Page 20

“You should have used your safe word.” Ivy thrust a finger at the screen. “You’re a liar and a cheat. You didn’t come here for me. You wanted access to our database.”

Karn raised a hand. “I might have been doing a tiny bit of business. You come as a bonus, quite literally so it would seem.”

Ivy flushed and continued to glare at him. “I’d never have let you near me if I’d known the truth.”

“I did find something of interest to me.” He nodded at the screen. “We’re a perfect pair according to My Single Alien. A match made in heaven. Until you kneed me in the groin, I thought so too.”

Ivy licked her kiss-swollen lips. He was hot and sexy as hell, but she knew not to trust a Forka. He’d just shown he couldn’t be relied upon. She was nothing more than a fun distraction to him. Her thoughts span. What a distraction. That orgasm had been mind blowing.

Karn edged into the office. “How about we forget you’ve seen this? We can carry on where we left off. We both love champagne. I’ve got a bottle chilling in my room. Why don’t we go back there and discuss this? Let’s see if we can’t move on now we know we’re meant to be together.”

“I doubt anything you’ve got works after I kneed you in the balls.”

“If you show me some tender loving care, everything will be to your satisfaction.”

Ivy snorted a laugh. “You’re nothing more than a dishonest, lying, arrogant Forka.”

The main door slid open. A security cyborg stood in the corridor. “Ivy Blain. We’ve received your message of a security breach.”

Karn’s gaze shot from the cyborg to Ivy. “You snitched on me?”

“Of course, I did. You’re trying to steal from my place of work.”

Karn shook his head. A look of confusion crossed his face. “I stole nothing. It’s not like that.”

Ivy gestured to the cyborg. “This alien shouldn’t be here. He broke in and accessed our database without anyone’s permission.”

The cyborg stepped forward. “Identification.”

Karn stared at Ivy. “I’m doing nothing wrong.”

“You’d better give the cyborg what it asked for. They don’t tend to ask twice.”

Karn held up his wrist comm and showed it to the cyborg.

The cyborg scanned it. “You do not have authorization to be in here. Stand still and raise your arms for an inspection.”

Karn backed up. “There’s nothing to inspect.”

Ivy glowered at him. “You’re a liar.”

“I might be a liar, but I’m also an excellent kisser and just gave you an orgasm you’ll never forget. That’s the truth.” He stood still as the cyborg scanned him.

Ivy touched her lips again. He was right about that.

She walked into the office, removed the pen drive, and handed it to the cyborg. “He used this in our database.”

The cyborg scanned it and took it. “Karn, you are to come with me.”

“Ivy, you can’t seriously have me arrested. This is just a little fun. Aren’t you pleased that I know we’ve been matched? I’m your true love. Doesn’t that mean anything?” Karn held his hands behind his back as the cyborg applied restraints.

“All it means is that our database needs work,” Ivy said. “You’re not my true love. I don’t know you. The only thing I know about you is that you’ve lied to me to get out of being caught. It failed.”

“Because you caught me. Few people have ever done that.” Karn gave her a lopsided grin. “Maybe you are my perfect match. I’ve always said I need someone to keep me on my toes. That could be you.”

“I don’t have time to chase around after someone who enjoys breaking the law.” Indecision churned inside Ivy. She shook her head. She couldn’t believe a word Karn said. “Take him away.”

“It doesn’t have to be like this,” Karn said as the cyborg turned him toward the door. “We can work this out.”

She ignored him. She needed to sort this mess out before her boss discovered what had gone on.

Ivy groaned. Diadora would be livid if she discovered the breach. Even more so if she discovered Ivy had been getting hot and heavy with the alien who’d caused the breach.

Not if she fixed it. If she worked out what Karn had done to the database, she could stop anyone finding out.

There would be questions if Karn’s tampering was discovered, especially since he was supposed to be her ideal mate. The others would wonder if Ivy was involved.

“I’m begging you. Don’t let this cyborg take me away. I’m innocent,” Karn said.

Ivy glared at him. “I don’t care about you.”

A look of dejection crossed Karn’s face before it was replaced with a smug smile. “Don’t forget about me while I’m serving time. I’ll expect conjugal visits. We have unfinished business.”

She turned her back on him as he was led out of the room. Ivy didn’t care about Karn. She shouldn’t. He was a liar and a cheat. So why had he looked so hurt when he’d discovered she’d reported him?

Ivy ran her hands through her hair. Men, human or alien, they always had to be so damn complicated.

She sat at the desk, pushed thoughts of her mind-blowing orgasm with Karn out of her head, and got to work on trying to fix his mess.