Ethan's POV
Who does that little cat think I am?
I stepped out of the building, the night air hitting just enough to cool the irritation sitting under my skin. I was going to ask her to ride with me. She didn't have to ask first. My jaw tightened slightly as I adjusted my cuff, eyes scanning the front of the building without really seeing it.
Careless. Too forward.
And yet…
I exhaled slowly.
No. Not careless. Just… inexperienced.
From where I stood, I caught sight of her. Walking out. Alone.
My gaze settled on her without effort.
She moved differently out here. Less stiff. Still cautious, but softer around the edges. Her steps were measured, but there was a natural sway to her hips she clearly wasn't trying to create. It was just there… effortless. Her frame was slender, feminine in a way that didn't beg for attention but still managed to hold it.
Her hair caught the faint glow of the streetlights, dark and smooth, falling just enough to frame her face. And when she turned slightly...
I saw it.
Her profile. Clean. Delicate. Too composed for someone who had almost choked on her own words minutes ago.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, glancing down the road like she was looking for a cab. So she really meant it. She was going to leave like that. Walk. After asking me for a ride.
A quiet scoff left me.
"Unbelievable."
I turned slightly toward the driver. "Go get her."
No hesitation. He moved immediately.
I stayed where I was. Watching. Because I wanted to see how she'd react.
A few moments later, she stopped. Turned.
Good.
She followed.
Even better.
By the time they got back, I was already seated in the SUV, the door closed, the interior dim and quiet. The engine hummed softly beneath me. Controlled. Like everything else.
The door opened.
She hesitated.
Of course she did.
Then she got in.
"Impressed?"
I didn't look at her immediately. I didn't need to.
"Yes, sir."
"You have a nice car."
A small pause.
"Hmm."
Expected.
"Drive."
The car moved smoothly, barely a sound as we pulled away from the building. Silence settled in, but not empty silence. The kind that presses. Reveals.
I let my gaze drift toward her slowly.
She sat properly. Too properly. Back straight, hands gathered together like she didn't trust where to place them.
But her eyes....
They gave her away.
Alert. Thinking. Always thinking.
"You can drop me here," she said after a while, careful, polite. "I can walk"
"Keep driving."
I didn't even look at her when I said it.
There was a pause.
Then silence again.
Good. She learns fast.
We drove the rest of the way without conversation, just the quiet hum of the engine and the occasional shift of her breathing.
Until the car slowed.
Stopped.
I glanced out the window briefly.
Apartment building. Modest. Expected.
"Thank you, boss."
I didn't respond. Didn't need to.
The door opened. Closed.
And just like that...
She was gone.
The car didn't move immediately.
I kept my gaze on the building for a second longer than necessary.
ETHAN'S POV********""
Got you—tight, no unnecessary spacing, smooth flow.
---
Ethan's POV
Morning traffic crawled, but I didn't mind. It gave me time to think. My hands rested lightly on the steering wheel as the car moved in smooth intervals...stop, move, stop again. Routine. Controlled.
Until I saw her.
Up ahead by the roadside, fidgeting.
My eyes narrowed slightly as I slowed down. She stood there with her bag clutched to her side, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. In her other hand was something wrapped. poorly. Food. She kept adjusting it like she didn't know whether to hide it or hold it properly.
I pulled the car to a stop beside her.
She didn't notice immediately.
Of course she didn't.
I tapped the horn once.
Soft.
Her head snapped up. She saw the car. Then me. And just like that, she froze.
For a second, she looked like she wasn't sure if she should come closer or pretend she hadn't seen me at all.
I lowered the window slightly. "Get in."
Simple. Direct.
She moved immediately.
The door opened, and she got in carefully, like she was stepping into something she didn't fully understand.
"Seatbelt."
"Oh...yes, sir."
She fumbled with it for a second before it clicked into place. Then she sat there, too still, too aware, clutching both her bag and the wrapped food like they mattered more than they should.
I leaned back slightly, one hand still on the wheel. "Lil cat."
She turned to me immediately. "Yes, sir?"
I nodded toward what she was holding. "What is that?"
She hesitated. "…nothing, sir."
I looked at her, then at the obvious something in her hands. "Doesn't look like nothing."
A small pause. Then she sighed quietly. "My breakfast."
I hummed. "You were going to eat that on the road?"
"Yes, sir."
"You made it?"
A nod.
I extended my hand slightly. "Let me see."
She blinked. "Sir?"
"The food."
Reluctantly, she unwrapped it a little. Simple. But the smell, fresh. Homemade.
I tilted my head. "Doesn't look terrible."
Her brows pulled together. "…thank you?"
"Give me a piece."
That caught her off guard, but she broke off a small part and handed it to me carefully, like I might judge her for it.
I took it, tasted it, chewed. She watched me the entire time, waiting.
I swallowed. "You're lucky."
She frowned slightly. "Sir?"
"It's edible."
A beat. "…that's not a compliment."
"It is coming from me."
She looked away quickly, but I saw it, the small reaction she tried to hide.
The rest of the drive was quieter. Not comfortable. Just less tense.
When we pulled up in front of the company, I stepped out first. She followed. And right on cue, the whispers started.
"She came in his car…"
"Is that not the new girl?"
"That was fast…"
I ignored it completely. It didn't matter.
But she didn't. I could tell without looking directly at her. The way her steps shifted. The way her grip on her bag tightened again.
I glanced at her briefly. Composed, but not unaffected.
"Walk properly," I said under my breath.
She straightened immediately.
"Don't let them see you shrink." A pause, then quieter, "You chose this, little cat."
Her eyes flickered toward me for a second, then forward again.
Then....
"Drive."
But the faintest thought lingered. Uninvited. Unnecessary.
…Lil cat.