Chapter 16

I look behind me to see a charming smile and gleaming amused eyes. I recognize him. He was with Vanessa and her family earlier.

“Leon.” He says to me, holding out his hand.

“Lily.” I say taking it and allowing him to grasp my fingers and raise my hand to his lips for a chaste kiss.

“A pleasure.” He responds still smiling in a way that gives me no choice but to smile back.

“Leon!” Vanessa snaps. “You’re publicly defending this woman, this outsider, over protecting your own sister?” The other woman’s voice drips with venom. The word “outsider” makes me roll my eyes. This isn’t a cult for heaven’s sake.

“Vanessa, don’t be so dramatic.” Leon says, his voice teasing, “You’re hardly engaging in a duel on the back lawn.”

Vanessa scoffs and rolls her eyes at her brother before turning on her heel and making her way out the door, her entourage right behind her.

“Excuse my sister.” Leon leans down and says quietly, as though telling me a secret. “She has a penchant for theatrics.”

His mischievous grin is charming. This one could be trouble for some girls.

“Well, thank you for stepping in. Excuse me.” I say trying to step around him to go to the kitchen.

“You’re Julian’s girl, aren’t you?” Leon asks, stepping in front of me, though not really blocking my way. Just getting my attention.

I nod, “Julian is boyfriend, yes. Now, excuse me, you’re between me and the coffee.”

“Well, hurry back and I’ll tell you all about your boyfriend’s secrets.” He says with a wink.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“I’ve known Julian for years. Our family and his have been close for generations. I can tell you all about him and his filthy rich family. Including the things you might not want to know.” He smiles good-naturedly, then it starts to fade, and a look of concern fills his eyes.

I stop, coffee forgotten. “Like what?”

A look of hesitation crosses his face, and I start to get impatient. He seems nice, but I can see he’s leading up to trying to tell me something and he’s starting to deflect.

“You’ve come this far, just tell me. How bad can it be?” I ask with a laugh to try to put him at ease

“You seem like a really nice girl, Lily.” He finally says. “Far be it from me to tell a woman what to do, but the Whitmore family isn’t like other families. Julian is the Whitmore heir, and Adrian will do everything in his power to break you two up. I just don’t want to see you get hurt. These people are powerful.”

“What are you trying to say?” I ask, starting to get a little offended at his attempt to scare me.

“Run.” He says. “That’s my advice, for what it’s worth. Leave Julian behind and run.”

“Uh, huh.” I say unimpressed even though a sense of unease fills me at his warning. “Tell me, Leon. Is that the best you can do? Because as far as attempts go to scare me off for your sister, it’s pretty uncreative. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve waited long enough for my coffee and then I have to get back to work.”

I step past him and take a few steps toward the kitchen when he stops me again. “Lily.” His tone, this time, is lighter and back to its teasing charm. I stop and face him again.

“May I?” He asks, before reaching for my shoulder to where the strap of my tank top has slipped. He lightly adjusts it back to rest in place, his eyes dancing with humor. Words escape me and I struggle for a reply as I fight the blush threatening my cheeks.

“Lily, may I speak to you a moment.” A level voice says behind me. “Excuse us, Leon.”

I turn around to see Adrian, the picture of imposing grace with his hands clasped down in front of him.

“Of course.” Leon says dropping his hand from my shoulder and giving the older man a courteous bow of his head, but I swear there’s an annoyance to his tone.

Once he is gone and out of ear shot, Adrian says softly, “Be careful around him. Leon is not a good man.”

“What did he do?” I ask confused. It was only a brief interaction, and though I knew Leon was definitely a flirt, he didn’t seem dangerous.

“Don’t worry about that. It’s not for you to concern yourself with. Just stay away from him and focus on Grace.” Adrian says, his tone level but a little clipped.

I feel my frustration rising and my teeth clench. I struggle for the words to respond.

Now I see where Julian gets it. Those few moments where that tough guy attitude came to the surface. Except Adrian delivers it with a controlled command. As though he doesn’t believe I would challenge him. I always hated it when people tried to push me into a corner or treated me like something wasn’t worth explaining to me. Like I wouldn’t understand so I should just do as I’m told. It makes me feel small and there’s nothing worse than that.

I take a deep breath, fighting to control my temper so I don’t lash out like I sometimes do when it feels like someone is trying to control me.

“You may be my boss, but you aren’t my keeper. Why do you think you get to tell me who I can and cannot speak to?” I ask, knowing I haven’t quite succeeded in keeping the bite out of my voice.

Adrian leans in closer and though he seems a little angry, he answers in a calm, even tone. “Because you are my son’s girlfriend.”

I flinch, feeling defensive. My heart pounds a little faster and it takes me a moment to find my voice. “Do you think I’m going to cheat on Julian with him? Or maybe you’re just looking for something to break us up so he can find a girl more suitable to your standards.”

He goes still and then says, “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

"I think it is.” I say, not really believing him.

“It’s not.” He insists, looking a little more tense as I push him, but he doesn’t explain himself, which pushes my temper right over the edge.

For just a moment, I don’t see my employer in front of me. I see an overbearing man trying to control me and I can’t stand it. My heart continues to pound, and a rush fills my ears. I struggle a moment for the words to tell him exactly what I think of his commands, but they just won’t come.

I’ve been pushed down and diminished my whole life. I won’t let him do it to me now. “You know, I really thought you were a good father, but I was wrong.”

He stills again but says nothing as he waits.

“You want to split Julian and I up, but that’s not what he wants, and you don’t seem to care about what he wants or his happiness. Now it’s happening with Grace. You heap material things and activities on her, but you don’t care about her emotional well-being. You don’t see that she’s just a lonely, scared kid looking for love and companionship. Things money can’t give her.” I rage at him, holding nothing back and not caring how hard the words land. This could get me fired, but at this point, I just don’t care.

Adrian’s eyes are hard and his face is tense. He’s restraining his anger. “Gace has been through a lot. I’m not going to push her into something she isn’t ready for.”

“Why not? Pushing people around seems to be something you do well.” I say before trying to walk around him

I don’t get far before his large hand is around my arm and he’s pulling me further down the hall. My back meets the wall and he leans in, his eyes heated with his barely contained temper.

“You think you know everything, do you?” He asks, he voice deep and laced with frustration. “Maybe you think you can teach me something about being a daddy? Or maybe you just need a little discipline because I only hire good girls.”

My heart is racing now, and my body feels warm. The heat and smell of him permeates the air around me and I can’t breathe evenly.

Adrian seems to remember himself and taking a breath, straightens and backs a step away from me, controlling his temper. Finally, he says, “Leon won’t be coming to this house again. Go back to the veranda.”

I take a breath and smile as sweetly as I can, before saying with my voice coated in sugar, “Yes, daddy.”

As I walk away, the tension radiates off Adrian in waves.