Page 84 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

"Did you expect me to say something different?" He raises a single eyebrow. "Did you expect me to tell you that the first time I saw you, I fell so in love with you that I wanted to hire you just because of those feelings, and I don’t care about the money or this business venture?"

My heart flutters for a couple of seconds wondering if that's what he's trying to say, but I can tell from the sardonic expression on his face that that is the last thing on his mind.

I sink back and take a deep breath. Liam Gallagher is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and I'm so fucking fed up with meeting men that think they can talk to me however they want to just because they have a little bit of power.

I bite down on my lower lip. I'm not exactly sure how to respond to him. I need to gather my thoughts because not only am I pissed off, I'm really hurt, as well, because a part of me thought we had a connection. That there was something between us, and even though I didn't think he was gonna be the love of my life or my prince charming, I thought that we would come to some sort of working relationship that would be equally and mutually beneficial, that it would be sexually charged and focused on our brains and growing his brand and his business.

For a few moments, I actually thought that he respected my opinion so much that was why he wanted me here, but I can tell now that he is just a jackass that likes treating his employees like shit. And I’m not going to allow him to do that to me. I’m not gonna allow him to make me feel like I’m some little bitch that he can speak to however he wants.

But I also don't want him to know that he hurt me. I don't want him to know that I thought we were coming to an understanding, that I thought he liked me as more than just some nobody he just met, but obviously, I was wrong. I’m always wrong in matters of the heart, no matter how much I wish I were different.

I take a deep breath and shrug. All I know to do in the moment is pretend that I don't care, to ignore him, because ultimately, it doesn't matter. I’m gonna end up engaged to someone else. My father is taking care of that. I am alone like I've always been.

My heart breaks as I think about the life that I'm about to head into. I don't even know if I'll see Skye or Juniper or Lila or even Marie or any of my friends or their partners. I don't evenreally care what is going on with Liam, because who was he at the end of the day? In five years, would I even remember him?

I wanna laugh out loud then because my heart knows I'll never forget Liam. This man has imprinted himself on my brain forever, even though I wish it weren't true.

"Are you not going to say anything, Miss Franco?" he says, clearing his throat. And I blink as I realize I haven't heard a word he said.

"Whatever," I say, shrugging, not wanting him to know that I was daydreaming.

"Whatever?" He frowns. "You need to buckle up. That's what I just said." He nods to my seat belt, and I feel like an absolute idiot.

"I was about to," I say quickly, blushing, realizing that I was very quickly showing that I hadn't been paying attention.

He takes a deep breath. "Don't make me regret having brought you on this trip and trusting you with?—"

"Just give it a break, okay?" I interrupt him as I put on my seat belt. "Just fucking give it a break."

"Are you really talking to me like that?" he says, and I turn to look at him.

"Yeah, I'm talking to you like that because you're talking to me like a fucking little bitch. And let’s get this straight, Liam Gallagher. I don't care how many millions you have; you're not gonna talk to me like that. I may work for you, but that doesn't mean that you get to speak to me in a such a denigrating and degrading fashion.

"Just because I'm not the CEO and I don't have a bunch of qualifications that make me ready to be a partner in a business like yours, that doesn't mean anything. I'm still a human being, and I really think and feel that you should treat me with respect. In fact, you should treat everyone who works for you with respect. I think you owe an apology to Skye, Juniper, and Lilabecause you shouldn’t be a fucking dick just because you have money."

His lips thin. "Are you finished?"

"No, I'm not finished," I say, "but…" I press my lips together. I take a couple of deep breaths. "You know what? You're not worth it."

"You want me so badly, don't you?" He chuckles, and I just stare at him.

"Just fucking five minutes ago, you said you weren’t even gonna bring that shit up, so why are you saying that now?"

He nods slowly. "Touché."

"Touché, indeed. You're just pissed off because I haven't given it up to you. What, is this the longest you've had to wait for sex?"

He stares at me for a couple of seconds. "We both know?—"

"We both know what?" I say interrupting him. "What? You think you could've had me if you wanted me?"

He smirks. "We both know that if I really?—"

"Liam, no, you couldn't," I say. "I'm not the sort of woman who would give it up to a jackass like you."

"Okay." He nods. "So you're saying that you don’t wanna meet Big Dick Liam."

"Are you fucking for real? You were just saying that you weren't even gonna speak like this to me."

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