Hard Copy: A Billionaire Second Chance Romance (Tech Titans Book 3)

by Marcella Swann

  HARD COPY

  Tech Titans Book 3

  Marcella Swann

  © Copyright 2018 - All rights reserved.

  It is not legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locations is purely coincidental.

  Contents

  Books by Marcella Swann

  Chapter One: Press Release

  Chapter Two: From Afar

  Chapter Three: Marry Me?

  Chapter Four: Meeting

  Chapter Five: In the Rain

  Chapter Six: Friends and Lovers

  Chapter Seven: Hung Up

  Chapter Eight: Lunch

  Chapter Nine: Heat

  Chapter Ten: Connected

  Chapter Eleven: Opening Up

  Chapter Twelve: Risky Business

  Chapter Thirteen: Feelings

  Chapter Fourteen: Shattered

  Chapter Fifteen: Girl Talk

  Chapter Sixteen: Party Time

  Chapter Seventeen: No Spark

  Chapter Eighteen: Realizations

  Chapter Nineteen: Confessions

  Chapter Twenty: Fireworks

  Epilogue

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  About the Author

  Books by Marcella Swann

  My Dream Job

  Redeemed (Lost Love Book 1)

  Reunited (Lost Love Book 2)

  Rekindled (Lost Love Book 3)

  Hard Drive (Tech Titans Book 1)

  Hardwired (Tech Titans Book 2)

  Chapter One: Press Release

  Wow. Those freakin’ camera lights. They nearly blinded me. Reporters and photographers were spread out before me. I stepped up to the microphone. Game on.

  “Hey, everyone!” I spoke into the microphone and the gathered reporters stopped speaking to listen. “On behalf of my myself and my business partner, Miss Gigi Stevens, I’d like to thank you all for joining us. As you all know, Gigi and I founded So Good almost a year ago with the idea of providing a better way for people to find their soul mates, or just hook up, if that’s what you’re into,” I said with a suggestive wink. There were a few chuckles.

  I saw J.D. slightly shaking his head out of the corner of my eye, while clearly fighting a grin. He was standing off to the right, as Gigi and I took center stage. He had told me to stick to the script, but he should have known better.

  “We are happy to announce that the ramp up has been huge with nearly three million downloads of our app, thousands of hours of volunteer work for great causes, and people right here in Silicon Valley getting married left, right and center!”

  The press had been buzzing almost from the moment we launched our company. It was a great story. We were making Tinder look bad. Yeah, hooking up was great, but we brought millennials together for the hook up and do some good in the world. And not even a year into this thing, and we had already documented some 200 marriages or engagements. At this pace, were going to start averaging one a day very soon.

  “Due to the unprecedented success so far, we have moved on to a second round of funding, with plans to expand nationally.” I paused for more applause. “We have secured eight million dollars from new investors, as well as an additional million from our anchor investor, Mr. J.D. Stallworth.” I held my hand out to indicate J.D. and he stepped forward, waving to the crowd as Gigi, who was standing behind me, and I moved away from the microphone.

  J.D. took our place and began speaking to the crowd with a practiced ease. As one of the founders of the music streaming behemoth SXz, J.D.’s investment and support of So Good had been invaluable. He wanted to speak at the event to show the world that he, one of our biggest investors, had faith in our product.

  As he spoke, I watched him with a face that I hoped showed polite interest. In truth, I was thinking about how well his tailor-made suit draped his body and remembering how he looked unclothed. Particularly that time we were in my shower…

  I forced myself to bury those thoughts and try to focus on the announcement. I didn’t know why I was even thinking about that in the first place. It was just a fling and had ended months ago, before So Good was even founded. This was a huge deal for me, for all of us, and I needed to keep my mind on the company. I tuned back into J.D.’s speech. He was naming our new investors for the press.

  “…and Jason Foreman. These men have seen the same potential in the company that I have. They became new investors because So Good is an innovation that combines dating with doing good for the world. How better to find someone compatible than to bond over the things that are most important to us? It totally channels the millennial thing.”

  Warmth filled my chest. J.D. had always believed in So Good. When I had approached him for the initial investment, a hefty sum of two million dollars, I had been worried that he would find the idea too idealistic. An app that sets people up on dates for charity-be it a cancer research walk, removing graffiti from an overpass, or whatever else a person is passionate about-had never been done before. He hadn’t hesitated to take the risk, though.

  “Led by the amazingly talented team of Gigi Stevens and Judy Mixon, I have no doubt that the future of So Good will be bright and greatly benefit us all,” J.D. finished, lifting his champagne glass toward the group of five men gathered to the right-our new investors. They returned that gesture and drank to our success; it was an amazing feeling. All these powerful men that were part of this male-dominated industry were standing in front of dozens of cameras and showing that they had faith in our company.

  Gigi stepped to the microphone, “Now, everyone, please, enjoy the party.”

  It was done, the announcement had been made and I was sure that all our social media platforms were already blowing up. The coverage would be huge. Our initial launch had caught the media’s attention, but now we were making a big splash. We were going wide.

  “That went well,” Gigi said, as we joined the crowd of reporters, investors, and other invited guests.

  We left the hotel conference room as the party filtered out into the lobby. We had the entire hotel to ourselves, one of the fringe benefits of befriending billionaires, so we decided to throw a party immediately after the press conference. It was the perfect chance to celebrate our success. Our employees, investors, and even a few key clients were here. A waiter walked by with a tray of champagne flutes, so I grabbed two.

  “Of course, it did. We’re a huge deal,” I said, handing her one of the glasses and sipping from my own.

  “You’re starting to sound like Damian,” Gigi replied, referring to her live-in boyfriend who also happened to be one of the billionaire co-founder of SXz.

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing. It’s good, actually. At least one of us is comfortable with all this attention,” she said while gesturing to the photographer headed our way.

  “I can’t believe you’re not used to it by now. You’ve been with Damian for how long now?”

  “Almost two years,” she said.

  The photographer stopped a few feet from us, “Can I get shot for the Mercury News, ladies?”

  Gigi nodded, and we struck a pose, our bodies slightly angled in toward one another and practiced smiles on our faces. He snapped the picture and thanked us before wander
ing away, toward the investors. I took another sip of champagne and continued our conversation as if we had never been interrupted.

  “Yeah, you guys have been together for damn near two years and he’s constantly in the spotlight. Besides, the press love you. What is it they say about you?” I asked, knowing the answer already.

  “That I tamed the bad boy billionaire of Silicon Valley,” Gigi replied. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks and made me chuckle.

  “Oh, dear Georgina. Don’t ever change,” I said, earning a grin from her.

  “Oh, dear Judy, please don’t call me Georgina,” she retorted, laughing as she did.

  My attention was suddenly diverted as J.D. walked past. His black, curly hair was slightly disheveled, and I knew he had been running his hands through it, a habit of his. His smile was easy as he spoke with his brother and I let my gaze linger a moment too long. Gigi noticed.

  “So, what’s the deal with you guys?” she asked shrewdly. I turned back to her and shrugged nonchalantly.

  “Nothing. We’re friends.”

  “I don’t look at my friends like that.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like I want to jump their bones.”

  “I appreciate the view is all. That is one fine specimen,” I replied, and it was the truth.

  “You didn’t seem very happy when the two of you split up.”

  “That was more than a year ago. Besides, we both agreed it was the best idea. Working for SXz at the time and all that. Could you imagine the scandal if it got out? Billionaire boss takes young, nubile, vixen employee. Oh, my.”

  I eyed a cluster of reporters nearby. They would have had a field day with the news of J.D. Stallworth sleeping with his brother’s assistant. Though, if I were honest with myself, the risk made the sex even hotter.

  “But you haven’t worked for them since we launched So Good.”

  “No, but it’s still not a good idea. Look at his connection to So Good.”

  “I don’t think that would be a problem,” Gigi persisted. I shook my head.

  “It’s better this way,” I said before tilting my head back and swallowing the last of my champagne in one gulp.

  Chapter Two: From Afar

  I couldn’t stop watching her from across the room.

  Judy was talking animatedly to Gigi, her hands flying as she gestured wildly, and her face lit up with a smile. Her blue eyes shined even from this distance. As she threw her head back in laughter, my eyes traveled down the length of her graceful neck and naturally came to rest on the swell of her breasts. Heat shot through me as I remembered the weight of them in my hands.

  “Dude, you’re being really creepy,” Hayden’s voice came from my left. I snapped my gaze back to him. I had completely forgotten he was there.

  “What are you talking about?” I asked as casually as possible, as if I didn’t know I had been staring at my ex for the past five minutes.

  Hayden wasn’t going to play along. As my twin, he had a knack for seeing right through me. It could be useful at work, we needed to be on the same page to run a company, but it was annoying when he tried to meddle in my personal life. He shot me a wry expression and turned to regard Judy as well. I grabbed a stuffed mushroom from a passing waiter’s tray and popped it into my mouth whole, hoping to somehow avoid the impending topic of conversation.

  “She looks good tonight, huh?” Hayden asked, turning back to me with a raised eyebrow. I just shrugged in response.

  Good didn’t cover it. She looked stunning. Her bright orange top was loose, but low cut enough to show cleavage. Her blouse was tucked into high-waisted black and white patterned pants that showed off her long, lean legs. Her hair had grown longer since our time together and I could easily remember how soft it was.

  “Well, I’m sure someone else around here is bound to notice how good she looks,” Hayden persisted.

  “Do you want me to tell your very pregnant girlfriend about how attractive you think Judy is?” I asked, trying to ignore the way my gut clenched at his words. It wasn’t any of my business if someone else hit on Judy.

  “Woah. That’s low, man,” he said, feigning hurt. I rolled my eyes.

  “I was just mesmerized by that crazy outfit,” I said.

  It was true that Judy’s shirt was the brightest thing in the room and the pattern of her pants reminded me faintly of an acid trip. That was just Judy, she loved to stand out with her clothing choices. Between that and her big personality, it seemed that she was the center of attention wherever she went.

  “Yeah, whatever,” Hayden said, with a sigh. “We both know that you miss her.”

  “No, we don’t both know that. She’s my friend, we pretty much work together since I invested in So Good. How could I miss her when she’s around so much?”

  “That’s different. It’s not the same as being with someone intimately.”

  “Speaking of, where is Sabine?” I asked, wondering about his girlfriend. I was happy to find a way to change the subject and embraced it with enthusiasm.

  I didn’t want to talk about Judy with Hayden, or anyone for that matter. We had a good thing, but it ended and that was fine. We knew it was risky for SXz if the two of us were found to be dating. She was our employee at the time. Of course, I had known the risk going into the relationship, but Judy had a way about her that was hard to resist. That was another part of the reason for splitting up. I was starting to get too attached, for the first time in my life. That was not part of the plan.

  “She’s performing. It was booked months ago, but she hated to miss this.”

  I nodded. Sabine was a singer with an amazing voice and a new hit single. It wasn’t unusual for her Saturday evenings to be spent on stage.

  I swept my gaze around the room. The spacious room we were in was brightly lit and there was a fireplace across the room with couple of easy chairs placed in front of it. It was a normal hotel lobby, complete with a reception desk near the entrance. Damian had had the crazy idea of doing this here. He had paid a small fortune for it.

  People were scattered throughout the space; everyone from reporters being followed around by photographers to wealthy men in smart suits. Some of those men were new investors, investors with the potential of becoming stakeholders in the future.The venture capital money was starting to take notice of So Good. There were also invited guests. Judy had the idea of inviting some of the newly married couples that had met through So Good. They were a physical reminder of the app’s immense success. It was a great PR move.

  “Hey guys,” Judy’s voice came from behind me and I turned with surprise. She and Gigi had made their way across the room and were now standing before us.

  “Hey,” Hayden replied while I nodded. I didn’t want to admit it, but Hayden’s words had stirred up some complicated emotions that I refused to identify. I tried to push them down and act unaffected.

  “This turned out so great! The Bakers, our first clients to get married, are here. Gigi and I took a picture with them for Business Insider,” Judy added, clearly thrilled. Her passion for this company was clear. I smiled at her enthusiasm.

  “That’s great,” I told her.

  “My, oh, my. Is that a sex god heading our way?” Judy asked, playfully bumping her hip against Gigi’s to get her attention. Gigi nearly spilled her champagne and shot her a glare. Judy grinned sheepishly before pointing to Damian making his way through the crowd. “Sorry, love. I was just trying to draw your attention to the gorgeous piece of man meat with his eyes locked on you.”

  Gigi’s face melted into a smile as her eyes met Damian’s. He reached us and scooped her into his arms.

  “Sorry I’m late,” he said to her without greeting anyone else.

  “Oh, hi there, Damian. I’m doing great, thanks for asking,” Judy said with a sardonic little wave in his direction. He ignored her, as expected.

  “Don’t take it personally, Juju. He ignored us too,” I said, realizing too late that I had used a nickname fr
om when we were dating. There was a moment of tension when her eyes met mine in confusion. I had only ever called her that when we were alone.

  The moment seemed to stretch on as I shifted my weight uncomfortably. Thankfully, Gigi and Damian were too wrapped up in one another to notice anything and Hayden had the decency to suddenly pretend to be very interested in flagging down a waiter with crab puffs.

  “Uh, yeah. I try not to let it get to me. They really love each other,” Judy broke the silence and I was grateful.

  Before another word was spoken, the lights in the room all dimmed, fog began to filter into the crowd and music started to play. I looked around curiously, along with nearly everyone else. The music was fast paced and upbeat. It sounded vaguely familiar.

  “Is that circus music?” Judy asked loudly.

  I realized that she was right. At that moment, multi-colored lights danced around the room and people started pouring into the lobby from all sides. They were all dressed in black sequined leotards and some were carrying props. Their pace matched the music perfectly and it was like watching a dance as they positioned themselves among the crowd. They immediately began performing acts and tricks to delight the gathered crowd.

  There were jugglers and baton twirlers, acrobats and even a sword swallower. It was like standing in the middle of a circus ring or a carnival. Four large hoops were lowered from the ceiling until they hung directly above the audience. Some of the performers broke into pairs and climbed on each other’s shoulders to reach the hoops, showing off true acrobatic skill. Twisting their bodies and moving in a synchronized fashion, they carried out amazing feats of strength and agility.