by Nana Malone
He handed her the other bag and shoved his hands into his pockets. They’d be safer there. All day there had been those random accidental touches. A graze of a hand here, a bumping of knees there. He was so on edge he was pretty sure he'd explode if she actually touched him on purpose. She shoved open her door and dropped her bags of loot inside. “So uh—”
And here it was, the inevitable awkward moment where they addressed the swirling tension around them and one or both of them suggested doing this again. Or, even better, suggested him going inside. But not for a coffee. More like a long, slow screw. With a deep breath, he steeled himself and offered her his card with his email on it.
He had a moment of brief panic that she’d recognize his name, but he sighed when he remembered that organizational psychologist who’d suggested a flattening of the company. Only the executives had business cards, and even then, they only contained their first names and email addresses.
“So, my personal email address is on there. If you need anything, or, I dunno, want to watch a Trekkie marathon or something, hit me up.” Damn, when had he become so bumbling and awkward? He was Bryan Ross for God’s sake. He had more game than this. No, apparently, you don’t.
She reached for the card and when their fingers brushed, he clenched his jaw in an attempt to ward off the blast of need. You better get used to it because this girl is way the hell off-limits.
What in the world had he been thinking? Correction, he hadn't been thinking. He'd acted on instinct because she made him feel like his old self. Before all the stupid hype and all the bullshit. Like him from five years ago. Well, the good parts anyway. So he'd asked her out. As a friend. As if.
Now with the tension swirling around them, he couldn’t think straight. Yes, she was so beautiful with her high cheekbones, full lips, and eyes so dark they bored into his soul. But it was more than that. It was her laugh and her teasing, and the cute way she wrinkled her nose.
Cute. Someone had better take his player card with talk like that. But it was true. She was cute. And if she were his project manager, he'd totally have a crush on her. He'd probably trip all over himself just to make her happy. Just even from talking to her as they roamed the city, he knew he'd made the right choice. Because as fun as she was, there was an inner core of steel about her. She would take no bullshit.
She was the woman to get him where he needed to go. He had just over six months and he'd be taking X2 to IPO. Distractions weren’t good.
Especially when they came with curves like that.
“So I'm gonna take off.” He cleared his throat and handed her the enormous Spock doll he'd won her at one of the fair games.
“Uh, thanks. I’m not sure what I'm going to do with this. I suppose, if I get hired, I’ll just stick it on my desk and all the developers will know how cool I am.”
He grinned. They'd worship her.
She put the doll down with her other bags and smiled at him. “Thank you again. It'll be nice knowing one other person in the office.” She added quickly, “If I get the job of course. Starting a new job is always rough. Never know if you’re going to run into fembots or something.”
He barked out a laugh. “No fembots, you have my word. And you and I both know that job is yours to take.”
She flushed. “Right. Well, I've learned the hard way not to count on anything until the ink is dry and I’ve unpacked my stuff. So anyway …” She approached him and he froze.
When she invaded his space, a shiver stole through him. Her shampoo had been driving him insane all freaking day. Every time she'd brushed by him, or they'd sat jammed together on the roller coaster or one of the GoCars, he’d fought not to inhale too deeply. From now on, he'd always associate the scent of citrus, honey and vanilla with her.
Move damn it. He really needed to cool it with the statue impression. She was pretty tall, maybe five foot eight or nine, but as he was just over six two, he still towered above her. When she wrapped her arms around him quickly, his arms snapped around her automatically, like he finally had permission to do what he’d wanted to do all day.
You. Are. An idiot. Do not touch the new hire.
Except, she wasn’t the new hire yet. Yeah, but when she finds out you’re her boss, she's going to maim you. After a quick squeeze, he released her as fast as he could, trying to get back to a safe zone.
But it was already too late for that. There was nothing safe about her.
He had a choice here. He could step back, tell her it was fun and he looked forward to her coming to work at X2. By far the smartest option.
He could step back and explain that he was her boss and this was not a good idea on so many levels. Honest, and direct. But, he gathered, there’d be yelling.
Final option: Give in to the need tugging low in his belly. Give in to the pulsing just under his skin. Give in to the desire to find out if she tasted sweet after the cotton candy she'd eaten that afternoon.
Her tongue peeked out to moisten her lips and her voice was raspy, breathy. “Bry—”
His whole body vibrated. He wanted her. But he didn't want to want her. He needed her. Everything he’d worked for hung in the balance. He would not screw this up. “See you around, Kyra.”
As he walked away from her, he resisted the urge to turn and look back. Going near her would jeopardize everything and there was too much at stake for that.
Two
He couldn't believe it was finally happening. After years of working his ass off, they were almost ready. Bryan studied the progress charts for X2's latest game with a beer next to him and basketball playing in the background.
X2 was scheduled to make their initial public offering in six months. They'd been building up to this for over a year. Their paperwork was in order and they had the funds. Up until now, he'd kept the company private. But they had to take them to the next step if he wanted them to grow. He couldn’t be completely in charge all the time. He had to loosen some of that. Even if it hurt like hell.
They had one final domino of their next game and that would be it. They'd go public. The buzz about them was excellent. At their heart, they were a gaming company, but they were also a unique software platform and operating system giving companies in Cupertino and Seattle a run for their money.
In a matter of months, all those people who told him he couldn’t do this would be proven wrong. Those people who tried to break him, he'd be able to shake off the cloying persistent dust of that betrayal. And he'd finally be able to repay the woman that had made this all possible.
It was so cliché. Buy his mother a house. Set her up for life. Take care of her. Make up for everything his father couldn’t be. Except you’re just like him. He shoved that errant thought back where it belonged, in the dungeon of his mind, under lock and key and guarded by a dragon.
He'd already done all those things for his mother. But to him it wasn’t enough. He wanted to give her more. Hell, in a matter of months, if the valuations were correct, he'd be a billionaire. He could buy her a country if she wanted.
Granted, she didn't care about any of that. And the woman who had cared about that was long gone. Then why do you still want to prove to her that she was wrong about you?
Bryan took another swig of his beer as he ran a hand through his hair. Thinking about Heather would be a recipe for disaster that had him too keyed up to sleep. Because he couldn’t think about that woman without thinking about the friend she'd left him for. Brennan Hargrove. They'd started the original incantation of X2 together back in high school and had worked on it through college at MIT.
But they both had separate ideas about where to go and how to do it. Brennan wanted to take their applications the defense route, which Bryan was heavily against. They'd fought hard about it but were committed to making decisions together. Then came Heather.
Every undergrad guy with a pulse and a dick had been all about her. She had the looks of a model with the mind of a scientist and she'd picked him. Not for long though. All these years l
ater, the vision of Brennan nailing her from behind on Bryan’s desk still burned into his skull.
He'd walked away from both of them that day. A hidden part of him that he never let out wanted to prove to them that he didn’t need them. They hadn't believed in him so he was well rid of them. He didn’t give a fuck. Brennan was struggling and he was on the rise. And women, well, he could have anyone he wanted.
Oh yeah, is that why you keep dating variations of her? Suddenly the image of a laughing Kyra flashed in his mind. His dick's reaction was instantaneous, throbbing and tightening his jeans.
This shit with her was already so out of control. He’d give all his soon-to-be-billions to just restart yesterday. To never have touched her. Because now he knew how it felt. And he wanted to do it again.
He'd been unable to sleep all night just thinking about her. Her scent still swirling around him, intoxicating him, making him lose his damn mind. He wasn’t usually so reckless.
Of course he'd recommended her hire and the offer had gone out. She’d also accepted right away. How's she going to feel when she finds out you're you? He barely knew her, but he knew she'd be pissed.
Shifting his laptop off of his lap, he scowled down at his cock. Not going to happen so shut it down. Damn thing just twitched again. Damn it. He liked her. Too much for his own good probably.
The two of them together were combustible. With everything else happening at work, it was not a good idea at all to complicate shit. Maybe he just needed to reconfirm that they were cool. It wasn’t like she knew what he’d been thinking about doing. Backing her up against her door and kissing her. Licking into her mouth, making her moan. He’d keep his imagination to himself.
They could be friends. He didn’t really have a choice. He'd just send her a quick email. Make sure she was okay. Dude, pathetic.
Okay, maybe, but she was the first person in years that he could really be himself with. Yesterday afternoon had been so different from the usual and if there was any hope of them being friends then he'd take it.
It was only after he'd sent her an email that he realized he'd sent it from his personal email and not his work one. Who was he kidding? When it came to Kyra Benson, he was so totally screwed.
Three
“Sweetie, it's time.”
Kyra glared at her friend Ricca. “But I don't wanna. I like living out of boxes. It makes me feel like I can get up and go at any time. I feel adventurous. And let's not pretend I can actually cook, so who needs the kitchen stuff anyway?”
Ricca laughed. “I hear you, but it's time. You've been here a few weeks now. You've got a job. You're doing this, putting down roots, and I couldn't be happier that you're here. Besides, I have reinforcements coming.”
Kyra groaned. When she’d done the unimaginable and packed up everything from Coral Gables, she hadn't imagined being badgered into unpacking it all.
If her mother could move on then so could she. Her mother finally decided to pick up the pieces of her life and do some things she'd always wanted to do. First step: Montreal for six months and then she'd decide from there.
But that had left Kyra adrift. All of her close friends had moved away from the sleepy community, including Ricca, who had left Florida for San Diego when she went to college. San Diego had seemed like a no brainer as a fresh city since there was no way in hell Kyra was shoveling snow. She'd done the snow thing. It was safe to say it didn’t agree with her.
And so far, she loved San Diego. But part of her was terrified that she'd made the biggest mistake of her life. Who the hell moved across the country with no job and no lifeline? Lots of people. Adventurous people. And now she had a job, so that meant roots. She must have given a good interview, because following her interview with Bryan, HR had called within an hour.
“Look, I hear you. I've just left everything packed because I was afraid I wouldn't get a job. San Diego is not cheap and I might have had to move somewhere cheaper.”
“But you have a job now. A banging one at that. And the best part, I'm here.”
“You might have a point.”
The doorbell rang, and Ricca jumped down from the counter and skipped to the door. “You're going to be fine. Jaya will have you unpacked and organized in a matter of minutes and Micha will have you laughing and set up with the hottest guy in the city before you even know it.”
“The last thing I need to do is date.” She had been going a little crazy thanks to dreams about Mr. Melt-Her-Panties. When was the last time she'd been on a date? Not since before her whole world blew up a year ago. Dating was tricky when she didn't do bossy, domineering men. And somehow that's all her freaking libido seemed to respond to. Except for Bryan, who was not on the menu. New rule: No more guys she worked with.
Ricca swung open the door and in walked Jaya and Micha.
Jaya hugged her tight. “I'm glad you’re staying. I’ll have you unpacked in no time.”
Kyra would have to get used to the hugging. “You are welcome to it.”
Jaya nodded and her gaze slid around. “Can I just take a look around and see how you have things labeled? Then I'll make a list. We need a list before we can do anything about this place.”
Kyra frowned. Ricca hadn't been kidding about the OCD tendencies. “Sure, have at it. I'm not going to do it.”
Micha was more subdued with a head nod and a smile. “First, love the flats. Second, fill me in on the dating sitch.”
Kyra grinned as she glanced down at her feet. “Thanks. Not as pretty as yours though.”
The red and gold Louboutins were to die for, and with Micha's Amazonian height, made her well over six feet.
“Thank you. Long story as to how we came about them. We'll tell you later.” She stripped off the stunners and reached in her bag for the wine. “Please tell me you've at least unpacked your wine opener.”
Kyra grinned. “Well, a girl’s got to have the basics, right?”
While Jaya made lists and had them move boxes to the appropriate places, they drank and laughed. This was what she'd been missing in Florida. Friends, girl talk.
“So what do you like in a guy?”
Kyra groaned. “Please no. I'm telling you. I have the worst luck. I can't pick 'em. It's like I have an alpha asshole magnet surgically implanted. If a guy's a dick, chances are nine out of ten that I want to sleep with him. I'm off men.” Unless we’re talking Bryan, then I indulge in the fantasy version. Like a creeper.
Her new friend chuckled. “Well, we've all been there before. But honestly, no one is talking about dating anyone. A girl’s got ... ” Micha grinned widely before continuing. “… needs.”
Kyra almost coughed up her wine before she stared at Ricca and laughed. “Where did you find these guys? I think I'm in love.”
Ricca only laughed. “I'm willing to share besties in the meantime until you get your own. Aren’t they awesome?”
Jaya called from the bathroom, “Yes, we are. And Micha, leave the poor girl alone. She needs to unpack her apartment before she can think about a bed warmer.”
Micha rolled her eyes. “How long until you have this place unpacked?”
Jaya stuck her head back out. “Oh, about two hours if you guys help me.”
“Are you serious?” Kyra asked. “I mean, I'm organized, but wow.”
Ricca only shook her head. “You don't know Jaya.”
With Jaya making sure she had planted roots and Micha and Ricca taking care of her bed warmer, this place felt more like home than Coral Gables ever had. She'd moved in with her mother after she finally kicked her father out of the house. The domineering asshole had been the main reason Kyra had stayed away from home for so long. She'd gone to BU up in Boston for school, and then tried out Chicago for a while after graduation. But when her mother had called saying she'd finally done it, left behind the cycle of abuse and terror, Kyra had moved home to give her a hand. And somehow she'd never left.
Her phone chimed and her body flooded with heat when she saw it was Bryan. T
hey'd emailed several times and she was happy she had one friend at work. Except for his love of Star Trek Deep Space Nine.
Yeah, she knew. Her inner nerd was showing. But so was his. In his email signature he had the quote:
They were all true.
Even the lies?
Especially the lies.
She, of course, couldn't let the quote go and asked why he'd chosen to quote Deep Space Nine for all the world to see. That of course had sparked a little email debate. Yeah … This was the closest she'd gotten to a real live dating conversation in months. Several months. So sad.
Miss Benson, while I am sure you excel at your job, I must in fact question your judgment when you say that you do not find DS9 to be the best in the franchise. It is your reputation alone that keeps you still employed at X2 Games. But know that I will have my eye on you and any attempt to sway my engineers to your dark side of the Next Generation.
A smile tugged at her lips.
She tapped out a quick message.
Hey, if my development team make up their own minds on the topic, that can't be helped. I promise to only take the willing. But honestly, how can you proclaim your love all out in the open like that and not be afraid of the true Trekkies having something to say about it?
She hit send with a wide grin. When she looked up, the three girls were staring at her. “Uh, what?”
Micha wore a sly grin and indicated the phone. Ricca had her head cocked and Jaya leaned against the wall with a quirked eyebrow.
“What?” Kyra asked again. Maybe a little defensively. “That was uh, a friend at work. Just this funny thing we've been doing. He had this silly quote from Deep Space Nine in his signature and I called him on it. We've been emailing back and forth since ... ” Her voice trailed.
Jaya scoffed. “Oh for real? I mean, who claims to love that series? Are you sure you want to work with someone like that?”
Kyra laughed, recognizing a kindred spirit. “Yes! Please tell this man. I mean, come on, right?”