“Sounds good to me,” Ethan said, kissing her lightly and melting the tension in her limbs. She leaned into him, loving the way their bodies fit together.
“Come on,” he murmured, taking a step back and pulling her along the path.
The springs were in a small clearing, landscaped with red rocks and lit by floodlights positioned discreetly in the surrounding trees. Steam rose invitingly from the surface. “It’s beautiful, right?” Emma said, turning to Ethan.
But he wasn’t looking around, admiring the landscape. Instead he was staring at her so intently that she blushed.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
She stepped forward silently and touched his cheek, falling under the spell of the still, peaceful evening. Ethan closed his long-lashed eyes, and she traced the line of his jaw, the perfect cupid’s bow of his lips, his cheekbones.
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, more urgently this time. Her lips opened against his as his hand coiled into her hair. All other thoughts were swept from her mind. She ran her hands beneath his T-shirt, up the rigid V of his stomach muscles, before pulling the shirt off over his head. He tugged at the tank dress she’d thrown on over her bikini, leaving it on the ground with his shirt.
Their breathing was shallow and quick. She took him by the hand. Slowly, gazing into his eyes, she led him into the springs. The water roiled against her, too hot, almost painful at first. They sat on the stone bench, backs to the side of the pool.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” Ethan finally whispered.
She rested her cheek over his heart, feeling its strong pulse in his chest. “So are you,” she said. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”
“Guys like me are a dime a dozen,” he teased. “What boy doesn’t love poetry and astrophysics?” She laughed softly, but then his eyes became serious. “Emma, you’re the special one. I can’t believe I’ve found you. I can’t believe you’re mine.”
“I’m glad you did,” she murmured. “And I am yours.”
He rested his forehead against hers, gazing directly into her eyes. He took a deep breath. “Emma … I love you.”
Emma’s lips parted. She pulled back, cupping his face in her fingers. “I love you, too,” she whispered. It was all she’d ever wanted—to be loved, to find someone who understood her. To find someone she could share everything with.
They stepped into deeper water. Emma wrapped her legs around Ethan’s waist, and he held her up, carrying her toward the source of the spring, where the water was warmest. She kissed him playfully—his neck, his shoulders, his mouth. His hand traced along the back of her head, moving restlessly in her hair, then drifted downward to find the knot tying her bikini behind her neck. He fumbled with it for a moment before she realized what he was doing.
“Wait,” she gasped, catching her breath. She put a hand on his chest. Suddenly she felt exposed, and nervous.
Ethan bit his lip. “Sorry,” he said, looking ashamed. He pulled his hands away from her. She stroked a damp curl out of his eyes.
“Ethan, I just mean … I want to, but not now. It’s too public.”
His eyes darted around the clearing, studying the rocks, the surface of the water—anything but her face. “Too public for … what?” he asked shyly. “What I mean is … do you want to … are you thinking of … I would love to—”
“Yes,” Emma interrupted him. “I would love to, too.” She’d been imagining her first time with Ethan ever since they started dating, though she hadn’t been brave enough to confess it until now. She hadn’t known if she was ready either. But now, knowing that he loved her, knowing that she loved him, she was suddenly sure.
“I want to share that with you,” she went on. “I’ve never … never done that before.”
“Neither have I,” Ethan said. He cupped her chin in his hand, and she looked up into his eyes. “When the time is right, it’ll be special for both of us.”
They kissed a little more after that, but slower, without the same frenzy. Between the warmth of the water and the feeling of Ethan’s embrace, Emma had completely relaxed. Overhead, stars shimmered in the clear desert sky. A chorus of crickets serenaded them from the nearby tree branches. This was a perfect idea, Emma thought. To let go of her fear for a few minutes, to forget about all of the heartbreak and fury and terror that Becky brought with her. What would she have done if she hadn’t been able to share any of that with Ethan?
But as much as I hoped that Ethan could protect my sister, I was far from certain. Becky was unpredictable and dangerous—and she was out there somewhere in the darkness. If she had tried to run down Thayer that night in the canyon, would she try to get rid of Ethan, too?
23
HELP FROM AN UNEXPECTED SOURCE
Ethan’s house was dark when Emma dropped him off. Some of the other homes on the block already had their Christmas lights out, the red, green, and white glowing colorfully against the adobe walls even though it wasn’t even Thanksgiving yet. One family had a herd of fake reindeer on their lawn, complete with a red-nosed Rudolph and a sleigh full of poinsettias. But Ethan’s bungalow was undecorated, even neglected. Paint flaked off the siding, and the porch had one rotten step Emma almost always forgot about. It creaked ominously under her feet.
“When can I see you again?” Ethan asked, his arms coiled around her waist.
“Tomorrow at school?” she teased. He kissed her on the nose playfully.