about thirty thousand from here and put it with this company, the risk would be relatively low and the chance of profit would be at reasonable levels.”
Akasha was fascinated despite herself. If I could invest something at fifteen percent I’d make a fortune! She lit a cigarette and struggled to hide her rapt attention. Silas’s client kept darting curious looks at her until she felt like standing up and screaming, “What the fuck are you looking at?”
Silas had ignored her presence up until then. “All right, Jonas, I think we have everything covered until next quarter.”
“Yes, m—”
Silas gave him a sharp look and slightly inclined his head towards Akasha.
“Yes, Mr. McNaught,” Jonas flinched and gave her another nervous glance.
Akasha frowned. What the hell was that? It sounded as if Jonas was about to call Silas “master” or “milord” or some other subservient term.
With narrowed eyes she watched Jonas scoop up his papers and stuff them quickly into the briefcase, cringing at Silas as if he expected a reprimand. The guy actually bowed when he left.
Now she was alone with Silas. The air suddenly charged with tension. Akasha tried to hide her shiver of trepidation with a swig of beer.
Her new guardian closed his laptop and met her gaze, his eyes still unreadable. “What were you doing with my car?” he asked softly.
Akasha knew she should apologize, but she had a perverse desire to see this calm, unshakeable businessman get angry. She wanted to see that cool façade shaken up.
“I told you, I had to go to a funeral,” she snapped. Unbidden, her voice softened. “I was running too late to hire a cab because I couldn’t figure out that damn phone you bought for me.”
Silas stood up and stalked over to her. “Ye should have told me that ye were needing a ride to the funeral.” A husky brogue crept into his voice. “I would ha’ arranged transportation for ye.” His green eyes seemed to glow but then an odd shadow passed over his gaze, sending heat through her belly. “I had thought ye ran away.”
“You’re from Scotland!” she exclaimed, finally placing the accent.
“Doon change tha’ subject, lass.” He sounded like Scrooge McDuck on a ‘roid rage. “An’ last time I checked, ye needed a license to be driving a car. Why, if ye’d been stopped by the police, no doot I would ha’ been nearly beggared paying for your bail and the impound fees.”
The sudden pang of guilt that struck Akasha was infuriating. “That’s what you get for taking me here and fucking up my plans. And by the way,” she retorted, “you should take better care of your car. The ‘Cuda needs a new clutch and it’s badly in need of a tune up. It’s practically sacrilege for you to neglect such a beauty.”
Silas’s eyes narrowed, ignoring her words. “What do ye mean I upset your plans? Had ye planned tae run away from the group home?”
Sucking in a breath at his intent gaze, she murmured, “No.”
His face was a study of confusion. “Well then what did I ruin for ye? Ye cannot tell me ye were happy in that place.” His voice grew hard and cold. “I willna’ tolerate lies.”
Akasha hid a shiver and rolled her eyes at his stupidity. “No, it sucked there, but as a ward of the state I qualified for financial assistance with the dual enrollment program and would have gotten grants for college next year. Now they’ll go off of your income and I won’t get shit. Hell, I’ll probably get kicked out of the program and have to finish my diploma at the high school with the rest of the jerks there.”
To her fury, Silas laughed. “Oh, is that all? Your dual enrollment is already paid for. And, I will pay for your college if that’s where you’re wanting to go.” His accent faded. “Now what do you plan to study?”
“Automotive and Business Management. I want to own my own shop,” Akasha blurted without thinking. Her fists clenched in annoyance that he got her off the subject.
Akasha was fascinated despite herself. If I could invest something at fifteen percent I’d make a fortune! She lit a cigarette and struggled to hide her rapt attention. Silas’s client kept darting curious looks at her until she felt like standing up and screaming, “What the fuck are you looking at?”
Silas had ignored her presence up until then. “All right, Jonas, I think we have everything covered until next quarter.”
“Yes, m—”
Silas gave him a sharp look and slightly inclined his head towards Akasha.
“Yes, Mr. McNaught,” Jonas flinched and gave her another nervous glance.
Akasha frowned. What the hell was that? It sounded as if Jonas was about to call Silas “master” or “milord” or some other subservient term.
With narrowed eyes she watched Jonas scoop up his papers and stuff them quickly into the briefcase, cringing at Silas as if he expected a reprimand. The guy actually bowed when he left.
Now she was alone with Silas. The air suddenly charged with tension. Akasha tried to hide her shiver of trepidation with a swig of beer.
Her new guardian closed his laptop and met her gaze, his eyes still unreadable. “What were you doing with my car?” he asked softly.
Akasha knew she should apologize, but she had a perverse desire to see this calm, unshakeable businessman get angry. She wanted to see that cool façade shaken up.
“I told you, I had to go to a funeral,” she snapped. Unbidden, her voice softened. “I was running too late to hire a cab because I couldn’t figure out that damn phone you bought for me.”
Silas stood up and stalked over to her. “Ye should have told me that ye were needing a ride to the funeral.” A husky brogue crept into his voice. “I would ha’ arranged transportation for ye.” His green eyes seemed to glow but then an odd shadow passed over his gaze, sending heat through her belly. “I had thought ye ran away.”
“You’re from Scotland!” she exclaimed, finally placing the accent.
“Doon change tha’ subject, lass.” He sounded like Scrooge McDuck on a ‘roid rage. “An’ last time I checked, ye needed a license to be driving a car. Why, if ye’d been stopped by the police, no doot I would ha’ been nearly beggared paying for your bail and the impound fees.”
The sudden pang of guilt that struck Akasha was infuriating. “That’s what you get for taking me here and fucking up my plans. And by the way,” she retorted, “you should take better care of your car. The ‘Cuda needs a new clutch and it’s badly in need of a tune up. It’s practically sacrilege for you to neglect such a beauty.”
Silas’s eyes narrowed, ignoring her words. “What do ye mean I upset your plans? Had ye planned tae run away from the group home?”
Sucking in a breath at his intent gaze, she murmured, “No.”
His face was a study of confusion. “Well then what did I ruin for ye? Ye cannot tell me ye were happy in that place.” His voice grew hard and cold. “I willna’ tolerate lies.”
Akasha hid a shiver and rolled her eyes at his stupidity. “No, it sucked there, but as a ward of the state I qualified for financial assistance with the dual enrollment program and would have gotten grants for college next year. Now they’ll go off of your income and I won’t get shit. Hell, I’ll probably get kicked out of the program and have to finish my diploma at the high school with the rest of the jerks there.”
To her fury, Silas laughed. “Oh, is that all? Your dual enrollment is already paid for. And, I will pay for your college if that’s where you’re wanting to go.” His accent faded. “Now what do you plan to study?”
“Automotive and Business Management. I want to own my own shop,” Akasha blurted without thinking. Her fists clenched in annoyance that he got her off the subject.
Similar Books
