Page 11 of The Rancher's Secret Relationship

"You like him more than you like me," he finished for her.

Her eyes widened. "No, of course not—-"

"Then you like me?"

"I don't—-"

His lips tightened. "I knew it. You were just lying earlier. You don't like me."

"But I do—-"

"I thought so, too," her too-handsome boss purred, and Kady, seeing the wolfish gleam in Slade's eyes, almost groaned at the realization that he had set up the whole thing.

"You're impossible," she burst out, sheer exasperation for once winning over the usual nervousness his proximity evoked.

He tsk-tsked. "You mean irresistible."

"No, I do not—-"

"Of course you do," he asserted silkily. "You're just having a hard time admitting the truth to yourself."

Kady could only shake her head. "You're so hard to understand—-"

"That's fine, little chick. I won't hold it against you," he said generously. "As long as you're attracted to me, it's all good—-"

She almost choked. "Mr. Wyndham!"

"Slade," he reminded her.

"If I call you Slade," Kady couldn't help muttering under her breath, "will you at least promise to stop this?"

"This?"

She made a face. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Perhaps you should spell it out," he suggested, "just so I can be certain we're thinking about the same thing."

Squirming once again, Kady found herself practically choking on the word. "F-Flirting."

"Ah." Laughter flashed in his gaze, and Kady realized he had simply once again manipulated her into doing something she didn't want.Aaaaaargh!

"So you think I'm flirting with you," Slade drawled.

The words caught her off guard. "But...I...you..."

"Are correct, of course," he cut in with a grin. “Iamflirting with you."

Kady had the craziest urge to slam her head on the coffee table.Repeatedly."Please stop making fun of me. I really don't get it, especially after..."

Slade's smile disappeared at the way Kady suddenly stopped speaking. "Especially after what?"

"I know what happened to the other waitresses," she revealed in a small voice. "Farica—-"

Should've kept her mouth shut,he thought grimly.

"She told me how all of them had done their best to hook up with you, and that at least one of them had even threatened to sue you for sexual harassment." The only reason the case hadn't even seen the light of day was how every square foot of the cafe was under CCTV surveillance, and the footage had proved very damning...against the women.

"So you see..." Lowering her gaze to her lap, she mumbled, "I just don't get why—-"

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