Page 26 of Covert

Starting with more eager responses from her luscious lips…

“I thrive on a challenge. Thought you’d have figured that out by now.” She fixed him with an indescribable stare from her cat-like eyes. “After all, I work for you, don’t I?”

He laughed, a genuine deep chuckle that echoed through the ghost gums. It felt good. In fact, it felt downright wonderful, and he wondered how long since this place had been privy to laughter. “Touché, Miss Piper.”

She rocked gently, her toes pushing against the floor, the rhythmic action as soothing as her presence. “Tell me about your life here.”

Surprised at her swift change of subject, he gave her the edited version. “Budgeree’s thousand acres was the first tract of land my dad bought here. Though he expanded the business over the years, this place held a special place in our hearts.”

He paused, ignoring the stab of guilt that memories of his father and his love of the land always seemed to ignite within him. “Still does.”

“Family means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”

Her innocuous question unerringly homed in on his emotions whenever he sat in this very place and surveyed theproperty that would belong to the Harmon’s for generations to come.

“Family is everything.”

“But don’t you ever feel stifled? Or need to run away?”

He heard something in her voice that made him look up, but when he studied her face, the serene expression hadn’t altered, though she wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“Never. Shirking responsibilities is for children.” He scowled, speaking from personal experience. “Or cowards.”

Sam’s heart sank at Dylan’s cold, curt words.

What would he think of her if he knew the truth, that she was one of those cowards he’d mentioned with such antipathy and loathing?

She responded more sharply than intended. “Not everyone is cut out for shouldering the burdens of their family.”

He pinned her with a stare that took her breath away: intense, probing, willing her to listen. “I wouldn’t consider family expectations a burden. How about you?”

He trapped her. She couldn’t tell him yet another lie, not when she lived a lie every day.

“Everyone’s family is different. Maybe I’m not ready to shoulder what my family expects me to?”

“Is that why you ran away?”

Ouch. He knew how to kick a girl when she was down.

She instilled as much calm into her voice as she could muster before answering. “I applied for a job working as your butler. How could that be classed as running away?”

He shrugged, the simple action that drew her attention to his broad shoulders encased beneath a cable knit, and speeding up her pulse in the process.

“Call it a hunch. Even though you said you needed the experience before branching into the business world, I still don’t understand why you’d want to work for someone like me in such a subservient role.”

“We’re not all meant to be rulers in this world.”

She wished her family understood that sentiment and would allow her to denounce her heritage.

Because that’s exactly what her family expected her to be; a rich, pampered princess to sit upon a pretend throne and order those around her to do her bidding.

Hell would freeze over before she succumbed to their wishes.

“Are you judging me for what I have and what I do?” His dark eyes didn’t waver as his stare bored into her soul.

She hated the icy contempt in his voice. If he only knew she hadn’t referred to the Harmon’s, but her illustrious Popov family, the masters of expectation.

She stood, eager to escape before she said something she might regret. “I’m not judging anybody. Goodnight, Dylan. See you in the morning.”

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