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"Actually—"

I'm beginning to hate that word. I realize now it's always she starts with when she's about to piss me off.

"It's eight and a half—"

Knew it.

"That isnotthe fucking point, and you know it!"

My secretary looks at me disapprovingly. "Language, please."

And now she has the gall to lecture me on my language when she's the one who's been lying through her teeth for almost a decade?

"You could have told me at any point, damn you."

She looks at me...and then blinks as if I've just spoken to her in Sarsi.

"I'm just your secretary, Mr. Kontides. It's not my position to correct my boss—"

Oh, please.

She's really going that route?

My hands clench against the urge to start strangling her. "In case you've forgotten—"

"No worries about that, Mr. Kontides. I rarely forget anything."

I swear, I'mthisclose to killing her and throwing a party right after.

"You," I bite out between clenched teeth, "have been arguing with me since day one—"

"Exactly.Arguing.But I've nevercorrectedyou." She pauses then adds after a moment, "Sir."

Oh, so now she calls me 'sir'?

She's not just unbelievable at this point. She's downright insane, and what's even more incredible is how her personal brand of madness wants me to kill her and kiss her at the same time.

What the hell has this woman done to me?

I look at my secretary, and all I can remember is how she looked last night.

Hair down.

Curves outlined.

Legs bare.

Men staring.

And speaking of other men...

I remember how I used to waste time hating on her ex-husband, when all along—

"You even dared accept my sympathies for your failed marriage!" I find myself actually roaring the words out this time. Which I've never done, not even during the most heated courtroom debates of my entire career.

And only Shayla, dammit.

Only my secretary alone could piss me off this much—