1. Ivy

I'm traveling in a luxurious rental car, alongside the hard-to-get-to-know, highly mysterious Justice Bloodworth. On a mission to arrive by early afternoon at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley, California.

How did I get so lucky?

An intern fresh out of college getting bumped up to an actual position of responsibility. Normally an impossibility. But, on the other hand, this conference we're attending is mainly a meet and greet with the second level of ‘real' negotiations set for late summer.

Gorgeous green meadows pass by on either side of the mountainous road, dotted with majestic pine trees and swaths of colorful spring flowers. I've never been to Yosemite before, or ever visited California for that matter, and I can't seem to wipe the goofy smile off my face.

We're four days early for our conference at the hotel because Justice wanted time to horseback ride around Mirror Lake, explore Half Dome and climb the sheer cliff of El Capitan. He enjoys the Sierra Nevada mountains because he says they remind him of his own home planet.

I went ahead and brought along hiking boots, because I want to try and brave the Half Dome trail with him if he wants, but no way am I tackling El Cap. Justice is stronger and faster than the average human man, so that climb won't be too difficult for him. I'll instead wait safely at the bottom, crowded on the valley floor with the local media who will take pictures and cheer him on.

The large, alien "vampire" seated beside me shifts uncomfortably in the driver's seat, obviously perturbed by our proximity. Normally he prefers to travel alone and never with me by his side.

My lips twitch and I sneak another glance at his perfect profile.

Justice is a ridiculously handsome man, from an entirely different species, who arrived on Earth a year ago from the distant planet Korn. His species apparently drinks blood during intimate moments, or to solidify contracts. I've never seen him do such a thing, but he does have very sharp incisors that peek past his full lips.

And he's at least fifteen years older than me, with grey hair threading his beard. When he smiles, crinkles form at the corners of his dark, soulful eyes. He's the epitome of a "silver fox"—a hot, strong, older guy I'd still love to hook up with, despite our age difference.

Although I secretly refer to him as a "silver vampire," which always gets a laugh from trusted coworkers, because they know I'm right. He's ageless and the gray hair at his temples just makes him more distinguished.

So much joy fills my heart right now at this circumstance where we're alone together, I'm about to break into song.

Meanwhile, his strong hands tighten on the steering wheel. "You're not supposed to be in this vehicle with me," he grumbles, flashing those edgy white fangs. "Or on this trip at all."

He's been grouchy and in fact kinda rude since the moment he saw me step out of an Uber at the airport.

Conversely, I've been wanting something like this occur "organically" between the two of us for what seems like forever. So I've managed to remain happy, optimistic and reasonably calm. When he insisted on not sitting next to me on our flight I was hurt but complied. And I didn't crow too much with delight when he was forced into this rental with me for the last leg of our journey.

"It is a strange turn of events," I admit, giving him my best "sorry but not sorry" grin. "I know you like your privacy, but Tae begged me to take over this project after he got sick. He wanted to make sure this meeting went off without a hitch."

"I can do this conference alone."

Justice has made this pronouncement ten times already and I give him the same answer as before. "No, you can't. You need me here."

He grumbles because he knows it's true. Yes, everything was preplanned to the smallest detail ahead of time, but there are too many moving parts to this first meetup with the heads of the west coast tech industry and he needs back up.

He grows quiet, his dark gaze intent on the curves in the twisty mountain road.

Rain drops splatter on the windshield.

My eyebrow crooks because this shower is arriving earlier than originally forecast.

I glance again at his amazing profile. Justice Bloodworth is preternaturally pale and he's always dressed in black leather, including his pants. But his skin still looks healthy and vital. He's tall and thin, but not too thin, as if he could be a professional swimmer or a runner. A man who could wield knives and guns at a moment's notice, then twist, turn and leap while slicing and dicing through a hallway filled with screaming assassins. But he's not a paid killer. Justice is simply a businessman from the planet Korn trying to form trading relationships between our two planets.

He flicks on the wipers. The rain is now steady and dark storm clouds have suddenly formed overhead.

"Shoot. I brought a rain jacket, but I was hoping to not need it." My forehead wrinkles at the sudden downpour interrupting a formerly glorious spring day. Minutes before I glimpsed blue sky and puffy white clouds. Intermittent windshield wipers tap across the windshield, but the sprinkle soon turns into a rainstorm and the wiper speed increases. "This rainstorm worries me." I turn up the heater in the car and take out my cell phone to check the forecast. "It's supposed to be no problem driving up here this time of year. But they did warn that spring weather is changeable."

"Contact Tae," Justice rumbles. "Ask him about the weather on this side of the planet."

"No," I answer breezily, still scanning my phone. "We need to leave him alone so he can rest and recover. Also, I don't need to contact him because I have all the info we need."

He snorts in disagreement.

Justice thinks his highly professional, personal assistant, Tae Jang, planned this whole weekend and I'm simply the lowly intern who will be no help whatsoever. But Tae and I have become close friends and we never tell Justice how involved I really am because we've learned this agitates him.

And poor Tae really is holed up at home with the flu. I reminded him this simply gives him more time to preplan the Seoul conference this summer, which is his "baby" and he perked up. Also, I sent him a get-well food basket, so hopefully that helps too.

I love how I didn't have to trick my way into this perfect situation with Justice, it just naturally occurred. Which means I can sit beside Justice Bloodworth with zero guilt.

And now I can get to the bottom of this mysterious reason why he wouldn't sit next to me on the plane and looked like he was about to have a breakdown over the fact that we were going to share this car. He tried to rent a second car and I threatened to quit because I didn't want to drive myself up these mountain roads alone, I'm a scaredy cat when it comes to stuff like that.

He treats me differently than everyone else on his team, in my dad's company or at the UN delegation.

Justice never makes eye contact with me and leaves the room swiftly if I enter a closed-door meeting. If the only chair available is next to me, he chooses to stand, on the other side of the room. It's silly. And yet he never says I need to leave the position. Never complains about my work. He knows I do a good job. In fact, a great job. I give my all to this trade project between our two species, which I believe in as much as he does. As much as my father does too. We're all here to make sure that the Korn succeed which in the end will help humankind.

Other single women give him google eyes and he ignores them. He can stand right next to them, sit next to them for hours and just give them the attention a coworker deserves, not too much, not too little, and then he walks away. He treats all males and females the same. But I've always felt he's gone out of his way to stay away from me. And when he's too close to me, I swear he gets agitated.

Justice and my dad, Joseph King, have become fast friends this last year, which I think is wonderful. So I asked my dad if Justice hates me or if I did something wrong. He just shakes his head and changes the subject. Grr.

Meanwhile I think Justice Bloodworth is the sexiest man I've ever met.

I'm hopelessly in lust with him and maybe already a little in love. I admire not only his physique and the edgy way he dresses in black leather from head to toe, but I also like his manners and his attitude. He's a charming man when he wants to be and he's ethical and honorable in all his business dealings. He's not out to commit fraud or grift on humans, he really does want to set up trade relations that will be highly profitable and beneficial for humans as well as Korn and even Voltare.

And don't tell anyone, but Justice reminds me a lot of my dad. And I admire my dad, so…

Tae thinks nothing good will come from my "crush" on our boss and that I should "find a human boyfriend who is closer in age and not long for someone who isn't compatible." My friend has a valid point but I can't stop all these crazy feelings of love and lust that erupt every time I see or hear Justice. It's nutty, but I can't help it.

Also, I know Justice Bloodworth secretly wants me as much as I want him.

This is why I haven't forced myself to let this go and move on. He can't hide the dark lust in his gaze that is only there for me. I didn't see it at first, but lately I've caught him many times with his eyes on me from a distance, and no one else. This morning, when we met at the airport, I caught him gazing at my ass a beat too long. And when I turned and met his gaze, crooking an eyebrow, I swear he blushed.

I assume he doesn't want to be alone with me because he's my father's best friend and that would be weird? And also, there's the age difference. But he's but not quite as old as my dad. Dad had me reasonably young when he was still in college. I was an oops baby, the product of a one-night stand gone wrong. My birth mother realized raising a child wasn't her thing and when I was six months old, she gave full custody of me to my dad and left the both of us forever. I've never heard a peep out of her since.

My dad remarried recently and I have a new stepmom. Although it's weird thinking of her as a stepmom, considering she and my dad didn't marry until I was twenty-two years old. They're both finance lawyers and met through their work. Mainly I refer to her as my dad's new wife. I like her a lot and I know we'll grow closer as time goes by.

Dad and my stepmom, Ruth, are on an adults-only cruise to the Bahamas.

And I'm out in California with Justice.

He flicks on the windshield wiper to the highest setting. "The water falling from the sky is worse."

Rain now hits in heavy torrents, beating down on the roof of the SUV. And it doesn't let up. I check the doppler and my stomach drops. "Uh oh, everything is changing fast. The forecast now shows heavy rains for the next twenty-four hours. And now a flash flood warning." I tap on another screen and gasp with surprise. "They've also temporarily closed the road to the park. This means we're not going to make it to the hotel tonight because it's on the valley floor, inside the park, and we can't get to the gate in time."

"I'm going to pull over so we can decide what to do next."

It's difficult to see in front of us because the rains are so heavy and dark, but after the next bend in the road Justice finds a turn out and pulls over to the side and stops the car. Then he gives me a stern look. "Let me see the screen."

I show him the map with the red part of the storm moving directly over our exact location.

A muscle twitches along the side of his jaw. "I must keep you safe. Where can we shelter while we wait for the storm to pass?"

I nod, trying to remain calm. "Let me check." I tap on an app for nearby rentals, grateful to still have cell service this high in the mountains. We're only an hour away from the main gate to Yosemite National Park. "There's no hotels or rest stops nearby because this area is so remote, but…there's one cabin on this app that's still available not too far from here. The reviews aren't promising. People say it's small and extremely rustic with little in the way of creature comforts. Racoons can get inside and ransack the place? But beggars can't be choosers."

"How far away is it?"

I show him the map on my screen. "See, we don't have to drive far. It's on this turnoff right here."

"Claim that domicile," Justice orders. "We need shelter of some kind, fast."

I continue to tap on the screen, making the necessary arrangements.

He starts the large SUV again and pulls back onto the road.

We keep going, slowly making progress. The weather has worsened and the rain falls so hard it's difficult to see in front of us. The headlights beam ahead, as if this were night instead of day. Wind whips the trees and bushes on either side of the road. Rain pummels the car like stones and the ground around us instantly floods with water and debris.

A large branch falls and lands in the middle of the road.

"Watch out," I yell.

Justice expertly swerves out of the way and keeps going. He places a comforting hand on my thigh as I take deep, calming breaths.

"I'm surprised we haven't seen anyone else drive past in so long."

"There are no other cars on the road, I assume because the other humans are being smart and already taking shelter."

"Turn here." It's a good thing I was watching for the slightest signage, because I suspect the road would be easy to miss even on a sunny day. An open gate leads to a private road. We drive down the dark, muddy path that cuts between huge pine trees, the headlights still beaming through the heavy rain. The bumpy road finally terminates at a small clearing beside a ravine, with a cabin that doesn't look habitable, perched on a hill.

Justice parks in the only level parking spot. He points with a snort of disgust. "This is the shelter? That domicile looks like it's about to fall over."

It's hard to see, considering the rain and murky half-light but I can make out steep steps leading up to a front porch. "In the reviews they say it's better inside?" I respond with a tinge of hope. "This looks sketchy but it'll still be safer to stay here overnight and start fresh tomorrow morning for the rest of the drive when they reopen the park. The only other option would be for the two of us to sleep in this SUV overnight while we wait out the storm."

"I agree we have no other choice." His hand is already on the door, ready to get out. He's obviously irritated at this turn of events, but I'm of course still thrilled to have all this time with him.

We get ready to exit the car and go up the stairs to check out the cabin. Justice shoulders a mysterious, shiny bag he retrieves from the back seat that doesn't look like it was made on this planet and seems heavy and bulky.

What the heck?

I bring my own bags of food and leave the heavier luggage for later. I did expect some light rain today so I brought a raincoat and I'm wearing actual water-resistant shoes. I zip up and put on the hood, ready to race through the rain, up the flight of stairs to the porch.

Justice wears a hooded, long, black leather coat, black pants, white t-shirt and black boots. He takes one of my bags from my hands and follows me.

I gasp when the full weight of the rain and wind hits but manage to keep going. Justice is right behind me the whole time, so close I can hear his breath and feel his comforting warmth. We make our way through the vicious wind, thick mud and rain and up the slippery steps and both pause under the reasonably dry porch, at the front door.

I pause, taking deep breaths, proud of myself to a have made it up without needing assistance.

Justice puts down the two bags he was carrying. "I'm going back to bring up the rest of the luggage," he says.

"Oh, thanks," I smile. This makes sense because he's so strong and it won't be as hard for him to do this as it would for the average human.

He takes the stairs.

Meanwhile I find the hidden key, open the front door to our meager cabin and step inside to assess our situation. "Uh, oh," I whisper. "He's not going to like this."

Justice returns in no time and stomps in behind me, water running off his black coat. He drops the luggage and the bags on the floor and looks inside, taking in the fact that it's a one-room cabin with only a full-size bed, a loveseat, a tiny bathroom and a kitchenette along a wall. This means no separate sleeping arrangements whatsoever. "We cannot stay in this cabin together," he growls.

"We don't have any choice."

"I will sleep in the car."

I point at the sheets of pouring rain thundering outside. "But that"s ridiculous. You can't go back out there in the storm and sleep in the cold. This is the whole reason why we got this cabin in the first place. No one needs to sleep in the car. The cabin is very rustic, but it's got the necessities. There's a wood stove and even a large stack of logs in an inside bin. We can get warm and dry in here, which you can't do in the car. And there's a bathroom and..." I flick a switch and nothing happens. "Well, okay, the power is out but maybe there's a generator that we can…"

His nostrils flare and I think he's angrier than he was at the rental car agency. "There"s only one bed in the cabin."

"I can sleep on the couch," I answer brightly, "and you can have the bed because you"re bigger than me."

He brushes past and picks up his shiny bag and slings it over his shoulder as if readying to leave. "I was forced to travel with you on that airplane. Then next, with you in that vehicle. And now we're going to stay the night together in the same small cabin? This is unacceptable. I will sleep in the car."

I've had enough of this.

I step between him and the doorway, placing my hands on my hips. "Why do you hate being around me so much?" I demand. "You have no problem with Tae traveling with you alone. Daisy has gone on trips with you too and it's nothing. You've even traveled with my dad alone. Why is it just me? What's wrong that you can't stand being alone with me for even a moment? Do you dislike me that much? You think I'm that annoying? Which isn't fair because I like you a lot. And…and I know that you have feelings for me too, beyond you being my boss and I'm the intern. I feel the same too so you need to stop pretending that there isn't anything between the two of us, because there is."

He opens his mouth to respond…And then we hear a loud crash and the argument is immediately forgotten. We both turn toward the door.

"What's that?" I gasp. "It doesn't sound like thunder, but something worse."

"Wait here, I'll check on it."

"No way in hell. I have to see what's happening too."

And we both rush outside.