Page 12 of The Shy Waitress and Her Boss

Kady watched her boss take a seat on the couch.

The billionaire's gaze turned thoughtful. "It's your choice," he said pleasantly. "Do you sit next to me—-" He tapped the extra space on the couch. "Or on my lap—-" He had barely finished talking when Kady hastily took her place next to him, and Slade grinned. "Thought so." He gestured to the selection of drinks he had taken out of the minibar. "Pick your poison."

"Just apple juice, if that's okay?"

He glanced at her oddly. "It's your drink."

Kady avoided meeting Slade's curious blue eyes at his words, not wanting to tell him the countless times Margaux's boyfriends had made fun of her every time she refused to drink alcohol with them.

Seeing Slade cut his sandwich into halves and realizing he was going to offer her one, Kady started shaking her head-—

"Your choice again," he reminded her. "Do I feed you or—-"

She practically snatched the halved sandwich from his hands. "Thank you very much," Kady said quickly.

Seeing her hesitate, he said gently, "You can say grace."

A small, shy smile flashed on her lips. "Thanks." As soon as she was done praying, he saw her take a huge bite right after, and the billionaire had to cough to hide his laugher, knowing that it was her way of giving him zero chances to change his mind.

After taking a bite of the sandwich, he remarked casually, "Good, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir."

The billionaire grimaced. "Shouldn't you be calling me Slade by now?"

Kady started squirming. "It's just..."

"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?"

---