Forbidden Grumpy Boss (Damaged Daddies #2)

10. Silas

Chapter ten

Silas

It’sfunny how quickly everything can go from simple to absolutely fucked.

One minute, I’m showing up at my best friendHarvey’s mansion with a bottle of wine, expecting a casual dinner and maybe, ifI’m lucky, some good whiskey. The next minute, I’m standing here, staring intothe eyes of the woman I just proposed to. The same woman I had no idea wasHarvey’s daughter.

Yeah,absolutely fucked.

And Leah? She looks just as stunned as I am,her brown eyes wide with disbelief. There’s no way she knew, either. At least,I hope to God she didn’t know. Because if she did, if she’d kept that from meall this time—no.

No, she didn’t. I can see it in her face. Herexpression’s too raw, too unguarded, for this to be some kind of setup.

But we both play it cool. We have to. Harvey’sstanding there, grinning like he’s just invited his two favorite people in theworld to dinner, and I’m holding a damn bottle of wine like it’s a peaceoffering.

“Leah, Silas is practically family,” Harvey’ssays, beaming at us like he’s proud of himself. “Silas, meet my daughter,Leah.”

Leah and I glance at each other briefly—toobriefly, like we’re strangers.

I hold out my hand, feeling the sweat on mypalm as I shake hers. Her grip is firm, her nails cool against my skin. Forjust a second, I’m back in that hotel room in Rome. I can practically feel herskin against mine, the way her body moved with mine. But I can’t go there now.

Jesus Christ, what the fuck?

“Nice to meet you,” Leah says, her voicesteady, though I catch a slight tremor. She’s good at this—too good. Her pokerface is better than mine right now.

I clear my throat, trying to smile. “Likewise.Harvey’s told me a lot about you.”

Liar. I didn’t even know her name untiltonight. What the hell kind of friend am I? I didn’t even know my best friend’sdaughter’s name.

There’s a beat of awkward silence beforeHarvey steps in, clearly unaware of the tension simmering between us. “Rosetta!Come up here and carve this bird.” Then he looks at me and Leah and says,“Let’s dig in.”

Dinner begins, but I can only think of Leahseated across from me. I don’t look at her. I can’t. For some reason, I feellike Harvey will catch me staring at her and realize I slept with his daughter.

Harvey starts. “So, Leah, what’ve you been upto? You’ve been in New York for a while, haven’t you?”

“A few months.” She pokes at her food with herfork.

“What are you doing for work?”

I see her bristle at the question, her lipstightening into a thin line. Her eyes flick to mine, and for a split second,there’s a flash of something sharp there—anger? Amusement?

“Personal assistant.”

Harvey frowns. “What’s that?”

“I’m a personal assistant to a tech CEO,” sheclarifies.

Harvey glances at me as if to say can you see what I’m dealing with? “WhichCEO? What’s his name?”

My pulse hastens as I put a piece of meat inmy mouth and grind it until it disappears.

“I’d rather not say.” She shrugs. “I’mthinking about quitting, actually,” she says, keeping her gaze locked on mine.“Maybe find something better.”

Lizzie, Harvey’s latest girlfriend, who’sseated at the table like some overinflated Barbie, tilts her head in confusion.“Why would you quit? What’s wrong with your job?”

Leah barely suppresses a smirk. “Well, my bossis kind of an asshole.”

I almost choked on the sip of wine I justtook.

Harvey, oblivious, pats me on the back. “MaybeSilas here can talk some sense into you. Hell, why don’t you come work for me,darling? I’ll make sure you’re in good hands at the company, not with these menwho don’t know what they’re doing.”

I grit my teeth. If only he knew. Leah’s eyesgleam, and I know she’s enjoying this just a little too much. I don’t know ifit’s the wine, but her tongue seems sharper. Biting, teasing, a little wicked.

Dinner drags on, and I can’t stop glancing ather across the table. She’s dressed in a sleek black gown that stops just aboveher knees, showing off legs that have haunted me more than I’d care to admit.Her chestnut-colored hair is straightened and loose, falling over one shoulderlike a shiny shadow. I’ve never seen her look more beautiful, more untouchable.

Finally, Harvey excuses himself to take aphone call, and Lizzie stumbles off to bed after her fourth glass of wine. Themoment we’re alone, Leah stands abruptly, nodding toward the balcony.

“We need to talk.”

Without waiting for a response, she headsoutside, the cool night air sweeping in through the open door. I follow her,the tension in my chest tightening with every step. The sky is cloudy, and afaint breeze makes her hair dance around her face as she leans against therailing, arms crossed.

“How the hell is Harvey your father?” I blurtout once we’re out of earshot.

Leah whirls around, eyes flashing. “How thehell is Harvey your best friend, and you never said anything?” Her voice is lowbut furious. She’s pacing now, her shoes clicking on the tiled floor of thebalcony.

I raise my hands defensively. “I didn’tfucking know! I swear to God, I had no idea you were—”

“Oh, please,” she snaps, cutting me off. “Youdidn’t know? You’re telling me you’ve been best friends with my father for howlong, and he never mentioned it? He never mentioned me?”

“I didn’t, and he does mention you, but whenhe does, he either says my darling or my daughter ,” I explain. “You told meback in Rome that you were estranged from your dad. You never said his name,and I wasn’t exactly going around introducing my friends by their full names!”

She glares at me, her chest rising and fallingas she struggles to get her breathing under control. “You should’ve known. Mylast name is literally Grayson .”

“And what about you?” I shoot back, steppingcloser. “You didn’t recognize my name? You didn’t think to mention that the guyyou hooked up with in Rome just so happened to be your father’s best friend?”

She opens her mouth, then shuts it again, likeshe’s searching for a retort but can’t find one. Instead, she hisses, “Did yousleep with me in Rome because you knew? Was it some kind of sick fantasy,Silas?”

I laugh, but it’s bitter. “You walked into myhotel room, Leah. I didn’t exactly plan for that to happen.”

Her eyes narrow. “You’re deflecting.”

“I’m not—” I pause, realizing we’re both onthe verge of yelling. I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady.“Look, I didn’t know. And yeah, it’s fucked up, but what do you want me to say?I didn’t plan any of this.”

She’s staring at me like she wants to punch meor maybe kiss me. Maybe both. The tension between us is electric, like italways has been. But now, it feels more dangerous than ever. She looks gorgeoustonight. Her dress clinging to her curves, her skin glowing in the moonlight.

She’sangry, but it only makes her more beautiful. Her breasts are heaving in herlow-cut dress, but I keep my eyes on her face.

“I should be the one pissed off,” I mutter.“You seduced me.”

Her laugh is sharp, cutting through the nightair. “You wish.”

We’re inches apart now, and I can feel theheat radiating off her. There’s a flicker of something in her eyes. Somethingdark and hot. And for a second, I forget where we are. I forget that Harvey isinside, that this is his daughter, and that this is all kinds of wrong.

She steps closer, her breath warm against myneck. “I’m saying yes, by the way.”

I blink. “To what?”

“To the fake engagement.”

“What?” I pull back slightly, searching herface. “Why?”

She shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Because Iwant to help Caleb. You saved my life in Rome, and I feel like I owe you. Thisis my chance to even the score, so I’m taking it.”

Her lips are cherry red and full. Why can’t Istop staring at them? The wine. It must be the wine.

I open my mouth to argue, to tell her it’s aterrible idea, that I wasn’t thinking straight when I suggested it. But insteadof doing any of these things, I do the most illogical thing I can do. I pullher close.

And then, she kisses me.

It’s sudden and fierce, her lips crashingagainst mine, and all the air leaves my lungs. Her hands are on me, pulling mecloser, and I can’t stop myself from kissing her back. God, I’ve missedthis—missed her.

My hands find her waist, then slip lower,grabbing her ass through her dress. It’s fleshy and soft in my large hands. Shemoans softly against my mouth, her fingers trailing down my chest, lower, untilshe finds me hard and ready through my pants.

“Leah,” I mutter against her lips, trying tostop this before it goes too far. But then her hand presses against my cock,and I lose all coherent thought. She strokes my length through my pants, and Ifeel myself swell in her fingers. My grip tightens against her ass as I pullher closer against me.

Just as I’m about to lift her onto the balconyrailing, I hear a voice.

“Everything okay out here?”

Harvey’s voice snaps me back to reality, and Ipull away from Leah so fast it’s like I’ve been burned. She steps back, too,her lips swollen, her hair a mess, but thankfully, Harvey doesn’t seem tonotice.

He’s too drunk. Thank God.

“Yeah,” Leah says, her voice a littlebreathless. “Just getting some air.”

Harvey chuckles, completely oblivious. “Don’tbe too stiff, Leah. Silas is a good guy, even if you hate me.”

She shoots me a look. A look that tells methis isn’t over. “Thanks for dinner, Dad. See you next year.”

“Leah—"

She walks away. And as does, her hips swaying,I can only think one thing:

I’m glad she accepted my offer.