Page 26 of Abyss

Silence stretches out between us as he tries to decipher the meaning behind my words, surely wondering if I’ll elaborate. I don’t.

“I’ll try to be . . . nicer.”

Jesus. You’d think he was being held at gunpoint or tortured, with the way those words grit out from between his lips.

Still, I suppose I have to give him some benefit of the doubt for trying. I can’t imagine he does much of it for anyone besides his daughter.

I lean back on my heels, noting I’ll need to wash my feet when I get back inside, before giving him a short nod. “Fine. I’ll be back at work tomorrow, but I don’t need the additional pay. I was perfectly fine with what I was making before.”

He takes a step closer, and it’s all I can do not to lean myhead forward and take a whiff of his lavender and pine scent. “That’s not up for negotiation.”

“Hudson, I don’t need your—”

“Like I said, it’s not charity. You’ll be working for every cent of it.”

A beat passes between us while I once again consider what I’m signing up for. The money would be a boon with the way things are right now—a relief for both my mom and my brother—but I don’t love the idea of Hudson paying me more than any other admin, probably even more than what Belinda made.

I bite my lip, my mind and heart warring with my impending decision. “I don’t know . . .”

Disappointment shines in his eyes. He’s not a man who begs, but when the word, “Please,” leaves his lips, I’m all but a puddle on the cold asphalt at my feet.

“Okay,” I whisper, his presence and sincerity pulling my decision out of me.

His shoulders sink with relief while his brows rise in question, unlike his words, which are a statement. “And you’ll move in this weekend.”

A flurry of hesitation rises inside me again, lodging in my throat. Aside from my dad and Neil, I’ve never lived with a man before, and definitely not someone I’m working for.

Definitely not someone I’m clearly attracted to, my mind piles on.

“I . . . I—”

“I’ll have movers here Saturday morning,” he says, not giving me a chance to finish my mumbled musing.

God, this could be a total disaster. “Okay.”

“Great.” He turns, swinging his truck door open right as I start to saunter back toward the house. “Oh, and Kavi?”

I face him, unable to understand why looking at him always seems to make my heart jog. “Yeah?”

He walks over, his dark hair ruffling with the breeze, and pulls out a black card from his wallet. “Take this.”

My brows tangle. “Why?”

“You’ll need it to go shopping tomorrow for a new wardrobe.” His eyes crawl over my bare legs, incinerating me on their climb and halting briefly at my shamelessly protruding nipples. “You won’t have your first paycheck for a few days, and as much as I enjoy youreclecticstyle, perhaps you could find something more appropriate to meet our clients with me in Portland on Thursday.”

Say what now? Portland? Thursday?

I glance at the card in my hand before speaking to his retreating form, knowing now that I’ve re-accepted the job, I can’t argue much in terms of the requirements. “I have my own credit card. And what’s wrong with my clothes? Maybe it's your company that needs to loosen up a bit.”

“Kavi.” He takes a breath that feels like it lasts an entire minute. “Use my damn card.”

“Fine,” I concede, knowing he’s got that adamant glint in his eyes. He’s also doing that jaw ticking thing, which really can’t be good for his teeth. “But I’m not giving this back. I might even take it with me when I move.”

He rolls down the window of his truck after getting inside, pinning me with one of his weighty blue-gray stares. “I have a feeling you’ll be taking more than just my money when you move.”

And even as I watch him drive off, his words linger in the air, following me until I’m back inside.

Chapter Nine

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