~ Eve ~

Holy shit.

I sat in front of a television that, up until an hour ago, I hadn't even known existed.

The story about the 'Bad Boy Heir' was being played over and over on just about every news station I could find - which made sense - since apparently half of them fell under the WOLFBURG MEDIA umbrella, not to mention STREAM, the biggest internet entertainment service In. The. World.

Ethan paced behind me, still wearing nothing but a black pair of deliciously low rising boxers. There didn't seem to be an end in sight to the phone calls since the news broke and I could tell he was trying to cling to what little patience he had left with both hands.

"Yes," he said to his latest caller, exasperated. "I understand Charles. Have you talked with Tammy yet? I can probably find some- oh, ok." He paused, glancing at me. His face like stone. "Yes, I'll stay away until this blows over." He listened for a few more seconds. "Yeah, talk soon. Bye."

I clicked the power button on the cracked remote and turned on the couch to face him. Ethan sat the phone down on the kitchen counter and stalked over to me on bare feet, running his thumb across my bottom lip. "Hi gorgeous."

I smiled up at him. "Hi."

He sighed. "They want me to stay off campus for a while. They're afraid I'll turn it into a media frenzy."

I nodded. "Are you ok with that?"

"Yeah," he stretched his neck from one side to the other. "It's probably for the best... I want to try and keep you out of this as much as possible, and anything I do in public - like walking around university with you - is going to spread like wild fire."

I could see the weight of what was happening sitting on his shoulders as if it were physical. The muscles there strained and bulged as he gripped the back of his leather couch. I turned more fully, rising to my knees and ran my hands up his arms, to his shoulders, were I started kneeding them. He stretched his neck again, before dipping his head down to gently kiss my lips. "That feels amazing," he whispered.

I leaned up and grabbed his bottom lip between my teeth - one of his signature moves- and slipped my tongue inside his mouth while tugging him closer.

He reached down, pulling me up and over the back of the couch before sitting me on the back of it and pulling my legs around his waist.

His lips had just touched my neck when his phone rang again and he groaned, resting his head on mine. "I have to get that."

My body screamed for him to ignore the insistent ringing, but I lied, letting him off the hook. "It's alright."

He pushed himself away from me. "Get ready," he said. "I'll drop you off at home when I get done."

Thankfully, we didn't run into any paparazzi when we left the warehouse - he told me they were probably camped out around his penthouse on 28th street, and the only thing I could do was stare out the window.

Ethan York. The motorcycle driving, tattooed bad boy of New York University had a freaking multi million dollar penthouse with a view of the Empire State Building.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" I replied while he hit the gas, swerving around a red sports car that was already going well over the speed limit.

"Like you don't know me."

"I'm... I'm not." I answered honestly. "But it's a lot to take in Ethan. One minute I'm friends with a guy who picks me up from bars when I've had to much to drink, and takes me to gyms in the ghetto - no offense, I love it - and jokes with his mom about college... and the next minute I'm learning that he's a billionaire with a penthouse who orders people around on the phone like he's used to it."

"Why?" He snapped. "Feel like you hit the jackpot Eve?"

"What?" I said, pulling away from him. My brows furrowed. "I can't believe you would say that to me." I crossed my arms like a sulking child. "If anything, it makes you less attractive."

His momentary outburst cooled and I saw his lip twitch. "Less attractive?"

It was my turn to snap. "Yes."

He ran a hand through his hair, tugging it slightly like he did whenever he was frustrated. Silence stretched before us for the next few minutes as buildings flew by and the sun stretched its lazy arms around the horizon.

"I'm sorry for being an asshole." He said finally. "I felt like things were just starting to work out for me... and then overnight it all blew up in my face. I wasn't trying to hide this other part of my life, I don't want it." He took a deep breath. "The warehouse, my degrees , Cal's...keeping you out of trouble, that's who I am. That's the real me."

**********

Oh my gosh. I fell asleep with the phone on my face twice trying to edit this chapter. So I'm giving up and hitting publish, but I hope you liked it. Lol.

Every time I try to make Ethan act like an ass to Eve, I immediately pull it back. He likes her, and he's man enough to admit that.

Let me know what you think about what's happening so far, and where you see this going. I love your comments !!!

Talk soon, (goodnight)
xxxBre