Page 97 of Watch Me

“I haven’t decided.”

“You should,” Ireplied.

She looked at her phone in her hands. “It’s still early in Denver.”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “You can call me to come back if you need me. We’re just down the street.”

She sighed. “I’ll be fine.”

“Okay.” I gave her one last hug before Ethan and Ileft.

When we got back to the room, I showered while Ethan worked. I wasn’t sure if this was a new Ethan or if it was because of me, but I knew that Jessica had wanted a divorce because Ethan had chosen work over her. I wanted to believe it was because of me as a person—the love of his life—and not because he thought that I would leave himtoo.

“Almost done?” I asked as I came out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped aroundme.

“Almost.” He hit a few keys, and I came up behind him and ran my hand down his chest. “Are you trying to get in my pants, Buttercup?”

I smirked. “Maybe.”

In one quick move, he spun around in the desk chair and pulled the end of the towel, causing it to fall to the carpeted floor. “Looks like I got in yours first.”

I chuckled. “Yeah, and what are you going to do about it?”

Ethan stood and picked me up, my legs wrapping around his hips. “Do you remember the only other time we’ve been in a hotel room together?”

“How could I forget?” I leaned down and placed my lips onto his.

The time he was referring to was the May before I graduated high school. We told my parents that I was going to stay at my friend Rebekah’s house, but we really drove to Indianapolis to watch the Indy 500 all day. Literally all day long. We stayed in a hotel the night before the race and drove home after it. The night in the hotel was the one night when we didn’t have to worry about parents catching us, being fast, or being quiet. It was a night I’d never forget because, not only did we spend the whole nightconnected, it was the night I knew for sure that I wanted to spend every night for the rest of my life withhim.

Before Ethan placed me onto the bed, he stopped and turned back around.

“What are you doing?” Iasked.

He closed the laptop. “Just in case.”

“Just in case what?” And then it hit me. “I thought you caught the person.”

“We did. But you never know who could be watching.”

I shivered at the thought. “That’s creepy.”

“Yeah, it is.” He captured my lips again, and all thoughts of someone watching turned off just like the closedlaptop.

My back hit the mattress as our mouths worked together. We were starved for each other. What if the killer had killed me, and I would have no longer been able to kiss his lips, feel his breath on my skin, love him? “Thank you.” I broke our lips apart because I needed to tell him. I wasn’t sure if I had thanked him for saving my daughter or not. Everything was still ablur.

He pulled his head. “For what?”

“With Maddie.”

“Baby”—he rose onto his heels—“you never need to thank me for saving or protecting either one of you.”

“I know. It’s just all …”

“Shh, it’s okay. Everyone’s okay.” He brushed my dark hair behind myear.

“I know.” I wanted to tell him thatthistime everyone was okay, but I also wanted to forget for the time being. So instead of saying anything further, I started to push his boxers off of his hips, but Ethan stopped me. He got off the bed and rummaged in his bag. He pulled out a condom, stepped out of his boxers, and sheathed himself.

“On your belly, baby.”