Page 66 of Pucking my Enemy Boss

“How did I do what?”

“How did you get everyone here so fast?”

Ethan smirks, that classic ice-king vibe still hanging around but softer now. “It’s nothing.” He shrugs like it’s nothing, but my heart swells. Not just because he’s saved my event, but because he did it without hesitation.

“I still want to know.”

Ethan leans against the wall, his eyes meeting mine, that familiar intensity sparking between us. “Called in a favor.”

“A favor?”

“Yeah.” His grin turns slightly mischievous. “We’ve got this thing on the team. Everyone holds one ‘favor card’ per season. You can ask any teammate for a favor, and theyhaveto say yes. I just cashed mine in.”

The words hit like a freight train, but not in a bad way. In a way that makes my heart do that annoying fluttery thing it does whenever I look at him for too long. He did this. For me.

“You are ... amazing.”

He shrugs again, all casual like it’s no big deal, but the look in his eyes says otherwise. It feels like the smile that spreads across his face could light up the whole room.

“You deserve the spotlight. You’ve worked too hard for this.”

Heart swelling again, the warmth of his words wrap around me like a cozy blanket. And in that moment, everything feels right. More right than anything’s ever felt before.

But of course, because the universe loves a good plot twist, my phone rings. Again.

Jake. Again.

My eyes flick to the screen, frustration bubbling back up. Ethan quickly notices the change in my expression, and his eyes fly to the screen, his jaw tightening.

“Let me guess,” Ethan murmurs, “Jake.”

“Yep.”

Before I can hit decline, Ethan reaches out, his expression darkening like the sky before a storm. He motions for the phone. I hand it over without a second thought, mostly because he looks like he’s about to go full-blown Hulk. He gently takes the phone. “I’ll handle it.”

There’s no room for argument. He presses the answer button, bringing the phone to his ear, his voice dropping to that dangerously calm tone that sends chills down my spine.

“Jake,” Ethan says, his voice cool and collected. “You’ve crossed the line.”

There’s a beat of silence on the other end before Jake’s voice crackles through, sounding smug as ever. “Ethan, I didn’t realize?—”

“You’re going to leave Holly alone. Got it?” Ethan’s tone sharpens, every word like a cold slice of steel. “Because if you don’t, I’ll make sure you regret it.”

The silence on the other end stretches long enough to fill a small eternity, but when Jake finally speaks, there’s a new edge in his voice. “You think you can threaten me?”

“It’s not a threat,” Ethan replies, his voice calm and unshakable. “It’s a promise.”

With that, he ends the call, handing the phone back, I stand there, stunned and more than a little impressed.

“I—wow.” The words stumble out, my heart racing. “That was intense.”

Ethan shrugs again, his gaze softening as he looks at me. “He deserved it.”

My fingers tighten around the phone, the weight of his words settling deep. It’s unclear what words I should say right now, so instead, I step closer, and place a hand on his chest, the steady beat of his heart grounding me. “Thank you.”

The tension simmers between us, that familiar heat sparking, and before either of us can think twice, our lips meet in a slow, lingering kiss that sends electricity shooting through my veins.

Pulling back moments later, breathless, a wicked grin spreads across my face. “I’d love to continue this, but we should get back to the event.”

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