A muscle flexed at her jaw. He could see the tension vibrating along the length of her. He wasn’t sure what she wanted to do more, yell, cry, or leave the room. But she stayed. She didn’t yell or cry.
“You seemed fine when I told you just this afternoon that I was keeping my jobs,” she reminded him in a deadly calm voice.
“Aye,” he agreed with a subtle nod. “But I didn’t see you looking like this then or I would have told you hell no.”
That sparked the anger in her eyes. “That’s not your decision to make and don’t you dare bring up that crap about being personally in charge of my wellbeing. I’m twenty-three years old. I’ve been taking care of myself and my sister since I was sixteen. I know my limits.”
Killian didn’t know what to say or do that didn’t involve tying her to the bed and forcing her to take better care of herself. While the thought was tempting, he knew she would never forgive him for it.
“Clearly we will reach no mutual decision tonight,” he decided, willing himself to keep his composure. “We’ll discuss this again tomorrow.”
“There is nothing to discuss!” she shot back. “I’m not quitting my job.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to snap out, we’ll see about that. But he opted against it. He was a business man and he dealt with challenges every day. He would fix this. He just needed to find a common ground for both of them.
“Fine.”
Surprise flickered across her face before suspicion set in. “Really?”
He nodded. “But I reserve the right to bring this up at a later date when we have both had time to cool down.” He put his hand up when she opened her mouth, no doubt to argue. “No more arguing. I’ll have Marco drive you home.”
“I thought…” She stopped. Her shoulders lifted with her deep inhale. “Fine.”
He let her walk out, because the alternative was to lock her up and apparently that was kidnapping. He told himself it wasn’t his business how she juggled her life or how much it was killing her, but it was. The moment she had signed that contract, she had become his business. She had become his and that meant something. It meant he took care of things, made sure she was safe and protected, even if it meant from herself. But damn, the woman was stubborn. He had honestly never met a woman who made him want to strangle her and kiss her at the same time.
However, her abilities to infuriate him wasn’t the thing up for question. He needed to fix the problem while respecting her decision. That was going to take some doing. But solving impossible situations was what Killian did best.
“What did you do?”
Scrawling down the last line of the agreement before he forgot, Killian glanced up just as Juliette charged into his office, her face set in the type of anger women got just before they started throwing things. Killian did a quick sweep of his desk to make sure there was nothing sharp before gathering up the contract he’d been working on for most of the night. He stowed them and his pen inside a drawer—just in case she decided to stab him with it—and faced her.
“Sorry?”
She stopped just on the other side of his desk. Her chest heaved rapidly beneath the thin material of her maid’s uniform. The top button had popped open and he was momentarily distracted by the hollow of her throat.
“I got called into the manager’s office today,” she was saying when he broke out of his thoughts to rip open the rest of the buttons and take her across his desk. “I have never been called into the manager’s office.”
He sat back in his chair, more to observe her fully than anything else. “All right?”
Slender palms pressed flat against the top of his desk as she leaned forward, her eyes narrowed.
“Do you know what he told me?” She didn’t wait for him to respond. “That I’ve been promoted to front desk duty with a raise and a clothing bonus. Oh, and coincidently, the amount I’m now making is double what I was originally making as a maid and it’s more than I’m making at the diner, plus some.”
Killian portrayed the proper expression. He widened his eyes with interest and nodded.
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
His attempts to soothe her didn’t seem to work when her eyes only narrowed further, in suspicion now.
“What did you do?”
He kept his features neutral. Completely blank of everything but a mild confusion.
“What do you mean?”
“Don’t give me that!” She slapped his desk with one hand. “I know you did something. The timing is just too weird. Just the night before, you were telling me I had to pick one and now, suddenly, I’m getting a raise and a promotion?”
He lifted one shoulder in a brief shrug. “Maybe management finally realized what an asset you were.”
“That’s bullshit.” She straightened and folded her arms. “I’ve been there almost four years and they never once accepted my front desk application.”
“Well, there it is then.” He rose. “Yours finally hit the top of the pile.” Casually, he circled around to her side of the desk. “When do you start?”
She watched him with a wariness that was amusing as hell. He would have laughed if he didn’t value his life.
“Tomorrow,” she mumbled at long last. “I got the day shift slot, which I’m sure is going to piss Celina off big time.” But there was a sort of quirk in her mouth, a devious tilt that made the glint in her eyes appear almost mischievous.
“Not a fan?” he pressed, oddly endeared by the grin unfolding across her face.
Her smile was full blown when she met his gaze. “I think I just found the silver lining in this situation.”
“That’s your silver lining?”
He had thought for sure it would be the money or the new position or the not having to work late at night cleaning up other people’s filth.
“Yes!” she hissed with a laugh that was more of an evil cackle. “Celina Swanson is getting demoted to night duty and it’s beautifully horrible.”
Killian couldn’t help it, he laughed. “You’re an odd woman.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “You don’t know Celina. She’s a bi … witch,” she corrected quickly, amusing him all the further. “No one likes her, except Harold. But everyone knows they’re sleeping together so she’s going to be furious when she finds out he gave me the position.” Her smile faded into a wide eyed panic. “Right before she slits my throat.” She met his gaze with a frown. “Not sure Harold did me any favors, now that I think about it.”
Bottling back a second laugh, he swept back a coil of hair off her temple and tucked it behind her ear.
“It’ll be fine.”
“Maybe.” She squinted up at him. “You laughed. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you laugh.”
He stepped around her and headed for the window, the back of his neck prickling with discomfort.
“I don’t normally have a secret sadist in my office.”
“I’m not a sadist!” she gasped in feigned outrage.
He tossed a dry glance over his shoulder. “Have you heard yourself cackle? It’s Disney villain material.”
Her glower melted into a wide smile that dissolved into a brilliant shower of giggles. She gave a little squeal that came with an odd little dance like a four year old who finally got the doll she wanted.
“Do you know how long I’ve waited for this position?” she gasped, beaming so wide he was certain she’d rip her face open. “Years!” She slapped both hands over her chest and gasped. “I think I’m having a heart attack.”
Chuckling, Killian turned fully to face her, charmed and endeared and absolutely enchanted by the euphoria wafting off her and filling every sparse corner of his office. It was unabashed joy in a form he was unaccustomed to seeing.