Page 36 of Winning Winnie’s Hand

His frown grew, his gaze penetrating hers with a scowl so intense, her heart stuttered. She could only imagine what she’d do if he eyed her that intensely with a look of something else…like admiration.

She blinked mutely at her rogue thoughts. They were to be coworkers. Anything else would be highly inappropriate.

“Why are you done?” she asked, focusing more intently on the conversation at hand. “Can’t you just talk to me about your concerns? What you’re worried about? What you’re angry about?”

He didn’t respond.

“Is it because you’re afraid?” she asked, knowing that would rile him up enough to give some sort of a response.

To her surprise, the anger dissipated in his expression, and he raised his chin with a calm sigh. “I won’t play your games, Miss Knox.”

“Winnie,” she corrected.

“Consultants are all the same,” he continued, as if not hearing her. “You all work the same.”

“And how do we work?” she asked.

“Without heart.”

Be like Fort Knox.

“Really?” she questioned.

“Yes. You come in, you decide what’s best for everyone, you make changes based on your opinion alone, then you say goodbye to anyone who can’t deal with it. It’s always the same.” He drew a step closer to her. “Just know, I’ll not allow you to sack a single soul.”

Winnie drew quiet breaths, strapping on more defenses one by one. For some reason, she had to do that more often with Matthew than with any other person she’d ever worked with before.

“I’m sorry you see me in such a way,” she said. “Because as I told you yesterday, that’s not how I work.”

“Whatever you say.”

“You don’t sound convinced.”

“I’m not,” he stated. “But it doesn’t matter. All I have to do is bide my time. You’ll be gone soon enough.”

Pride cinched around her heart, strapping it into place. “I can assure you, I’m here for the long haul.”

“We’ll see.”

He opened the door again. But Winnie, in all her impulsivity and ridiculousness, reached forward and pulled it shut once more.

He stared at her with a heavy sigh. “Is this what I’m to expect from now on? You controlling every little thing you don’t like that is happening?”

She smiled, attempting to lighten the mood, if only to make herself feel better from the lack of faith he had in her. “It all depends on if I get the help I need.”

He blew out a soft snort of derision. “Good luck with that.”

Now it was her time to blow out a breath. Honestly, this guy was going to be a lot of work. “Look, Matthew, what I saw at the faire back there⁠—”

“Festival,” he corrected.

“—was disappointing,” she continued. “There were so many flaws I noticed in the first few minutes, I almost gave myself carpal tunnel by writing them all down.” He didn’t like that. His frown made that clear enough. “But I also saw a lot of promising things, too. Honestly, there is no reason you guys shouldn’t be swimming in cash.”

“And you think you’re the one to make that happen for us?”

“Yes,” she responded with confidence. “I am.”

“And what makes you any different than every other consultant my dad has hired before?”