Page 32 of A Deal with the Bossy Devil

How the hell was I going to survive an entire month of this bullshit?

I rolled back my shoulders, my heart pounding against my skull as the realization set in. Adrien was going to do everything in his power to make the next thirty days impossible for me. The man was going to drag me through hell and back because that was what he thought I deserved. I was the villain in his story as much as he was the one in mine, and he wanted to watch me suffer. He wanted to seeme react to whatever torture tactics he had planned. That was the whole point of this little stunt of his, and I fucking refused to give him the satisfaction.

So, I sat down on the blue couch, closed my eyes, and focused on my breathing.

There was nothing else. Just me and the air cycling in and out of my lungs. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale.

Until, finally, the door swung open, and in came Adrien.

9

“Good morning, sunshine,”Adrien practically purred, absolutely unable to contain his glee at the sight of me in cuffs.

He looked like a toddler discovering the joy of Christmas morning for the first time.

I kept my expression neutral, shoulders relaxed. “Good morning.”

He leaned a shoulder against the doorway and crossed his generously muscled arms. He was wearing a black running tee and matching trousers. It was the first time I’d seen him in something other than a suit.

So I guess we are still going running at some point.

“Rough start to your day?” he mocked cheerfully.

I lifted a shoulder. “Just a misunderstanding, I think. The security doesn’t believe I’m a resident here.”

Adrien’s gaze dipped to my scuffed runners. “Makes sense.”

My middle finger twitched, but I kept my hands down and gave him a small smile instead. “Sure.”

“And I guess I did forget to give them a heads up,” he mused lightly. “That’s the type of stuff my assistant usually takes care of, but I’m short one of those right now. I’m sure you understand.”

I slanted my head to the side and gave him a sympathetic little pout. “Must be so hard to have to do the little things yourself.”

Adrien’s attention cut to my mouth and the smug smile he was wearing faltered just slightly, the amusement fading from his eyes. He decided to try again. “You know, this wouldn’t have happened if you weren’t such an eager little go-getter. Why did you come down here so early?”

Ah, so the plan hadn’t been to stand me up. He’d lied about the meeting time to make me wait.

I bit back a chuckle. He caught it.

“I must have misheard you last night. I thought you said to meet you down here at four.”

He clicked his tongue. “Five.”

“That’s my mistake. I won’t let it happen again… sir.”

Narrower and narrower went his eyes, the arrogant smirk he’d walked in with fully gone. He studied me for a few silent seconds, and I could practically hear the stiff gears struggling to turn in his massive head. “Did you take an edible or something this morning?”

I wish.“No. I just finally… understand.”

He glanced down at his watch and straightened his back. And for a second, I didn’t think he was going to take the bait—he looked like heknewit was bait, and that he didn’t want to ask. But he just couldn’t help himself, could he? “Understand what?”

“This.” I gestured to the both of us with my bound hands. “I finally understand what this whole thing is about.”

He let out a breath and leaned his head back as if he was trying to talk himself out of further pursuing this line of questioning. He’d wasted enough time on me already this morning.

He was a busy man with a busy schedule. He had shit to do and a company to run, damn it.

But I didn’t give him enough time to back away.

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