Page 93 of King of Pride

It was ridiculous how easily he could make her nervous. She had spent the entire morning preparing herself for an important business meeting, yet the moment she saw him, every carefully rehearsed thought seemed to disappear.

And the way he was looking at her wasn't helping.

“You weren't here last month when I came to finalize the deal,” she said, trying to regain her composure.

She moved closer to the desk, but Maverick didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he watched her approach until she stopped directly in front of him.

Their eyes met. Then his gaze dropped to the bag and files she was carrying.

Without a word, he reached out and took them from her hands. His fingers brushed hers briefly before he placed everything on the desk.

When he looked back at her, his expression was calm, but there was something in his eyes that made Rose's heart beat a little faster.

“Yes. I took over the company three months ago,” he answered calmly. “We needed more manufacturers to join our network, and this company was struggling. Acquiring it made sense.”

Rose stared at him, her suspicion only growing.

Three months ago.

The timing was far too perfect.

Her father’s company had finalized the deal with Oracle Fragrances around the same time. She had come here expecting to work with the previous owner, only to discover that Maverick had somehow ended up taking his place.

It felt like too much of a coincidence.

Maverick seemed completely unfazed by the troubled look on her face. Instead, he stepped closer, stopping just short of touching her.

“Do you have a problem with it?” he asked. “Are you questioning my judgment or the decision to acquire the company?”

Rose immediately smoothed the expression from her face, realizing she had been far too easy to read.

“No. Of course not.”

His eyes softened slightly, but the familiar arch of his eyebrow remained.

“Then what’s the problem?”

Rose hesitated.

Maverick studied her for another moment before asking, “Do you have a problem working for your husband?”

His voice was quiet, but there was a faint edge to it that made her nervous.

Rose shifted her weight.

“It’s not that.” She lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back at him. “We weren’t together when I got this project.”

She gestured toward the files on his desk.

“And if I start working here now, everyone is going to think I got the project because of you. Even my father might think that.”

Her expression fell, frustration creeping into her voice.

“That bothers me. I worked hard for this. I earned the opportunity to handle this project, and I don’t want anyone thinking I only got it because I’m married to you.”

Silence settled between them.