I ignored the look. “And please make Henry feel secure. My former nemesis said he’s worried he’ll be let go. Who knew he was annoying because of his insecurities?”
“Nemesis?” Paul was still staring at Kian before he cleared his throat. He chugged the rest of his drink and gestured to the bar. “Okay. Yes. Well. Happy birthday, Jo…rdan. And I’ve no doubt you’ll be fine from now on, and remember, give me a call whenever you want your old job back.” He tried to hide a grin.
It was silly, wanting to return to my hostessing job, but hearing those words made me feel good. Maybe someday I could be a normal girl again.
“Thank you, Paul.”
He tugged at his shirt collar. “On that note, I need another drink. I’m off the clock tonight. Might as well make the most of it.”
I waited until he was gone and signaled for one of the guards. He dispatched from the wall immediately and came to our side, turning so that he was blocking everyone from coming over. Kian watched me, knowing there was something on my mind.
I shifted closer to him. “You own this place?”
Kian stilled, holding my hand. “Who told you?”
I gave him a look. “If you were to guess?”
“Snark.” His eyes rolled upward. “He really is your father figure.”
“What do you mean?”
“He confronted me about it a while ago. I asked him to keep quiet. I was going to tell you, but I wanted the right time.”
“Why?” I leaned in close.
I could almost feel everyone’s eyes on us, but I was getting used to it. Even in this room, I knew these people, but the sight of Kian and me being together still drew attention. It was one of those things that I didn’t think would change anytime soon.
Kian looked down into my eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered there for a moment before going to touch my lip for a split second. He lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Being my real boss would’ve scared me?” But I thought about it. It would’ve made me wary, if I hadn’t known his feelings.
He nodded. “I bought it for two reasons. The first was to piss off my dad.”
His father had been approving of me more lately, but Kian told me that he hadn’t been in the beginning. He still didn’t want his father anywhere near me.
“Did it?”
“Yeah.” His hand rested on my hip, pulling me a little closer to him. “My dad didn’t understand why I wanted to see you or why I wanted your help with the building. He just listened to his advisors, and at that time, his advisors weren’t pro-Jordan. They wanted me to have nothing to do with you.”
I knew all of this.
The advisors changed their minds when Kian stated he wouldn’t leave me. They either accepted him with me or he’d leave the company. He had a similar showdown with his parents, and it was enough to change their minds. His parents reluctantly became pro-Jordan.
“And the other reason?”
His hand tightened on my hip, his fingers sinking into my skin. His eyes darkened with lust. “Because I wanted to make sure you always had a job, if you wanted it.”
A lump was on the bottom of my throat. “I wasn’t working here when you were released. I started a few days later.”
“Cal told me you worked here every summer. If you came back, there’d always be a spot.” A quiet laugh left him. “I wasn’t looking for you that first day, when we ran into each other outside of here.”
I tilted my head up to him. “You weren’t?”
“I didn’t even know you started working here. I was coming to look over the place.” His eyes switched, trailing over my shoulders. He nodded toward where Paul was at the bar, talking with the bartenders. “I had a middleman between your boss and me, so even he didn’t know about me, not until your real identity came out. The next day, he found out who I was. I’m glad I bought it. It’s a good investment, no matter what, and you can always work here.”
“As a hostess?” I teased.
“No.” He grew solemn again, glancing back to my lips. He moved closer, his face only a few inches from mine. “You can manage it with him, if you want to. I don’t care. I just wanted you not to have to worry about one more thing. That’s all. I wanted to take care of you.”
“Thank you.” Suddenly, I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to be in a room full of people, even if they were people I knew. I wanted to be with him and only him. I lifted my lips and grinned up at him. “Can we leave?”
Kian’s eyes darkened, and he grinned. He murmured right before touching his lips to mine, “I thought you’d never ask.”
“Nemesis?” Paul was still staring at Kian before he cleared his throat. He chugged the rest of his drink and gestured to the bar. “Okay. Yes. Well. Happy birthday, Jo…rdan. And I’ve no doubt you’ll be fine from now on, and remember, give me a call whenever you want your old job back.” He tried to hide a grin.
It was silly, wanting to return to my hostessing job, but hearing those words made me feel good. Maybe someday I could be a normal girl again.
“Thank you, Paul.”
He tugged at his shirt collar. “On that note, I need another drink. I’m off the clock tonight. Might as well make the most of it.”
I waited until he was gone and signaled for one of the guards. He dispatched from the wall immediately and came to our side, turning so that he was blocking everyone from coming over. Kian watched me, knowing there was something on my mind.
I shifted closer to him. “You own this place?”
Kian stilled, holding my hand. “Who told you?”
I gave him a look. “If you were to guess?”
“Snark.” His eyes rolled upward. “He really is your father figure.”
“What do you mean?”
“He confronted me about it a while ago. I asked him to keep quiet. I was going to tell you, but I wanted the right time.”
“Why?” I leaned in close.
I could almost feel everyone’s eyes on us, but I was getting used to it. Even in this room, I knew these people, but the sight of Kian and me being together still drew attention. It was one of those things that I didn’t think would change anytime soon.
Kian looked down into my eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. His hand lingered there for a moment before going to touch my lip for a split second. He lifted a shoulder. “I didn’t want to scare you.”
“Being my real boss would’ve scared me?” But I thought about it. It would’ve made me wary, if I hadn’t known his feelings.
He nodded. “I bought it for two reasons. The first was to piss off my dad.”
His father had been approving of me more lately, but Kian told me that he hadn’t been in the beginning. He still didn’t want his father anywhere near me.
“Did it?”
“Yeah.” His hand rested on my hip, pulling me a little closer to him. “My dad didn’t understand why I wanted to see you or why I wanted your help with the building. He just listened to his advisors, and at that time, his advisors weren’t pro-Jordan. They wanted me to have nothing to do with you.”
I knew all of this.
The advisors changed their minds when Kian stated he wouldn’t leave me. They either accepted him with me or he’d leave the company. He had a similar showdown with his parents, and it was enough to change their minds. His parents reluctantly became pro-Jordan.
“And the other reason?”
His hand tightened on my hip, his fingers sinking into my skin. His eyes darkened with lust. “Because I wanted to make sure you always had a job, if you wanted it.”
A lump was on the bottom of my throat. “I wasn’t working here when you were released. I started a few days later.”
“Cal told me you worked here every summer. If you came back, there’d always be a spot.” A quiet laugh left him. “I wasn’t looking for you that first day, when we ran into each other outside of here.”
I tilted my head up to him. “You weren’t?”
“I didn’t even know you started working here. I was coming to look over the place.” His eyes switched, trailing over my shoulders. He nodded toward where Paul was at the bar, talking with the bartenders. “I had a middleman between your boss and me, so even he didn’t know about me, not until your real identity came out. The next day, he found out who I was. I’m glad I bought it. It’s a good investment, no matter what, and you can always work here.”
“As a hostess?” I teased.
“No.” He grew solemn again, glancing back to my lips. He moved closer, his face only a few inches from mine. “You can manage it with him, if you want to. I don’t care. I just wanted you not to have to worry about one more thing. That’s all. I wanted to take care of you.”
“Thank you.” Suddenly, I didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to be in a room full of people, even if they were people I knew. I wanted to be with him and only him. I lifted my lips and grinned up at him. “Can we leave?”
Kian’s eyes darkened, and he grinned. He murmured right before touching his lips to mine, “I thought you’d never ask.”
