“To bed, Ethan.” I knew that he knew I was pouting. I didn’t care. I couldn’t help how I felt—jealous, and insecure, and more than a little hurt.

“Not yet, my beauty.” He kissed behind my ear, the rough sound of desire evident in his tone. “I went to your party and played nice, and now I get my date with you on the beach that I wished to have in the first place.”

My stiffness melted at his words, and I spun around to face him, burying my face into his chest, breathing in his scent of spice and cologne that had captured me from day one. “It was an awful party,” I muttered, “I hated it.”

He stroked over my hair and kissed the top of my head. “I can see that, but I can make it better now,” he promised. “Forget about that pretentious party and come with me.”

“So, you didn’t want to stay there and talk to Carolina longer? You were obviously old friends catching up.” My spiteful words just slipped out before I could stop them.

He gave me the blank look again and tilted his head. “Baby, what does that mean?”

I shrugged. “I got the feeling that you and she were past…that the two of you had—”

His eyes grew wide before he started laughing. “Okay, I get it now. You thought that Carolina and I had gone out together.” He shook his head slowly at me. “No, baby. We’re just friends and colleagues. Besides, she’s got at least a decade on me.”

“Well, she’s still very beautiful. I doubt her age would bother a man much at all.”

He laughed at me some more. “The fact that she only does women would.”

“Oh…well, that’s good. I mean—that makes sense then. Wait, Carolina is a lesbian? That beautiful woman is not into men?”

“Nope. She bats for your team, baby. Why do you think I sat between us tonight? I didn’t want her getting even the chance to be close to my beautiful wife.” He kissed me softly, with nibbles to my lips. “Not that I’m worried that you would ever switch teams on me, but why take the chance?”

“Oh, God. Like that would ever happen.” I pushed at his chest and shook my head. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life.”

“Have you not yet learned that I don’t take chances with you, my darling? I don’t, and I never will.” His gaze was unflinching.

“I guess I’ve learned a few things tonight...” I felt like a stupid fool now, but still, the fact that Ethan had been championing me at the party instead of ignoring, soothed my fears greatly. “One of them being that this dress wasn’t a good choice for me to wear to a party.” I looked up at him sheepishly. “It is too short, and I won’t be wearing it anymore when we go out again.”

He blew out a relieved sigh. “Well, you look gorgeous in it, but I won’t deny that I appreciate your offer.” He smoothed his hands over my ass in a possessive caress. “Because this is mine,” he growled, as he descended for another slow kiss, plunging his tongue into my mouth in a demanding tangle that showed me he really meant it.

I was his.

When he reluctantly pulled his tongue out of me, I realized he wasn’t done with his explanation. “I thought I was going to have to scoop out Rogelio’s eyeballs at one point. Watching that cocksucker pant over you just about killed me. I had to turn away or he’d probably be blind right now…and I’d be locked up for mayhem in an Italian jail.” He shrugged, offering no apology for how he felt. Ethan was a very honest man. It was one of the traits in him I admired, and loved. I had just learned a valuable lesson about trust.

“Oh my God, Rogelio was disgusting. I hated him.”

“Agreed.” He kissed me on the nose. “Now let’s stop talking about that hideous party, and go have the date on the beach I want with you. Off with your shoes, Mrs. Blackstone.”

As we slipped off our shoes, I realized that Ethan had enjoyed every moment of my discomfort. The twinkling laughter in his blue eyes told me so. I couldn’t deny that Carolina’s sexual orientation relieved me, but I wasn’t dumb enough to think I wouldn’t run into some of Ethan’s former lovers in the future. It would happen, and I would have to deal with it when it did.

“What are we doing on the beach?” I asked, as he led me along the cool sand under my bare feet.

“Having our date. Trust me, baby. This is something I have all planned out for us.”

“I bet you do. I am well aware that when you say date you really mean sex—”

My words were lost as we rounded a turn in the beach path and came out onto the shore. The waves lapped at the sand with the soothing sounds of water moving against earth. A sliver of moon glowed over the water, but the real beauty was the many glass jars lit up with tea lights set out on the soft sand of the beach. What seemed like hundreds of them flickering away around a pallet of blankets and pillows. Off to one side sat a bucket of iced drinks and what appeared to be little dessert cakes on a tray with some fresh fruit.

“It’s beautiful, Ethan.” I could hardly speak as I realized what he’d done. “How did you do…this?”

He led us onto the blankets and drew me down to sit beside him. “It was my idea,” he began, “but I needed some help to pull it off. Franco got it organized while we were at the party.”

I looked around behind us, imagining if the caretaker for our villa was lurking in the dark, hoping for a glimpse.

“I know what you’re thinking, but you don’t have to worry, baby, Franco is not in the bushes watching, trust me.”

I laughed nervously. “Well, if Franco is in the bushes somewhere, I am predicting he’s gonna get one hell of a show.”

“Now that’s what I like to hear. My girl accepting the idea of a hot beach shag,” he whispered teasingly against my ear, his tongue flicking out for a lick along the shell. “You like my surprise.”

My body came instantly alive, needing him so badly. Ethan could get me hot with just the simplest look or touch. He reached up and worked on the messy knot holding up my hair and unpinned it. He was getting good at figuring out my hair. It made me smile to watch him as he found the pins and pulled them, knowing how he’d be fisting my hair in handfuls and using it to dominate when we were deep into the sex.

“You’re smiling,” he murmured, as he worked over my hair.