Chapter 4

Amelia's POV

Monday came too quickly. I got up early. Put on my black dress. The tight one. I wanted Ethan to see me and how sexy I look.

The new team met in the big room. That consists of five people.

Me and four others. They are smart people from different parts of the company.

Ethan walked in at nine. His suit looked good, his hair looked good. Everything about him looked good.

He did not look at me. Not once and that annoyed me the most.

"Welcome," he said to all of us. "You are here because you are good at your jobs. This team handles big clients. Important stuff."

He talked about work. What we had to do. When things were due. His voice sounded like business only.

But then he looked at me. Quick look. His eyes went soft. Then hard again, like he didn't know me.

The meeting ended. He gave us folders. When he gave me mine his fingers touched my hand but I felt he didn't do it purposely. Maybe. Just maybe he has no interest in me.

"Good luck Miss Banks" he said in a low voice.

My heart jumped up.

The next few weeks were crazy. Long days. Hard work. But I liked it. Made me want to get up in the morning.

Ethan was weird with me. Some days are cold. Would not look at me. Talked to me like any other worker.

Other days are different. He smiled at me. Asked how I was. I stood close when he checked my work.

One day he said my presentation was great. Said it in front of everyone. I feel proud of myself.

Another day he barely said hi.

I did not understand why he was behaving in such a way.

But I had my plan. Make him want me. Then make Nathan jealous. I want Nathan to know I will be his step mother soon.

Dating his father would be the best avenge ever!

So I started my game and I won't stop till I get it.

Better clothes each day. Nice hair. More makeup. Not too much. Just right and looking all good to him.

When Ethan talked I leaned forward. Let him see me looking.

When we passed each other I smiled. The kind of smile that means things.

If he stood near me I touched his arm. Quick touches. Like they were accidents.

It was working. His jaw got tight when I did stuff. His eyes watched me walk away.

But he still acted like work only. Never said anything about that night. Never wanted to see me alone.

It made me crazy. It all made me feel like my efforts aren't working! My plan!

Two months like this. Me flirting constantly with him. Him watching but doing nothing.

Then Friday he came to my desk.

"Amelia," he said. "Stay late tonight? Need to talk about the Peterson thing."

My heart beat fast. Finally,But then it hit me, it was business!

"Okay," I said. It sounded normal.

Everyone left at six. The office got quiet. And it was just us.

He came back at seven.

"Ready?" he asked.

"For what?"

"Dinner. We can talk about Peterson while we eat."

Dinner. Just us. Wow!

"Okay," I said.

He drove to a nice restaurant. Dark lights. Soft music. Not a work type place.

We sat in a corner. Away from people. The waiter brought wine. We did not ask for it.

"You come here much?" I asked.

"Sometimes," he said. "When I want quiet."

Quiet. My stomach felt funny.

We got food. Started talking about work. But it felt different. How he looked at me. How he said my name and the way he stared at me.

"You do good work," he said. "Better than I thought you would."

"What did you think?"

He smiled. First real smile in weeks. For the first time he ever smiled in such a way towards me.

"Thought you might quit."

"Why?"

"Because of that night."

Finally, he said it. My jaw dropped, and my eyes went wild.

"What about that night?" I asked. Acted like I did not know, while pretending I knew nothing.

"Come on Amelia. We both know what happened."

I drank some wine. "Do we?"

He moved closer. "I know I left without saying bye. I know that was bad."

"Why did you leave?"

He was quiet. Played with his glass.

"I was scared," he said.

"Of what?"

"Of you."

That surprised me. "Me?"

"How you made me feel. Never felt that before. Not with anyone."

My heart was going fast now.

"Then I found out you worked for me. I thought it was some trick."

"A trick?"

"Your ex. Nathan happened to be my son.

"He's my son. But he was acting like a spoiled brat. Thought he could do whatever he wanted because of who his dad was. So I had to come back and supervise the company myself for now. I wanted to teach him a lesson."

Holy shit!

"So when I saw you at work I thought maybe he sent you. To get back at me or something."

"That's why you were mean?"

"Yeah. But then I watched you work. Saw how good you were. How hard you worked. Knew Nathan had nothing to do with it."

The waiter brought food. But I could not eat much. Too much happening.

"So what now?" I asked.

He looked right at me. "Now I tell you the truth."

"What truth?"

"I think about you every day since that night. Every single day. After that night, I couldn't get you off my brain.

My face got hot. "Ethan..."

"I know it's hard. I'm your boss. But I can't stop thinking about how you felt. How you looked at me. How you made me feel good that night."

This was not my plan. I was supposed to play him. Make him fall so I could hurt him later after exposing Nathan 's ex-girlfriend.

But hearing him say this stuff. How he looked at me. Made me feel things I did not want.

Time for my truth.

"I need to tell you something," I said.

"What?"

I took a big breath. "This whole thing. Me flirting. Working hard. It was fake."

His face changed. Got serious.

"Fake how?"

"I was trying to make you fall for me. So I could use you to make Nathan jealous. I wanted him to see me with his own dad after I caught him sleeping with my sister. We were supposed to get engaged that night you saw me but he cheated!."

Ethan stared at me. We did not talk for a long time.

I started to worry. "You mad?"

Then he laughed. Really laughed.

"Mad? Amelia, that's smart."

"What?"

Nathan had always done this to several girls."

Not what I expected though.

"Nathan hurt you. He should pay. And I want to help you make him hurt, I want him to stop playing those games with other ladies."

"Why?"

"Because he's lying cheating trash. And because nobody should make you feel like you're not good enough, he needs to learn how to respect others feelings."

How he said it. So serious. So mad for me.

"So you're not mad I was using you?"

"Were you?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When you kissed me that night. When you looked at me like I was the only guy there. When you touched me like you needed me. Was that fake too?"

I thought about that night. How he made me feel. How I forgot Nathan completely. But I never knew he was Nathan's dad then.

After you knew?

"And when you flirt now? When you smile? When you touch me? Is that just your plan?"

I looked down. "I don't know anymore."

He put his hand on mine.

"Look at me Amelia."

I looked up.

"I don't care why you started flirting. I'm just happy you did."

"Really?"

"Really. And if you want to use me to make Nathan, my son jealous I'm in, I personally want to teach him some lessons."

"You are?"

"But I want one thing."

"What?"

"We do this right. If we fake a date we do it publicly. Make sure Nathan sees. Make sure everyone sees."

My heart was going crazy. "Okay."

"And Amelia?"

"Yeah?"

He squeezed my hand. "Just so you know. The feelings won't be fake. At least not mine."

I stared at him. This hot powerful man. Who could get any girl. And he wanted me.

"Mine either," I said.

He smiled. That perfect smile that made me weak.

"Good. So we got a deal?"

"We got a deal."

He lifted his wine. "To hurt Nathan."

I lifted mine. "And do not fake feelings."

We drank. And I knew everything was going to change.

Nathan thought he won when he left me for Rose. He had no clue what was coming.

But this time it was not just about making him jealous.

This time I really cared about the guy I was with.

And that scared me more than anything.