plans already drawn. I held off on those, figuring whoever would be investing in the project might want to have some input.
“Is it opened to the public now?” he asks as he eerily scans the area surrounding us. My senses go on high alert, but before I can come up with some kind of explanation as to why we shouldn’t go in there, he’s already walking away from me.
My heels dig in the ground as I try to catch up to him. By the time I reach him, I’m out of breath and completely off-balance. He stops abruptly, forcing me to stumble into him as I regain my footing. Bracing my arms in his strong hands, he scans my face. “So sorry for that, Mr. Robertson.”
He rights me, letting his hands linger on my arms longer than he should. Holding the door open for me, he lets me walk in front of him. I feel his eyes on me and just as I turn around to move past him, he shuts the door behind us.
“What are you doing?” Panic rises in my voice.
“Nothing you haven’t already asked for.” His words set my world spinning. “You and those tight skirts. I see the way you look at me. You’re nothing but a woman trying to use sex as a means to get what she wants. Well, here I am.” He steps in close to me, turning us so my back is pressed up against the door. “I’ll give you what you want, but you have to give me what I want first.”
“What?” I stumble back a step, disbelief and fear wash over me as I try to get away from him. “You’re crazy,” I yell, moving toward the door.
He catches my wrist in his hand as I fumble for the doorknob behind me. “Oh, no you don’t,” he chides me. “Where are you going to go anyway?”
“Help!” I call out, my voice cracking. “Please someone help.”
A maniacal laugh bubbles from his twisted mouth. “No one can hear you, so keep screaming. I like it when they fight back.”
Fear like I’ve never know lances through me. In that moment, every side-ways glance, every wayward touch, everything that I thought was odd and just off about Ethan Robertson, comes back to me full force. Screams, frenzied and panicked, fly out of my mouth. When his hand clamps over my mouth, I bite down hard enough to draw blood. It’s enough of a distraction for him to drop my hand and for me to open the door.
He recovers quickly, grabbing my wrist as I’m just one step out the door. He pulls me back, twisting me to face him. A loud thwap sounds in the air as his hand slaps across my face. “You bitch!” he curses.
When his hand flies up into the air for what I assume is another smack to the face, I close my eyes and brace for it.
“Leave her the fuck alone!” I recognize the low, mean growl of Owen’s voice as I wait for the painful blow. When it doesn’t happen, I open my eyes. Ethan turns to see a seething Owen standing behind him. With my wrist still in his hand, Ethan eyes Owen. Ethan pushes me away and I stumble to the ground, the hard cobblestone walkway lacerating my knees as I fall to the ground.
Skittering backward, I scratch my palms on the ground, getting out of their way. Owen twists Ethan’s arm behind his back and pushes him up against the door. “Tour’s over, asshole.” With a hard shove, Owen pushes his elbow into Ethan’s lower back. The scuffle has drawn the attention of a small work crew. Peter races over to Owen’s side, but not before Owen’s fist connects with Ethan’s jaw in a loud crack.
Handing Ethan over to Peter, Owen glowers at him. “I don’t ever want to see you around here again. Got it?” Ethan nods as he rubs over the spot where he was just punched. His eyes travel over to me on the ground. “Don’t even think about looking at her.” Owen steps in front of him, blocking me from Ethan’s view. “Pete, take the bastard out front. I’m calling the cops right now.”
Owen crouches down in front of me, sweeping my hair from my eyes. Though he’s gentle beyond all belief, even the slightest touch of his callous-roughened fingers across
“Is it opened to the public now?” he asks as he eerily scans the area surrounding us. My senses go on high alert, but before I can come up with some kind of explanation as to why we shouldn’t go in there, he’s already walking away from me.
My heels dig in the ground as I try to catch up to him. By the time I reach him, I’m out of breath and completely off-balance. He stops abruptly, forcing me to stumble into him as I regain my footing. Bracing my arms in his strong hands, he scans my face. “So sorry for that, Mr. Robertson.”
He rights me, letting his hands linger on my arms longer than he should. Holding the door open for me, he lets me walk in front of him. I feel his eyes on me and just as I turn around to move past him, he shuts the door behind us.
“What are you doing?” Panic rises in my voice.
“Nothing you haven’t already asked for.” His words set my world spinning. “You and those tight skirts. I see the way you look at me. You’re nothing but a woman trying to use sex as a means to get what she wants. Well, here I am.” He steps in close to me, turning us so my back is pressed up against the door. “I’ll give you what you want, but you have to give me what I want first.”
“What?” I stumble back a step, disbelief and fear wash over me as I try to get away from him. “You’re crazy,” I yell, moving toward the door.
He catches my wrist in his hand as I fumble for the doorknob behind me. “Oh, no you don’t,” he chides me. “Where are you going to go anyway?”
“Help!” I call out, my voice cracking. “Please someone help.”
A maniacal laugh bubbles from his twisted mouth. “No one can hear you, so keep screaming. I like it when they fight back.”
Fear like I’ve never know lances through me. In that moment, every side-ways glance, every wayward touch, everything that I thought was odd and just off about Ethan Robertson, comes back to me full force. Screams, frenzied and panicked, fly out of my mouth. When his hand clamps over my mouth, I bite down hard enough to draw blood. It’s enough of a distraction for him to drop my hand and for me to open the door.
He recovers quickly, grabbing my wrist as I’m just one step out the door. He pulls me back, twisting me to face him. A loud thwap sounds in the air as his hand slaps across my face. “You bitch!” he curses.
When his hand flies up into the air for what I assume is another smack to the face, I close my eyes and brace for it.
“Leave her the fuck alone!” I recognize the low, mean growl of Owen’s voice as I wait for the painful blow. When it doesn’t happen, I open my eyes. Ethan turns to see a seething Owen standing behind him. With my wrist still in his hand, Ethan eyes Owen. Ethan pushes me away and I stumble to the ground, the hard cobblestone walkway lacerating my knees as I fall to the ground.
Skittering backward, I scratch my palms on the ground, getting out of their way. Owen twists Ethan’s arm behind his back and pushes him up against the door. “Tour’s over, asshole.” With a hard shove, Owen pushes his elbow into Ethan’s lower back. The scuffle has drawn the attention of a small work crew. Peter races over to Owen’s side, but not before Owen’s fist connects with Ethan’s jaw in a loud crack.
Handing Ethan over to Peter, Owen glowers at him. “I don’t ever want to see you around here again. Got it?” Ethan nods as he rubs over the spot where he was just punched. His eyes travel over to me on the ground. “Don’t even think about looking at her.” Owen steps in front of him, blocking me from Ethan’s view. “Pete, take the bastard out front. I’m calling the cops right now.”
Owen crouches down in front of me, sweeping my hair from my eyes. Though he’s gentle beyond all belief, even the slightest touch of his callous-roughened fingers across
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