Who Is Ethan?

Tara Blakewood POV

“Since you went against me, I’ll show you something you never expected, Tara.”

Kaiden said this while his breath seemed to numb my mind and all my senses. I kept my composure, though.

Being close to him felt dangerous, and I didn’t like it one bit. I quickly pulled my hand away from under his.

I wanted to escape, but I didn’t even turn before he opened the secretary’s office door, gently pushed me inside, then followed and closed the door without using a key.

“Mr. Kaiden, stop! Your secretary might come in at any moment.” I said, looking at anything but him.

“If this is her office, it’s also my company, Tara Blakewood.”

There was no room for argument now. He was right.

He stood only a few inches away. His hand, placed beside my head, made me shift my gaze toward him.

I closed my eyes tightly, squeezing them, and my body started to tremble. I clutched the edges of my skirt, pressing it hard. My hands were sweaty—I could bet some drops had slipped onto my forehead—and I lowered my head.

Right now, I couldn’t think of anything except what he might do after giving me those looks and shutting the door. I didn’t care about his handsomeness or his tempting features that I had always admired whenever I got the chance.

I felt strands of my hair being tucked behind my ear by fingers—not anyone else’s. Then I felt gentle touches on the back of my hand resting on my short skirt.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

I opened them when he took both my hands in his, each hand held by his corresponding hand. His thumbs traced the skin on the back of my hands slowly and deliberately. It was the same scenario, the same movements that had happened twice at my home in Italy.

His touches made me feel at ease in a way Ethan Rowland, my doctor and fiancé, never had. The effect on me was intense, and I didn’t know why.

“Don’t be afraid of me, Tara. I… I’m not doing anything. I was just playing around.”

I didn’t like that. I hated “playing around.”

“For your information, Kaiden, I’m not someone you can play around with.”

I said this even though the kiss he placed on the back of my hand didn’t please me, didn’t make butterflies flutter in my body. I didn’t know why; I just felt I needed to step back a little.

I moved away from him, heading toward the door to leave, not knowing why I felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

---

I finished work for the day without a single word. The last thing I said was that line to Kaiden. Now, I was heading to the parking garage.

My phone vibrated in my hand, making me stop. It was Ethan. I answered the call, and as usual, he was the first to speak.

“Hello, Tara. How was your day at work?”

I smiled faintly at him. He was the only one checking on me these days.

I continued toward my car. My back ached from sitting on that hard chair. There was a luxurious Jaguar parked next to my car on the left.

My Bugatti was too low. I couldn’t sit in it, so I turned toward the Jaguar and sat on its hood.

“It was a bit tiring, but it’s fine. I’ll get used to it.”

I heard him hum through the phone. I didn’t know why, it wasn’t exciting like Kaiden’s voice.

Ah, damn it. I was thinking about him again. Didn’t my mind promise me not to?

“Tara, please don’t exhaust yourself like this. I need you at your full energy.”

It hit me what he meant after a few seconds of silence. I shouted at him, ignoring anyone who might enter, especially since the place echoed every sound.

“Don’t speak to me in that perverted way. You know I don’t like it… Ethan, how many times have I told you!”

I said this while staring at my black heels, not paying attention to anything around me.

“Who are you talking to?!”

I looked at the rude voice.. it was the one I struggled not to think about.

“Wait… since when are you here, Kaiden?”

“I was inside the car when you placed that perfect ass of yours on the hood. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found a dent in it.”

He was looking at my phone screen. His features were sharp as he took my phone and tapped it. I think he hung up because I saw him tapping something.

“Who is this?”

I really didn’t know what he meant by “who this is.”

“Who do you mean, Mr. Kaiden?”

Forget it. His brow furrowed, but he looked exhausted, and I didn’t care.

He reopened the phone as if it belonged to him, tapping several times before saying:

“Who is Ethan?”

Wait. Did he just interfere and ask about the person I was talking to? What business was it of his?

“My phone… is none of your business now, Mr. Kaiden.”

“You don’t give orders, Tara.”

He said this while letting the phone hover in the air before taking it back into his hand.

“Get down from my car and get into mine.”

He said this, gesturing with his eyes to the car door.

“I won’t. Besides, I have a car.”

He grabbed my hand, pulling me until my back pressed against his chest. I tried to pull away.