A kernel of bitterness infiltrated my chest. It must be everyone’s mission to ruin my pleasant state of depression this morning. “Not that it’s any of your business,” I told her blandly, “but yes, I’m fully aware.” Ronan stepped through the doorway dressed in Givenchy, and by the hint of violence in his gaze, he’d overheard the conversation. What an eavesdropper. He sat down in his chair like any other morning. I was again invisible to Kylie as she turned her full attention to Ronan and worked on his place setting. It couldn’t be more obvious she’d waited to do it until he arrived. And, really, how many forks did he need? I buttered a piece of toast and ignored the scene while she spoke to him in Russian. “Tea. Then get the fuck out of my house.” My butter knife faltered for a split second. That was a, “You’re fired!” to rival The Apprentice. Kylie shot me a hostile expression as if it was my fault, quickly poured Ronan’s tea, and fled the room. “Do you seriously let people talk to you like that?” Ronan growled, his irate gaze on me. I avoided looking at him as if he were Medusa. “Like what?” “Don’t play games with me.” His anger chafed my skin. “She practically called you a whore.” The fact he was acting like he cared swept over me in an itchy wave of frustration, but if I didn’t contain all feeling, I was afraid I’d explode like Hiroshima. “You love calling me a whore,” I returned indifferently. “And you told me to not patronize your staff. I was just doing what you told me to.” With a growl, he gripped my face and turned it to his. I didn’t fight the hold, but I refused to meet his gaze. The eye contact would turn me to stone and then crack—right down the middle. “If you’re trying to please me right now, you’re failing massively.” “Just tell me what you’d like me to do in those situations, and I promise, PI do better next time.” “You can start by not pretending you don’t give a fuck.” When he released me roughly, I promptly turned my attention back to my plate. I knew he was talking about last night, but I played dumb. “I don’t care what your servants think of me.”