Through gritted teeth, Mary cried out, “Yes, right there. Touch me there.”

Ethan’s fingers moved and played until Mary’s head dropped back and her breasts rose and fell. She let him take over, one hand gripping her hips, rocking her back and forth, deeper and deeper, the other hand nestled between them, his middle finger flicking the tender button hidden inside until waves of pleasure so intense Mary could hardly breathe washed over her. Her hands slipped to his chest as he pumped furiously beneath her, guttural sounds erupting from his throat as he followed her over the edge.

Exhaustion flooded her and she collapsed on top of him, tears filling her eyes. She lay there, her heart thudding against his chest, and wondered what she’d been doing for the past two years besides working and remaining separate from the world. She’d never realized just how lonely she’d been, spending her time, energy and focus on the business. She’d completely cut herself off from living.

Ethan slid out from under her, and she gave him her back so they were spooning. It felt so good, so right to be held like this by him. How that was possible, after all they’d been through, she didn’t know, but it was obvious to her that they might have a chance together.

Ethan trailed kisses down her back, down, down, raking his teeth against the sensitive spot right above her buttocks. Electric currents shot through Mary’s weak limbs, and she uttered a playful, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m not done.”

“Not done with what…oh.”

He flipped her over and sat poised above her, staring down at her with eyes that glittered blue fire, his erection brushing against her leg, hard once again.

Laughing weakly, she grabbed the covers and hauled them up and over her head. “Can’t. Tired.”

“Mary,” he began wickedly. “Do you actually think a few inches of cotton is going to stop me?”

With a little pleasurable scream, Mary saw Ethan appear at the bottom end of the covers, his gaze ravenous as he started at her ankles and crawled toward her, his mouth planting soft, wet kisses up her calves, knees and finally her inner thighs.

“You don’t have to do a thing,” he whispered, his mouth poised between her now widespread thighs.

Her fingers delving immediately into his hair, Mary lifted her hips tentatively. How could she resist? His head was down, the muscles in his shoulders flexing as he gripped her buttocks. His mouth was like heaven, his tongue…

“Ethan…”

He started slowly at first, just gentle laps at her sensitive sex, long, slow licks from hood to the opening of her body. But Mary’s body responded quickly, writhing beneath him, twisting, her fingers leaving his hair to find herself. Ethan said something sexy and dirty as she opened the slick, hot folds at her core, then nuzzled and suckled at the taut bud that ached so badly. Following her rhythm, his pace quickened, moving with the thrust of her hips, until she arched her back and called out raw, insatiable moans over and over again, shuddering against his mouth.

Completely exhausted now, Mary curled over on her side and released a heavy, satisfied sigh, even smiling lazily when Ethan lay facing her on his side.

“I want to stay,” he said.

“The bed’s too small,” she joked.

He draped one muscular thigh over her hips, pulling himself closer. “Is it?”

And they fell asleep that way.

The weather had been sketchy all morning, but miraculously by eleven o’clock the sun had pushed its way through the clouds and had started to warm the sand. Right alongside the staff, Mary helped set up tables, chairs, chaises and umbrellas, all in festive shades of blue-and-white stripes. The beach had been combed beautifully, leaving only the whitest, softest sand for their party, and when noon hit and the guests began to arrive, Mary breathed a sigh of relief. Despite the morning gloom and a night of amazing sex that had left her bone weary, she’d pulled it off.

Dressed in a simple though elegant navy-blue sun-dress and white hat, Mary walked from one station to another, making sure the drinks were flowing and the food was getting out in a timely manner. Barring one strange and obviously experimental plate of baked-bean custard that she immediately had the waiter send back to base camp, everything looked perfect.

Just as she was inspecting the barbecue grills and the delicious scents wafting from each, Ethan came up behind her and took her hand. She smiled instantly at his touch, and a warm sensation came over her heart as she recalled this morning, waking up together in a haze of touchy, feely, romantic sweetness, complete with breakfast and a killer make-out session at the door as they each complained about how late they were going to be but not really giving a damn.

“Twenty minutes into the party and I have two potential clients flying to Minneapolis next week for meetings,” he said, brushing a kiss to her ear. “You’re amazing.”

He looked calm, relaxed and deadly handsome in white pants and black polo shirt, and Mary felt a strange sense of pride, as if they were actually together. “It’s not me, it’s the mojitos,” she joked.

“No, it’s you,” he insisted, his blue eyes flashing with admiration. “Or maybe it’s me around you.”

“That’s a nice thing to say,” Mary said a little shyly, trying to ease her hand from his in case anyone was watching them. She didn’t want to give anyone the wrong idea, especially Ethan. She had never been the kind of woman to have expectations, and no matter how much she wanted to curl into this man and whisper her feelings against his chest, she wasn’t about to lay that kind of pressure on him. She may have come to a realization last night about what she had been missing, what she wanted now and how they’d both been stuck in a past that had ruled their actions. But Ethan might not have come to any realizations except that the two of them had just had great sex.

Whatever his beliefs, Ethan held firm to Mary’s hand as they walked over to the bar, greeting guests along the way. It was odd. In all the years Mary had been one of NRR’s partners, she’d never felt like an actual wife to a client, or wanted to be, until today. For brief moments she even caught herself imagining that she and Ethan were a couple as they circled the crowd.

“I should go and speak with the chef,” she told Ethan after about twenty minutes of crowd watching. “We’re running low on a few things.”

Ethan nodded but didn’t release her hand immediately. “Before you go, I have to ask you something.”

“Okay.”

“I feel like an ass-a romantic ass.”

“A whole new thing for you?”

“You bet.” Chuckling, he drove a hand through his hair. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

Pleasure circled her belly, and she grinned at him. “I seem to remember us agreeing to something…after the party ended.”

He gave her a mock scowl. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you do. Should I refresh your memory?”

“If you say one word about that conversation, I’ll have to take drastic action.”

Biting her lip to keep from laughing, she said, “After the party ended we were both supposed to-”

Before she could say another word, Ethan hauled her into his arms and kissed her hard and quick. “Don’t make me take this to an obscene level in front of all these people,” he warned against her mouth. “I’ll ruin my reputation.”

Mary laughed, a warm, rich sound that totally conveyed how happy he was making her in that moment. “Wasn’t I supposed to take off just as soon as the last guest departed?”

“Oh, you asked for it,” he said wickedly, taking her hand and slipping behind the bar where it was shady and devoid of party guests.

In seconds Mary had her arms around his neck as he kissed her with all the passion of the night before. When they finally came up for air, Ethan’s eyes were glazed and hot and his voice was ragged with emotion. “Whatever we have going here, I want more of it.”

All she could do was kiss him, passionately and without holding back.

He held her face in his hands. “Tell me you want that, too.”

“I want that, but I’m a little scared.”

“Of what?”

“All that’s happened.”

“That’s over, Mary. Can’t we decide to forget about it and leave it in the past?”

“I think we’ve both left too much in the past. Don’t you think it’s time to deal with it?”

His brow furrowed with frustration just as a loud trill erupted from Mary’s pants pocket. With a quick look of apology, she grabbed her cell phone and flipped it open. “Hello.”

“Mary, it’s your grandmother.”

“Grandmother, how are you?”

“Your grandfather has died.”

Her heart sunk into her stomach. “What?”

“The funeral is Tuesday. You’ll be here?”

“Yes, of course,” she said quickly, uncomfortable with her grandmother’s unemotional way of giving news. “How did it-”

“I will see you Tuesday,” Grace continued brusquely. “St. Agnes, downtown. 10:00 a.m.”

She hung up almost immediately after Mary said that she would see her at the church. Still in shock, Mary gripped the phone in her fist and stared at the sand.

“What’s wrong?” Ethan asked gently.

“My grandfather died.” Why was she feeling so blown away? She and Lars Harrington had never been close, but for some reason the news of his death reminded Mary of her mother’s death, and of how short life really was.

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said soberly. “How did it happen?”

“I have no idea.”

He didn’t push her for more. “When are you leaving?”

“Right away. Tonight.”

He nodded. “I’m going with you.”

“No,” she said quickly, not sure why she didn’t jump at the offer, but sensing in her gut that Ethan Curtis around her family right now might not be the greatest idea. “You have business to finish up here, people to see and deals to make. It’s the reason why we came to Mackinac Island in the first place.”