Page 37 of The Boss

What exactly for I wasn’t certain, but I had a feeling it would come to me the more time I spent with the man. By the time I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was certain no one else was in the house. I walked in bare feet, not making a sound, hoping my mind would remember the direction of the kitchen.

I found it easily enough, the setting of the room exactly as I remembered, but the appliances had been replaced with a dark granite shade, the cabinets refaced and even the granite countertop was a brighter color than before. The space was beautiful, but there were no flowers on the table or pictures on the walls. I didn’t see a single kitchen towel or a bowl of fruit anywhere.

Everything was in its place, the fragrance of vanilla and apple, not a pot pie that couldn’t have come out of the oven more than forty-five minutes ago.

Maybe there was a second kitchen meant for staff. I placed the tray on the counter, searching for a trashcan and a dishwasher. I’d never felt so awkward in a space. Even the dishwasher was empty, but I placed the plate and fork inside anyway.

“I have staff to do that.” His deep, velvet voice sent a shower of tingles through me, my core heated to the point of eruption. I was suddenly breathless, clenching my fists together to avoid saying anything that would set him off.

“Staff? I’m perfectly capable of cleaning up after myself.” I slowly turned around and was struck by the clothes he was now wearing. He was barefoot, something I only remembered seeing when we’d gone snorkeling right off the beach by his house. With a thinner, half sleeve sapphire shirt, the color bringing out his eyes, I was momentarily mesmerized.

Even the light-colored denim pants he wore seemed an odd choice for him.

But extremely sexy.

His scent was intoxicating, dark embers of smoky wood and spices, with a hint of the forest as well as the ocean. The combination was powerful, just like the man who’d interrupted my life.

Or he would say keeping me alive.

I backed all the way against the counter, holding my breath while he scrutinized me. I was certain I looked a mess to a man such as him. Well, tough. It wasn’t every day that… No, I couldn’t go down that road again.

“I have no doubt you can do anything you put your mind to, Willow.” When he used my name this time, I didn’t need to feelany level of emotion for him to know he was hurting inside. He made certain everyone else saw him as the powerhouse he was required to be, but this was his house.

Although I wondered why he was here and not the house in the islands. “I like to think I can.”

The awkwardness we shared seemed more pronounced. “You should get some sleep.”

“Did my brother call?”

“No.”

“He’s not going to. Is he?”

Dimitrios moved closer. “I don’t know, but I’m beginning to believe he can’t.”

“You mean he won’t.”

“One or the other.”

I looked away, tamping down another wave of anger. While I might not have the different stages of grief correct, I felt myself inching closer to total terror. Not just fear of the unknown or what I would do without them but utter, blinding terror.

“Why are you in this house? The beach house seemed more like you.”

He laughed given my question was so out of the blue. “My parents want me to move into the house. They plan on spending their retired years on a yacht they recently purchased.”

“A yacht. Of course. People who retire with your kind of money do so on a yacht. This just doesn’t seem like you. I really likedthe other place much better. There were more… sensuous vibes. Maybe that sounds crazy.”

His chuckle stopped, but I could tell he was using those piercing eyes of his again to search my soul. If I dared look at him, I knew in my heart he could tell what I was thinking.

And what I hungered for.

“Not at all. Perhaps I’ll take you there in the next few days. Good memories are important.”

There was no reason to feel even more anxiety, but I did, instantly driven into a slight panic attack.

“What’s wrong?” He had a sense of urgency in his voice.

“Nothing. Not really. No, everything. Everything is wrong. Can’t you see that?” I was a damn chicken, immediately trying to skirt around him so I could bolt from the room.

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