by Nina Lindsey
With another cry, Rory convulsed around him a second time, her inner vibrations so intense that his own control snapped. He plunged into her and let go with a rough shout, pleasure ripping through him fast and hard. He dropped his head on to her shoulder as the sensations waned, his breath rasping against her damp skin.
“For the record,” she kissed his ear, “I’m really glad you decided to keep me around.”
With a hoarse laugh, he rolled off her and on to his back. “I’m not sure I had a choice. You have a way of sticking around.”
Rory chuckled and turned to curl up against his side. “Well, it’s a good thing I…what the hell is that?”
She sat up, staring in astonishment as a fluffy orange kitten pounced onto the bed and began making its way over the rumpled covers toward Grant.
He frowned. The kitten blinked its big green eyes.
“That’s Button,” he muttered.
“Button?” Rory shook her head with a laugh. “Are you kidding me? Aria talked you into adopting a kitten?”
“No, she didn’t talk me into it.” He threw her a scowl as Button pawed at his leg. “I was at the café one morning, and she gave me a sob story about this kitten who was looking for her forever home.”
“Ah. The forever home pitch is hard to resist.”
“When I went by the café again later, Button still hadn’t been adopted. I figured cats aren’t that much work, so I brought her home.”
“She’s adorable.” Rory reached for the little fluff-ball.
Button hissed, the fur on her back standing up in little spikes.
“Whoa.” Rory drew back. “She’s territorial, too.”
“I’ve only had her for a week.” Grant lifted the kitten onto his chest and scratched her ears. “She’s still adjusting.”
He felt Rory grinning at him. “What?”
“It’s just cute, that’s all.” She tweaked his ear. “Big, scowly Grant Taylor with the bulging muscles who burns meat with fire…has a pet kitten named Button.”
“Yeah, well, don’t tell anyone.”
“It’ll be our secret.” She kissed his shoulder. “Are you hungry?”
“I guess that means you are.” Setting the kitten down, he reached for his boxer briefs. “What’d you want?”
“I’ll go with you.”
After they were both dressed, they returned to the Mousehole kitchen. Grant set a pot of water on the stove to boil and drizzled a pan with olive oil before getting a few containers from the walk-in.
“What are you making?” Rory perched on a stool near the stove.
“Shrimp and scallops with linguine and roasted vegetables.” He slanted her a glance as he started unwrapping the green beans. “Before I feed you, tell me how you managed to take down your tormentors and put a massive crack right through the entire tech industry.”
“That was good, wasn’t it?” Even as she smiled, a shadow passed over her lovely features. “All five of the men had big digital footprints. Social media, accounts with a ton of services, many different emails, articles, everything you can think of. It didn’t take much work to dig up a bunch of dirt.”
She shook her head, her expression darkening. “Three of them are married and one has a fiancée, but I found a profile on a dating website specifically for men seeking affairs, and another had uploaded stuff to revenge porn sites. They all had lots of porn accounts, some with legally questionable content. One of them had sent explicit emails to the woman he was having an affair with, including pictures, and another posted regularly on dark web forums. Two of the men had multiple complaints filed against them at previous jobs. Just a lot of shitty stuff that proved they were assholes with very little conscience.”
“What did you do with the info?” Grant tossed the sliced carrots and zucchini into a pan.
“I was going to mail the packages to their wives and fiancée.” Her mouth twisted, and she rubbed her finger on the edge of the counter. “And to Douglas’s mother since he doesn’t have a girlfriend. But I didn’t want to blindside other women like that, so instead I sent copies of everything to the Digicore CEO and the top executives, as well as HR and the media. My guess was that the executives all had skeletons in their closets that they didn’t want exposed. I was pretty sure they’d throw the Terrible Five under the bus in order to save themselves. I was right.
“Then, your father unknowingly helped out by cutting ties with Digicore, which threw everyone into a frenzy. If shitty moral character and allegations of harassment were enough to get five men fired and destroy a potential corporate partnership, then the entire Silicon Valley needed to get on the fucking ball and make some changes.”
“You’re amazing.” Grant shook his head in admiration as he dropped the fresh linguini into the pot. “But I’m still kind of ticked off that I didn’t get to beat those bastards within an inch of their lives.”
She smiled faintly. “Honestly, I would have let you, if I hadn’t known that a beat-down would backlash on you. Plus, I thought there was some poetic justice in using my cyber skills to punish them. For five IT experts, they did a lousy job of covering their tracks. I didn’t expect the whole snowball effect, though, so that was an added bonus.”
“Tough as it was to stay away from you for two weeks, I’m incredibly proud of you.” He leaned over to kiss her temple. “You’ve also given me a hundred more reasons for why I will never have social media or any other accounts.”
“You’re probably the least traceable man in the country.”
“I plan to stay that way, too.” He ladled the seafood onto a plate. After adding the linguini and vegetables, he set the dish in front of her.
“So, what’s next for Rory Prescott?” He turned off the stove burners and leaned against the counter. “You quit Digicore and understandably don’t want to work for Intellix. Do you have another plan?”
She nodded, her eyes downcast as she rolled linguini on her fork. “It’s uncertain, unstable, and could be a complete failure.”
“Sounds great. Restaurant work is the same way.”
“Exactly.” She looked up, a sudden spark lighting in her expression. “That’s what I kept telling myself. That you did it. Why can’t I?”
“You want to open a restaurant?”
She laughed. “Yeah, sure. The Gummy Worm Café. No, I want to design a software program that Hunter and Studio Twenty-Five, and other people, can use for the Mariposa Street renovation. Or any kind of architectural restoration project.”
Grant blinked in surprise. “That’s a fantastic idea. But I thought you didn’t want to work on that kind of program because architecture and urban planning aren’t in your wheelhouse.”
“I didn’t. And they’re totally not. But neither was medical care when I designed the MedCure program. So I thought, why should I let that stop me? I have a direct line to experts with Hunter and the studio. Plus, the tech industry moves at a breakneck speed, so I’m always learning anyway. This time, I can choose to learn something different.”
She popped a shrimp into her mouth. “Callie is going to connect me with the head of the architecture department at Skyline, and I’ve already signed up to take several online courses. I’ve contacted dozens of people about the project because I want to find ways to include both 3D and 4D technology for the planning, and then later for visitors. There’s a lot of emerging technology for historic sites, but it hasn’t been complied into a singular program for both restoration and development. That’s how I want to change a corner of the world. A whole district, actually.”
“You’ll change much more than that.” Pride in her surged through him yet again. “Are you going to work for Monarch?”
“No. Hunter said he would try and find the funds to pay me but, honestly, I don’t want to work for anyone. Not even Hunter. I want to design a program for them, but I want to work for myself.”
A tension Grant hadn’t even realized he felt suddenly eased from his shoulders. Working for herself was exactly
what would make Rory the happiest.
“What do you think?” She set her fork down and fidgeted with her napkin. “Like I said, uncertain and unstable.”
“And unlimited.” He put the pans in the sink and wiped off the stove. “I always knew you could do anything.”
“I’m going to apply for grants, in the hopes that I can get enough funding for at least the next six months, if not the next year. Also, I’m researching venture capitalists who are not in the Silicon Valley, but who might have an interest in architecture and history.”
Grant tossed the dishtowel on the counter. Wariness clouded his mind, but beneath it an idea sparked, bright and hot.
“Rory.” He folded his arms, his spine tensing again. “It killed me not to do anything for you when you were in that mess. I wanted to go into battle for you. With you. I wanted to fight, and I really wanted to kick some ass. But I didn’t because you asked me not to.”
“I know.” Her navy-blue eyes were luminous. “I also know how hard that was for you.”
“And then…” He pushed away from the counter and paced a few steps. “You asked me to leave you alone. I fucking hated doing it but, again, I did because you asked me to. I’ll do anything for you. Anything you ask. Even if it makes me batshit crazy.”
“Grant…” She pushed off the stool and started toward him.
He held up a hand to stop her. If he touched her now, he’d be lost.
“I’m so sorry.” She shook her head, her brow furrowing with dismay. “I didn’t think…I mean, I knew you needed to do something, that you wanted to, but I felt like I had to take action on my own. At least, to try. It was so shitty, what happened at Digicore and stuff I’d gone through before…I had to prove to everyone, to myself, that I was as independent and smart as I’d always believed. I wanted to quit, Grant. You have no idea how much I wanted to just walk away and come back to you. I wanted…”
She paused and rubbed her throat. “I wanted to dive back into the life we’d had together here, to make it last forever this time. I wanted to meet you at the Mousehole every day for lunch and to welcome you home late at night. I wanted to go jogging with you at dawn and have amazing sex and eat your food. I wanted to leave everything else behind and just be with you. But I couldn’t do that because everything else wasn’t going to go away.”
She stepped cautiously toward him and rested her hand on his chest. His heartbeat quickened at the touch of her warm palm. “I needed to do something about it. The stupid game, the comments I’d tried to ignore, the dismissiveness, the propositioning… I’d gone through all of that alone for years. I told people—HR, my mother, my sisters, my friends—but ultimately I was the one who had to deal with it and then walk back into the fray because I didn’t want to be beaten or stopped from doing the work I love.”
She pulled in a breath. “So when I found that fucking scoresheet and was told to keep my mouth shut again, I knew it was the endgame. Somehow, I was going to take those assholes down by using my skills and my brain, and without anyone else’s help.”
Grant swallowed past a tightness in his throat. “And you did.”
“Yes.” She lifted her gaze to his, her expression both wary and hopeful. “I’m so sorry that it hurt you. I never meant to do that. But if you think you didn’t help me, that you didn’t go into the battle with me, that you didn’t fight for me…you’re wrong, Grant. You were there the whole time. You were part of the reason I did this…because I knew you’d had the courage to strike out on your own even when you could have taken an easier route. You were my role model. For two years, you’ve been so dependable, so steady and rock-solid that I always knew you were right over there. I knew you’d still be there, if it took me a week or a month or a year. You were like a lighthouse I knew I’d return to. You were my hero. You still are.”
“Yeah, well…” He cleared his throat and rested his hand against the side of her neck. “Heroes don’t get all sappy.”
“Of course not.” She smiled, her eyes glistening. “They just adopt kittens named Button.”
“One more crack about Button, and I’m taking back the gummy worms.” He tugged on a lock of her hair. “I meant it when I said I’ll always do whatever you ask of me. So, feel free to get kinky with your requests.”
Rory laughed and poked him in the chest. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“As for your software design plan…” Tension threaded his shoulders again. “Applying for funding is a long process. It could be months before you know if your project will be approved or not. Venture capitalists are obviously no guarantee, either. God knows I’d lose my shit if you ended up dealing with another scumbag. Which is why…”
He took a breath and rested his hands on her arms. “I want to fund your software project.”
Rory stared at him, shock darkening her eyes. When she opened her mouth to speak, Grant shook his head.
“I have money, Rory. Plenty of it. My parents established trust funds for me and Nathan when we were born, and I’ve never touched mine. But investing in you…I can’t think of anything I would rather do.”
“Oh, Grant.” She eased away from him, and a tear slipped down her cheek. “I can’t take your money.”
Frustration lanced through him. He’d known she would say that. “Yes, you can. I’m offering it to you.”
“What would your father say?”
“He’ll probably be glad to know I’m investing in technology. In you. I want you to have all the support you need without worrying about money. If you want a contract, fine, but all that matters to me is that you have the resources to do exactly what you want. To do what makes you happy.”
She wiped her eyes with a napkin and shook her head. His insides twisted.
“Rory.” He stepped closer, willing her to let him do this for her. “I’m asking you to take this offer. Please.”
Silence fell, stretching over the span of a thousand heartbeats. The air grew thick. His pulse pounded.
“I…” She drew in a shaky breath, shredding the napkin between her fingers. “How can I ever not do what you ask? I accept, Grant. Thank you so much.”
Relief flooded him. He crossed to her in three strides and grabbed her up into his arms, kissing her thoroughly before setting her back on her feet. He ran a hand over her long hair, thinking a million years could pass and he would still need and want her every second.
“Rory.” His voice came out hoarse. He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I want—”
“Oh!” She broke away from him, her eyes widening. “I totally forgot.”
She spun and hurried toward the dining room. With a frown, Grant followed.
Rory grabbed a bag that she’d left underneath the bar and unzipped it. She took out Bob the Fish and placed him back on the empty hooks still embedded in the wall behind the bar.
Grant laughed. “You didn’t burn him after all, huh?”
“Never.” Rory slipped her arms around his waist. “Bob and I are old friends now. He sang me to sleep every night I was away from you. Thanks for entrusting him to my care.”
He hugged her against his side. “Thanks for entrusting yourself to my care.”
“Best decision of my life.” Rory smiled and pressed the button on the plaque. Bob turned his head, opened his gaping mouth, and began warbling “Love Me Tender.” The silver lights on his scales shimmered and glowed.
“It’s still awful.” She gave Grant a tight squeeze. “But I think it’s our song.”
“Good, because I love you tenderly, profoundly, excessively, and deeply…not to mention with great, epic passion.” He pressed his lips to the top of her head. “I always will.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later
“We’ve received support from four of the largest tech companies already but, of course, we want to have the structure in place before launching,” Joanna continued in the voicemail message on Rory’s phone. “I’ll be speaking at the Future of IT conference next month, and I
hope you can be there as well. If we’re ready to go public by then, that would be an excellent place to announce the creation of the Women in Technology Foundation. I’d like for you to be a board member in charge of the mentorship program, which you can handle from Bliss Cove. Edward is working on establishing the scholarships for young women seeking careers in IT, and he also wants you to be on the scholarship committee, but no pressure. We know you’re busy with your own project. We’ll talk about it when you and Grant come up for dinner next week. See you soon!”
With a chuckle of admiration, Rory set her phone down and returned her attention to her computer.
Shortly after the Digicore shockwave, Joanna and Edward—as the acknowledged pioneers of inclusion and diversity at Intellix—had challenged other tech companies to take viable action rather than issue statements about “new strategies.” Joanna then announced her intention to create a foundation in support of women in technology, which was already off to a sprinting start, thanks to her considerable influence and widespread network.
Edward had been surprisingly enthusiastic about Grant’s support of Rory’s software design project and had offered his input and resources “if ever needed.” In the two weeks that Rory had been back in Bliss Cove, she’d started consulting in-depth with Hunter and Studio Twenty-Five to make plans for designing the restoration and development software.
Grant converted the Mousehole cottage into an office for her, complete with a computer desk and a high-end, ergonomic chair; a reading nook, high-speed internet, and a supply of gummy candies, Twizzlers, and Sour Patch Kids. They fell easily into the life they’d established so briefly all those weeks ago, a perfect balance of the work they loved and the joy of being together.
One early morning in mid-December, they went for a run along the beach, where seagulls swooped overhead and sandpipers pecked at the shore. A newspaper-gray marine layer coated the sky, and whitecaps rolled over the ocean’s surface.