No Sweeter Love (Sweeter in the City Book 3) by Olivia Miles Page A

her that you have . . .Claire.”
    Claire turned around and gave Ethan a hooded look.
    Great. So now he was in trouble with at least two women on this stretch of property.
    Ethan shoved his hands into his pockets and stared out at the lake. He couldn’t help it; this place always put him in a bad mood. It made him out of sorts, irritable and agitated. He was on edge, saying things he shouldn’t say.
    He looked down at his shoes. Four more days. He could do it.
    They hovered outside the cottage door while his mother showed off her new window boxes, and Ethan ground on his teeth, his gaze lingering on the sunroom doors of the main house, where no doubt Amelia was already regaling the rest of the group with his insensitive behavior.
    But what about their insensitive behavior, he thought, feeling anger heat his blood. What about their little comments, their silent judgment, their sharp remarks?
    God knew it was hard enough coming back here without their commentary.
    He pulled in a breath and studied the back of Claire’s head as she obediently leaned in to smell one of the daylilies. Her blond hair glistened in the sun, and his mother slid him a smile so approving, for a brief moment Ethan felt a twinge of guilt for lying to her.
    But then he remembered the reason behind it. Thought of the reaction he’d received. The opinions they held.
    The one he was hell-bent on changing this weekend.
    “Well now, you probably want to freshen up and change before dinner,” Barbara was saying as she unlocked the door and let them pass. Ethan saw the panic in Claire’s eyes before he even felt it himself.
    The room was smaller than he’d remembered. It was hardly a cottage at all, but more of a bedroom with an en suite bathroom and a kitchenette in one corner. French doors led to a small patio that housed two Adirondack chairs and a side table, but otherwise, the accommodations lent no other seating area. The bed was covered in a simple white duvet, queen-sized, as luck would have it, and Claire’s eyes never strayed from it.
    “I see you painted the walls,” Ethan remarked, desperate to break the silence. Last time he was in here, they’d been a light green. But then, that was a long time ago, he supposed. Last summer he’d stayed in the main house. He couldn’t recall his visit before then, he realized with a start.
    His mother swept a hand over the dresser. “Grey blue. Reminds me of the fog rolling in on a summer evening. I added new throw pillows, as you can see.”
    Eventually, Claire blinked and murmured, “Beautiful. It’s just beautiful. Is this the, uh, only cottage you have on the premises?”
    “Oh, yes. It was an old boathouse before we converted it. See the rafters? Ethan used to climb those when he was little.” Barbara chuckled and shook her head fondly at Ethan. “This boy always had a way of making trouble, but then, I suppose you know that already, Claire.” She raised an eyebrow, and Claire shot him a look of naked amusement.
    “So yes, just this one small cottage, but renters love it, and I hope you will, too. It’s quiet down here, secluded, and don’t you worry, I won’t be knocking on the door to bug you two.”
    Ethan shifted uneasily on his feet, summing up the space on the floor. Thanks to a wide chest of drawers and two generous end tables, there was very little space in the room, certainly not enough to camp out on for a few nights.
    He glanced at Claire again, imagining she was making the same calculation.
    “Well, I’ll leave you to it,” his mother finally said. “Dinner is at six at Patricia’s. Casual, on the beach, if the weather holds up.” She crossed her fingers. “I know everyone is looking very forward to it,” she added with emphasis, casting Ethan a meaningful glance.
    “I’ll just go get the luggage,” Ethan said quickly, hoping to follow on his mother’s tread, but Claire just smiled and said sweetly, “No, stay for a minute. The luggage can wait.” Her gaze held