One Bossy Offer (80)

We follow her mom inside. Jenn stays a few steps back, lingering in the entryway.

“Mom, could you give us a minute?”

“Of course.” Her mother starts down the hall.

The second she’s out of sight, Jenn grabs my arm and digs her little nails into my skin.

“What’s wrong, kitten? I’ll take off my shoes.”

“Don’t you dare leave this foyer. What do you think you’re doing?”

“I told you. I’m staying until we’ve talked this out, and right now, it looks like I’m having dinner with your generous parents.”

Her eyes drift up to the ceiling, begging for help from above that’ll never come. I’m sure God is on my side.

“This is harassment, you—”

“Harassment implies motive, and I laid mine out very clearly from the start. Besides, just because I’m a billionaire doesn’t mean I’ll turn down free food.”

“You know what? Fine. Fine. Stay all night if you have to. After the crap you’ve pulled, I’m not speaking to you. I’m stuffing my face and going to bed. Alone,” she stresses.

I smile like she’s just agreed to two weeks in Maui with me.

I’ve seen her glare a hundred times, but never this viciously.

Progress.

The only thing worse than molten contempt from a woman you’re trying like hell to win back is when she feels nothing at all.

“Sweetheart, can you show Miles to the table? We’re almost ready!” her mother calls from the kitchen.

I give the air an exaggerated sniff, smiling like I’ve just walked into a busy steakhouse. I don’t have to pretend I’m hungry when my stomach rumbles.

“You heard the lady. Dinner’s ready and I’m hungry as hell tonight.”

“I’m going to murder you in your sleep,” she vows under her breath.

“Lovely. That implies you’ll be with me when I’m sleeping tonight,” I whisper in her ear. “Careful. I might risk an untimely death if it means watching you come your little brains out for me five more times.”

Her face could rival a Carolina Reaper.

“You might want to cool down first, Jenn. Drink some water. Otherwise, your parents will wonder what in the world we’ve been discussing,” I advise.

And I laugh like it’s the funniest damned thing, even before she kicks me in the shin and stomps off.





“Despite her contractor status—sorry, Jenn always reminds me she’s not my employee—she’s the best person I’ve had on payroll for years. She rescued our latest project on a brutal deadline.” I cut into my pork roast and take a bite, chewing happily as her mother beams at me. “Divine, Mrs. Landers. Are all the women in your family food magicians? Lottie was the best cook in Pinnacle Pointe, hands down. Ask anyone.”

“Ohhh, so you’re that Miles? You lived next door to my mother-in-law?”

“Guilty as charged.”

“I wish we could have met you sooner. Mom always spoke so fondly of you on the phone,” Mrs. Landers gushes between bites of potato. “Jenn, how did you not mention this?”

I look over and my kitten shrugs, staring numbly at her plate. “He had Grandma charmed. That’s for sure.”

She’s barely eating, just scattering food around. Her jaw is clenched, and even though she’s visibly pissed, I can’t help but remember the last time I had her in my arms.

She stabs a crispy potato with a fork and glares up at me. “What are you grinning at?”

Damn.

Am I grinning?

“Just enjoying our sit-down over this fantastic spread,” I say.

She rolls her eyes. “Right. My mistake. Honesty never was your strong point.”

I don’t look away, still chewing my food.

Both of her parents flash her a disapproving look.

“What?” She sets her fork down and looks up. “We’re not at work. I don’t have to play nice.”

“Jennifer, he’s a guest in this home, and yes, you do,” her father says sternly. “Now, why do I get the feeling we’re not talking about work?”

“Oh, God,” Jenn groans. “Can you just treat him like you treated my prom date?”

“Date?” Her father blinks. “I thought he was your boss...”

She looks like she’s about to start breathing fire. “Well, yeah, he is. But technically, he’s—”

“I am her boss, but she’s very much a free agent,” I cut in. “That’s what makes her efforts so admirable. No other consultant puts in more effort than ten new hires. With her, I got damn lucky.”

Her father looks between us and nods slowly.

“You hear that, hon? You’ve got a war chest of recommendations if you ever get tired of island life.”

“Yeah, Dad. I’ll get right on that, whenever my big city allergy miraculously goes away.” Jenn returns his impressed smile with a yawn.

Fuck.

Tough crowd.

Then Coffee trots into the room carrying a rubber chew toy, a ball with rabbit ears, adding his two cents as it thuds on the floor.

Her mother gasps. “Jennifer, get them out of here!”

There’s my cue.