Page 54 of Reckless Hearts

“Uh,okay…”

“From your tone just now,” he growls quietly, “and from the way your eyes are barely restrained from rolling back, I can only assume you’d like to say something to me. Some feedback, perhaps?”

“Honestly?”

“By all means.”

I smile curtly. “I don’t think there’s any reason for you to be such a dick.”

His jaw tenses. A not-so-little voice inside my head screams “what the fuck is wrong with you, you idiot” about five times in a row.

“Dahlia,” he growls quietly. “Have you ever known menotto be a cold-hearted, mean, dick of a bastard?”

“No,” I blurt quickly.

“And what exactly would lead you to assume things would be any different in my personality department today?”

I purse my lips, saying nothing.

“Because if it’s that my fingers were inside your pussy while you came all over them like a horny little slut last night, you’re sadly mistaken.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

My jaw drops halfway to the floor as I stare at him.

“I…that…” I stammer. “That’s not what I—”

“I’ve got a very full day, Dahlia. What. Do. You. Need.”

I swear to God, I’m going to choke this douchebag with his God complex.

“I need a tool.”

Goddammit.Really?

The second it flies out of my mouth, I wish I could shove it back in. But I can’t, and so I have to stand here withering under the smug grin on Deimos’ face.

“Interesting way to proposition your boss. And given that the rest of the staff hasn’t been hired yet—”

“For putting all of that shit out there together,” I hiss with steaming hot cheeks. “Like a screwdriver.”

“And you assumed I would have one in my office?”

“I, uh, well…” I frown. “Yes?”

“Guess again. Also, not my problem.”

“It’syouroffice.”

“Andyourjob.”

“For which I’m not being paid, may I remind you.”

Deimos sighs, bringing a hand up to rub his temple. “Dahlia, I have a headache.”

“Really? Good.”

He ignores the jab. “If you’d like to make a complaint about internships in general as a social construct or institution or whatever, I don’t know, go whine about it on the internet or something. But don’t do it to me. Again,your jobis to do what I tell you to do. Today, that means putting together the desks and chairs out there. And now, I’m getting very stressed out because of all the shitIhave to do, and there are only two solutions to that. Would you care to know what they are?”