Page 11 of Grace
“Big lunch,” he jokes, and all that goes through my mind is ‘big guy’.
He is big. So much bigger than Bash, and the porn I’ve watched thanks to him teases my mind until I bite my tongue. “Too much?” I finally manage to ask.
He shakes his head as he grabs his steak and fries. “Food can never be too much.” As he bends down to take a bite, his eyes snap to mine. A grin tugs on his lips before they part, and heat rises to my cheeks. “Do you agree?”
I shift in my seat as my stomach tightens. “That’s true,” I say.“So, the apartment,” he continues, a slight lift in his eyebrow.
“I’ve found someone for the room. Her name is Ashley.”
He hums and takes another bite. “With your new pay, you wouldn’t have needed a roommate.”I swallow thickly as he pushes the boundaries on professionalism. I’m not sure what to think of it. Is it just because this is our lunch break and he’s curious or something else? The heat inside me won’t simmer. I think it’s fine, but I know better.
There are basic rules for living an easy life—don’t get too involved with the boss, don’t reconnect with exes in any way, hold on to close friends, leave work at work and home at home. This conversation feels like a violation to all but one of those rules.
“Nothing to worry about, Mr. Brooks,” I assure. “Ashley’s a good person, and having her will allow me to save more.”
“Daniel,” he says, and I pause with my sweet potato fry dipped in the truffle sauce.
“I–I… Why?” I ask, dumbfounded.
He shrugs. “Why not?”
“Because you’re my boss.” I pause as he stares at me, leaning back in his chair as he gently wipes the corners of his mouth with a paper napkin.
“And my ex’s dad.” I sigh, and my shoulders slump as I say it. But his gaze darkens and his jaw tenses until I wonder if I should’ve said it at all.
“You don’t have to remind me who you’ve been with.” His voice is dark and low, forcing goosebumps to rise on my freckled skin.
His leather chair rolls back as he pushes himself to his feet. His frame is large enough to tower over me, even with a desk between us.
My hand shakes as I stare at the wooden desk, following the grain with my eyes to distract myself from what’s to come. Now’s when he tells me to leave. I keep pushing too far. When will I learn to be silent and obey… or stand up for myself and force a boundary?
“Look at me,” he snaps, and my eyes flick to his. “Listen carefully, Grace,” he starts, and my heart races in my chest. “I know my son and I know I shouldn’t say this, but you never should’ve been with him.”
His words hit me, carving themselves inside me. When his eyebrow lifts, I realize he’s waiting for an answer. “You shouldn’t say that. You’re his dad.”
“Oh, darling,” he muses. “I can say whatever I want.”
I gape at him, unsure what my next words should be. He grazes his hands over his tailored suit and slowly sits down to take another bite of his steak.
Darling…
What does he mean by that? Or am I searching for something again?
I must be reaching. It’s just because I’m upset about everything with Bash. It’s just because of that stupid tab on Mr. Brooks’s computer, the one that must be a test to see if I’ll pry. I’m still in my probation period, after all. He’s being nice, and I’m reading too much into it… unless…
Blinking away my thought, I slide the sweet potato in my mouth. The taste of the truffe sauce tickles my tongue, and the sweetness of the fry adds to it perfectly.
“You have good taste in food,” Mr. Brooks says, finally cutting through the silence.
“If you want, I can make you something—for lunch,” I say and immediately wish I hadn’t said anything. But there’s a moment where I feel worthy, at peace with myself, and that’s when I cook.
“Make me something?” he parrots.
“Anything you like,” I say, a smile tugging on my lips as he stares at me.
His brows twitch as he tilts his head. “Why?”
“As a thank you.” I’m grateful for his help, because that’s what this is. He’s helping me out, because… well, he must know.
