Page 26 of Ethan

She was quiet for a moment, her eyes on his chest, then she looked up at him. “I feel it too. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. But I’ve been hurt before, Ethan. Badly. And this job means everything to me. I can’t risk losing it.”

“You won’t lose it. Whatever happens between us, that doesn’t change.”

“You say that now.”

“I mean it.” His voice was steady, no hesitation in it. “I’m not that man, Naomi.”

She searched his face for a moment like she was looking for a reason not to believe him and couldn’t find one.

“Then can we just take it slow?” she said quietly. “See where it goes without forcing it into something before we’re ready?”

He nodded. “That’s all I’m asking.”

The song was winding down around them and neither of them moved to step apart.

“Okay,” she said softly.

“Okay.” He looked down at her for one more moment, then the last note faded and the room came back around them, loud and bright and full of people.

He stepped back and offered his arm.

He walked her back to the bar. She slid onto her barstool and reached for her drink. He held her gaze for just a moment, then turned back toward Cole and Aftyn.

Cole was waiting with that look on his face. The one that said he’d seen everything and was going to make Ethan pay for it.

“Don’t,” Ethan said before his brother could open his mouth.

“I didn’t say a word.”

“You were about to.” Ethan looked at Aftyn and all she did was shrug.

Cole smiled and looked out at the dance floor. “She’s beautiful, Ethan.”

“She works for me.”

“You keep saying that like it settles something.”

Seth appeared at Cole’s shoulder, Ryan on his arm, both of them glowing as people did on their wedding day. Seth looked at Ethan, then across the room at Naomi, then back at Ethan.

“Nice dancing,” he said.

Ethan picked up his drink. “Shouldn’t you be talking to your wife?”

Seth grinned. “I like that word.” He turned to Ryan. “He called you my wife.”

Ryan patted Ethan’s arm. “She seems wonderful.”

“She’s my employee,” Ethan said, and could have kicked himself for repeating it.

All four of them looked at him.

He lifted his drink and said nothing.

****

Naomi watched Ethan cross the room back to his brothers and their wives and tried to look like she wasn’t watching.

She wasn’t doing a very good job of it.