Page 52 of Masked Seduction

“Oh my God!” she snaps, leaping up. “Are you serious? You can’t even serve a drink without screwing it up.”

I blink, stunned. “I didn’t, you grabbed it too quickly?—”

She cuts me off with a sharp gesture, examining the tiny spot like it’s acid. “I just bought this,” she hisses. “You’d better hope this comes out. Get me some club soda and a cloth. Now.”

She doesn’t say please. She doesn’t even look at me when she barks the order.

But Abram does. He steps in between us, his tone final. “That’s enough.”

She opens her mouth, ready to argue, but he doesn’t let her.

“Jenna,” he says, turning to me. “You’re fine. Go. I’ll handle this.”

Without another word, he gently guides me to the door with a hand at my back—and shuts it in my face.

Just like that.

Dismissed.

I stand beside the door for a beat, breath caught halfway between my lungs and my throat. My fingers curl into fists. Notbecause of her. Because of him. The way he sent me out of his office like a servant being excused.

I remind myself that I am hisassistant. But that doesn’t quiet the anger rising within. I stare at the closed door, fists clenched at my sides. I want to press my ear to it to hear what they’re saying. I want to know if he’s still in control or if she’s digging her claws back in.

But I don’t need to get any closer because the yelling starts quickly.

And whatever quiet Abram had managed to preserve is now gone.

CHAPTER 19

ABRAM

Iclench my jaw so tightly that pain shoots down my neck. Every muscle is rigid, fighting the instinctive urge to physically throw Daria from my office. Instead, I walk silently to the wet bar, grab a fresh cloth and the bottle of club soda.

“Here.” I thrust them toward her abruptly. “Clean yourself up.”

She snatches the towel from my hand. Without another word, she douses the cloth then slams the bottle hard onto my desk. She scrubs violently at the tiny coffee stain, each aggressive stroke turning the quarter-sized spot into a blotchy mess three times larger.

“You’re making it worse,” I say coldly.

Her eyes flash with contempt. “You’d love that, wouldn’t you? Watching me ruin something else?”

“I don’t have time for your theatrics, Daria,” I snap. “Get to the fucking point. Why are you here?”

Her gaze narrows, mouth curving into an ugly smile. “What’s wrong, Abram? Worried your precious secretary might overhear us?”

The venom in her voice makes my blood boil. “She’s none of your goddamn business.”

“Oh, please.” She rolls her eyes dramatically. “Do you really think I don’t believe you’re sleeping with her?” She scoffs, tossing her hair over her shoulder with practiced indifference. “Are you getting desperate? I mean, big girls aren’t exactly your style.”

My temper snaps, words spilling out before I can stop them. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Jenna’s more woman than you could ever hope to be.”

Fuck.

The second I see the triumphant gleam in Daria’s eyes, I realize my mistake. She tricked me, baited me into defending Jenna, admitting something that was none of her business.

“Oh, Abram,” she purrs, voice silky with satisfaction. “Always so predictable. Always playing protector. You’ve made yourself an easy target.”

“I won’t discuss Jenna with you,” I say, my voice ice-cold. “Not another word.”