Chapter 44
44
E than knocked on the office door.
The door opened after a few minutes and Oliver stood there, giving him a suspicious look.
He’d come over this morning after Cate’s online meeting with her therapist. And he hadn’t left all day. Ethan hadn’t even seen Cate and enough was enough.
Ethan would have been in earlier, but he’d been busy liaising with Kevin to find more bodyguards for Rhodes. God, the guy rubbed him the wrong way. It was clear he was only after one thing.
More publicity for Rhodes. And he was prepared to use this stalker to do it.
But now it was five p.m. and time for his girl to clock off. If left to her own devices, she’d keep working well into the night.
Last night, he’d slept in her bed with her. She’d wanted to practice her blow job technique again.
And he’d been only too happy to oblige. But she hadn’t wanted him to return the favor. He wasn’t sure if she was feeling self-conscious or shy.
But tonight, things were going to change.
He was determined to taste that sweet pussy.
Which would all be easier if they weren’t in a house filled with people. He’d had to muffle his shouts of pleasure with a pillow last night.
Despite the fact that it was a huge house, Cate’s bedroom was next to her brother’s. Something that might have suited them before, but Ethan was finding it really inconvenient.
She was getting way too good at blow jobs for him to keep quiet.
“Work hours are over,” he stated firmly.
“I’m sorry, but not for us. We’re still busy.” Oliver attempted to shut the door, and Ethan stepped forward into the office. “Um, I’m sorry. You might be Cate’s bodyguard, but that doesn’t mean you can just barge your way in here.”
“What’s the matter? Oh, Ethan.” Cate smiled up at him. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s after five, baby. Time to finish up.”
“Did you just call her baby?” Oliver turned from one to the other. “Wait. Are the two of you together?”
Ethan narrowed his gaze at the other man. Was that his business?
Maybe you’re just being sensitive. He’s allowed to ask questions.
Dealing with Kevin all day had put him in a grumpy mood. And that was on top of not being able to figure out this stalker’s motivations and moves.
“We are,” Cate told Oliver, seemingly oblivious to the odd tone in her assistant’s voice.
“Shit. I mean, congratulations. I’m really happy for you both.” Oliver smiled. And he did seem genuine. “When did it happen? Was it after that near-death experience? Cate was just telling me about that happened. That sort of thing always brings people together. I can’t believe the stalker tried to run you off the road. That must have been so scary.”
“The stalker does seem to be escalating,” Ethan replied warily.
“Are you guys any closer to finding out who it is?” Oliver asked.
“We’re getting there.”
“Brody thinks he’s close to finding out who owns that blog about Rhodes,” Cate said. “Although now we’re unsure if the stalker and the blogger are the same person since the blogger was obviously in New York when someone attempted to run us off the road. It’s quite perplexing.”
“We’re still open to any theories,” Ethan added. He wasn’t sure they should be telling Oliver any of this.
“Well, whew. That’s good you guys are getting closer. You know, Cate, I’m still happy to move in here if you need me to. Extra protection. I’m guessing you must be spread thin with Samantha here.”
“We’re looking at getting another bodyguard,” Ethan told him.
“Good. Good. Wait, if the two of you are together, you’re not moving, are you, Cate? Sorry, that was purely selfish. I just love working for you, Cate. Coming over here is one of my favorite things.”
For fuck’s sake. Ethan had been trying to keep Cate from thinking about the fact that they lived thousands of miles apart. And now this dick had to go mention it.
Cate stared up at Oliver with wide eyes. She looked slightly confused.
“That’s something for Cate and me to discuss,” Ethan said firmly.
“Sure, sure,” Oliver said. “Didn’t mean to overstep.”
“Cate, I thought I’d grill tonight,” Ethan said to her.
“Yum, that sounds delicious,” Oliver replied. “I was just going to heat up a microwave meal.”
There was silence after Oliver’s words. Fuck.
“Were you?” Ethan said awkwardly.
“Yeah. Is Rip eating with you?” he asked.
“No, I believe he’s coming home late tonight,” Ethan said.
“Too bad. Well, I better get going. You two are cute together. I like it. I’ll be back tomorrow, Cate.”
“No need. I can see you Friday,” she said without looking up.
He thought he saw Oliver give her a sour look, but it was gone so quickly that he couldn’t be sure.
Still, he wasn’t certain he liked this guy.
“Come on, Cate.” Ethan walked over and held his hand out to her. She stared at it for a moment as though she wasn’t sure what to do with it. “Time to finish work for the day.”
“Oh yes, of course. I’ll just save this work and be right out.”
“Okay.” He leaned in and kissed the top of her head before moving his mouth to her ear. “Make sure that you do stop. If I have to come back and get you, then your butt is going to pay the price.”
He heard her take in a sharp breath.
Then he stood. “I’ll see Oliver out and be by the grill. Make sure you put a jacket, hat, and gloves on before you come outside.”
Oliver peered out the window. “Uh, I know it’s a bit cooler now, but isn’t it like seventy degrees out there?”
“Yes.” Ethan didn’t say anything more. This guy had to know that Cate felt the cold. “Do you need time to grab your stuff?”
“No, I’ve got it all here. Bye, Cate. See you Friday.”
“Goodbye,” Cate said.
After seeing Oliver out, he grabbed everything he needed to grill. Samantha was around here somewhere, but he wasn’t inviting her to eat with them.
She could sort herself out.
He pulled out the garlic bread and salad from the fridge that Mrs. Sanders had prepared for them before leaving. That woman was in and out of here like a ghost. While the oven heated, Ethan walked out to fire up the grill.
Then he realized that Cate had had enough time to save her work and get her clothes. Turning the grill down low, he went in search of her.
If she was still working, then she’d just earned herself a spanking.
Cate heard a dog barking from a distance and it startled her out of what she was doing.
Shoot! She was supposed to be getting dressed to head outside, not still in her office!
The last thing she wanted was a spanking. Not with so many people around to hear.
What they needed was some privacy.
Maybe they could head to the lake house. But that didn’t feel right when Rhodes was going through all of this. She couldn’t leave him alone.
Cate opened the door to her bedroom and came to a sudden stop as she saw Samantha standing there. Right in front of her closet . . . about to open it.
“What are you doing in here?” she asked sharply.
Samantha shouldn’t be in here. No one should be in here that she didn’t invite. Her breath started coming in sharp pants.
It just felt . . . wrong.
Cate patted her chest. She had to keep calm. Maybe she hadn’t touched anything.
“Oh, Cate. I thought you’d still be working.”
“You need to get out of here. I didn’t invite you into my room,” Cate told her firmly.
“Well, soon, this house will be mine. And don’t you think it’s a bit rude that you have the main bedroom? I mean, now that I’m living here, I thought you would want Rhodes to have the main suite. You barely have any clothes. What are you even keeping in here?” She reached for the closet door again and Cate gasped for breath.
She couldn’t go in there. She couldn’t.
“Get the fuck away from that door,” Ethan snapped from behind her.
Relief flooded her as Samantha turned back. The other woman’s mouth was open as she gaped up at Ethan.
“Excuse me!” Samantha screeched. “You do not get to speak to me like that!”
“I do when you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be. Get the fuck out.”
“No! This should be mine!” she yelled.
That was it for Cate. She was already on edge with everything that had happened. Now, Samantha screaming like this was sending her over. She dropped to her bottom, putting her hands over her ears. She rocked back and forth.
“What the fuck is wrong with her?”
“ You are what’s wrong,” he replied. “Get. The. Fuck. Out.”
“I’m going to talk to Rhodes about this!” Samantha stormed past them, slamming her door on the way out.
“Cate, baby,” Ethan said soothingly. “Hey, it’s just you and me. Everything is okay.”
But nothing was okay. She was having a meltdown. It was all too much. There was too much noise, too much openness.
She couldn’t . . . she just couldn’t.
“All right, baby. I’m going to pick you up and take you into the closet, okay? We’ll get you all of your favorite things to help make you feel better. Fuck that bitch. I’m going to ruin her fucking life for this. What was she even doing in here?”
While Cate agreed, this wasn’t what she needed right now. A whimper escaped her as he lifted her up into his arms and walked over to the closet.
He opened the door and carried her into the small room. Only, it was even smaller because there were several boxes lining one side.
Her breath was caught in her lungs. Had Samantha been in here? Had she put those there?
“Easy, Catie-pie. I’m so sorry. I put those boxes in there. Remember the shopping I did? These things arrived earlier. I piled them in here because I thought they’d be safe here from prying eyes. Didn’t realize that bitch would come in here.” He set her down on her cushion and placed her blanket over her. Then he handed her Lady before grabbing her headband with the built-in headphones.
But nothing was working. The headband was irritating her rather than soothing, and she pulled it off her head, taking several strands of hair with her.
“Whoa, baby. Stop. You’re hurting yourself.” Concern flooded Ethan. “I’m right here. I won’t let her do that again. Can you squeeze my hands?”
Cate stared down at his hands as though she hadn’t seen them before.
Fuck it.
“Take my hands,” he ordered. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do, but she looked so fucking lost that it was breaking his heart.
She took hold of his hands.
“Squeeze.”
She squeezed them.
“That’s my good girl. Nice deep, slow breaths for Daddy. And squeeze again.”
Her breathing slowed as she calmed down.
“I’m sorry,” she stuttered out the words. “I can’t . . . I wasn’t . . . I’m so sorry.”
“I’m going to pick you up so I can hold you now,” he warned her. He lifted her so she was sitting sideways in his lap. The blanket came with her and he resettled it over her. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight.
But it didn’t seem quite right, so he turned her. That way she faced him, and he could hold her tight to his chest.
“Better, baby?”
“Yes,” she said with a sigh, relaxing in his embrace.
“I know that you’re overwhelmed and upset, but you don’t apologize for things that aren’t your fault.”
“I thought you might have been horrified by what happened.”
“Not happening. Nothing you could ever do would horrify or upset me. I promise you that.”
“I’m so?—”
“Careful, any more I’m sorries from now on are going to result in you spending some time over my lap. And I don’t mean for a cuddle.”
“Oh.”
She was quiet after that, and he placed his hand behind her head as he rocked her back and forth.
“Ethan?”
“Yes, baby?”
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
“Hey, you never have to thank me for that. It’s my privilege. If you ever need me, I’m going to be here for you, all right? You never have to deal with anything alone.”
“You’re a good man, Ethan Stone.”
“I try to be.” He kissed the top of her head. “I do need to talk to you about something though. Do you think you feel up to it?”
“I can try.”
“It’s this.” He took hold of her hand, holding up her wrist.
“My wrist?”
“The hair tie. Flicking your hair tie against your wrist. Baby, why do you do that?”
“Oh.”
That was all she said.
Perhaps this wasn’t the time, but he had to know and he thought that she trusted him enough now to be honest.
“Baby girl, I know that it’s hard to talk about things sometimes. But I need you to tell me when something is hurting you. When you’re upset, in pain, when there is a risk to you. I have to know. Because I can’t read your mind. And if something was harming you and I found out later . . . it would fucking kill me.”
“Kill you?” she asked, looking confused.
“It would hurt me, Cate. I’m a protector, a problem-solver, I’m the guy who helps people. But the person I want to help the most is you.”
“I don’t want to be a burden, though.”
“You could never be a burden.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am most definitely sure. All of you is utter perfection. Beautiful, courageous, and mine.”
Blinking rapidly, she looked away for a moment before sucking in a deep breath. “I think you have that wrong. It’s not me that’s perfect.”
She gave him a pointed look and he had to grin.
“I’m so far from perfect, it’s not funny. But I just hope I’m what you need.”
“Ethan Stone, you are everything I need and more.”
He kissed the top of her head. Then her forehead. The tip of her nose.
“Ohh,” she said, moving her lips up toward his.
“Uh-uh, no kisses until you tell me.”
“It’s not harming me,” she said with a sigh. “It’s just a little flick. A sting to help me clear my head.”
Clear her head?
“Did your therapist suggest it? Have you talked to her about it?”
“No. I just came up with it myself. I haven’t spoken to my therapist about this.”
That wasn’t good. What was she talking to her therapist about?
“I don’t know that it sounds very healthy,” he told her. “I think that you should talk to her about this. I hate the thought of you giving yourself even a small amount of pain to help clear out your head. I want you to tell me the thoughts in your head instead.”
Fuck. Was that too much?
Part of him didn’t care. He wanted to know what was going on with this girl. All the time.
His phone beeped, and he checked it, seeing that Seth and Rhodes were back. “I don’t want you doing that to yourself anymore.” His voice was firm.
“I . . . I won’t.”
Ethan held out his hand. She placed the hair tie in it. Relief filled him, even though he knew that it probably wasn’t this simple or easy.
“Thank you, baby. I want you to speak to your therapist about this. Did you tell her about all the stress you’ve been under?”
“I told her a bit about Rhodes been stalked and you guys moving in this morning.”
“What did she say?”
“That she’s concerned about all the stress and that I need to make sure I’m looking after myself.”
Which was his job. And he needed to do it better. “You can tell me anything. I want to ensure you’re happy and healthy. But I also need you to talk to me.”
“I know. I will try.”
And he would watch her even more closely.
“Was it Samantha being in your room that upset you? Or her screeching? Or her nearly getting into your closet?”
“D.”
“Huh?”
“All of the above.”
He let out a sigh. “I’m so sorry that happened, baby.”
“It’s not your fault. And she’s not wrong, is she? I should give her and Rhodes the main suite. But I just . . . this is my safe place.”
“Hey, no one is taking your safe place. Understand? You think Rhodes would want that?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I know so. She’s just being a bitch. Don’t pay any attention to her. I wish I’d known how to help you, though. We should have discussed this. Maybe I should even talk to your therapist about how to best help you.”
“You did really well. Normally, I can deal with it myself. But I was worried about if you . . . if you’d leave me. If you found it all too much.”
He swore quietly. “I will never leave you. Is there anything else I could have done?”
“Sometimes, I find it good to have something to squeeze—like a stress ball or a toy. Different textures. But what you did worked. Normally, I don’t like to be touched, but it’s all I wanted with you.”
“I’ll remember that next time.” He leaned her back so he could brush her hair off her face. His poor girl, she looked like she was completely done in. “Are you tired, baby?”
“Exhausted. I just wanna have a nap.”
“All right. We can do that. I’ll lie down with you. We can have dinner later, if you like.”
“That would be good. I feel kind of nauseous,” she admitted as he stood with her cradled against his chest.
“Is there anything else you need?” he asked.
“No. Just you.”
“You have me,” he replied.
“Ethan?”
“Yes, baby?”
“What is in all of these boxes? What did you shop for?”
“Just a few bits and pieces,” he replied. “I’ll show you tomorrow when you’re less overwhelmed.”
She grumbled a bit.
“If you’re a good girl, I’ll show one thing to you. You can wear it now if you like it.”
“Wait. You bought something for me ?” she asked.
“It’s all for you, baby girl.”
“Ethan! You shouldn’t have spent so much money on me! You’re already on leave without pay and then to buy me all these things.”
He sat on the bed and grasped hold of her chin, tilting her head back.
“How I choose to spend my money is up to me. It is not for you to worry about.” He released her lip from between her teeth. “Understand?”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“Yes, Daddy,” Cate repeated.