“No,” Jeisa admitted reluctantly.
Henry picked up a cordless phone and said, “Ted, can you come to GWP’s office? There’s someone here who’d like to meet you.”
“Give me the phone,” Jeremy instructed. He wedged it between his ear and his shoulder and started typing again. “Ted? You don’t know me, but I want to show you something.” His fingers flew as he navigated the university’s system with ease. “I just locked you out of the system, Ted. By the time you get here, I could have everyone else locked out too, and have uploaded the data to Cypress’s Viber before wiping this one clean. You need a better firewall.”
Jeremy hung up. Jeisa and Henry stared at him—open-mouthed. As if he were doing something routine, he said casually, “He said he’d be right down.”
I bet he will, Jeisa thought. Hopefully not with the police.
Ted arrived within minutes and he wasn’t alone, but his entourage looked more like a star-struck geek squad than security.
An androgynously dressed woman with short, spiked blonde hair and retro square black glasses stepped forward, offered her hand in greeting. “I’ve read about you on some blogs about who to watch in software design,” she said. “Is it true that you worked side by side with the Waltons?”
Jeremy stood and shook her hand. His wide smile revealed his own hero worship of the older couple. “I did, and they were everything you’d imagine they would be. The shit they are working on right now is so far beyond what anyone else thinks is possible, it’s mind-blowing.”
The woman practically melted at his feet in open adoration.
Oh, please, Jeisa thought.
The woman continued to gush. “I’m sure they felt the same about working with you. Your avatar is a legend in the Lindar gaming community as well as in cyberspace in general. The way you used it as a signature stamp whenever you blocked Sliver was genius. When he tried to shut down Rycom and you closed him out just for the fun of it, you became an icon. He must hate you, but the rest of us loved watching you beat him. You’re practically an online superhero.”
Oh, for cripes’ sake. What is she going to do next, whip open her shirt and ask him to sign her Superwoman lingerie?
Of course, Jeremy was eating it up, and Jeisa wanted to kick him in the leg. But she refrained—barely. Thankfully, Ted redirected the conversation to the issue at hand. “About the server . . .”
Jeremy was instantly serious. “If I can gain control this quickly, you’re vulnerable to many people.”
Ted shook his head in sad agreement. “I’ve been warning them about that for years, but we don’t have the funding to update it. When it comes to creating, the sponsors are willing to write big checks. I can’t convince them that protecting the infrastructure is just as vital.”
Jeremy returned to the seat behind the computer he’d used as an access point and motioned for the small group of men and women to gather behind him. He said, “I’ll add some block codes that you can change and encrypt after I’m gone and at least you know you’ll block anyone from gaining remote access to your system. I can also build in the equivalent to roadblocks so if anyone did break your code, they would only gain access to a limited area before encountering another encryption. That would at least buy you time to stop them.”
Ted sought the agreement of a tall, thin man in the back and then nodded. “Do it.”
There was a beauty to the ease with which Jeremy closed out the distraction of his audience and performed the complex task. Jeisa had always known that Jeremy was intelligent, but here he was, surrounded by some of the greatest minds in the country, and they were in awe of him.
He wrote down a few codes on a piece of scrap paper he found beside the computer and handed them to Ted. “These will allow you to update the others. Change them as soon as I’m gone. I made them so tight that I shouldn’t be able to break them if you do it right.”
The man in the back walked forward, then gave him a wide smile. “If you ever need a job, you can have Ted’s.”
Ted didn’t seem bothered by the threat. He countered with, “If you decided to come work here, Jeremy, I’m sure they’d also offer you his job.”
The tall man’s smile dimmed. He seemed about to say something more, but the woman who’d been gushing over Jeremy chimed in, “Or you could start your own university. I’d transfer for you.”
Jeisa rolled her eyes. I may throw up.
Jeremy stood and walked over to put his arm around Jeisa. “I have more on my plate than I can handle already, but I appreciate the offer.”
Jeisa looked up at him, not quite sure if he was referring to the employment or the blatant flirtatious offer from the blonde woman.
More than he can handle?
He’d better be referring to me and only me.
He winked at her and Jeisa relaxed, leaned into his embrace, and for a moment forgot they weren’t alone. He’d asked her for a week so he could sort out his feelings. One week was beginning to feel like forever. She raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed him with all the pent-up emotion coursing through her. He lost himself in the kiss, seemingly as oblivious to those around them as she was.
One of the men said, “He is the luckiest bastard on the planet,” and the mood was broken.
“I’d say she is,” the adoring post-grad student countered with a sigh.
Another man veered off on a tangent. “I don’t believe in luck. It implies a randomness that is disproved as patterns of behavior eradicate unknowns.”
Excited by the impromptu debate, another man added, “Unknowns can never be fully eradicated, so some randomness will always exist, and therefore so will luck.”
Jeremy ended the kiss with a chuckle and whispered in Jeisa’s ear, “I think we should go before they decide to keep us for observation.” He pulled back, still holding Jeisa’s hand in his, and said, “Thank you for the tour and for letting me play a bit with your server.” He handed the tall man his card. “Call me if you have issues.”
They made a hasty escape, hand in hand, not slowing until they reached the outer door, where the driver met them. They fell into the limo, laughing against each other.
Jeisa said, “I thought they were going to ask you for your autograph.”
Jeremy sat back, satisfied, and held her to his chest, admitting, “It was fun to be the cool guy for once.”
Jeisa traced his chin with her forefinger. “Is that what you want, Jeremy?”
He took her hand in his, holding it to her chest. “I used to think it was all I wanted.”
Jeisa held her breath. “And what about now?”
Jeremy’s mouth closed on hers and instant heat flooded her. When they touched, the questions that plagued her were washed away by the urgency of her desire. He slid her sideways onto his lap, settling her on the evidence of his need for her. “Now I want you.”
Oh, God.
His words shot through her, erasing the last of her coherent thoughts and replacing them with a need so intense she followed her impulse and sank to the floor between his feet. On her knees, she pushed his legs apart and kissed him while unbuckling his belt. Her hands greedily sought and freed his erection.
She sat back on her heels and met his eyes, loving how they burned for her. She felt herself pulsing and moistening with excitement, and suddenly she understood how pleasing someone else could be just as exciting as being pleased.
She leaned down, took him into her mouth, and lavished him with the same amount of attention he had shown her earlier. She licked him, cupped him, welcomed him deeply into her mouth. When he was moaning with pleasure, she stood, dropped her panties to the floor, sheathed him in the condom she’d felt in his pocket earlier, turned around and lowered herself onto him. In this half-seated position, she found the ecstasy of control. His hands slid up her dress and cupped her bare ass. She sat back and his hands came around to her front and cupped her breasts as she raised and lowered herself again and again onto him. She swung her head wildly to one
side, baring her neck to him and loving how he plundered it with his hot tongue.
When she thought it couldn’t get better, he eased her forward and put a hand on her back to steady her. They joined together again and again in a rhythm they created.
Withdrawing from her for just long enough to change his position, he turned her so she could brace herself on the bar on the opposite wall of the limo. Steadying himself by placing one hand next to hers, he held her still with his other and thrust inside of her again—sending a flood of heat through her. Bent over as they were, his breath was hot on her back as the intensity of his thrusts increased and sent her over the edge into a sobbing state of bliss.
He paused, then slowly began to move again, deeper and more powerfully than before. She’d barely recovered, and the sensation was almost too much to bear. She looked up and caught his eyes, hot with desire, in the mirror in front of her and couldn’t look away. This time he was in control, rolling his hips and reaching the spot that sent shivers of pleasure through her.
God, let the airport be further away than I remember. I don’t want to stop.
I don’t want this to ever end.
He reached around her and sought her clit. He claimed her nub with his fingers, rubbing with an ever-increasing speed as he took her from behind. She gasped for air, cried out his name, and they came together with one final, shuddering thrust.
The limo came to a gentle stop at the entrance of the airport. She and Jeremy quickly replaced their discarded clothing and disposed of the evidence of their coupling. Jeisa smoothed her hair, hoping she didn’t look as wantonly wild as she felt.
Neither moved even as they saw the jet through the window—a reminder that even life’s most amazing days come to an end. Tucked into his side, Jeisa peered up at Jeremy and said, “Thank you.”
Jeremy kissed her forehead. “I think you already thanked me.”
She playfully slapped his thigh. “I mean it. This was wonderful.”
Jeremy raised her chin with his hand and said, “It’ll only get better, I promise you.”
The very savvy limo driver parked in front of the jet but made no move to interrupt them.
Jeisa laid her head on Jeremy’s shoulder and tried to simply savor their closeness, but her mind raced on mercilessly. Hold onto a little piece of your heart, she warned herself, but she knew it was too late for that.
He has to love me—he just has to.
Back on the jet after takeoff, Jeremy hugged Jeisa to his side on the main area couch. Although liftoff had only taken moments, the physical pain of sitting separately in their own chairs had made it feel like an eternity and he’d taken her eagerly back into his arms as soon as it was safe. The intensity of their connection was more than a little unsettling.
He worked up his courage by mentally rehearsing what he was going to say.
Jeisa, I should have said this before, but I had to make sure I didn’t really love Alethea.
No, don’t mention her.
Jeisa, I’m an idiot because I love you.
I mean, I’ve been an idiot—I do love you.
He rubbed his chin in her hair and breathed in the scent of her shampoo, marveling that he’d never smelled anything so wonderful. I should leave the word “idiot” off.
His phone vibrating in his breast pocket was an unwelcome interruption. He shifted Jeisa slightly to one side and checked the caller ID.
Alethea.
He turned off his phone and slid it back into his pocket. Jeisa tensed in his arms.
“You could have answered it,” she said slowly, straightening away from him.
“It wasn’t important,” he said, watching Jeisa’s expression tighten with emotion.
“Was it Alethea?”
He didn’t bother to deny it. “Yes.”
“Is there a reason you feel that you can’t talk to her in front of me?” Jeisa turned on the couch and hugged her legs to her chest.
Only about a million. “I thought now was a bad time.”
“I know you still work with her. I’m not a fool. I know that means you have to talk to her. Ignoring her phone call doesn’t make her go away.”
Jeremy reached for Jeisa’s hand but she scooted back, away from him. “I can call her back if you want.”
Jeisa stood and turned her back to him. “No, I don’t want you to call her back.”
Jeremy went to stand behind her. “Then I’m confused.”
She spun around, hands on her hips, and said, “And how do you think I feel?” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I can’t do this. I thought I could do this, but I can’t. I’m losing my mind.”
He reached out for her but she stepped back. “Jeisa . . .”
“No, don’t touch me. When you touch me I forget how much the rest of this hurts.”
He pocketed his hands and rolled back on his heels. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He’d thought they were having the kind of first date people shared a secret smile about together on their fiftieth anniversary. Had he misread the situation that badly? “I don’t understand.”
She covered her eyes with one hand, hugging herself with her other arm. “I can’t have sex with you anymore. Not like this.”
What did she mean like this? “I thought you said it was wonderful.”
She lowered her hand, her eyes now shiny with tears. “It was wonderful. Too wonderful. I came here because I love you. Today was amazing—all of it. You showed me how good it could be between us. I can’t help falling deeper in love with you, and it terrifies me.”
“Because you think I don’t love you?” he asked with relief. That was easy enough to rectify. “Jeisa, I do.”
He wasn’t prepared for her angry denial of his admission. “Don’t. Don’t say it now. Not when I just told you that I’m not having sex with you anymore if you don’t. How am I going to believe you? I’ll always wonder if you only said it because I forced you to.”
“But I do love you.”
“See, I don’t believe you. You’re only saying it because I cornered you into it.”
Man, women are a puzzle. Jeremy sought clarification before deciding how to proceed. “So, let me get this straight. You slept with me because you love me. It was so good that it made you love me more, but you don’t want to sleep with me again. Ever?”
Jeisa’s face flushed with anger. “I didn’t say ever. Don’t twist this all up.”
I’m trying to untwist it, he thought. “Okay, so the problem is that you don’t think I love you.”
“No, the problem is that I let myself get tangled up in a situation that was wrong for me from the start. I shouldn’t have taken that job at Corisi Enterprises. I should have never lied about my typing skills. I should have called my father and told him the truth. Then I wouldn’t have met Mrs. Duhamel and started working with you.” She waved an angry hand in his direction. “I came here because I wanted to be a strong, independent woman. And look at me. I’m lying like a teenager and practically begging some man to love me while I try to quit yet another job that I’m not qualified for anyway.”
Jeremy grasped onto the only part of her tirade that made sense to him. “What are you lying about?”
“You. Me. Everything. My father thinks I’m an au pair.”
Amusement made the sides of Jeremy’s mouth twitch as he suppressed a smile. “You told him you’re babysitting me?”
“No,” she sighed angrily. “It’s a long story and one that I don’t want to get into right now.”
“Are you sure it wouldn’t help if I told you again that I love you?” He instantly regretted defaulting to humor in the midst of a confrontation. She glared at him and began cursing in Portuguese.
She took a deep breath and calmed herself. “Fine. Joke about it. I should be grateful to you for making the decision easier.”
Jeremy ran a hand through his hair. “What decision? Jeisa, I didn’t mean . . .”
With her lips pressed in an angry line, she a
nnounced, “I won’t be going to Thanksgiving with you. I don’t need to wait until then to know that we can’t work this out.”
Jeremy paced in front of her, hating how his inexperience with women was likely the reason the situation was going from bad to finished. WWDD: What would Dominic do? Asking himself that question had successfully guided him through the rest of his transformation. Perhaps he’d been wrong not to apply it to his relationship with Jeisa.
Women don’t respect weak men.
Be bold.
“You will come to Thanksgiving with me.” He felt a rush of pride when his tone held just a hint of a warning.
Jeisa cocked her head in surprise. “Are you threatening me?”
“I don’t make threats,” he mimicked what he’d once heard Dominic say.
She tossed her hair over one shoulder and advanced on him. Still angry, but undeniably also excited by what he’d said. “After today, I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Dominic really knows what he’s doing. I can’t believe this shit works.
“We’ll see about that,” Jeremy said vaguely, trying his best to look intimidating.
Jeisa turned with a huff and moved to the other side of the cabin. She sat in a chair, clicked on the television and turned her back to him.
Jeremy almost laughed.
She was adorable over there, making a production of giving him the silent treatment.
He knew enough not to say that to her. He relaxed into the couch and propped his feet up on the table in front of him. This particular puzzle was going to require some strategizing.
How do you get a woman who already loves you to start talking to you again long enough to convince her that you’re meant to spend the rest of your lives together?
How do you get her to believe that you love her?
You propose!
Now that he had the solution, he was less worried about her present mood. Jeremy folded his arms over his chest and smiled.
And I know just when to do it!
The only thing worse than ignoring a man for a six-hour flight and half of a limo ride home was periodically checking to see if your silence was bothering him and being slapped with the harsh reality that it was not. Even now, Jeremy looked perfectly content to read his emails on his tablet and make phone calls as if he were alone.
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