Tiger in Her Bed

Blood drained from her face. She wanted to disappear from where she was sitting, if she could. She covered her face with her hands, unable to look at Quinn any longer.

Unable to face her boss.

“It did happen, didn’t it?” she said in a small voice. “I thought it was a dream.”

“It did happen.” Quinn sounded rather annoyed.

Was he mad about this? But he was the one who kissed her. How was that her fault?

“I’m so sorry,” she said automatically, placing her hands on her lap.

“Well?”

“It won’t happen again.”

Quinn narrowed his eyes. “You have to take responsibility for this.”

“Ah yes, of course. Wait… you make me sound like I got you pregnant or something,” Vanessa blurted. “You’re the one who kissed me.”

He looked as if about to laugh but covered it with a frown instead. “This video has become viral. The problem is, my mom happened to see it. Then, my uncle. My brothers. Practically my entire family. And my mom, God bless her heart, has been bugging me about grandkids since I hit thirty-three. What a pain she is. Anyway, my phone has been ringing off the hook since she saw this video. She wants to meet you.”

Vanessa sat ramrod straight in her chair. “Why? I’m not your girlfriend.”

“I told her you are.”

“Why on earth did you do that?”

“To keep her off my back. You have no idea how persuasive she can be.”

“That’s sneaky.”

Quinn placed his phone next to his laptop. “We have a family get-together this weekend in Aspen. Mom expects me to bring you.”

Vanessa opened and closed her mouth. She shook her head. “No, no, no. Leave me out of this. You’re the one who lied to your mother. I won’t be a part of your charade.”

Quinn tsked. “That’s too bad. I already told her you’d come.”

“No way. I’m terrible at lying. I won’t go.”

One of his eyebrows arched. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

Crap. “Are you going to fire me if I refuse?”

He shrugged. “It’s very tempting. I do have the power, after all.”

“You’re not being fair.”

“I did ask you to take responsibility for this.”

Vanessa threw him a dirty look. “Do I have a choice?”

“Then it’s settled. I’ll pick you up Saturday morning. Six o’clock at your home. I have reserved two tickets to Denver.”

Argh. This wasn’t happening. “You didn’t even ask if I have a boyfriend befo—”

“You don’t have one.”

“How do you know?”

“I’m your boss, aren’t I? Naturally, I know a lot of things about my employees.”

Vanessa was defeated. She couldn’t find a way out of this situation. Lord Demon had her exactly where he wanted. “Fine. But as soon as the weekend get-together is over, you have to tell your mom we’re breaking up.”

In response, Quinn only offered a smile. Whoa. He smiled. Hell was freezing over.

A predatory, triumphant smile.

Chapter Two

She insisted he pick her up at the end of the block for some unfathomable reason, and Quinn agreed to do so. He turned the car engine on the moment he spotted her walking to the bend of the sidewalk. Vanessa looked haphazard, like always: windblown hair, fresh face, rosy cheeks, and the fashion sense of a thirteen-year-old boy. All those attributes should put off a sensible man like him. But no. He was wildly attracted to her.

Correction: the moment he laid eyes on her, he was crazy for her. And what amazed him was, after all this time, she was completely oblivious to the signals he’d sent. Vanessa Lyle might be a genius at work, but in real life social interactions, she was absolutely dense. She lived in her own world, but at times, she’d amazed him with her sincerity.

She intrigued him. She was a puzzle he wanted to solve.

Quinn had never met anyone like her.

And he wanted her… badly.

He powered down the window to let her know he was here. She grinned and padded to his car. For the three-day weekend he had planned, she only carried a backpack. Ever so practical. Typical of her. He’d known some women who would’ve brought three suitcases, not to mention a purse, makeup trunk, and all the rest.