His Long Shot

by Allyson Lindt

  “I’m sorry.” Scott spoke up first. “We’re not looking for funding. Whatever you heard must be skewed.”

  Zach bit the inside of his cheek. He might not have been able to turn it down so easily. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or bad.

  Grant didn’t flinch. “Completely understand. If anything changes in the future, hold onto my card.”

  This was too easy. This man was amicable, polite, and hadn’t once talked down to them. Zach was starting to feel comfortable around him, and that made him nervous.

  “Humor me, though,” Grant said. “If we’re not talking money, pretend I’m like anyone else you’ll meet today. My grandson loves these games. Tell me why he should play yours.”

  “Because it’s awesomely unlike anything out there.” Scott didn’t miss a beat.

  Zach shrugged. “Not how I would have put it, but pretty much.”

  As the conversation shifted from one topic to another, Zach realized he and Scott were both getting along splendidly with Grant. It was the first time he could remember at one of these shows where he’d actually enjoyed a conversation with a suit instead of just chiseling on a smile to make it through the day. It felt good.

  “Sorry to interrupt” —Chloe poked her head around the corner— “but we’re kind of slammed out here. You know, if you’ve got a minute or two?”

  “I’ll let you go.” Grant shook their hands again, already stepping away. “My grandson will be thrilled to know I met you, and you aren’t assholes.”

  Zach couldn’t help but laugh at the parting words. His smile was still genuine as they rounded the corner. And then he paused, eyes growing wide. Chloe hadn’t been kidding. Every single demo station was filled, and lines were forming. She was fielding questions left and right.

  Two more guys approached, demo discs in hand.

  “Hey, she was right.” The skinny one took his place in one of the demo lines.

  “You guys really helped write the original Legion?” the larger one asked Chloe.

  “Helped, yeah.” Scott's response was flat. He didn't have time to get into it, as a girl approached. And then a group of three. And then someone wearing a press pass for an online review site.

  They spent the next half hour answering questions, giving demos, and making small talk with the sudden onset of people. Zach engaged a couple of visitors in conversation and managed to learn that the flirty girl Rinslet gave the shirt to was talking them up and handing out discs.

  He grabbed Chloe. “You’ve been here the whole time, right?”

  Chloe stared back, mouth twisted, brows raised.

  “Right. I know.” Of course she had. Zach shook his head. “Then who are they talking about? Who else has one of our shirts?”

  Chloe turned away from his gaze. “I might have given one to Jordan. He is kind of pretty.”

  A whisper echoed in the back of Zach’s head, and he ignored it. Pretending even for a second Rae was there would get him in trouble. Still, what was Chloe keeping from him? He grabbed Scott's attention away from a blogger asking intense questions about their coding methodology. “Hey, I'm gonna go find us some lunch. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”

  Scott pursed his lips. “Five, tops.”

  “I promise.” Zach extracted himself from the crowd. They needed to eat, but food was just an excuse. Too much was happening. He needed to walk away, clear his head, and convince the nagging part of his brain that wouldn’t shut up that Rae was nowhere in the building.

  Seven minutes later, over-priced hot dogs and drinks in hand, he returned to the finally ebbing flow of interest. Of course he hadn’t seen her. Because she wasn’t there. So why wouldn’t the hopeful and suspicious part of his brain shut up?

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Zach slid into the back of the auditorium next to his friends. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to be as far away as possible. The thought made his feet twitch, and he tapped his toes to keep from indulging in the compulsion. He would have settled for drinking in the hotel bar, but Chloe had insisted they needed to attend this. She said it would give them closure.

  The same sick feeling churned in his gut that had been there two years ago. Except then it had been because he was planning to propose to Kelly to launch their new game. This time it was because someone else was launching their game, and their names wouldn't be anywhere on it.

  “Hold still,” Scott growled.

  Zach knew he was in trouble if Scott was complaining about him fidgeting. Zach clamped his jaw shut and folded his arms. He leaned against the back wall, hiding in the shadows and trying to calm down. It didn't help.

  Chloe stood a few feet from both of them, feet shuffling back and forth. “It'll be fine.”

  “How can you promise that?” Scott asked.

  “Because I'm not the one with bad memories attached to that stage.” She nodded toward the front of the room.

  That wasn't helpful.

  Jordan stepped on the stage, and the audience erupted in cheers.

  “DM let him do this?” Scott asked.

  “He's their rebel poster boy,” Zach replied, voice low. Something about this felt wrong. It was just his imagination, right? Bad memories were making him paranoid. “Of course they did.”

  “Good evening, Los Angeles.” Jordan's voice carried through the crowd. “I hear you're here to see something epic.”

  More applause rolled through the room, punctuated with a few yells and whistles.

  An ache hammered in Zach’s skull. The whole thing was too familiar. Even the working of the crowd was almost identical to two years ago.

  Chloe moved farther away. “Try not to throw up before this is all over.”

  That wasn't helpful either.

  “You're going to have to wait just a little longer,” Jordan continued.

  “What the hell?” Scott straightened up, echoing Zach's thoughts.

  A hush fell over the audience.

  “There's a special young lady in the audience this evening.” Jordan stepped away from the podium.

  The speech wasn't just similar to two years ago—it was identical to Zach's.

  “What the fuck is he doing?” Scott looked at Zach.

  Zach frowned. “No clue.”

  Chloe was gone, vanished out a side door without another comment.

  “Chloe, sweetheart, are you out there?” Jordan called into the dark auditorium.

  Scott coughed.

  “What?” Zach asked. They couldn’t be doing this.

  Except a familiar head of black hair had emerged from the audience and was walking toward the stage.

  Jordan kept talking. “You have to understand, this woman is amazing. She's the reason I can wake up in the morning, and the reason I can do what I'm doing today.”

  Zach was going to be ill, he knew it. This wasn't funny. He could tell from Scott's expression he was in agreement. Murmurs spread across the crowds, as others started to draw the same connection to what was happening.

  Chloe stepped onto the stage, and Jordan walked to meet her. He took her hand and led her into the spotlight. Coming to a stop, he kissed her on the cheek. He dropped to one knee, and the quiet roar in the audience increased several decibels. He kept going. “Chloe, you've been a constant source of light in my life since I met you. You've shown me opportunities I never imagined existed.”

  Zach wanted to turn away, but his gaze was fixed on the stage. Morbid fascination threatened to make him lose his lunch.

  “I know this is sudden, but I was wondering, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Fuck me,” Scott muttered. “I'm going to kill him with my own hands. I don't care if the entire internet sees it.”

  Zach placed a restraining hand on his arm, not trusting himself to speak.

  Chloe shook her head and broke away. “I don't think so. I mean, really. Who wants to be married to a game programmer?”

  And Zach's heart sank further. The déjà vu was painful
. The success of the last forty-eight hours was evaporating.

  But where Kelly's no had stopped there, Chloe’s didn't. “I mean one that works for Digital Media, anyway. Eww. Is it true they pay you monkeys in bananas?”

  Scott's eyes grew wide. “Did she just...really?”

  This was going to cause them so much trouble. There was no way anyone would believe they hadn’t set the whole thing up.

  Jordan sniffled into the microphone, expression flat. “Peanuts, actually.”

  Chloe pulled him to his feet and stepped closer to drape her arms around his neck. “I can make you a better offer.”

  Something caught Zach's attention, and he realized the media reps for DM were standing off stage, fighting desperately to get Jordan's attention. Cameras turned toward the new commotion.

  Jordan smirked and leaned into her. “Really? Better than peanuts?”

  She leaned forward, whispering right next to his mike. “Ditch the losers, and I’m all yours.”

  Jordan stepped away, grinning.

  The media reps had given up trying to catch his attention and were converging on the center stage.

  Zach felt relief wash over him. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

  Scott was laughing. “Holy fuck. I can't believe he put her up to this.”

  Someone grabbed Jordan’s arm at the same time as another person took hold of Chloe. Vance stepped up to the mike, laughing nervously. The lights exaggerated the sweat dripping down his red face. “Very clever. Thank you, Jordan. Who wants to see our new game?”

  The crowd wasn't listening. Attention was focused on the scuffle off-stage. Jordan's microphone was gone, so no sound filtered through the room, but he was gesturing wildly to the cronies accosting him. He yanked away from the one holding his arm and grabbed Chloe's hand. He said something else and tugged her toward the back exit.

  Scott nudged Zach with his shoulder. “We should probably make ourselves scarce, no?”

  Be furious or laugh? Zach wasn’t sure which he wanted to do first. “We should take care of our people. You find them and keep them off the radar for a few hours. Lock them both in your room if you have to.”

  He stopped short of reaching for his smokes. That would have to wait. “I’m going to get a hold of marketing, see if we need to do damage control and how much, and put Legal on standby. Don’t let them make it worse.”

  “Got it.” Scott was already tapping on the screen of his phone as he walked away.

  Zach took off in a different direction, looking for a quiet corner to start making phone calls. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Vance. Great. That voice mail could wait. This was insane. How were they going to convince the press—or even better, any furious lawyers—they hadn’t known about this? He needed to get his people ready for damage control, depending on how the entire thing spun.

  “I know you’re busy, but do you have ten minutes for a friend?” The familiar female voice from somewhere to his right muted most of his other thoughts.

  Rae. His already racing pulse kicked up another gear.

  He whirled to find her lounging in the doorway of a dark conference room, a hesitant smile dancing on her lips. She looked incredible. She wore one of their shirts, and it hugged every inch of her torso as if it had been made for her. He couldn’t find any words.

  In a few short strides, he crossed the distance between them, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her completely into the room, out of sight of foot traffic. He dipped his head and kissed her hard, hands sliding under her top and up her bare back, holding her as close as he could. Every inch of her rubbed against him. Her hands rested on his chest, a tiny whimper rising from her throat.

  He finally broke the kiss with a gasp, but didn’t let her go. “Did you know about any of this?”

  She smirked. “Of course not. What my sister does in her spare time is completely up to her. It’s called plausible deniability.”

  “You’re so much trouble when I leave you alone.”

  “Then don’t leave me alone.” She rested her forehead against his chest, muffling her reply. “Besides, you know you love it.”

  “No. I love you.” He kissed the top of her head. “The surprise in the DM presentation? I’m not sure I’m fond of.”

  She stepped back, putting enough space between them, so she could look him in the eye but not break his grip. She plucked something from her pocket and held it up between her thumb and forefinger. “Hopefully this will help.”

  He reluctantly let go of her to take the USB drive. “Naughty pictures?”

  She shook her head, smile never leaving her face. “Three things, and that’s not any of them.”

  Curiosity tried to worm its way into his already heavy onslaught of emotions. It wasn’t easy, given the nagging voice reminding him people were probably really pissed about Chloe and Jordan’s gimmick in the DM panel.

  Even though he didn’t want to admit it out loud, that single stunt had mocked his failed marriage proposal, reminded him things were a lot better now, and made DM look as bad now as he had back then. It would speak to fans and the media—anyone who remembered the original viral video. If he hadn’t been worried about the consequences, he’d have a hard time complaining about the entire thing.

  And he definitely wasn’t complaining every time Rae’s hip rubbed against him. His cock wanted him to forget everything but finishing what the kiss had started.

  “Do tell.” He forced the words out. He could do normal conversation for at least a couple more minutes. She was going to make it hard to focus on damage control.

  “First.” She leaned back against the wall, hooked her fingers in his front pockets, and drew him closer. “An investor agreement that keeps you both in complete control. Grant Lent, who I believe you met earlier, is very interested in the details.”

  Investors. The thought made his head throb. They needed the money, but at the same time, the idea of outside voices didn’t sit well with him. “Okay?”

  She brushed her lips over his. “Just give it a look. Second is solid, hardcore evidence that DM knew what Kelly was up to with the whole insider-trading thing, and they helped her figure out the details. Use it as leverage or however you see fit.”

  Oh, that was big. He’d always suspected—it was difficult not to—but to be able to prove it... There was a lot of potential there.

  She kissed him again, more deeply this time, nipping at his bottom lip before pulling away. “So forgive me, maybe?”

  She knew exactly how to distract him, but he’d been paying attention. “Maybe. Depends on what item number three is.”

  She traced a line down his chest. “Chloe and Jordan are with Scott. A press release is going out now about how the two of you knew nothing about this and, while it was funny as hell, you don’t condone the action.”

  He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, forcing his expression to stay serious. “Which makes it harder to believe you didn’t know about this. And that means a press release isn’t the third item on the drive.”

  Her flush was visible even in the poor lighting, and she ducked her head. Her reply was soft. “It’s an employment agreement for your new CFO. If you decide to talk to Grant and the people he knows, you can afford it. Along with other people, like Jordan. We found a way around his contract.”

  She meant her. His heart leapt. “Presumptuous much?” The question didn’t have any force behind it.

  “Hopeful.” She shuffled from one foot to the other. “Very, very hopeful.”

  “You should have told me what you were up to.” Why was he still fighting this?

  “I couldn’t,” she said. “You have to be able to honestly say you didn’t know what we were doing.”

  She was good. And severely pushing the limits of his self-control. “So you’re back for good?”

  She shifted her weight against him, pulling him closer. “Most likely. It’s not all up to me. But I love you, and I’m not ready to leave again. Beyond that, my
staying means all involved parties are on board.”

  Love. The word stole his reason and floated through him on a thrum of desire. “In that case, welcome home.” A new tension thrummed through him, heavy and anxious and having everything to do with the soft curves pressed against him. “Any plans this afternoon?”

  “I was kind of hoping you were available.”

  “Only kind of?”

  She slipped a finger inside the waist of his jeans and slid it across his bare stomach. “What do you think?”

  What do I think? That he was seconds from pinning her to the wall and finding out just how far out of the line of traffic they were. “Tell me you know somewhere no one will find us or bother us for the rest of the night.”

  She laughed. “It’s only five-thirty.”

  He nipped her shoulder with his teeth. “Good. Then we have plenty of time. Can you think of a better way to lie low?”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She was back, she was his, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she didn’t leave again.

  Zach pulled Rae down next to him on the hotel bed. No one knew her name, so no one would be knocking on her door, asking about the stunt on stage. With any luck, he really could occupy her the rest of the night.

  She tucked her legs under her, leaned forward, and then brushed her lips over his. The faint scent of strawberry combined with the taste of her kisses obliterated his control. He caught a fistful of her hair and tugged. She tilted her head back with a gasp, elongating her neck.

  He ran his tongue up the tender skin, blood hot, cock already straining against his jeans. “Here’s the thing.” He couldn’t keep the gravel from his voice. “You’ve dominated my fantasies for more than a year. I’m not going to be so great at taking this slow.”

  She hopped from the bed and scooted out of reach until she stood a few feet back, one corner of her mouth pulling up. “Then I guess you don’t get to control how fast we go.”

  He grabbed for her, and she took another step back. Fuck, he wanted her. And yet part of him was intrigued to see what she was up to. “I’ll play. For now.”