Chapter 4

I should not care, but I still stood there and waited for just a little while. The silence continued and, quite out of character for myself, I found myself asking, “You have a business proposal for me, then?”

She nodded in response, still somewhat uncomfortable. Her eyes darted to and away from my face, and she started chewing on her lip.

The action wasn’t going to keep me focused on her business proposal, that was for sure. I cleared my throat and drew her attention back. “Hey, now is not the time to get self-conscious. Even if your proposal is terrible, you can still brag to your friends that you have to kiss Ares Scott. Do you know the infinite bragging rights that bring?” “I would never!” She spluttered.

I laughed at her, shaking my head. “Don’t be so uptight, Liz Anderson. You must be careful lest you become like those ladies out there. Now, do you have a proposal for me or not? Because, with the way your nipples are staring at me from beneath your dress, I might just grant you anything you want.”

She went red and her hand wrapped around her chest.

I chuckled again, holding on to the sink as fits of laughter passed through me. “Loosen up, you. Heavens above, why are you so uptight? It’s a joke.”

She went even redder, but this time, it was clearly in anger. “Your gaze is impervious and cold like I’m a fly, but then when you’re making fun of me, it makes you happy. How does that work? You like it when others are squirming underneath you, don’t you? Does it get your blood pumping?” she asked fiercely.

The sudden fire in her shocked me, almost causing me to take a step back. I collected myself quickly, my rage flaring. I had made the joke to put her at ease, and now she was attacking me. “So, that’s how you see me.” My smile slipped to my normal, flat-faced stoniness. “I see.”

I turned to the door again, intending to leave. I poked my head through the opening, then caught a quick burst of movement. I stuck my head back in quickly, closed the door, and turned the lock. My heart started beating at a fast pace as I scouted the room for other exits.

There were none.

Liz stood in a rush behind me. “What was that? What happened? Who did you see?”

I put a hand to my lips and said no other words. I kept my back against the door, trying not to shake. The door that led to the male bathroom banged open. A deep voice started speaking, and stall doors started slamming against the wall.

“Who is it?” she asked, her voice a timid little thing.

I glared at her, and it shut her up at once. Seeing no other options, I shifted my weight so it would hold against an impact or two and pressed harder against the door.

Someone pushed the door, trying to open it up. Liz whimpered, and I glared at her again to shut her up. She covered her mouth as the person on the other side continued to bang and shove the opening without any success. I kept my gaze on Liz, hoping she would not make a sound that would rat us out.

I waited, standing very still, for a long minute. Eventually, the person stopped trying to get in, but I didn’t let my guard down or move yet. After another long minute, I relaxed my stance and rubbed the sweat off my brow.

Liz seemed to take that as a sign that she could talk. Her eyes were wide. “Please tell me what’s happening,” she begged in a tiny voice. “I don’t know anything about whoever you’re hiding from. I just need to go home to my friend. I don’t even care about the deal. I’ll find a way to make a—”

I heard another noise in the hallway. “Shut up,” I growled at her. Turning to the door again, I turned the lock and opened the door an inch. The coast seemed clear, even when I glanced from the right to the left.

Just because they weren’t here now didn’t mean that they wouldn’t come back. I closed the door again and turned back to Liz. “I think they know you’re with me.” I ran a hand through my hair. “We have no other choice. You’ll have to come back with me to my penthouse. I’ll keep you safe there while I try to find out what they want.”

She stared at me like I’d grown an extra head. “I’m not going home with you, Ares! I don’t want anything to do with this. Please, just let me go—”

“You can’t do anything about it,” I snapped. “They saw you with me! That means that it’s now your business, so you better stay put once we get to my penthouse. I won’t be held accountable if something happens to you when you’re not with me.”

I reached into my pocket and got my phone out while she stared at me. She remained silent, but her fear was obvious, even without words.

Against my better judgment, I walked over and sat beside her on the sink. “I’m calling my assistant, and he’s going to be securing a getaway vehicle for us to escape in. You don’t have to worry. By the time you get to my penthouse, we should know what they want. I can promise you that before the end of tomorrow, you will be able to freely walk through the city.”

She stared at me in shock.

“What?” I asked.

“I’ve never heard you say so many words at one time,” she said. “Except when you’re giving a speech at one of your launches.”

I kept my expression stone-faced, even though the unexpected comment made me want to chuckle. “Don’t get used to it!” I replied flatly.

She nodded as I called my assistant. His response came quickly—he’d already gotten the car ready, and he was waiting for me at the front.

I put the phone in my pocket again. “It’s time, are you ready? We just have to get away from the men any way we can. There’s a car waiting for us out front, and we can easily escape in it.”

She took a breath and straightened her shoulders, clearly ready to escape. I grinned and stretched out a hand for her to take. She grabbed hold and I led her forward, turning the lock on the door.

Time to face the wolves.