“Are you really that self-absorbed that you don’t even know the names of the people who work for you?”
“A good judge doesn’t jump to conclusions based on one side of the story.”
“You yelled at her and sent her out of your sight like she was some riff-raff!”
“She spilled wine on an important document.”
“It was an accident!” she shot back. “She didn’t mean to do it, and she definitely didn’t deserve to be treated like a lesser human being.”
“Sheislesser,” I said, trying to push her to her limit.
“No, she’s not!”Dikayasnapped, her eyes blazing with fury.
Gorgeous. I loved it.
“She’s your maid, not your slave!”
A small grin tugged at the corners of my lips. “I don’t see the difference.”
She swallowed her words, and her head shot backward, shocked by my response. “You’re a monster,” she declared, her voice dropping below a whisper.
“I am,” I said coldly. “And you’re in my den, alone…shouting in my face. That’s a reckless move for a smart woman such as yourself.” With that, I stepped toward her, my gaze fixed on her fiery eyes.
“In case you haven’t noticed, Nik, I’m not afraid of you,” she said, staring right at me.
“No, you’re not,” I whispered, closing the distance between us. “You’re afraid of something else—something darker. Something that makes you tremble and makes your heart race when you think about it.”
She swallowed hard and locked her jaw. “Are you projecting your own fears on me, Nik? Is that what you’re doing?”
I towered over her, flashing a cocky grin as my eyes drank in the sight of her sexy body. “Go ahead. Mask your desire with anger all you want, but I see you.”
Silence.
Her chest was rising and falling with measured breaths, her eyes still pinned on me.
“Tell me,Dikaya,” I began, circling around her with slow, calculated steps. “Why are you really here?”
Lightning flashed across the room.
“To call out your bullshit and maybe remind you of what humanity looks like.”
I moved around her like a predator studying its prey, my fingers slipping through a handful of her soft brown curls. Thescent of shampoo and conditioner clung to the strands, sweet and clean.
“Then why are you half-naked?” I paused in front of her again with an unwavering gaze. “Did you have to dress up provocatively to make a point?”
A crooked grin played on her lips. “Why? Does it bother you?” she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm. “Is it affecting your focus or maybe making you feel a certain way?”
My expression darkened. “Careful,Dikaya. You keep testing me like that, and I might start taking it personally,” I said, my voice a low whisper.
She paused, her eyes locked to mine, her chest still heaving slowly. “Is that a threat?”
My lips twisted into a mischievous grin. “Stick around long enough, and you’ll find out.”
“Maybe that’s what I want: to find out what you’ll do if I keep pushing,” she answered, her tone quiet, but seductive.
I leaned in to mirror her face, her fresh breath warm against my skin. “You’re playing with fire,Dikaya. And you just might get burned.” I grabbed her arm, watching her expression shift from furious to tense.
Her body collided with mine, her soft breast pressing against my skin. I expected her to resist—to push me away, but she didn’t. She just held my gaze as if daring me to take her despite the glimmer of fear in her eyes.
