Chapter 17

The next morning, as I strolled into the bustling bullpen, a chorus of wolf whistles filled the air. With a playful grin, I spun around, showcasing my new ensemble. The deep blue, form-fitting blouse hugged my curves, while the sleek slacks clung to my legs. Every step in my open-toed, high-heeled shoes echoed with a seductive click, their scent of new leather wafting around me. I knew they were impractical, but as a woman, I couldn't resist the allure of fashionable footwear. Besides, I had my trusty boots waiting in my pickup if the need arose.Finally locating them, I’d just pulled the keys from my purse when I was jostled from behind. My keys hit the floor, landing with a loud clatter on the tiles, instantly I bent to retrieve them. The man who had bumped into me did the same and knocked into one another again, we were both sent tumbling backward, where we landed on our asses in ungainly heaps.


The look of embarrassment that stole across the man’s face set me to giggling, and soon I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my cheeks. The man gaped at me, before with a hesitant smile slipping across his lips, he reached out, and quickly swiped my keys off the floor. Afterward, gaining his feet, he offered his hand to help me climb to my own.


Once I was standing, he continued peering at me, as I was now holding my head in both hands, as if it would shatter, and still laughing. I knew I must have looked as if I’d lost my ever-loving mind because he was staring at me as if he thought I’d come unhinged. For, all I knew, I had, as my head continued to play snare drum even as peels of hysterical laughter poured out of my mouth.


The man gently reached out and grasped my arm, asking, “Are you okay, Miss Leathers?”


I’d seen him around the agency, however I didn't know his name. Waving off his concern, I gathered myself and replied, “I’m fine—thank you. It’s just been a hell of a week is all.”


Slowly the man nodded as if he understood exactly what I meant and with my arm still in his grip, he stepped a little closer to me.

At the action, a sound from the side of where we stood, brought our heads whipping in its direction and my eyes immediately collided with a pair of ice-draped amber ones: a pair of whiskey-tinted orbs that could have frozen the ocean in the middle of our heatwave.


Ethan stared at me a few seconds before his eyes shifted to the hand on my arm. Some fleeting emotion flickered across his face, before, and as though I were a stranger, he walked around us, a slight growl of, “Excuse me,” whispering past his lips.


Hurt immediately slammed into me as I stared after him, dumbfounded. What the fuck? I wondered.


As I stared after Ethan, the other man released my arm, then flipping my hand over, he dropped my keys into my palm, murmuring, “Well, you have a good day,” before turning, he sauntered off.


Anger with Ethan pulsed through my veins, and I slammed through the glass doors, my eyes immediately nailing Ethan’s retreating figure.


Kicking off my heels, I swooped down, grabbing them up from the ground, and trotted after him. When I reached his side, I grabbed his arm, whirling him around. “What the hell is with you?” I hissed.
As I stood breathing fire like a damn dragon, I watched Ethan’s eyes flare with a mixture of anger and hunger. “You! You’re what’s with me!” he snapped as he propelled me backward. Then, pinning me against the side of the building he covered my lips with his, claiming them in a hot possession that had my toes curling.


Seconds, minutes, hours—damned if I could tell how much time had passed—he slowly released my lips, and grabbing my hand, he plastered it against his erection, growling, “This won’t fucking leave.” Then, with a shudder racking his frame, he jerked my hand off his hardened length, and drawing in several deep breaths, he breathed, “God, help me, I want you,” afterward, he turned and walked away.


As I finally ceased my playful twirl and began making my way towards my desk, my gaze locked onto Ethan. His intense gaze lingered on me, starting from the top of my head, slowly traveling down to my toes. Time seemed to stand still as he fixated on my heels, his eyes smoldering with desire. His pupils dilated, nearly engulfing the vibrant color of his irises, before he hastily concealed his emotions behind lowered lids. With a sudden movement, he abruptly turned away from his desk and swiftly exited the bullpen.


The unmistakable hunger in his eyes sent a flurry of excitement coursing through my veins. I had spent the entire night grappling with my own conflicting emotions for him, and I had grown weary of the internal debate. Ultimately, I had concluded that just because there was an undeniable sexual attraction between us, it didn't mean we had to act upon it going forward.


However, that didn’t stop the smile that curved up the edges of my lips, the corners of my mouth lifting slightly. The song that hummed through my veins felt like a gentle vibration, adding a melodic backdrop to the moment. The heat in his eyes didn’t lie, his gaze penetrating and intense. It spoke an age-old language that stirred a deep desire within me. I forced myself to reign in the lust demon that danced within my head and lady-parts, grounding myself in the reality of the situation. Sitting down at my desk, the smooth wood surface cool beneath my fingertips, I began my workday.

The morning passed with no further sign of Ethan; his seat remained vacant. The absence was palpable, a void in the office atmosphere. Thankfully, as a result, I’d only had to deal with the wanton in me every so often—my mind, not having the chance too often to bring forth Hester-the-molester. Instead, the personality had found itself buried within a mountain of paperwork that helped to keep it occupied. Nonetheless, the longer Ethan had stayed away from his desk, the more mixed my emotions had become. My thoughts had run a gauntlet through the hours, all the way from wanting him to desiring cutting his liver out for not coming back to his desk at all throughout the morning. It had become quite obvious he was avoiding me, and my emotions had stepped right up to the microphone and shouted within my head, bringing about questions within it. Had what I’d seen in Ethan’s eyes been there to begin with—or had I wanted to see the emotion so badly, I’d made it up? Following close behind that, were more questions. Was this no-show of his because he’d decided he didn’t want to be around me—that he no longer wanted to work with me? Was he, even now, trying to decide about taking me off his team?