Silence swirled in the room after Lexi’s big speech. The only sound was her rapid-fire breathing. He couldn’t and wouldn’t let her see that she’d rankled him. She hadn’t really. Her words were far from that hurtful. He’d heard much worse over the years.
She could hurl that shit at him all day if she wanted to. She was even hotter when she was mad. He liked the blush riding high on her pale cheekbones, liked her flustered and flushed. Liked her lips parted as she pants for air. He had a feeling she’d look like that in the throes of pleasure and that made his cock ache inside his jeans. He wanted Lexi. She might not know it, but she wanted him too. Or, she would. Soon. His cock kicked up, paying homage to the idea.
He gave her a slow clap, applauding her for having enough courage to stand up to him at all. “I don’t think that’s the truth. I think that’s a jaded view. And I don’t think you’re being honest with yourself.”
“Oh really?” Lexi crossed her arms, which just served to push her already full breasts sky high. He didn’t even bother tearing his gaze from them. Just spoke to her chest like the asshole she obviously thought he was.
“You know nothing about my life. So, you might have read some shit on the internet. Congrats on being literate, but I have to say, I expected you to have more than half a brain and not believe everything you’ve read.”
“Why would I need to look anything up? I have the real deal to handle every single day. In the office or not, I’m still running around for you all day long. I know exactly what your life is and who you are.”
“And here I thought that’s what you were paid to do. I’m sorry you think so low of me just because I’m too busy to handle booking my own flights or do my own dry cleaning. If you think I should magically make time while I’m trying to run a multi-billion-dollar company that employs over three thousand people world-wide, just say the word and I’ll make it happen. You can go find employment somewhere else, seeing as your job would then be redundant. I’ll give you a good reference, though. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll find some other insufferable asshole to pay you thirty bucks an hour.”
Lexi stared daggers at him, nearly literally, since his insides twisted at the cold hatred in her eyes. “I knew if I finally spoke up and said something that you would fire me. Way to prove me right. Just so you know, I’ll be suing for wrongful dismissal as soon as I can.”
She spun on her heel, a cloud of sandy hair and rage. Curtis was on his feet before she even had a chance to clear the living room. He flung a hand out, grasping at air. His fingers did brush her arm though and that light as silk whisper brought her up short. She practically thrust her arm into his hand when she whirled, and his fingers closed like a vice around her wrist. She hissed at him like a badger caught in a trap. She was all pissed off wrath and righteous indignation. She was a spitfire and he wanted, selfishly, to harness that energy and keep it just for himself.
“Who said anything about firing you? I was just saying. Hypothetically. You were the one that brought it up. I was trying to inform you that while you might think I sit on my ass and do nothing all day and that I was just handed this company without doing anything to earn it or better it, it’s not entirely true. End of story. You’re not fired. I’m always going to need an assistant, because the truth is, I am too busy to take care of all the things you do, and you do it well. I was actually just making a point.”
“If that point is that you’re not an asshole, you’ll never be able to argue that.”
“Where do you think you’re going anyway? You agreed to stay for the weekend.”
“I was going to a different room. Away from you.”
“Great. We’ll just have to agree to disagree.” She tugged at her wrist and he reluctantly uncurled his fingers from her scalding, soft, silky skin. He wanted, instead, to travel his fingers up her arm. She had on a short sleeved pink blouse and her black work pants. She’d come right from the office and still managed to be late.
“You can’t agree to disagree if you don’t even know me. You’re just making foul assumptions based on the bad feeling you had of me before you even started your job.”
“I never had any bad feelings before I started working for you. I actually don’t believe everything I’ve ever read or heard. You weren’t even on my radar.”