Crazy for the Boss (Crazy in Love Book 1) by Ashlee Mallory Read Free Book Online

You should try it more often.”
    She resettled her glasses on her nose, uncomfortable with the compliment. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
    “Why do you say it like that?” he asked, amusement in his voice. “Like you think I’m humoring you. You do have a very nice smile. Hasn’t anyone told you that before?”
    “Loads of times,” she said sarcastically.
    He was killing her with his niceness. And that warm smile of his. She was definitely going to have to be careful here.
    Quinn had thought there couldn’t be anything worse than coming to work for the enemy. That she was crazy to even consider it.
    Considering James Thornhill as someone she might actually be attracted to would be taking that crazy to another level.
    One thing was certain—working with James was anything but boring.

Chapter 6
    “ W hat did you tell your family about why you’re not making it home for Christmas after all?” Anna shouted over the club music playing near fever-pitch level.
    It was later that night and the three of them were at Anna’s favorite bar, a place Tessa and Quinn were usually loath to go in great part because of its loud music and meat-market quality. But since it was Anna’s night, they’d acquiesced to their friend’s wish.
    “The truth,” Quinn hollered, hoping her voice would hold out till the end of the night. “That I’m just too swamped to try and get away from work right now. Especially with the Blossom Brew deal still being hammered out and this management training I’m heading up.”
    “But you’re going to drive up to the farmhouse on Christmas Eve with Anna and me, right?” Tess asked. “You can’t spend Christmas day alone.”
    “Of course.” She and Anna had been to Tessa’s family’s for Christmas three of the past five Christmases. Something made necessary when time constraints and budget made it impossible to make it home. “If I can’t make it home, there’s no people I’d rather spend the holidays with.”
    “Hear, hear,” Anna said and held up her martini before taking a drink. For Anna, it was a welcome relief from a lonely meal alone on those holidays when her mother, who was an anthropology professor at Berkeley, was conducting field studies of some aboriginal tribe in South America or the burial rituals of a sub-Saharan clan in Africa.
    Tessa took a drink before asking, “How’d Sabrina take the news about your not coming home?”
    Quinn’s younger sister had been less understanding about her bailing and had threatened her with bodily harm if she wasn’t there. Fortunately, Quinn had laid out a plan to help appease Sabrina, which included spearheading and footing the bill on the surprise party for her parents’ upcoming thirtieth anniversary party in February. Come hell or high water, Quinn would make sure to be there for that big event.
    A bored-looking waitress arrived with a round of shots and placed them on their table. “From the table in the corner.”
    Quinn glanced over to see, sure enough, the men who’d been admiring Anna before now grinning at them. They held their own drinks up.
    Quinn shook her head and met Tessa’s eyes. “Record time. We’ve been here less than five minutes and she already got us our next order of drinks.”
    “Why do you think it’s all about me?” Anna asked and passed the shots around the table. “Tessa is as adorable as they come, and you have that whole ice-queen thing going that a man can’t help but want to crack. In fact, I’m sure more than one of them are having some pretty scandalous thoughts about that headband of yours.”
    Almost self-consciously, Quinn’s hand when to her hair, smoothing it down over her shoulders. “Hey, it’s keeping my hair from my eyes, especially since you’ve forbidden me from stepping foot inside this place with a ponytail or any such variation.”
    “And since when do you listen to me?” Anna shot back playfully. “Considering I’ve begged you to consider wearing your