Page 14 of Tiger Betrayal

Her body shook, but not from fear.

From wanting. From desire.

Her breath was rushed, her shoulders heaving with it.

Never in her life had she been kissed like that.

If she had ruined his peaceful table, then he had wrecked her peaceful soul.

Chapter Six

The second half of the day had been eternal.

Stellan had left ten minutes ago. He had walked right past her station, his eyes on hers, a smirk on his lips. She pursed her lips against a smile because she knew he was just playing with her.

She was a mouse, and he was a freaking dragon. Dragons could be full of fire, sure, but they could also be fun. And this one, whatever he was, for sure was an intriguing distraction.

“That’s trouble,” one of the shop guys—Craig his nametag read—said as he watched Stellan head to his truck out the front door.

“That one’s a red flag,” Murph agreed from behind his desk.

Laramie cleared her throat and hid her smile as she looked down at the register she was closing out. Everyone had paid, and her day was done.

“Pick anyone else,” Craig advised.

“Who said I want any of you?” she jabbed back.

Murph blew out a humorous noise.

“Shut up,” Craig told their boss as he left out the front door.

Laramie finished organizing the paperwork for whoever was taking the next shift, and grabbed her purse from under the counter.

“You have a safe weekend, you hear?” Murph asked. He wore a lopsided, knowing grin.

“It’ll be uneventful,” she assured him.

“Mmm hmm.” Her boss shook his head and went back to typing on his computer.

Laramie waved and said her goodbyes, then pushed the front door open to find Stellan had backed his truck up by her car. He stood leaning against the side of his rig, his attention on her.

Laramie pursed her lips and looked both ways before she jogged across to him. He handed her a folded piece of paper with a pen hooked on it.

“What’s this?” she asked, unfolding the blank piece.

“Number,” he said.

Chills of excitement snaked up her spine. She locked her eyes on him for a three-count. Teasing, she said, “And what if I refuse?”

“Then I’ll get it from the employee records on the computer,” he said without missing a beat. “You had your chance to run. You kissed me instead.”

Laramie chewed the side of her lip and then scribbled her number onto the sheet of paper.

“Good girl,” he murmured, taking it from her. He walked around the front of his truck and opened the passenger side door.

Confused, she hesitated. Should she leave now?

“Get in, Laramie,” he said softly.