by M. M. Koenig
Dom was just as attractive as Ethan was. Tattoos lined his tanned arms. He was casually dressed in a white polo shirt with a surf slogan in the right-hand corner and a pair of cream cargo shorts. His toned calves had more ink than his arms. His brown hair was shaggy. It gave him that surfer look. He brushed the hair from his eyes as he took a long look at me. A cocky grin crossed his face as he turned towards Ethan.
“A lot has changed my friend. If I remember correctly, you’d sworn off girlfriends. Mia must be one special girl to get you to commit,” Dom joked.
Ethan shoved him towards the open chair at our table before taking his own across from me.
“You better watch it Dom. Mia has a mouth on her. She’ll bury your ass with some of the shit that flies out of it,” Ethan retaliated, smirking at me.
“Don’t believe a word he says. I may be lippy with Ethan but he usually has it coming.”
I raised an eyebrow at Ethan, goading him to argue. He started chuckling. Dom went between the two of us as we stared at each other with annoyingly happy smiles on our faces. He laughed as he picked up the glass of water in front of him.
“Yeah, he usually does,” Dom agreed before taking a drink. He turned to Ethan with a huge smile. “It’s been way too long bro. It looks like life is treating you good.”
Ethan locked his hand with mine. “Life is better than good. It’s perfect.”
The earnest tone in his voice brought out the heat in my cheeks. I looked away from the passion in his eyes. It was re-firing every sensation I had felt in bed earlier.
“Ethan mentioned you were an old friend. How did you meet?” I asked.
Our server returned with appetizers of crêpes, salmon cakes, calamari, crab wantons and a selection of soups and salads. Plates of French toast and pancakes sat at the center with a tray of syrups. Another server followed to freshen our water glasses. Ethan had ordered a Bloody Mary for himself. I had decided on a Mimosa. She spotted our empty glasses and our new addition. “What would you like to drink sir?” she asked Dom.
“I’ll have a Bloody Mary,” he answered, grabbing a plate as he eyed the food. Our server wrote down his order before she turned to us and asked, “Would you like another round?”
We nodded. She disappeared back to the bar. I filled a plate with calamari, wantons, crêpes, and salad. Ethan was already diving into a stack of pancakes covered in peanut butter. Our server returned with our drinks. Dom picked up his and took a long sip before giving me his attention.
“Ethan and I were neighbors. We’ve been friends since we could walk.”
“We had a good group of guys from around the neighborhood. People learned not to mess with us,” Ethan added, around a mouthful of pancakes.
“No one fucked around with us,” Dom chuckled before going back to his food.
“Sounds like there are stories to be told,” I commented, grabbing another wanton. The food was divine. I licked my lips in anticipation of our entrees. Ethan’s leg rubbed against mine. I looked over and saw the lust in his eyes. Whoops. He gave me a pointed look to stop teasing him. I blushed even fiercer. “Sorry,” I mouthed.
“Yes, we go back a long time. There are enough stories to fill a book, but that’s for another time,” Ethan said hoarsely. I shot him an apologetic glance. He shook his head before going back to Dom. “How’s business?”
“It’s good. I brought my pitch for the club that’s next to my pro shop for sailing gear. I’ve been paying close attention over the last six months. They’re a step away from bankruptcy so now is the time to jump if we’re going to do it,” Dom said, reaching into his back pocket.
Dom produced a thin packet of paper and slid it towards Ethan. I sat back to watch him thumb through the outline. His eyebrows raised and his expression was agreeable. He reached the last page and looked over at Dom with a straight face. I rested my arms on my chair, completely fascinated by watching Ethan in action.
“This is good Dom. Set up the meeting with the owners. I looked into this on my end too. I agree that now is the time. They’re desperate to sell to avoid any further loss. We can get them to lower their asking price by cataloguing all the areas of the club that need repairing to get it up to regulation. The numbers are solid. The forecasted revenue is feasible,” Ethan said, his tone all business.
“I’ll see if I can get that arranged before this weekend,” Dom replied excitedly.
“If it doesn’t work, I can find time to fly back. I’ve got a lot of ground to cover while I’m out here, but you know I live to hop on a plane to finalize a deal.”
Dom snorted. “Who could forget? You jump at any chance to beat down anyone standing in your way to get what you want. It’s what makes you an ideal partner. You don’t stop until the outcome matches your expectation. That certainly hasn’t changed over the years.”
I wanted to say something, but never got the chance. My attention drifted to the plates of filet mignon, grilled salmon, crab pasta and seasoned chicken that replaced our appetizers. Another server brought out plates of broccoli, rice, and creamy potatoes. Ethan sure knew how to pick a menu. The salty breeze mixed in with the aromas of the food. We dove into the hot delicacies without any small talk. I stuffed my face until my stomach was ready to burst.
When I was done, I glanced out to the ocean. The different hues of blue were astounding. The shades faded in an out in vast contrast to the depth of water. I related to the varying differences. I avoided the future because I simply had too much looming in the present. Regardless of how many people pushed me to think about it, I couldn’t do it with a clear head until certain matters were over. Ethan sensed the shift in me and ran his hand along mine to stop my fingers that were inadvertently drumming along the table.
“I talked to everyone. They’re all in. It should go off without a hitch,” Dom spoke up.
“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it,” Ethan responded excitedly.
Dom stretched his hands over his head before rising from the table. “Me too man. Thanks for meeting me this morning. I should go check on the preppy punks that I employ to make sure they haven’t burned down any of my shops.”
Ethan rose with him and Dom pulled him in for a bear hug. Ethan returned it before taking his seat again. Dom took my hand and placed a kiss on the outside of it.
“Mia, it was a pleasure to meet you. Keep an eye on this one. He’s trouble,” Dom joked.
I laughed. “It was nice to meet you too.”
“What’s so funny?” Ethan asked as we watched Dom strut out of the restaurant.
“It’s his parting remark. It’s not the first time I’ve heard it said about you. Can’t say I disagree with it either,” I said with a taunting smile.
Ethan smirked. “Love, you may think I’m trouble, but I’m exactly what you need.”
“We shall see. What was that last part of your conversation? I felt very out of the loop.”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” Ethan remarked as he got up from his seat. After he helped me from mine, he tossed down a wad of cash. “We should get a move on. I’d like to show you a few places before we head over to Irvine.”
I grinned. “Sounds great. I can only imagine what you have in store.”
If Ethan did anything well, it was time management. He had impressed me on more than one occasion with the amount of tasks he could accomplish within an hour, but he was on another level with this trip. Before the meeting in Irvine, Ethan showed me several other beaches he loved surfing at when he was out here. He also squeezed in a stop at Knotts Berry Farm. My head was ready to spin off by the time we got to The Irvine Spectrum Center for the late afternoon meeting he had arranged at a seafood bar.
The afternoon meeting was incredibly different from the morning, and so was Ethan. It was hard to miss the polar opposites of his personality. He had seemed laid back in the morning with Dom. Ethan was anything but relaxed for the meeting with the real estate moguls. The entire conversation was cutthroat. He wasted no time in po
inting out their flaws and took every opportunity to display the superiority of his company over any other. Ethan left them hanging with a bid that had both of the stuffy businessmen in shock. When it was over, I decided that I preferred the version of Ethan I saw with Dom compared to the almost bloodthirsty side of him.
We were in our convertible on our way up the 101 with the top down. I enjoyed this car, especially going up the coastline, but I missed his BMW. I wasn’t particularly fond of having to redo my hair. I had the mirror down to help me force it back into something of a manageable bun for our next engagement. I huffed and gave up because there was no way it would stay back without a flyaway escaping every five seconds.
“You look beautiful. Your hair looks fine,” Ethan assured.
“If I’m shooting for a look that shows birds have nested all over my head, then yes, I look wonderful. My hair has been a mess all day,” I disputed.
Ethan cast a loving eye in my direction. His hotness rose when he ran a hand through his own hair that had been flying in the wind. He had unfastened a few more of the buttons on his shirt. It revved up the side of me that I was desperately trying to control while out here. I needed to focus on something else other than his looks. It was time to keep trying to find out more. I breathed deeply in anticipation of infuriating him.
“So, what’s your exit strategy?”
His hands gripped tightly around the steering wheel. My stomach started to cartwheel with the ball of nerves that had settled there. I fumbled around with the buttons for the radio. Before I turned it on, Ethan stopped my hand by taking it in his and resting it on the console.
“I need you to keep an open mind Mia. Part of what I’m doing is questionable. I need you to look at it from my perspective. I think you know enough about why I ended up there that you’ll understand,” Ethan said guardedly.
My pulse shot up several notches. “Ethan, I could never judge you. Look at what I agreed to do. My reasons were far more selfish,” I pointed out.
He squeezed my hand tightly and explained, “I’m very good with numbers and account management. I learned early on that the rest of them were not. Sean and Colin rely on our accountants to move money around various accounts. There are separate ones for the deals they broker with clientele that aren’t on our front end. I think you know what type of people I mean,” he paused to look at me. I nodded. “When I was eighteen, I began to siphon money from the back-end accounts. I made sure that I handled it around shifts in the stock market. Using that approach made it impossible for them to determine exactly what made the account drop. I’ve also been making back-end deals of my own,” Ethan finished uneasily.
“What?” I exclaimed, sitting up in shock. My body more or less left the car entirely from the high level of anxiety running through me. Ethan squeezed my hand again.
“It’s not what you think. Since my first deal, I put a clause in every contract that ties my clients to me – not the company. I can take them with me when I go. Nothing binds me to the company because I’m a shareholder. I can sell all my shares to Colin and Sean, but it’d never be enough to keep them solvent. They’ll go bankrupt within a month after I sell. The money I stole from their illegal operations is just icing on the cake,” Ethan clarified warily.
Holy shit! This is way more than I ever imagined. Even if I get out of my own mess with Harrison, I still have to account for the holy hell that Ethan will bring down around us.
The pressure in my head increased so much that I was positive it was going to roll down the highway any second. Ethan held my hand even tighter. I eyed him and asked, “What do you plan on doing with that money? Is that what it’s about for you?”
Ethan gave me a hard look. “My dad ruined my mom’s life. I wanted to separate him from the one thing on this earth that he cared about – his money. I’ve never touched a cent of it. It’s been anonymously donated to charities.”
My lips slipped into a half smile. “You sound like a modern-day Robin Hood.”
His fingers lightly brushed against my hand. “My dad’s ultimate weakness has always been his money. The same goes for Sean and Colin. They’re heartless bastards that don’t deserve a dime of what they made. It’s only right to give that money to people that truly need it.”
The smile faded from my face. “What’s Harrison’s part in all of it?”
My heart beat rapidly as I worked to absorb everything. The ‘clientele’ he referred to was legions of mobsters and extortionists. This was dangerous any which way I tried to reason it. I doubted any one of them would take getting screwed over lightly. Ethan released my hand and I kept my eyes on him as he took deep breaths. He suddenly exited off the freeway and drove us towards a more residential area.
“After I’m gone, Harrison will have the green light to print his piece and I’ll give him a healthy payout for his part in exposing Sean, Colin, and Devin. The names of the people they’re in league with will be out there for all to see. If the judicial system doesn’t knock on their door, the mob certainly will. Either way, it’ll ruin their lives,” Ethan said nonchalantly.
I felt the color drain from me. My chest tightened as my palms started to sweat.
Ethan ran his hand along my face and said, “Calm down Mia. I know what you’re thinking. I don’t trust Harrison either, but there’s nothing he can do to me.”
“I know you’ve mentioned you have more power than he does, but he’s a ruthless asshole. He’s malicious enough to use anything he can against us to get what he wants. You know this, so why would you ever go to him?” I whispered.
Ethan rubbed my back soothingly. “I had nothing to lose when I went to him. I do now. It’s like an intense game of chess. I anticipate he’ll use you against me. I’ve been in touch with people that will urge him to do exactly as I expect.”
“Please tell me that you’re not talking about a hit man,” I mumbled, my lips quivering.
“No, I’m more connected than he thinks,” Ethan replied, unconcerned.
I ran my hand over my face, utterly regretting digging deeper. The danger this had the potential of producing in our lives couldn’t be ignored. I’d be in that shitstorm too. My heart sped along as my breaths became uneven. I worried for him, but also for myself – as selfish as that is. Ethan was absolutely right when he said Harrison would use me against him. My vision phased in and out as fear crept through me. I barely noticed we had stopped. I didn’t bother to look around. My head had more than enough to keep it occupied indefinitely.
“Come here,” he said, sliding me on top of him. Ethan pressed his forehead to mine and stroked his hands along my back. “This is why I never wanted to tell you. I knew it would scare you. You need to have a little faith that I’ll keep you safe. Can you do that for me Mia?”
I zoned into his eyes. This was so much. It terrified me in so many ways. Ethan’s grip tightened as he pressed me into his chest.
“Talk to me,” Ethan requested, arching an expectant eyebrow.
I swallowed against the drought in my mouth. “I’m afraid if this all ends badly that something horrible is going to happen to you. I don’t want you to get hurt,” I forced out.
Ethan sighed. “Trust that I know what I’m doing. I’d never do anything that would put you in harm’s way. I’m doing everything I can to remove you from it entirely.”
I broke my focus from Ethan to see where he had pulled over. We were in the hills, and the area looked strangely familiar. He watched me as I tried to determine where I’d seen this view before. He chuckled while resting his hands on my hips.
“Where are we?” I asked, giving up on figuring it out myself.
“It’s a surprise. We have some extra time before our reservation with my friend Reece.”
A tiny grin curled on my pensive face. Ethan gave me a dimpled smile. My stomach slowly started to unknot with his excitement. His fingers circled my hips. It made my nerves start to tingle in a good way.
“Well, you never disappoint me. What are
we doing?”
“There’s a trail I want to hike,” Ethan replied indifferently.
“Are you serious? I’m in wedges and a dress!”
“I grabbed those shorts of yours that I love, with that low-cut halter-top you set with them. I threw in some cargo shorts and a tank top for myself,” Ethan answered dismissively.
I shook my head at the shenanigans he tended to pull when I wasn’t paying attention, which apparently was often. We looked around for spectators and changed clothes when the coast was clear. I made sure we did so not facing each other or we’d never end up going anywhere. Ethan grabbed a backpack that he had thrown in with the clothes before we began hiking.
“How long is this trail?” I inquired after twenty minutes.
It was perfectly fine if it took a while to get there because I was enjoying the view of him in front of me. My fear subsided as my view of his body soothed me. As we walked, I tried to decipher some of his tattoos more. The countless chicks that dropped their jaws at him kept distracting me. Ethan stopped and took my hand.
“It’s another twenty-five minutes. Why do you let other women bother you? I don’t even see them,” Ethan said, clearly tickled by my jealousy.
“Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately, especially with what you have on right now? I’m surprised I can even function. This is why I prefer you in your suits. Most of your body is covered up and my brain doesn’t have to work so damn hard to pull out a thought that isn’t dirty,” I said with a roll of the eyes.
“I love that my body does that to you. Always will, love,” Ethan said, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.
“I’m fine with it too. It’s done wonders to calm me down,” I replied with less amusement.
Ethan squeezed my hand tightly before stopping us again. He draped his arms along my ass. His fingers dug for my jeans pockets where he slid them in and gave me a soft pinch. “You asked the questions Mia. I told you the truth. Now I need you to do something for me,” Ethan requested as he stared intently into my eyes.