by JF Holland
Kitty sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. Her bravado had long ago vanished, leaving her feeling foolish and drained after her earlier outburst. She tore her eyes away from his too intelligent gaze as he sat silently observing her. He looked at her like an intriguing specimen under a microscope, making her swallow nervously. His long fingers were steepled under his chin, as he rested his elbows on his desk, giving a deceptively relaxed pose.
Blake silently watched Kitty squirm in remorse. The heightened colour of her temper fading from her face, leaching her of colour. Gone was the magnificent, alluring vibrancy of earlier, leaving her looking tired and vulnerable. His gut clenched in sympathy, but ruthlessly, he stamped down on it, as now wasn’t the time to show weakness. Too much was at stake, his peace of mind for one. Plus, he was going to have her, and soon, he would accept no other outcome.
“I know you’re angry, and from what I’ve surmised from your outburst, I believe rightly so. Nevertheless, you’re taking it out on the wrong man,” Blake informed Kitty succinctly. He leaned forward and held up a hand to silence the protest he knew was coming. “Your ex?” he raised his brow and waited patiently for confirmation. Smiling with satisfaction as she lowered her gaze from his penetrating gaze before nodding agreement to his statement. “Edmonton,” he spat the word contemptuously, “has behaved abominably, and while I can sympathise, I am not him. Therefore, I don’t appreciate the comparison.”
Blake took a breath and leaned back into his chair, trying to make himself less threatening now he’d made his point. “If you want to leave my employment, I won’t be happy, but I won’t stop you either. However, may I suggest you think it over very carefully before you make any hasty decisions.” He phrased it to make it appear as if it was of no consequence to him, one way or the other. When, in theory, it mattered immensely, but he’d now planted the idea of her staying. He enjoyed this particular part of the game. He was a master at subtle manipulation, and ruthlessly squelched any guilt that tried to rise.
“I have never requested anything of you that isn’t the normal undertaking of a personal assistant. After all, it is your job to make sure my life runs smoothly.” Sitting quietly then, he gave her time to digest his words, while he planned his next move. He had plenty of time now, he was confident that she wasn’t going anywhere. Not in the short-term anyway. He could be patient when he wanted something badly enough, and now he knew she had claws, he most definitely wanted Kitty. He just had to decide how and when, then allowed himself a moment to savour the thought.
