Ruined (Ethan Frost 1)

“It’s fine. I could use the run. ”

“You sure?”

“Absolutely. ”

“Be careful. ”

I roll my eyes at him. “It’s a mile. In La Jolla. I think I can somehow make it without getting mugged. ”

He doesn’t laugh. “Call me if you need me. ”

“I won’t. ”

“Chloe. ” He sounds more serious than he has all morning, and it’s all I can do not to roll my eyes again. But I restrain myself to just blowing him a kiss and then I’m out the door. On my way to my apartment and the rest of my life, which suddenly feels very far away from where I’m at. And where I’m going.

* * *

At ten minutes to noon, a note from the desk of Ethan Frost arrives at my cubicle. Can I take you to lunch?

Maybe I should tell him no—it’s not like he gave me any notice, and he can’t take the fact that we’re together to mean I’m available to him anytime he wants me. But at the same time, I am free for lunch. And I want to see him. And I hate, absolutely hate, playing the games that some couples do with each other. That’s not what I want for my relationship with Ethan.

So I text him back Yes, then wait for him to tell me where to meet him. Nothing comes, though, and I’m about to send him another text when I realize that the whole floor is buzzing about something.

I stick my head out of my cubicle just in time to see Ethan turning the corner toward me. He’s wearing a perfectly tailored black Anderson & Sheppard suit with a dark turquoise shirt that makes his eyes look like the ocean.

My heart beats faster just watching him walk toward me. Not just because of the way he looks, but because of the way he looks at me. Like I’m everything to him, the same way he has so quickly become everything to me.

He stops outside my cubicle. “Hi, Chloe. ” He’s smiling so wide his cheeks are creased.

“Hi, Ethan. ” I bend down and get my purse from my bottom drawer. “You didn’t need to come all the way over here. I could have met you at your car. ”

“I’m a big believer in picking up a woman when I ask her on a date. ”

He doesn’t speak loudly, but he doesn’t make any attempt to lower his voice, either. And considering half the floor is currently eavesdropping on our conversation, I figure any hope we had of keeping this thing between us quiet just went out the window.

A conclusion that is only reinforced as he wraps an arm around my waist and guides me through the cubicles to the elevator.

“You know, you’re not doing a very good job of being discreet,” I tell him once we’re in the parking lot, walking toward his car.

He turns to me with a frown on his face. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to be. ”

“I just thought, since I work for you, maybe you wouldn’t want—”

“Technically, you don’t work for me. You work for Maryanne. Also, I’m not paying you, and getting a salary is pretty much the defining characteristic of having a job, so again, technically you don’t work for me. And finally, your internship is only for the summer. You’ll be back at school in September and it’s not like any of this will matter anyway. ”

“I know, I know. I just don’t want to cause problems for you with anyone in the company. I mean, I don’t want you to feel like you have to—”

“Chloe, you aren’t my dirty little secret. I care about you, I’m proud to be dating you, and I’m not going to hide that. Frost Industries doesn’t have a policy about employee dating, only one about harassment. As long as you don’t feel like you’re being harassed—”

“No! Of course not!”

“Good. And I don’t feel like I’m being harassed—”

“Glad to hear that,” I tell him with an exasperated shake of my head.

“So there’s no problem. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay. ” Except I saw the look on Rick’s face when we passed by and he wasn’t happy. Neither were the other interns. Not that that’s any different from how it’s been since my second day here, but still. It makes me uncomfortable to know they’re all talking about me, and not in a good way. I have to get over that, and I will. But it’s going to take time.