“This job is my everything.”
Her boss relaxed. His ghostly smile lingered. He waved her off. “I’m not going to fire you for our little… ahem… indiscretion. The company rewards or punishes employees based on his or her work performance. You have been a great asset to us, especially during development of The Northmen Saga. I would never dream of letting you go over something so trivial.”
Vanessa could not believe what she heard. “So, you’re not going to fire me? I get to keep my job?”
“Yes, Vanessa, you get to keep your job.”
The weight on her shoulders suddenly lifted. She couldn’t believe this turn of events. She kept her job. Kept her pet project. She was having a hard time containing her grin. She’d jump around and dance if she weren’t in Quinn’s office right now. She couldn’t wait to tell Stephen.
“Thank you. I’m so relieved. I better get back to my work.” Vanessa started to rise from her seat.
“Sit down. We haven’t finished.”
She paused. “We haven’t?”
“Not in the slightest.”
“Oh.” She sank her butt back in the chair.
“The reason I called you is that we have a problem that needs to be addressed quickly.”
“What kind of problem?”
Quinn took his phone and swiped his finger across the screen. After a few scrolls, he showed her. Vanessa craned her neck over Quinn’s desk, watching what appeared to be a YouTube video.
She widened her eyes, and couldn’t believe what she saw.
Someone had secretly taped Quinn kissing her at the New Year’s Eve party. She was giggling merrily in it, draping herself over Quinn’s arm as he led her from the restroom. She said something to him and Quinn suddenly pushed her against the wall and kissed the life out her.
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.
“Did you wait long?” she asked.
“About ten minutes.”
“Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, my gorgeous roommate would love to take my place and she’s free this weekend. Unlike me, she’s good at lying. I haven’t told her, but I’m sure she won’t—”
“Get in!” His voice was harsher than he intended. He didn’t care. He was tired of chasing her with subtle signs. She wouldn’t recognize seduction if it hit her straight in the face. This time, he would stake his claim in a way she’d never misunderstand.
Vanessa looked deflated. “All right, all right. Geez.” She motioned to him to open the trunk.
She put her backpack in, then climbed into the passenger seat. “Nice ride.” She took off her parka and put on the seatbelt. Quinn read the slogan on her t-shirt and swallowed his grin.
It said: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
Her sense of humor never failed to amuse him. Vanessa never cared about her appearance. While the girls at the office were always dolled up, she was the only one who dressed in what she found most comfortable. Shirts with sarcastic remarks. Baggy cargo pants. And she seemed to be the only female immune to his charms.
Quinn knew he was pleasant-looking and many women fawned over him. Vanessa seemed to be the only one who was not interested in him. Yet, somehow, it wounded his pride a bit. He got used to the attention lavished on him by the opposite sex. He wished Vanessa would look at him in a different way. Her aloofness made him want her even more.
Also, the tiger inside him became excited when she was within his reach. Quinn had a hard time controlling the urge to shift. His cock stirred in his pants when he caught a whiff of her scent. She had just taken a shower. Her hair was slightly damp. The aroma of strawberry and citrus from the shampoo wafted his direction. Vanessa never wore perfume. She
rarely put on lipstick. Even then, she was beautiful. Quinn never liked women who painted their faces excessively. The natural beauty of a woman should never be concealed under layers of thick makeup.
“You changed shampoo?” he asked.
Her eyes widened. “How did you know?”
“I’ve got a good sense of smell.”
“Wow. I ran out mine so I stole my roommate’s. Why? Does it smell weird?”
“No. I like it. You ready?”
“I guess.”
He glanced at her before he slowly drove the car onto the street.
Vanessa was a natural redhead. Her hair was long which she always tamed in a ponytail or simple braid. She usually wore unfashionable thick glasses as if she deliberately wanted to repel attention from the opposite sex. But not today. He’d seen her without her glasses before, when she broke her frames and had to wear contacts. She had big, brown eyes with sinfully lush lashes. It complemented her pale, alabaster skin. Her nose was pert and she had cupid bow luscious lips. Lips that begged to be kissed.
“What happened to your glasses?” he asked.
“I tripped and broke them yesterday. So I’m wearing contacts.”
“You tripped? Where?”
“When I was walking home. Some neighbor’s dog chased me because I forgot I had a ham sandwich in my pocket. It was my lunch.”
He had a hard time controlling his expression. Never a dull moment with Vanessa.
“Quinn,” she began, “the people at the office knew about the video.”
“And?”
“Aren’t you even a little bit concerned?”
“No.”
He glanced at her again. She looked at him as if he were crazy. “I’m surprised you’re acting like nothing happened. Everybody in the office was hounding me nonstop. Especially your fangirls. Jesus Christ. They drive me nuts. I think I’m the most hated gal in the universe, right now. They asked me what I said to make you kiss me like that. I told them my memory was fuzzy. I didn’t remember much. What did I say to you?”
A pang of disappointment jabbed his heart. “You truly don’t remember?” He knew it was mainly the alcohol talking when she brazenly waltzed up to him at the New Year’s Eve party and planted a playful kiss on his lips. But then she whispered seven words that made his resolve crumble–the words he’d desperately wanted to hear all along: Quinn, I want to be your mate.
To a human, it might sound trivial, but for a shifter like him, it was everything. Humans got married and divorced all the time. Mates were forever--the mantra his mother told him over and over since childhood.
His mother had been a widow for ten years since his father succumbed to his illness. But not a day went by that his mother had forgotten about him. She still set plates for dad at the dinner table. She chose the clothes he was going to wear in the morning, even though at the end of the day, they all went straight back into the closet. The memory of dad lived in her heart.
Vanessa wrinkled her nose, thinking hard. “No, I don’t remember.”
“I’m not going to tell you then,” he decided.
“Why not?”
“You need to find that out yourself.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
“I don’t get it. Did I ask you to kiss me?”
He only smirked.
“Did I blackmail you?”
“You don’t have dirt on me.”
“Then what it is? The suspense is killing me.”
“Patience is a virtue, Vanessa.”
She gave up. “Right. Quinn Alexander, man of mystery.”
He snorted. The traffic was bad but they’d still get to the airport on time. From JFK, they would fly straight to Denver. His family had a vacation home in Aspen. Since his father passed away, his family always had a get-together after the New Year when everybody wasn’t constrained by their schedules. His mother was born and bred a socialite; she was always busy with her galas and charity dinners.
His brother Trent was an intelligence office in the Air Force so he was rarely home. His youngest brother, John, was a music producer. He split between his residences in New York and LA. The few weeks after the holiday were the only time the family could find time together. That was why his mother had insisted she meet Vanessa this weekend.
Quinn was an introvert when it came to his personal life. So when the video of him kissing a girl surfaced, his mom pressed him to introduce her.
Vanessa cleared her throat. As if she was channeling his thoughts, she asked, “What did you say to your mom about me?”
“Hmm? I told her you’re my girlfriend.”
“Did she asked how long had we been dating? Where did we meet? Don’t you think we should come up with a story first? You know, coordinating our lies?”
“She knows you work for me. And you are one of our star employees.”
“You don’t seem very concerned about this. Don’t blame me if your mother finds out about our charade.”
“My mom’s just happy I’m bringing home my girlfriend.”
“Why is that?”
“I’ve never brought one home before.”
She gave him a weird kind of look. “Why?” she asked. “A man like you must have a lot of girlfriends.”
“None that I would take home to meet my mother.”
“Why is that? Wait, let me guess, they didn’t meet your parents’ standards.”
“It wasn’t like that. I just never met the one.”
“I never pegged you as a romantic.”
His jaw twitched. “What about you, Vanessa?”
“I’m not a romantic. I can tell you that.”
“Even a village idiot could see that.” A question sneaked into his mind. “What kind of guys have you dated in the past?”
“I’m not going to discuss my personal life with you.”
“We’re not at work. I’d like to know more about you.”
“There’s nothing interesting about me.”
“Let me be the judge of that. How many guys have you dated in the past?”
“Why, Quinn, that’s awfully personal.”
“I thought we’re having a discussion to establish our story. Don’t I need to know that kind of information?”
She cringed. “I don’t date.”
“Ever?”
“Not in the sense of a relationship. I hate complication and drama. I prefer to keep things simple.”
“So, you never had a boyfriend, ever?”
“I had one in college.”
“And?”
“Once I saw past his cute face, his intelligence and emotional level left a lot to be desired.”
That made him smile. “And are you seeing anyone now?”
“I thought you already knew that? Or were you bluffing?”
“I’d like to reaffirm my observations about you.”
“Uh-huh. You know I practically live in the office. I don’t have time to date.”
“Are you celibate?” He knew he was pushing it, but he was fucking curious.
“Ha! Do I look like a saint?”
Quinn waited for more but she didn’t seem inclined to share. She was puzzling and it only made him more frustrated. Even though she didn’t pay much attention to her personal appearance, men still looked at her. He knew that for a fact. She honestly had the prettiest smile, and her sense of humor put guys at ease. Once someone got to know her, it wasn’t hard to fall for her. Was she a one-night-stand kind of girl? She wasn’t a virgin, was she?
Her cell rang and it sounded like work. She talked on the phone for a minute.
“Who was it?” he asked.
“Stephen. There’s a bug in the Northmen 2 user interface. He’s already talked to the programmer about it, but I need to rewrite in Render Mania,” she answered.
“You can do it on the plane.”
After that, their conversation drifted into her current project. They arrived at the airport and
boarded a plane to Denver. From Denver, he rented a car and drove to Aspen.
During the flight and the drive, Vanessa was busy working on her laptop. Quinn had never seen anyone so dedicated to work. She was different than any woman in his acquaintance. Most chicks always bored him to death with never ending chatter about themselves.
Vanessa only had eyes for her job. The job was her world. During her time with the company, she had created a render engine program that was beyond her time and had proven an invaluable piece of game engineering. Because she worked under the company when she authored it, her invention became Animatrica’s secret weapon. Suffice it to say, Vanessa was actually the one who made him and the company wealthy.
She tuned out her work when they entered Aspen. Somehow, she looked nervous. Probably the prospect of meeting his mom made her anxious.
“I probably should wear something more appropriate if I’m going to see your mom,” she said out of nowhere.
Quinn stole another glance at her karma T-shirt. A smile blossomed at the corner of his lips. “You’re fine the way you are.”
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“You know what? This might work. If I were shabby, your mom might not like me. And she would tell you you’re better off without me.”
He tsked. “She would do no such thing. My mom isn’t vain.”
“Any mother would want his son settled down with the most eligible girl out there, don’t you know that? My mom does.”
“Does she want you to settle down with the most eligible bachelor out there, too?”
“No, surprisingly. She has a low expectation for me when it comes to men.”
“Why is that?”
“She knows I’m the odd duck in the family. I have two beautiful sisters destined to lead easy lives. My mom has high expectations for them, but for me, she knows I’m smart enough to fend for myself.”
“That doesn’t sound fair.”
She let out a soft laugh. “Life isn’t fair. In a perfect world, everybody would look like supermodels, be rich as Croesus, and have an IQ like Einstein.”
That got him to smile. “I heard your mom is an actress.”
“Was an actress. She did B-movies in the past and then had some Broadway gigs. But these days, she’s a part-time acting coach and a full-time pain in the ass.”
Tiger in Her Bed Revised Kindle Page 2