Protect My Heart

six

[ 06 ]

The next day, I found myself cabbing to Ethan's apartment. Initially, I wanted to walk there but Madison's round of questioning took so long I would be late if I didn't cab there.

She refused to let me out of the house until I'd answered every single one of her question. Which included his shoe size. Thank God for my research. I could honestly say that was the most useful my research had ever been.

I only managed to escape after answering all of her frankly intrusive questions, and that was only because she had somewhere to be at three.

When I reached his apartment complex, I found myself again wondering why it seemed so familiar. I was certain that I knew the building that housed his apartment, but I couldn't quite place a finger on it.

Everything about Ethan Black was seriously messing with my head. Next thing I knew, I'd be swearing his dog looked familiar. Though that might not be all that improbable, since Jasper did have an uncanny resemblence to all breeds of dogs.

As I took the lift up, the voice in the back of my head whispered once more. I've been here before. My mind searched for all the possibilities, but I eventually still came up blank.

When I reached his floor, I knocked on the door and waited for Ethan to let me in. He opened the door in a sudden swing, and I found myself startled by the abrupt action and the scene in front of me.

And the scene being a very handsome, very shirtless, very muscular Ethan Black.

I stumbled back on my feet in surprise. Not because I've never seen a shirtless man before - some people at The Elites simply had no regard for privacy, both their own and others'. I was used to seeing lots of skin everytime us bodyguards hung out together. None of them was afraid to show skin.

And why should they? They worked out and it showed.

No, I was surprised because I didn't think that Ethan Black even had muscles. (In my defence, he had a very slim build and didn't look like the type to gym.) Or that he was comfortable enough with me to greet me without a shirt.

Ethan stepped back to let me in, and I went in, looking around the place immediately, trying to place when I've been here before.

"Nice place," I commented, hoping to get some clues from him.

He didn't acknowledge my compliment. "Have a seat," he said.

I rolled my eyes at his brusqueness but did as he said, sinking into a soft leather couch. His apartment had a vintage feel to it despite being furnished with modern furniture.