As soon as the words leave my lips, I know they were the wrong thing to say.
She puffs out her chest, which unfortunately calls my attention to her breasts. “Isn’t it a bit presumptuous to claim your superiority when you’ve been here... What?” She raises her wrist and glances at her watch. “Six hours?”
It’s not. I’ve already created a long list of things that need to be tweaked and changed to increase production and quality. And that’s just on Jackson’s side of the business. But, since I’m not a complete idiot, I nod instead. “Give me a month, and you’ll see the difference. If I’m wrong, I’ll be the first one to step up and admit it.”
“Fine.”
Ah, the woman’sfineis a dangerous thing.
Her silver eyes narrow. “And stop calling me boss. The name’s Cat. Use it.”
“Done.”
She frowns, like she was expecting a fight. “Good.”
“Anything else?”
“I want to review and approve any changes before they are implemented.”
“Are you going to fight me over them?”
“I will if they’re stupid.”
“They won’t be.”
She smirks. “I’ll be the judge of that.”
I stare down at her, studying her intently. I can see her stubbornness; her heels are literally digging into the dirt under her feet. I don’t trust her to put the good of the operation over her desire to assert her authority over me.
“I’ll make you a deal. I will review everything with you, thoroughly explain my decisions and rationale. And in exchange, you let me do what I need to do without question before the opening.”
“So, what you’re saying is you want me to let you do whatever you want, even if I don’t agree? And what exactly is in it for me?”
“You don’t like me, right?”
Well, she actually likes me probably a little too much, and in all the wrong ways.
She shrugs. “Not particularly.”
I nod. “Give me six weeks, and if I don’t deliver on my promises, I’ll help you find a replacement and walk away. You’ll never have to see me again.”
She laughs, a hard little exasperated sound. “You do understand I could fire you whenever I want, don’t you?”
“Not without jeopardizing your brother’s opening, and I don’t think you’ll do that.” I lean in a little closer, close enough to smell what’s left of her perfume—something light and clean, not floral at all. If fresh-cut grass were a woman, it’d smell a lot like Cat. “There’s no one else. I know that. You’re stuck with me. Let me do my job, and I promise you won’t be sorry.”
She blinks. “I’ll give you the crops, but I retain personnel decisions.”
“Sounds reasonable.” I stick out my hand.
Her palm slides into mine, and when we touch, there’s the pulse of electricity again.
I meet her eyes. “Deal?”
She tugs her hand from mine. “Deal.”
Then she spins on her heel and takes off down the path, leaving me to catch up.
Well, this should be interesting.