Raincheck

by Colleen Charles

  “What I want?” he repeats, almost incredulously. “This isn’t about what I ‘want’ to happen. This is about what will happen, as sure as the sun will rise tomorrow.”

  “Very poetic. Were you named after Alighieri?”

  The gun presses even harder until I’m sure it will puncture my skull like a needle going through an eggshell.

  “First,” Dante says, ignoring my comment, “you’re going to decrypt the SkyEye program while I watch to make sure there’s no funny business. Then you’re going to give me a private tutorial on every aspect of the software, until I know it as well as you do.”

  “That’s impossible. You won’t understand most of it.”

  Dante gives me a blood-chilling smile that’s like the skeletal leer of the Grim Reaper. “I’ll take careful mental notes. Don’t worry, I’ll record the entire thing on my iPhone. I’ll take it to my own computer people, and they’ll figure out the rest. And when I do that, you’ll be safely tucked away in the trunk of my car. If my people look it over and decide that everything’s in order, then maybe I’ll let you and that Waverly girl just leave town and disappear forever. You can go to Siberia, Micronesia, or fucking Point Barrow, Alaska for all I care, as long as I never hear your name again. No more being big computer hotshots. No more fancy software and headlines. You disappear, or I make you disappear. And believe me, my way’s a hell of a lot more permanent.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  He shoves the gun into my skin until it clicks against the bone of my skull. “And if I show the program to my people and they say you’ve tried to pull something clever on me – if it’s not easily accessible and exactly what I want, if it’s not finally mine – then I’ll have my men go collect Waverly, and I’ll make you watch each other get tortured to death over the course of a week. Then I’ll find everyone both of you ever cared about and do the same to them. If I can’t have what I want, I will burn your entire world down and then piss in the ashes. Do you understand what I’ve told you?”

  A familiar voice floats from the doorway. “I don’t see how he couldn’t. Overall, I’d say you’ve made it pretty clear, melodrama notwithstanding.”

  I roll my eyes over to the door as I exhale. Just like I called in the cavalry, Caldwell leans against the doorframe casually, examining his fingernails as though he’s making light conversation about the weather. Waverly stands behind him, her eyes as wide as hubcaps. I wish she didn’t have to see me like this. In fact, the last thing I want is for her to even be here at all. What if Dante loses it and shoots her?

  Christ, Caldwell, what the hell are you thinking?

  “What are you doing here?” Dante’s lips pull back into a frightened grimace, like an opossum that’s been cornered.

  “Good question.” Caldwell gives his nails one last glance, then puts his hands in his pockets and looks at Dante with a calm expression that amazes me even as it scares the shit out of me. “I was here to give the new software a look and make sure everything’s in order before the big release. Had a couple of clarifying questions. But instead, it looks like I’m witnessing a crime. Well, a few crimes, actually...assault with a deadly weapon, extortion, attempted theft, attempted kidnapping, and that’s just off the top of my head.” He jerks his head in the direction of Waverly. “I ran into her outside, so I guess she’s a witness too. And then there’s this, of course.” Like a stage magician performing a conjuring trick, he produces an iPhone from his pocket with the recording app on.

  “Looks like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar, sport,” Caldwell concludes. “You should probably put the gun down now and step away from this dipshit before you make things worse for yourself. Believe me, he’s not worthy of killing anyway, or I would have done it back in high school when he put our underclassmen up for sale on Craigslist as indentured servants.”

  I hear a low growl deep in Dante’s throat. He doesn’t move the gun. “You think you’re so smart, don’t you, whelp? You think you’re the king of this town, and I’m just some cheap replica.”

  Caldwell cocks his head for a moment as though considering it, then nods. “I’d call that a fair assessment, yes.”

  “But I’m still the one with the gun,” Dante snarls. “What could possibly stop me from just killing all of you right here and destroying the evidence on your phone? I have cleaners, you know. First rate. Just like on The Blacklist.”

  My friend shrugs then peers over his shoulder. “Troy, I think that’s your cue.”

  Troy Cass, Nixon’s head of security, appears in the hallway behind him. He cradles a black shotgun that looks like it’s roughly the size of a subway car. He brings it up, aiming it at Dante with a faint smile.

  “Mine’s bigger,” Troy says simply. “But then, I think every woman you’ve ever been with already knew that. Even your mother.”

  “If your finger even looks like it’s going to squeeze that trigger, Troy will fill your greasy, empty little head with buckshot. Then we’ll go to the authorities with what’s on my phone, so they’ll know it was self-defense.”

  “My guys will come after you,” Dante says, his shoulders sagging about an inch. He knows he’s toast, but I can’t even celebrate until he gets out of my fucking house. I can already feel the pressure of his gun withdrawing from my head.

  Caldwell raises his eyebrows. “Are you talking about Charles? A bigger pussy has never lived. That’s just a case of too many freaks and not enough circuses. They’re even dumber and more arrogant than you are. Or you could just admit that you’re beaten and live to fight another day. I’d make my choice fast, though. Troy’s got a trigger finger that’s itchier than poison sumac. It’s one of the things I like most about him.”

  Troy nods and his mouth tugs upward even though he doesn’t smile.

  There’s a long moment of tension...and then Dante withdraws, holstering his gun. I breathe a huge sigh of relief, like a drowning man gasping for air as his head clears the waves.

  “You’ll get yours someday, whelp,” Dante whispers, his words as cold and brittle as chips of ice. “I swear on my mother, you will pay. And your fucking smart mouth isn’t doing you any favors.”

  “Then you’re lucky that sarcasm is just one more service I offer. If your threats could do any actual damage, Giovanetti, then I’d have been dead a long time ago,” he replies with a grin. “Now go huff and puff and blow the house down someplace else. Your hair oil’s in danger of ruining Stryker’s carpet.”

  Dante gives me one last withering look, then stomps out, slamming the front door behind him.

  Waverly rushes forward, taking me in her arms. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  The relief that rushes through me surges like a cleansing tidal wave, washing all of my fear away. Dammit, the terror took control of my entire body, I thought I’d never get another chance to feel her hold me close or hear her voice.

  “I am now.” I bury my face in her neck and kiss it over and over.

  My friend clears his throat, clearly embarrassed by the display of affection. He turns away, addressing Troy. “Call a few of your guys and have them come out here. They can work out the shifts among themselves, but from now until the software’s released, neither Hawk nor Waverly will be unguarded, even for a moment. If one of them leaves, your team splits up and keeps eyes on both of them at all times. Tell them I’ll be paying them double for this.”

  “Smart move,” Troy says, nodding. “Never thought I’d ever get to pull a really big gun on the douche canoe. I’d say this is one of my best workdays ever.”

  Caldwell shakes his head. “No shit. We should have done this years ago. I can’t remember when I had so much fun. Yeah, I guess I can. It was last night in bed with Marcella.”

  He winks as Troy busts a gut laughing.

  Waverly’s eyes widen. “The first time? You mean this happened before?”

  “Yeah,” I admit.

  She spins, facing Caldwell. “And you knew and didn’t tell me?” Before
he can answer, she swats him on the upper arm.

  “Hey, take it easy.” He chuckles, rubbing the spot where she hit him. “I save your lives, and this is the thanks I get?” He turns to Troy. “You know what? Cancel the security team.”

  Troy leaves, shaking his head. Clearly, he’s used to these kinds of jokes from Caldwell.

  “So now what?” Waverly asks. “Are you going to take the recording to the cops?”

  “I know that probably seems like the smart move here, but actually, it would be an extremely short-term solution. We’ve got him saying some incriminating stuff, sure – threats and so on – but his cotillion of sleazy lawyers will easily find a way for him to wriggle out of the charges. He’d be back on the street in hours, and then he’d really be peeved. No, I need to find a way to take this prick out of the headlines once and for all, and that means finding something bigger and more concrete to bring him down. That way, there’ll be no reprisals, and whoever takes his place will get the message that it’s not wise to screw with me, my business, or my people, period.”

  “Too bad we can’t just give him a bed sleeping with the fishes,” Waverly says bitterly. I can’t say I don’t like her style.

  Caldwell favors her with a dazzling smile. “Not my modus operandi, I’m afraid. Though Lord knows things would be far simpler if it were. Anyway, after seeing the sloppy way he handled this whole thing, it’s clear that we’re starting to rattle him. Soon, he’ll trip over himself, and we’ll nail him to the wall.”

  “You sound pretty confident,” I observe.

  “Don’t I always? Now, I suppose I’d better give the two of you some privacy. Oh, and don’t forget to decrypt the software before it’s released, huh? I’ve got some fascinating photos of my enemies saved on my computer to be utilized at the most opportune time, and I’d hate to lose them.” He winks devilishly, then leaves, whistling a jaunty tune.

  As soon as the door closes behind him, Waverly grabs me again, pulling me close. Her words tumble out in a breathless rush. “I thought...oh my god, I saw the encryption, and I thought you were stealing the program from me, and I was so pissed off, and then I came over here and heard what Dante said, and I saw the gun, and I thought...I thought I was going to lose you.”

  I look into her eyes, and as the words form on my tongue, I know I’ve never meant anything more in my life. “You’re never going to lose me. I love you, Waverly.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Waverly

  My hands tremble, and my heartbeats feel like bursts of machine-gun fire. I’ve never felt so scared, so relieved, and so happy, all at once. His words ring in my ears like echoing cathedral bells, and all at once our lips are pressed together, and my fingers pull his shirt off.

  He loves me. He loves me, he loves me, he loves me, and I love him too!

  Despite happily married parents, “true love” felt like something that only happened to people in movies, during mushy scenes that made me laugh and jeer and throw popcorn at the screen. It always seemed like mawkish, insincere, Pollyannish horseshit – something only lonely, desperate, pathetic people could force themselves to believe in. I had the firm, tangible reality of ones and zeroes and lines of code to cling to, and that was always enough for me. It gave my life form and meaning. I never had any reason to doubt or question it. It was fact, not fantasy.

  Now, it seems like Hawk has become my whole world, his presence radiating through it like the comforting warmth of sunshine. Now all those lines of code seem like they were actually cold prison bars that I’ve hidden behind for far too long, and I can feel them melting away.

  We’ve been together for such a short time, but somehow, I can’t imagine ever having a day without him again – and I don’t want to. He’s like my twin flame. He gets me.

  He sees me.

  And instead of censuring my inner geek, he celebrates it.

  My hands move to the planes of his face so I can trace them as I commit them to memory. My eyes fill with tears. “I love you too, Hawk.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Hawk

  “Waverly, I want to taste you so bad. I’ve been thinking about it ever since our first time. I should have taken my time with you. I’m so, so sorry I didn’t. Let me, please.”

  Her pupils dilate, and I can tell she wants this as much as me. She licks her lips and nods. “Yes. Please, yes.”

  I fumble with the button and zipper on my jeans, as she takes her shirt off. I slide my pants and underwear down, freeing myself to the caress of cold air. My heated skin thanks me for getting the constriction of clothes off my body. My hands slide across her back and move to her perfect, heart-shaped ass, unable to stay in one place for more than a moment, as though I want to touch every part of her all at once. Our kisses stay hungry, almost feral, and the way our breath mingles on my lips gives me a desire high.

  I want this moment to last forever, and now that we’ve found each other, maybe it will.

  “You didn’t know.”

  My heart aches with the knowledge that she didn’t trust me enough to spill the beans about her lack of experience. But I can make it right. I can erase any residual pain from her soul, and I can do it right now.

  She groans, a sound that seems to be coming from her depths, and I go hard as iron against her silky skin, wanting to hear that sound again. It’s proof of her desire. She wants me, and that makes me want her even more than I ever thought possible.

  My fingers slide into her platinum hair, pulling her closer. Even then, it’s not close enough. My tongue melts with hers, meeting it stroke for stroke even as the emotion behind it threatens to send us both toward an explosion of sensation we might not come back from. I growl my demands for more, capturing her face between my hands. I hold her still as I ravage her mouth, stealing her sighs of pleasure.

  Waverly opens her eyes for a split second, long enough for me to see her desire. But something more complicated wars with it for attention. Something like love. Awash in her feelings for me, I vow to erase anything that even resembles loneliness from her life. From mine.

  “Please, Hawk. I want your mouth on me.”

  She makes it sound like claiming her is a choice. As though I don’t already ache for her essence on every part of me. My tongue. My lips. My throbbing cock.

  Waverly, you make me want to be a better man.

  I don’t say the words, but I think them with every fiber of my being. She’s everything to me. I move my hand upward to cup her full breast, plucking at the straining nub of her nipple until Waverly moans. I can’t deny myself one second longer, so I dip my head and capture the other with my mouth. Her hands thread through my hair, pulling me closer, pushing me away as if she wants more but isn’t sure if she can stand it.

  But I give it anyway. Every single thing I have to give.

  I drop to my knees and just stare at her beautiful form leaning against the wall. Her knees tremble slightly, and I move my hands up the back of her calves to steady her. “Look at me.”

  Her brow knits together, but she gifts me the pleasure of that azure gaze. With her platinum hair flowing around her, she resembles an angel sent down from a cloud. “Why are you waiting?”

  “I’m going to make you come so fucking hard. But I want to watch you while I’m doing it. That’s the deal.”

  The words hang between us, aloft on a crackle of electricity. Of promise. For a second, she purses her lips together, but then the best thing ever happens. Waverly’s legs part on a whisper of surrender.

  She’s mine. And I’ll own her. Every sigh. Every spasm.

  Her scent, her silky skin, her brilliant mind, every single nuance that creates Waverly Emerson slays me. I tease and touch her outer lips, driving her wild. Her head thrashes back and forth, begging me to lick her, without even saying any words. I glance up to find her eyes locked on mine. She rocks against me as I find her throbbing clit and suck it into my mouth.

  “God, Hawk...”

  They stay with me as I
watch her watching me, narrowing to slits of passion. I bring her to the edge, using slow, wicked strokes of my tongue and then slowing down when I feel her about to fall over. I want this climax to be the best she’s ever felt, even at her own hand. I want to imprint my brand on her psyche. I want to meld into her consciousness in a way that lasts forever.

  Her breath quickens and her hand clutches and claws at my head as she pants her pleasure into the quiet house. I hold her gaze again, then let her succumb, my name on her lips. She cries out again and shudders, taking me with her. I’ve never seen anything so beautiful in my life. It’s better than the best code I’ve ever written.

  I rise, press her against the wall gently, the tip of my erect cock brushing her upper thigh. One hand glides over her breasts, teasing her nipples until goosebumps form ranks across her pale skin. The other hand moves between her legs, cupping her pussy with a gentle caress. I want her to know that she belongs to me.

  I let out a long moan as Waverly puts her lips over mine again, eagerly swallowing the end of the strangled sound.

  I lift her leg. The gesture is instinctual – my body cries out for hers, and I’ll do anything to touch as much of her as possible with as much of me as possible. My hands snake down under the backs of her thighs, lifting them.

  I’m going to fuck her right here. Long and hard against this wall. The thought makes me light-headed with desire. I hold her up as if she weighs nothing, bracing her, pushing myself against her until I penetrate her to her core in one powerful thrust.

  My breath catches in my throat, and we rock together, her legs folded behind my ass and squeezing me tight. Waverly clings to me harder, the force of her weight driving her down onto my cock even further until it feels like she’s inside my soul. Every inch of me is inside her, and with each thrust, I fall even deeper in love with her.

  Her arms wrap around my neck, and our voices rise on a crescendo of ecstasy as we promise our love to each other in a thousand different broken syllables. She’s so tight. So wet. I can’t hold back, and my climax shoots into her body, thunderous, like a rocket taking off. A moment later, something inside of me seems to shake loose like an avalanche, pouring through my body, a force of nature that won’t be denied.