Page 31 of The Damaged Billionaire's Obsession

What I felt in those moments of Ethan holding my hand and touching my face was infinitely more than anything I’ve felt during sex.

Ever.

I was unraveling and I needed to get back some control.

Of course, I couldn’t tell him that. He’d think I was mad.

There’s a chance he already thinks I am with the way I switched on him, and I’m sure I’ve just shown Ethan one of the many reasons why I shouldn’t have one-on-one training with him.

Chapter 7

Ethan

I avoid her likethe plague for the next two weeks.

She was right, I'd deliberately tweaked the schedules to place her the furthest away from me that she could be. But now, even for the team meetings that she is likely to be in, I make sure I’m either not there or she isn’t.

Will, my personal assistant does my scheduling, and without having to say much to him, he started picking up on my need to be away from her, albeit for the wrong reasons.

We are in my office discussing the week’s schedule when he tells me that Bonnie has been asking for a meeting to discuss my requirements for a system update.

“Get Saj on it.”

“Mr. Hawthorne, about that…” he begins.

“Ethan.” He can’t seem to remember to call me by my first name.

“Ethan, are you sure about continuing to put those two together? They already spend a ridiculous amount of time with meetings and training sessions.”

“Meaning?” I ask.

“I think Sajid likes her.” My heart wrenches with an unfamiliar feeling before I get a chance to apply reason to his statement.

Saj is married, happily so. He’s crazy about his wife. He’s not lusting after Bonnie. Besides, Saj is like a child when he has a crush, he can’t hide his feelings for shit.

I watch Will until he squirms. Then, I start to laugh. “Will! You’re jealous of all the time she spends with Saj because you like her!” He blushes hard.

Christ!

The whole tech floor is suddenly high on pheromones. Not only is Bonnie killing it with her work and deadlines, she’s also littering the floor with hard-ons and broken hearts. I’ve caught the tail end of the guys' chatter in the break rooms and while waiting for meetings to start, and more times than I find comfortable, it’s about her.

Even fucking Owen Foster isn't immune. And now, my own PA.

Even you,the voice in my head accuses.

She certainly left me with a raging boner and an unquenchable thirst for her that night in the kitchen two weeks ago.

Right before my eyes, I saw her go from livid to being overwhelmed with desire. Then I saw her retreat in fear, only to finally emerge as a brazen, demanding sex vixen.

I was intrigued by her mind before. Right now I just might be obsessed.

I now know that she puts up a front when she’s uncomfortable with something. I'm fixating on thoughts of tearing down those defenses.

It's crazy, but want her naked, fully exposed, and unable to hide from me. I want her hot and needy and trusting.

But to get her there, I will have to give up some control.

Because she needs control, too. That much was clear as day from what happened two weeks ago.