by Lila Monroe
“I just mean, with the app preparing for launch, and people knowing you’ve funded it …”
He lifts his arm to slide it around my shoulder. “You worry too much, McKenna. What we do with our businesses and what we do with our private time is totally separate.”
Jack traces his thumb along my lower lip and draws me into a kiss. I melt against him, I can’t help it. His touch feels too good, and just like that, Shelby is the last thing on my mind.
“You are a dangerous woman, McKenna Delaney,” he says in that husky voice that turns me into a puddle of hormones. His lips move to my neck, and I sink back against the seat in pleasure.
Talking can wait.
23
Jack
There’s nothing like morning sex with a fantastic woman to start the day off right. I’m not sure I’ve ever walked into the Maverick offices in better spirits. Business is booming, I’ll be seeing McKenna again—in clothes and out of them—this weekend, the sun is shining. In short, my life is currently fantastic.
“Well, aren’t you in a good mood,” Hallie says with raised eyebrows as I saunter in from the elevator.
“I had a very good night,” I inform her.
“Mmhm? I don’t suppose that night involved McKenna Delaney.”
“It might have.” I grin. “You should be cheering me on. Weren’t you complaining just a few months ago about me jumping from lady to lady too fast for you to remember their names?”
“That sounds like me. And I’m all for whatever you’ve got going on with McKenna if it’s making you this happy. That makes my job a little easier.” She smiles back at me.
“And here I thought you were concerned about me,” I kid.
Hallie laughs. “With the way you work, your life and my job are practically the same thing.”
There’s probably more truth in that than is ideal, but I’m in such good spirits I don’t care. I rub my hands together. “Let’s get down to business then. That cluster of offices in the northeast corner is still free, isn’t it?”
Hallie checks her laptop. “Unless you promised them away without telling me.”
“Excellent. Can you make arrangements to set those up for Connective, Inc.? I’d like to be able to welcome them in ASAP.”
“They’re moving in here? Isn’t that a little quick?”
I wave off her questions. “The office space they have right now is tiny. No room for growth. And we’ll be able to get that expansion in motion even faster with them on site. Speaking of which, can you pull the best of the applications on file for COOs and tech staff? If we’re going to launch this thing fast, they’re going to need plenty of support.”
“On it.” Hallie jots a few notes down and glances back up at me. “Don’t forget you have that interview this morning with Nelle Castle for the Digital Today cover story. You’re going to want to get going if you want to make it on time. And try not to flirt as much as you usually do, all right?”
I salute her. “Message received. I don’t expect that’ll be a problem.” There’s only one person I want to flirt with these days anyway, and I had her moaning under me less than an hour ago.
The interview was planned for a quaint brunch place near Union Square. I make it on time—by the skin of my teeth—but Ms. Castle is already waiting inside. She’s young, in her twenties still, but a respected journalist, and I’ve enjoyed several of her profiles.
She gets up to shake my hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Castle,” I say. “Or would you rather I call you Nelle?”
She gives me a sunny smile. “Nelle is fine. I’m so glad you could make it. You’ve made such a stir with some of your past investments, and I hear you’ve got something new and special in the works.”
“Always, always,” I say, and stop myself before I wink, remembering Hallie’s warning. I have no romantic interest in the reporter, but turning on the charm is a bit of a habit.
We sit down. Nelle’s hand hovers over her tape recorder. “I don’t suppose you could share a few tidbits about this app I’m hearing about called Perfect Match? I gather you’ve got a hot new take on the dating game, with a limited beta test rolling out right now.”
I do love how the tech world gossip mill spreads the buzz with relatively little effort from me.
“Oh, it’s far past the beta testing stage,” I say. I’ve seen the interface. I know it’s ready for more than that, as cautious as McKenna likes to be. “We’re going big with this one. I can’t share many of the details yet, but I can say you should expect a major announcement at this year’s Tech Talk.”
“That soon!” Nelle taps on her tablet. “Isn’t there anything you could tell me now?”
“Hmm.” I rub my chin, playing up my hesitation. “I can tell you that the woman behind Perfect Match, McKenna Delaney, is absolutely brilliant. It’s truly amazing how well she’s synthesized the vast amount of research out there into a user-friendly app. I know a winner when I see one.”
“It must be very gratifying, investing in projects you feel that strongly about,” Nelle suggests.”
“Oh, absolutely! I can’t wait to watch the company grow under my guidance. Getting to oversee a launch like this is what makes my job worthwhile, especially when I know the people at the helm are top-rate. Really, Ms. Delaney is at the top of her field.”
And now that I’ve started singing McKenna’s praises, I can’t get her out of my head. Why did I think it was a good idea to wait until tomorrow to see her again?
“It’s certainly been a while since we saw a real revolution when it comes to online dating,” Nelle says. “I’d love to sit down with Ms. Delaney some time and hear about life on the development side.”
“Of course,” I say. Two articles focusing on Perfect Match in Digital Daily? We couldn’t pay for better publicity on the industry side. “Whenever you want, we can set that up.”
At the moment, I’m preoccupied with the question of when I’ll “sit down with” McKenna. I keep the rest of the interview breezy, and soon Nelle has everything she needs. Meanwhile my mind is working away. My schedule is busy, but I can’t wait. I need to see McKenna—now.
I head over to her offices after the interview and head upstairs. Warren is at his desktop system, and Riley is hard at work too.
McKenna pokes her head out from the kitchen area. “Jack?” She sounds startled, but not in a bad way. At least, not if I’m going by the very pretty flush that’s spreading across her cheeks. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing to worry about.” I grin. “I just thought we could look over those plans, hash out the details one-on-one. Shall we duck into your office?”
I say it with a completely straight face, but McKenna flushes darker. Riley’s smile turns into a smirk. “Sure,” McKenna says. “Come on in.”
Her office really isn’t much more than a closet. I close the door behind us, cutting off the light from outside. There’s only room for both of us to stand if we’re touching. She turns toward me, her hip brushing the front of my pants. That’s all it takes—I’m hard.
I feel her reach out toward the lamp, but I catch her hand. “Do you really want to look at those plans now?” she murmurs.
I keep my voice low too. “Mmm. I have been reading over the write-ups you sent me. We can definitely talk about those while I’m here. But first …” I let my hand glide down the side of her body. She inhales sharply.
“So we’re just going to stand here in the dark?”
“Well, I was assuming we’d do a little more than stand. And I learned in a restaurant a few weeks ago that darkness can be very enhancing of the senses. Didn’t you find that too?”
She wets her lips. Even that small sound goes straight to my cock. Her hand comes to rest on my chest. “The door isn’t exactly soundproof …”
As if on cue, Riley’s voice carries from the room outside. “So, Warren and I are going to grab food from the Chinese place down the street. They can take a while. Don’t worry if we’re not back r
ight away!”
A moment later, the front door closes with a thunk. I grin and dip my head closer to McKenna’s. “You clearly chose your employees well.”
“Oh, shut up and kiss me already.”
I’m more than happy to oblige. My lips find hers in the dark. She kisses me back hard, slinging her arm around my neck to pull us even closer together. I just had this woman this morning. How is it possible I’m already dying to be inside her again?
I kiss her again, my tongue sweeping into her mouth. She lets out a little moan. But when I move to shift her toward the desk, she takes control. With a nudge, she guides me into her chair. She straddles my lap without breaking the kiss. Good God, if I was hard before, I’m iron now.
Her skirt has slid up her hips temptingly. I run my hands over her bared thighs. Then up her torso to cup her breasts. She leans into me with a needy murmur. Never shy about showing what she likes. I tease one nipple through the fabric while I undo the buttons of her blouse one-handed. Pushing the fabric aside and tugging down her bra, I take her other breast into my mouth.
McKenna gasps. A perfect sound of pleasure that sets all my nerves on fire. She rocks against me as I slick my tongue over her, and I feel ready to shatter just like that. Like a schoolboy about to come in his pants.
“You drive me crazy,” I mutter against her hot skin.
She gives a breathless laugh. “The feeling is mutual. Too many clothes.”
She fiddles with my belt until she snaps it open. Then she yanks at my slacks. I manage to slide them down without displacing her. She grinds against me, only two thin layers of fabric between me and heaven. Her kisses are wild, her tongue teasing over mine.
I pull her skirt higher up and slip my hand between us. The second I graze her clit, she clutches me harder with a moan. I stroke her again, and her voice gets louder. That’s my girl. She rides my hand, her breath coming in little pants. I want to own that sound. I want no one to ever hear it again except for me. It almost feels dangerous, how much this woman owns me.
She makes a wordless, desperate sound as I ease a finger into her opening. “Not enough,” she says. “I want all of you, now.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say with a shaky chuckle. She frees me from my boxers at the same time as I retrieve a packet from my slacks. McKenna hovers over me, her breath hot on my mouth. We slide the condom on together. Then she’s lowering herself after it, encasing me in the perfect slick heat. My head tips back with a groan.
Yes, today is a very good day. And getting better with every passing second. I raise my hips to meet McKenna’s rhythm, plunging even deeper inside her. She gasps, her head falling to my shoulder. The chair’s wheels squeak, and a paper rustles off the desk, but who gives a shit? It’s just me and her in the dark, pleasure coursing through me. Pressure building in my balls. God.
I thrust up harder, and McKenna moans so loud she puts the porn studio downstairs to shame. Her body starts to shake. I urge her on, harder, faster. Her pussy clenches around me as she explodes, and then I’m climaxing too.
Good god.
We shudder together in the aftershock. I pull McKenna’s mouth to mine for another kiss. Her lips smile against mine.
“That was one way to warm up,” she says in a sexy lilt. “Should we get down to work now?”
I have to laugh. The woman is truly incredible.
It’s not just how much I want her—although I want her a hell of a lot, even right now. She’s got everything I could ask for in a partner in any part of life. Maybe Seb and Jake were right. Maybe I have been missing something all this time.
And if I have, McKenna’s got to be it.
24
McKenna
“So,” Riley says, bringing up two images on her screen, “these are the two options that are getting us most traffic, but I think I can do better. I haven’t got the perfect combo yet.”
“Sounds good to me.” I lean against the back of the couch. “What about that ‘claim your hottie’ hashtag idea? Have we put that in motion yet?”
“Just got started this morning! Lots of activity on it already. And some of the pictures are amazing. Definitely getting us lots of buzz. I’ll have more hard data by tomorrow. For now …” She fans herself. “I will just enjoy the eye candy of so many shirtless dudes.”
I laugh. “Just as long as you remember the point is to get people talking about Perfect Match, not to get your rocks off.”
There’s a knock on the door, and then it opens and a burly guy walks in. “This is Connective, Inc.?”
“It is,” I say. “What can I help you with?”
“Great. We’re here to pack you up for the move.” He turns behind him and yells. “Up here, boys!”
“Umm what?” I ask. “I think there’s been a mix-up. We don’t have a move scheduled.”
He consults his clipboard as three more guys enter, armed with boxes and packing tape. “Yeah you do. Jack Callahan’s office phoned it in. We’re supposed to pack up and move you over to Maverick Capital by the end of the day.”
Jack. What the hell?
One guy starts shoveling files into boxes. Another is already folding up the couch. “You want to take the fridge or just trash it?”
Trash … ?
“No. Wait. Stop!” I yell.
Everybody freezes.
“Could you wait just a few minutes?” I catch my breath. “I need to give Jack a call.”
The guy who’s done all the talking shrugs. “We’ll grab coffee and be back in five.”
As soon as the door is closed, I dial up Jack’s private number. It goes straight to voicemail. Shit. I try his main office number next. After two rings, a bright, even voice I recognize as Hallie’s answers.
“Maverick Capital, how can I help you?”
“This is McKenna, and I need to speak with Jack right now.”
“Oh, hey, McKenna. Jack’s in a meeting right now—and I mean really in a meeting, not just saying he is to avoid taking calls. I can have him call you back?”
I grit my teeth. Not good enough. “I’m sorry. I need to reach him right now. There’s a bunch of moving guys here who seem to think they’re carrying my office over to Maverick.”
There’s a moment of silence. Not a startled protest or questions. “Ummm …”
My heart sinks. She knew. “What’s going on?”
“Jack arranged office space for your company here.” Hallie sounds confused. “We’ve got a suite set aside for you. He thought it would be best to have you operating from our site as you gear up for the launch. He didn’t tell you?”
“Nope.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.”
I don’t need to hear the excuse. She shouldn’t be the one apologizing anyway. “That’s fine. I guess I’ll see you soon.”
“What’s going on?” Warren asks when I hang up.
“Jack wants us to move into Maverick Capital,” I say, and bite my lip.
“Cool.” Warren lights up. “I’ve heard about their setup. It’s sweet.”
“Does this mean I get my own office?” Riley asks eagerly. “And free snacks?”
“Hell yeah!” Warren whoops, high-fiving her.
“Yes. No. I don’t know.” I’m starting to get a headache. “Look, you guys make sure they don’t break anything. I’ll be back later.”
I grab my coat and head for the door.
Jack has some explaining to do.
By the time I reach Jack’s office, my whole body is practically vibrating with anger.
Who the hell does he think he is, uprooting my entire company without even asking if it’s what I want? Maybe I like creaky pipes and bad Wi-Fi and porn moans coming up through the ceiling!
I burst into the lobby. Hallie’s head jerks up behind her desk. “McKenna?”
“Where is he?” I demand. “Where’s this oh-so-important meeting?”
We eye each other for a second. Then she sighs and points to one of the closed off conference rooms. “Do what you�
��ve got to do.”
I march over there and yank the door open. Everyone around the meeting table stares at me. Jack looks surprised.
“McKenna—”
“We need to talk.” I scowl. “Right. Now.”
“If you could just—”
“No,” I say firmly. “There are people uprooting my office while I’m standing here. I don’t have time to let you finish your meeting. You obviously forgot to have a pretty important meeting with me.”
He blinks, like he’s realizing something is wrong. “I’m sorry, everyone,” he says to the rest of the table. “I’m afraid we’ll have to wrap up for the moment. I’ll have my assistant be in touch shortly.”
Everyone else exits, and we’re left alone.
Jack turns to me, looking so concerned—and so damned handsome while he’s doing it—that I want to hit something.
“You’re obviously upset,” he says. “What happened?”
“Didn’t you hear me?” I exclaim. “Why are there movers packing up my office right now? When did we decide that I’m moving in here?”
“Well, why wouldn’t you be?” Jack asks, looking puzzled. “It makes the most sense for you to be here under my roof. Especially since we’re ramping things up for launch in the New Year. You’ll want quick hands-on guidance at your fingertips.”
He grins a little at that last remark, as if thinking of other uses of fingertips.
Is he serious?
“What are you talking about?” I ask. “We’re launching in like, two months? Since when?”
“It’s going to be great.” Jack looks enthusiastic. “We’ll announce at Tech Talk a couple of weeks before the holidays, then launch mid-January. All those resolutions waiting to be fulfilled—you couldn’t ask for better timing.”
My stomach drops. “Tech Talk? This year’s Tech Talk? We’re never going to be ready for that.”
“Of course you will.” He touches my arm, guiding me out of the room and across the office space. “You’ll have all the help you need. I’m bringing the best people in to join your team. We’ve got the perfect suite of offices for you here—”
“Wait.” I spin toward him. “You’re hiring people?” My voice rises. Jack looks around, and then pulls me into one of the empty office rooms. As soon as the door is closed, I jab his chest. “When were you planning on telling me about any of this?”