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I glared at her feeling a fire that could melt steel. “Dillon isn’t my secretary,” I said fighting not to explode.
“Oh, really?” Eris asked, her eyes narrowing. “What is he, then—your lover? Because, forced marriage or not, I will not be humiliated like my mother was,” she said unraveling. Quickly catching herself, she paused. Straightening her back she added, “I’ll have your head on a plate before I let that happen.” And then smiled like she had just shared a weakness for chocolate.
I stared back at her stunned. There was no doubt that Eris was Armand’s spawn. After letting her threat hang in the air for a moment, she laughed. The woman was nuts. I was sure she was as capable of killing as her father was.
Knowing I had to do something before things got out of control, I took a step between Eris and Dillon.
“As amazing of a meal as that might be, that’s not what’s happening here.”
Eris raised an eyebrow. “No? Then what is?”
I hesitated for only a moment before saying, “I hired Dillon to head a special project, one that he is uniquely qualified for.”
Eris looked unconvinced. “Which is?”
Trying to think quickly, I said, “He’s here to create a community outreach center.”
“He is?” Eris asked suddenly confused.
“I am?” Dillon asked, equally as surprised.
“You are,” I affirmed. “I was going to have you do a trial period with the company to ensure that we worked well together before offering it to you, but I guess that ship has sailed.”
Eris crossed her arms, still suspicious. “A community outreach center.”
I nodded. “Of course. What you don’t know is that Dillon is a recipient of our family scholarship. Not just that, he’s from the type of community I’m hoping to reach out to. His mother is our housekeeper. Dillon is practically a member of the family.”
Eris considered this. “So, he’s like your brother?”
“He’s my brother’s best friend, who our family has cared for since he was 14,” I explained.
Eris smirked. “Oh, he’s your family’s charity case. Well, I get that.”
“I wouldn’t phrase it like that, but you get the point.”
“Of course,” Eris said, her tone lightening. “For a minute there, I thought he was going to be a problem with, you know, us.”
“Are you kidding? You thought I was into guys?” I asked regretting it as soon as I said it.
Eris relaxed and chuckled. “Yeah, I guess that would have been silly. Men like you aren’t into guys,” she said slithering to me putting her hands on my chest and her lips close to mine.
I gathered her wrists and eased her away. “But just because I’m not into him doesn’t mean I’ll ever be into you. Eris, there is no us. I think we should make that clear now. I have agreed to marry you and someday, if necessary, we might have kids. But that’s it. There will never be anything more.”
Eris looked unconvinced. “It sounds to me like you are issuing a challenge.”
“That’s not how I would interpret it,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her.
“Potayto, potahto,” she shrugged casually.
I chuckled despite myself. “Do I need to make myself clearer?”
Eris raised an eyebrow. “Do I? Because in the end, you will be in love with me.”
“Eris…”
“Husband,” she said cutting me off, her voice dripping with sarcasm. We both smiled knowingly at each other.
“And here I was afraid our marriage would be boring,” she said. “Enjoy the gift. And you,” she added, pointing at a stunned Dillon, “remember that there’s room on that plate.”
