Dante Rodrigo was anything but happy as he stared at the people standing before him while he was sitting—lying down—on the floor!
The annoying part was that he had been knocked out by a mere woman with a frying pan and in his freaking home by an unfamiliar person at that!
His eyes narrowed into slits when she gazed at him with a triumphant smirk on her lips, babbling that she had caught a thief.
Great! Now he's a thief in his own house, he simmered inwardly.
He made eye contact with Lee and the old man paled instantly. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as the butler hurriedly walked towards him.
"Why are you looking so scared, Lee? I knocked him good," the mysterious woman questioned still looking smug.
"B-boss!" Lee stuttered helping him to his feet.
He stood up dusting his one million dollar suit.
"Take this to the dry cleaner." He discarded the suit handing it to Lee.
"Oy! You don't have any right to talk to him like that!"
Dante rolled his eyes. He was getting fed up with this girl and she had just been in his presence for—he glanced at his watch—three minutes and forty-five seconds. What can he say? Time was money.
"Shh!" Lee shushed her, "He's the boss, Natalie."
She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, the boss of breaking in."
Dante resisted the urge to chuckle. It was clear she wasn't fully awake.
"Not that..."
He rudely interrupted Lee.
"I'm Dante Rodrigo, Natalie. Your boss."
The satisfaction he got from seeing her stunned reaction will forever remain branded in his memory—maybe he was exaggerating because he's got a lot of use for his memory—the way her mouth had snapped shut and opened up again forming an 'O' shape and the way her jaw had dropped to the floor.
If he was in a good mood, he might have probably captured her reaction on a camera but he was not in a good mood.
He was stressed from work and he just wanted to have a warm shower and a long night but now he's got a headache to worry about.
He massaged the back of his head seething with anger as he entered his room slamming the door in his butler's face.
Hopefully, by the time she succeeds in picking her jaw off his expensive floor, she would already be out of his house.
The nerve of that insolent wench...
The door swung open pulling him out from his thoughts. He saw Lee standing in front of the door scowling at him.
"I was right behind you, Dante!"
He glared at Lee. He was in a foul mood and not ready to play favorites.
"Congratulations on being behind me now tell me who the fuck is that crazy bitch in my living room?!"
Lee opened his mouth to reply but he cut him off and continued, "If you needed a good fuck you could have done it outside not in my house!"
"Natalie is Chloe's nanny, Dante not my sex mate!" Lee snapped.
He opened his mouth then shut it again, shaking his head furiously. "No freaking way. That crazy-ass bitch can't stay here I'm ordering you to fire her!"
"I'm sorry I can't do that, Dante."
Dante looked taken aback as he stood up from his bed heading to the balcony grabbing a bottle of wine on his nightstand.
"You are countering my orders?"
Lee smiled. "I'm not Sir, just think about this rationally."
Dante glared at him. "I'm not thinking about shit. I don't give a fuck, the bitch wanna tell me she didn't recognize me?"
Lee chuckled softly, "As a matter of fact she didn't."
"Oh crap! Is there anyone that doesn't know me?"
"Turns out there is, Dante."
Dante cocked his brow at him, "You think this is funny?"
"No, I think you're having a hard time believing that someone doesn't know you."
Dante glared harder at his butler. "Get out and call me that girl!"
~~~~*
Natalie stood in the sitting room trying to make sure it wasn't her boss that she had almost killed—death by frying pan—he was just knocked down and she may have been the reason for that.
How was she supposed to know her boss will be creeping into the house way past midnight and Lee had said he will be coming back tomorrow.
Technically though, tomorrow was today but that doesn't mean he has to come home by this time.
She heard raised voices from upstairs but couldn't make out what they were saying. A few minutes later she heard the opening and closing of a door then saw Lee stomping stairs.
"He's asking for you, Natalie," he said to her.
She frowned. "Am I getting fired, Lee?"
He gave her a small smile, "I'm not going to let that happen."
Letting out a shaky breath and giving him a small smile, she headed upstairs taking her time climbing the stairs.
She reached the imposing door on the left-hand side and gulped nervously before knocking. No one answered.
She tried again and nothing happened. She pulled the door open and heard the shower turning off from the bathroom and the door opening as her boss stepped out.
Shit! He was bathing.
Her throat suddenly went dry as she stared at the well-sculpted person before her.
He had wavy brown hair that was dripping wet with water, his well-chiseled jaw and his clean-shaven face, his full pink lips, and his chest...
She wanted to place her head on his chest and run her hands over his abs. He was indeed a sight for sore eyes.
"First you clobber me over the head and now you're gawking at me? Pathetic."
She looked up and met his eyes, steel-blue eyes as hard as ice and deeper than the ocean stared back at her.
"What do you have to say for yourself, Natalie Tyson?" She saw the smirk on his lips and the tiny frown etched on his face when she still kept quiet.
"Cat got your tongue?!" He snarled.
She glared at him. He may be her boss but he had no right to speak to her in such a rude manner.
"With all due respect sir, I'm sorry about the frying pan incident and I'm not gawking it's not a bad thing to admire God's creation. I'm only trying to be respectful."
Natalie noticed he gave her a startled look before composing himself and slipping back into his facade.
"Oh, you talk?"
She took a deep breath and counted to ten chanting in her mind, 'my boss is an asshole don't kill him' before she flashed him a polite smile and replied. "Yes, Sir."
"Now let's get one thing straight, Natalie," he began in a serious voice, "I don't like you and I don't want you in my house so get lost!"
"You egotistical bastard! You can't fire me without a reason," she said through gritted teeth. She was having a hard time controlling herself.
"What? You almost gave me amnesia with the way you clobbered my head and now you are insulting me."
She opened her mouth to respond but someone else beat her to it.
"It was an honest mistake which she has apologized for because she didn't know it was you!" Lee snapped at her boss.
"Oh please!" He rolled his eyes at Lee, "you expect me to believe that she doesn't know Dante Rodrigo?"
Natalie frowned.
Who the fuck does this man think he is? She wanted to snap at him again but caught Lee's eyes.
"I didn't know you were my boss, it was a misunderstanding," she said in a clipped tone.
"I told you, Dante."
"Oh come on are you buying this, Lee?" He asked the butler a look of surprise on his face, "how could she not possibly know, maybe she's a spy sent to kill me and she almost succeeded earlier."
"Stop acting childish, Dante!" Lee snapped.
Natalie refrained from rolling her eyes. Now she knows where his daughter's dramatic personality came from. They had both called her murderer in one day. Bravo!
"Fine, I'm gonna put you on trial," her boss spoke up again, staring at her.
"Trial? What does that even mean?" She questioned frowning.
"Don't interrupt me again!" Dante snapped at her.
Ugh! Take it easy frowny pants!!
"Sorry, boss," she replied meekly while holding her triumphant smirk.
"You are free to continue working here but if anything even the slightest unfortunate incident happens to my daughter, I'll kick you out of here!" He threatened.
She gave him a small nod, "I understand, Sir."
"Daddy!"
Natalie turned around just in time to see a flurry of pink bounce past her into Dante's arms.
"Honey, why are you awake?" Her father asked.
Natalie frowned when the kid turned and fixed her with a piercing look, a smirk on her lips, "Nanny Nat forgot to tuck me in properly!"
Natalie sighed. Like father, like daughter.
"I felt like murdering him so he won't have that smug grin on his face!"Natalie frowned when she noticed how her friend's eyes twinkled with laughter."It's not funny, Lexi!"Lexi raised her hands in mock surrender, "I'm sorry but dang, that shit was savage!"Natalie glared at her while Lexi shrugged."I mean that's a nice way to greet your boss," Lexi giggled, "but it's the first time I've seen you so worked up over a guy.""Focus, Lexi!" She snapped, "I've been given an ultimatum at work and Chloe doesn't seem to be helping matters."Lexi frowned, furrowing her brows in surprise, "Chloe is your boss kid?""Yeah, but her name is the least of our worries!" Natalie snapped."Oh no, the name is the beginning of wisdom," Lexi shook her head in disagreement.Natalie gave her friend a weird look, "I remember that's not how it goes in the scripture.""Not important!" Lexi screamed, "What's your boss's name?""Dante,"
"Great! It just had to be her!!"Natalie rushed into the school hospital and saw Chloe glaring daggers at her as the school nurse attended to her.She had received a call from her school principal earlier and had rushed to see her. She was even surprised wondering why the principal hadn't called her father."Chloe, what happened to you?" She questioned taking in the disheveled state of the girl.Her immaculate white shirt was not smudged with dirt and wrinkled, she had a split lip and her skirt was torn slightly.Chloe smirked at her. "I got the other girl real good."Natalie followed her eyes and gasped. The second kid was lying on the bed, bruises on her wrist, and her right leg was hanged in a cast."Chloe, what did you do?" She asked, narrowing her eyes slightly."You have no right to even try and scold me so just zip it!" Chloe snapped.Before Natalie could respond, the door opened and the principal stepped in."Ms. Ty
Dante woke up with the incessant ringing of his phone. Grabbing his phone, still drowsy he tapped the answer screen."Dante, speaking.""Mr. Rodrigo it's Principal Curtis."His eyes flew open immediately as he heard the sharp voice on the other end of the line."Madam Principal, what a pleasant surprise." He stifled a yawn struggling to sit upon his bed."Are you still in bed, Dante?"Dante rolled his eyes at her pathetic attempt of trying to sound sexy. She had been trying to seduce him since he registered his daughter in her school and truth be told she was a very beautiful woman but he didn't like older women."No, Mrs. Curtis I'm wide-awake," he replied in a professional voice."Then get your ass to my office right now with your daughter!" She snapped.He heard a click and knew she had hung upon him. She hated the fact that whenever she attempted to flirt with him he would give her cold shoulders.He massaged his te
Dante was furious with himself as he drove away from his house and went straight to his office.It had taken everything in him to not kiss her again. She wasn't a mere nanny, she was a very beautiful woman with her long jet-black hair, her deep brown eyes, her luscious curves that had been beneath him last night, and her plump red lips that he had kissed.He could still remember her taste, she was so divine and he marveled at himself. He hadn't wanted any woman as much as he wanted this woman. Other women had thrown themselves at him but this one wasn't even trying and that baffled him.Dude, she kneed you in the balls, his mind designed to point out.He swerved his car into the parking lot, his face void of any emotion as he stepped into the Rodrigo Empire, a facade for all grandpa's other businesses.The security officials at the door pushed open the double glass doors for him, giving him a quick bow that he barely acknowledged.He stepped i
Natalie sat down on the Queen sized bed staring at the room decorated with lots of pony and unicorns designs. The Spongebob bedsheets were neatly arranged but the kid decided she would rather pace up and down than sit her butt down.Her concern wasn't Chloe's pacing, she was taking pity on the poor ground that had to suffer Chloe's stomping."Don't give me that look!"Natalie shrugged giving her an odd look. "You've been pacing since you got back from school!""Because the driver told me daddy went to the airport that's why he didn't pick me!" She cried.Natalie furrowed her brows in confusion. "So? He probably went to pick up some of his business partners."She rolled her eyes and Natalie couldn't help but frown.What was her deal anyway? She wondered curiously.The doorbell rang and the kid was scurrying out of the room faster than lightning"Hey! Chloe, wait for me!!" She yelled trying to catch up with the girl racing down the
Natalie frowned when her door was rudely swung open by none other than her royal bitchness, Sophie."Ever heard of knocking?" She asked fixing the brat a hard glare."What are you doing here?" Sophie asked Dante, ignoring her.Natalie was having none of that but she maintained her composure gritting her teeth."I just came to talk to her, Sophie," Dante replied.Natalie couldn't help but follow his hand movement as he tugged at his hair, looking frustrated."Since when do you talk with the maid in her room with the door closed?"Natalie face-palmed. At this moment she was getting ready to snap."No need to cause any trouble, Sophie," Dante snapped grabbing her wrist."Yes, better take her away!" Natalie snapped angrily."Now she's talking back at me!" Sophie cried glaring at Dante.Natalie rolled her eyes. "Please, stop being dramatic and leave."As if encouraged by an external force, Sophie whirled around and b
"Come out now and I may consider sparing your life!"Natalie's head jerked up as she locked eyes with the blue-eyed man."Grandpa!" Dante hissed.She was right, after all, he was Dante's grandfather, she mused as she walked towards them."Dante, you've not only gotten yourself a girl who ruined your engagement but also a spy?"So, she wasn't good at making first impressions, so what?You feel bad, her mind snickered.She ignored the tiny voice in her mind and focused on defending herself."I'm sorry, sir. I didn't mean it like that."She approached him cautiously with a smile."I'm sorry about Sophie it was a huge misunderstanding, one I'd be ready to clear up.""Oh of course you will clear it up," the man replied with a smug grin."Grandpa, I already told you it's not possible," Dante said th
Six Years Ago."Natalie, go get your brother, we have to eat lunch!"Natalie chuckled stepping out from her room to see her mom looking exasperated and glaring daggers at the retreating figure of Noah."Nat, can't catch me!" He yelled giggling still running towards the shed.She gave her mom a small shrug and headed to the shed at the back of the house where she was sure Noah was hiding.Opening the door to the shed, she grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt."You little brat!" Then she proceeded to tickle him."Let me go!" Noah giggled as she continued her ticklish assault on himJust then they heard the crunching of car tires in their driveway.Noah bolted for the garage."Daddy!""Noah, wait!" Natalie exclaimed grabbing his wrist and pulling him back.