Page 31 of Pulled By the Tail
“It’s that bad?”
The recollection made his tail jerk. “I was a stubborn kit and she fed me nothing but porridge for a month, morning, noon and night. She won. Bright always wins. So, right now? Let me spend money on you, Georgia. Bright will be pleased, you’ll be warm, and I’ll eat proper food. Yes?”
“This is not a gift,” she said, not asking a question. “You will take this out of my pay.” Again, not a question.
“You’re bossy. I like it.”
“It’s the pants. They’re bossy.” She put a hand on her hip and cocked it dramatically to the side.
Where did the flirting come from? Probably not the best idea but, honestly, she was so out of practice that this heavy-handed flirtation was as good as it got.
He looked at her, as if waiting for the punchline of a joke.
Oh no, he wasn’t flirting. He was serious. Embarrassment flooded her. “Yeah, umm. Bossypants? It’s a joke. Maybe it doesn’t translate.”
“That’s a shame, because those look amazing on you. I like them.”
She shouldn’t be blushing at the way his fangs peeked out when he said he liked her bossypants.
What was this? Her emotions were all over the place. Hooking up with Talen would be trouble. So much trouble. The agency warned her about this. Well, not this specific situation, but the giddy, flirty feeling now that she was at the end of a long trip. She was excited and hopeful.
New gravity, solar radiation, and even oxygen levels affected her body and that body wanted to jump into bed immediately. The agency cautioned against that. She needed time to get to know her match. Even though messaging was encouraged, they were strangers. Familiar strangers. The agency recommended dating and discussing expectations and desire around sex.
The agency could suck a bag of dicks. They knew nothing. They matched her with a guy who ditched her before she even arrived. So much for her perfect match.
Georgia kept stealing glances at Talen as he drove back to the house. He had been patient and understanding, even generous.
Easy on the eyes too.
Frankly, he was everything she hoped to find when she got off that ship. Too bad what she found was the other brother and heartburn-inducing chaos.
“You want the grand tour when we get back?” he asked. Despite never taking his eyes off the road, she got the feeling he was very aware of her and her less-than-polite staring.
“It’s dark. Will that be a problem?” The sun had set. Before she left the shuttle yesterday—had it only been yesterday?—she’d been informed that the season was late autumn and to dress according to the weather. Too bad her Southern California wardrobe didn’t have a cold setting.
But when had doing the responsible thing ever worked out for her? She dated one guy in college, moved in with him, and planned her life around him, and he ditched her the moment she became less than perfect.
Maybe rebound sex was what she needed. No strings. No feelings. Just fucking. That’s what Freema tried to talk her into. Do something wild. Enjoy herself. Get over this dry spell. It’d been a year since the last time she had sex, so the dry spell was more significant than she wanted to admit.
“You don’t happen to have any tattoos, do you?” Georgia asked.
“I do. I got it in the Navy.”
Oh, he was a deliciously bad idea that she wanted to lick.
Sex now was a bad idea. Sex with her boss was a very bad idea.
Then again, she wasn’t staying. Just long enough to afford a ticket back to civilization or wherever. Six months at the most. She could have casual sex with no commitment. Probably. She’d never done that before because it hadn’t been part of the plan. The only thing she’d ever done that wasn’t part of the plan was sign the Celestial Mates contract.
She shivered, like she had been doused with cold water. Okay, that was a terrible example. Her one spontaneous leap of faith didn’t turn out the way she wanted, but neither had any of her careful designs.
“Are you cold?” Talen reached over and adjusted the scarf, covering the back of her neck.
“Keep your eyes on the road,” she grumbled, totally not rubbing the back of her neck where his fingers brushed against her. The lights from the vehicle illuminated fluffy snowflakes that fell in a flurry, coating the pavement.
Sex only complicated things. She had enough complications to last a lifetime.
Chapter 7
