Page 111 of When We Ignite

There was a treacherous part of my mind that wanted to keep him hooked. I liked his possessiveness and jealousy more than I should, more than I’d ever cared for those things in anyone else. And I wanted to take care of him, to have him all to myself. Ethan probably thought I was treating him like a pet, that this behavior was habitual. What he didn’t know was just how special he was becoming to me.

I wrapped my arms tighter around him, pressing a kiss to his cheek. I couldn’t blame him for how he felt. Being with him felt right for me too.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

ETHAN

“Istill don’t get it,” I said as Henry pulled into a driveway, his faint smirk giving away his amusement.

“It’s a new club. Stop complaining and just come look at it with me,” he replied, his focus never straying from the road. “We’ll make it in time for the fitting.”

He found a parking spot and turned off the engine.

“We have to be there at five,” I reminded him, unbuckling my seatbelt and fussing with my hair in the visor mirror.

“Can you stop? You’re not seeing Ash until later,” Henry said with an exaggerated eye roll.

I scowled, slamming the car door behind me. We made our way toward a service elevator, and Henry led us all the way up to the top floor. The building was far from finished—bare walls, concrete floors—but the windows were in, offering a view that was already stunning in daylight. At night, it would be spectacular.

Henry turned, his expression unimpressed. “Meh.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“It feels like déjà vu in here. Nothing new.” He wandered through the space. “What do you think?”

“It’s impressive,” I admitted.

Henry gestured dismissively. “It’s just a rooftop with a view. Who hasn’t seen that before?”

“I’m not sure if you’re messing with me or not,” I confessed, earning a laugh.

“I think I’m done with New York,” he said suddenly.

I blinked at the unexpected shift in tone.

“This is the fifth location I’ve checked out, and I’m still not sold. I’ve gotten a couple of recommendations for South Beach, one for West Hollywood,” he added with a casual shrug.

“So why not go for those?”

“I know New York,” Henry said, a rare honesty cutting through his usual bravado. “I don’t know how far my name will carry me outside of it.”

“I never would’ve pegged you as someone who plays it safe.”

“You’re right, I’m not. But it’s different when you take the safety blanket off.” He gave me a pointed look. “Look at Ash. He’s the ballsiest motherfucker I know, and even he hasn’t set foot outside the company.”

“He’s never worked anywhere else?”

Henry shook his head. “Not even for internships. He always wanted to take over. Dad groomed him for it. Only recently changed his mind.”

“Ash?” I prodded.

Henry kept walking, scanning the space critically. “Both of them, I guess.” He paused, then nodded decisively. “I’m calling it off. I’m not feeling it.”

“What do you mean they changed their minds?”

Henry shot me a flat look. “Sometimes, I think you’re just using me to get intel on Ash. Can we focus on me for five minutes before you obsess over your boyfriend?”

I rolled my eyes, a guilty flush creeping up my neck. “If you’re not feeling it, you’re not feeling it. It’s your business, Henry. You know best.”