I tensed beside him and tried to shift away from his body but he pulled me closer.
“So, no bullshit,” he said. I didn’t know if it was a question or a statement. “This is complicated for a lot of reasons. Yes, technically I’m your superior. Technically there’s a strict no-frat policy. And I’ve got a lot of shit to do while I’m over here.”
“It’s okay, Ethan. You don’t owe me anything.” I tried to move away from him again but his arm clamped around me.
“Let me finish. I’m trying to tell you what I’m thinking and I don’t do this with women often or well so you’re gonna have to be patient with me.” I stopped wriggling and his arm relaxed. “As you know, I don’t date. I don’t know how to date.” I could feel myself tense again but I tried to keep relaxed and allow him to finish what he was saying. “But I’d like to spend time with you while I’m in London.”
“Have you really never dated?” I asked.
“Anna, I don’t bullshit. No, I’ve never dated.”
“How come? I’m sure you’ve thought about it. You must have.”
“All sorts of reasons I guess. Work has always come first. I’ve always been ambitious and that requires a certain focus that I’ve seen my friends lose because they’ve been dealing with relationship drama.”
“Do you mean Andrew and Mandy?”
“Maybe. I meant my co-workers when I was more junior, but yes, Andrew to a certain extent. Ultimately, I’ve never met anyone that I’ve wanted to spend time with and I don’t bullshit. I’m always very clear about the fact I’m not interested in a relationship and no one has made me want tochange my rule on that. Not until, well you know, we had our week together.”
My body warmed at his words. I wanted to hear more.
“And you’ve never felt like you wanted to try? You must have been under pressure to bring dates to parties. Isn’t it easier to be in a relationship?”
“Is that a good reason to string someone along? So I have a date on hand when I need to go to an event?” he asked.
“I guess not but I think that’s how a lot of relationships start.”
“You might be right, but to me that’s bullshit.. If you want to be with someone, be with someone. If you don’t then don’t. No ambiguity.”
“When do you go back? Saturday?” I asked, satisfied with his explanation for now.
He turned his head sharply toward me. “No. I’m here three months.”
My stomach flipped over and I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest. Three months. I could fall in love with this man in three months. This was more complicated than I expected.
Ethan stroked his hand down my back. “Hey. Come here.”
I shifted out of bed and pulled on a T-shirt. I needed to think and I couldn’t do that naked.
FIVE
Ethan
I hadn’t thought this through. My dick had been the one doing the thinking so far. All it could concentrate on was getting inside her. And she felt so good. It started to stir again. There was no getting enough of her.
I stuck my hands behind my head, trying to come up with a solution. I wanted her. I’d wanted her in New York and I still wanted her in London. Fucking the staff did not go down well. The clause in the agreement had been used as a way of getting rid of low performing partners before. Although the ones that fucked their secretaries and still billed like champions seemed to get away with it. And I was bound to screw this up. I’d never dated anyone. It was new territory for me.
“Anna?” I thought she knew that I was going to be at Allen & Smith for a while. And to be honest, it kinda stung that when I gave her the news her reaction was to jump out of bed rather than straight onto my cock. She was chewing her thumb, which she did when she was thinking. Wasn’tthree months better than a week? Maybe not if she was getting back with her ex or had someone else she was dating. “Look, it’s no big deal if you just want to keep it about work.”
“No bullshit?” She spun round and looked at me. “You want to hear what I’m thinking?” That’s exactly what I wanted. I nodded. “I think it’s complicated for all the reasons you said. And I don’t want to be fucking my boss, it doesn’t feel right.” Jesus, that was like a knife to my stomach. “But the idea of not fucking you feels worse.” Okay, that was better. “And then . . . three months. This is new information.”
She climbed back onto the bed, kneeling opposite me. “This is terrible and amazing.”
“Terrible and amazing?” Jesus, I couldn’t keep up.
“Well, yes,” she said as if I’d missed an entirely obvious point. “Ethan, even after a week I missed you when I came back to London. How will I feel in three months when you go back to New York?” My pulse felt like it was going to jump straight out of my neck. This wasn’t about another guy. This was about her wanting me. I was elated by her confession.
I pulled her toward me and she didn’t resist.
