Page 34 of Ace of Spades

When she sees the unsatisfied look on my face, she adds. "So… how'd you convince Brody King to give you a job after all?" She reaches for another tool and expertly spins it in the air before using it on the mirror.

"I didn't take no for an answer," I say, picking up a different tool when I see her struggling and hand it to her.

She eyes the offered item and takes it, lifting it up to me.

"Thanks."

The door to Levi's office opens and the sound of his angry boots strive to compete with the bass of the music.

"Sienna," he says gruffly. "A word.

The way he summons me is much like a school principal calling in a bad student to his office. I know it shouldn’t affect me, but the way his words come out, I wouldn’t mind getting punished by him.

"Oooh, looks like somebody made Daddy angry," Joey singsongs across the open bay. Benji knocks him in the back of the head, again.

Kim and I exchange looks and I hop off the stool I've made myself comfortable on.

"Guess the verdict is in. I'll see you in a few," I say to her.

"Maybe, if he doesn’t have you walking the plank," she says with a smug grin as I walk in the direction of the brooding beast.

His eyes are made darker by the scowl on his face. I stop just a few inches from him, once we’re both in back in his office.

"Yes, boss?"

He closes the door and lets out a low guttural growl, confirming exactly what I thought, the manisa beast.

"We've agreed to a thirty day trial," he says, reluctantly.

"And if you're not satisfied what do you expect to do? Send me back to the factory and get your money back?" I put a defiant hand on my hips.

"Look, I'm not happy about it," he says lowly. "But Brody, as you already know, has majority ownership and he seems to think you might be exactly what this place needs."

"That's because I am."

"You're too cocky for your own good."

"Confident," I assure him. "Not cocky, Mr. Steele. Big difference."

To that he looks me up and down, and it doesn't matter how confident I am, when Levi Steele looks at you like that—there's no hiding from his gaze.

I feel the blush in my cheeks.

"There are some ground rules,” he says.

"Let me guess, you don't kiss your employees? Tracking."

He swallows hard and shakes his head.

"Don't do anything without running it by me first."

"Anything?"

"Anything," he says.

"Seems excessive."

"Well, I can't just hand over shop tasks to a teenager without ensuring quality control."

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