Page 25

Oh, does he think he's going to scare me with that?

I cross my arms over my chest. "You started it."

"Excuse me?"

In the almost-nine years I've known him, there's only one reason for my boss to suddenly speak with a noticeable Greek accent.

"You heard me."

And that reason is the anger I now see stamped over the chiseled features of his face, which I find even more annoyingly gorgeous at the moment.

What in the world is wrong with me?

He throws his case file on the desk.

And so I do, too.

Because I can be childish when I want to.

"You're picking a fight with me." His accent is awfully thicker. He's also speaking as if he's handing out a death sentence with each word, and all of them are formywrongdoing.

"Of course not," I say demurely even though we both know I'm lying. "I'm just being honest—"

"You mean disrespectful," Adriano snaps.

"If it means so much to you, then alright. I was just being disrespectfully hon—"

"Enough."

I know right away I've pushed him too far.

I'm dead.

I make a run for it, but Adriano is so much faster, and the next thing I know he has me trapped against the wall, my hands captured over my head, and I'm torn between fear and excitement as my annoyingly gorgeous boss glares down at me.

"You say we have nothing to talk about," he bites out, "and yet the way you're acting makes it clear there is."

"I have no idea—"

"Do you know what I'm thinking of right now?"

"No."Yes.And it only makes me feel even more frightened and excited at the same time.

"I'm thinking I had it all wrong."

"Tell me more, please." Because Adriano Kontides admitting a mistake? Music to my ears, always.

But when his lips slowly form a smile, and I see how it doesn't reach his eyes at all—

Why do I have a feeling that I've just walked into a trap?

"Talking about what's changed between us is a waste of time."

It is?

"I should have just shown you instead."

What? Wait. No!