodding. “Certainly. An author might make an interesting addition to the gathering…keep things more social than business.”

When she told Ethan on their way to Portland to pick up his car and the kittens, he frowned.

“I thought you’d be glad for the invite in.”

“I am. I’m just wondering why he’d let me come.”

“He said he wanted to keep the evening more social than business.”

“But he invited you on the pretext of business.”

“As to that, I’m not sure it was business he was thinking about.”

“Was he coming on to you?”

“No, but-”

“What?”

“It was nothing, but he’s not a man who respects the normal barriers of personal space. I shy away from him when he gets too close. It amuses him. I think he likes to play with people.”

“I think you’re right. That might be another reason he’s letting me come. He sees me as the controlling boyfriend…he might get a perverse pleasure out of showing me that he has some control over you, too.”

“I could see him doing exactly that. Lucky for us, we don’t have a real relationship and his twisted games can’t hurt us.”

“I think they can hurt you.”

“Not a chance. He gives me the willies, but I can handle it. You should have met some of the men my mom tried to hook me up with since the big wedding fiasco. There is a lobbyist or two and more than one aspiring politician who would make a great piranha fill-in on a nature special.”

“But none of them would have physically hurt you given the chance. I’m not so sure about Prescott. There’s too little information available on his sexual preferences for my comfort level.”

“Maybe he’s just discreet.”

“Or his preferences make discretion to the point of cover-up a necessity.”

“I’m not about to get involved that way with him.”

“Stay out of situations where you might end up alone with him.”

“We’ve had this discussion.” Each day when she got off work, in fact.

Ethan sighed. “My gut is telling me the man is dangerous to certain types of women. The fact that he specifically advertised for the quiet type raises a red flag for me.”

“I’ve thought about that, too,” she admitted.

“Good instincts.” He smiled at her, their eyes connecting for a millisecond before his went back to the road.

Warmth pervaded her whole being at his praise. “Thanks, but although I can be shy, I’m not weak.”

“I know that, baby. But I don’t think Prescott is as astute a judge of character. I’d hate for you to have to do him bodily harm because he’s cocky. It could put a real crimp in our case.”

She grinned, liking his assessment of the situation and agreeing. She’d never tolerate being manhandled, but if she got into a situation where she had to draw the line, Prescott wouldn’t bat an eyelash at firing her. She was sure of it.

“Tomorrow night would be a good night to plant bugs,” she ventured.

Ethan had refused to let her do it because he said if the bugs were discovered, they could be traced back to her since she was the only new person in the household. But after a party with several business associates, probably all of whom were as dirty as Prescott, they would fall under suspicion before her if the bugs were discovered.

“Yes, it would. The long-range listening devices don’t work.”

“He’s jamming them like we are?”

“Only he makes no effort to mask his jamming device. It’s as if he’s so arrogant he doesn’t care who knows he’s taken measures to keep his conversations private. He doesn’t think anyone can touch him.”

“He’s wrong.”

“Yes, he is.”