The Billionaire's Assistant

Chapter 56

"What's next," Jove asked gently after a moment too long.

Kat looked down at the screen to review her notes so far, flustered at the abruptly broken spell.

"Um," she stalled, quickly typing what she'd missed after becoming caught up in Jove's story. "Um. Your first year of business, what did you learn then."

Jove nodded. "I guess I learned. I guess I learned about responsibility? Personal responsibility I mean. I learned that when you're in charge and something goes wrong it doesn't matter who's fault it is, it's actually your fault."

Kat nodded as she recorded his thoughts, encouraging him to continue.

I remember there was this huge distribution error that had multiple centers at a standstill and it had absolutely nothing to do with me, it was a department where I hadn't even hired the leadership, but when I went to report it to my dad, I was the one he yelled at. It felt crazy to me, but just a few months later it made perfect sense. I was the leader, my job was to be in charge, to lead. I can't take credit for the good and blame someone else for the bad. The outcomes, no matter what they are, are a product of my leadership. That's why I'm so obsessed with quarter over quarter growth. Everything that this company does, everything that it is, is a reflection of me. If it fails, I've failed. And I don't fail."

Kat shifted slightly in her seat, the hard edge beneath his voice stirring something within her.

"What, uh," Kat faltered, mentally paging through her list of questions. "What's your biggest strength?"

He shot her a devilish grin. "My looks," he deadpanned.

"No, really," Kat insisted. "What's your biggest strength and your biggest weakness?"

Jove looked upwards. "I don't really think I have a biggest weakness," he said thoughtfully. "Anything I consider a weakness I just strengthen till it isn't one."

"Everybody has a weakness," said Kat.

"My family, I guess," Jove said after a moment. "My dad can drive me crazy, nobody else can really do that, and my mom is the only one who can get me to stop working and take breaks when I don't want to, that's a weakness."

Kat laughed. "Taking breaks is a weakness? So what's this?"

"What's what?"

"What we've been doing. Has this not been one long break?"

Jove laughed and gave her a long look, a glint in his eye. He shook his head.

"No. I only do things that help me get what I want," he said, still staring her down.

Kat bit the inside of her lip in an attempt to mitigate her impending blush and tried to move on quickly.

"What about strengths? What's your biggest strength?" she rushed out.

Jove shrugged. "I like taking care of things. I actually enjoy it, it doesn't feel like a burden or a chore to me. I like caring and I like taking care. The fact that I like it makes my job so much easier, it makes me willing to do stuff other people in my position aren't. Just cause I like caring."

"Jove, that's."

Kat's mind flashed to her mother, the way she described her father and his propensity for care, his care for her mother, the world, for her.

"That's really sweet," Kat finished. "Like, really."

"What?" Jove asked with a smirk. "You didn't think I was sweet?"

"No, I'm serious," Kat redirected. "I mean, half the time you're busy being all flirty and charming or whatever but when you're actually being serious you're so unexpected, I never know what you're gonna say and half the time it's all deep or nice or whatever."