The Prequel to Ethan: Chapter 3

I’m writing a prequel to Ethan, which takes place seven years before the novel so you can see how Ethan and Skye met. I’m dropping a chapter every morning until the release on Friday. Enjoy!

With dinner choices completed and glasses of wine before them, Ethan relaxed in the chair and decided to learn more about Skye. “So tell me, what do you do when you’re not being stood up on a Friday night by an idiot named Joshua?”

She let out the cutest laugh, a sparkle in her brown eyes as she watched him across the table. “Instead of being angry, I guess I should be concerned. He could have had an accident or be deathly ill.”

“He better be for standing you up,” Ethan said. “But we both know neither happened, or there would have at least been a reservation at the front.”

“True,” she said, nodding slowly. “Well, when I’m not being stood up, I’m working. I started a new job recently, at a community learning center in Decatur. I love it. It’s rewarding work. We offer after school care for kids, providing snacks and organizing tutors to help them with their homework. I look forward to going to work every day.” 

Her eyes lit up and color bloomed in her cheeks as she talked about her work with the children.

“Not many people can say they enjoy their work to such a degree.”

“I know I’m lucky, believe me. I plan to work there for as long as they’ll have me. So, how did you come to own The Rose Hotel?”

Ethan chuckled. “Long story.”

“We have time before our meals arrive.” Skye rested her chin on the heel of her hand and gave him her undivided attention. 

The warmth in her eyes drew him in, and because she seemed interested, he proceeded. “I’ll give you the abridged version. My father passed away when I was little, and my mother remarried when I was ten, to this Mexican guy I didn’t like at all.”

“Uh, oh.”

“Yeah, I was that kid. He had a funny accent—at least that’s what my kid brain thought—and he wasn’t my dad. Anyway, my stepfather, Benicio, had the patience of Job and eventually, we developed a good relationship. When I graduated from high school, I wanted a car and was certain I was going to get one. Instead, he took me to an abandoned property. The yard was overgrown with weeds and the house looked like crap. It was a shell of a place—boarded up and more or less falling apart.”

He could see his storytelling intrigued her. She hung on every word as he spoke.

“He told me I could have the car, or I could have this place, and he’d help me fix it up. When I turned a profit, I could buy my own car.”

“You chose the house,” Skye said, lifting her white wine.

“Not at first. Remember, I was eighteen.”

She paused with the glass almost to her lips and laughed. The sound was like a punch in the gut. It filled his ears with an almost musical quality, and for two seconds he forgot the rest of the story, having to shake off the haze before he continued.

“Anyway, we went to the dealership, and he was about to plunk down twelve grand for a used car, whereas that rundown place he could get for ten grand. Much as I wanted a car, which I’d been dreaming about since I turned sixteen, something told me I should get the property. So, we left the dealership without the car.  

“Benicio gave me the deed to the property and a loan to fix it up. I had to do a lot of the work myself, hired friends to help me, and consulted my stepfather from time to time. By the end of the summer, I had a two-bedroom, one bath house rented out and earning income. Ever since then, I’ve been fascinated by real estate.”

Skye’s eyebrows lifted higher. “Amazing.”

“As for this hotel, a while back, I heard the owners were teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and bought the place at a discount. Renovated it and reopened under its new name—The Rose Hotel. Named after my mother. The rest is history.”

“I want a hotel named after me,” Skye teased, with a sexy pout. 

Ethan smiled, imagining the many ways he could indulge in the pleasures of that mouth. 

“My mother deserved it. Things were rough after my father passed, and she worked hard for us.”

“You said ‘us.’ How many siblings do you have?”

Ethan shifted in the chair, relaxing as the conversation continued. “There were three of us before my mother married Benicio—me and two younger sisters. Benicio had three sons.”

“Three and three, like the Brady Bunch.” 

He’d heard similar comments many times before. “Something like that. There are seven of us now. My mother and Benicio had a son. Do you have any siblings?” He sipped his wine. 

Her mood shifted right away, and her eyes saddened. “My parents passed away when I was seventeen. Car accident. I was their only child and very spoiled.”

“I’m sorry,” Ethan said.

He had a sudden need to return the smile to her face and put the sparkle back in her eyes. 

“Thank you,” she whispered. 

The moment passed, and their conversation continued. He learned she wasn’t a morning person and had an aversion to snakes and lizards. He shared he was an early morning person and had a severe shellfish allergy. 

He talked way more about himself than usual. After a bitter divorce, he’d become cynical about relationships. Putting monogamy on the back burner, he changed women often and didn’t allow a single one of them to get too close, never allowing them to venture deeper than the surface. 

But Skye was… different, somehow. She not only intrigued him, she drew him in. She was easy to talk to, and he didn’t mind opening up to her in a way he didn’t usually when he first met a woman. 

Their food arrived. A grilled pork chop with a curry ginger rub and apple slaw for her, and a ribeye, potatoes, and steamed vegetables for him.

After a couple of bites, Skye nodded her head. “This is delicious. Juicy and very flavorful.” She cut off another piece of meat.

“The chefs here are excellent. Matter of fact, save room for dessert. We have an extensive dessert menu.”

She looked up with interest. “Tell me you have cheesecake. That’s my favorite dessert.” 

“You’ll love our cheesecake. It’s the best in the city.” 

“The best?” She quirked an eyebrow, a playful gleam in her eyes. “That’s quite a bold statement.”

“It’s the truth,” Ethan said. 

“I’ll be the judge of that.” 

He didn’t say another word, knowing the pastry chef he’d hired away from the Ritz-Carlton created such delicious desserts, her reputation was part of the reason they remained booked solid on the weekends. 

After the meal, Ethan passed on dessert, opting for a cup of coffee only. Skye ordered a New York cheesecake with cherry topping. He watched her slice into the rich dessert and place a forkful in her mouth. Then he waited, right hand on the table, fingers curled into the handle of his cup. 

Her eyes crossed. “Oh. My. Goodness. Okay, this might be the best cheesecake I’ve ever eaten.” She took another bite and swallowed it with a groan of contentment. Nodding vigorously, she added, “Yes, definitely the best.” 

Ethan spread the fingers of his left hand, as if to say, I told you so. “I never lie.”

She laughed a little. “Never?” 

“Let’s just say I avoid lying at all costs and hate being lied to,” he said, voice grim. The confession chilled the fuzzy warm feeling he’d savored during the meal. 

Skye tilted her head to the side, studying him. “Someone you cared about lied to you, and there were terrible consequences.” She made a statement, but Ethan heard the underlying need for confirmation. 

His jaw clenched. He would not be sharing ancient history with her. He signaled for the waitress to bring the check, and she hurried over and then left them alone again. 

Ethan stuffed bills into the leather portfolio, while Skye scraped the last of the cheesecake from her plate. 

“They make you pay even though you’re the boss?” She placed her fork on the plate and dabbed her mouth with the white cloth napkin. 

Her gaze met his uncertainly across the table, and he realized with a pang that he’d created tension between them by his refusal to address her comment.  

To get the night back on track, he offered a smile and lifted the black case to draw the attention of the server. “The meal is free, but the service is not. I still have to take care of my people.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Connor,” the waitress said, taking the portfolio. “Is there anything else I can get for you and your guest?”

“That will be all. Thank you.” 

“I wish you both a good evening.” The young woman left them alone.

Skye smiled at him. “Everything was delicious. The meal, the to-die-for cheesecake. Thank you very much. You turned around my horrible night, and this view makes it even nicer.” She turned her gaze to the street below. 

“There’s an even better view in my suite upstairs.” 

“Excuse me?”

Crossing one leg over the other, Ethan maintained eye contact. “You heard me.” 

Silence blanketed the table, and anticipation knotted at the base of his spine as he waited for her to come up with a response. 

“Was that an invitation?” she asked, voice soft—but not hesitant. She was flirting with him. 

He sat forward, leaning closer. “Yes. Only if you’re interested in continuing our conversation in a quieter setting—and, of course, if you’d like to see that magnificent view.” 

“What makes you so sure I’ll join you?” She seemed genuinely curious to know what had prompted his invitation. 

“Unless I’ve grown terrible at reading signals, I’d say there is a mutual attraction here.”

“A mutual attraction doesn’t mean I want to join you in your suite.” 

“No, it doesn’t. But you will,” Ethan said.

Skye laughed and shook her head. Then, as if she’d come to a decision, she heaved out a breath and licked her lips. Ethan followed the movement of her pink tongue. 

“I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said. 

“Okay,” he replied, unperturbed by her statement. 

Now that she’d agreed to join him, he promised himself that before the night was over, his tongue would trace the same path her tongue had traveled over her lovely mouth. His teeth would tug on her lush lower lip. And his hands would explore her curves in detail. 

“Ready to see the view?” Ethan asked, pushing back his chair.

“Yes, I’m ready.” 

They both stood and made their way to the exit.

___________

Ethan arrives on January 28, 2022.

Buy links: Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon CA | BN | Apple | Kobo | Google Play

Join my Readers Lounge to participate in the release party on January 28 and the book chat on February 10.

The Prequel to Ethan: Chapter 4