Page 20 of Her Filthy Cold Billionaire Boss

Leo’s eyes softened. “He’s harmless, unless you cross him.” He winked, but the joke didn’t quite land. “Or unless you start winning.”

I wasn’t sure what that meant, either, but I finished my coffee, excused myself, and beat a hasty retreat toward my room.

The air in the hall was colder, and as I walked, the memory of Gareth’s voice echoed in my chest. The way he’d said my name, not just as an order, but almost as a claim. Like he was protecting me from whatever was going to happen next. But obviously, that couldn’t be the case. My heart spedup, then slowed again as I realized what that meant. I wasn’t sure whether I was relieved, or disappointed, or something else entirely.

In my room, I found the bed made, the sheets crisp and untouched, the balcony doors cracked open just enough to let in the scent of roses and morning. On the desk, a manila folder waited; vendors, highlighted and tabbed. I sat down and opened it, but my mind kept drifting to the kitchen, to the charged silence and the way Leo had looked at Gareth, and the way Gareth had looked at me. He didn’t look at me like I was just an employee.

I pressed my hands to the desk, tried to focus on the numbers, but the words swam. Outside, the sunlight caught the edge of the wolf fountain, and for a second I wanted to go out there and just run, lose myself in the garden until the air burned my lungs and I couldn’t hear my own thoughts.

Instead, I texted my best friend.

Boss ordered me to stay in my room for breakfast. Starting to think he’s a literal vampire.

Omg. He’s into you.

I shook my head.NO. He is just a control freak.

Trust me. Seen this a million times. If you want to make him crazy, ignore him for a day.

I stared at the screen, the ridiculousness of the advice almost making me laugh. But it did make the knot in my chest loosen, just a bit.

I couldn’t resist poking back.Sounds like a good way to get fired.

Putting my phone back in my pocket, I closed the contract folder and sat back, letting the sunlight wash over me. The room was so quiet, I felt I could scream and no one would hear me.

Something was happening, and I was locked away like a naughty child.

Why did that sting my pride so much?

Chapter Six

Gareth

My fists clenched and I relaxed with effort as I watched Leo and Eden walking toward the kitchens.

He saw me coming, obviously. Everyone saw me coming. That was the point of wearing suits and moving like I owned the floor. But Leo was different. Instead of the usual staff scatter, he squared his shoulders, slouched one hip against the wall, and flashed a lazy, toothy smile.

The effort was wasted. The fear was there, pulsing behind his eyes, vibrating in the muscle at his jaw. It was the look of a man who’d been caught with his hand in the wrong pocket and was just now realizing he might not get it back.

I stopped exactly three feet from him and Eden. Close enough that he could smell my aftershave, but not so close he could pretend we were equals.

“Morning,” Leo said, voice as smooth as pond water. “Beautiful day, huh?”

Eden was shifting her weight from hip to hip, obviously worried and confused. “Eden, Maribel will bring you breakfast in your room.” I swept a hand toward her room, and she put her head down and walked away.

My hands itched as I turned my attention back to Leo, only to see he was watching her ass as she walked away. I wanted, actually wanted, to knock that smile off his face, just for thepleasure of it. Instead, I forced myself to unclench my fists and let the silence work for me. I stared, and waited.

He tried again. “Boss? Something I can do for you?”

The kitchen, just down the hall, was a riot of noise; the clatter, shouts, the aromatic sizzle of onions hitting hot metal. The smell of bacon and bread was thick enough to chew. It should have been comforting; it just made me hungrier to cut through the bullshit.

I kept my voice even. “Just curious if you’ve forgotten the staff code.” Specifically, the “no fraternization” clause.

Leo’s smile flickered, then came back with a vengeance. “Didn’t know I was out of line.”

“You’re paid to know,” I said. “And to read the fine print.”

He shrugged, a little too casual, but his left hand found the seam of his pants and started tapping. “If this is about yesterday in the conservatory, I was just-”