Falling for Her Billionaire Boss

“You’ve been at every meeting Dean and I have held.”

“Yes, but why bother? I never get to say anything or weigh in on discussions. The two of you go on your merry way and leave me out of it. All you do is issue orders about what you want done and when. Never mind increased workload or trying to make adjustments. What’s it like, Luca, being at the top? You don’t have to try to finesse the little changes to keep things running as smoothly as possible.”

“I beg your pardon.” His voice was stiff and formal. “I believe you said that was your job.”

Oh, the man made her blood boil. Using that against her. “It is. But I’m still only one person and the volume of work has increased significantly. And you also said you wanted my input.”

“Is there anything we’ve done you don’t agree with?”

She paused. The truth was she did like all the ideas and changes so far.

“That’s hardly the point. You’ve set me up as your traffic cop, directing people here and there. Seven impossible things to be done before breakfast is even served.”

“If you can’t handle the job…”

Panic threaded through her. This was what she hadn’t wanted to happen, and she’d been working day and night so it wouldn’t. She needed this job. She wanted this job and the life she’d built back. She’d thought that she would simply have to work extra hard for this short period of time and all would be well. And it had only been a week and they were at each other’s throats.

“I can handle the job. My job. But I’m only one person, Luca.”

“So you’re angry at me, and not with Lisa. You’re not the only one putting in long hours, Mari. I don’t ask anything of my staff that I don’t ask of myself.”

“Then perhaps you expect too much.”

“Yet here we are. And I’m not the one throwing a tantrum.”

She let out a sound of frustration. “You are infuriating!”

A slow smile curled up his cheek. “So I’ve been told.”

The cajoling did nothing to lighten her mood, only darkened it. Her tone was biting. “Probably by your legions of swooning women.”

“Legions?” He smiled at that too.

“Would you stop smiling? I read the magazines.”

He laughed then, a rich lazy chuckle that did things to her insides. She immediately hated him for it. She was trying to stay angry! It was easier than actually liking him. Watching him work the past week, she’d come dangerously close to admiring his enthusiasm and dedication.

“Oh Mari, are you jealous?”

“Hardly.” She said with so much contempt she thought he must believe her. Her? Jealous of his women? Why on earth would she be? His eyes sparkled at her and she ground her teeth. It wasn’t fair that his shirt today matched the exact rich brown of his eyes. So what, she thought. He had nice eyes; he was sex-on-a-stick gorgeous. But he drove her crazy. She wasn’t in the market for a man, and even if she were, it wouldn’t be a dictatorial womanizer like Luca. She curled her lip. “Trust me, Luca. I have no desire to be a notch on your bedpost.”

Her heart trembled as the words echoed through the office. What did she think she was doing, challenging him!

His smile faded. “That’s clear enough. And let me be clear, Mari. If you have an idea, a problem with anything happening here, you need to speak up. My education did not include mind reading.”

But she wasn’t used to speaking up. She was used to order and routine. She’d gotten where she was by being good at her job, not by running over the top of people to get there. She knew what happened when you rocked the boat.

Slowly, in the silence, she felt her anger dissipate. “I don’t like arguing.”

“I love it.” He smiled suddenly, the corners of his eyes crinkling. She stared at him. He loved it? Her stomach tied in knots at the very thought of confrontation, and she was completely stressed now that she seemed to be dealing with it nearly every day. And he claimed to enjoy it?

“How can you say that?”

“Don’t you feel better?”

“I don’t follow.”

He stood up, but leaned back against his desk, stretching out his long legs and crossing them at the ankle as he braced his hands on the edge of the wood. “Having an honest, open argument is much better than holding frustrations and resentments inside. Clears the air. It doesn’t fester. It’s healthy.”