5

ETHAN

My pulse rises into my throat again. Part of me hopes she never comes. This whole thing already feels risky. One bad decision and this turns completely inappropriate.

"Called it. No work ethic."

"Golden Orchid. Shrimp pad thai. Medium."

The restaurant she picks is a tiny rundown place. Nothing fancy at all. Her food costs only $5.28. That surprises me.

I expected her to choose the most expensive thing she could find just to get under my skin.

Another message appears.

"Cold water."

Cold water.

My thoughts immediately start racing. I head down the private hallway and enter my code into the keypad.

The elevator carries me up to the skyline suite hardly anyone knows I own.

Ethan's uncle sold it to me before I relocated to Seattle. Since I didn't know the city well, living close to work seemed smart. I had the entire place renovated before moving in.

The moment I walk inside, I check everything again even though I already know the suite is spotless.

I walk through the grand lounge, scanning the furniture, the counters, the windows.

Everything looks perfect.

After checking the common spaces, I head into the master suite and strip the sheets off the bed.

Why are you changing the sheets?

Nothing is happening.

Getting involved with someone from work would be a disaster.

Still, I put fresh sheets on the bed anyway.

When I finish, I walk into the chef's kitchen and open the refrigerator.

No water.

Perfect.

I grab my phone and search for a delivery company that can bring several cases before five o'clock. I'm placing the order when my phone rings.

"Ethan, your two o'clock asked if you could meet fifteen minutes earlier. Is that okay?" Claire asks.

I check the time on my watch. I can manage that.

"Sure."

I end the call, head back downstairs, and grab the folders for the meeting.

"Your meeting was moved to Summit Room," Claire tells me.

"Thanks."

I walk down the hallway while reviewing the notes inside the file. The second I enter the room, the word slips out before I can stop it.

"Fuuuuuck."

The curse leaves my mouth low and strained through clenched teeth.

Sophie sits in one of the chairs with a first aid kit beside her. She's trying to clean her knee. Her skirt is pushed up again, showing those blue lace panties, and her face looks pale from pain.

Those legs should be illegal.

I stop moving completely.

Slowly, she turns toward me.

"You enjoying my pain?"

I exhale, close the door behind me, and walk over.

Her knee looks awful. Dirt is stuck inside the cut, and blood still leaks from it slowly. The skin around it is swollen and already bruising.

She presses a cloth against it and flinches.

"What are you doing?"

She gives me an irritated look.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"Trying to get an infection, apparently."

"You're such a jerk."

"Yep."

The executive meeting room has a mini lounge kitchen attached to it. I open a cabinet, grab a bowl, and wash my hands carefully with soap before sitting beside her.

I place the bowl near my lap.

Then I pick up the hydrogen peroxide and some clean cloths.

Grabbing the arm of her chair, I pull her closer to me.

"What are you doing?"

"Relax. You're making it worse."

Before she can protest again, I carefully lift her leg and rest it across my thighs so her knee stays over the bowl. Then I pour hydrogen peroxide onto the cut.

"Shit!" she cries out immediately.

She jerks her leg back, but I keep it steady against me.

Honestly, I feel bad for her.

The wound really is bad.

"Sorry."

"I'm sure this is fun for you," she mutters quietly.

For once, I don't tease her back.

I take the tweezers and start pulling tiny rocks and dirt out of the cut one piece at a time. Sophie turns her face away and bites down on her hand while I clean it.

It takes longer than expected.

Every time I think I'm done, I find more dirt buried inside the skin.

Finally, it's clean.

I spray antiseptic over the wound and wrap gauze around her knee.

"You need to change this twice a day," I tell her. "Keep the bottle."

Only after I finish wrapping her knee do I finally look up.

My eyes move past those blue lace panties again, and my body reacts instantly.

One arm rests loosely over her thigh while my fingers stay against her calf. I hold the antiseptic bottle out with my other hand.

She takes it slowly.

"Thank you."

Without thinking, I run my fingers lightly along her calf.

She jumps a little in the chair.

Damn it, Ethan. What are you doing?

I immediately let go of her leg and push it gently away from me, but the bowl tips over.

Dirty water, blood, and hydrogen peroxide spill straight onto my pants.

"Crap!"

"Sorry!"

Sophie quickly grabs the towel, stands up, and starts rubbing the wet spot on my pants automatically.

The second my erection hardens beneath her hand, she freezes.

Slowly, her eyes lift to mine.

I grab her wrist and carefully move her hand away from me.

But not before seeing the look in her eyes.

It's obvious.

Sophie wants me just as much as I want her.