Rachel couldn’t quite understand why Ryan said those words like they hurt. It was a good thing that he could get along with his assistant. Unless he liked her romantically, that would complicate things and she knew Ryan didn’t want to do complicated when it came to his professional life. Very much like Ethan and Gabriel, the man wanted to be in control of things. A complicated relationship with his assistant was a no-no in Ryan’s book.
“Romantically?”
Ryan let out a displeased noise, “Yes.”
“Fire her.”
Ryan’s shocked look was comical, but she knew laughing at him at this sensitive moment would only make him feel worse. So she tried to keep her face void of any emotion, keeping herself busy with slowly sipping her coffee.
“I can’t just fire her and it surprises me you’d even recommend that.”
“It was kind of a joke.” She shrugged, “Maybe this tension between you two is what caused you to take an interest in her. Maybe you should take a lovely woman out on a date to take your mind off things. Who knows, maybe you even forget about the assistant whose guts you hated the minute she sat down in your old assistant’s chair.”
Ryan’s lips twitched, “Maybe?”
She laughed, “I was being kind of serious this time.”
“I get what you were trying to say.” Ryan told her, “And maybe I will ask a lovely woman out.”
Rachel placed her empty cup down, making funny faces at Ava who cried out in laughter. The little girl hugged her elephant toy close to her and started to nibble on the toy’s head again.
“She puts everything in her mouth, doesn’t she?” Ryan asked her.
“Yes.” Rachel admitted tiredly, “Who doesn’t like to be covered in drool? You have no idea how many times I need to change her clothes because she eats her own sleeves. You can’t roll up those sleeves forever, you know.”
Ryan chuckled, brushing his fingers over Ava’s cheek, “I can’t believe Ethan agreed to you meeting me without him being present.”
“I more or less made him agree to it.” She didn’t want to tell Ryan the details, she didn’t play fair she was well aware of that, “I’ll make it up to him tonight.”
Ryan made a face at her, “Don’t need to know about that.”
They discussed Ryan’s dating options, it wasn’t like the guy needed to go out of his way to impress a woman. He had so many women lined up, waiting to receive a call from him. She would never forget the day Valerie walked into Emma’s Haven with Ryan on her trail. The reactions Ryan received was insane. Finding Ryan Parker a date proved to be an easy job. By the time she left Emma’s Haven, it was nearing five in the evening. When she got home she fed Ava, changed her diaper and let her have a nap while she prepared dinner. Ethan would get home soon, she wanted to go all out and surprise him. This time their romantic dinner would go perfectly.
***
After a candlelit dinner and sharing a cup of hot chocolate together on the couch, Rachel got ready for bed while Ethan took care of Ava. She knew Ethan expected to find her curled up in bed while wearing one of her fluffy PJs, barely awake because of a tiring day. She had other plans tonight though. She exchanged her fluffy PJs for lavender colored lingerie. She let her hair down, freshened up her make-up and spritzed on some perfume. She covered her body up with a silk robe. Once she was confident enough to seduce her fiancé she left the bathroom. Ethan was still occupied with putting Ava to bed. It gave her plenty of time to set the mood in their bedroom. She lit her scented candles, sat down on the edge of their bed and waited for Ethan to join her. A smile spread across her face when her fiancé did walk in and stared at her in genuine surprise. He closed the door behind him, staying rooted in front of the closed door.
“I was thinking I’d give you what you want.”
He folded his arms across his chest, the white shirt tightening around his shoulders and arms which made her want to trail her fingers over them. She stayed seated though, not wanting to ruin the moment.
“It’s a bribe.”
She crossed her legs, showing off skin which peeked through her robe. Ethan couldn’t help but to trail his eyes down her legs. His confidence falling apart right in front of her. She smirked when he stepped closer to her and placed a hand upon her knee.
“It’s not, can’t I spoil you every once in a while?” She asked him quietly.
He looked conflicted, he didn’t buy her words but he couldn’t just brush them off either. Not giving him time to ponder over that, she reached for his belt and undid it. The sound of his zipper getting pulled down causing him to snap out of his thoughts.
“Rache?”
“How about you sit down?” She asked him.
When he wasn’t moving, she got to her feet and pushed him down on their bed. She crawled on top of him and covered his lips with hers, not giving him time to speak let alone think. She trailed her hands over his chest, undoing the buttons of his shirt carefully. Awfully slow she trailed kisses down his neck, slowly kissing down to his chest. She felt his heart race, while his breathing deepened. The rush she was feeling by being in control of Ethan was indescribable. She teased him, leaving a trail of kisses down from his chest to his boxers which were peeking out of his pants. She grabbed onto the waistband of his boxers and pulled them down. A rough sound left her fiancé lips when she grabbed onto his erection, slowing rubbing him up and down. The whining sounds which came from him making her like being in control even more. She was getting so into it, leaning in to take him in her mouth when Ethan suddenly sat up. Her surprised eyes met his gaze, her breathing hitching in her throat when she realized how determined he looked. Her heart raced, Ethan was back to being his dominant self. The rush of wetness between her thighs soaking her panties.
“That’s enough, Rache.” He warned her, his tone firm.
He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, his lips covering hers. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, barely giving her time to respond. She was about to wrap her arms around his neck when he pushed her down on their bed and got up. He stood at the end of their bed, watching her while he kicked off his shoes and took care of his shirt and pants. He tossed the pieces of clothing carelessly aside. The promise in his eyes causing the anticipation to build in her stomach. She reached for the knot of her robe and undid it, a smirk spreading across Ethan’s face when he took her in from head to toe.
“You’re beautiful.” The roughness in his voice keeping her on edge.
“You don’t look so bad yourself.”
He chuckled, covering her with his body while he laced his fingers into her hair. He tilted her head back, kissed her gently on the lips and then trailed down his kisses to her neck. She wrapped her arms around him, inviting him to continue. Unlike her, he didn’t tease her until she lost her mind. He gave her what she wanted without her needing to ask for it. When he pulled his fingers away from her he settled between her legs and slowly entered her. He moved his hips, keeping the pace slow. It was torture, but he made up for it by kissing her a lot. She felt comfortable in his arms, his gentle kisses and touches making her feel cherished. She didn’t give him what he jokingly asked for that morning, but they had all night. She’d eventually get to that if he’d let her.