Conflicted (Secrets and Lies) (21 page)

The weekend passed without any further incidents. Trey and I buried what happened on Friday. Neither one of us wanted to relive that ugliness so we kept it between the two of us. I was happy to know that Micah's touch had no effect on me. However, Friday night might not have been the best time to make a final call on that either. I doubted anyone would have felt anything under those circumstances.

I settled into the office early Monday morning. It was a strange day with no meetings so the day was dragging for me. I accomplished all of my work before ten. This had promise to be the longest day ever. I was staring at the same email but my mind was focusing more on pushing Micah out of my head. When Ethan's voice rang in my ears, I almost fell out of my seat.

"I guess that pencil just had it coming."

I glanced up to see Ethan standing a few feet from my desk. My heart rate sped up and my cheeks turned crimson. I really needed to get a hold of my physical reactions around him. It was embarrassing. He sauntered over to me with his hands in his pockets.

"Huh?" I stammered.

Ethan flashed his dimples as he pointed to my hand. "The pencil. You just snapped it in half."

I looked at my hand and the pencil was indeed in two pieces.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that something is bothering you again."

Shit. I really am off.

Usually, I sensed his presence. If I ever figured out how to turn that switch off, I'd be eternally grateful. Ethan cocked an eyebrow as he took a seat at the edge of my desk.

"I'm fine. I was...umm...reading this correspondence," I stuttered.

Ethan rolled his eyes. "The email you have been sitting on for the last twenty minutes is an advertisement for paper. Do you want to try again?"

He was using that tone that bordered between sexy and intimidating. I shook my head in confusion. Last week Ethan grilled me and got pissed at my attitude. Now he was the picture of concern. My mind started racing in time with my heart as I tried to figure out the mystery behind him. He kept a curious eye on me as I continued to fidget under his hypnotic presence.

"Ethan, you've known me for a very short time. How could you possibly know that something is bothering me?" I questioned, batting my eyelashes like a damn schoolgirl.

Yea, I'm embarrassed at my actions but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"I know when something is bothering you. Your eyes become deeper and you pull your eyebrows in when it is something that is upsetting you. It was all over your face when I walked in. I was wondering where your next thought was going to go and then you answered it by snapping your pencil. I spoke up so that the stapler didn't see an untimely end," Ethan replied, flaunting those damn dimples again.

His observations made my heart thump even harder. It was troubling on so many levels that he could read me as well as he just did.

"I apologize for my wandering mind. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

"I have something very pressing to take care of now," he stated with a twinkle in his eye.

Given his proximity along with the sparkle behind his eyes, my lower half became damp and my breathing picked up. My body did the speaking with my sexed up feelings for him.

"What do you need to take care of?"

"It's clear that you have a lot on your mind. Let's go take care of it before it gets out of hand. We have a big proposal coming up. The last thing we need is a team member off in la la land during it," he said still clearly amused by me.

"I can't leave work. Connor will flip out if I just leave not to mention what anyone else would think. Besides, I'm not going to tell you what's on my mind. It's not part of my job description to share my every thought with you," I snapped.

Good grief Mia! Stop lashing out at him! He's going to can your ass if you keep it up.

Ethan leaned closer to me narrowing his eyes. The glimmer behind them vanished. "I'll take care of them. I'm offering you an out for today. You seem to need a distraction."

I gulped. "What kind of distraction?"

My mind was begging me to retreat while my body pressed forward not giving a damn about why this was a bad idea.

Seriously, what is wrong with me?

His eyes softened as he asked, "Do you trust me?"

My words abandoned me so I nodded. I did trust parts of him. He cocked his head to the side trying to determine if I was telling the truth. After a few minutes of unabashed staring, I gave him a subtle smile. Ethan shook his head before a tender smile stretched across his face.

"I'm going to take you somewhere that will help to ease whatever is bothering you."

I nodded again. It exhausted me to continue fighting the feelings I had around him.

"Let me go talk to Connor. I'll let him know that I'm taking you out on assignment. Wrap up whatever you need to address yet and meet me in the parking lot in twenty minutes."

As hard as Ethan was trying to be casual, his face gave him away. It thrilled him that I agreed to leave with him. I exited out of things and tried to be invisible when leaving floor. While I waited outside for Ethan, my thoughts drifted to my unexplainable attraction to him.

My raging hormones were throwing a dance party at the idea of being with him away from work. My brain kept screaming that I was insane. It demanded for me to back out of this adventure right now. I rationalized that this would be my chance to show him my true colors. I hoped that my bitchiness would come out to play, he'd grow tired of me, and our intense vibe would fade away.

It was out of character for me to blow off my responsibilities. Frankly, I didn't have the heart to care. The best part about skipping out of work and spending the day with Ethan was that I had an escape from Micah, Harrison, and my life overall. It was like the land of make-believe that we all loved as children. This was my chance at having a day where my problems ceased to exist while I spent time with a person that I couldn't have in real life.

I was beginning to wonder what was taking Ethan so long when a glamorous car stopped next to me. His face appeared after he rolled down window. There would be no way to know it was Ethan if he left it up. The tinted windows were so dark that they were almost black. My jaw dropped at the sight. His car was like the king of all BMW vehicles. Ethan slid down his shades while laughing at me. He leaned out the window with a cocky smile.

"Do you plan on getting in or would you rather keep your mouth open until you're standing in your own puddle of drool?"

I rolled my eyes. "If I didn't work for you, I'd have a colorful come back. Since I do work for you, I'll keep my filter on."

This car just screamed...well it screamed hot, sexy and dangerous...and right now I wanted to sign up for all three. Once I was inside the car, Ethan headed towards the interstate. This car was amazing but watching him drive it shot all sorts of hot feelings through me. I should've known that the sexual tension between us would amplify. It was freaking palpable now.

"You don't have to keep your filter on with me," Ethan remarked.

I glanced over as his smile went from charming to downright sexy. He was hot in this car and he knew it. I couldn't ignore my erratic pulse or the scorching burn between my legs. It was like the guy had a how to book for my body but refused to share just how well he knew how to press all my buttons.

God, help me. I agreed to spend the whole afternoon with him.

I smirked. "When I don't have a filter on, shit just tends to fly out of my mouth so consider yourself warned."

Ethan chuckled. "I'm looking forward to it."

I glanced out the window trying to figure out where we were going. The silhouettes of suburbs as we flew down the interstate were not helpful in making that determination. "Where are we going?"

He took his eyes off the road and turned towards me while tapping his nose.

"Seriously, you aren't going to tell me. Isn't this like kidnapping?" I whined.

Ethan casually lowered his shades with mischievousness in his exposed eyes. "It's not kidnapping when you accept an invitation to spend an afternoon with someone. It's kind of like that saying. You can't rape the willing."

I gasped in shock.

What the hell does that mean?

Ethan howled with laughter. Butterflies flapped across my stomach while the rest of me grew even more aroused. Ethan took off his shades and secured them in the visor above him.

"You should see your face right now. It's priceless. Don't take what I said out of context. All I'm trying to point out is that you accepted this invitation. You didn't seem too interested in what it meant when you got in the car so I think I'll keep it a secret."

I let out an agitated sigh and that increased the pleasure in his eyes.

"I'm going to enjoy watching your reaction when we get there," Ethan added.

"Glad, I entertain you. I knew I served a purpose at the office," I said wryly.

His head snapped in my direction with less amusement than seconds ago. "Oh, you do much more than entertain us. You're doing very well with the work assigned to you. It leads me to my next question. Do you enjoy working for us?"

"I really do like working there. Everyone is great," I replied quickly.

"So it isn't your job that is causing you to be so...withdrawn."

I gazed out the window as the pain in my chest started to grow. "Can we not talk about it? I'm very sorry that I've been so transparent."

I turned my head to him with hope that he understood. There was concern in his eyes as he watched me. An awkward silence descended over the car. I started to think of something to say that would drive this conversation back to him. "How have you been able to become as successful as you are at your age? It's quite impressive," I said quietly.

Ethan drummed his fingers along the steering wheel. His body stiffened and it was clear that this particular subject was touchy for him. "I'm sure you have your speculations seeing as it's a family company. Everyone does. I started shortly after turning sixteen and worked my way up. I graduated from college with a bachelor's degree in business and earned a masters in marketing. I went to school while working for my father's company. "

My jaw fell forcing me to snap it shut. "How the hell is that even possible?"

Shit. Not what I wanted to verbalize.

Ethan loosened up a little with my candor. "I'm guessing that this is you without your filter. I like it. Anything is possible if you put your mind to it."

"I didn't mean that it's impossible. It's remarkable. I'm sure it came at plenty of self-sacrifice. I don't think I could've measured up to that level of excellence," I admitted.

His happiness faded and his eyes became distant. He focused on the road. "I guess you could say it's like that old saying. Work hard - play hard. From the looks of it, you know how to do both. You seem like a person that would have a full social calendar. It's also clear that you have a disciplined work ethic."

Before he could jump on anything else, I went to turn on the radio but stopped due to the complexity of his dashboard. I was looking at so many buttons that touching the wrong one might just result in ejecting me from the vehicle. I stared for a while because Ethan had to clear this throat to get my attention. I gazed over to find his lips curled into a smug smirk.

Damn him and that smirk.

"What?" I asked petulantly.

"Do you need help to turn on the radio? I'm assuming that's what has your mind in overdrive. That poor hamster running up there to keep those thoughts rolling must be ready to collapse for how hard you're thinking right now," Ethan teased.

Even when he was making me the butt of his jokes, he was sexy. I tried to contain the giggle fighting to the surface but it slipped through me causing him to grin even wider.

"Yes, I'm trying to turn on the radio. Yes, I'm confused because there is more buttons and gadgets in here than the fricken space shuttle. Yes, my hamster has become over worked. His name is Larry and he's used to his 8-5 schedule. He thought he was getting the afternoon off too and now I've just put him into overdrive," I retorted.

Ethan howled with laughter. "I love it. Finally, a woman who knows how to take a joke, poke fun at herself, and throw out a few zingers of her own. I must say, without your filter, you are a different person."

"You have no idea," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Can you turn on the radio now?"

"What would you like to listen to?"

"Whatever, I'm not picky."

Ethan grunted. "That narrows it down."

I shrugged. "Seriously, it makes no difference to me. I love all types of music."

He raised an eyebrow as his fingers flew across the dash. Seconds later, an indie song I loved surrounded us. He didn't seem the type of guy for this genre. It had me in awe.

Ah hell. This man isn't a type. He's an enigma to every woman on the planet.

"Are you shocked that someone like me would listen to this music?"

"Yes, I'm a little surprised," I confessed, smiling shyly.

Ethan winked. "Good, I'd hate for you to figure me out and get bored."

I was seriously in trouble. That wink lit my core on fire. I noticed we were getting off the interstate. I loved the area that he took us to because it wasn't as uppity as the rest of the city. Along the shore, there were the usual ma and pa shops. They travelled along the pier for miles and ended with a tiny amusement park.

"We're obviously doing something near the water if we're heading this way. Care to elaborate now that we're getting closer?" I inquired, gesturing towards the pier.

The bastard had the audacity to tap his nose again. I huffed and gazed out the window. "Why are your windows so tinted? It's like the president or a drug dealer should be in here. I mean they're almost black. How do you even see?"

"Wow. I don't think you could come up with two more opposite ends of the spectrum. Let's just say that I like my privacy from the rest of the world. If people can't see inside, then they're only left to wonder."