The table was set with simple dishes, but the tension between the three of us filled the room thicker than the smell of the stew. Mark’s voice was steady as he outlined the terms of the contract they were negotiating every word deep.
Ethan sat beside me, arms folded, nodding occasionally, his attention split between Mark and the space beneath the table.
I tried to focus on their voices, the buzz of Mark explaining the latest client’s demands, but my own body betrayed me.
Slowly, Ethan’s hand slid beneath the tablecloth, his fingers tracing along the bare skin of my thigh. The faint brush sent a shiver through me.
Mark’s words continued. Tight and businesslike. “If we don’t close this deal soon, we risk losing the entire division.”
Ethan’s fingers pressed higher, slipping beneath the e
