Stephen nearly pissed his pants when he opened the door to Aiden's washroom and found Ken inside, waiting for him!

"Come in," Ken laughed. "There is enough room for both of us. I promise."

​​

Stephen looked Ken in the eyes and scowled. He had come to this hotel for a little relaxation. So far, his visit had been anything but pure leisure.

With a leather coat, ripped jeans, and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, Ken looked like a proper hoodlum. Ken looked up, met Stephen's eyes, and said, "What are you doing here? Why did you move to?"

"It's none of your business," Stephen hissed. "What about the thing that I asked you to do? That is your business, and yet it has been too long since I last received an update from you!"

Ken walked past Stephen, took a seat on the sofa, and said, "You asked me to find out who Emily Garcia's friends are. Well, it turns out that Emily Garcia is so arrogant that she doesn't have any real friends; she hasn't contacted anyone since she ran away."

Stephen squinted his eyes, and a mysterious smile appeared on his face. Without bothering to close the door, he walked over to the toilet, lifted the seat, and emptied his bladder. He washed his hands, dried them, and said, "It seems strange that you broke into this room for such a simple matter. You could have just picked up the phone…"

"I suppose," Ken replied, "but I am a simple man with a simple brain – do you want me to find Kylie's biological father?"

"Please do," Stephen replied. "Her happiness means a lot to me. Stay away from her, though. You report only to me."

***

When Kylie woke up, she wasn't surprised to see that Ethan was already up. The man had a very strict daily routine. No matter what he'd done the night before or how late he'd stayed up, Ethan would get up at 5 am every morning, full of energy.

Kylie was free today, so she went directly to the gym in search of Ethan. When she passed by Stephen's room, though, she was surprised by what she saw. The room was mostly empty, and Lucy was cleaning up what mess remained.

Kylie stuck her head inside and asked Lucy what was going on. Stephen was a little OCD, and he seldom let people into his room without him. Once, he had freaked out on her for simply borrowing a pen from his desk without asking.

Lucy looked at her curiously and said, "Stephen moved out last night. I am surprised that he didn't tell you…"

"Gone?!?!?!?" Kylie cried. "He was still here last night at supper, and he didn't say anything about moving?!?!?!"

Lucy shrugged, and she said, "He left last night just after midnight…"

Kylie smoothed her hair, nodded, and continued on her way to the gym where Ethan was working out.

Ethan's muscles were shiny with sweat, but he wasn't tired at all. His daily regimen was so regular, and he pushed himself so hard that it took a lot to get him into the zone. Dinah, though, who was on the treadmill, looked as if she were about to collapse.

When Kylie walked through the door, Dinah waved at her. As she let one hand go through, her other hand slipped, and she stumbled. Luckily, her instincts were fast, and she was able to right herself quickly. Regardless, the slip was still good for a laugh, and Kylie took it.

As Dinah turned the machine off, Kylie approached her and said, "I'm sorry for laughing. I would have felt terrible if you'd gotten hurt. You should have the safety cord attached to your collar. That way, if you slip like you just did, the machine will turn off automatically."

Dinah lowered her head, and she said, "You are right. I need to be more careful."

Kylie left Dinah so that she could continue her workout on the treadmill. Kylie preferred the elliptical machine. Ethan often reminded her that it wasn't the best machine for building body mass, which always made her laugh. She had no desire to look like Cory Everson or Nikki Fuller. She wanted a full-body workout consisting primarily of cardio, which she got with the elliptical machine. She wanted to be healthy, not jacked.

Every once in a while, she glanced over at Dinah and Ethan and found him glaring at her. Kylie didn't understand why Ethan was mad at Dinah, so she asked him straightaway, "Ethan, what's going on? Are you mad at Dinah?"

"Indeed I am," Ethan hissed. "You were nearly killed yesterday, and if you had been, it would have been her fault. This workout is her punishment, and it won't be over until I say so."

Kylie frowned, and she said, "It wasn't Dinah's fault. Please don't blame her."

"If anything bad happens to you," Ethan replied. "It is her fault. She's your safety guard. Part of her job is to ensure that the gear you are strapped to is safe."

Kylie heard Dinah groan as her machine stopped. Dinah was huffing and puffing. She had stumbled again, and the only reason she hadn't fallen again was that she��d taken the security precautions that Kylie had suggested. She was completely finished but, without even looking at the girl, Ethan snarled, "Keep going!"

Ethan was on the floor doing push-ups, and Kylie came to lay beside him. In order to see her better, Ethan turned into a side plank. "What's up?" he wondered.

Kylie leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. He was only wearing a pair of shorts, and she ran her fingers down his chest. "You are so sexy," she said. "With your muscles jacked up and your body drenched with sweat, you've filled the room with your pheromones. I cannot resist you. I want your hands on my body and your cock inside me!"

Ethan nodded his head in Dinah's direction and said, "What about her?"

"Let her go," Kylie said, "She has paid for her sins."

Ethan nodded and turned to face Dinah. He looked at her sternly and said, "You may go. If this happens again, though, you will not get away so easily."

By the time Kylie and Ethan left the room, she was exhausted. As ever though, Ethan seemed to be still full of energy. Kylie was starting to get used to it, but it never ceased to be infuriating. Once they were in the bedroom, Ethan turned to her and asked her if she had any plans for the day.

"I want to visit Laurence at Merlin Villa," she replied. "Faith bought him some furniture yesterday, and I would like to see what she found for him."

"Do you want me to go with you?" Ethan wondered.

"No," she laughed. "I am a big girl. I can do it and, besides, I know that you have work of your own to do. It would be nice to know why Stephen moved out, though."

Ethan scowled, and he said, "What does it matter to you? Do you miss him?"

"Absolutely not," Kylie replied. "It is curious, though – you must admit that it happened rather abruptly…"

"His renovations are complete," Ethan replied. "It seems strange that he moved out, but he didn't tell me in advance either."

Dinah was waiting for Ethan and Kylie when they came downstairs. Ethan looked at her and said, "Kylie's going to the Merlin Villa today. Take better care of her today than you did yesterday."

Dinah swallowed hard, and she said, "I will, sir. I do have a question for you, though…"

Ethan sighed and said, "Go ahead – speak!"

"Lord Ethan," Dinah wondered, "can I protect Kylie during the days and stay at Stephen's house during the night?"

Ethan looked at her and said, "Ask me in a few days. I am leaving on a business trip today. I will be gone for at least a couple of days."