The Love Game

by Regina Hart

  Iris nodded. “It won’t be a problem.”

  “I’ll expect an update on the investigation and the media reports by end of day tomorrow.” Foster stood. “If there aren’t any other questions or information to be shared, let’s end this meeting.”

  “There is one thing.” Kayla raised a hand.

  “What is it, Kayla?” Foster met her gaze from the other end of the table.

  Kayla looked from Iris to Tyler. “We all wish this hadn’t happened. The internal launch was a roaring success. It’s a tough act to follow. From the reports you and Iris shared with us from the convention, you were slaying them in San Diego, as well. This matter has put a cloud over your efforts but I’m impressed and grateful for your quick and thorough actions to resolve it.”

  “Thank you, Ms. Anderson.” Iris’s voice was a soft whisper.

  “It’s Kayla, dear.” Kayla wagged a finger at Iris.

  “Thanks, Aunt Kayla.” Tyler tried to smile for his aunt.

  She was one of his favorite people. Ever since his mother had died, she’d done her best to ensure he had a maternal figure in his life. He wasn’t going to let her down or allow this sabotage to hurt their company.

  And after the investigation? What would he do about the person who’d leaked the damaging test results?

  What any good future CEO would do: fire them.

  * * *

  Iris let Tyler into her townhome Sunday evening. She was moving in slow motion, still weighed down by the day’s events. They’d worked hard to prepare for their meeting with the “Osiris’s Journey” product-development team. Her mind had short-circuited and her body felt abused. She could only imagine how Tyler felt. Waves of tension coming from him battered her like an unskilled pugilist.

  “Would you like some iced tea?” Iris locked the door behind Tyler, then turned to him. His dark eyes were tired. Worry lines bracketed his full lips.

  “I could use a beer.” Humor eased some of the strain on his handsome features.

  Iris found a smile. “Sorry. I have iced tea, lemonade and cucumber water.” She set her purse on the corner table at the entrance to her living room and lowered her briefcase beside it. She toed off her shoes.

  “Iced tea would be great.”

  Iris crossed her living room and made her way into her kitchen. Tyler followed, a warm presence at her back. She took two glasses from one of her cupboards and filled both with ice and homemade iced tea.

  She presented one of the glasses to Tyler, surprised to find him so close behind her. “I could make dinner for us.”

  Tyler thanked her for the drink, then downed half of it. “I’m not hungry.”

  Neither was she. “We should eat something.” She pulled open the fridge again and scanned its contents. “I’ll make us a sandwich.”

  “Thank you.” Tyler rested his hips against one of the kitchen counters.

  His tall, broad-shouldered frame made her modest kitchen seem tiny but Iris didn’t mind. She toasted four slices of wheat bread, then added turkey cold cuts, mozzarella cheese and a generous helping of spicy mustard. Iris kept their conversation light as she prepared dinner: weather, sports, and the pros and cons of mozzarella versus cheddar cheese. Anything to distract them from the product leak at Anderson Adventures. They needed a mental break.

  “Cheddar cheese lacks imagination.” Iris poured them both more iced tea and put their sandwiches on green porcelain plates. She handed Tyler his drink and a sandwich, then carried hers to the dining room table.

  “And you call yourself a cheese connoisseur.” Tyler’s humor was forced but at least he was trying. She appreciated that.

  “What’s your favorite movie?” Iris took a seat at the table.

  “The Matrix.” Tyler sat opposite her. “I love sci-fi action flicks. What’s yours?”

  “Hitch,” Iris answered without hesitation. “I’m a sucker for romantic comedies.”

  “Comedy is very subjective.” Tyler bit into his sandwich. A look of pleasure crossed his face.

  “It’s the mozzarella.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “Okay. Favorite song. I have so many. For today, I’ll say Alicia Keys’s ‘A Woman’s Worth.’ What’s yours?”

  “I don’t have a favorite song.” Tyler washed down another bite of sandwich with her homemade iced tea.

  Iris blinked at him. “How can you not have a favorite song? Everyone has a favorite song.”

  Tyler shrugged. “I don’t. It depends on the day and my mood.”

  Iris leaned into the table and lowered her voice. “I know. Your favorite song is the theme from Star Trek, isn’t it? You can tell me. Just whisper it.”

  Tyler chuckled. “I don’t have a favorite song. If I did, I’d tell you. I promise.”

  “Okay.” Iris gave him a skeptical look. “Favorite book?”

  Their list of favorite things carried them through dinner. Iris was encouraged by their shared interests and excited to try some of the books and movies he’d mentioned to her. She also was determined to get him to admit to a favorite song, even if it was the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey. This was what she’d yearned for, someone to unwind with after a long day. Her sisters were great. But there was something extra special about a romantic interest.

  “This is nice.” Iris stood from the table, collecting her dishes. “I feel much more relaxed after dinner and your conversation.”

  “So do I.” Tyler carried his empty plate and glass to the sink. “You were right about dinner. You were right about a lot of things.” His voice was smooth, like the first touch of a long seduction.

  “That’s always nice to hear.” Iris took the dishes from Tyler and loaded them into her dishwasher.

  “I’m serious. I think you know I’d wanted to work with a bigger company.”

  “Keep bringing that up and you’ll ruin the mood.” Iris escorted him to her living room and silently invited him to join her on the sofa.

  “Pete Kimball has never given me the high level of customer service you’re giving me.” Tyler sat beside her on the sofa. “You’ve treated our company’s product launch as more than just another contract. You’ve even gotten to know our associates.”

  Warmth filled Iris’s cheeks. “It was your suggestion that I work from your office.”

  “But it was your warmth and caring that built those relationships.”

  Tyler’s praise was gratifying even as it made her uncomfortable. “I’m glad you’re satisfied with my work.”

  “Not just satisfied.” His dark eyes searched hers. “I couldn’t have gotten this far without you. And now with this crisis, I’m glad you’re at my side.”

  “We’re in this together.”

  Tyler watched Iris’s lips form the words. He, Xavier and Donovan had been a team for years. They’d helped each other get through college. They’d worked on projects together at Anderson Adventures. But there was something so erotic about the image of him and Iris being a team. It was mesmerizing, hypnotizing. Tyler leaned toward Iris, his eyes still on her lips. He groaned as he brought his mouth to hers. He tasted her sweetness. Swallowed her sigh. He tightened his arms around her, shifting even closer. Her warmth wrapped him like a caress. He released her lips and buried his face in the curve of her neck. He breathed her in. Citrus and vanilla filled his lungs and clouded his mind. Her scent transported him to a darkened room in a posh hotel where he’d finally given in to what he wanted.

  “Iris.” He whispered her name.

  “Yes, Ty?” Her voice was more sigh than words.

  Tyler’s body stirred. He lifted his head and gazed down into her steamy coffee eyes. “Thank God I found you.”

  Her eyes softened. Iris swayed toward him. She covered his mouth with her own as though needing to drink his declaration. Her fingernails bore into the muscles
of his back. Desire sparking inside him blazed white-hot. His mouth no longer tasted and explored. It demanded and took. He wanted to watch her. He needed to feel her. He ached to taste her—all at once.

  Tyler tore his mouth free. “You’re going to kill me.”

  “You’re doing the same.” Iris’s laugh was soft and shaky. “At least I’ll die happy.”

  Am I dreaming? Could it possibly be true that the computer nerd had found a woman who was brilliant, beautiful and crazy for him? “I couldn’t be any happier.”

  Her lips curved into a wicked smile. “Give me a moment.”

  His laughter ended on a groan as her hands moved over his torso. Iris’s fingers trembled as she plucked at his shirt’s buttons. Tyler brushed her hands aside to help her. He unfastened his shirt, then took her back into his embrace. Iris slipped her soft, slim hands beneath his shirt and caressed his bare chest. Her touch was magic, stirring a desire in him more potent and powerful than anything he’d felt before.

  “So hard. So strong. A fantasy.” She moaned the words into his ear.

  Tyler’s muscles shook with need. “I dreamed of you before I knew you.”

  He gave her one last hard kiss, then gathered her into his arms. He looked down into her startled eyes. “Bed?”

  With her directions, he made quick work of carrying her up the stairs and to her bedroom. The entire time, Iris licked, kissed and caressed him, adding to the desire already raging through his blood. He wanted her now. He wanted to be on her, in her, around her.

  Tyler crossed into her room. In his peripheral vision, he had an impression of gold and blue, and lots of books. But his focus remained on the queen-size bed dominating the space. He released Iris beside it. With haste, he helped her remove her clothes as she helped him. Moments later, they stood nude.

  Tyler cupped the side of her breast in his palm. “Lovely.”

  “You, too.” Iris fixed her gaze on his torso. She raked her fingertips from his chest to his hips. His muscle flexed toward her.

  Somehow they ended up on the bed. She sprawled on top of him like a soft, light blanket. Tyler caught her beautiful face between his hands and deepened their kiss. He’d had a dream like this once. It had come true in San Diego and again now.

  He rolled them over, balancing on top of her. “Let me love you.”

  Iris smiled in a silent invitation to ecstasy. Tyler smiled back, eager to love every inch of her. Hoping to reach her heart.

  Iris caught her breath. All she knew was this man, his touch and the magic he made with her body. Tyler licked his way down her neck. Iris quivered. His mouth moved slowly over her breast. Her nipples tightened. His lips wrapped around its tip. Her torso arched. She offered him more of her. Tyler released her to move farther down her body. A trail of heat followed where he led, melting her insides.

  Her mind went blank. “You’re making me crazy.”

  “I’m already there.”

  His hands massaged her breasts, pinching her nipples as his mouth explored her navel. Iris closed her eyes, lost in sensation. She pressed her breasts into his palms and squeezed his hands. Tyler traveled lower. He stopped here and tasted her. There, he placed a kiss. The muscles in her abdomen fluttered and tightened. He blew a breath over the curls that masked her treasure. Iris dampened. Tyler drew his fingers through her nest. She arched from the mattress. Her core flooded with moisture.

  “Ty.” She puffed his name on a breath.

  “Let me love you.” His whisper was a surge of electricity, streaming from the crown of her head to the flesh eager and yearning between her thighs.

  “Yes.” Had she begged? She was willing to.

  Tyler gathered her hips and carried them to his mouth. He kissed her.

  Ecstasy tore through her. It shocked her heart and stole her breath. Iris drove her head into the pillow. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming her pleasure. Her hips rocked and twisted. Tyler held her in place with his hands, kissing her deeper with his lips and his tongue. Fulfilling his promise to love her, cherish her. Iris grew hotter. Her muscles strained tighter. Her hips lifted higher. Blood roared in her ears. Her heart thundered in her chest. Too soon her desire burst and her body rocked as though ready to tear apart. She stiffened, then collapsed in Tyler’s hands.

  Tyler released her. Slowly, she opened her eyes. She found him taking a condom from his wallet.

  “Let me.” Iris dragged herself to her knees and took the condom from him. She pressed her hand to his chest, urging him to the mattress. A thin sheen of perspiration gleamed on his muscles. His heart beat against her palm. She straddled him, then took him into her mouth. She sucked him once, twice, thrice before rolling the condom up his thick, rigid length. She clenched with anticipation of his filling her.

  “Now let me love you.” Iris leaned forward to kiss him. She shivered as the hair on his pectorals teased her nipples.

  She stroked her tongue across the seam of his mouth, teasing him. He opened for her, allowing her to deepen their kiss. Soon the sweet ache of desire awakened again. Iris straightened. The look in his eyes made her burn hotter. She was on fire for this man. Iris lifted her hips. She watched Tyler as she took him inside her. His eyes flared with hunger as she lowered herself onto him slowly, ever so slowly. Feeling all of him stretching all of her. Iris’s back arched as the thrill of possession shivered through her. Tyler reached for her, gripping her hips as his erection pressed up into her, filling her completely. Iris gasped, closing her eyes as sensation all but overwhelmed her.

  Tyler worked her hips, guiding them to a rhythm that multiplied the pleasure. It was like pleasure in stereo. His length stroked her, a wicked caress that rocked her hips deeper and faster. His hands moved over her sides, rising past her waist and up her torso to cup her breasts. Iris arched her back, pressing her nipples into his palms. Tyler caressed them, kneaded them. Iris’s desire grew more and more urgent.

  “Can’t think.” She leaned forward, reclaiming Tyler’s gaze.

  “Not supposed to.” Tyler lowered his hands. He lifted his head and drew her nipple into his mouth.

  Iris gasped, rubbing her spot against him. Tyler slipped his fingers between them and found her. Iris worked herself against his touch even as he moved inside her. Her muscles strained. The pleasure grew sharper, tighter, deeper. Tyler’s power lifted her higher. She pressed down on him again and again. Her muscles wrapped tighter and tighter—until she shattered.

  Tyler rolled over and covered her. His hips moved with hers, his rhythm fast and deep, echoing her pulse. Then with one final powerful thrust, his climax joined with hers.

  * * *

  Tyler was back in the associates’ lounge Monday morning. He scanned the large cheerfully decorated room. The stakes were much higher since the last time he’d been at a meeting in this room. Someone’s job was at risk.

  “If you don’t think any of us are responsible for the leak, what are we doing here?” Ted, the IT analyst, seemed to be the spokesperson for the ten-member design team assigned to “Osiris’s Journey.”

  “We don’t think it was a malicious leak.” Tyler stood to address the team. “Maybe the person meant to send the positive test results to the e-zine.”

  “Or he or she didn’t mean to send test results outside of the company at all.” Iris spoke from an armchair. “This whole thing could have been an accident.”

  Ted snorted. “That’s naive.”

  His father had said the same thing. Am I being naive? But why would anyone sabotage the success of a project on which they’d worked so long and hard?

  “The fact is we don’t know how Tipper got his hands on a copy of the earlier results.” Tyler couldn’t control his urge to pace the room any longer. “But no one believes anyone at Anderson Adventures would send it to him, intending to harm the company. What would be the motive
?”

  Malek Gifford, a game designer, looked from Iris to Tyler. His thin dark features were tense. “How are you going to find the leak?”

  “Let’s go over the test procedures again.” Tyler paced as Ted, Malek and others reviewed in painful detail each step of the testing process. He filled in their blanks with his specific responsibilities.

  By the end of the nearly hour-long session, their investigation hadn’t garnered anything out of the ordinary. Everyone had followed procedure. No one had taken any shortcuts. If anything, their team had taken extra precautions to safeguard the sensitive information.

  “Thanks for coming to talk with us like this rather than sneaking around behind our backs and checking our emails.” Ted stretched his legs in front of him, and crossed his arms and ankles.

  “I don’t want it to come to that.” A weight had settled on Tyler’s shoulders.

  Ted nodded. “That’s good to know.”

  “But if we don’t learn who’s behind the leak, we won’t have a choice.” Tyler regretted an email search was beginning to look like a real possibility.

  “Fair enough.” Ted adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

  Ever since the internal launch, his interactions with associates had been improving. He couldn’t walk across the parking lot without someone greeting him or walk down the hallway without someone asking about his day. Would this leak damage his new camaraderie in addition to his father’s trust in him?

  Tyler faced the room one last time. “If anyone has anything they’d like to add, call me and we can speak in confidence.”

  Malek shrugged. “Ty, I’m telling you, it wasn’t us.”

  Tyler was relieved that his team hadn’t been involved. But he was disappointed that he hadn’t turned up any useful information. Now he had to figure out what his next step was going to be.

  The one thing he was sure about right now was that he was glad Iris was by his side.

  “What do you think?” Tyler walked with Iris back to his office after the meeting. He stood aside, allowing her to precede him into the room before shutting the door behind them.