He shot her a hard look. “Listen, I know I’m the best.”
“Whatever,” she laughed, “I don’t think picking out a gift for my person will help me love Christmas and earn you a date.”
“You’ll love Christmas because you’ll associate it with me,” he said, smiling at her. “And I’ll make your life so easy you’ll be begging for a date with me.”
“You are unbearable.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
He flipped on his turn signal and pulled into the crowded shopping center parking lot. Devyn huffed, shifting in her seat.
“What’s wrong?” Chad’s stern voice returned, reminding her that this was part of their deal.
“I just want to get this over with.”
Chad pulled his truck into the parking spot closest to the door, and shoved it into park. He turned to look at her. Her brown eyes widened and he knew that the good guy exterior he had been showing her was fading and he was starting to remind her of the asshole he had been before.
“Who is your person?”
“What?” She said, a puzzled expression stretching across her face.
“The person you have to buy a gift for.” He raised an eyebrow. His growing frustration with her was really cutting into the fun evening he had planned.
Devyn flushed, realization settling on her face.
“That’s part of the surprise,” she said.
“Yeah, for the person.” Chad pulled the handle on his door and stepped out of the vehicle. Devyn followed him, rounding the corner of his truck before meeting him at the edge of the parking spot.
“No, for everyone.” She stiffened before clearing her throat. “Isn’t that supposed to be half the fun?”
Chad snorted. “This coming from the girl who hates Christmas and doesn’t even like Secret Santa.”
“Well, how am I ever supposed to like Christmas if I ruin the fun for myself? Do you want a date or not?” She threw her hair over her shoulder, gripped his hand and pulled him closer to her.
“You better keep your voice down.” Chad pulled free of her hand and wrapped it around the red fabric of her dress. “Or you’ll make me think I’ve already won.”
10
Chad pulled into the driveway of her house and killed the engine. He turned to face her, and she could tell by the look on his face he was frustrated by the lack of gifts they came home with. She knew that she had acted like a brat, but there was no way she could tell him that she was his Secret Santa. She couldn’t put herself through that. If anyone mentioned the way she acted when she had pulled his name she could kiss any chance she had at an easy work environment goodbye. If she could call their current situation easy.
Her work life was turning into anything but easy. She folded her arms across her chest, frowning at him as if he had nothing to be annoyed about.
“I think you forgot to take me back to get my car.”
Chad didn’t flinch. He leaned back into the leather seat and pulled the keys into his hand. He looked over to her, his eyes burrowing into her own.
“I know you didn’t drive today,” his voice was cool. He had been ready for anything she threw at him.
The words caught in her throat and her cheeks burned. She had to force herself to breathe even though she was finding it extremely difficult. How? There was no way he just knew she hadn’t drove today. Devyn worked really hard to fly under the radar at work. Outside of being the boss, she didn’t want anyone to notice her. Her sister always dropped her off early before anyone made it into the office and she always ubered back to their tiny townhouse after everyone left. She had been late once in the last 12 months and it was to buy an extra coffee for Chad.
Dammit.
“How the hell did you know I didn’t drive?” Her voice cracked as the words escaped her thin lips.
“I asked Penelope,” he said without looking at her.
If Devyn had been in one of those old black and white cartoons, steam would have been blowing out of her ears. Her hand curled around the door handle whitening the edges around her knuckles.
“And what exactly did you ask her?”
“I asked if there was anyway you could get away from me before we went out Christmas shopping. She played dumb, so I asked her if you drove today because I didn’t see your car in the lot when I got to work.”
He shoved the keys into his pocket and curled his strong fingers around the handle on his own door. Devyn noticed the way his fingers flexed around the plastic, and she had to fight the urge to drool. This man was going to drive her crazy. “I also told her to cancel your evening plans and to tell her whoever was planning on picking you up to forget about it. You’re mine, so you’re riding with me.”
You’re mine, so you’re riding with me.
Her belly warmed at his words, but so did the fury in her chest. Devyn debated her response. Her belly craved the possessive words to slip out of his mouth again, but the independence she had worked so hard to obtain made her want to shove his foot in his mouth. Devyn gritted her teeth, forcing away the desire that had overcome her earlier. She moved the console up out of her way and she slid her body closer to his. Chad surveyed her wondering what move she would make next. Devyn trailed her finger over the thin stubble on his jawline.
“You understand Penelope isn’t my personal assistant right?” She practically purred in his ear. “She’s my office assistant and she doesn’t have to listen to you.”
Chad’s body went rigid under her touch. She leaned in letting her lips graze his ear like he had done to her earlier that evening.
“I’m not yours.” Her teeth dragged against his skin. He sucked in a
