Seducing the enemy

Cracks in the mask

The ride back to the office was quiet. Ethan sat beside me in the backseat, his head tilted toward the window, one hand resting on his knee. His usually sharp demeanor had softened, replaced by a faraway look that I hadn’t seen before.

Vincent Alcaster had done a number on him tonight.

I wanted to say something, to crack the silence and pull him out of whatever dark place his thoughts had taken him. But I wasn’t sure if he’d want my words or if they’d just add to the weight he was carrying.

Instead, I focused on the faint scent of his cologne—woodsy and warm, still lingering in the small space between us. It was annoyingly calming, and I found myself stealing the occasional glance at him out of the corner of my eye.

“You’re staring,” he said suddenly, his voice breaking through the silence.

I snapped my head forward, heat rising to my cheeks. “I wasn’t staring.”

“Yes, you were.”

“Maybe I was making sure you weren’t about to break down in the middle of the car ride,” I shot back, keeping my tone even.

His lips twitched, the faintest hint of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “Nice save, Miss D’Angelo.”

I rolled my eyes but said nothing more.

By the time we reached the office, it was nearly midnight, the building eerily quiet as we stepped inside. I had expected Ethan to head straight for his office and call it a night, but instead, he stopped by the glass-walled conference room, gesturing for me to follow.

“I just need to go over something before tomorrow,” he said.

I nodded, setting my bag on the table as he rifled through some papers. The dim lighting overhead cast shadows across his face, accentuating the sharp lines of his jaw and the furrow in his brow.

“You don’t have to stay, you know,” he said after a moment, glancing up at me. “It’s late.”

“Neither do you,” I countered, leaning against the table. “But here we are.”

He let out a soft laugh, shaking his head. “I should’ve guessed you’d say that.”

The air between us shifted, a comfortable silence settling as we worked side by side. Every so often, I’d catch him looking at me, his gaze lingering just a moment too long before he’d look away.

“I mean it,” he said suddenly, his voice quieter now.

I looked up, startled. “Mean what?”

“What I said earlier.” He paused, his gray eyes meeting mine. “You’re different. And… I trust you.”

The words hit me harder than I expected, and for a moment, I didn’t know how to respond. I opened my mouth to speak, but the sound of thunder rolling in the distance cut me off.

A sudden crack of lightning lit up the room, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. The power flickered, the lights dimming briefly before everything went dark.

“Oh, great,” I muttered under my breath.

“Stay there,” Ethan said, his voice steady in the darkness. “I’ll check the breaker.”

I heard him move toward the door, but just as he reached it, another flash of lightning illuminated the room—and I saw the corner of the chair leg before he did.

“Ethan—”

It was too late. He tripped, stumbling forward, and in an instant, I was moving toward him, my hands outstretched to catch him.

We collided, his weight knocking us off balance, and the next thing I knew, I was on the floor, Ethan sprawled half on top of me.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then the lights flickered back on, casting a soft glow over the room—and over the fact that our faces were inches apart, his breath warm against my cheek.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice low, his eyes searching mine.

“I—yeah,” I said, my voice coming out softer than I intended. “Are you?”

“I’ve been better,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.

The tension in the room shifted, thickened. His hand was braced against the floor beside my head, his other resting lightly on my arm. I could feel the warmth of him, the steady rise and fall of his chest, and suddenly, I was acutely aware of how close we were.

“Ethan,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.

He didn’t move, his gaze dropping to my lips for a fraction of a second before meeting my eyes again.

And then it happened.

I didn’t know if it was the residual adrenaline, the intimacy of the moment, or the way his name still lingered on my lips, but before I could think, we were kissing.

It was soft at first, tentative, like we were both testing the waters. But then his hand slid to the back of my neck, pulling me closer, and suddenly, it wasn’t soft anymore.

It was heat and urgency and something I couldn’t quite name.

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until he pulled back, his forehead resting against mine as we both tried to catch up with what had just happened.

“I—” I started, but he cut me off.

“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, his voice rough. “I shouldn’t have…”

I pushed against his chest, and he moved back, letting me sit up. My heart was racing, my thoughts spinning out of control.

“It’s fine,” I said, more to convince myself than him.

He ran a hand through his hair, standing and offering me a hand. I hesitated for a second before taking it, letting him pull me to my feet.

The room was quiet again, the tension still lingering in the air.

“Let’s pretend that didn’t happen,” I said finally, forcing a small smile.

His lips twitched, but he nodded. “If that’s what you want.”

But the way he looked at me, his gray eyes holding mine for just a moment too long, told me it wouldn’t be that simple.