Chapter 31
Fiona
Ethan steps closer, his eyes softening and a frown pulling at his lips.
“I was dealing with confidential business that I don’t share with anyone except family and the select few people close to me,”
he tells me.
Doubt creeps in like a spider crawling up my spine and over my shoulder. Why do I feel like he’s brushing me off?
Studying his face, I find the same hard, blank features that give away no indication of what he’s thinking. Something in my mind tells me he’s not being truthful, and I can’t help but wonder if it’s about another woman.
If not Angela, is there someone else?
Would he propose a contract relationship then hide it if he found someone else? If anything, I see Ethan as the type of man who would at least tell me or break off the contract before being with someone else. He was the one, after all, who said we couldn’t see anyone else.
“I admit I don’t manage communication well, but I didn’t mean to ignore you.”
“I called you five times and sent more than seven messages,” I tell him, I find it hard to believe he didn’t get any of them. If he didn’t have time to answer them immediately, fine, but he could’ve answered when he finished working.
“And these weren’t messages to check in or to complain,” I say, turning and crossing my arms over my chest. “I was in danger and hurt. I don’t have anyone else in my life that I can reach out to for help.”
Everyone, except Isla, abandoned me. My father is so full of greed that he refuses to help me. My husband is unfaithful and untrustworthy that turning to him would do more harm than good. Jessica is out of the picture as well. She’d probably cheer the bikers on if she had the chance, if her recent attitude is anything to go by.
Isla did what she could, but it would have been nice to have at least one other person in my corner.
Two hands cup my cheeks and lift my face gently, bringing my eyes to his.
“I should’ve answered. When I’m home for business, I don’t have my phone with me. My family’s land is in the middle of a dead zone, so phones don’t work, and I was in a rush to get back here that I didn’t check my messages,” he explains, his thumb brushing along my cheek. I struggle to focus as he touches me. Jeez.
It’s like my body stops working when his hands are on me.
“If I’d known, I would have come back immediately,” he says softly. The tender tone in his voice tames a bit of my anger, and the rest of my fire is put out when he leans in and gently rests his forehead to mine. “I’m sorry you had to go through that, but it won’t happen again. No one will hurt you again.”
“How can you promise that, Ethan? We’re not exactly in a genuine relationship,” I mutter, pulling away. I need a bit of space to breathe and think. It’s like he knows that his touch messes with my head.
Plus, why would he promise that? I can’t depend on a promise like that no matter how much I want to.
“I told you I would support you and help you.”
I sigh. I need someone in my corner, and as tempting as it is to accept him fully, I still feel like something is off or wrong. For one, our relationship. Second, he’s hiding something.
“Could we start with better communication between us?”
2500 ་ངས་ ་བ འངས
Chapter 31
“Of course.” He nods and looks down at my hand again.
I look down, too, wondering what he sees. Does he see a weak girl who couldn’t help herself, or does he see a survivor who made it through a dangerous attack?
“Are you okay, now, though?” He asks, gently taking my injured wrist and changing the subject. The change in his mood is starting to hurt my head, and I wish he would just pick one side and stick with it.
Choosing to fight that battle at another time, I focus on my wrist.
“The doctor told me the concussion is fine, but the wrist fracture will take up to six weeks to heal,” I inform him, leaving out all the boring explanation that the doctor gave me. “The cast will come off sometime after that if it’s fully healed.”
“Does it still hurt?”
Shaking my head. I look up at him. “No, but Angela was right about one thing. It does slow me down with my work.”
Ethan growls softly, the rumble almost soothing to my frayed nerves. For a second, I find myself slightly leaning in, but I hold back. I can’t let him affect me like this.
“Fuck Angela. Nothing she says matters here.”
The intensity in his voice makes my inner romantic perk up, and I shove her away. He probably doesn’t mean anything by
that.
But it feels like he does, the inner romantic whispers. He may even want a real relationship.
Testing his sincerity, I take a step forward and softly run my good hand up Ethan’s forearm. His eyes track the movement, but he doesn’t move. Actually, he shifts closer with the tiniest movement that I almost don’t catch.
Before I can ask what he’s thinking about, the elevator dings from my right. I glance at the elevator, because again, I’m not expecting anyone.
Jack, looking a little less put together than usual, steps off the elevator and stops when he sees us. His eyes widen in shock,
and I know it’s not because I’m with Ethan. Jack already knew that, but what he didn’t know is that I’m Ethan’s new secretary.
I want to say something to Jack, but an idea pops into my head. If Jack doesn’t like me being with Ethan, he certainly won’t like what I do next, but who cares what he thinks. For once, I want to do what I want without Jack holding me back.
I turn back to Ethan and slide my hand further up his bicep to curl around the back of his neck.
Ethan’s eyes narrow, flicking from my eyes to my lips.
Interesting.
“Welcome back, Ethan,” I murmur before pulling him down and planting my lips on his. He freezes for a second before wrapping an arm around my waist, lifting me, and sitting me on my desk.
His hands grip my hips, pulling me close as he dominates the kiss, deepening it, and turning it much hotter than I’d planned.
“You’re playing with fire, Fiona,” he growls when he pulls back a bit.
Panting, I peer up at him, studying the heated gaze pinning me to my desk.
Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, but when I hear the outraged gasp from Jack and the stuttered, “F–Fiona!”
Ethan and I both look over, and Jack stares wide eyed at the two of us. I’ve seen him angrier, the red face and clenched jaw all too familiar, It’s sad when you can say the only emotions from your husband in your marriage that seemed real are
2/3
Chapter 31
anger, disgust, and tolerance.
Whirling, Jack stomps away, muttering to himself as he walks into the elevator. The glare he sends my way has the hair on the back of my neck prickling until the doors close.
Then they stand on end for an entirely different reason when Ethan speaks.
“Did you only kiss me because your husband was watching?”
3/3
