"Baby, I told you there was nothing to worry about. I let him know my thoughts and my decisions and he let me know his. He's decided that pulling his funding of our projects would put him in a bad light so he decided against it. I told him I thought that was a good decision."

"That's it? He didn't threaten you to get rid of me or try to talk you into taking Casey back?" I asked, astounded.

He hesitated. "I didn't say that, but I let him know very firmly that neither of those were an option. He seemed to accept that."

I felt he was hiding something from me, but I wasn't up to pushing it tonight. "Well, if you're sure, then I'm glad. I was worried sick all night."

He laughed more. "I know and I told you that you didn't need to. Everything is fine. I told you I wouldn't lose you and I won't. You're here to stay, baby."

I twirled my hair around my finger, my stomach clenching at his words. "Thank you," was all I could say.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Um, just sitting here."

"Want me to come back over?" he asked seductively.

I instantly sat up. "That's not a good idea, Pierce," I said.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?"

There was a knock at the door. "Because Ethan just knocked on my door."

I heard him let out a sigh. "Okay," he said, drawing out the word.

"I'm sorry, Paul. I know this isn't easy." I got up and walked to the door, opening it to Ethan's smiling face.

He saw I was on the phone and walked in quietly. I raised my finger to signal one minute and walked into my bedroom. I sat on the edge of my bed.

"It's becoming more and more difficult, Aly. All I want is to be with you, to hold you, to love you. I don't know what more I can do, though."

I bent over, his words a punch in my gut. "Listen," I whispered. "Can we talk about this later? He's out in my living room and it's quite awkward for me right now. I'm not blowing you off, but another time would be better."

I heard him mutter something under his breath. "Yeah, that's fine."

I frowned. "I'm sorry. I've got to go. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

He gave a curt good bye and hung up. Effectively killing any good mood I had, I dropped my phone on my nightstand and walked out to the living room. Ethan was sitting on the couch, legs crossed, flipping the channels with the remote. He smiled when he saw me walk in and patted the cushion next to him.

I sat down and he pulled me close to him. "Everything okay?" he asked.

"I guess so."

"What happened?"

"It's just really hard pretending with Paul, hearing him talk like things haven't changed. But I don't want to talk about that right now, I just want to sit here and relax. Did you get something to eat? I have some Chinese takeout if you're interested."

He stared into my eyes. "I did get some dinner, but thank you." He was looking at me with such desire, I shuddered. Things were obviously different now that I finally told him I loved him. Suddenly there was nothing more that I wanted than to be with him completely.

He didn't say anything, just ducked his head and pressed his lips to mine. He started out slow, barely touching me as his lips moved over mine. When I couldn't take it anymore, I wrapped my arms around his neck, drawing him closer. He immediately scooted closer to me and deepened the kiss, grabbing my face between his hands.

"I love you so much, angel," he whispered against my mouth. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this, wanted you."

He pressed me down so I was laying on my back and leaned over me. Looking into my eyes a split second before claiming my mouth again, the kiss was completely different than the previous one. Ethan made no attempt to hold back; this kiss told me he was finally giving us what we both wanted so desperately.

He thrust his tongue in my mouth, swirling it around mine over and over. I moaned at the sensations it brought out in me, twisting my hands in his hair and pulling him closer. He shifted so he was completely on top of me, pressing down on my body.

He broke the kiss, trailing hot kisses down my neck to my collarbone. We had barely started anything and I was completely on fire for him. When he moved lower, I pushed his head closer to me, letting him know that was exactly what I wanted. When he reached the top of my bra, I couldn't take it anymore. I pushed him off of me and sat up, taking my shirt off in one swoop. Ethan smiled and stood. I looked at him, wondering what he was doing, when he bent over and swept me up in his arms.

"I'm not having our first time be on a couch, angel."

He kissed me, carrying me to my bedroom, then gently set me down on my bed. As Ethan shrugged out of his shirt, I couldn't help but stare at him. I'd seen him without a shirt before, but not like this. He was beautiful. He had a small amount of chest hair and a six pack to die for. All I wanted to do was trace my hand over him, so I did. I grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the bed, pushing him down to lay on his back. He chuckled, allowing me control. I leaned over him and traced his taut abs with my fingers. He sucked in a breath, his eyes burning.

A minute later, his hand stopped mine and he pulled me on top of him. "If you keep doing that, I won't last much longer," he told me, crushing my lips to his.

He quickly flipped me so I was now under him, his hands roaming over my body. When they reached my bra, he cupped me gently, looking into my eyes. I arched my back a bit, hoping he'd get the hint. He smiled, then reached behind me and unhooked it, slowly moving the straps down my arms and tossing it to the floor. He looked at me as he touched my b.r.e.a.s.t.s with nothing blocking him for the first time. He groaned as my eyes closed and leaned down, taking my nipple into his mouth. Ethan was so sweet and gentle, yet all he was doing was making me crazy with want. When he switched to the other breast, my hips bucked and I felt his hard arousal, which only made me hotter.

"Aly, I love you," he said as he gently sucked. "You have made me the happiest man on earth."

He released my nipple and continued kissing down my stomach. He slid lower, taking my yoga pants and panties off as he went, tossing them to the floor. He planted a soft kiss on my abdomen, then looked up at me and gave a slight smile as he started kissing lower. I closed my eyes in ecstasy when he kissed my warmth. He kissed me until I started to feel the sweet pressure build, but before I went over the edge he stood up and smiled at me as he took a condom out of his pants pocket quickly before shaking off his pants and boxers.

My eyes widened a little as I watched him roll the condom over his hard length. Seeing my reaction, he winked then was over me again, taking my mouth in a scorching kiss. As his tongue dove in and out of my mouth, he pushed gently at my entrance, but stopped, lifting his head and looking in my eyes.

"I love you, and I want this more than anything, are you sure?"

I couldn't believe he was asking me this. I raised my hand to his cheek, and smiled. "More than anything. I love you too."

That was all he needed. I felt him thrust deeply inside of me and I cried out at the pleasure it brought me. He buried his head in my neck as he gently pumped in and out. I placed my legs on top of his, and raised my hips to meet each thrust. He felt better than anything I'd ever imagined and I knew that he was who I would be with for the rest of my life, no matter what.

His thrusts started getting faster and faster and before I knew it, I felt the delicious tension building. He raised his head to look at my face. "You feel so much better than I ever imagined, angel. You have no idea what you do to me."

His words sent me over the edge and I screamed at the explosion bursting inside of me. As I continued shaking from my o.r.g.a.s.m, I felt him stiffen then cry out my name when he had his. He stayed like that for a minute then collapsed on top of me.

I held him in my arms, rubbing circles on his back. I had never felt such joy and contentment and almost cried at the feeling it gave me. Ethan is who I've been searching for, who I belong with. Grateful he never gave up on me, I leaned up and pressed a kiss to his ear.

"I love you, Ethan. I love you so much. Thank you for being so patient, thank you for waiting for me."

He lifted his head to look at me, tracing his fingers down my cheek. "I would have waited forever for you, angel. There was never anyone else."

Tears fell down my cheeks. He kissed one away then shifted to lay on his side. He pulled me into his arms and I knew he was never letting me go.

I woke up the next morning, the covers still tucked snug around me. I stretched and continued lying there, enjoying the sunshine beating down on me. I looked over and saw Ethan walking out of the bathroom, showered and fully dressed. I frowned at the sight.

He chuckled and came over to me, sitting beside me on the bed. "Don't frown, angel. I'm sorry, but I have an early meeting I can't miss. This was scheduled before you gave me the greatest day of my life yesterday. I hate leaving, but I'll see you soon at work." He bent over and kissed me. "And I mean it. Yesterday was the best day of my life. Thank you."

I smiled up at him. "Mine too. And last night wasn't so bad, either," I teased.

He laughed and pulled me into his arms. "You have no idea," he whispered. "I can't wait for round two." He tapped my nose and giving me a wink, he stood and kissed me good-bye.

I twisted and put my legs on the floor, heat rushing to my core. Remembering just how amazing last night was, I grinned and went to shower. I was sure I'd never be able to stop smiling the rest of the day.

I finished showering and got ready for work. I gulped down some orange juice and had a small bowl of cereal. The meeting with Mr. Halliday was in a few hours and my nerves came back with a vengeance and I prayed it would go well.

My phone vibrated and I saw it was a text from Missy.

We still on for tonight?

I sighed. I really had no desire to go out, but seeing as it was her last night in town, I had to. I typed out a response.

Of course. What time can you meet?

My thoughts strayed to Paul. I didn't know how he'd be after I turned him away because of Ethan last night. I know he told me he'd stay professional at work and while I knew he would, I also knew I'd hurt him. I was also a mess knowing I'd be hurting him even more soon.

My phone vibrated again.

How about I be to your office at 6?

I hurried and typed a reply.

Sounds good. C u then.

I finally got to the office and set all the files I needed for the meeting down on my desk. Paul's door was shut, so I a.s.sumed he wasn't here yet, but a few minutes later I heard his voice inside his office. My senses went on alert at realizing he was here and I did my best to stay under control.

Ethan strolled in a few minutes later, a grin on his face when he saw me.

"Hey there, s.e.xy," he said, leaning down to kiss me.

I kissed him back quickly, not wanting Paul to come out and see. Ethan rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything. "How are you doing?" he asked.

I sat on my chair and he went to sit across from me. "Um, I'm doing fantastic. You?"

A slow smile appeared on his face. "Oh, babe, I'm doing great. In fact, I don't think I've ever been better." He lowered his eyes then looked in mine. It was silly but I couldn't help the blush that came over me. I knew exactly what he was thinking.

Suddenly Paul's door opened and he stepped out. His eyes widened when he saw us, obviously not aware we were there. He ran a hand through his hair. "Uh, good morning," he said quietly.

"Morning, Paul," Ethan said as he stood up. "I've got to get back to work but wanted to check and see if we're still on tonight with Missy?" he asked, looking at me, trying to act professional.

I nodded. "Yes, she texted this morning. She'll be here at six."

He smiled. "Okay sounds good. See you both later." He looked back once at me, then walked out the door.

Paul stood before me. "Are you ready for the meeting?" His voice was devoid of any emotion. It put me on guard, automatically making me nervous that he knew about Ethan and me.

"I am," I answered, doing my best to stay cool.

"Good. I'm running downstairs to settle something that just came up, but I'll be back before they get here."

I looked at him, and nodded. "Okay."

He started to walk out then stopped and turned around. "Am I still invited to go tonight?"

My face softened at his question. While that was something else that was making me on edge, I'd never tell him he was not welcome. "Of course," I whispered.

He gave a slight smile, nodded, and then walked out the door.

When nine thirty arrived, my nerves. .h.i.t an all time high. I swiped my hand through my hair and looked down at my outfit. The black pantsuit was always professional and the purple blouse added some much needed color. I felt good that I'd chosen it and hoped it would help my confidence. I decided to wear my hair down, but slicked it back a little with some gel. I gave myself the smoky eye look and laid the mascara on thick to show off my eyes. I felt good and hoped it showed.

At quarter to ten, Paul walked back in, looking more relaxed. He stopped and looked at me, his eyes softening. He came up to my desk, and perched himself on it.

"I hope I'm not straying from being professional, but I must tell you that you look amazing, Aly."

I twirled some hair around my finger, again. "Thanks," was all I said. I swore I was going to throw up at any second. I had to keep calm.

He laughed. "Someone's freaking out," he said as he got off my desk and walked into his office. I stood up and followed him.

"So? This is really important to me, Paul. You know that."

He turned to face me, still smiling. "I know it is. I was just teasing you baby. I think it's cute. And for what it's worth, you'll do fine."

I shook my head. "I'm not so sure. I'm really worried." Little did he know about all I was worrying about.

He sighed. "Aly, this project will go through, with or without Halliday's decision. Don't forget that. We are still helping plenty of people. It will be okay."

I couldn't get the image of Heather Halliday out of my head though. "I know," I said. "I just really hope he changes his mind."

He went to his desk and sat down. "I do too. Okay, go get everything we need for the meeting. They'll be here any minute."

I turned back around and went to my desk. I grabbed the files and started going back into Paul's office when I heard my name being called.

"Aly!"

I looked and saw Norman walking in, a big smile on his face. Behind him was a man in his late thirties, rough around the edges, and a scowl on his face. My hopes dropped at seeing him like that, grumpy and slouched over. He wore jeans and a plaid shirt, with a baseball cap on top of his head. Great, I thought.

"Norman," I said, forcing myself to smile and take his hand he'd extended to me. "How have you been?"

"Great! You guys have made such a huge difference in our neighborhood already. The feeling there is much lighter, happier."

I couldn't help but steal a glance at Mr. Halliday, having a hard time believing that was the case, but nodded in excitement at his words.

"That's great," I said. "We are excited to start on it."

Norman looked behind him and motioned Mr. Halliday over. "Aly, this is Sean Halliday. Sean, Aly Chase."

Sean gave out a grunt in greeting. I smiled and did my best to be friendly. "It's very nice to finally meet you, Mr. Halliday," I told him.

He gave a curt nod, staying silent. I realized I had my work cut out for me. Norman gave him a look and nudged him a bit, but Sean didn't do anything more.

"Well, why don't we walk into Paul's office. Follow me," I directed them.