32: Taming the Beast

With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and walked into the office. I took the long way around his desk so that he couldn’t miss me. He barely looked up, “What are you doing?” his voice was gruff and unamused. Biting my tongue I finished walking around the desk, stopping beside his chair. Without a word I knelt down on the floor, sitting back on my heels, and pushed my hair back over my shoulders before placing my hands on my thighs. I still looked up at him, instead of down at the floor. “What are you doing?” he asked again, sounding tired this time.

“The deal was I’d give you one day,” I felt stupid even as I said it but it was the only card I had to play that could possibly throw him off balance. I’d promised I’d take one night to explore the possibilities of what accepting the contract could mean. I’d never promised to do it without my own stipulations and agenda.

He sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose like he had a headache. “I’ve a