‘That’s good to know, but I meant why do you care so much about the company?’
‘Oh.’ She flushed, staring down at her wine with embarrassment at her sudden outburst. ‘It’s a great company.’
‘Thank you.’
‘But it could be better, I want to make it better.’
‘Why? Why not just turn up, answer the phone, handle the diary and go home, you’d still get paid.’
‘Because I want something I’m working at to be a success for once. My events management and business degree gave me all these skills and training and I’ve never used any of it and I love this kind of challenge.’
‘And?’
He saw her, he saw all of her. He’d known her for one day and already he could see there was more to what she was saying.
‘And because you care about it and I care about all of you.’
His eyes held hers. His gaze was mesmerising. Every time he stared at her she felt like she was locked in the hypnotic stare of the snake in The Jungle Book and she couldn’t look away and whilst she was unaware, he was coiling his strong body around hers ready for the final death squeeze. He was dangerous, no doubt about it, but there was nothing she could do to stop herself from falling under his spell.
‘Ok, I will do whatever I can to help you make this company a success but you have to accept that I will have to turn down some of your ideas. I have to protect this company, I have to think of the boys more than anything. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to hear your next idea.’
She nodded.
‘Do you have anything else you want to suggest or know?’
‘How do you get paid, is it a salary too?’
‘Whatever money comes in, we pay the cleaner’s salary and the bills; there is very little outlay other than the day-to-day running of the house so we don’t need a lot. We put a small amount away in the savings, the rest is split equally four ways.’
Izzy didn’t like the sound of that either but she needed more time to think about her attack before she approached Ethan about changing it, otherwise he would just dismiss that too. She saw now that she had to approach him with well-thought-out plans and ideas, not just a wild stab in the dark.
‘How much is in your savings?’
He didn’t falter when he answered, for some reason trusting her completely with this information. ‘There’s currently about a thousand pound in there.’
That was rubbish, that could be wiped out in a second if something major happened – and if the van ever needed replacing there wasn’t enough money in the savings to cover that investment.
‘I have my own savings too,’ Ethan said, as if reading her mind. ‘Quite a considerable amount. If there were any massive outlays I could use that.’
‘But that’s not fair, you should use your savings for you, treat yourself, go on holiday sometimes.’
‘The company is all I have and I won’t let it fail. I don’t care about anything else.’
Oh god, she loved his conviction and determination. How could she fall so hard and so fast for him after knowing him for one day? It was ridiculous.
‘Anything else before we call it quits on the work talk for tonight?’
She shook her head.
‘Good, there’s a film I’d really like to watch.’
He leaned forward to grab the remote and the TV sprung to life. She watched him, his arm wrapped lovingly round Psycho and knew she was going to do everything in her power to make this company better for him. It was going to be a success, it had to be.
*
Ethan turned off the TV and looked over at Izzy, fast asleep on the sofa. He’d deliberately watched the film so he wouldn’t have to talk to her anymore. He had told her everything about the company and he didn’t like it, but there was something about her that commanded honesty. But more than that, it wasn’t just facts and figures, he was baring his soul to her, letting her in – and he certainly didn’t like that.
Izzy coming in and changing everything was going to piss him off no end. She was clever, there was no doubt about that, she had so many ideas going on behind those intense grey eyes. And she cared about him, about Gizmo and the boys and the company. He liked that it wasn’t just a job to her. The fact that she had turned down three thousand pounds, tax free, for a job that would pay her less spoke volumes for her too.
The most infuriating thing was all of that was wrapped in this sexy-as-hell package. He wanted his hands on her, he wanted her in his bed, he wanted to kiss her, but he knew once he started kissing her there would be no stopping. He wanted to be buried deep inside her, her arms and legs wrapped round him, holding him close. Jesus, he wanted that so much and that scared the hell out of him. He had never wanted a woman like that. He had women who he fucked, there was no emotion there, it was just sex. You didn’t fuck a woman like Izzy though, you made love to her, you kissed and caressed her all over. He wanted that, but it had been over three years since he had made love to anyone and he wasn’t about to break that ban now. Meaningless sex with women who meant nothing to him suited him just fine.
Besides which, he wanted her to feel safe at work, not like she was about to be attacked at any moment as she had been in her old job. Just the thought of her old boss violating her in such a vile manner made him want to punch someone, preferably her old boss. He never wanted her to feel like that around him. He had already crossed the line by putting his hands on her tonight. Hell, this cosy night in for two had crossed the line too. She was drawing closer and he didn’t like it.
So he’d switched on a rubbish film just to shut her out and been forced to endure two hours of mind-numbing acting just so he wouldn’t have to stare into those damned beautiful eyes anymore.
He stood up, untangling himself from Psycho’s paws, and gently shook her awake.
She blinked a few times then looked at him blearily. ‘Hey,’ she mumbled.
‘Hey, it’s late, I’m going to bed.’
She sat up, looking around with confusion.
‘You can sleep in the spare room if you like or…’
He pushed the alternative he wanted to offer to the back of his mind, but she had already picked up on the hesitation.
‘Or?’
He swallowed. ‘I could call you a taxi.’
Was that disappointment in her face? Surely not. She didn’t like him that way, she thought he was a bastard – and she was right.
She stood up, stretching upwards, exposing a tiny slice of stomach to him.
‘I better get back for Pete, he’ll be wondering where I am.’
‘Who the hell is Pete?’ he snapped. The words were out of his mouth before he could catch them.
She smirked at him. ‘Oh, was that something you failed to dig up when you were trawling through my private life? Something the all-seeing, all-knowing Ethan doesn’t know. You two actually have a lot in common, he’s a grumpy arse too. Plus he has no loyalty, he’ll flit from one woman to the next, men sometimes too, he’s not fussy. I suppose I should be grateful that he always returns to my bed, though sometimes it’s very early hours in the morning. I do love him though, I can’t help it.
She walked out the lounge and he followed her, insane with jealousy. He shoved his hands in his pockets so she wouldn’t see them balled into fists.