Page 21 of High Rise Secrets
“Hi, Ethan. Yeah, we’ve known each other for a long time,” Lia says.
He nods, his smile still in place. “Cool. Tell Landry I say hi and we’ll get together soon.” He turns to face me. “Addy, I’ll message you later. We’ll finish our discussion then. I need to get going.” He turns to look at Eden. “Roxanne, nice to see you this morning.”
I notice Lia and Everleigh glance at Eden, a silent question on their faces. “Okay.”Thank God this conversation can wait for a while.
“Ladies,” he says with a nod as he slips out behind me. I watch him until he is in the elevator and the doors close, separating us.
“Looks like your morning just opened up. We need to talk.” Eden pushes her way through the doorway as the other girls follow her in.
“No, really, come on in,” I mutter under my breath and close the door behind me. I’m in for a real treat if the looks on their faces are any indication of how this chat will go.
The girls all take a seat on the couch, leaving me to sit on the chair next to it. I feel as if I’m on an episode ofIntervention. Each girl looks just as mad as the last as my eyes roam over them.
I huff out a heavy sigh. “Yes, ladies? How can I help you this morning?”
“What the fuck were you thinking, Addy? You could have blown everything last night,” Everleigh chastises. “If Quinlin didn’t call, what do you think could have happened to you?”
I roll my eyes at her over-dramatized thinking. “Zeus was watching, like always. It would have been fine. I was going to dance, maybe get some good dick, and then come home.”
“You know how important it is that we keep our identities secret. It’s for our own protection, so we can live our normal lives,” Eden says.
This whole situation is making me combative. I close my eyes and count to five before I give her an answer. “It’s not likeno oneknows our secret. Luca and Landry know, and it’s worked out fine for us so far. The only reason Ethan even camecloseto finding out last night is because Ev texted him from my phone to get me.”
“Damn right I did. Your drunk ass needed to be home in bed sleeping off your heartache, not fucking some random guy in a club.”
“Girl, we’re just lookin’ out for ya and want you to be safe,” Lia says, reaching out and taking my hands between hers.
“I appreciate all your concern, girls, but I’m fine. Last night,” I sigh again and shake my head, “was just a bad night. Ethan kissed me and then told me it was a mistake. So, I wanted to throw myself a pity party for one.”
“Yet, here he was this morning. Couldn’t have been all that bad. So, did you finally get to fuck the infamous Ethan Freeman again?” Eden asks, a smirk crossing her lips.
If only.
Chapter 12
Ethan
The whole weekend was a disaster. I tried messaging Addy a few times, but she didn’t return my calls or messages. I was so pissed off I went for a three-mile run at two in the morning because I couldn’t sleep anymore. This girl is a giant mystery. The more she hides the truth, the more I want to free her from it.
We also avoided each other most of this week, with me in and out of meetings, but I refuse to let another weekend go by without discussing things with her. No. It’s Friday night, and we have a date, even if she doesn’t want it.
I walk to the small breakroom and stop when I hearRISEmentioned so I can listen in. Someone says something about going back again after the great private show he had and how she was very attentive to his needs. A few guys snicker, but when I pop my head in, all chatter stops and they watch me.
“Mornin’,” I say, grabbing a mug to make a cup of coffee.
“Mornin’,” they say in unison. They keep looking at one another, probably trying to figure out how much I overheard. My outward appearance is calm, but inside I’m a raging storm. I’m dying to find out if the girl he’s talking about was Ember because I’ll punch his fucking teeth in if he laid a hand on her. “What did the girl look like?”If you say long red hair and a pink and silver mask, I’m going to kill you.
He swallows. “Um, blonde-haired girl, great body, the usual.”
Relief washes through me. “Sounds like a fun time.” My coffee finishes brewing and I take the mug, not waiting for their replies.Thank God it wasn’t her.Addy is sitting at her desk when I come around the corner, and I smile when she looks up at me. Her cheeks flush a light pink, and it is damn sexy to see her caught off guard.
“H-hey,” she says, unsure of herself.
“Hey.”
She starts rambling, telling me about new meetings she has set up with me and my team for new potential clients from the ball, but I’m not listening to any of it. All I can hear is her damn gasp of surprise as I stole a kiss from her, and I picture doing it all over again. Ineedto do it again. Once wasn’t enough. No matter how much I tell her it was a mistake, it sure as hell wasn’t. Not by a long shot.
I interrupt her. “I lied, Addy. It wasn’t a fucking mistake to kiss you.” She stops talking, her mouth hanging open in surprise. She blinks at me a few times, and I know she’s trying to figure out how to deflect this conversation. I’ve seen her do it many times. I hold my hand up. “I know what you’re going to say, and don’t.”