Chapter 36
Fiona
Ethan looks over the report again, slower this time, taking in every little thing printed on the papers, and I can tell his anger is rising. Ryan shakes his head when I step around the desk, but I take the chance and lay my hand on Ethan’s arm. He doesn’t move, so I squeeze his bicep in what I hope is a comforting gesture.
I’m not sure what’s going on, but if I can help him calm down, I want to.
“Trust me, Ethan. I would never submit something so absurd. Anyone with a hint of intelligence would know that submitting a withdrawal request within a contract is a disaster. I followed your written instruction and Ryan’s notes exactly, so this report shouldn’t exist,” I tell him, trying to put as much confidence in my tone as possible.
Turning, Ethan studies me. Green eyes sweep over my face and down my body, observing me. The concentration in his gaze makes me shiver, but I still squeeze his arm again, silently pleading with him to trust me.
The decision he plans to make, whatever he says, could change our relationship forever. It will show me whether he truly trusts me or if he sees me as incompetent. I hope by now he trusts me, but his hovering all day and his checking my papers also makes me a bit nervous. Is this why he was checking behind me?
Did he already know something was wrong before Ryan showed up?
Ethan stands, his hand coming up to cup my cheek momentarily before he turns to Ryan.
“Find out what happened with this report,” Ethan instructs.
“Of course. I have a few people I can look into that have been slacking off or caused issues with the company while you were gone,” Ryan replies, nodding.
Ethan’s eyes narrow as he moves beside me, his full attention still on Ryan and the report lying on his desk.
A soft brush against my hand makes me look down. Ethan’s knuckles softly brush against mine before his fingers slowly curl around mine. He squeezes my hand gently, making my heart race and beat wildly against my chest.
“Look into the possibility that someone tampered with it or changed it out before Fiona could submit it,” he orders. Again, Ryan accepts the instruction. His eyes flicker between the two of us, his eyes eventually landing on our hands. I try to pull away, but Ethan tightens his grip. It’s not enough to hurt, but it offers a bit of comfort, letting me know he’s here with me.
“I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything, but… Ethan, you should know the attacks outside the company aren’t the only things Fiona had to deal with while you were gone,” Ryan says, and I glare at him. I don’t need Ethan’s weird protectiveness to get any worse.
It’s bad enough that Ethan is already worked up, I don’t need him getting any more anxious or angry.
“What happened?” Ethan asks, this time, directing the question at me. His green eyes focus on me, pinning me to the spot.
“Um, just the same things that have been happening, I guess,” I tell him, swallowing the bundle of nerves that sticks in my throat. Ethan’s eyes flash, almost seeming a yellow–y gold color, before they return to green.
“Did someone touch you? If they did, I’ll—”
“No!” I cry, placing my hands on his chest when he surges forward as if he’s about to run from the room to fight anyone who hurt me.
The sheer strength of his body makes me stumble, but before I can fall, Ethan’s arms are around me. Our bodies connect as he turns to keep me from ramming my hip into the corner of his desk.
I gasp, tingles flying through my body where we touch. The tingles grow stronger the longer we touch, yet I surprisingly
1/3
don’t want to pull away.
“Shit. Sorry,” Ethan mumbles, steadying me. I stand still as he runs his hands down my sides and over my hips to check for injuries. The intense concentration is kind of cute, and I find myself smiling a bit as he looks me over.
“I–it’s okay,” I whisper. “And no, nobody touched me. There are still some whispers going around about me, but I had a couple of run ins with women who didn’t agree with you hiring a ‘nobody‘ as your new secretary. A few unpleasant gifts were left on my desk and my lunch disappeared one day.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks, his tone softening as he leans in and searches my face. I’m not sure what he’s looking for, but the close proximity and the feeling of his hands tenderly gripping my waist makes my body heat up.
I clear my throat and drop my eyes to his chest to avoid the penetrating gaze.
“Ryan took care of it and not much has happened since then, so I didn’t want to bring it up again.”
Ethan’s head whips up, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Ryan nod in confirmation. Each time something happened last week, even when I tried to hide it, Ryan found out and took care of the troublemakers. They’ve already been punished, so they’ve paid their due. Ethan punishing them would only make things worse.
A flurry of new emotions mix together with the confusion in my body as I try to back away from Ethan. At first, he was angry, then I thought he didn’t trust me, and now he’s becoming even more protective? When will the never–ending misunderstandings end?.
“Can we please focus? There are more important things to be thinking about than my work troubles,” I state when I realize Ethan’s grip is tight enough to keep me from moving. I give up on trying to get away, and turn in his hold, waving a hand in front of his face.
Ethan blinks.
“Of course,” he says, pulling away slowly. His fingers linger on my hip for a moment, and I wonder why he’s hesitant to let go, but after a second, he steps back fully. “Fiona and I will stay late tonight to redo the report. It needs to be resubmitted to the manufacturer by tomorrow morning when they open.” Ethan pauses then looks at Ryan, adding, “And I’ll be waiting to hear what you find from your search.”
I reel back.
“Stay late?” I ask. What is he talking about? This wasn’t my fault, so why do I have to stay here late to finish this, and what is this about both of us staying late?
Me and him?
Just us?
Alone?
I shoot a glare at Ethan, who merely glances at me before turning back to Ryan.
“As soon as you find something, let me know.”
“Of course. I’ll get on it now,” Ryan says, ignoring the pleading gaze I send his way. Why are they both ignoring me?
“Fiona, finish your current work for the day, and we will work on the report when you’ve finished,” Ethan tells me. However, my mind is still reeling at the fact we’ll be alone in his office at night. I can’t stay here with Ethan without someone else here! Who knows what will happen.
My mind flashes to the time we kissed in his office.
Heat fills my cheeks when I remember how his hands had slid up my legs, brushing the inside of my thighs. I try not to
2/3
22:38 Mon, 14 Apr DAA·
Chapter 36
think about how his lips had claimed mine like he was starving before moving to my neck and….
This is not something I should be thinking about right now!
34710
I shake the thoughts out of my head and when I look up, I find Ethan staring down at me with dark, heated eyes. Crap.
I didn’t say any of that out loud, did I?
A different kind of heat flares in my cheeks, and I drop my head to hide the embarrassment climbing within me.
Staying late with Ethan probably isn’t the best idea.
+23
3/3
