“Sit.”
Katie looked up. Savitch was seated behind his desk, his chair tilted back, his hands locked behind his head, his feet on the desk and crossed at the ankles.
He looked completely at home. Why wouldn’t he? This was his office. His space. It was big, like him. Good-looking, like him. Handsomely furnished with money stolen from the people of Sardovia, money that should have gone into improving their lives. She had not been back to her homeland in years, but she still remembered the lack of schools and roads and hospitals.
“I said—”
Katie lifted her chin.
“I heard you. I prefer to stand.”
He shrugged. “Your choice.”
“Indeed it is. Everything I do is my choice, Mr. Savitch. Remember that, and we will get on satisfactorily.”
His eyebrows rose. His mouth quirked.
It infuriated her.
“I’m happy you find this situation amusing, Mr. Savitch.”
“What I find amusing, Ms. Rostov, is your attempt to change the game.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You would like me to think that you are in charge here.”
“I am very much in charge. You are my employee.”
“I am nobody’s employee.”
“My father is paying you to—to protect me.”
“Your father is paying Zach Castelianos.”
“Oh, please! I just heard you tell him that it will cost him a thousand dollars a day to take me off his hands.”
“You weren’t listening very well, Ekaterina. It’s a thousand dollars an hour, and the money will go to charity.”
“How nice,” she said coldly, “that you’re so filthy rich that you can afford to give that kind of money away.”
“I couldn’t agree more.”
Silence. Was he trying to make her uncomfortable? Wasn’t it sufficient to make her feel powerless? Not that he must ever know that.
Katie lifted her chin. She stood as tall as she could.
“You are my employee, Mr. Savitch, no matter how much you try to pretend otherwise. As such, I advise you to remember who I am and who you are, and what our positions are in Sardovian society.”
Good.
That had changed things.
Savitch took his hands from behind his head, his feet from the desk. He tilted his chair forward, folded his hands in front of him, and looked at her.
“Are you finished?”
“Far from it.” Katie narrowed her eyes. “You will address me as Ms. or ma’am. You will speak only when spoken to. You will keep your distance from me at all times.”