How could he tell her that she had to stop because he didn’t want Jemima to mock her anymore and before his protective nature completely kicked in and he told Jemima a few home truths?
Music was playing, Frank Sinatra by the sound of it, and he leaned over and kissed Izzy on the cheek and then whispered in her ear. ‘Dance with me.’
She faltered, looked down at her presentation and then back up at him with a complete lack of understanding. He took the iPad from her fingers and tugged her to her feet. He gently pulled her out onto the balcony, passing the iPad to one of the doormen on the way out. The music was louder out here without the noise of the party and it was deserted, the cold winter air rushing around them as they stepped out from the warmth and humidity of the bar. But what a view. The Shard looked amazing lit up against the backdrop of the inky black sky and Tower Bridge far below, its lights twinkling off the surface of the Thames.
He turned and swept Izzy into his arms, immediately starting to dance in time with Frank’s words. He wasn’t very good at it but with Izzy in his arms he felt like he was dancing on air.
He held her closer and kissed her neck, knowing he was blurring the lines even more but unable to stop himself. ‘Have I told you tonight how beautiful you are?’
‘Many times.’
‘And I meant it every single time.’
‘Ethan, what are we doing?’
‘We’re dancing.’
She smiled sadly. ‘My presentation was too much, wasn’t it? I shouldn’t have…’
‘It was brilliant. I’m sorry you went to all that trouble, I had no idea you were going to do that. But although Jemima is very rich she has no clue whatsoever about business, you could be speaking Greek for all she knew, it was wasted on her.’
‘I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t be. I loved it.’ He span around, pulling her closer, running his fingers tenderly down her bare back. ‘I’ve loved you being my girlfriend tonight.’
She leaned back slightly to look at him, and to stop any questions he kissed her. As soon as their lips met that chemistry ripped through them – that need, that desperate urgency to have her. The taste of her as he ran his tongue across her lips jolted through his gut. There was only so much more of this he could take.
*
Izzy wasn’t sure how long it had been since the music had stopped playing but she was suddenly aware they were no longer alone on the balcony. She pulled away slightly to see a tall, thin man staring at them. Ethan tensed in her arms as soon as he saw him.
The man started slow clapping, sucking on the cigarette that was clamped between his teeth. He removed the cigarette and blew a string of smoke into the air.
‘Bravo, I must say I’ve rather enjoyed the show tonight. But cut the crap Ethan. We all know you’re going to end up in bed with Jemima tonight – I know it, you know it and Jemima bloody well knows it. All those men in there, fawning all over her, and she wants the one man she can’t have. Not because it’s you, but just because a girlfriend to get past makes the game far more interesting. It’s very clever really, wish I’d thought of it. And you two make the perfect couple – dancing, kissing, touching… it’s driving her mad. But we all know it’s not real, Ethan Chase doesn’t have girlfriends. So dump the bitch, shag Jemima in the toilet and put us all out of our misery.’
Izzy felt like she had been punched in the gut. She stared at Ethan, who was looking at the man with serious contempt. Was that really the reason Ethan had brought her, to make Jemima jealous? She knew she was supposed to fake being his girlfriend but she thought that was to ensure Jemima didn’t get her claws into him, not ensure she did.
The man laughed. ‘Oh dear, by the look on her face, your girlfriend thought this was all real. Let me ask you this darling, when did this thing between you two start? Did he start being nice to you after he asked you here?’
Izzy stared at Ethan in shock. All the kisses, the touches, the nice comments had come after she had agreed to come with him. It can’t have been fake, just so he would get a genuine reaction from her tonight. He wasn’t that low, was he? Hurt and humiliation slammed into her.
The man stumped out his cigarette and laughed to himself as he walked back inside.
She pushed her way back out of Ethan’s grasp and a wave of dizziness ran straight over her, he caught her arm, holding her steady.
‘Are you ok?’
‘Did you do all this to make her jealous? The kiss in the taxi, the comment about my tattoos in the lift, was that all to get me to act like a real girlfriend?’
‘No.’
‘Why don’t I believe you?’ She shrugged her arm out of his grasp. ‘I’m such an idiot. Look, I’m going home now. You can tell her I’ve got a headache, which is the truth, and once I’m out the way you can shag her to your heart’s content. Get the investment or don’t get it and just shag her for kicks. I don’t care. But this is the last time you will use me like this. Next time you want a bit of arm candy, go to an escort agency. Then you’ll probably get a shag out of the escort too.’
Izzy turned and walked back inside. Jemima barely waited for the door to close before she was out on the balcony with Ethan. Izzy marched straight to the lifts, not looking back.
Her head was throbbing, she could feel a pressure on her ear like a weight pushing in on it. As the lift hurtled to the lobby, the pressure increased, making her feel dizzy again. It might have been her sinuses or an ear infection. When she had bad colds, she sometimes got dizzy with the pressure in her head. Her throat was sore too, another sign it could be an ear infection.
The lift doors swept open and she staggered out, knowing she looked drunk, when she’d had nothing but water all night. She leaned against the wall for a moment. She just had to get home. She’d be fine once she was in bed, and if tomorrow it still persisted she could go to the doctors and get some antibiotics.
She straightened and walked through the opulent foyer, but her legs were wobbly and as she reached one of the white sofas she lowered herself to sit down.
‘Ma’am, are you ok?’ A young American porter came running over towards her.
‘It’s ok, I’ve got this,’ said Ethan from behind her. She really didn’t want him to see her like this, not after her rather dramatic exit. ‘Can you order us a taxi?’
She looked up at him as he loomed over her, causing her vision to swim.
‘You’ve gone paler than this sofa. And you’re right. I am scum. But kissing you just to make her jealous would be a new low even for me. Now, let’s get you home.’
With one hand under her arm he brought her gently to her feet.
‘Do I need to carry you?’
‘Don’t you dare. I’m fine, just put me in a cab and you can get back to Jemima. I certainly don’t want to get in the way of your…’ She gestured wildly with her hand as he walked her to the door. ‘Sexploits.’
‘Sexploits?’
‘Conquests, whatever you want to call it.’
They stepped outside and Izzy shivered against the cold. Immediately Ethan’s jacket was wrapped around her shoulders.
She stared at him. ‘I’m confused.’
He looked down the street for the taxi. ‘You and me both. Oh god she’s coming.’
She looked through the glass door and saw Jemima tottering on her heels towards them. She was like the wicked witch of the west, she just wouldn’t lay down and die. Ethan pulled her against him and she let him, though partly that was down to not being able to stand up too well on her own.
As the door was pushed open, Jemima’s shrill voice filled the air. ‘Ethan, Ethan, can we share a cab, you’ll practically go past my front door to get back to Chessingburyford. You don’t mind do you Izzy?’
Ethan held her tighter and she sighed and shook her head.
‘It’s very cold out here isn’t it, makes me wish I’d brought a coat,’ Jemima said, eyeing Izzy in Ethan’s arms. Izzy was surprised when Ethan didn’t snatch his jacket from her shoulders a
nd give it to Jemima.
‘I did say to Izzy tonight before we left the house that she should bring a coat. Though if she had, I wouldn’t need to do this to keep her warm and I do love keeping her warm.’
The taxi arrived, two minutes too late for Izzy’s liking. Though Ethan bundled Izzy in first and sat next to her, causing Jemima to sit on one of the fold down seats.
Ethan put his arm round her, pulling her onto his chest. ‘Go to sleep honey, I’ll wake you up when we get home.’
He obviously wanted to talk to Jemima without her interfering. She was too tired and too fed up to bother arguing with him. She closed her eyes and vowed if she woke up and found him shagging Jemima in the cab next to her she would punch them both.
*
Ethan sat with his eyes closed as the cab whisked him to some remote part of Hertfordshire. Jemima had started to talk to him almost as soon as Izzy had gone limp in his arms. It was inane babble and he found himself increasingly annoyed by it. Maybe it had been the way that she disregarded Izzy’s attempts at talking about business or that she didn’t really see Izzy as a threat. But Ethan actually felt loyal to Izzy and despite their relationship being a sham he didn’t want Jemima to win this one. He had closed his eyes, therefore ending any further conversation.
Izzy’s body was warm against his own, her hand was resting on his heart and he liked the feel of her against him. The car came to a halt and Ethan opened his eyes to see they were outside a very large house.
He looked across at Jemima who was faffing with her handbag.
‘Want to come in for a cup of tea?’
He shook his head.
‘She’s fast asleep, you could be in and out in fifteen minutes, twenty if you wanted a blow job. She’d be none the wiser.’
He blinked at her candour. ‘That’s very kind, but no.’
She pursed her lips and got out. ‘She’s not your usual type. She actually has something going on behind those pretty blue eyes.’
‘She makes me smile, I haven’t smiled for a long time.’
‘Then I’d hold onto her if I was you. But if you are serious about me investing in your company give me a call, I can be very discreet.’
She closed the door and walked up to her house. She was worth millions of pounds and she couldn’t even contribute towards the cost of a taxi.
He leaned his head back against the seat. ‘Her eyes are grey, not blue.’
*
Izzy woke when Ethan nudged her gently awake. She looked up at him and then around the cab in confusion. Her head was still pounding and her ear hurt.
‘She’s gone.’
She looked back at him. ‘And yet you’re still sitting here with your arm round me?’
His eyes darkened with the now familiar anger. ‘You fell asleep, what did you expect me to do, push you off me as soon as her back was turned?’
‘The Ethan Chase I know would. So maybe you’re not the total bastard I thought you were. And I take it you didn’t give Jemima what she wanted?’
‘No.’
‘I’m sorry I spoilt that for you. You didn’t have to come home with me.’
He shrugged.
‘You’ve been very sweet and attentive all night and even though it was all an act, if you can do that with someone you hate, there’s hope for you yet.’
She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. The taste of him jolted through her and she felt him respond instantly but she pulled away before it went any further. She wasn’t going to let herself go down that humiliating road again.
She quickly fumbled in her purse and grabbed fifty pounds. ‘I know this won’t go anywhere near covering the cost of the cab, but it’s all I have.’
He stared at her in shock but made no move to take the money, so she tucked it into his shirt pocket and left.
The cab pulled away and Izzy felt her cheeks burn in the darkness. She couldn’t bring herself to regret kissing him but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let it happen again.
Chapter Fourteen
Ethan rested his head on the wheel as he waited for Kyle. Being with Izzy, or more to the point, not being with her, was actually driving him mad. She was all he could think about, all day, every day and it was pissing him off. He had reached a decision and it was a terrible idea but he couldn’t see any other way around it. He was going to ask her to spend the night with him. Just one night to get each other out of their systems and then they could pretend it had never happened.
Kyle opened the car door and slid into the passenger side, disturbing Ethan from images of how that one incredible night would unfold.
‘How did last night go?’ Kyle said, his attention on his phone.
‘It didn’t.’
‘You didn’t get the money or you didn’t get laid?’
‘Both.’
Kyle had his undivided attention now. ‘You didn’t get laid? That’s not like you?’
‘I couldn’t do it.’
Kyle’s eyes widened. ‘You couldn’t get it up?’
‘I had no intention of sleeping with Jemima last night, I didn’t go for that.’
Kyle stared at him with a lack of understanding. ‘What did you go for?’
‘I hoped to get some sponsorship or an advert or something, but in a professional capacity.’
Kyle blinked and then burst out laughing. ‘You crashed and burned didn’t you, she wasn’t interested.’
‘It was Izzy. I just… She’s ruined me.’
‘You like her?’ Kyle’s face fell a bit.
‘No. She makes me feel bad about the life I lead.’
‘You feel bad for sleeping with all these women?’
Ethan pulled the iPad from his bag, fired up Izzy’s portfolio and handed it to Kyle. ‘This is what Izzy created for last night.’
Kyle whizzed through the different screens and whistled. ‘She has some brains, that one.’
‘I know. And I couldn’t do it to her. After all the work she’s put in since she started, after all the time creating that, it felt wrong somehow to secure the deal with a shag rather than for all her efforts.’
‘You felt guilty? That’s a first too.’
‘I know and it’s pissed me off no end, let me tell you. And because of it we didn’t get the money.’
He slammed the car into gear and drove up the road. His phone suddenly rang. Noticing it was Gizmo he put it on hands free and answered it.
‘Giz, you ok mate?’
‘It’s Izzy, you need to get to the office right now. I think something horrible has happened.’
He felt a cold prickle of fear on the back of his neck as he floored the accelerator. ‘Where is she?’
‘She’s here, she turned up ten minutes ago covered in blood and dirt. She said she’d fallen off her bike, but I think it’s something else. She could barely walk and she was shaking.’
Damn it. Remembering back to how poorly she had been the night before, he knew she’d fallen off her bike because she was too ill to even get out of bed.
Ethan slammed his fist against the steering wheel as a red light forced him to stop.
‘I’ll be there in two minutes, I’ll deal with it then.’
He hung up and as soon as the lights changed to amber he tore through them.
Two minutes later, he leapt out the car and strode across the car park, quickly followed by Kyle.
‘Stay here.’
‘But…’
‘Stay here.’
Kyle hung back reluctantly. Gizmo was hovering awkwardly by the office door, as Ethan walked into the office, he followed him in.
Izzy was asleep in her chair, her head propped up on her hand, the mouse in her other hand. Covered in blood was possibly an overstatement, though she did have cuts to her forehead, cheek and arms. Mud was in her hair and on her clothes. She looked awful.
‘Do you think she was attacked?’ Gizmo said, his large eyes suddenly fearful.
‘No she’s just sick. She wasn’t very well
last night either, she nearly passed out.’
He moved round the desk, sat down on the edge and stared at her.
‘You’re falling for her, aren’t you?’
Everyone said that Gizmo was simple, but he was so insightful sometimes.
‘Yes.’ He gently moved a muddy tendril of hair from her face. She was ice cold.
‘And are you planning on doing anything about that any time soon?’
‘No.’
Gizmo nodded with understanding.
Ethan took his coat off and wrapped it round her then scooped her up into his arms. She didn’t even stir.
‘Giz, grab her bag for me.’
Ethan walked back outside and moved towards his car. Kyle came running towards him.
‘Is she ok?’
‘Yes, I think so. I’m taking her home.’
He tucked her into the front seat of his car and took the bag from Gizmo as he got into the driver’s seat, then took off.
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