Chapter 6

The persistent buzz of the phone finally pulled Erin from her stupor. Raising her head from the pillow, she squinted at the morning sunlight pouring through the windows, wincing when the motion set off her pounding headache.

"Hell." Erin groaned, the inside of her mouth the consistency of cotton wool. How many glasses of wine had she drank last night? She searched her memory but came up blank. Her brain was probably still asleep.

The phone pealed again, the sound extraordinarily loud and painful. Erin winced and groped for the offending object. "What?"

"Have you seen the paper this morning?" Nicky went straight to the point. Something in her cousin's tone made Erin frown.

"No." Erin pulled herself up, careful not to jolt her head too much. "I just woke up. What's in it?"

Nicky paused for a moment, and Erin could feel waves of disapproval even through the phone. "It's not something easily explained over the phone. You should see it for yourself."

That caught Erin's attention. What on earth could be in the paper that Nicky could not tell her over the phone? A sliver of apprehension ran through her. "Nicky," She began slowly, brushing clumps of hair away from her face. "What could be so bad in there that you can't tell me now?"

"Trust me Erin, you need to read it for yourself. Read the Enquirer and call me when you have." Nicky ended the call, leaving Erin staring at the phone in confusion. What was all the mystery for, and why had Nicky sounded so disapproving? She pushed off the covers and swung her legs over the side, groaning when the headache intensified and the room spun for a second. Damn hangover.

The unsettling events of last night came back in a rush and Erin fought the urge to just crawl back into bed, pull the covers over her head and fall back into oblivion. Shame and anger battled within her- shame at the wanton way she had allowed herself to fall for Ethan's mind games. For heaven's sakes, it had been only a touch... maybe more than a touch but she had reacted like a sex-starved nymph.

Not that she was sex-starved, far from it. Until her failed relationship with Luke, she had never considered herself lacking in that department. And besides, if things with Todd went smoothly, she would soon be back on the wagon and Ethan Lachlan could go burn in hell.

Picking up the phone again, Erin ordered for the newspaper- the one Nicky had recommended- to be brought up then stepped into the shower. The steaming water helped ease her pounding head and soothe muscles she had no idea were tense. Wrapping up in a fluffy towel, she stepped out just as a knock sounded on the door.

"The door's open." Erin called out. It was probably one of the hotel maids with the paper she'd asked for. She stood in the middle of the living room, drying her hair with a towel when the door opened.

"Well. I must say this is quite an entertaining view."

Erin jumped in shock at the voice. She spun around to face the doorway, eyes wide as saucers.

Ethan stood framed in the doorway, a smug smile on his face even as his eyes swept over her- a slow languid look that set Erin's cheeks aflame.

"What the hell are you doing in my apartment?" Erin demanded, once the shock of seeing him there had faded somewhat. "Who let you up?" She would give that employee such a telling off as soon as she'd gotten rid of Ethan. Which begged the question; why was he here?

An eyebrow rose, lips curved in an amused smile. "You're not happy to see me Sweetcheeks?" He drawled, leaning against the doorway, arms folded across his chest. Erin's eyes were drawn to the ripple of biceps straining against the tight white t-shirt. "Pity, I was hoping for a warmer reception. Though I daresay, I like the view just fine."

Erin gritted her teeth in frustration, the headache returning in full force. Why couldn't he torment someone else? Now he made it seem as though she'd known he was coming and had deliberately dressed in only a towel in an attempt to seduce him. Preposterous. She'd sooner seduce a dragon.

He was dressed in gym clothes, gray sweatpants over a tight white t-shirt that hugged his body like a second skin, giving her an unobstructed view of well-toned muscles and perfectly sculpted abs. His hair was ruffled and damp from a recent shower. Even looking ultra casual, the evil man still looked like heavens gift to sex.

"Why are you here Ethan?" She forced out through clenched teeth.

He chuckled, straightening from the doorway and coming further into the room. He stopped a few paces from her and his eyes swept over the plush interior. "Nice palace. Fit for a snobby little princess, isn't it?"

"Ethan." Erin snapped, already at the end of her patience. "State your business or get out. I'm not in the mood for your mind games today."

"All in good time." He lowered himself onto the white leather couch, making himself comfortable. The new position offered him a better view of her bare legs and he made no pretense of looking away. "Where is lover boy? I thought he would have spent the night?"

Despite the easy manner Ethan displayed, Erin reminded herself to remain on her guard. The man was as dangerous as a coiled viper, and whatever his intention for coming here, it certainly did not bode well for her peace of mind. "My love live is none of your business."

Another knock sounded at the door and Erin moved to open it. It was a bell hop with the newspaper she'd ordered.

"Thank you Carlos." She reached for her wallet lying on the table by the door and fished out a twenty dollar note. Pressing it into his palm, she took the paper without scanning it's contents, very conscious of Ethan's presence behind her.

"Thanks a lot Ms. Gosling." Carlos said, his freckled face beaming in pleasure. She murmured a reply and shut the door, tossing the paper aside. She would look at it later, when she somehow managed to get rid of Ethan.

Erin folded her arms across her bosom and turned back to face Ethan. To her chagrin, he was watching her through hooded lids that hid whatever expression she would have read in his eyes. Her pulse raced, heat waves setting her skin alight even as she felt her body quicken in response.

Dammit! She swore silently. Of all the ways to react to his presence, desire was not the one she wanted to experience. She struggled to gain control of her body.

"Well? Are you just going to sit there ogling me all day or are you going to tell me why you're violating my personal space this early in the day?"

Ethan threw back his head and laughed. "I love it when you get catty. And in that get up-" He paused, and leaned forward, his eyes becoming serious. "But enough of the fun and games Erin. Since you have yet to fly into a temper or denounce me as the son of the devil, I assume you have not yet received the news?"

Erin frowned, an uneasy feeling rising up within her. What on earth was he talking about? Was that why Nicky had asked her to read the paper? "What news?" She went to retrieve the paper Carlos had brought.

"Oh my God!"

The news was front headlines. Erin stared at the bold words splashed over the front page and felt a wave of panic sweep over her. The hands gripping the edges of the paper were white with shock, mirroring the pallor of her face.

"THE FLIRTATIOUS HEIRESS" The headline read, beside the bold print was a picture of Erin standing outside the Frieling, sandwiched between Todd and Ethan. The picture had been taken in such as way as to suggest that she was flirting with both men, and the article underneath condemned her as a flirt and heart breaker. There was even a list of her past "lovers" for heaven's sake.

If her parents saw this... Erin swallowed, unable to complete the thought. The article was a lie of course, other than Luke, she had not been in a relationship since leaving college, the names mentioned were just random guys she was acquainted with, certainly not enough to qualify her as a flirt.

Had he been planning this all along? Erin wondered, dimly aware that she was being led to a chair. His hands rested on her shoulders and pushed her down, forcing her to take the seat. The paper was taken out of her hands and Ethan crouched before her, taking both her hands in his. How clever of Ethan to have pulled this stunt to shame and humiliate her in this manner. Her family prided itself on being free of scandal and up till today had never been mentioned in anything so scandalous. And certainly not in a trashy paper like the Enquirer.

"Can you hear me?" Ethan's voice intruded into the haze of her thoughts, rubbing her hands vigorously, mouth set in a thin line. Why was he acting so concerned? Erin wondered, feeling warmth return to her body along with white hot fury.

"You bastard." She whispered, yanking her hands away from him. "You complete and utter bastard. How could you do this?"

Ethan sat back on his haunches, his face a grim mask of displeasure. "What makes you think I orchestrated this?"

"Because of your stupid vendetta!" She rose to her feet, eyes blazing in fury. "So that's why you came here right? To gloat? To rub it in my face?"

He rose too, his face expressionless. "I did not come here to gloat Erin. I came because I knew you would think I had something to do with this."

"And you don't?" Erin scoffed in disbelief. "Oh c'mon spare me the lies Ethan, you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with this...with this filth? You swore to shame and humiliate me."

"Trust me Erin, if and when I want to have my revenge on you, I will not stoop so low as to engage the services of a filthy rag."

She laughed bitterly, pain and humiliation washing over her in waves. His denial only served to make her madder. She was willing to bet a hundred bucks that he had done this- perhaps not directly- but he was in on this. After all, she was only aware of one man who had threatened to bring about her humiliation and he was right here in the room.

"What a coincidence then, isn't it?" She mocked. "Oh better yet, a whole truckload of coincidence. You just happened to attempt a hostile takeover of my family's company, you just happened to declare me your number one enemy and you just happened to have dinner at the same restaurant as I. Pardon me if I don't believe you. Now please get out, I have places to be."

Erin walked past him but he shot out an arm and tried to stop her. She ducked, avoiding his touch but he caught hold of an edge of her towel and tugged. She gasped as the towel slipped free, her body completely exposed to his gaze.

"Oh! Now look what you've done." Erin snapped, hands flying to cover the pertinent parts. She glared at him prepared to give him another tongue lashing but the transfixed look on his face stilled the words.