Chapter 103
Freya
I haven’t seen Ethan since I ran out of his hotel room, and thank the gods for that. Without inappropriate fantasies about Ethan on my mind, my first month working at Steele Hotels has sailed smoothly.
But what I don’t tell anyone, Maddie included, is that I still have occasional daydream porn in the shower with Ethan in the starring role. He is the only reason my Satisfyer is satisfying.
“Do you think I look ridiculous?” I ask Maddie as we walk out of the bathroom.
We are at one of the best restaurants in the city–The Powder. It’s my 30th birthday, and Maddie’s older sister, Eva, who is richer than rich, has booked seats for us.
I wanted to turn down the offer, but Eva is as generous as her little sister and said, “Nonsense! You’re going through a divorce and deserve to have some fun. Who knows? You might even find a rich man who can take care of you–one who is much hotter than Clark.”
“You look beautiful,” Maddie tells me while looking left and right for her older sister. “Now, where are Eva and Diana…”
Diana is Eva’s best friend. They are both in their forties and unlike me, who is nervous about turning 30, the two of them . have embraced their aging. I’ve always envied that about them.
As we make our way through the restaurant, I feel like a fish out of water. The Powder is the kind of place where wealthy people go–people like my ex–husband–but I’m dirt poor and have nothing to my name, so I shouldn’t be here.
“There they are!” Maddie exclaims, waving enthusiastically at a corner table.
Eva and Diana stand to greet us, both looking effortlessly chic in their black designer dresses, which probably cost more than my car–well, my hypothetical car. I don’t actually own one.
“Happy birthday, darling!” Eva coos, air–kissing my cheeks in that fancy way rich people do. “You look absolutely divine.”
I smile awkwardly, trying not to think about how this green dress is actually a loaner from Maddie’s closet and how I had to safety pin the back because it’s a size too big.
“Thanks, Eva. You look beautiful, too.”
Diana chuckles. “Thank you, darling. But no more talking! Sit down. We’ve already ordered champagne!”
As if on cue, a waiter appears with an expensive bottle. He pops the cork with practiced ease, and I have to resist the urge to catch it and sell it on eBay.
“To Freya,” Eva says, raising her glass. “May your 30s be even better than your 20s!”
We all clink glasses and take a sip.
“So,” Diana leans in conspiratorially, “any exciting plans for the big 3-0? Perhaps you’re looking for a new dick, this time one to actually ride seeing your ex–husband was a literal one.”
I nearly choke on my champagne. “Oh, um, no. Nothing like that
Maddie snorts. “Unless you count fantasizing about a certain billionaire hotel owner.”
Chapter 103
“Maddie!” I hiss, mortified.
Eva’s eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. “Ooh, do te! Is he handsome? Rich? Both?”
“He’s nobody,” I insist, shooting Maddie a death glare. “Just my boss.”
“Just your boss?” Diana repeats, clearly not buying it. “Honey, nobody blushes like that over ‘just‘ a boss…”
Crap, she is sharp like always!
Luckily, our waiter’s arrival saves me from further interrogation. He’s a lanky fellow with a pencil–thin mustache that looks like it was drawn on with a Sharpie. But at least he is nice and takes our orders.
Once he is gone, I smile at the girls, “Thank you again for paying for all of this-”
“Paying?” Eva snorts. “Darling, you know I love you, but these VIP seats weren’t paid by me. Someone else booked them in your name, but don’t worry. The staff informed us that everything is paid for–including the drinks.”
“Someone paid for them?” I gawk at her, my mind already spinning. I think I’m about to have a panic attack. “This isn’t good! I don’t know anyone rich enough to pay for this, so these seats, the drinks… It got to be a mistake, and we really shouldn’t eat anything since I will be forced to pay back whatever these VIP seats-”
Maddie interrupts me by placing a hand on my shoulder with a kind smile. “Freya, I hate to interrupt you, but I think he paid for it all.” She points ahead, and my eyes widen when I see Ethan sitting by the bar.
Dressed in a black suit with his emerald eyes on me and chips in his hand, he smirks and crunches on his salty snack before grabbing another.
“Oh my god!” Eva’s jaw drops. “Do you know him? If you do, can you please give him my number? He is literally the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. He looks really important, too… Is he a celebrity? A model, perhaps?”
Eva isn’t the only one who has noticed Ethan. The table behind us is gasping and whispering as well.
“He is so hot.”
“Should I ask him out?”
“No, you don’t want to seem desperate–let him come to you.”
“Bitch, he hasn’t even seen me!”
I steal a glance at the other table. They are all beautiful, but more importantly, they are also young–way younger than me, who is 9 years older than Ethan.
“He is coming this way!” Diana whisper–yells and starts fixing her hair, brushing it out on one shoulder. “How do I look?!”
I want to sink into the floor as Ethan approaches our table, his confident stride drawing every eye in the restaurant. He’s like a magnet for attention, and I’m caught helplessly in his pull.
“Ladies,” he greets us with a dazzling smile that probably causes at least three women to swoon. “I hope you’re enjoying you evening.”
Eva practically purrs. “Oh, we certainly are now. I’m Eva, and you are….”
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“Ethan Steele,” he replies smoothly, his eyes never leaving mine. I’m a… friend of Freya’s.”
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Chapter 103
Friend? More like tormentor of my dreams and chief distraction during my waking hours.
“Ethan,” I manage to squeak out. “What are you doing here?”
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He grins, clearly enjoying my discomfort. “Well, I heard it was someone’s birthday, and I couldn’t resist stopping by to wish her well.” As the CEO of Steele Enterprises, I’m also the owner of this very restaurant. Guess my surprise when I noticed there was a birthday booking for someone named Freya tonight just knew I had to upgrade your seats to VIP and pay for everything. I hope you don’t mind.”
My jaw drops. This man owns The Powder? Is there anything he doesn’t own in this city?
“Mind?” Diana exclaims. “Honey, you can upgrade my seat anytime.”
Ethan chuckles politely, but his eyes are still fixed on me. “Actually, I was hoping I might borrow the birthday girl for a moment. If that’s alright with you ladies?”
Before I can protest, Maddie is practically shoving me out of my seat. “Of course it’s alright! Take all the time you need.” I shoot her a panicked look, but she just winks and mouths, “You’re welcome.”
Ethan offers me his arm, and I take it reluctantly, hyper–aware of every eye in the restaurant following our every move. It doesn’t help that Ethan has to sort of lean himself towards me due to the height difference. It must be bringing in even
more stares.
And thus, once we are out of earshot, I release his arm and round up on him. “You didn’t have to do all this.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Do what? Wish you a happy birthday?”
“You know what I mean. The VIP seats, paying for everything… It’s too much.”
“It’s not too much if it makes you smile,” he says softly, and I hate how my heart flutters at his words.
“Well, thank you,” I mumble, unable to meet his eyes. “But really, you shouldn’t have.”
“What if I enjoy spoiling you?”
I scrunch up my nose, scowling. “You enjoy spoiling me? Please, you barely even know me!”
After raising my voice, I expect Ethan to scowl back at me, but he looks amused. It’s then that I realize he doesn’t feel one bi threatened by me.
It becomes even more clear when he says, “Is this you trying to scare me into not doing something like this in the future? If that is the case, then you are failing because you’re as threatening as a disgruntled kitten. It’s honestly damn cute how you huff and flare your nostrils when you’re pissed off.”
My mouth opens but doesn’t close. Ethan has won this round. I’m honestly afraid of him. No man has ever flirted with me this blatantly. I don’t know how to handle him.
When it becomes clear I can’t speak, Ethan walks forward and bends down a little, “Do you want to dance?”
I stare at him and he fights back a laugh before leading me away from the corner.
It doesn’t take long until we are dancing to intimate music while surrounded by other strangers.
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Ethan pulls me to him, whispering. “You look amazing tonight.”
Chapter 103
I say nothing, but Ethan doesn’t seem to mind. His fingers rub the small of my back, and that one brush almost turns me into a puddle on the floor. Damn him. Despite being so young, he is outplaying me, plucking all of my weapons from my fingers and making me feel like a toothless shark.
We continue dancing in silence and I notice the lights are dimming down.
Ethan takes it as a cue to hold me close, and a wave of insecurity hits me when I see a younger couple kissing a few feet away from us.
Why isn’t Ethan dancing with someone younger?
“Do you normally wear dresses like this when you go out for dinner?” Ethan tugs at the back of my dress.
My hackles immediately rise. “Why?” I ask, but before he can answer, I spit out the venom gathered in my throat, “Is it because a woman my age shouldn’t wear something so revealing”
“No?” he breathes a laugh. “I’m asking because the dress obviously isn’t your size.”
“Oh…” Well, that’s embarrassing. I avert my eyes to our feet, but Ethan’s thumb finds my chin and brings it up so that I’m looking up into his eyes.
“Freya, are you embarrassed about your age?”
Yes.
“No,” I keep eye contact. “I just don’t understand why you’re so interested in me,” a bitter laugh escapes my lips, “if you even are.”
His eyes narrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Did I just hit a nerve? Did he really just get angry at me for believing he is interested in me?
“I’m just saying that you could be…”
“Could be what?”
I avert my gaze for what feels like the billionth time. This isn’t easy to admit, but it’s what I’m thinking, “Playing with me?” The cold, not gentle, look on his face hardens. It’s such a drastic change from the smiling guy I know that it’s rather shocking to look at. Maybe Maddie was right when she claimed Ethan was dominant. He looks the part now.
“You think I’m playing with you?” I’m not meant to answer that question–Ethan is already talking again, “Do you want to know what I’ve been fantasizing about lately?”
I shouldn’t want it, but I do. “Yes…”
“You want an honest answer or a gentleman one?”
“Honest.”
“You asked for it…”
He stops dancing with me and pulls me away from the dancefloor. We move fast, back to the corner where we came from and then my back is pressed against the wall with Ethan glaring down at me.
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Chapter 103
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“When I first saw your dress,” he lowers his voice but doesn’t stop glaring at me. It’s as if he knows this darker side of his is turning me on, “I wanted to throw you over my shoulder and carry you away from here so no other man could have the pleasure of seeing you wear it.”
My breath hitches, but Ethan isn’t done talking.
He lowers his head, his breath tickling my ear, “I also wanted top it off your body, press you up against the nearest wall and fuck you until my name was the only sound leaving your pretty lips.”
AD
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