uncapping it. “What’s your last name?”
“I am Hugh. You know this.”
“You’re not Hugh Hugh, though.”
“No. Just Hugh.”
“No one here has just one name,” I told him. Well, unless you were a pop star. “You need a second one.”
He looked puzzled. “Why?”
“You know what? Never mind,” I told him, writing. “You’re going to be Hugh Merino. The local tigers are all in the Merino clan.” Now I just needed to hope that the tiger alpha didn’t show up for any reason. Not that there was a high chance of that happening—his mate was pregnant with their first child, so it was safe to say that the odds were against him showing up at a dating agency.
I continued to fill out the form as Hugh peered over my shoulder. “Sex is male,” I said, checking the box. “Age? You know what? I’m just going to put down thirty before you can give me another one of those ‘time moves differently’ answers.” I marked religion as “other” and status as “networking,” since he wasn’t really seeking a woman. He had one of those waiting for him as soon as he delivered me to the fae. I wrinkled my nose in distaste at the thought.
“What does that say?” Hugh asked, and he leaned in so close that his breath whispered against my ear as he regarded the paper I made notes on. His nearness was making my skin ripple in response to him, and my nipples hardened. Eep. Under my desk, I shook my hands out and flexed them, willing my monster to stay back. I fought with it for a few moments, won the battle, and scowled at Hugh. He knew my problem.
Time for a little revenge. “Favorite sex position?” I asked sweetly. I’d intended to leave that one blank, but since he was being a jerk . . .
He jerked backward. “What?”
Both Bathsheba and Everett turned to stare at us, and I waved at Hugh. “Keep it down,” I hissed. “Now. Favorite sex position.”
He gave me a blank look, then leaned in again to whisper in my ear. “There is more than one?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“What is it?”
I turned and stared at Hugh, who was leaning way too close again. His cheeks were ruddy, as if he was blushing, and he looked uncomfortable. He shifted from one foot to another and gave me an expectant look. “Are you kidding?” I asked.
“No.” He glanced at the others, then leaned in again, giving me a very interested look. “Tell me more. I must know these things if I am to please my mate.”
I tapped my glittery pen on the desk, regarding him. Something told me I wasn’t the only virgin here. “You know what? We’ll come back to that later.”
“But—”
“Later,” I hissed. I gave Bath a sweet smile as she looked over at us and tucked her purse under her arm. “You leaving, Boss?”
“I’m meeting Beau for dinner,” she said and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. “Date night.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I said and gave her an exaggerated wink.
“But you—” Hugh began.
“Hssst!” I said, turning to glare at him. He was going to ruin my carefully crafted persona of office flirt if he blurted out that I was a virgin.
Hugh raised an eyebrow at me but went silent.
I turned back to Bath and gave her a cheery wave. “Like I was saying, have a good one.”
“You, too,” she said. “Call me if you or Everett need anything.”
“Will do. Though I am sure I can help Everett with everything he needs.” I wiggled my eyebrows at the handsome were-cougar at the desk across the room. “He just needs to ask.”
“You flirting with me, Ryder?” Everett grinned at me.
“You know it.”
I heard a low growl in Hugh’s throat, and I stomped on his foot under my desk.
Everett gave us a curious look, leaning back in his office chair. “So, man,” he said, turning to Hugh. “Where you from?”
“He’s from Alaska,” I said quickly, thinking fast. “You know how they say that there’s only one woman for every eight men there? The town he grew up in was more like
“I am Hugh. You know this.”
“You’re not Hugh Hugh, though.”
“No. Just Hugh.”
“No one here has just one name,” I told him. Well, unless you were a pop star. “You need a second one.”
He looked puzzled. “Why?”
“You know what? Never mind,” I told him, writing. “You’re going to be Hugh Merino. The local tigers are all in the Merino clan.” Now I just needed to hope that the tiger alpha didn’t show up for any reason. Not that there was a high chance of that happening—his mate was pregnant with their first child, so it was safe to say that the odds were against him showing up at a dating agency.
I continued to fill out the form as Hugh peered over my shoulder. “Sex is male,” I said, checking the box. “Age? You know what? I’m just going to put down thirty before you can give me another one of those ‘time moves differently’ answers.” I marked religion as “other” and status as “networking,” since he wasn’t really seeking a woman. He had one of those waiting for him as soon as he delivered me to the fae. I wrinkled my nose in distaste at the thought.
“What does that say?” Hugh asked, and he leaned in so close that his breath whispered against my ear as he regarded the paper I made notes on. His nearness was making my skin ripple in response to him, and my nipples hardened. Eep. Under my desk, I shook my hands out and flexed them, willing my monster to stay back. I fought with it for a few moments, won the battle, and scowled at Hugh. He knew my problem.
Time for a little revenge. “Favorite sex position?” I asked sweetly. I’d intended to leave that one blank, but since he was being a jerk . . .
He jerked backward. “What?”
Both Bathsheba and Everett turned to stare at us, and I waved at Hugh. “Keep it down,” I hissed. “Now. Favorite sex position.”
He gave me a blank look, then leaned in again to whisper in my ear. “There is more than one?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“What is it?”
I turned and stared at Hugh, who was leaning way too close again. His cheeks were ruddy, as if he was blushing, and he looked uncomfortable. He shifted from one foot to another and gave me an expectant look. “Are you kidding?” I asked.
“No.” He glanced at the others, then leaned in again, giving me a very interested look. “Tell me more. I must know these things if I am to please my mate.”
I tapped my glittery pen on the desk, regarding him. Something told me I wasn’t the only virgin here. “You know what? We’ll come back to that later.”
“But—”
“Later,” I hissed. I gave Bath a sweet smile as she looked over at us and tucked her purse under her arm. “You leaving, Boss?”
“I’m meeting Beau for dinner,” she said and smoothed a hand over her ponytail. “Date night.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” I said and gave her an exaggerated wink.
“But you—” Hugh began.
“Hssst!” I said, turning to glare at him. He was going to ruin my carefully crafted persona of office flirt if he blurted out that I was a virgin.
Hugh raised an eyebrow at me but went silent.
I turned back to Bath and gave her a cheery wave. “Like I was saying, have a good one.”
“You, too,” she said. “Call me if you or Everett need anything.”
“Will do. Though I am sure I can help Everett with everything he needs.” I wiggled my eyebrows at the handsome were-cougar at the desk across the room. “He just needs to ask.”
“You flirting with me, Ryder?” Everett grinned at me.
“You know it.”
I heard a low growl in Hugh’s throat, and I stomped on his foot under my desk.
Everett gave us a curious look, leaning back in his office chair. “So, man,” he said, turning to Hugh. “Where you from?”
“He’s from Alaska,” I said quickly, thinking fast. “You know how they say that there’s only one woman for every eight men there? The town he grew up in was more like
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