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“Never. You?”
I wish I could answer him honestly. A month ago, I would have said I couldn’t picture working for our parents, but now, it would make falling for Ethan so much easier.
Chapter13
Ethan
The car pulls into the drive, but I don’t get out. It’s early and while I’m pretty sure no one is around to see me, I can’t and won’t take that chance.
Instead, I wait in the backseat as the driver knocks on the front door. Zoey answers quickly, as though she’s been waiting, and I watch as he takes her suitcase and the two of them walk toward the car. She’s dressed casually in jeans and a top that hugs her curves, a scarf hanging loosely around her neck and a coat draped over her arm and fuck me if she doesn’t look good enough to eat.
She probably can’t see me through the tinted windows, sitting in the back seat staring at her, and when the driver opens the door for her, I don’t miss the gasp of surprise. “Ethan, hey,” she says, as she slides into the seat across from me, the car instantly filling with her intoxicating scent, something that smells like vanilla and honey.
Delicious.
It hits me hard, filling my senses and it’s just as well my hands are full or I’m pretty sure I’d be reaching over to pull her against me.
“Morning,” I reply as I hand her a coffee.
Her eyes widen as her face lights up and she takes the takeout cup from my hand. Our fingers brush together as she does, the contact sending a jolt of electricity up my arm that I am sure she feels too. “Thank you,” she murmurs, lifting the cup to her mouth and taking a sip. She lets out a groan as she swallows the warm liquid and I swear, my dick actually hardens.
Jesus, that sound. What the fuck was I thinking asking her to come to Seattle with me?
“All set, Mr. Morrison?” the driver asks from the front seat.
I’m still staring at Zoey, wondering if she’s feeling even a fraction of what I’m feeling right now. If she too can sense thisthingthat’s somehow happening between us. I can’t even remember when it started exactly, or if it’s just slowly crept up on me without me realizing, ever since we started working more closely together. All I do know is that it’s getting harder and harder to ignore.
Zoey peeps at the driver before giving me a small nod, as though to let me know she’s all good. “Yes, thank you, Carl, we’re good,” I say, glancing quickly at the front seat before turning back to Zoey. “Figured with you not being a morning person, the coffee might help with the early start.”
She smiles now, taking another sip of coffee. “You sure you’re not secretly a morning person?” she asks, a teasing tone to her voice as she tips her head at me.
Chuckling, I shake my head. “I’m definitely not,” I reply. “This is my second cup.”
Zoey smirks, settling back into her seat as the driver reverses out of her drive and makes his way toward the airport. Although we both have an itinerary for the conference, including a program of who’s speaking and when, we haven’t really discussed it much. To be honest, I’m not really interested in the conference at all, using this trip as an opportunity to catch up with some friends back in Seattle, even if I did just see Brandon and Tracy a couple of weeks ago.
And you want some alone time with Zoey, away from the prying eyes of Badger Creeka voice in my head says.
Shaking my head to clear the thought I’m not ready to acknowledge I say, “You have any questions about this trip?”
Zoey chuckles. “No, I’m good, thanks. You’re speaking this afternoon, right? Actually, you’re giving the opening keynote address.” She pauses to hit me with a look that I know is half teasing, half something else. I chuckle in reply as she continues. “And we have the welcome drinks tonight and then sessions all day tomorrow before the conference dinner tomorrow night. Is there anything you need me to do?”
Stay with me in Seattle for the weekend so we can see if there’s something here between us.
Fuck, it is so tempting to say the words out loud, to see if she could stay, if she’d want to. But I don’t, instead shaking my head as I say, “No, all good. You’re not my assistant, Zo, I hope you know that.”
“I do,” she says with a nod. “Thank you though.”
The drive to the airport passes quickly and after we check in, we wait in the lounge for our flight to be called. I had Cameron book us on a commercial flight, but in first-class seats. It’s possibly a little indulgent for a ninety-minute flight, but fuck it, what’s the point of having all this money if I don’t spend it. Besides, I can’t remember the last time I traveled coach and I sure as shit wasn’t putting Zoey back there while I sat up front.
Plus, I kinda like the idea of doing something nice for her, having her travel in comfort, even though I’ve no doubt with her family, this is how she always travels.
“You okay?” I ask, as the flight attendant finishes up the safety demonstration and the plane makes its way to the end of the runway.
“Uh huh,” Zoey answers, staring straight ahead, her hands clasped together in her lap.
I’d offered her the window seat, but she’d insisted on taking the aisle and as I look at the white skin of her knuckles, her fingers now tightly locked together, I’m starting to realize why. “You don’t like flying?” I ask.
Zoey licks her lips, giving me a quick glance as she says, “Just the take-off. I’m fine though, don’t worry about me.”
