Page 68 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

“Jesus.”

“Yeah,Jesusis right.”

Penny briefly studies me, then asks, “Leah, are you falling in love with him?”

The question surprises me, even as I pretend it doesn’t. But Penny sees through me—she always can. I open my mouth, then close it, trying to find an answer that doesn’t exist.

I deflect. “That’s not the point. The point is, I need to figure out how to get Dad to back off before he destroys everything. Silas. Caleb. All of it.”

Penny rolls her eyes. “Oh, no. You’re not getting away with that. This isn’t about your dad. This is about you.” She leans forward, her gaze piercing. “Do you,” she taps my boob, “love him?”

I swallow hard, feeling my chest tighten.Do I love him?How can I trust him again after what he did in Rome? The memory of that still stings like salt in an open wound. The way he left me cold and heartbroken when all I wanted to do was try to help.

“I—I don’t know if I can trust him,” I finally admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “Not after Rome.”

Penny’s about to respond when my phone rings, vibrating against the coffee table like it’s got a grudge. I glance at the screen.

Dad. Of course.

“Perfect timing,” Penny says, rolling her eyes. “Put it on speaker. Let’s hear what Mr. Control Freak has to say.”

I hesitated but did as she asked, swiping to answer and putting it on speaker. “I don’t want to hear it, Dad.”

“I’m going to keep saying it till it gets through your skull,” he snaps.

Jesus, the man doesn’t give up.

“You can’t trust Silas, okay? He’s going to break your heart. I mean, the man is incapable of love, Leah!”

I make eye contact with Penny, who raises a brow. “What do you mean?” curiosity gets the better of me.

“How many men in their fifties do you know who have never gotten married?”

That’s true. Not a lot.

“That’s it?”

“You can’t trust that son of a bitch!”

I clench my jaw. “You don’t get to make that call for me. It’s my life, Dad. Just stay out of it! You did that already when I was younger, so why are you so concerned now? I don’t want nor do I needyourconcern!”

There’s a beat of silence. Penny is chewing her nails and looking at me like I’ve gone too far. I kill the embers of guilt starting to burn in my chest. No, I’m not sorry.

“Itisyour life,” he agrees, his voice quieter now but colder. “And I won’t hurt you, Leah. I never would, contrary to what you may think. But I can’t promise the same for Silas.”

His words chill me to the bone, the threat clear as day. My heart skips a beat, and I open my mouth to respond. But before I can, he hangs up.

Penny stares at the phone, her eyes wide. “Well, that was chilling.”

“Right?” I ask, staring at the phone, like a snake ready to strike. What the hell is Dad planning? What is he capable of?

Penny shifts on the couch, drawing her legs up and hugging her knees. “So . . . what are you going to do?”

I don’t know. I don’t even have a plan at this point. All I want to do is crawl under the covers and pretend this nightmare doesn’t exist. “Nothing,” I say, my voice tired. “For now, nothing. I just need to sleep and not think about this.”

Penny stands up, stretching her arms over her head. “Well, I’ve got a date later. Some guy I met at the gym. He’s taking me out for drinks, so I might not be here when you wake up.”

I raise an eyebrow, teasing. “You’re actually giving a guy a chance? Penny, I’m impressed.”

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