3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Lily

I step away from Ethan, my eyes analyzing every move he makes. Something strange has just happened. His eyes gleamed and the color was supernatural.

"Lily? What is wrong?" he asks, obviously confused as to why I broke the kiss.

"Lots of things are wrong here. For one, we shouldn't be getting this intimate. The second thing, which is the most important, is your eyes. They just gleamed."

"What? What are you saying, Lily?"

"You heard me. Your eyes changed color for a brief second, Ethan," I tell him again, but once I hear myself talking, I feel insane.

"I am not sure what you mean, Lily," Ethan says, shaking his head and attempting to grab my hand, but I step away from him.

"Look. There is a fine line between your ocean-blue eyes and the gleaming, red color they just turned into."

"Lily, I don't understand a word you are saying right now. Are you all right? Do you need me to drive you home? Consider this day done and paid," he says and suddenly looks away. Is he avoiding me?

"It is not about that. I know what I saw."

"Lily, maybe you are just tired?"

Am I insane ? Or am I just imagining things? I can't make this up. I know what I saw, but there is no way to prove it.

"Weird lightening in this room, I guess."

"The weirdest. See, that is why I need someone to take care of this place," he says as he places his hand on mine, reassuring me.

"I see." I nod in agreement. He is right. I am just imagining things. After all, it has been years since I felt him so close to me, and that is definitely impacting me physically.

"You are so evil; do you know that? I was so close to making one of my dreams come true."

"Which is?" I ask. Deep down, I know the answer, but I want him to say the words. Except that he doesn't. He does things instead. That is just Ethan. Actions over words any day.

"I spent the last ten years craving your lips."

"Do something about it then. Or are you going to leave again?"

He takes a step closer and wraps his hands around my neck and kisses me passionately. Finally. After so many years. His scent is so earthy, and it makes my head spin.

"Oh, Lily. This must be a dream," he pulls back again and smiles against my lips.

"Only if you say so," I say back, barely able to speak.

"Stay still," he says as he lifts me and lays me on his desk. He then kisses my neck softly and licks it slowly.

"Not so professional now, are you?"

"You taste divine," the moment those words leave his mouth, I moan uncontrollably, making him gasp.

"Don't stop," I whisper as I close my eyes, letting him explore my neck and my body.

"Did you miss this?" he suddenly asks. I bet he knows the answer already.

"Yes," I whisper, my body shivering under his cold touch.

"I will show you a whole lot more, Lily."

He runs his hands all over my thighs, up my back, and down my knees. Then, unexpectedly, he slips his fingers between my thighs and starts feeling my wetness.

"You are so wet already?" he bites his lip and nods at me as if he is responding to his very own question.

"I want you," the words escape my mouth. I am under his influence.

"You'll have me. Every inch of me," he says as he kisses my neck, my cheeks, and my lips. He rubs my pussy faster, then slips a finger inside of me.

"Please."

"You are so tight." He snarls against my ear, making me melt in his arms.

"Easy on me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Please."

"God, I want you so bad, Lily," Ethan snaps and whispers against my neck, guiding my hand to unbuckle his belt.

"Have me, then."

"How much do you want me?" he asks as he thrusts into me without warning. He groans at the warmth of my body surrounding his cock.

"That much," I answer as I dig my nails into his back.

Ethan starts moving his hips, pushing in and out of me, slowly at first, then faster and harder. He feels so good, yet it feels so overwhelming. I feel my orgasm building up, and I know that he can feel it too.

"Are you okay?" he asks as he cups my face between his cold hands, which make me shiver.

"More than okay. It has been a very long time," I whisper, unable to hold back any longer.

He moves inside of me again, harder, and faster. His mouth is all over me, biting, kissing, and licking. It is not long before we both come undone, our bodies shivering and our minds exploding with the pleasure we are sharing.

"What have we just done?" I whisper as he pulls out and rests his head on my shoulder.

"We have just broken one of the company's rules."

"Which is? Don't have sex inside the building?"

"More like never do it on the desks. They're rather expensive."

"That just makes it better."

"Oh, Lily. You have no idea how much I missed you," he finally says, locking his eyes with mine.

I am fighting the urge to say it back. I did miss him terribly, but I do not miss the amount of emotional pain he caused me.

"I want you to see the other offices. I also want you to meet a few people," he says as he puts his blazer back on. I can see he is trying to keep it professional again after what has just happened.

I run my fingers through my hair, fixing it. Suddenly, shame consumes me . What have we just done? Why couldn't I control myself?

"Sure," I swallow the lump in my throat and nod at him.

Ethan guides me to another room. Inside it, I hear chatter. Before Ethan even opens the door, a voice startles me.

"Come on in," the voice behind the door says.

I see a couple of young men, in their mid-thirties, looking curiously at me next to Ethan.

"I knew it was you, Mr Rothschild," the man says, laughing lightly.

His laugh is like nails on a chalkboard. His look is so daring and curious. He is looking at me like I owe him something.

"Alfred. Meet Lily Snow, the company's new contractor. Ms. Snow owns a successful floral business, and she will work on decorating the Rothschild Pharmaceuticals."

"Ms. Snow will create a paradise out of this place, I am sure. Such a pleasure to meet you," Alfred says, nodding. He doesn't move from his place. He remains sitting at his desk, eyeing me.

"Nice to meet you." I awkwardly wave at both Alfred and the other man standing in the corner, since none of them offer to shake hands.

"And this right here would be my brother, Nick. We run this company together, except that he is always traveling."

"Business trips," Nick says, smirking at me. He makes me feel uneasy.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Rothschild," I say, nodding at him, then looking at Ethan.

"Dealing with this office will be easier, Ms. Snow. It is not as big as my office," Ethan says as he takes a few steps towards me.

I am having a tough time keeping a conversation with him. I can't stop thinking of what happened between us earlier.

"I think I can do it in less than a day. I will have to finish your office first, though. Do you have any preferences?" I ask, looking at Alfred.

He smiles at me, and just before he can say a word, the phone rings. The looks on their faces dramatically change.

"Pick up, Alfred," Ethan urges and walks towards him.

"Not for the second time."

"Second time?" Ethan asks and he gazes at Alfred. It is like he is reading his mind.

"Yes, Mr. Rothschild. You see, it has not been half an hour since we last saw you and we have just had a few complaints from some of our-" he pauses.

"Our? Our what?"

"Clients, sir. Some vicious complaints regarding some of our products."

"Maybe those clients are allergic to retinoids," I abruptly say, crossing my arms and standing in the middle of them. It made me feel powerful to voice my opinion.

"Retinoids?" Alfred asks. Confusion is obvious on his face. I know I need to stay out of their business.

"Isn't that the basic component of your anti-aging products? Few people know that. That is why you might hear people starting to complain about their skin getting dry after they tried out your products."

"Anti-aging, yes. Yes, of course, Ms. Snow. That is what our company is best at. Isn't that true, Mr. Rothschild?" Alfred says, looking at me still.

"Well, yes. Yes, of course," Ethan clears his throat again.

As I scan their faces, it occurs to me that I am now the only one smiling. They look worried, yet they can't take their eyes off me.

"By clients, do you mean FDA-related ones, Alfred?" Ethan asks, his face full of questions, yet there is a smirk on his face.

"I don't think we should talk about that here. Ms. Snow, please forgive us, but these are serious matters that must be discussed privately," Alfred says.

"I understand. It was nice meeting you. I will be heading back to Ethan's office. I mean Mr. Rothschild's," I say and take a few steps back.

"Both of us are leaving, Ms. Snow. Give me a minute."

"It is fine. I don't have much work left to do at your office anyway. You can stay with your advisors."

"I am sure they can wait," Ethan says, not taking his eyes off mine. It is the same look from years ago. I wonder what he is thinking about.

"Ethan, this is indeed about the FDA," Nick interferes, slightly whispering.

"There is no need to whisper."

"The FDA insists on making the investigations. We might be escorted to the court eventually if we don't work on this," Nick says again.

"The FDA? Really?" I ask.

"It is not something that concerns you, Ms. Snow. So don't worry about it. This is just a minor inconvenience." Nick says, slightly raising his hand.

His tone sounds harsh, but he does not sound like he is making things up. Maybe he is right. I have nothing to do with this.

"But, Ethan, I mean Mr. Rothschild, if it concerns the FDA, you should pay a bit more attention. They're not easy to deal with," I say.

"Maybe he should pay more attention, indeed," Alfred echoes after me.

"Alright. That's it. We are not discussing this here. Not now."

"But Ethan-" Nick starts to say.

"I will take care of this. I know the people at the FDA. They can't touch us. Not again ."

"But Mr. Rothschild."

"Tonight, Alfred. Perry, our attorney, will guide us out of this mess again."

Again ? I think to myself, till Ethan's voice brings me back to reality.

"After you, Ms. Snow," he says and holds the office door open for me.

The smirks on Nick and Alfred's faces tell me no good. They watch every move I make, even after heading out of the office.

This is my first day. It must go way better than this. I have not only failed to control my desires towards Ethan, but I have also heard a lot of things that are none of my business.

I don't want to be involved in the company's business, but what is so wrong that the FDA is trying to investigate Rothschild Pharmaceuticals?

"Are you doing something illegal?" I ask, my arms crossed the moment we get inside Ethan's office again.

He sits down on the sofa and motions for me to sit beside him. There is something about the way he crosses his arms and tilts his head to the side. It makes me feel weak.

"Not yet."

"What does that even mean?"

"Maybe not that illegal."

"You are so indecisive. Are you or are you not doing something illegal, Ethan?" I ask, my tone a bit sterner than usual.

"And what are you going to do about it if I am doing something illegal?"

"Maybe I can help. But that depends on how illegal what you are doing is."

"Define illegal, Lily."

"I don't know. Something against the law, I guess?" I say, shrugging my shoulders.

"I see, we have a criminal mastermind here," Ethan mocks with a smirk on his face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I frown as my eyes widen a little.

"You define illegal as something against the law. But what Rothschild Pharmaceuticals is doing is not against the law. Well, maybe a little bit, but in a good way. We are keeping people sane and safe," he tries to explain.

"I don't think I get it. How is that illegal, but still in a good way? Or is this a joke?" I ask, feeling a bit confused.

"You ask too many questions; do you know that?"

"Lots of weird things about this place anyway, so I ought to ask questions since I will be spending a lot of time here. First, the smell, now, the accusations. There is also the weird way your advisors look at me. I have nothing to do with this, but I guess my-"

"Curiosity?" he interrupts, and grins at me.

"Yes. Exactly."

"Well, we deal with a lot of substances and chemicals in this building, which explains the smell. As for the accusations, nothing can be proven. They don't know who they are dealing with. As for my advisors, Alfred and Nick, they are just not used to seeing a human in this building."

"Human? What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh. It is but a joke, Lily," he says and stands up.

"You're not funny."

"Lily, can you trust me? Do you trust me?"

"I trusted you once. Remember?"

"I remember. This time is different. We are mature people now."

"I also remember that you betrayed that trust, Ethan Ruth," I say, my eyes piercing into his. I know he sees me as a challenge.

"I haven't. I protected you."

"Protected me from what?"

"I protected you from me, but that's not the case now. I need to trust you and be honest with you," he says.

"What is so unethical that you are doing that the FDA is after you?" I ask. My curiosity will soon be the death of me.

"Want to guess?"

"Money laundering?"

"That will involve the bank."

"Banks for your case. "Lots of them," I say, which makes him fail to contain his laugh.

"Yes, Lily. "Lots of banks," he says, failing to remain serious.

"You didn't start a drug ring or a prostitution ring, did you?"

"God, no. No, I didn't. Those are the things that are not good for business."

"I wouldn't know. You would."

"Are you saying that I am bad at business, Lily?"

"Well, are you? Since the FDA is after you, you are."

"You are so daring, aren't you? You dare say that to me?" he asks, slowly running his index finger over my knees, his other hand in his pocket.

"Good gracious, your hand is so cold," I shiver and chuckle, trying to push him away.

"I know, but I will never let anything happen to you. Do you trust me?"

"Yes. I trust you, although we are not being very professional now. Again ." I whisper, my voice trembling. His skin is freezing cold.

"We were supposed to be, but not when you came into my office wearing a skirt like this. You knew there would be no room for professionalism," he says as he kneels in front of me, placing his hand on my thigh, feeling the smoothness of my skin once again.

"Mr. Rothschild!" I say as I place my hands on his.

"I have missed you terribly. I am still in disbelief that you are right here in front of me now. I don't even know how to act."

"Mr. Rothschild."

"Please, don't call me that," he pleads.

"I won't, but only if you stop."

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me like that."

"Like what, Lily?"

"Like I am a prize or something."

"You like it, don't you? You like the way I look at you."

"You know the answer to that."

"So, why stop then? I can look at you for ages non-stop, and you are aware of that."

"Because I have a long day ahead of me. I still must process a lot of things."

"You will be here tomorrow too."

"Yes, but if I will be dealing with your advisor's office, I will only be staying an hour or two."

"Why?" he asks, confused.

"His office is smaller than yours."

"There still are other offices to work on," he says, almost interrupting me

"I need at least one day a week to work from home. There is so much planning I need to do."

"Can't you do your planning in the building here?" he asks, his eyes softening.

"I am not part of this company, Ethan."

"I must say that I need your presence, Lily. You are so smart and wise, and I need you here."

"You have to promise me something."

"You have my word, Lily. What is it?"

"You must promise me that you'll keep a safe distance. I want my business to be successful and do well on this project, Mr. Rothschild. You are not allowed to fall in love with me."

"I don't think I can do that."

"This can't happen any longer," I say, and gesture to his hands grabbing my thighs.

"But-"

"Do you want me to work here?" I interrupt him, gazing in his eyes.

"Yes."

"Then you must promise me that you won't. I am serious about this."

"Lily, please," Ethan shakes his head and looks away for a brief second, then back at me again.

"If not, then I'll cancel everything, and you will never see me again. You will have to find yourself another florist. This is my chance to make it, Mr. Rothschild."

"I am afraid you have to promise me one thing too."

"Which is?"

He smiles at me and pulls away. I can sense that he is resisting me. He never takes his eyes off mine, which makes me shaky. Not in fear but in curiosity. He brings out the best in me.

"You are doing it again, aren't you?"

"Pardon?" he says.

"You are looking at me like I am a prey to feast on, Ethan."

He laughs and heads to one of his drawers. He takes out a stack of documents and spreads them on the table. Then, he hands me a yellow file. Reading the title makes my stomach go insanely anxious.

"Oh, God," I mutter under my breath as I read what is written on the cover page.

"Make sure you read this. I want you to know what you will be dealing with in this company," he says and heads to a small fridge in the corner and takes out two bottles of water for us.

"Top secret? Are you sure I am allowed to read this?"

"Have at it. I couldn't care less. I am sure I can trust you," he says and stands in front of me, proving his dominance.

"I am just here to work on the decoration of your building, Ethan. I am sure I do not need to be dealing with such confidential documents."

"Come on, Lily. It really is not that big of a deal. If you want to be decorating Rothschild Pharmaceuticals, you need to know what you are dealing with. The only reason we have a successful company is because we have the most advanced medicines available today. I think we can trust you with the information. So, do we have a deal?"

"But I don't get it. Really, I don't. I am a florist, Ethan. What do I have to do with any of this?"

"Well, you need to know many things to form the right aesthetics for this place. As you can see, it lacks-"

"Life," I interrupt him, with a grin on my face.

"Yes, Lily. Life."

"You want me to put some life into your lifeless building? Then, you got me, Mr. Rothschild."

"Great! Take care of that file, then. I trust you, Lily," he says and fixes the collars of his shirt ready to leave.

I eye the messy desk. There are so many things here. It might not look like a big deal what I did in Ethan's office, but decorating the desk was my proudest moment.

"Your desk is a bit troubling for the new decor now," I say as I gather the files together and stuff them inside the folder, and back inside the drawers.

I grab the untouched water bottles and head toward the fridge to place them back in it. I need to keep the desk as I left it. I am but one step away from the fridge, till I hear Ethan's voice gradually rising.

"No, Lily. Get away from there."