Arrogant Boss

Julian watched me in silent amusement, eyes sparkling.

“What?””You’re cute when you’re passionate.”

I bit my lip and looked away from his playful eyes. Somehow, comments like that hit much harder than the hyperbolic compliments of beauty.

I cleared my throat. “The deal was professional dinners.”

“No, they weren’t supposed to be intimate in nature. But they’re definitely going to be personal.”

“Personal?”

His voice dropped in volume. “We’re not here to discuss business, Emily.”

I swallowed at the warmth in his voice. “Then I want to know more about you.”

“I’m at your service,” he said and opened his arms wide, revealing a strong frame and a chest that practically begged to be slept on. “Ask away.”

“Where were you today?”

“That’s professional.”

“Come on. I’m genuinely curious.”

“Both you and Rachel have access to my calendar.”

“I want to hear it in your own words.”

“I was in Atlanta. There’s a new start-up I’m thinking of acquiring, and their offices are there. Well, office is a bit strong of a word-it’s two young women working out of their college dorm, but they very ambitiously called it an office when they invited me.” He snorted good-naturedly. “I approve.”

“What are they developing?”

“A program designed to encourage young women to code. There are tons of organizations like that already, but I haven’t invested in any yet and would like to add more of the equality-mind set to Hunt. They’re on to something unique as well, with their interface.”

I softened as I watched him talk. He truly was passionate about his work. He had more than enough money to be idle for the rest of his days, but that didn’t seem to interest him at all.

He wanted to build, to create, to contribute something worthwhile.

“That’s really cool. Both for its own sake, of course, but also because we could really spin that for marketing and press purposes.”

Julian laughed. “Are you always this cynical?”

“Realistic,” I corrected. “And that’s what you hired me for.”

“Unfortunately, yes,” he grinned. “But sometimes I find myself wishing you’d be a little less realistic.”

I ignored the thrilling current that shot through me at his comment. “Why did you start Hunt Industries?””No.”

“No? What kind of answer is that?”

“No, it’s my turn. How’s your brother settling in? I know how much that mattered to you.”

“Better than I could have hoped. Your connection speed is excellent, apparently, and after he put the computer back together it’s now able to process more code than before. Honestly, all of this is like a different language to me. I don’t understand it, but it’s clear that he’s enjoying his work.”

“David tells me he’s basically taken the software department by storm. Coders drop by all the time to pick his brain for adaptions to any single line.”

I smiled, picturing Turner trying to explain things that came so easy for him to those with less cognitive function. God knows I’d been on the receiving end plenty of times. “He’s out tonight with a few of the other coders, so it seems like they’re a good group.”

Julian looked thoughtful. “Is that difficult?”

“Is what difficult?”

“That he’s now an adult, and out on the town tonight.”

“A bit.” I rubbed my neck, the skin warm from the heavy weight of my hair. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’ve been his legal guardian since he was fourteen.”

His eyes gentled. “I heard.”

“Our parents died in a car accident. Hit straight on.”

“I’m sorry, Emily.”

“Thank you.” I cleared my throat. “It is what it is. But that’s why I’m sometimes… a bit overprotective. With the exception of our grandparents in Louisiana and a few cousins in New York, Turner and I are all the family we have.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“And now he’s grown.”

“And now he’s grown,” I echoed. “All is as it should be, only I don’t feel like I’ve necessarily caught up. How about your brother? He’s about Turners age?”

“He’s twenty-one and causing me no end of trouble.”

“Oh?”The waiter arrived and interrupted whatever potential response was coming with a large platter of dishes. It smelled heavenly-plates of souvlaki, a bowl of pita and moussaka. When the table was nearly covered with dishes, the waiter placed a single long-stemmed rose in a thin vase in the middle and lit a candle.

He smiled at both of us before he left. “There we go! Have a nice meal, you two.”

I frowned at Julian. “Don’t say it.”

His eyes danced with silent mirth as he looked from the flower to me. “Good thing you chose somewhere non-romantic.”

“It’s just a flower. And a candle. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“You’re right,” Julian responded with a straight face. “Because romance is all in the atmosphere and the chemistry, not in the details. We could be in a dumpster and I’d still be swooning.”

“It’s such a shame that you happen to be my boss, then.”

“If only there was an easy solution to that?”

“You could quit,” I said with a straight face. “Give it all up for love, grand gestures and so forth.”

Julian’s face split into a wide grin that somehow only made him more handsome. “Yes, I’m sure that Hunt industries would thrive without me.”