Love Bites (Bitten Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

changed my mind. I quit. Good luck finding someone else to take your shit and act as store manager without the benefits or pay, because it won’t be me anymore.”
    The surprised expression faded from my boss’ face, replaced with fury and ugliness. “Get out of my store.”
    “My pleasure.” I marched to the lockers in the back room to get my purse. I could hear Candy right behind me. I also felt Calder’s presence, though his footsteps were silent.
    After I pulled my purse out of my locker, I turned to find my boss, well, ex-boss standing behind me.
    “Don’t expect a final paycheck,” she sneered.
    I shrugged, but Calder’s deep voice rang out. “Ricki should receive it in the mail within the week or you’ll be hearing from an attorney.”
    This time it wasn’t just Candy gawking at him, but me as well. Quickly, I shut my mouth and dodged around her, heading toward Calder. He lifted a hand and pulled me against his side, winding his arm around my waist so that his fingertips rested on my hip.
    “Fine,” Candy snapped. Her blue eyes were glowing with rage when she looked at me. “You’ll have your paycheck in the mail by Friday.”
    I nodded and let Calder lead me out of the store without another word. When our feet touched the sidewalk, the finality of what I’d just done hit me. I’d quit my job. I managed to keep walking until we turned the corner and were no longer visible through the front windows of the boutique.
    Calder didn’t even miss a step when I stopped suddenly and bent at the waist, breathing hard.
    “Oh my God, I just quit my job,” I gasped.
    A warm hand rubbed up and down my spine in a comforting caress. “Was she that bitchy all the time? If so, how in the hell did you last more than a week?”
    I huffed out a breathless laugh and straightened. “She pays a helluva lot more than any other high end boutiques in the area. I’ll be hard pressed to find another job in a boutique and make even close to that amount of money.”
    He studied me for a moment. “I have some friends in retail. I can ask if any of them are hiring.”
    I shook my head. “No, I can get myself a new job.” I sighed. “So why were you really at the store tonight?” I asked.
    His green eyes softened and I found myself swaying toward him slightly, entranced by the tenderness in that look. “I thought about what you said last night. I shouldn’t have sprung all that on you without anticipating a strong reaction. It never occurred to me that you wouldn’t feel the same way I do.”
    I frowned a little and tilted my head to one side. “Feel the same way you do?”
    Calder took a step closer until we were a few inches apart. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Every waking moment, in my dreams at night, you’re there. Sometimes I swear I can smell you and it’s as though you’re sitting right next to me.”
    A strange melting sensation made its way down my body. Without thinking, I lifted a hand and touched his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin and the heavy thud of his heart beneath my palm. Calder cupped my biceps, lifting me on my toes, his head coming down slowly. My eyes began to drift shut and I could almost taste him, our lips were so close.
    “Calder!”
    The spell was broken by a woman calling his name. Growling softly, Calder lifted his head and twisted around to see who had yelled for him. I followed his gaze and felt my eyebrows raise. The girl, and she was definitely a girl, looked no older than sixteen. She was tall and slim as a willow branch. Her cropped shirt was just clingy enough to reveal that she wasn’t wearing a bra and short enough to reveal the gleaming ring in her belly button. Long brown hair streamed behind her as she trotted up and flung her arms around Calder. Then she kissed him.
    Thankfully the kiss was short, but when she pulled back, the girl looked down at me with curious eyes. “Who’s this, babe?”
    I looked up at Calder, barely managing to control my flinch