Page 13 of The Shy Waitress and Her Boss

"This?"

She made a face. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Perhaps you should spell it out," he suggested, "just so I can be certain we're thinking about the same thing."

Squirming once again, Kady found herself practically choking on the word. "F-Flirting."

"Ah." Laughter flashed in his gaze, and Kady realized he had simply once again manipulated her into doing something she didn't want.Aaaaaargh!

"So you think I'm flirting with you," Slade drawled.

The words caught her off guard. "But...I...you..."

"Are correct, of course," he cut in with a grin. “Iamflirting with you."

Kady had the craziest urge to slam her head on the coffee table.Repeatedly."Please stop making fun of me. I really don't get it, especially after..."

Slade's smile disappeared at the way Kady suddenly stopped speaking. "Especially after what?"

"I know what happened to the other waitresses," she revealed in a small voice. "Farica—-"

Should've kept her mouth shut,he thought grimly.

"She told me how all of them had done their best to hook up with you, and that at least one of them had even threatened to sue you for sexual harassment." The only reason the case hadn't even seen the light of day was how every square foot of the cafe was under CCTV surveillance, and the footage had proved very damning...against the women.

"So you see..." Lowering her gaze to her lap, she mumbled, "I just don't get why—-"

"I'm different with you?" Slade asked.

Kady slowly nodded.

"To be honest...I'm not sure myself."

The blunt tone of her boss' voice had Kady looking up, and his lips tilted in a mocking fashion as her gaze tentatively met his.

"I've never been the jealous or possessive type," the billionaire shared pensively, "but there's just something about you that brings out the caveman in me. Having the ability to make you squirm and jump gives me unparalleled pleasure—-"

Kady's jaw dropped once more. Maybe she was reading him wrong, but wasn't he basically saying...

"I especially enjoy seeing you blush and trip—-"

"Are you basically admitting to being a bully?" she blurted out.

Slade's broad shoulders moved in a lazy shrug as he drawled, "I suppose I am, but..." Devilish amusement only served to turn her boss' eyes a more mesmerizing shade of blue. "I'm only like this with you, sweetheart."

"Only with...me?" Kady couldn't tell if she was being complimented or insulted.

"I'm afraid so."

"Because I'm...different?"

"Because you're different," he agreed.

"So if I try...acting like one of the other waitresses..."

The billionaire grinned, having no difficulty understanding the direction her thoughts had taken. "You could try," he acknowledged, "but you'll only be wasting your efforts. You'll be fantastically bad at playing the tart—-"

"You don't know that," Kady interrupted, just because she felt the need to defend herself.

---