“It’s Miss Thorne to you.” I grit my teeth.
He gives me a half-smile. “Is it? Now come along.”
“Mr. Wilder.” I stand slowly, my blood boiling and my tone turning harsh. “I don’t think you seem to understand. I am not here for your amusement. I prefer to discuss office matters within the office. Not outside of it.”
“And what if it’s not office matters that I wish to discuss?” He makes no attempt to hide the intention behind his eyes as he runs them over my body with deliberate slowness.
“Then we have nothing to discuss,” I say flatly.
His gaze burns against my skin. “You’ve changed.”
“I have. Life does that to you.”
We stare at each other, and finally he says gently, “I’ve changed, too.”
All the fight leaves me. I’m so tired of this dance we’re doing.
Sitting back down, I sigh, covering my face with my hands to compose myself. “I can’t work like this.”
Removing my hands, I meet his gaze squarely. “Look, if you want to use me again to try and extort some secrets out of me about my brother’s business, you should know that I have not seen or talked to Lucas in the past five years. I’m just trying to do my job, Mr. Wilder. Please, stop making it hard for me. You are my boss, and whether I like it or not, I’m clearly stuck in this position. So, if you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you only approach me for work-related matters.”
There. I said it.
Now if he wants, he can fire me. I hope he does. I can’t handle his presence. It’s resurfacing too many things I don’t want to remember.
Ethan just stares at me. “What happened between you and Lucas?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“There are other ways I can find out, you know.”
I gesture with my hand dismissively. “By all means. Do with your free time as you will. Maybe you’ll be able to confirm what I told you. Lucas doesn’t associate with me. But let me draw the line here: you’re wasting your time if you think there’s anything valuable I can offer you.”
His jaw clenches. “And what makes you think I’m after something?”
My shoulders move in an attempt at a careless gesture as I press down against the ache in my heart. “Experience, you could say.”
He straightens, his hands sliding into his pockets in that familiar pose of his.
“Maybe you’re right. I am after something. And I already got it.”
I stiffen when he continues, “You are a rising talent in the human resources industry. I knew when I began the takeover that you would attempt to leave once you realized who I was. I wasn’t going to let one of the best assets of the company walk away.”
Ethan steps around the desk, leaning his hip against the edge of it. His hand comes out, and he wraps the strand of hair that’s framing my face around his finger. I’m frozen in place at his proximity, my breath catching despite myself. He’s not looking at me but at the thick red lock of hair twirled around his finger.
“So, yes, I did make sure you can’t leave. However, you overestimate the worth of your brother. Lucas is just another businessman. Compared to what I have achieved, he can hardly be called a competitor. There’s nothing I want from him.” His voice lowers to a dark whisper that makes my pulse quicken. “But you? I have plans for you, Natalie. I have no intention of letting you go anywhere. But what I want from you has nothing to do with your brother.”
Finally, he looks at me, and holding my gaze with burning intensity, he presses his lips against the hair curled around his finger. I feel my face heat up, my heart beating at an uncomfortably fast pace. So much for remaining composed.
It was those amber eyes of his that did me in the first time around.
And I’m starting to realize they’re still just as lethal.
CHAPTER 4
ETHAN
The more Natalieraises her shields, the more determined I am to break them down.
