Page 88 of Four Times Taken

"The one and only," he said.

"Oh my goodness," I recoiled. "You're so cheesy."

"Hey, there ain't nothing cheesy about Taylor Swift." He flashed me a playful look.

"Says you," I grumbled.

"Listen to the lyrics." He spun me around, and I watched with my cheeks on fire as he sang along to the words of the song, 'Timeless.'

My heart enlarged, and my cringe was soon replaced with realization. My eyes filled with tears, and I'm shocked as my feet moved along with him, outside, in the broad daylight, where anyone could see. And it hit me, what did I have to be embarrassed about? People witnessing me falling in love? I had felt stupid for loving Marco, but I didn't feel stupid for loving any of these men. So what if I still didn't know them all well enough or whether this would blow up in my face in the end. It didn't change the reasons I had to love them now. We're creating more reasons, more memories, and more history every single day, even in this. I think this might have been the first time I'd danced with someone sober, in public.

I already had a thousand reasons to love him for the kindness he'd shown me, for the grace he'd extended to my mother, for his selflessness, his generosity, the way his hands on my body lit me up. I had nothing to be ashamed of. So what if people saw me gushing in the face of this man.

"I love you too," I confessed.

"Do you or are you just saying it back?" he asked, rubbing his nose against mine.

"I do." I nodded, wiping away the tears, and he kissed me in such a tender way, my heart exploded.

When the music ended, I went to rest my head against his naked chest, and he jerked away. "I'm a sweaty mess," he warned.

"I don't care." I snuggled against him, comforted by the warmth of his skin, the firm pillows of his chest.

"You know, I'm kind of glad I have you all to myself," he admitted, stroking my hair. "I don't think I've had you all to myself."

"Then how can you be sure you love me?" I asked.

"I just do. I lied when I said I loved you since seeing you at the Women's Shelter," he confessed, and my heart paused its pumping for a moment, until he clarified. "That day was when it was proven to me. But I think I loved you from the first moment I saw you, when you stepped into that park in that dark-purple dress and lipstick to match. My heart stopped. I was devastated when I found out you belonged to Eric."

"Hey," I corrected him. "I belong to no one. I choose who I share myself with." I looked up into his eyes to make sure he understood me.

"Oh, that's right." He grinned. "My apologies. Man, I'm so damn thankful you chose to share yourself with me. I still can't believe the way things unfolded, that we're standing here like this." He reached down to brush his hand through my hair.

"I can't believe it either. Besides, I was a jerk to Eric on that day. There's no way you didn't think that." My stomach turned from the regret of the pain I caused Eric that day, because I thought he deliberately tried to hurt me. Of course he didn't.

Ethan squirmed, smiling with one eye shut. "I mean, I won't say I didn't," he admitted. "For a tiny bit. But as I said, that moment I heard your truth up on that stage, I saw the real you. You were no longer just Eric's Lily to me. You were you, and I knew I was damned, because I knew I'd already fallen deep, and there was no way of getting out of it."

"Well, thank goodness Eric is so open," I breathed.

"Oh." He nodded. "I've never been more grateful to Eric, for meeting Eric, after our friendship led us to you. Am I making sense?"

"I don't know. I mean, I'm sure there are other reasons you're grateful for having Eric in your life." I played dumb.

"Yeah." He nodded. "But you top all the other reasons." He dipped to kiss me, and I fell into him. If it weren't so bright out, I'd be all over him. There are some things I might be okay with doing in broad daylight, even toeing the line with Matt and me earlier, but I don't think rolling around on the grass is one of them.

"You know." I broke the kiss to rub my hands over his broad, bulky shoulders. It's like he walked out of a catalogue. He removed his fogged-up glasses, and I delighted in his brown eyes, losing my train of thought for a moment.

"What is it?" His hands left my waist to brush over my ass cheeks popping out of these booty shorts.

I swallowed. "They uh..." I struggled to focus with the callus of his fingers brushing against my soft skin. My breath shook as I found the words. "They advise that we should top up with some sunscreen after staying out in the sun for too long. You haven't topped up yet, have you?"

He grinned, playing along. "No. I don't think I have."

I nodded. "Right. So, I uh, think I have some sunscreen inside. If you come inside, I can help you apply, all over your body."

"Everywhere?" he asked.

"Yeah. You'd be surprised how badly sun can burn you beneath your clothes. You have to protect everywhere." I cleared my throat.

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