Page 18 of Her Filthy Cold Billionaire Boss

Leo grinned wider. “If you say so.” He leaned in, lowering his voice as if sharing a state secret. “Between you and me? He can’t handle people who say no. He’ll respect you more if you stand your ground.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, though I doubted Wolfe respected anything, least of all my ability to say no.

There was a moment of silence. Leo rocked back on his heels, hands in his pockets, and for a second I thought the interrogation was over. I was wrong.

“So, what do you do for fun?”

I blinked. “For fun?”

He nodded, all innocence. “Yeah. You know, outside of wrangling spreadsheets and listening to Maribel rant about butter?”

I fumbled for an answer. “I…read?” Which was true, but the way Leo’s eyebrows shot up made me wish I’d said base-jumping or taxidermy instead.

He laughed. “You’re serious.” He reached for a stray blossom, spun it between his thumb and forefinger, and then, inexplicably, tucked it behind my ear. “There. You look more like you belong here now.”

I should have been annoyed, but my face was suddenly on fire, and my mouth didn’t work the way it was supposed to. “Thanks,” I mumbled, fighting the urge to yank the flower out and stomp on it.

He glanced at his watch. “You hungry? Maribel usually has breakfast by now.”

“I was just heading that way,” I said. But if it got me out of the conservatory, I’d have said I was on my way to Mars.

He fell in step beside me as we walked the brick path back to the main hall. The condensation on the glass made the room shimmer and pulse with light. Leo kept the conversation going, rapid-fire, as if he was afraid of silence.

“So, what’s your story? You married? Dating? Secretly in love with the mailman?”

I laughed, but it came out more like a cough. “None of the above. Why?”

He shrugged, but his eyes never left my face. “Just curious. Lotta people come here running from something. Or to someone.”

“I guess I’m running toward a better job,” I said, which was both true and safe.

“Not a bad answer,” he said. “But you know, if you ever want to do something besides work—there’s a bar in town. Karaoke night, Friday. You sing?”

“Only when threatened,” I said.

He laughed. “I gotcha.”

We reached the service corridor that led to the kitchen, and I felt my pulse speed up in anticipation of coffee and an end to the Inquisition. But Leo wasn’t finished.

“So, what do youreallythink of Wolfe?” he asked. The words were soft, but sharp.

I hesitated, thinking of the NDA and the clauses about discretion. “He’s my boss,” I said.

“Other than that.” Leo was pushing me with words, and I didn’t like it. “The last assistant said he was the coldest human being she’d ever met. Like a walking meat freezer.”

I remembered the way Gareth’s hands had felt yesterday, steady, hot, alive, and shook my head. “He’s not cold,” I said, surprising myself. “He’s just focused on what he wants in life. All of us would probably be better if we followed his lead.”

Leo’s face changed then. The humor faded, replaced by something assessing. “You might be right about that,” he said. “Just watch yourself. Around him.”

There it was. A warning, wrapped in charm.

“I will.” I looked down, suddenly desperate to escape.

As we reached the kitchen door, I caught a glimpse of myself in the polished panel; hair wild, orchid askew, cheeks red. I looked less like the efficient new hire and more like a girl who’d just gotten caught passing a note in class.

“See you at breakfast?” Leo said, lingering just a second too long.

I nodded, already half through the door. “Yeah. See you.”