Chapter 114 Not Here, Ethan
Author's POV:
Olivia knew how to swim—Ethan had taught her himself. When she tumbled into the lake, it was merely the shock that had momentarily paralyzed her, causing her to thrash awkwardly in the water. As her emotions stabilized, she quickly regained her balance and was about to swim to shore on her own.
But before she could, Ethan had already plunged into the lake, his powerful arms wrapping around her as he lifted her up against his chest.
"I didn't jump in myself," Olivia quickly explained, water dripping from her hair. "Someone hit my leg with a rock. Look." She began rolling up her pant leg to show him the evidence.
Ethan immediately stopped her hand. "Not here," he said, his voice softening. "Show me inside."
Olivia looked up at him, her eyes wide and glistening with water droplets. Her pupils were bright against her flushed skin, giving her a vulnerable, almost fragile appearance.
Ethan's expression softened as he looked at her. His large hand moved to the back of her head, pressing her firmly against his chest, as if trying to incorporate her into his very being—to shield her from everyone's eyes.
Olivia struggled to breathe against his tight embrace. Just as she attempted to pull back slightly, Ethan draped his suit jacket over her head and upper body, covering her completely.
With swift, purposeful strides, Ethan carried Olivia through the club toward a private rest area—a luxurious suite equipped with its own hot spring bath. As they passed through the main hall, he glared coldly at Alexander.
"Close the place down," Ethan ordered. "And find whoever's responsible."
Alexander frowned. "What happened?"
"Someone here has a death wish," Ethan replied, his voice like ice.
Alexander nodded without further questions and immediately began issuing orders to his staff.
Meanwhile, at the back entrance of the club, Tiffany was hurriedly pulling her eight-year-old nephew along, rushing toward the door. Just as she reached for the handle, security personnel swiftly blocked their exit.
"Why are you closing the door?" Tiffany demanded, her voice sharp with indignation.
The security guard remained professional. "I apologize, Ms. Morgan, but Mr. Fuller has ordered all exits closed. No one leaves."
Tiffany blinked nervously, though her tone remained defiant. "Well then, get Alexander over here. I'll ask him myself."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Alexander appeared, his face uncharacteristically stern as he approached.
"Alex—" Tiffany began, ready to complain, but the cold fury in her cousin's eyes made her shrink back, the words dying in her throat.
Alexander was so angry he almost slapped her. His hand rose halfway before he controlled himself. She was his aunt's only daughter, after all, and had been raised by their grandparents after her mother's death. If anything happened to her, he'd never hear the end of it.
"It wasn't Aunt Tiffany's fault!" The boy stepped forward, his chin raised defiantly. "I used my slingshot. Aunt Tiffany said—"
Tiffany quickly tried to cover the boy's mouth, but he dodged her hand.
"—that lady is a bad person. She's a homewrecker, and homewreckers deserve what they get!"
Alexander's temple throbbed with anger. "Tiffany!" he snarled, each syllable dripping with rage. "You know damn well she isn't. So why would you say such things?"
Tiffany stared at the floor silently, though she muttered under her breath, "Well, if she's not a homewrecker, she's certainly not anything good."
Alexander raised his hand again, thoroughly disgusted. "You! Tiffany, do you have any idea what kind of trouble you've caused?"
Tiffany lifted her chin with haughty defiance. "Hmph. She's just some gold-digger Ethan's keeping. You think he'd actually risk offending our families over her?"
Alexander laughed bitterly. "You understand nothing about Ethan Bennett. If you knew even a fraction of what he's capable of, you wouldn't have done something so monumentally stupid!"
"I don't believe Ethan would hit me because of her," Tiffany scoffed.
"I don't know if Ethan will hit you, but you're going to apologize to Olivia right now," Alexander insisted. "To Olivia, not Ethan. Remember that."
Tiffany shouted, "No way! Like hell I'm apologizing to her. Dream on!"
Her nephew tugged at Alexander's sleeve. "Uncle Alex, I... I'll apologize. I'm the one who shot it."
Alexander grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him close. "Of course you will. But Tiffany, you're coming too. You're the one who put him up to this."
"I said no!" Tiffany turned her head away stubbornly.
Alexander was done arguing. He signaled to his security team. "Take her. Now."
Inside the hot spring suite, Olivia had just been lowered into the warm, mineral-rich water. As she reached for a towel to cover herself, a pair of strong arms encircled her from behind.
"Ethan, stop. Not here..." she protested, but before she could finish, Ethan pressed her against the pool's edge, his chin resting on her neck as he kissed her ear.
Olivia's body softened instantly, nearly sliding deeper into the water.
Ethan's arm tightened around her waist, lifting her slightly as he pulled her firmly against him. "I want you now," he murmured, his voice rough with desire. "Be good, don't fight me."
"But your friends are all waiting outside," Olivia whispered, her breath catching. "You can't just—"
Ethan bit her delicate, pale neck, effectively silencing her protests.
Olivia hated how he would simply cut off her objections like this, especially in intimate moments. His lips claimed hers in a demanding kiss that left no room for refusal.
The sound of splashing water echoed through the room as their bodies moved together, water cascading over the pool's edge.
Suddenly, a knock interrupted them. Alexander's voice came from the other side: "Ethan, I've brought the people responsible."
Olivia tensed at the sound of another man's voice, her body instinctively tightening.
Ethan groaned at the sensation, his hands gripping her waist harder. "Hearing another man's voice excites you?" he whispered harshly.
"Ethan, you—!"
Embarrassed and annoyed, Olivia deliberately clenched her muscles in retaliation.
Behind her, Ethan's breathing became labored and rough.
His large hand turned her flushed face toward him, his intense eyes boring into hers. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" His voice was dangerously low.
The force of his response made Olivia feel like she might shatter. She desperately clutched his tense, muscular arms. "Gentle," she pleaded softly. "Be more gentle..."
Ethan did exactly the opposite, his movements becoming more intense as his voice deepened. "You bite me and then can't handle the consequences?"
"I didn't bite you," Olivia protested weakly.
Ethan chuckled, his thumb brushing over her red, swollen lips, fingertips gently squeezing the plump center. "Baby, there are other ways to bite besides using this..."
Another series of knocks interrupted them.
Olivia jolted in panic, trying to extricate herself from Ethan's grip, but her efforts only seemed to encourage him further.
"Mmm, that's right," he murmured against her ear, his arms holding her steady. "Move just like that again."
Her face burning with embarrassment, Olivia hissed, "Hurry up!"
She had intended to urge him to finish quickly, but Ethan deliberately misinterpreted her words, a roguish smile spreading across his face. "You want me to go faster? Think you can handle that?"