Chasing Blake
Chapter 3: Breaking Point
Ethan had barely set his laptop down when he felt her presence.
"Morning, Carter," Sienna said smoothly, sliding into the seat across from him in the conference room. "I assume you've recovered from last night?"
Ethan exhaled through his nose, not rising to the bait. "Not sure what you mean."
"Mm. Of course." She took a sip of her coffee, then glanced toward the projection screen where his strategic proposal was displayed. "So. This is your plan?"
He leaned back, arms crossed. "That a problem?"
Sienna gave him a slow, deliberate once-over, as if she were just considering whether to humor him. Then she exhaled, setting her coffee down.
"It's... cautious," she said finally.
"It's smart," Ethan corrected.
"It's safe," she countered, arching a brow. "And safe doesn't win."
"It also doesn't get you fired."
Sienna smirked. "No, playing it safe makes sure you never get far enough to take that kind of risk." She tilted her head slightly. "I expected a little more fire from you, Carter."
Ethan didn't react. Didn't blink. He just studied her with a calm, assessing gaze.
Then he smiled.
Slow. Measured.
"That's funny," he mused. "I expected a little more strategy from you, Blake."
Sienna's lips parted slightly.
For the first time since he'd met her, her composure cracked--just for a fraction of a second.
Then, just as quickly, she smiled, slow and knowing.
"So that's how you want to play this?" she murmured.
Ethan leaned forward, elbows on the table. "I'm not playing, Blake. This is business."
"Mm." Sienna's gaze flickered over him, something dark and teasing in her eyes. "We'll see about that."
And just like that, the game was on.
---
Ethan was the last to leave the conference room, sliding his laptop into his bag as the conversation replayed in his mind.
Sienna was going to be a problem.
Not because she was difficult--though she was--and not because she challenged him--though she definitely did. No, Sienna Blake was a problem because she was designed to be one.
Every interaction was a razor blade hidden in silk. Every look, every smirk, every pointed challenge--she wasn't just trying to test him.
She was toying with him.
And that? That was dangerous.
"Word of advice," a voice murmured behind him.
Ethan glanced up to see Ryan Thatcher, one of the senior consultants, leaning against the doorframe with a knowing smirk. Mid-thirties, relaxed, the kind of guy who had seen enough to not be rattled by much.
"You're new, so I'll give you the courtesy," Ryan continued. "Don't bother trying to figure out Sienna Blake. It'll save you a lot of time."
Ethan shut his laptop with a soft click. "That so?"
Ryan chuckled, stepping into the room. "She gets under your skin, makes you think maybe--just maybe--you've got a shot." He shook his head, amused. "But you don't."
Ethan leaned back, arms crossed. "She been through the entire office or something?"
Ryan laughed. "Nah. That's the thing. No one actually gets her." He shrugged. "Doesn't mean guys don't try, though."
Ethan exhaled through his nose, shaking his head slightly. "I'm not trying anything."
Ryan lifted a brow. "That what you're telling yourself?"
Ethan gave him a flat look, but Ryan just smirked, clapping him on the shoulder before heading for the door.
"Just don't say I didn't warn you."
Ethan sat there for a long moment after Ryan left, rolling his shoulders, exhaling slowly.
Unobtainable.
Right.
Sienna Blake wasn't the first woman to make men think they wanted her.
But she was probably the first to make him second-guess whether he wanted to play the game at all.
---
LATER THAT NIGHT -- THE GYM
Ethan wasn't even surprised when he saw her.
Sienna, standing near the squat rack, one hip cocked, watching him with a smirk that could have melted glaciers.
"You stalking me, Carter?"
Ethan let out a dry chuckle, rolling his wrists before setting up his weights. "Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing."
Sienna stretched, arching her back in a way that was deliberate, before flashing him a lazy smile. "Please. If I were stalking you, you'd know."
Ethan snorted. "That supposed to scare me?"
She stepped closer, just enough to be in his space. "That supposed to turn you on?"
Jesus.
She was relentless.
Ethan smirked, adjusting his stance under the bar. "Gonna let me work out in peace, Blake, or do you just enjoy hearing yourself talk?"
"Oh, I enjoy a lot of things, Carter." She tilted her head slightly, eyes flicking to his arms. "But right now? I'm just trying to figure something out."
Ethan exhaled slowly, lifting the weight. "And what's that?"
Sienna watched him before smirking. "Whether you're the kind of man who pretends to be in control... or the kind who actually is."
Ethan lowered the bar, setting it back into place before meeting her gaze.
"I guess you'll have to keep watching to find out."
Her lips parted slightly--just enough for something unreadable to flicker in her gaze before she smirked.
"We'll see," she murmured.
And just like that, she was gone.
Ethan exhaled slowly, shaking his head.
Yeah.
Ryan was right.
She was definitely going to be a problem.
---
