Falling for Sarah by Cate Beauman Read Free Book Online Page B

ring and go to voicemail. The lights blazed bright in her house, so she wasn’t in bed. Any fear that harm had come to her ended as he watched her silhouette pass one of the large picture windows in her living room.
    Ethan got out of his Rover, slammed the door in frustration, walked up the lighted path to the entrance. He rang the bell. When she didn’t answer, he pounded. “Come on, Sarah, open the door.” The side of his fist hit glossy wood once more. “Screw this.”
    It was time they talked. In the past twenty-four hours, Sarah had become a mystery. Their calm, steady friendship had all but vanished. He thought of the moment on the deck when he’d held her close, when their eyes had met and he’d fought the urge to kiss her. She’d tried to pull away, but not before he saw the flash of confused curiosity. Something had changed.
    He took his phone from his pocket, dialed his office switchboard.
    “Ethan Cooke Security, this is Mia.”
    “Hey, Mia, this is Ethan Cooke. I need an override number for 555 Seacoast Drive, Pacific Palisades.”
    “I’ll need your Identification number, Mr. Cooke.”
    “884-echo-1-alpha-bravo.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Cooke. Would you like me to override the system for you?”
    “Yes, please.” The red light blinked twice before flashing green through the sheer curtain on Sarah’s front door.
    “You should be all set, Mr. Cooke.”
    “Yes, thank you. Re-arm the panel in thirty seconds, please.”
    “Yes, Mr. Cooke.”
    “Have a good night, Mia.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Cooke.”
    He hung up, slid his spare key in the door, walked into Sarah’s house. He waited for the double beep and blink of the red light on the panel before moving toward the sounds coming from the kitchen.
    Ethan lost the train of his rant when he stopped in the doorway. The floral scent of Sarah surrounded him, knotting his stomach with desire. She moved about in a pale pink, spaghetti strapped nightshirt that skimmed the top of her firm thighs. Strands of hair escaped the loose bun piled high on her head. She hummed along with the radio as she placed a teabag in a mug and filled it.
    Clearing his throat, Ethan stepped forward. Sarah whirled around with a muffled scream, and he caught her fist in his palm before it made contact with his face. The momentum sent him back a step, slamming him against the refrigerator. Sarah collided into his chest, and he grabbed her hips, steadying her.
    “Jesus, Ethan, you scared me to death. What are you doing here?”
    He moved his hands up, skimming her slim waist beneath soft, cotton fabric before he let her go. “We need to talk, and you wouldn’t answer your phone or the damn door.”
    “I don’t want to talk. That’s why I didn’t answer my phone or the damn door.”
    Silence filled the room as mutinous eyes stared into his. Her cheeks were flushed with rare temper, and he wanted her. He ground his teeth, turned away, fiddled with a chunky letter ‘A’ on the refrigerator.
    With a miffed huff, Sarah stormed off toward her bedroom.
    Ethan shut his eyes, rested his forehead against the cool white of the new appliance. What was he doing ? When he heard her footsteps heading back in his direction, he turned.
    She was tying the pale blue robe she wore the night before. “How did you get in here anyway? I locked the door and armed my system.”
    “It helps when you have a key and own the security company protecting you. I called and had your system deactivated until I got inside.” Choosing to embellish his story, he continued, “Since you wouldn’t respond to any of my attempts, I figured you might be in trouble.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “That’s pathetic, Ethan. You knew I was perfectly fine.”
    “No, I didn’t. You haven’t been fine for the last two days. One minute you’re happy, the next you’re sad. Then you’re hugging me, and the next you’re angry. I can’t keep up.”
    “I’m allowed to be off on occasion. You don’t get to own the title of