Erin stared into cold blue eyes and felt a frisson of dread run through her.
“Phase two?” She whispered, hating the way her voice trembled.
Ethan’s eyes seemed to bore into hers, the stare sending ice cold shivers running down her spine. She could still see the red imprint of her fingers on his cheek and instead of satisfaction, a rush of regret welled up within her. She had never hit a guy in her entire life and had always prided herself on being able to rein in her temper in the worst situations, but dealing with Ethan always seemed to bring out the worst sides in her.
Right now, he looked deadly and Erin wondered how on earth she was still standing when her knees felt like jelly and her heart raced a million miles a minute.
He raised an eyebrow, his lips split into a mocking smile as he watched her closely.
“Did you really think I was through with you yet? I have barely begun, Sweetcheeks. I promised I would bring you to your knees, and I haven’t even scratched the surface.”
“So what’s this phase two about?” Erin crossed her arms over her bosom to quell the shivers racking through her body despite the warmth of the room. “Haven’t you done enough already?”
Leaning close to brush a strand of hair, Ethan smiled when she flinched away. His lowered his hand and chuckled.
“So tensed up,” he murmured with a shake of his head. “Phase two is for me to know and you to find out when it happens.”
“Why are you doing this?” She asked, her voice barely above a painful whisper. She felt strangely light-headed, though she tacked that feeling down to lack of sleep and food though her head told her otherwise. “What could possibly make you despise me this much?”
“You really need to ask me that?” His face took on an incredulous look. “My my, seems you have a short memory, Sweetcheeks, and here I was thinking there was more to you than just a pretty face.”
Ethan’s words cut into Erin and her anger return in full force. Of course she had not forgotten. How could she forget when he insisted on reminding her by being obnoxious every single time they met.
“Keep your insults to yourself,” she snapped, taking a step back, then another, needing to put as much distance between them as possible. “I am fully aware of your reason just as I remain convinced that I did the right thing by Nicky. She would have been miserable with you!”
“And you jumped to that conclusion after a few hours in my company? What gave you the damn right to decide who is right for her or not? She is a bloody adult!”
“You made me jump to that conclusion with your abominable behavior.” Erin snarled back, feeling her anger threaten to overwhelm her once more. “It didn’t take much for me to see just how you would have treated her if she continued in the relationship. Nicky may be an adult, but she was totally oblivious about just what kind of a bastard she was dating and I set that right. I mean, come on. What further proof did I need?
A muscle worked in his jaw, his entire body rigid as though he were holding himself back. From doing what, Erin had no idea, but she knew that whatever was going through his mind at that moment were certainly not good thoughts.
“What I don’t understand is,” Erin continued, in spite of the warning bells sounding at the back of her mind telling her to back down, to leave before things got out of hand. “How the hell you even find the time to run that business of yours when you obviously spend so much time hatching petty plots for the fun of it.”
His eyes narrowed at her words and Erin felt a thrill of triumph as her words hit a nerve. Good! At least the bastard was not impervious to insults too and she had the feeling he had not been insulted often. Well, there was a first time for everything.
“What’s the matter, Ethan?” She mocked, keeping her voice sickly sweet. “You don’t like hearing the truth? That’s a real shame -”
“Petty plots?” Ethan cut her off. He sounded incredulous and angry at the same time and Erin realized her mistake too late. He took a step towards her and she backed away instinctively at the menace emanating from his in waves. His hand shot out and grasped her arm, strong fingers curling over her wrist. Erin gasped at the contact and tried to yank her arm away, but his iron grip remained.
“Let me go!” she ground out through clenched teeth, her fury bubbling to the surface at his manhandling. “I swear I’ll scream the place down if you don’t.”
Anger blazed in Ethan’s eyes. “Why you little -”
Without warning, he yanked her close so that she landed against him. With a cry of surprise, Erin’s other hand shot out to steady herself and made contact with his chest. His own arm snaking around her waist, drawing her and she could only manage to wriggle slightly, trapped as she was.
“Go ahead and scream.” Ethan lowered his head to whisper the challenge in her ears, his warm breath sending shivers of delight running through her traitorous body. “I’m sure your mother will be pleased to find us like this – in a locked room no less – might make for an interesting explanation, don’t you think?”
“I hate you!” Erin spat, her eyes shooting daggers at him even as she reluctantly acknowledged that he was right. “I will make you pay for this, Ethan, you mark my words.”
He grinned, the action at once feral and mocking at the same time.
“Now who is being petty?” He drawled, his mouth still so disconcertingly close to her ear. “Hate is a pretty strong emotion, Erin. You certainly displayed quite the opposite a few hours ago in your apartment. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were quite willing to let me fuck you on the couch, if it weren’t for that unfortunate interruption.”
As he spoke, the arm around her waist loosened slightly. Ethan slid that arm down south till it came to rest on the generous curve of her hip, the fingers lightly caressing her through the fabric of the skirt with the skill and ease of a man well versed in the art of seduction. Each touch was like a bolt of electricity fanning out from the contact point to race along Erin’s nerves, sending shock waves to her brain.
Her mouth went dry at the onslaught of his scent on her nostrils, that earthy masculine scent that called out to her, seeking surrender.
Ethan chuckled, fully aware of the effect he was having on her. “Matter of fact, I’m not so sure you would offer up much in the way of protest if I were to push you against the wall and fuck you senseless till you’re screaming out my name and begging me to -”
“Don’t kid yourself,” she forced the words out through her lips, blessed sanity finally returning in full force. Taking advantage of his loosened grip, she jerked out of his embrace. “We both know this morning was a mistake.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
She scowled at his condescending tone, straightening her clothes. “Don’t take that tone with me. Look, I have things to do so, if we’re done here?”
She turned and reached for the door handle, but his hand shot out and held the door shut.
“No, we’re not done, Sweetcheeks.”
She sighed, thoroughly fed up with the conversation. “What now?”
“I had a very interesting conversation with a certain editor-in-chief today. Found out some rather useful information about our mystery source.”
Her interest piqued, Erin let go of the door and turned back to face him, curiosity clearly written all over her face. “You know who the source is?”
Ethan shrugged, brushing off lint from the sleeve of his suit.
“Perhaps.” He murmured and her eyes narrowed at his feigned nonchalance. He definitely knew something.
“Well?” she prodded. “Who was it?”
He studied her for a full minute, his eyes searching for something, but what?
“How well do you trust your friends?”
The question through her for a loop. What the hell did her friends have to do with this?
“What?”
“Your friends,” he repeated, his tone tinged with impatience. “Do you trust them?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Someone called the paper.” Ethan cut in impatiently. “Someone who claimed to be close to you and knew enough personal details about your family and recent issues to pass muster with the editor.”
“Oh my God!” Erin gasped, shock running through her at his words. “Who was it?”
“Does the name Lillian Putney mean anything to you?”
Still stunned by the news, Erin mentally ran down a list of all her friends but the name drew a blank. She didn’t even know anyone called Lilian though she would have to go through her contact list to double check.
“I – I’m not too sure,” she replied, running a hand through her hair in exasperation. “The only person I’ve even told about that night other than Nicky, is Kim, and I don’t think she would do such a thing.”
His mouth twisted in a derisive smile. “And why not?”
Erin glared at him, angry that he dared doubt her words. “I have known Kim for a very long time – since high school if you must know and she is completely trustworthy.”
“How touching.” Ethan mocked, clearly disbelieving. “Can you read minds then?”
“No,” she retorted, barely holding on to her anger. “I can’t, but I don’t see Kim being malicious like that.”
The door handle rattled and her mother’s muffled voice came through. “Erin? What is going on in there?”
Ethan swore under his breath. He glared at the door as though his gaze could burn a hole through it at her mother.
Erin groaned. Great, now Mum probably thought she was up to no good in a locked hospital room with him. Just great. She unlocked the door and pulled it open to meet her mother’s accusing stare. Behind her, Kim and Nicky shared identical curious looks and she groaned again. Why did this always happen? Thankfully, Todd seemed to have disappeared and for that at least, she was grateful. She was in no mood to explain herself to him.
Victoria’s critical gaze swept over Erin, noting the slightly disheveled blouse and untidy hair.
Her lips thinned. “Erin, this is unacceptable. What has gotten into you? Your father is about to go into surgery and here you are dallying in a locked room -”
“We were just talking!” Erin exclaimed, her face flaming in embarrassment. She turned to look at Ethan, her eyes asking that he back up her statement. “It was strictly business.”
To her chagrin, the annoying man simply shrugged and made a production of straightening his clothes.
“If you say so.” Ethan murmured, his lips splitting in a sheepish grin.
The utter bastard. Erin balled her hands into fists, fighting the urge to deck him at that moment. She narrowed her eyes at him, the look promising retribution and his grin widened.
“Really!” Victoria’s eyebrows were raised as she shot Ethan a look that would have scared a lesser man.
“Mum, don’t listen to him,” Erin snapped, thoroughly fed up with the entire situation. “He’s just being an ass. Is the surgery about to begin?”
To her relief, her mother let the matter drop though Erin knew the discussion was far from over.
“He has been taken to the operating room,” she replied, her tone still laced with disapproval. “I’m heading there now.”
“I’ll be there in a minute, Mum, you guys go on ahead.”
Victoria nodded and walked away. Nicky’s eyes held a dozen unspoken questions but she turned and followed her, Kim in tow.
Erin sagged against the doorway, exhaustion coursing through her body. She needed food and sleep desperately, but the way things were going, she very much doubted she would be getting any soon.
She heard Ethan chuckle and whirled about, aiming a freezing glare at him. He was leaning against the far wall, an indolent look on his face.
“Must you be so annoying all the time?”
He did not look the least bit fazed, which only served to irritate her further.
“Depends on who you ask,” He straightened, slowly walking towards her.
He tugged off his tie, undoing the top button of the deep blue shirt he wore beneath the suit, and Erin dug her fingers into the soft flesh of her palms to stop from reaching out to touch him.
He gave a knowing smile, as though aware of her body’s reaction to him. “Go to your father Erin, we will finish our discussion later.”
“Shall I salute, sir?” She asked, her tone filled with sarcasm.
He grinned, coming to a stop beside her.
“If you wish.” Placing a hand under her chin, he raised her face up to his, a thoughtful look on his face. “You look tired Erin, when was the last time you had some sleep?”
Erin’s eyes widened in amazement. Now he was showing concern? After being the cause of several sleepless nights? Unbelievable.
“You really are a piece of work, you know that?
“So I’ve been told.” He answered, with a soft chuckle. His hand brushed over her cheek, an unreadable expression on his face. After a moment, he let go and moved past the door, eating up the distance to the elevator in quick strides. Erin stood rooted to the doorway, staring at his retreating back, her mind a jumble of thoughts.
At the elevator, Ethan stopped and turned. “Clear your schedule on Saturday Erin. I want a progress report on your father’s health and don’t even think about hiding anything from me. Also, we will meet to discuss this mysterious Lilian Putney at length.”
“Wait – what?”
“Eleven am.”
Erin shot him a hateful glare over the length of the corridor. “I have plans for Saturday. And there is no way in hell I’m meeting with you to talk about anything. I’d rather go to hell first.”
The elevator doors opened and Ethan stepped in, giving her a self assured grin.
The doors began to slide closed when he said. “Cancel those plans.”
“Why you damned, son of a -” Her voice trailed off when the doors closed fully.
“You’ll see me over my dead body.” She muttered to thin air.