Page 47 of Bossed By the Orc

Dialing their offices instead, I got the same recording that I got every damn time I called. I stopped myself from throwing my phone, but barely. It was one thing to come for me. It was another for them to be coming after my parents.

No matter what my mother said, I knew she was scared and my dad wouldn’t be any better. Sending thugs to our home was low even for the greedy development corporation. Just because everyone else was signing over their land and home didn’t mean we had to. They could build around us. We’d been on that land for generations. And we weren’t going to be leaving it now. I was finally able to repay some of our debt.

Taking a deep breath, I eyed the door that led out of the bedroom. It was even clearer now why I needed to keep things professional with Dristan. I had to keep this job for the sake of my family and I couldn’t let feelings get in the way of that.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Dristan

I’d come to the conclusion that my mate was the most stubborn female on the planet. It was glaringly obvious as I drummed my fingers on my desk while she avoided looking—much less touching—me from the opposite end of my desk.

She’d had the traitor Fionel set her up with all the files she would need so she didn’t have to talk to me for anything other than basic questions about my schedule. Penelope had gotten my new chair all adjusted and set up for me and while I was comfortable now, I couldn’t keep the scowl off my face.

We’d been heading in the right direction for a bit, but it looked like she’d taken ten steps back. I couldn’t stop myself from prodding her, but so far, she’d been blatant about the fact that I wasn’t allowed in her space anymore.

For now.

I’d had Rudgar digging into her background, but there didn’t seem to be anything notable that I could see. Her family had recently sold their home and the land surrounding it to a development in their area. The transactions for the payment weren’t showing yet, so I figured they were in the process of finalizing everything before the transfer or they would be moving into one of the homes the development had constructed elsewhere.

I didn’t know much about the company but my brother had mentioned some rumors about bullying and persuasion tactics. He was doing some more digging, but if that was true, I would be stepping in immediately.

If they’d sold their property, though, it boded well for me. It meant that her parents might be moving closer to the city. She hadn’t told me anything about it, but she didn’t seem very inclined to share anytime soon.

I was holding out the hope that we could fix that within the days to come. I already had a planned seduction in my mind. I wasn’t the smoothest orc in the world—and some might argue that I was, in fact, the least smooth—but I was still an orc and orcs won their mates no matter what.

I would follow in the proud footsteps of my ancestors. Ancestors who had much greater barriers to break down with their own mates. Narrowing my eyes on my female, I promised myself that she would be mine soon. I just needed to find a way to get her to fall for me.

This is harder than I thought.

Finding things that tickled my female’s fancy was turning out to be almost impossible. She’d loved the clothes and accessories that I’d bought her, so I’d gotten her a new dress. The form-fitting sheath had earned a frown and a glare.

Failed.

The diamond choker that I’d presented her with one morning at breakfast had earned a gasp and then she’d snapped the case closed and pushed it as far away from herself as possible. So much for females liking shiny things.

Failed.

The deed for a house in the suburbs just fifteen minutes away from our penthouse had earned an indignant screech.

“Dristan, what the hell is this?” she demanded, her hands shaking as she held the paperwork.

“I thought your parents might like to move closer,” I told her, watching her reaction and realizing that this was going to be another flop.

“I don’t need you to buy them a house,” she gasped, shoving the deed back at my chest. “I’m sorry, but you’re starting to make me uncomfortable. Please. Stop.”

Failed.

That was when I realized that I needed to start with smaller gestures. Less expensive gestures. My female was an excellent chef. I’d been gratifying my appetite with her food for a couple of weeks now, fairly gorging myself on whatever she’d made. But I also figured that she needed a break.

My plan was to spoil her with extravagant food instead of her having to cook every day. I’d requested a special meal for dinner.

I rubbed my hands together as we made our way up the elevator and she eyed me suspiciously.

“You’re acting odd,” she said, before she pointed an accusing finger at me. “Did you buy another house?”

“No,” I told her, scoffing. “That would be ridiculous.”

She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, but I heard her. “It was ridiculous the first time.”

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