Short Stories - Romance

#11- Falling For My Boss

I was restless. Being held by the man who’d just broken down my defences with a simple hug could do that to me apparently. Although, there was nothing simple about Ethan's hug as was evidenced by my own heart that would not stop fluttering and hammering at the same time. Nothing simple about those broad shoulders that had so effortlessly wrapped around me, leaving me feeling things, desperate things.

My eyes fell on my small hand covered by Ethan's and the restlessness shot all the way to my bones. He was truly insane! How did somone like him think it was okay to walk hand in hand with someone like me?

After the hug of the century, he simply took my hand, taking my breath away while at it. I should have protested then, but I was still too drunk on how perfect being in his arms felt. So much that I didn’t trust my own legs to work without him. By the time my legs actually recovered, my hand felt wierdly comfortable in his, but now with all the eyes on us as we walked away from the sports ground, I was not so sure anymore.

“Um…I think I can do this on my own.” I croaked out, tugging on my hand, but he only held on tighter.

“I didn’t say you couldn’t.” Ethan growled, my breath hitching at the sound even as I became more uneasy.

“Don’t you care what people will say?” I couldn’t help but ask. Walking in with Liam earlier, I’d felt those judging eyes. The ones that told you you didn’t belong. Hell, even Claire was not shy about pointing the fact out. And right now, the stench of the upper class' disapproval was thick in the air.

“I don’t.” Ethan stopped and turned to me, eyes boring into mine. “Will that be a problem for you? Anyone you don’t want seeing you with me?” There was an accusation hidden somewhere in there, but I was too lost in those amber eyes to care.

“Not that I can think of.” I wasn’t thinking. Not with him so close.

“Good.” He started moving, his grip on my hand getting a tad bit tighter as if he was trying to prove a point. A point that left me feeling even more restless.

But maybe that was not all either. Something else felt wrong too. I hadn’t really gotten over the wierd feeling I got after my interaction with Gerald earlier. A look over my shoulder as we walked through a quiet hallway on our way out of Liam's school came up with nothing, but I couldn't shake the nagging feeling that someone was watching.

"Mr. Easton, this has definitely been a pleasure!" An older woman I'd met earlier walked up to us as we neared the exit. "Miss Bryson, it was lovely meeting you too."

"Oh please, call me Linda." I smiled at probably the only descent human being I'd met around here.

"Hope to see Liam more often and you...both again soon?” The lovely woman’s eyes fell on mine and Ethan's connected hands. I expected disapproval to colour her face, but she remained as cheerful as ever. “Well, that is just beautiful.” She beamed and I couldn’t help wonder what that meant.

“Of course.” And what did he mean we’d be here? "But I'm afraid we have somewhere to be right now-"

"Oh sure, let me not keep you love birds-"

"Love birds?" My eyes widened. "Oh, we are not-" I was dragged away from the woman before I could set the record straight. "Why the hell did you do that for?"

"Do what?" Ethan stopped and faced me, his intense gaze mixed with a hint of amusement. And damn was that sexy and annoying at the same time.

"You let her think that we are more-"

"Is that such a bad thing...Linda?" He stepped into me and I swallowed. Hard. Both at his closeness and that deep rumble from his chest that he had no business unleashing on me in such an open place.

"Well- you are insane for making people think we are something we are not." I poked his chest, but regretted it almost immediately when he caught my hand and held it there, leaving me to feel his racing heart. Was that my fault? I hoped to God it was! As insane as that was, a part of me hoped he was just as affected by me as I was by him.

"Seeing that I'm working towards that outcome, I think not." He drew closer, sending everything in me panicking.

"W-What are you doing?" I asked breathlessly. I wanted to look around. See who was witnessing our little hot exchange, but those eyes held me captive, drawing me in so effortlessly. I wanted him, so bad I felt myself leaning into him too. How the hell had I gotten here?

My back pressed onto something hard, even as a warm breath fanned my face, leaving me all hot and bothered. "Ethan..." His name, a sexy moan from my parted lips, earned me a hard press of his body onto mine. But that was not nearly enough to quench the desire he'd roused in me. I wanted more. More of him and so I pressed into him too.

On a curse, a warm hand cupped my cheek even as his thumb took a hot torturous journey caressing my lips, leaving me undone. "We should go." I croaked out when a thought of where we were miraculously crossed my mind.

"Why." His head dipped, bringing his lips closer, that warm liquor tainted breath mingling with mine and blanking out my mind of everything else except for the promise of the feel of Ethan's lips on mine.

Of their own accord, my eyes fluttered closed even as my lips parted, ready to get a taste of sensual goodness-

"Because such pleasures have their own place in the world and your kid's school hallway is not exactly it." I wished for the ground to swallow me at the school principal's scolding tone.

"Sorry." I mumbled while only a string of curses left Ethan's mouth.

"My apologies." Ethan announced, sounding more annoyed than repentant and if it were not for my own shame for being caught and the thundering in my heart after what had just happened, I would have elbowed him.

"Where is Craig?" Desperate to escape Ethan even for a moment to catch my own breath once we were outside, I searched for the burly figure.

"You are riding with me."

"Riding?" My eyes widened at the shiny beast of a motorbike that Ethan was walking us towards. "On that?"

"Why, do you have a fear of motor bikes or something?" He stopped, looking unsure of himself for the first time today, but my thoughts didn't linger on that, because, oh, I had fears and none of them were related to falling off, but falling for my boss.