Chapter 20
20
C ate could feel herself blushing.
That was so strange. She never blushed except around this man.
He was the only person, besides Rhodes and Oliver, who she could stand to be touched by.
Face it, Cate. You do more than just put up with him touching you. You enjoy it.
“You know you’ve been touching me without warning me,” she informed him.
Ethan’s eyes widened, and she thought he looked surprised before something else filled his face. “Shit. I have. I’m sorry, baby.”
“You don’t . . . uh, you don’t have to apologize. I’m rather . . . I mean . . . I don’t abhor your touch.”
Lord.
She hadn’t meant to say it like that.
“That’s good to know. I’m glad you don’t abhor it.”
Oh, dear. She was making a mess of this.
“I’m not very good at communicating. Perhaps it would be best if you kept driving. I have to get to my meeting.”
“Hey, look at me.”
No. She didn’t think that was a good idea.
“Cate. Look at me.” His voice was firmer this time.
She shook her head.
“Please. Just for a moment.”
Her eyes moved up to his, then quickly down to his nose. Sometimes, she struggled to look people in the eyes. Especially when she was feeling uncomfortable.
“I’m glad you like my touch. I don’t mind if you have trouble communicating as long as you try. I do need you to let me know when you don’t understand what I’m saying or what I mean and if I inadvertently hurt you in any way.”
She licked her lips and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
Oh dear.
That . . . that felt rather good. Warmth filled her body as he stared at her, and she wondered what it would feel like to have his lips against hers.
She wasn’t any good at kissing. She knew that. But she had a feeling it wouldn’t matter with Ethan. Because he’d be in charge. He’d guide her through what she needed to do.
“I want to thank you for telling me that the word brat is upsetting.”
He was . . . thanking her?
“Why would you thank me?”
“Because you communicated that you were upset. I’m good at reading people, but you are very good at closing down your emotions. So for you to open up and tell me, that means a lot. Okay?”
Cate stared at him for a long moment, trying to process everything he’d said. He’d pulled the car over to thank her for telling him that she didn’t like the word brat.
That was . . . so strange. And yet, she thought it was sweet too.
“I don’t have many friends,” she blurted out.
Well, any, really.
“No?” he asked.
Idiot.
He already knew that. It wasn’t hard to tell that she had no social life.
“But if you still want to be my friend, I would like that.”
Could she have said that more awkwardly?
And please don’t let him reject her.
Please.
“I would love to be your friend, Cate.” He dropped his hand to hers, squeezing it lightly.
Thank goodness.
“There’s just one problem.”
Cate grew tense. “Me? It’s me, isn’t it? It’s my awkwardness. I make everything weird. And I probably wouldn’t make a very good friend. I understand. Thank you, anyway.”
“Whoa, Little girl, you’re very lucky that you’re not mine.”
Lucky that she wasn’t his? That statement didn’t make much sense. Why would she be lucky because of that?
“Why?”
“Because you’d be over my knee right now, getting your butt spanked for talking about yourself like that.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Spanked?
“You do that?” she asked when she could manage to get her words out.
“I do that.”
“To . . . to your girlfriend?” Why hadn’t she considered that he might have a girlfriend? A guy like Ethan Stone surely wouldn’t be single. He was so . . . so perfect—like a romance hero brought to life. He was protective and caring and he listened.
Plus, he was pretty nice to look at. Rhodes had a number of friends who were actors and singers. They were all charismatic and handsome.
Yet, none of them had anything on Ethan.
She felt like such a fool. He had a girlfriend. Anything that she’d sensed from him was in her head. Why couldn’t she read people and situations?
Thank God she hadn’t done anything stupid.
She hadn’t, had she?
“I thought you might be gay.”
“You thought I was gay? Why?”
Hmm. He didn’t appear to be angry. In fact, he seemed quite relaxed. There was . . . warmth in his face?
“Because you didn’t look at Samantha when she was in that bikini. But perhaps it’s because you have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. I think we should go to my meeting now.”
“Cate,” he said in a low voice.
She was not going to look at him. She didn’t want him to see how embarrassed she was.
“Cate, look at me.”
“You do remember that you work for me. I don’t have to do what you say.”
“Actually, I work for your brother.”
Semantics.
“Why should I look at you? Because you’re good-looking?”
What? Why did she say that? She nearly groaned as she snuck a quick look at him.
“You think I’m good-looking?” he asked, smiling now.
Was she being cute again? Honestly, it was perplexing because she didn’t mean to be.
“I think that you need to get me to my meeting.”
“Cate, hey, calm down, sweetheart. Everything is all right. I’m sorry I was teasing you.”
“You were teasing me? About looking at you?” she asked, sneaking another look at him.
“About finding me good-looking. And I don’t have a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I’m not gay. I didn’t look at Samantha because I didn’t want to. I wasn’t interested in looking at her and it didn’t seem appropriate. Plus, you were in the room. I’d much rather look at you.”
“But I never wear bikinis. I rarely wear any less than three layers.”
Right now, she was bundled up in a camisole, shirt, and blazer. And she was slightly chilled.
“That doesn’t deter me from wanting to look at you.”
“Oh?” She was so confused.
“When I said there was a problem with being friends, you weren’t the problem, baby. It’s me. All me.”
“I’m confused.”
He tightened his hands around the steering wheel. “You and me both. But you know what . . . forget about that. I do want to be your friend. So, let’s try that. Yes, friends. I can do that.”
“All right.” He seemed to be trying to convince himself, though.
Ethan pulled back out in the traffic right as someone tooted their horn and he winced. “Fuck. Sorry.”
They reached her downtown office building ten minutes later, where he parked in her dedicated spot under the building.
“Wait there until I come around and open the door for you,” he ordered as he turned off the SUV.
“Is that a bodyguard thing?” she asked.
“Yes. And it’s also an Ethan thing.”
Curious.
Perhaps he’d been raised to do things like that for women. She quite liked that idea. A lot of heroes in the books she read did that too.
He opened the door and held out his hand to her, glancing around as he did. She took his hand, but to her surprise, he didn’t let her go as he shut the door and locked the vehicle.
There was a loud noise from outside. A horn blasting. She jumped and put her hands over her ears.
“Shh. It’s all right. Just a car.”
“Sorry,” she said, embarrassed as she lowered her hands. “I hate loud, sudden noises.”
He took her hand again.
“Your hand is cold,” he said as he led her to the elevator. His head moved, gaze roaming the parking building. “I knew you should have worn more. Next time, I’ll bring a blanket for the car.”
That was . . . sweet.
“I don’t like how dark it is down here. You’re not ever to come here by yourself.”
“I assume you or Seth will be with me until this stalker situation is resolved.”
“I meant ever. You’re never to come here alone.”
That seemed overkill.
Although it did seem quite dark today. They reached the elevator.
“Are you going to let my hand go?” she asked. She had her briefcase in her free hand, making it difficult to swipe her access card for the elevator.
Ethan glanced down at their hands and she thought he looked surprised for a moment. Had he not realized that he was holding her hand?
“Hmm, I’m not sure I should. As your bodyguard, I’m certain it’s necessary to hold your hand.”
Cate gave him a skeptical look. “Do you hold the hand of everyone you’re guarding? Rhodes? Samantha?”
Was that jealousy she felt?
Because she didn’t want him holding hands with anyone else?
“No. Just you.”
“Then it’s not a bodyguard thing.”
“It seems not,” he agreed.
“And it’s not a friend thing.”
“Isn’t it?” he asked.
“Do you hold hands with any of your other friends?”
“I guess not.”
“So then . . .”
“I guess it’s just a Cate and Ethan thing.”
She liked the sound of that far too much. But as the elevator doors opened, she drew her hand away from his.
This was her job.
She had to go into a meeting she didn’t want to be at and interact with clients rather than pretend they weren’t in the room.
Sometimes life was just . . . exhausting.