Free Deacon: A BWWM Billionaire Romance by Paige Notaro

already. I know she hadn't for work though. Her boss had been kind enough to give me a list of her assignments when I requested her on the team. They were all within the US.
    Now, I was offering to send her on my company dime – for business, yes, but with me there, too. A little enthusiasm would have been nice.
    Maybe she needed inspiration. I ran my foot along her shin again. She yanked it away, but kept looking up. Not even the smile you'd get from a tickle.
    I ground my teeth and went on to the numbers portion of the presentation. Maybe I should focus on business for now, too. Problem was, it was just some bullshit for Jesse. I'd had three verifications already, between, me, internal accounting and Trey.
    I had better things to do than to sit in on a consulting meeting. This was all for Kiara. Hell, if I thought about it, I owed Jesse a favor.
    I finished droning on, but the bean counters kept scribbling excitedly. Kiara's notes were far fewer, but I looked over and saw some sharp observations.
    “Well,” Phil said from the other end. “We appreciate the level of detail, Mr. Stone. It's always good to see a leader at your level take such bold moves.”
    “Evolve or die,” I said. “Those are the rules of this world, right? I'm sure every change that led to humankind seemed ludicrous until it worked.”
    “Except the ones that led to a dead end,” Kiara said softly.
    I smiled at her. Guess our game was back on. “You disapprove of this business move?” I asked.
    “It's not my call.” She said very carefully. “You're making the decisions. All I can do is serve.”
    Something wasn't right. I leaned in, but she ducked her eyes.
    “As Kiara says,” Phil spoke up from the other end, “we're all here to serve. And I think all of the prodigies in this room share your view. Grow or die.”
    “Right.”
    I tried to lift Kiara with my gaze, but it didn't work. There was my foot, of course, but that seemed far from the right gesture for the moment. Phil kept talking though.
    “So our team will be led by Leo Ginsberg. He's actually headed to Harvard Business School later this year, but you'll get to hire him while he's still cheap.” Phil chuckled.
    “It'll be an honor to help you, Mr. Stone,” a round, energetic voice said.
    I glanced over. Leo was a solemn ginger boy with a block face and glasses. He looked smart, but that wasn't the point of all this.
    “Leo, you sound like a swell guy and all, but I'm a Wharton man myself. I was actually wondering if the team leadership could fall to-”
    A sharp little heel struck me in the calf. I bit my lip. Kiara had scribbled a giant “No” facing me on her sheet.
    “Actually,” I said, swallowing my tongue. “Never mind, Leo. I think you'll do an amazing job.”
    I surveyed the entire room. “In fact, I'm sure you'll all do an amazing job.”
    The smiles on their faces were genuine now, from their eyes to their ears. Why in the world was I not seeing it on the one face that mattered?
    I pulled my phone. “Phil,” I said. “Would you mind if I had the room? I've got a small conference to hold.”
    “Of course, Mr. Stone.” He and the consultants scattered to their feet. Kiara tried, but I weighed her hand down with mine. The edges of her eyes simmered, but that didn't stress me. I just wanted to know why.
    Phil hustled the consultants out, then waited at the door.
    “I'm gonna need Miss Martin present for notes,” I said.
    “Ah,” he shot her a last look, then shut the door.
    I ducked down into Kiara's vision. “Are you alright?”
    Her words came through gritted teeth. “Get you hand off me.”
    “What?” I tore my palm away. “Sorry, sorry, did I hurt you?”
    She yanked back, crashing her chair into others further down the table. She strangled her armrests and just sat huffing at me.
    I had seriously fucked something up here.
    “Tell me what I did, darlin'.”
    Her eyes condensed to coals.
    “Am I a human to you?” she