Page 9 of My Orc Billionaire

“Tomorrow,” I rasped.

And it wasn’t until the word was out, and her brow went up in challenge, that I realized what I’d said.

Fuck it, I wasn’t going to back down now. Not when she was watching me warily like she expected the worst. MyKteerrumbled in my chest, urging me to seal the deal, to keep her. Keep her coming back.

For the brownies, I told myself.

So I took a deep breath and hoped I wasn’t making the biggest mistake of my life.

“One fuck-up, Ms. Starr, and you’re gone.”

Her expression cleared with understanding. “You’re hiring me?”

“On atrial basis,” I growled. “I can’t fire you because you’re human, or because you’re sick?—”

“Yeah, yeah, but you can find some other reason to fire me.” Her face split into a grin. “You won’t regret this, Abydos.”

The fuck I wouldn’t.

Because seeing her smile like that? Feeling her look at me as if I were a godsdamned hero? Hearing the way her lips caressed my name?

I was already regretting it.

But those macarons…

“You can start tomorrow.” I took a deep breath. “A trial. Don’t move all your shit in yet.”

“Right.” Backing away from my desk, she gave me a cocky little salute. “Don’t get my hopes up. I probably won’t last a day.”

“You likely won’t,” I snarled. “Stop acting like you won.”

“Oh, I didn’t.” She reached the door. “Youwon, Abydos. Try the lavender one, it’s the best.”

And then she was gone. I heard her running down the hallway, heard when she stopped to do a spin and hiss a quiet“Yessss!”I heard the front door slam. Heard her leave my space, my life.

Just for a few hours.

Exhaling, I reached down to carefully pick up the pale purple cookie.

She was right. Itwasthe best.

Chapter Three

Riven

I arrivedbright and early the next morning with everything I could fit in an overnight bag and my favorite set of knives. I’d officially quit The Waterfront, and the head chef told me I could have my spot back if this didn’t work out, but…

I really, really needed this to work out.

Last night, Mr. Sylvik had done all the on-boarding and walked me through Abydos’s preferences and schedule. He said he’d be shipping me out everything I needed for success, including a new phone with Abydos’s scheduling app, and credit cards for grocery shopping, which would become my purview.

At the end of the conversation, I finally had the guts to bring up what I’d been putting off.

“Um, Mr. Sylvik, there’s something I think you ought to know.”

He’d hummed, clearly distracted by something on his end.

I swallowed. “I’m…uh. I’m human. A human.”