Play: a virtual reality romance: Manhattan Lux Book 2

by Olivia Devon

  Katie turned her attention back to Aaron and saw he was inspecting a giant wet spot on his dress shirt and holding a bottle of Prosecco at arm’s length.

  “I’m kind of dripping all over the hallway,” he said.

  “Come in! God, I’m sorry.” Katie stood to the side as Aaron squeezed past her into the apartment. Jesus he smelled good. Her knees nearly buckled out from under her.

  Dropping the roses into a vase, she put the chocolates on the counter as Aaron opened up her fridge.

  “Can I just stick this in here?” he asked.

  “Sure, yeah.” She watched as he sat the wine on a shelf, shut the door and then turned back to her.

  “So, um…hey!” Aaron’s eyes lit up when Rupert appeared. The cat hopped up on the counter and made his way along the edge. Coming to a stop next to Aaron, he head-butted him on the elbow and then looked up expectantly. “Will he bite me if I pick him up?”

  “No, go ahead. He’s a total cuddle slut, gets it where ever he can.”

  Aaron laughed and picked Rupert up, who purred loudly when the chin rubbing began.

  “Well,” Aaron said. “I hadn’t planned on giving this speech while snuggling a cat, but it needs to be said so…Katie I’m sorry I didn’t include you in my decision-making process with ZumZum.”

  “It’s fine,” she said. Backing up against the countertop she gripped the edge and stared at Rupert. “I was sick, and I overreacted. I didn’t even give you a chance to explain, and really, you don’t need to consult me when it comes to your business Aaron.”

  “I disagree,” he said bluntly. “Because putting business first is a mistake I’ve made in other relationships, and it’s not something I want to do with you, especially considering our professional work overlaps.”

  “Huh, yeah,” she scoffed quietly. “That could be a problem.”

  Aaron put Rupert down and took one step toward her. She could feel Aaron’s eyes on her, knew that he deserved her full attention right now, but for some reason she just couldn’t look up. Shy or bold–she was either one or the other with this man.

  What a lousy time for shy.

  “It doesn’t have to be,” he said softly. “It doesn’t have to be a problem at all.”

  Katie shrugged, for some reason she couldn’t stop staring at the cat.

  Aaron reached out and took one of her hands in his.

  “I love that we share so many passions. That’s something that’s been missing from my life and now that I’ve found it with you, I don’t want to give it up.”

  “Aaron, it just leads to complications and messiness.” She sighed and squeezed his hand, then let it go. “Like the whole thing with ZumZum. I don’t know if I even would have gone for their port proposal. I’m happy with Celestia as it is, but now you own the company, so if I want to explore that option it’s just, complicated.”

  “You could explore the option with another company.”

  “Not likely. EI is the industry leader and everyone knows it. If I did a port project it would be through you.”

  “Okay, so then let’s do it.”

  “What, and just hope it works out and we don’t end up fighting, and breaking up–”

  “So what are you saying? That you’d rather not even try being together, because we might break up?”

  She didn’t answer. When he said it like that, it sounded stupid.

  “Cards on the table?” he said, taking both her hands in his.

  She looked up and met his gaze, taken aback by the heat she found there.

  “Please,” she whispered.

  “I just met your Mom in the hallway.”

  Aaron couldn’t help but grin when Katie’s eyes popped wide. That was the reaction he was hoping for.

  “Your mom and I had a little chat, and she encouraged me to be honest with you. So that’s what I’m going to do.”

  “You had a chat?” Katie raised an eyebrow.

  “Since you and I first met,” he said, ignoring her comment. “And I spat tea all over your dress, we’ve had this crazy chemistry. We’re either super in sync, or super–”

  “Awkward,” she said with a laugh. “Yeah I know. You said it’s because of how we met. Strangers that had this intense experience, and it was kind of a lot of data and–”

  “Forget what I said. I’m an idiot. That’s not it at all.”

  “Then–”

  “Totally the opposite,” he said. “Katie, you built me a house and decorated it perfectly, picking out things that completely reflected my personality. You know me, instinctively. And I know you.”

  “You do?” She sniffed and watched as his thumbs traced circles on the backs of her hands.

  “Yeah I do. I know you like the Scottish highlands, and MST3k and you share my passion for virtual reality. I know you believe in its potential as much as I do. And that means so much to me.”

  Aaron slid his hands up her arms, and jumped them to her waist, closing the gap between them.

  “I know you trust me enough to explore my kinks with me, and I know you really enjoyed it when we did.” He thrilled when he heard her breath catch, and knew he was on the right track. “I know the reason we’ve been so push and pull is because somehow, from the minute we met, we recognized something in each other, and that scared you.”

  “You think I’m scared?” she said, and he heard the challenge in her voice.

  “I know you are.” He bent low, let his lips coast along her jawline and kissed the corner of her mouth gently. “I am too.”

  “You are?” she said, her head turning almost imperceptibly into his, so that their lips were a just a breath apart.

  “Yes,” he said. Sliding his hands up her back, he tangled his fingers in her hair and cradled her head in his palms.

  “Why?” she said, her voice a whisper, her eyes wide and dark.

  “Because I’m totally in love with you.”

  He saw her lips tremble, and the fear of what she might say next, what new excuse she might feel compelled to offer, overwhelmed him. Aaron crushed his lips to hers and kissed her, his tongue diving in steal the protests from her mouth before she could voice them.

  “I love you,” he said again, when they broke for air. He drew her into him, holding her tightly against his chest as she shivered. “I’m so fucking in love with you, Katie, and I know you’re scared to death because I am too. I’ve never managed to make a relationship work before. But I’ve never wanted one to work this badly before. I think, I just think if you give it a chance, if we both try our hardest–”

  She muttered something against his chest and he couldn’t make out the words. He pulled back and she lifted her chin.

  “Wabi-sabi,” she said.

  “What?”

  “Wabi-sabi. Something can be beautiful not despite it’s imperfections, but because of them.”

  Aaron lifted his eyebrows. He knew she was making a point, he just wasn’t totally sure what it was.

  “I’m tired of being scared,” she said. “Just tired of it. In fact, before you showed up I was having kind of a warrior goddess moment and…” she shook her head. “Doesn’t matter. I just, I think I’ve got these hang-ups, you know, and they’re going to keep coming up.”

  “Same,” said Aaron. “But I think that’s gotta be true for every relationship. If we promise to talk about it, to work with each other, then I gotta believe we can make it. Some things are worth the work. We’ll be worth it. I know it.”

  “Okay then,” she said, sniffing and peering up at him slyly. “I don’t want to port Celestia. I think you’d be stupid to let me. People should have to come to HyperLyfe if they want to play in Celestia.”

  “You make an excellent point.” Aaron nodded.

  “I think EI should sign me up as an exclusive developer,” said Katie. “Not because I’m your girlfriend, but because I’m fucking awesome at what I do.”

  “I agree. And I’d like to point out that you just called yourself my girlfriend. I very m
uch agree with that.”

  “And,” said Katie, grinning, “ I think you should give me my own department with complete autonomy and some great coders.”

  “I think I know two excellent coders that will work very well with you.” He smiled. “But, complete autonomy? I do still run the company, I might have just one or two things that I’d like to–”

  Suddenly, he felt her hand through his suit pants, her nails dragging over his cock as it lengthened.

  “Then we’ll have to negotiate terms,” she said, dragging his lips down to hers. “Set some limits.”

  “Name it,” Aaron said, kissing her back hard. “Anything you want. Anything you need.”

  Katie snaked her tongue out and licked Aaron’s lower lip. “How about that round two?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Aaron slid his hands down to her ass, lifted Katie up and threw her legs roughly around his waist.

  “Bedroom?” He barely managed to spit out the query between kisses.

  Katie thumbed over her shoulder and started unbuttoning his shirt, her hands diving under the collar to burn hot trails over his skin that had him growling in her ear.

  Rupert, on the bed when they entered the room, sensed danger and leapt up, skittering out the door just before Aaron slammed it shut.

  “He gonna hold that against me?” he muttered to Katie.

  “I don’t care if he does.”

  He dragged one juicy earlobe between his teeth and sucked hard.

  “Holy shit Aaron.” She gasped and dug her nails into his chest, swung her legs down to standing and then pulled at his suit jacket, trying to push it down his shoulders.

  “Wait.” Aaron cupped his hands over hers and stilled them. “Before things get really crazy, how are we doing this?”

  “What do you mean?” Katie stared at him blankly.

  “Well when round two was first discussed, days ago, there were certain, um, accessories that we kind of decided to forgo…are we still doing that or?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

  “Oh! Condoms!”

  “Right.”

  “No. I mean. Nothing’s changed for me. Other than a bout with the flu, I’m clean.” She bit her lip and gazed at him through heavy eyelids. “You?”

  “The only thing I’ve been with is my hand and memories of you.”

  Katie’s brow furrowed. “Aw, that’s kind of sweet.”

  “Yeah well. I’ve discovered I’m addicted to you.” Cupping the back of her head with one hand he took her mouth, plundering the sweet depths with his tongue until they were both breathless and reeling.

  “So, just making sure, that was a definite no on the condom?”

  “Yes,” she said, scraping her nails over his crotch, she found the zipper and dragged it down. “I mean no. I just…” Katie’s cool fingers dipped inside his fly and closed around Aaron’s bare cock.

  “Fuck.” The curse stuttered from his lips as he hardened painfully in her grip.

  “I want to feel you,” she whispered against his lips. “Just you.”

  His arousal was ramping up way too fast, and Aaron tried to pump the brakes. Breathing deeply his gaze flitted over the room, looking for something, anything, that might take the edge off a bit. Stuffed animals maybe? Family photos? Anything would do, he wasn’t picky…wait…what was she wearing?

  “Why is your shirt ripped?”

  Her head flew up and Katie’s cheeks flushed prettily. God he loved it when she did that.

  “My warrior goddess moment. I kind of did this myself. I was making a tank top.”

  Okay this was good, this was good. They could talk for a minute, style choices and wardrobe alterations, whatever, that should be enough for him to get his dick under control.

  “Why?” he asked, gently easy his aching flesh from her fist.

  She blushed again. Dammit, that wasn’t helping the cause–

  “I was thinking about you,” she whispered. “And that night at Lux. It’s too weird to explain–”

  “No, tell me.” Aaron swallowed hard. “I want to know.”

  “This?” she said, pinching the shirt in her fingers. “I was just trying on a sexier me. I felt so sexy that night.” Her chest rose higher and faster as she spoke. “I wasn’t thinking about how I looked or my scars. I wasn’t self conscious at all I just felt…well I felt hot okay? And totally–”

  “Fuckable.” Aaron lifted one hand and cupped her breast through the tattered shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra. He stroked his thumb over her and watched in awe as she responded immediately, the nipple poking eagerly through the thin fabric.

  “You are so fucking sexy, beauty.”

  “You didn’t mind sharing me?” She asked coyly.

  “What? The almost gang bang? You were happy, I was happy.”

  She pinned him in her gaze and raised her eyebrows.

  Aaron huffed. “I didn’t mind sharing you the exact amount that was necessary to get you off. I don’t think I could ever share any more than that though.”

  “That’s okay,” she said, as he cupped her other breast. “I wouldn’t want you to.”

  “What else did you like?” he asked roughly. “Tell me.”

  “I liked being naked,” she whispered. “When you weren’t.”

  Aaron bent low and traced his tongue over her collarbone as he pinched both nipples and rolled them between his fingertips. She cried out and grabbed fistfuls of his jacket for support. “What else?” He demanded.

  “I liked when you showed me off,” she said. Her cheeks were very red now, and her eyebrows were darting up her forehead as her arousal grew. “I liked….” she frowned, then grabbed his neck and dragged his ear down to her lips. “I liked when you spread me bare for everyone to see, and then you fucked me while they watched. And you…and you…”

  Aaron thrust both hands up under her shirt and kneaded her breasts. “Tell me,” he said. “What did I do?”

  “You were totally in control of them.” She swallowed hard and Aaron felt the movement of her throat against his cheek. “You were totally in control of me.”

  “And how did that make you feel?”

  Sliding one hand over her belly, he found the waistband of her leggings and slipped his hand inside, lower, until he found her heat, wet and slippery and eager for him. He smiled against her hair, knowing the answer but still wanting to hear her say it out loud.

  “I loved it.” Her words were rushed and fervent, her body was melting in his arms. “I want more.”

  He pulled away, took one step back and shrugged off his suit jacket.

  “Aaron?” she said tentatively, wondering if she’d done something wrong.

  But the look in his eye when he lifted his head was deadly, and Katie felt a shock of lust shoot straight to her core.

  “Take off the top,” he said, as he rolled up his shirtsleeves to the elbow.

  Biting her lip, she picked up the hem of her shirt, dragged it over her head and tossed the pink scrap of cloth on the floor.

  Aaron’s jaw worked silently and his nostrils flared as his gazed raked over her breasts.

  “Goddamn,” he muttered, his tone reverent.

  Closing the distance between them he pulled her into his arms, folding her into the tall, hard, warm tower of his body. Katie sighed with pleasure and Aaron wove his fingers through her hair, drawing her lips up to his for a deep kiss.

  “God.” She sighed. “Why is this so sexy?”

  He chuckled, a low throaty sound that sent goose bumps up her arms.

  “You don’t know why you like it?”

  “Do you?” she countered. “You’ve given me a couple of different answers, and all of them–”

  “Are completely true. But mostly,” he said, hooking his fingers under her waistband. “I like that when I’m wearing clothes, and you’re not, you seem even more naked.”

  She gasped and looked up at him.

  “I’m a big fan of you being as naked as possible, beauty.”
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  “Yeah well, I think I’m a big fan of you being naked too. No more games for now.” She snapped her fingers at him. “Come on. Now I want a show.”

  Aaron grinned and pushed her back against the bed. Katie gasped in mock offense but when she saw what he was doing, she shut her mouth, sat primly and just watched.

  “Probably should get out of this wet shirt huh?” he said, winking at her. Most of his buttons were already unfastened earlier by Katie’s eager hands, but he popped the few that remained then pulled the shirt off slowly and let it puddle to the floor behind him.

  Aaron reached for his belt and Katie clapped her hands, bouncing up and down on the edge of the bed while Aaron’s eyes grew wide and his hands stilled.

  “Do that again,” he said. “Slowly.”

  His eyes were glued to her chest.

  She followed his gaze and realized what a picture she was. Naked from the waist up, tits bouncing and hair flying.

  Hell why not? She bounced again, and pressed her arms together to give the girls a little extra lift.

  “Jesus Christ.” Aaron’s half unfastened pants were forgotten as he fell to his knees in front of her and mauled her breasts. Taking one tender tip into his hot mouth, he laved his tongue over the bud, nipping with his teeth and sucking just to the edge of pain.

  Katie thrust her hands into his hair and held on for dear life, as Aaron moved from breast to breast, fingers and tongue working in tandem to drive her crazy.

  “You’re right,” he said. “No more games. I can’t wait any longer.”

  Picking her up by the waist, he threw her on the bed, manhandling her small frame with ease. It was thrilling.

  She was on all fours in front of him, twisting to watch as Aaron quickly removed the rest of his clothes, his cock arching thick and long up toward his stomach.

  Fuck, yes.

  Realizing she was still wearing her leggings, Katie sat up and started to remove them but the look in Aaron’s eye stopped her. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he put one strong hand at the small of her back and pushed her forward again.

  He moved around her, slipped his hands under the waistband and slowly, oh so slowly, peeled her leggings and panties down over her ass.