by Vella Day
“I know I told Sasha that you lived out of town, but if you plan to stay in Plux for any length of time, we can say that you couldn’t stand being without me and had to move here.” He planted a hand over his heart and leaned his head back in a dramatic fashion.
Now she was the one who laughed. “Is that so? Because you are so irresistible?”
He grinned, and she had to admit her leopard was clawing at her insides. “Does it matter? You said you owed me, right?”
She did at that. “Yes.”
“Then come to the dance and pretend for one night to be mine. If you can’t stand being with me, then I’ll say we broke up.”
“What are you going to say when Sasha asks you out again?”
Tanner gave her a hang dog look. “I’ll say I couldn’t possibly date anyone, maybe ever again. I’m so heartbroken that the woman of my dreams shunned me.”
She smiled. “I see you are quite the actor.”
“Trust me, in this business you have to be. I have clients who think I live to serve them, and I have to pretend they are right.”
Her mother seemed to think she and her sisters were there to serve her. “I can see where that would get you down.”
“It does, which is why I look like I haven’t slept in weeks.”
“You’re that busy?”
“You have no idea,” he said.
“What are you working on now?”
Sasha came over and placed both coffees in front of them. With absolutely no sparkle in her eyes, she asked what they wanted to order. Ella really didn’t care. She was enjoying having a meal with a man for a change. “The hamburger sounds good. Medium rare, please.”
“For you?” she asked Tanner. Not using his name spoke volumes about her disappointment.
“The same, Sasha. Thanks.”
Once more their server spun on her heels and strode back to the counter. “You were saying?” Ella asked.
Chapter Four
“My firm is building an eco-tourism park.”
“That sounds intriguing. Tell me more.”
For the next fifteen minutes, he regaled her with the plans for housing rescued animals who couldn’t make it in the wild, along with rides, restaurants, and a zipline.
“I’ve been working pretty much non-stop for the last year on this. It will be incredible when it’s done,” he said.
“I’m sure it will be. May I ask what you were doing near the Thedia border today?”
“We ordered some wood from there that couldn’t be delivered because of the heavy snow fall. I went to check it out.”
Ella sipped her coffee, and it nearly burned her tongue. “Hot.”
“Be careful.”
She liked that he worried about her. “I trust they were telling the truth? Thedia can become rather isolated due to the snow this time of year.”
“They were. I had figured as much, but my client was demanding answers.”
Sasha rushed over, placed both meals in front of them, and then strode off. “Someone’s upset,” Ella said.
“She’ll get over it. I hope. I honestly haven’t done anything to encourage her.” Tanner placed his napkin on his lap. “My last name is McCarson, in case anyone asks you.”
The topic of Sasha seemed to be closed. “If we are supposed to be together, I should know that. I mentioned I was Ella Snow.” Once more, she left off the last three letters of her surname just in case he knew of her family. It was doubtful he’d give her dad a call, but her father was in the construction business as well. The two might know each other.
“You mentioned you didn’t have a destination in mind when you set off on your journey. Why was that?”
Well, crap. This was just the sort of thing she didn’t want to get into, but she couldn’t leave him hanging. Telling partial truths seemed to be the best. “I was tired of living in a small town.”
“You might not like Plux then, even though we are growing.”
She didn’t want to mislead him. “It was more about being around my demanding parents that drove me away—or rather my demanding mother.”
“I see. Do you have any siblings who have those same desires?”
“I have two younger sisters, Mori and Christa. They both seem to like their lifestyle. My father is a powerful Clan leader who enjoys living a rather isolated lifestyle.” It was her mother who decided how her girls should act.
“You’re almost royalty then,” he said followed by a smile.
“I suppose.” Maybe she shouldn’t have divulged that. “Fun fact: I love to ski, and I’m quite good at it.”
Tanner waved a hand. “I tried it once, and I nearly broke my neck.”
“Then you didn’t have a good instructor.”
He pointed a finger at her. “Actually, I didn’t have any instructor. My family was dirt poor, but like all kids, I wanted to do what other kids were doing. One winter, I flew to Thedia, rented some skis, and took to the slopes. It was fun until I hit a patch of ice and went tumbling.”
She’d seen that happen one too many times. “I hope you weren’t seriously injured.”
“No. Even if I had been, my dragon would have healed me rather quickly.”
“I’m a snow leopard, by the way. Being an animal who runs on the ground, I understand the lure of skiing, but I am surprised that being able to fly wasn’t fun enough for you.”
“It was at first, but once I was in my teens, I wanted more.”
She’d wanted more too. “Maybe I can give you a few pointers—after your project is complete, of course.” Ella assumed that would take many years, and by then, she’d be long gone, unless he asked her to stay, that is.
Tanner grinned. “It’s a date.”
Because this conversation was getting a bit personal, Ella dug into her meal and instantly moaned. “Oh, my goddess. This has to be the best burger I’ve ever tasted.”
“Right? I told you. This isn’t your usual fare in Thedia?”
“No. My mother is a vegetarian.” The irony wasn’t lost on anyone in the family especially since snow leopards were hunters of animals—not plants.
“No wonder you like this.”
They finished their meal in relative silence. When Tanner finished, he pushed back his plate and polished off his coffee. At the restaurants that she had eaten at during her ski tournaments, the servers were a bit more attentive. While Ella would have enjoyed a second cup of coffee, she wasn’t in the mood for another confrontation with the woman who lusted after Tanner.
“This is rather awkward to ask, but since I’ve only just arrived, do you think you could suggest how I go about looking for a job?” she asked.
“You want a job?” His eyes actually sparkled.
“I do.”
“What kind of job are you looking for?”
That was the big question. “Given the lack of snow around here, I think ski instructor is out of the question.”
He chuckled. “True.”
Her parents had hired tutors to teach her everything from language arts to science, but she didn’t hold a degree. “I’ve been working in management for many years.” Dealing with the complaints of the staff for the last ten years should count for something. Her mother made working at their big house rather unpleasant for them.
“Hmm. I can ask around, but Plux went through a real hard time when someone blew a hole in our dam, and it flooded the town. A lot of businesses and homes were lost.”
The horror of it all physically hurt her. “I can’t imagine losing everything. How did people survive?”
“To be honest? It was mostly the doing of one man: Slade LaMont.”
“Your business partner?”
“The one and only. He was well off and wanted to help. And he did. He rebuilt a lot of businesses, though it was the arrival of the Conrad Hotels that really took us out of our recession. With the new construction, Slade was able to hire a lot of people.”
“Hence, the Expansion Day celebration.”
&nbs
p; “Exactly.”
“I can’t wait to meet him,” she said.
“You’ll be able to in three days at the dance.”
As fun as that sounded to let loose for a night, it might be less awkward if Tanner told his friends that she was unable to attend because she was ill.
You owe him, her leopard reminded her.
You’re right. I should play along. Ella had certainly pretended to be the happy hostess to those who visited her father over the years, learning to smile with the best of them.
“I’m looking forward to meeting him.”
Tanner snapped his fingers. “You know, I’m looking for an office assistant. I realize it wouldn’t fully utilize your talents, but it would really help me out. I have been so swamped lately. Even if you only work for a week, it would be great. The moment you find a better job, I won’t hold a grudge if you leave.”
That sounded amazing. Working in an office was just up her alley, or so she hoped. “What would be required of me?”
“Nothing more than scanning a few documents, some shredding, and answering the phone.”
“I can do that in my sleep. Thank you!” Because it would have been rude to ask him about the pay, she didn’t. “When would you like me to start?”
“How about tomorrow? It won’t take long to show you the basics. If you can field the phone calls, I can see about bringing back your car.”
“You don’t have to do that. I can hire someone to retrieve it.”
Tanner chuckled. “On what I’m going to pay you? Nope. Save your money.”
He was joking right? It didn’t matter. She needed the work experience. “Then thank you. Where is your office?”
“Let me pay the bill, and I’ll walk you over there right now, assuming that’s okay?”
“Sure.” Why wouldn’t it be? He probably wanted to show Sasha that they really were together.
When they stepped outside of the diner, it was almost surreal. People were bundled up, walking down the sidewalks, some with partners, others alone. It screamed normalcy, which was something she craved. Ella looked around, half expecting to see the Clan guards standing watch, but thankfully, there weren’t any.
“My office is only one street over.”
That was convenient. “I won’t need a car to get to work then.”
“I guess not, but it is nice to have one.”
“Do you drive often? I mean you can fly.”
Tanner placed a hand on her back as he led her across the street. “Dragons are large, so finding a big enough space to land can be challenging. Sometimes, it’s easier to drive.”
“I see.” She never had that problem.
“For long distances, I always take to the air though.”
“Good to know.”
Less than five minutes later, she spotted the Lamont, Sanders, and McCarson Construction office.
“Here we are,” Tanner said. “It’s not glamorous, but it gets the job done.”
She’d not come looking for glamour—just freedom. “Looks fine to me.”
Inside, he flicked on the lights. The entryway was small, but it contained a sofa, three chairs, and a desk that she assumed would be hers. Straight ahead was a hallway.
“Down there are the five offices. Three are for the owners, one is for my assistant, Clint Singletary, and the last one is a conference room. Across the hall from that is our breakroom. We’re often too busy to remember to stock it, so maybe you can handle that?”
“I would love to.” Ella supervised the kitchen at home, so that would be a breeze.
“It could also use a bit of sprucing up.”
“Duly noted. Do you want to show me a little bit about what you want me to do?” she asked. It would allow her to think about things overnight. “If you’re too tired, we can do it tomorrow.”
“Me tired? I wasn’t trapped in an avalanche.”
She chuckled. “I’m fine. You found me within a few minutes of being snowed under.”
He puffed out his chest. “Yup. I’m that good.” He opened the door that had his name on it and turned on the light.
Ella hadn’t meant to suck in a breath, but she couldn’t help it. “How can you find anything in here?”
He glanced around, almost as if he was trying to view his space through her eyes. “I can’t, and that’s the problem.”
“Where would you like me to begin?” She had a few ideas but wanted to understand her limits. If Ella had her way, she’d make sure there was nothing on his desk when she was finished. Clutter drove her crazy.
“Let me show you my system.”
He had a system? For the next hour, he detailed where he wanted the electronic invoices to be filed on his computer. It seemed a bit clunky to her, but she kept her opinion to herself.
“I can see some ways to improve efficiency. Would you mind if I try something new? I won’t delete anything.”
“I don’t do well with new, but sure, give it a try. Just make sure I can go back to my old way.”
She smiled. “Deal.” This was going to be fun. Ella loved a challenge.
“Once you’ve scanned a document, shred it.” He pointed to the shredder. “Sound easy?”
“Some items look too big to scan.”
“If that’s the case, put it in the file cabinet.” He opened his desk drawer—make that a junk drawer—and pawed through the items to find a key. “Here it is.”
Tanner unlocked the file cabinet. Ella stepped next to him and gasped. “Seriously? You just dumped them in there?”
“It’s how it’s always been done.”
“That doesn’t make it efficient.” Ella had a plan. Once Tanner left the office to pick up her car, she’d do something about this mess. “Do you have an office supply store near here?”
“We do.” He gave her directions. “I’ll give you a note that instructs the store to put the purchases on our tab.”
“That’s awesome. Thank you.” She took a final look around. “I think I understand my role.”
“Great. Let me show you the phone system.” He walked her back out to the rather boring entryway. “When you answer the phone, if it is an emergency, buzz me, and I’ll call the person back. If the person just wants general information, it should go to Clint.”
“Seems easy enough.”
He smiled, and Ella melted but then immediately looked away. This was her chance at freedom, and she wasn’t going to mess it up by having an affair with the boss. Potential mate or not. That screamed disaster.
“Let me walk you back to the hotel,” Tanner said.
She was perfectly capable of walking the two blocks by herself, but she liked being in his company. It had been a long time since she’d been this comfortable around a man. Most men who dated her were only interested in being a part of the Clan. In a way, she and Tanner had something in common.
At the hotel entrance, Tanner stopped before escorting her inside. “Work begins at nine. Dress is casual.”
Ella didn’t own a lot of casual clothes since her job was to look like the Alpha’s daughter at all times. “I’ll have to see what I packed.”
Tanner pulled open the door and motioned her in. “Sleep well.”
“You, too.” She kind of doubted that would happen. Tanner probably would go back to his office and put in a few hours of work, especially since he had to make arrangements to retrieve her car. But that was not her problem. Yet.
Ella vowed to do the best job she could. When she decided it was time to quit, she’d ask for a recommendation and be on her way. In the meantime, as a thank you to him for saving her life, she would pretend to be his girlfriend. Personally, she thought it was silly. Why not just tell Sasha more sternly that he wasn’t interested? Or was he secretly interested and wanted to make her jealous? Nah, that type of person wouldn’t work to save someone buried under a ton of snow and then use her for his own gain. Now, Ella wished she had more experience handling men like Tanner McCarson.
Chapter Five
After dropping Ella off at the hotel, Tanner headed to the office to get some work done. He wouldn’t be able to sleep right now since his mind was buzzing with inappropriate thoughts.
She’s your mate, his dragon insisted.
You’re just saying that because she is so incredibly beautiful.
Nope. I know.
Like Tanner had told both Jace and Slade numerous times, their company couldn’t mess up this contract, and that might happen if he spent too much time with Ella. Even if the two of them were fated for each other, it didn’t mean they needed to rush into anything. Once the office work was under control, and the progress on the eco-tourism attraction was well underway, he’d ask her out and see where it led.
Now, though, if he was going to be out of town for most of the day tomorrow, he had to make a list of things for Clint to handle. He just hoped that Ella didn’t mess up his organizational system too much and cause more delays.
After a few hours of trying to figure out what fires to put out first, his brain ceased to function. It was time to go home. If Ella showed up on the doorstep tomorrow morning and found him on the sofa, she might lose some respect for him.
Because it was after midnight, the streets were empty, enabling Tanner to shift in the middle of the road. Once he was in his dragon form, he took off toward his house.
He wasn’t sure why he let Slade and Jace convince him to build such a large estate. Sure, they said he was now the face of the company, and as such, needed to show off the LaMont, Sanders, and McCarson abilities, but how many bedrooms did one person need?
After landing in his front yard, he shifted and headed inside. He’d been so busy of late that his home looked as messy as his office. Dishes were piled in the sink, and many of his clothes were carelessly tossed on the sofa. Tomorrow, for sure, he’d clean up. Right now, all he wanted was a shower and a good night’s sleep.
When his alarm clock sounded—what seemed like minutes after he retired—Tanner slapped it for another ten minutes of shut eye. Too bad, it went off again seconds later. That sure was a fast ten minutes. After dragging himself out of bed, he tossed on a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeve green shirt with the company logo on it, along with his work boots. After he shaved and washed up, he put on some coffee while he threw two pieces of bread in the toaster. The coffee finished at the same time the bread did. As he slathered jelly on the toast, he checked the time. Damn. It was quarter to nine. He needed to beat Ella to the office. Unless Clint went in early, she’d have no way of getting in, and it wouldn’t be fair to have her stand outside in the chilly morning air because he was late.