Chapter 9
Ana arrived at the restaurant before Ethan. The steak and seafood house had a huge wall of fish tanks with brightly colored creatures swimming lazily, creating a soothing atmosphere. Soft music played in the background, and white tablecloths with gleaming silver added to the ambiance. Ana settled into booth. She pulled out her phone.
Would Ethan show up, or would Chef-Cock-Block find a way to stop him?
Her answer arrived one minute later when Ethan strode toward her. He tugged off his suit jacket, the shirt clinging to his shoulders and arms as he tossed the garment on the opposite seat then slid into the booth next to her. His huge body took up three quarters of the seat, while his scent—warm and spicy—made her want to lean in to him.
Wrapping a hand around her nape, he tugged her to him. Heat simmered in his blue eyes. “Those pictures were hot, but you’re more stunning in person.”
Another first for her as she never posted sexy pictures. “You liked them?”
“So much that I’ve been walking around with an aching cock.”
“Would you like to start with a cocktail or glass of wine?” Their server appeared tableside.
Ana repressed a laugh. Had the woman heard? She didn’t look outraged if she had, so no harm done.
“They have an excellent Wagyu steak cooked on hot stones. Or did you have something else in mind?” Ethan dragged his thumb over her jaw, apparently unfazed. “Anything you want.”
“The steak sounds good. Can they cook mine closer to medium?”
He gave the order, and once the waitress left, he said, “Tell me about dolphin watching earlier. I need to think about something else besides kissing you and how good you look in that dress.”
Ana told him stories, showing him pictures of dolphins through the appetizer course. After a couple sips of the smooth Malbec, she got up the courage to say, “So, what happened in your meeting with the lawyers?”
He told her about the sneaky clause giving Siena ownership of his recipes.
“You stood your ground.”
“On my rights? Hell yeah.” He poured a bit more wine in her glass. “Then I looked at the time and realized how late it was.”
“I thought you were cancelling.”
His fingers clenched around his wineglass. “I was furious at myself. I got caught up in the fight and didn’t watch the time. When Siena pulled her crap, she meant for me to let you down again. I was done.”
Concern edged into her. “Will she rescind the offer?” Ana didn’t intend to come between him and the job he wanted so badly.
His jaw tightened.
The server returned, bringing their stone-cooked steaks, the aroma wafting into the booth. “Is there anything else I can get you?”
“We’re good, thank you,” Ethan answered.
Ana stared at her meat sliced on a bed of greens, surrounded by baby potatoes and broccoli. It looked delicious, but Ethan’s earlier silence left her uneasy.
“She overplayed her hand.”
“Siena?”
He nodded. “The last two days, yeah. All the games to keep you and me apart. Obviously she saw you as a threat. Then the changes in the contract today trying to tie me to her indefinitely by owning my recipes. That tells me how important I am to her.” Cold, brutal ambition hardened his voice and made his eyes flat, icy.
Ana leaned back. “How can I be a threat to you signing the contract? We’re not even together. I mean not really. Not after this week.”
He raised his eyebrows. “She doesn’t know that. Once I sign, I’ll be traveling all over with her, and most girlfriends would object to that.”
Doubt crawled in, and she didn’t like it. “Why does it feel like I’m a convenient pawn in your contract negotiations?” Really? She knew Ethan better than that. Okay he might use a situation to his advantage, but then, so would she when working to get deals for Sugar Dancer Bakery.
The chill in his gaze cracked as surprise and regret took over. “No. Jesus, Ana. It’s a coincidence that you and Siena are at the manor at the same time. It just worked out this way and gave me an opportunity to see that she is serious about signing me.” He frowned. “You knew this was my goal.”
The words hit her like a reality slap. She didn’t have any right to feel hurt or possessive. She was the one who’d approached him with this temporary fling proposition. If it came down to a choice between Ana or his job with Siena, his choice was clear.
“Forget business.” Ethan stroked her face. “Right now I’m only interested in pleasure. Our pleasure.” He cut a piece of her steak and held it out. “Try some meat.”
Ana took a bite, consciously letting go of her insecurities to enjoy the food. Their time together was about sex and fun. The tense moment melted as they talked and ate. Finally she said, “I need to use the restroom.”
Ethan slid out. “I’ll pay the check.”
Ana stood and hesitated. “I—”
He kissed her before she could speak. “I have it, Ana. I want to buy dinner. You’re not a pawn to me. You’re my lover and friend.”
The sincerity riding his low voice reassured her. They were getting a second chance to redo the past and give each other good memories of their friendship.
You’re such a liar. You’re more in love with him now than a year ago.
Don’t think about that, she told herself. Not now. Smiling, she said, “Thank you. It means a lot to me.”
Rushing away, she remembered a small detail and glanced back at him. “I have the key to one of the casitas. Hank gave it to me.”
It didn’t take her long to locate the hallway that led to the ladies’ room. Once she was finished, she paused in the small foyer that separated the bathroom from the door, and surveyed herself in the mirror.
Ana saw a deep fatigue in her eyes. She desperately wanted to just let go for a little while. She’d been holding on so tight, trying to make herself useful enough to the people she cared about so they wouldn’t leave her.
Ethan would leave. There was a freedom in knowing that right up front. No matter what she did, he wasn’t going to care enough to stay, so she could just be herself. For tonight, he was hers. Anticipation simmered in her belly.
Feeling a bit lighter, she stepped away from the mirror and opened the door.
A hand slammed into her chest and shoved her back.
Ana stumbled, her heels sliding on the slick floor. Shock confused her. What was happening? Struggling to catch her balance, she grabbed the wall dividing the bathroom area from the foyer. She jerked upright in time to see Gregory turning the lock on the door.
“What the hell are you doing?” She couldn’t believe this.
He spun around, latched onto her arm and dragged her toward the three stalls. He kicked every door until he determined they were alone.
Ana regained her wits enough to yank on her arm. “Let go of me.”
His fingers bit into her skin. “I thought you were so nice when I met you. And now I see you have a discipline problem.”
Discipline? At six feet tall, Gregory was long and strong. He didn’t have Ethan’s muscle, but he was solid enough to overpower her. “You’re hurting me.”
He bounced the same way he had when she saw him at the resort. “I don’t want to. When I first met you, I didn’t think I’d have to. Your father’s a star athlete, I thought you understood.” He yanked open the handicapped stall door.
Oh hell no, she wasn’t going in there. She clutched the edge of the stall.
Gregory reached his arm out to the right.
Ana started to turn to figure out what he was doing when a force hit the back of her hand. Oh God, pain exploded out. A scream tore from her throat.
His palm clapped over her mouth. “Shut up. There’s no crying or screaming in discipline. You’ll learn. Work comes first, not partying and goofing off. Work. Now sign the contract.”
What contract? What is happening? She pressed her throbbing limb against her belly. It took her a second to figure it out—he’d slammed the stall door on her hand.
He dragged her to the counter. After releasing her mouth, he slapped a piece of paper down, then a pen. “Sign. Now.”
Ana stared at the black ballpoint lying on a typewritten sheet of paper that had fold marks in it. In the mirror, she eyed the reflection of her injury. Carefully she moved the fingers. The pain had lessened but it still hurt.
Gregory jerked her arm. “Do it, pick up that pen.”
She reached out with her good hand and fisted the pen. She had one chance—
A loud pounding sounded. “Ana?” Ethan called out. “You okay?”
Gregory grabbed her sore hand and tightened his fingers in a threat of more agony. “Say yes. Get rid of him.”
Like hell. Ana bent her elbow, then snapped her fist down hard, jamming the pen into the lunatic’s thigh. At the same time, she yanked her arm free and screamed, “No! Gregory’s in here!”
Run. Don’t look back. She hauled ass for the exit.
“Stay back. I’m coming in,” Ethan yelled.
Ana skidded to a stop at the exact second the door flew open, banging against the wall.
Ethan stormed in, menace on his face. He didn’t slow, but leapt into a flying tackle, hit Gregory and both of them slammed onto the tile floor.
Before Ana could blink, Gregory lay facedown. Ethan had one knee on the man’s back and his arms pinned behind him. “You move, I’ll rip your arm out of the socket.”
“My leg. She stabbed me.”
Ethan glanced at the bloody pen on the floor, then her. “You okay?”
She was still trying to take in how fast Ethan had moved. And the door… “You kicked it open. It was deadbolted.”
“Look at me.”
The gentle command pierced the wild pounding of her heart and buzzing in her ears. She focused on Ethan. Even in a half crouch over Gregory, strength exuded from him.
“Good. Now tell me if you’re hurt. Where did he touch you?”
“My arm.” She looked down at the angry red fingerprints. That would leave a bruise. “Slammed my hand in a stall door.” She held up her arm and eyed it. No blood, but it was swelling and throbbed.
“Ana.”
She blinked and returned her attention to Ethan. Shock, she wasn’t focusing. “Sorry, I’m okay.” She glanced at the doorway filling with people gawking at them.
A woman pushed through wearing a uniform. “Police. What’s going on here?”
A cop already? “That was fast.”
“I was in the area when a call came in. What happened?”
Ana filled in the police officer while the efficient woman checked Gregory for weapons and cuffed him.
“She stabbed me,” Gregory whined. “Arrest her.”
“You attacked me,” Ana snapped.
Gregory glowered at her. “If you’d just read the book, you’d understand. Hard work, discipline and ruthlessness. I failed as a tennis player because I wasn’t ruthless enough. Now I am. I won’t fail, you’ll see. You’ll all see. When I write Roger Kendall’s biography—”
“Not going to happen.” Ana cut off his ranting. “Not now or ever.”
Ethan wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, while keeping his scrutiny on Gregory. “How did you know where Ana would be?”
“It’s on her Facebook. Bragging about her new dress for her date at Nadine’s instead of working with me. I just had to wait for her to use the bathroom to get her alone.”
Figured. Every time she tried to get a little bad, a little wicked, it bit her in the ass. “You need to get help, Gregory. And leave me alone.”
* * * *
Ethan drove the car through the quiet streets with Ana in the passenger seat. She hadn’t said much, but she had to be tired. It had taken a while to give their statements, then the hospital trip to X-ray her hand. Thankfully it was only bruised, not broken. Ethan regulated his breathing, keeping a lock on his emotions. He’d take her to the casita—not for their fantasy game—but so she could rest without a bunch of questions.
She could have been hurt worse. The sound of her voice yelling, “No! Gregory’s in here!” beat over and over in his head. What if he hadn’t realized something was wrong in the bathroom?
As he turned onto the street leading to the mansion, more anger leaked through his control. He tapped his thumb on the steering wheel. Ana had no idea how close he’d been to ripping that bastard’s arm out of his socket for the pleasure of hearing him scream.
She belonged to Ethan. She’d belonged to him since the day he’d seen her in the bakery. Mine. He knew damn well he couldn’t have her. The stain of his past was a black mold that would grow and fester in the dark corners of her mind. It’d eat away at her feelings for him until she had nothing left but an ugly disgust.
“How’d you know something was wrong when I was in the bathroom?”
Her voice pulled him out of the pit, and he glanced over. She sat still, with the cold pack resting on the back of her hand.
After stopping at the wrought iron gate to the manor, Ethan used his phone to open it, then drove through. “A woman tried the door and found it locked. I heard her telling the manager.” The hairs on the back of his neck had stood up as all his instincts went hot. “I knew something was wrong.”
“Oh. Well, thank you. I’m glad you were there.”
“What if I hadn’t been? You weren’t going to make it to the door. That bastard was right behind you when I got in there.” That anyone would hurt her enraged him. “He’s crazy and completely fixated on you.”
“I’ll handle it.”
His control cracked. “Really? Because you’ve been doing an awesome job of it so far. Did you walk right by him in the restaurant and not even notice? He had to be by that bathroom watching for you. Oh and posting exactly where you were going to be at a specific time online? Genius. Fucking genius.”
Silence spread between them, and Ethan clamped his mouth shut. He took the smaller road to the private casita then turned to Ana. She stared out the window at the two-story building in the glow of ground lights, her face pale, strained and remote.
He was an ass for yelling at her after she’d been accosted in the bathroom. He wasn’t mad at her, he was worried and frustrated. “I’m sorry, that came out harsh. I have a lot going on. We’re finalizing all the security on the last leg of the tour, I’m playing hardball on contract negotiations that can make or break my career.” But what happened if Gregory got out of jail and returned to San Diego? Would he go after Ana? His aggravation at the situation built and shot out of his mouth. “The last thing I need is to worry about your safety.”
“Then don’t.” Ana released her seat belt and faced him. “It’s time to cut bait. This isn’t working between us. I’ll stay in the casita tonight, then fly home tomorrow and take care of myself. I always take care of myself.”
Go home? She was leaving him? Panic closed in on his chest. Tonight, when he’d realized she was in trouble and a locked door stood between them, something had snapped in his brain. He’d have killed in a second to protect her. He didn’t want to let her go. Struggling to breathe past the building pressure, the need to find a way to have her while proving himself to the whole damned world, he said, “Ana—”
She turned away from him and shoved open the door. “You’ll be free to focus on the important stuff. Thank you again for dinner and helping me tonight. I told the restaurant to charge any damages, like the door, to me.” She banged the car door and darted up the stone walkway.
Christ. He’d handled that like a champ. After ripping off his seat belt, he jetted out of the car and yelled, “Damn it, stop.”
She spun around. “Go back to the house, Ethan. I’m done.” She vanished inside, closing the door on him.
Who was the fucking genius now?
It took all his will to get in the car and drive away.
This was better for Ana. It didn’t matter how much he loved her, it’d never work. His past would be exposed, people would gleefully dissect it, and Ana would feel the shame. He couldn’t—
He hit the brakes so hard, the rear tires skidded, taking him into a spin. He gripped the steering wheel, hands sweaty, heart pounding and a crackling in his ears. His training kicked in, and he got the car under control.
Loved her? He’d always cared, but what did he know of love? Enough to love Ana, apparently.
After parking in front of the manor, he glanced in the rearview mirror and didn’t like what he saw. A man who’d left the woman he loved alone, a woman who’d been hurt and terrorized tonight. But not before he’d made it clear that his job and his chance at an apprenticeship were more important than her.
No wonder she’d wanted to leave him. He was an asshole and clearly not good enough for her. He’d more than proved that this evening.
He should go in the house, tell her friends she needed them, and they’d go take care of her. If Gregory got out of jail, Ethan would do anything he had to in order to keep her safe, including break his contract with Savaged Illusions to protect her himself. Yeah, he’d be a fuck up professionally, but Ana would be safe.
That’s what mattered.
Go inside. Yet, he couldn’t. How much time had passed since he’d left Ana? Fifteen or twenty minutes?
The front door opened, and Chelle stormed down the steps toward their rental car when she spotted him. Pivoting, she jogged to the passenger side of Ethan’s car, ripped open the door and dropped into the seat. “You’re a jerk.”
Ana must have called her friends, and Chelle had probably been on her way to the casita. “I know.”
“I’m not done. I’m guessing Ana didn’t tell you, or maybe she did but you’re so busy with your new exciting life you don’t care.”
His guts clenched, and dread dug in. “Tell me what?”
The anger drained out of Chelle, leaving her pale. “Ana’s fine. But for a couple weeks, she was scared to death that she had cancer. She went through it all alone.” Chelle’s eyes welled with tears. “We never knew. But the worst thing is she tried to tell us, but Franci and I were so busy dumping our problems on her, she never did. She went through finding a lump, the doctor’s exam, mammogram, biopsy and getting the results by herself.”
Jesus. He couldn’t get his head around it. “I don’t understand, how could she not tell anyone?”
Chelle looked away. “Because I’d gotten in way over my head with my graphic design business, and my boyfriend dumped me. Ana spent several nights working with me on QuickBooks so I could invoice customers correctly. She loaned me money to get me through. I’ll pay her back. I swear it.”
Guilt bore down on his chest, tightening it until he could barely breathe. Ana had been fucking scared, and no one had been there. But it made sense why she hadn’t realized how much Gregory was fixating on her in San Diego. She’d been distracted.
“And Franci’s dad found out her mom was cheating. Ana helped him find a good lawyer and stood by Franci as she was torn in two by her loyalties to both parents. Plus Franci’s been worried about paying for law school.”
Ana hadn’t said a word to him. Nothing. But she had told him repeatedly that she took care of herself. Obviously she had. Another thought hit him. What if the doctors had found something and she wasn’t telling them? “Are you sure she’s okay?”
“Yes. I only found out about the whole thing because I was at her condo and saw the biopsy report. She’s clear, no cancer.” She scrubbed the palm of one hand on her thigh. “She had no one. Ana refused to tell Linda about her cancer scare for fear she’d cancel her trip to Italy.”
Ethan closed his eyes, knowing exactly why she hadn’t told Linda. In Ana’s mind, she owed her stepmom for helping her when she needed it. She wouldn’t burden her again. God. He rubbed his chest.
“And tonight you told her she was too much trouble. All she asked was for you to make her feel alive and wanted for a little while. Like maybe she didn’t have to be so damned perfect all the time. Ana’s done this for so long, she doesn’t know how to let someone else take over and help her anymore.”
Her words slammed into him. All this time, Ana’d been telling him that. Asking him to let her have this fantasy with him where they could both lose control for a while. But he’d been too busy struggling with his demons and going after his big dream to really hear her. She’d been asking him for help, and he’d let her down.
Just like everyone else.
Then tonight, he’d been scared, worried, and lashed out at her, basically telling her she was a burden. No wonder she told him to leave.
“I’m going to her now, while Franci packs the rest of our things. We’re getting her out of here, away from you, tonight.”
Chelle’s words snapped him out of his thoughts. “No, wait. Give me another chance. Please, just let me go to her now.”
She lifted her head, eyes blazing. “Finally pull your head out of your ass?”
He blinked. A lot of people mistook Chelle’s creative flightiness for stupidity. That was a mistake. The girl was smart and caring. She’d seen through Ethan when even he couldn’t admit the truth.
“You either get real here and figure out you love her, or you let her go. What’s it going to be?”
He’d known it the second Ana’d called out to him behind the locked bathroom door. He loved Ana, but would she give him another chance?