“I have something for you.”
Before his words sink in, he pulls his hand out from behind him and presents me with a black box.
My heart skips a beat as my mind races to a conclusion.
Is that what I think it is?
Then again, the box looks big. The voice in my head tells me it’s too big to contain a ring. My heart holds on to hope.
“What is it?” I ask Ethan calmly even as I feel like jumping out of my skin.
He opens the box. My breath catches.
No, it doesn’t contain a ring. But there is a beautiful watch inside, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. It’s covered in flecks of gold that look like tiny diamonds, making it sparkle with a rosy glow. I can tell that it’s superbly made, too.
I glance at the name under the cover of the box.
Audemars Piguet.
My eyes grow wide. No wonder it looks like some kind of royal treasure.
Ethan starts to take it out of the box but I push his hand away and shake my head.
“I can’t accept this, Ethan.”
His eyebrows furrow. “Why not?”
“It’s too much.”
I’m sure it’s worth thousands of dollars.
Still, Ethan takes it out of the box.
“You don’t have to wear it all the time. You can just – ”
“That’s not the point,” I tell him. “This isn’t something you should be giving me.”
“Because you’re just my assistant?” he asks.
I look into his eyes and draw a deep breath. Here goes.
“Isn’t that what I am?”
Isn’t that all I am? Please tell me no.
“You’re not just my assistant, though,” Ethan says.
I’m not?
“You’re an asset to me. Apart from my brothers, you’re the most valuable employee I have. You understand me better than anyone. You support me more than anyone.”
So I’m just an employee. Just as important as his brothers. Maybe less. My heart starts to sink.
“I’m just doing my job,” I tell him.
“Which you do so well,” Ethan says. “So well you deserve this.”
He tries to put it on my wrist. I pull my hand away.
“No.”
Again, he gives me a puzzled look.
“It’s a gift, Stella. It’s my way of thanking you for proving invaluable to me during this trip.”
“Because I had sex with you?”
He pauses. “Not just because of that.”
I don’t think I’m getting my message across to him, so I decide to blunt.
“Is that all I am to you? An assistant that you can count on for sex?”
“And a friend,” he answers.
Just a friend? My heart shatters.
Well, there you have it.
“I don’t understand why you seem upset,” Ethan says. “If you don’t like the watch – ”
“I don’t like the sex,” I cut him off. “I mean, I don’t want us to have sex anymore.”
His eyebrows arch. I stand up.
“Tonight was the last time,” I tell him with a voice that I try to keep from quivering. “When we get back to Chicago, I’ll just be your assistant. And your friend. We’ll carry on as before. We’ll pretend we never had sex, and we never will again.”
“Never?”
I swallow and try to keep a straight face. “Not even when we go out of town or out of the country.”
Ethan’s eyebrows drop. His expression turns serious as he falls silent.
Is he upset? Why doesn’t he try to change my mind, then? Why won’t he say anything.
“Do you understand?” I ask him.
“Yes,” Ethan answers. “I understand perfectly.”
No, he doesn’t. He has no clue I’m breaking into pieces right now. And it’s better to leave it that way.
He doesn’t really care about me anyway. Not in the way I care for him.
“Good.”
I walk to the bathroom to change back into my clothes. I see them on the floor right next to Ethan’s and my chest tightens.
I guess this really was the last time.
I try not to think of that. I try to fight the tears stinging the back of my eyes as I put my clothes on. If only I could pick up the shards of my broken heart as easily and put them back inside the gaping hole in my chest.
I can’t find my hair tie so I just leave it. I comb my hair as best I can with my fingers. I hang the robe I used on the peg by the door. Then I walk out.
All I need are my shoes and my purse and then…
I stop in my tracks as I see Ryker in the room. I didn’t hear him come in, so my eyes grow wide in surprise. His narrow as he stops talking to Ethan.
Shit.
“Good evening,” I croak.
“Good evening, Stella,” he says without a smile.
He’s not going to scold me in front of Ethan, is he?
“Stella,” Ethan says. “You won’t believe what Ryker just told me. The missing employee has been found.”
I let out the breath I’ve been holding. “Really?”
“Yes. And it doesn’t seem like he’s sold the files to anyone. Of course, I’ll have to make sure of that myself.” He turns to his brother. “Just give me a second to change, Ryker, and I’ll be with you.”