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I had sworn to myself that I would stay away from him, that I wouldn’t allow myself to get caught up in whatever this was between us.
And yet, here I am, standing in my apartment with his kiss still lingering on my lips.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart and clear my muddled thoughts. I know that I need to be careful and that I can’t let myself get swept away by the intensity of my feelings for Ethan.
My mind goes back to the conversation that we had in his kitchen the morning after we slept together.
Two Weeks ago
I wake up to the soft rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, the warmth of the bed enveloping me like a comforting cocoon.
For a moment, I’m disoriented, my mind still clouded with the remnants of sleep. But as the fog begins to lift, the memories of last night come rushing back to me like a tidal wave, hitting me with a force that takes my breath away.
We had crossed a line, blurred the boundaries between boss and employee, friend and something more. And now, as I lie here in Ethan’s bed, the weight of what we did weighs heavily on my mind.
I push myself up onto my elbows, glancing around the unfamiliar room as if searching for answers that I know I won’t find. It’s then that I realize I’m alone in the bed, Ethan nowhere to be seen. Maybe he already left for his trip like he had said he would.
With a shaky breath, I throw back the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed, my feet touching the cool hardwood floor. I wrap the sheet around myself like a makeshift robe and make my way out of the bedroom, my heart pounding in my chest with each step.
As I enter the kitchen, the smell of coffee and something delicious cooking on the stove fills the air, and I’m surprised to find Ethan standing at the counter, a spatula in one hand and a skillet in the other.
He looks up as I enter, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Good morning,” he says, his voice warm and inviting.
“Morning,” I reply, my voice barely above a whisper.
“You’re up early,” I say, trying to fill the silence with small talk. “I thought you said you were going on a trip?”
Ethan nods, flipping whatever he’s cooking in the skillet with practiced ease. “I changed my mind,” he admits, his gaze flicking briefly to mine before returning to the task at hand.
I swallow hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “You’re cooking,” I say, stating the obvious in an attempt to lighten the mood.
He chuckles softly, setting the spatula down and turning to face me fully. “Surprised?”
I nod, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “You don’t strike me as the cooking type.”
Ethan shrugs, a playful glint in his eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Jessy.”
Before I can stop him, Ethan steps closer, his gaze burning into mine with an intensity that steals the breath from my lungs. And then, before I can protest, he leans in, his lips brushing against mine in a soft, tentative kiss.
For a moment, I’m frozen, my mind racing as I try to make sense of what’s happening. But then, with a surge of clarity, I pull away, shaking my head as I take a step back.
“Ethan, we can’t,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper. “What happened last night was a mistake. We can’t let it happen again.”
Just that—it happened again.
Oh, Jessica, you can’t even keep to your word!
19
Ethan
As I step out of the conference room, the weight of the investors’ expectations is still heavy on my mind. Lysa is waiting for me outside.
“Lysa,” I say, acknowledging her presence.
“Ethan. How did it go?” she asks, falling into step as I walk to my office.
“It went well. Is there something you want?”
