A Picture's Worth
Copyright© 2026 by Evie Olivia Niven
Chapter 13: Giving in to Temptation
The plan, as Ethan knew it, was to leave on July fifth. The vacation was for two weeks, which meant they should be back before Sada gave birth. I hope Alastair doesn’t have a heart attack over this, he thought, chuckling as he watched his cousin. She might just kill him if he doesn’t leave off. Alastair was intent on tending to her every need, but he was becoming a little stifling in the meantime. Personally, Ethan thought it was sweet, but he could understand why it was getting to her, too.
Oddly enough, Quinn and Xandri had volunteered to stay home with Alastair and Sada. They traveled a lot, apparently, due to art shows and jobs, not to mention just regular vacations. I wonder if Bea is going, Ethan thought, frowning. He’d kind of wanted to ask her along, but he didn’t really think it was his place; besides, why wouldn’t she be going? As far as he could tell, she was as much family as he was. In some ways more so, since they’d known her longer.
“This is exactly what we need,” Sydney was saying. She sat on the couch next to Elijah—as per usual—and was talking with Aislinn, who sat in the armchair off to the left. “Starting college in the fall is nerve-wracking. We really appreciate this.”
Aislinn smiled. “College isn’t so bad,” she told them. “If Gabriel can survive it, you two should have no problem.”
“Where is he, anyway?” Ethan asked. “I was hoping to ask him about something...”
“I’m afraid he’s at the center,” Aislinn answered. “He has some things to wrap up before we leave. If you stick around, he should be home in time for dinner.”
Ethan shook his head. “I uh... I’m meeting Bea tonight...”
He really wished the whole room wouldn’t come to attention when he said such things. It was bad enough with Chase and Bailey teasing him all the time. Grumbling beneath his breath, Ethan turned away and headed for the door. He heard laughter behind him; he knew it was good-natured, but it still irked him a little. With a sigh, he stepped out into the heat of the day, groaning as the humidity nearly sucked the air out of him. I’ll be glad to get home, Ethan thought, as he slid into his car. I think I’ll sit directly in front of my A.C. until Bea arrives.
They were planning to spend the evening in, since it was so hot. Bea’s little apartment had only fans, and while she seemed not to mind it, it was much more comfortable at his place. Even her car didn’t have A.C. And speaking of her car... Ethan thought, frowning as he climbed out of his own. Why was Bea’s car here already? Concern filled him suddenly. He made his way quickly up to his apartment, taking the stairs two at a time.
He found her sitting outside his apartment, leaning against the wall. For a moment, he thought she must have been swimming or something; her hair was so damp with sweat. Bea turned her head at the sound of his approach and smiled weakly at him. Moving quickly, Ethan unlocked the apartment door, then scooped her up and carried her in. He’d left the A.C. running, so it was much cooler inside. Bea let out a sigh of relief as he set her down on the couch.
“The electricity is out at my place,” she explained, as he headed into the kitchen to get her a glass of water. “My stupid landlord didn’t pay the bill again... ugh!”
Ethan carried the glass back to her and handed it to her. He watched her, finding himself fascinated by the way her eyelashes lowered as she drank. She’s practically dehydrated, he thought, groaning, and all I can think of is how much I want to take her into my room and... agh! Bea finished half the glass in one go, then sank down on the couch, resting wearily against it. She wore only a thin camisole and a pair of short shorts. Ethan’s eyes kept wandering downward, and he kept having to force them back to her face.
“Sorry,” Bea said, smiling faintly. “I guess... I didn’t know where else to go...”
Ethan knelt beside the couch and reached over to gently brush her hair away from her face. “It’s fine,” he assured her, smiling down at her. “You should know I won’t mind if you come here when something like this happens.”
She reached up and caught hold of his hand, cradling it between hers. Ethan noticed a sadness in her jade-green eyes, something he’d seen a lot in the last few days. When she looked like that, he wanted to do anything he possibly could to make her feel better. Right now, it was more than that, though. As her grip on his hand loosened, he let it fall to her stomach and slide up along her ribs. Bea’s breath caught in her throat as he leaned down, brushing his lips lightly over her earlobe. Ethan had been well aware, that time in the parking lot, of just how that made her squirm.
“How come every time I find you, you’re hot and sweaty?” he asked, his voice low.
“Maybe you have a sense for it,” Bea teased, reaching over and burying her fingers in his hair. “Or maybe that’s just how you want me to be.”
“Maybe,” Ethan agreed, nipping at her earlobe. He pulled back then, and she whimpered in disappointment. “But something tells me you’ll be much happier if you have a shower.”
Bea sighed. “You’re probably right. Help me up?”
Ethan took the glass from her, set it down on the coffee table, and helped her to her feet. He let his hand linger for a moment in hers and smiled when he saw her cheeks turn slightly red. As Bea disappeared into the bathroom, he dropped down onto the couch with a sigh. What the hell am I going to do? he wondered, running his fingers back through his hair. I can’t take much more of this. It was not easy holding himself back. And lately, Ethan was beginning to wonder why he held himself back the way he did.
It was hard not to be wary after what he’d gone through. His family assumed he’d been cheated on, but if they knew the truth, they were bound to be more than a little shocked. He imagined even Bea would be surprised. And yet ... Ethan thought, pursing his lips, I wonder if it would bother her or not? He knew the fear of letting go of something in order to hold onto it. This time, it was holding on that he feared.
Bea had to admit, the shower perked her up a little. She’d been feeling rather down lately, and when the electricity had cut out this morning, she’d just about had a nervous breakdown. Somehow, she’d managed to make it through most of the day, but finally, she’d given up and headed to Ethan’s. He’s in quite a mood today, Bea thought, as she stepped out of the bathroom. Too bad it probably won’t last, knowing him. She wondered where he was, anyway; she didn’t see him in the living room or kitchen.
Since she needed to borrow some of his clothes anyway—no easy feat, considering how much larger he was than her—she headed into the bedroom. Ethan was there, sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands. Frowning, Bea climbed up onto the bed with him. She leaned against his back, wrapping her arms around him, and resting her head against his shoulder. It was easy to feel the heat of his body through his shirt and the towel she was wearing. Suddenly, she found herself wondering if getting this close to him was such a good idea.
“Are you okay?” Bea asked. “What are you doing in here?”
“Thinking,” Ethan told her. He half-turned and looked up at her. “Bea... this might seem a little odd, but... what do you want out of life? I mean...”
“I want a home,” Bea said. This was not exactly the sort of thing she liked to talk about, but for Ethan, she didn’t mind so much. She slipped down onto the bed next to him, leaning against him. “That’s why I live like I do. I’m saving up to buy my own home. So I’ll never have to scramble for rent or anything like that again.”
“That will take a long time,” Ethan said quietly.
Bea reached over to toy with a lock of his hair. “I know,” she said, shrugging. “But when something—or someone—means that much to you, it’s worth waiting for.”
He turned suddenly, catching her around the waist and dragging her against him. Bea’s eyes widened in surprise as his mouth covered hers. Despite the urgency of his touch, however, his mouth was gentle, coaxing her lips slowly open. She threw her arms around him, holding onto him tightly as he lowered her back onto the bed. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. Bea almost cried out in frustration when he pulled away a moment later and rose to his feet. Ethan looked unsettled and restless.
“What?” Bea asked, frowning.
“I um ... should probably run to the store,” Ethan said. He cleared his throat and looked away.
Bea’s eyebrows rose. “For wh- ... oh.”
I’m not sure I like this, she thought, biting her lip. If it’s just because he wants to, then fine, but ... Sighing, she patted the bed next to her. One great thing about being so tiny was she didn’t have to worry about her towel slipping. Ethan dropped gracelessly onto the bed next to her, looking a little pale. Damnit, Bea thought, rising onto her knees. She reached over, catching his face in her hands, and forcing him to look at her. Despite his obvious nerves, there was something in his dark eyes, something intense, that made her shiver.
“I want to,” Ethan said quietly, as if reading her mind. “Just...”