Chapter 7 His Effect
SIENNA
Cold rushed through my veins like electricity in a wire. My body stiffened. It was sudden, and I hated that my body reacted to his touch as though it had become a part of me.
“If that’s what it takes to make you say the truth,” he let out in a breathy whisper. We were so close that I could feel his hot breath on the tip of my nose. We stared into each other’s eyes as if we were trying to read each other’s thoughts. Looking at him up close, I was convinced that he was the most handsome man I’d ever come across. He had the perfect smile that could make a woman spread her legs and invite him inside her. And gosh, I hate to admit it—he was doing it to me right now. Why the fuck was my mind prompting him to continue?
“Why is your face red? Do you feel hot?” he whispered again, his lips curling into a smile. Damn! I absentmindedly swirled my tongue over my lips. Lucian knew what he was doing. He was teasing me intentionally.
Instantly, I got off him and took steps backward. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I adjusted my dress. My nipples tingled from the little touch. What the hell was happening? When did I become shameless overnight?
His eyes darted over me while he nibbled on his lower lip. That hungry, flirty look he threw at me almost made me lose my composure and pounce on him. God! Lucian was the only one who knew what was going through his head. I had expected something entirely different from this flirtatious energy.
“Take the hangover drugs,” he said, gesturing with his neck. As though he knew I was about to stubbornly refuse, he added almost immediately, “Don’t say no. Take it as my gift to you.”
The mouth I opened to say something didn’t close back. My surprised gaze darted over him. After a few seconds, I swallowed the words in my throat and picked up the drugs.
“Thank you so much, sir. I owe you,” I bowed slightly and turned.
“You can treat me to dinner if you’re really appreciative,” he taunted.
When I tilted my head, he raised his hands and flashed a wide smile. “Just joking.”
I shook my head and let out a deep breath.
As soon as I stepped out of his office, I rested my back against the door. I knew I should be thankful that he wasn’t offended by what happened between us, but I had an unsettled feeling about the whole thing. What if I were in deeper trouble right now?
“Why are you just coming out?” Ethan’s voice wafted into my ears, pulling me out of my thoughts. When I looked ahead, I saw him storming toward me with a fierce expression. The sight of him caused irritation and disgust to swirl within me—the bastard who pushed me into the lion’s den.
“Are you following me around now? If you know you can do the work yourself, why didn’t you take the document to him yourself?” I fired, ignoring our environment. I’d had enough of his rubbish.
“What! Are you—”
I cut him short. “I don’t have any response to your questions. If you’ll excuse me, I need to return to my desk.” Without waiting for his response, I walked past him and swerved toward the department.
“I’m still talking to you, Sienna. You have to tell me what you were doing in there with him,” he yelled in front of other workers.
What the hell? Had he forgotten that we were in the office? Everyone stopped what they were doing, and their attention was fully on us. I was extremely embarrassed. I hadn’t had this problem before we divorced, but it seemed there would be many after the divorce.
Chuckling, I tried to suppress my irritation as much as I could, then turned to face him. “What are you talking about, Mr. Ethan? You sent me to his office yourself,” I flashed a smile.
“Yes, I know I sent you there,” he asserted, his voice growing louder with every word. “I want to know why you stayed there longer than you should.”
Everyone’s eyes widened. They were interested in whatever was happening. How I wished I could knock some sense into Ethan right now.
“I think there’s something I don’t understand, sir. Is there a specific number of minutes I’m allowed to spend in the new boss’s office?” One of my brows raised. “Oh! Am I supposed to leave when he asks me to do something for him? And if he asks why I disobeyed him, can I mention your name?”
He blinked twice, and I think everything registered in his head at that moment. He glanced around and was shocked by the number of eyes fixated on him. He diverted his attention back to me and gulped. “You shouldn’t spend your time doing nothing in his office when you have a lot of work on your desk. Don’t repeat this,” he warned and sauntered into his office.
Everyone chuckled as soon as he disappeared through the door and continued with their work. Shaking my head, I let out a deep breath and settled into my swivel chair.
I was ashamed of him—and of myself. Was I blind in the past? How did I fall in love and sacrifice everything for a man like him? He sounded dumb and acted like an imbecile. Fuck! I don’t think I can forgive myself for wasting so many years on Ethan. He wasn’t even worth it. I must have been charmed in the past to settle for a man like him. For the first time, I was glad the divorce happened.
But why did he seem concerned about whatever happened in the office? What was his problem?