Dirty Sexy Alphas (Twenty Book Box Set) - Hannah Ford Page 0,8

I bought the kiosk.”

“Why?” I asked, completely stunned. He had to be joking.

Landon gave a slight shrug. “I’m going to use it as a sales tool for Prestige Sports Medicine. It was the cheapest kiosk in the mall.”

My breathing turned shallow.

No.

Noooooooo.

I couldn’t work for him.

Wouldn’t.

His grin widened. “That makes you my bonus.”

“I’m not anyone’s bonus,” I snapped. “I’m not anyone’s anything.”

Ugh, did I have to add that last part?

He let my words hang there so long I started to wish I hadn’t said them. Because he was so bloody arrogant, but he knew the truth. It was too easy to read, and it was written on my face. I found him irresistible.

“So you were just playing along in the closet last night?” he asked.

I struggled to act impassive. “That was one kiss. For old time’s sake. You’re out of my system now.”

“Well if it was for old times’ sake, maybe we ought to do a little more. Recreate the moment,” he said.

“You’re an asshole.”

“I don’t to pretend to be anything else.”

His answer surprised me, throwing me off kilter. Maybe it was the way he spoke, his words flat. Honest. Like he actually saw himself as an asshole and was fine with it. Which only infuriated me more, because you can’t insult someone if they’re okay with the labels you sling at them.

He spun a watch around on his wrist, studying me. His eyes raked over me, from my messy, air-dried hair to the toe of my Chuck Taylors. I looked like the teens who frequented this mall, and he looked like he could stroll through Wall Street. His eyes were like liquid gold, burning, simmering. Jesus, I’d need an ice bath after this.

“I talked to my brother about you,” I said, desperate to change the subject. “I bet he’d love to hear about this little conversation. You know, your best friend? He’d be thrilled to hear you’re hitting on his little sister.”

“You may be his sister, but you’re not little.”

I swallowed. “So how is this supposed to work?” I asked.

“What?” His eyes snapped upward, to meet mine.

“You. Owning this thing. Am I fired?”

His expression changed, from one of burning sexuality to an empty, calculating one. More business than pleasure.

“Of course not. I need someone to run this thing, don’t I?”

I shook my head. No way was I getting into an employee-boss relationship with him. That could only end in disaster. “I don’t run this stand, I just put in eight hours and go home. Rudy was the one who ran it.”

“So I’ll promote you to manager.”

“Don’t you dare,” I spit.

His eyes widened, almost imperceptivity. I realized, then, that he wasn’t used to being caught off guard. “What did I do wrong now?”

“This isn’t a career. Don’t give me some stupid title like I’m going to do this for another forty years. I don’t want it.”

“Taryn, you need to—”

“You have no idea what I need,” I said, fighting to keep the shakiness out of my voice. “It’s bad enough you see me here, in this ugly polo, and you stroll in all smug about how you’ve bought the place. Throw around some money, show off how much you’ve done since you left.”

Silence fell around us. For the first time, it was like he didn’t know how to spin things in his favor.

He pursed his lips for a moment, staring at me like he was trying to rearrange the pieces of a puzzle and figure out how to make them fit. “I don’t know how I’m supposed to be around you.”

I laughed, hating how there was a little sadness laced into it. “That makes two of us.”

“Can we be cordial, at least? I’m not trying to trap you at this kiosk, but I could use your help figuring out how to get this thing transitioned over. If you want to quit after that, fine by me.”

“Fine.”

“Good.”

Thanks to my freak-out, we’d been reduced to one-word sentences.

I surveyed the cart, my eyes sweeping over the crap I’d been schlepping for a year now. “So I can get rid of all these shitty supplements?”

He chuckled under his breath. “Yes. I can have them dropped off at the center and see if any of them are useful.” He paused. “I kind of doubt it.”

I stared at the cart, dazed. Ten minutes ago I was supposed to shill crappy vitamins and now I worked for Landon.

I couldn’t decide if I was elated or upset.

Both. I was both.

The mall crowd had been steadily increasing, streaming past us with