“Yes, ma’am.” I bowed my head to her and then hurried to stand next to the last girl in our line. I breathed a sigh of relief and ignored the nasty glances the others shot in my direction. Their tour was put on hold for a whole two minutes. The nerve I had!
I didn’t roll my eyes. Barely.
Major Wilcox marched down the line and just kept walking, expecting us to scurry after her. “Listen up, recruits. We’re heading to the technology center next, where the best scientists in this world work their magic to create a better living for us.” She paused in her speech to peer back at us. And we did, indeed, hurry like ants after her. “I think this bears repeating… Don’t wander off.”
The girls flashed glares back in my direction.
I simply pretended they didn’t exist.
* * *
A scientist droned on and on.
Mr. King this…
Mr. King that…
Oh! Did you know Mr. King…
This idiot was star struck.
I was embarrassed for him. I wanted to pat his back and tell him it was all right to have a little obsession, but perhaps he should look outside of New City for one. Or even the King Corporation. Many other individuals in the world had helped to reinstate our planet after it went to shit. It wasn’t all Godric the Great.
Godric was only around thirty years old. The way this scientist spoke about him, it was as if Godric had ended the damn war one hundred and fifty years ago. He was just that special to have done all this before he was even born—or his parents were even born. Perhaps star struck didn’t explain this silly scientist appropriately enough, as he continued rambling on with shining eyes of faith. I was thinking a white straightjacket might be needed if he didn’t calm himself, and maybe Godric needed extra security to watch out for this loon.
I was distracted—thank goodness—when a man exited a door at the end of the hallway. There was no sign on the door indicating what the area was, but with the CA soldiers posted outside the door, I was betting it was a confidential post. The man towered in height and had a dark olive skin tone, with broad shoulders and muscles that bulged on his biceps beneath his short-sleeved black t-shirt. He wore dark jeans and had a smooth gait as he walked down the wide hallway in our direction. He wasn’t dressed in a suit like almost all the employees I had seen so far—which wasn’t a whole lot thanks to Godric dragging me off. He even wore black flip-flops on his tan feet.
His head of short, dark honey-colored hair was lowered as he stared down at his silver bracelet, typing on it. I couldn’t guess his exact age, but he appeared no older than twenty or maybe thirty, his facial features plain but striking at the same time. He strolled past us without looking up, still typing on his bracelet.
Except he pivoted when he was three feet past us, still staring at his watch, and ambled to stand directly behind our group. He leaned back with his shoulders against the wall, crossed one foot over the other, and stayed there while he worked on his bracelet.
The girl I had spoken to about the stalker fox glanced back at him with her eyebrows down, also having noticed the oddity. She eventually shook her head, dismissing him, and turned her attention back to the blathering, almost clinically insane, scientist.
I kept my attention on the guy, though, and watched him from the corner of my eye. He blended extremely well, enough that no one else took notice of him, but there was something about him that sent a shiver down my spine. And not in a good way.
He eventually stopped looking at his bracelet, crossed his arms over his chest, and peered up, as if he were listening to the scientist too—though his dark eyes began to journey over our group with extreme slowness. Far before his sharp gaze landed on me, I looked away and actually listened to the recited speech. I could blend too, and I didn’t want his eyes on me.
After five more minutes, I peeked in his direction.
He had finished with his overall perusal and was now evaluating the two girls in the middle of our group. His eyes traveled over their short black hair, their breasts that strained their t-shirts, and down their long shapely legs. There wasn’t heat in his eyes, his regard not sensual. It was an appraisal of their persons, their every detail categorized by his attention.
His head lowered once more when he uncrossed his arms and started playing a game on his bracelet, completely at ease. He even had a little smirk on his lips.
The scientist finally concluded his talk of Godric the Great. By this point, I wasn’t the only one in our group who breathed a sigh of relief. My back was even killing me from standing still for so long. I stretched high and leaned back while a few of the other women shook out their legs and arms.
Major Wilcox announced, “Line up, recruits. Next on our list is a short video of how the new technology will shape our future.”
“We can finally sit down,” the girl next to me muttered. Same gal I had talked to before.
I snickered and nodded in agreement, keeping my voice low. “Maybe the video will also include something other than how wonderful Mr. King is.”
She ducked her head and snorted. “That scientist was bad, wasn’t he?”
“Fuck. Yes, he was.” I kept stretching and waited for the end of the line as the candidates started filing behind Major Wilcox, her strides long as she marched down the hallway. I glanced at the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Megan Marshall.”
“Nice to meet you.”
She eyed me with caution. “You too.”
My lips twitched. “Not friends.”
“Not friends. Not here,” Megan agreed. She turned and took her place in line, and I followed her at the end.
The honey-haired man still had his head down, playing on his bracelet. Except his brows instantly furrowed when the two women he had been evaluating walked in front of him in our silent trek. When they finished ambling past him, he blinked slowly, his fingers never faltering on his game.
His head tilted, though, when I walked past him.
I kept walking but did glance back.
The man lifted his head, and his dark eyes landed directly on mine. He didn’t look away when caught staring. No, those intelligent eyes of his ran over my features and body in a methodical progression, his brows rising high on his forehead in what appeared to be surprise.
I shivered as I turned the corner, out of sight.
He may be consistently overlooked because of his casual simplicity of appearance, knowing how to blend in well, but no one should ever dismiss him as anything but one scary ass man.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The green grass beneath me was supple and soft in the courtyard of King Corporation. I relaxed while I sat and crossed my legs, content with the sun shining down on me—with my sunglasses on. It was lunchtime, and we had an hour to eat, many King Corporation employees also eating their lunches out in the courtyard. It was a beautiful day with minimal cloud cover and just a touch of an indulgent breeze to keep you from becoming too warm. I lifted my cheap sandwich and took a bite while I brought up a puzzle game on my bracelet, switching it to hologram mode.
The screen appeared in front of me.
I nibbled on my sandwich with my left hand while I ran my fingers on the screen with my right. The game started, showing a picture of the world. I twirled my finger, and the earth spun onscreen.
When it stopped, a red dot appeared in the center of King Eastern Province. It zoomed in fast until I was staring at a ruined building in the heartland of the country. I ticked my finger around the building, as a minute timer started in the corner, and evaluated the structure at every angle, looking for clues. Then the world faded, the timer run down. It brought up a puzzle with multiple different answers on the vast pieces.
I quickly picked the pieces for how I believed the building was destroyed and watched as they formed together.
I was missing one piece to make a full square.
I took another bite and chewed slowly.
A shadow blocked the sun above me.
>
My brows rose as Godric the Great sat down next to me on the grass. His four friends were also with him, their hulking forms agile as they sat down at his side and in front of him. They had all brought their lunches, and five pairs of big hands started arranging their meals in front of where they sat. The five of them had been deadly silent for me not to hear them sneak up.
And the man, the great man, was an idiot.
I pulled my sunglasses up on top of my head and glared at his profile, hissing, “What are you doing?”
“I’m eating my lunch.” Godric grinned. His features were captivating to the extreme with his tan skin magnificent under the sunlight. He stared down into my eyes and licked his red bottom lip.
My eyes ogled it in fascination.
Rune glanced up beneath his black hair and smirked. “You technically haven’t started eating yet.”
Godric snorted and popped a strawberry into his mouth. “There, you fuck. Now I’m eating.”
My gaze darted to the employees sitting in the courtyard, a few taking notice of their revered boss outside, though there were more than a few also eyeing his gorgeous friends.
I jerked my attention back to him, whispering, “This was not part of the plan.”
Golden humored eyes twinkled in the sunlight, but his lyrical voice was sensual. “And what was that plan again?”
I growled deep in my throat.
His lips curled into a smirk. He popped another strawberry into his mouth and chewed as he ran his gaze over my features. Then he stated with calm, “There is nothing wrong with sitting together out in the open for lunch. The four horsemen of the apocalypse are with me, and you are a recruit for the Corporate Army and a person of importance in your own right. I’m sure that news is already traveling the world of your decision to join my army, so any pictures seen wouldn’t be damning.”
My molars were getting a workout today as I ground them together for the millionth time. “Joining your army and being ‘friends’ are two different things.”
His eyes were cunning as they peered down at me. “Would you rather people think you work for me or are an acquaintance?”
I stalled.
“Exactly.” He uncrossed his legs and placed his feet flat on the ground, his knees crooked up in relaxation. He pulled his food between his strong legs, ate another strawberry, and glanced at my paused game. “That’s a good one.”
I sighed and took another bite of my sandwich as his friends started talking to one another—when they knew they weren’t leaving. “You’ve played it before?”
“Yes.” He flicked a finger at Wolfe. “He designed that specific game.”
My eyes widened on his fine-looking gray-haired friend. “Did you really make this one?”
Wolfe grinned, and his features altered from too handsome to sexy as fuck. “Yes. I’m the head of Cooper Corporation. Along with multiple technology programs, we create the puzzle games.”
I stared in fascination. “You’re Mr. Cooper?”
He bopped his shoulders with bored poise. “Yes, I’m Wolfe Cooper.”
Oh, my.
I’d secretly been a fan of his for a long time.
Corporate or not, the man was a genius.
I’d read that he designed games in his free time.
That was apparently the truth.
Alaric chuckled, his eyes roaming my face. “Careful there, God. I think she has a crush on Wolfe, not you.”
My cheeks instantly flushed. “It’s not like that.”
Godric asked smoothly, “What is it like?”
I blinked, still in awe. “He’s a brilliant man.”
Wolfe rolled his eyes. He tucked his gray hair behind his ears and tipped his head back to let the sun bask on his skin. “I merely enjoy what I do.”
“And it shows,” I said kindly. “Your games got me through… Well, they helped me when times were rough. Thank you for creating them for everyone to escape in.”
He peeked at me from the corner of his eye. “You’re welcome.” Then he closed his eyes and let the sun shine on his face.
He wasn’t a man of many words.
Godric grunted, jealous heat in his narrowed gaze. The muscles in his jaw clenched. He hissed in absolute possession, “She’s mine, Wolfe.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
My mouth bobbed in surprise.
“I know.” Wolfe chuckled, still sunbathing, not opening his eyes. “She doesn’t look at anyone else the way she looks at you—not even when she calls someone brilliant. That wasn’t intimate interest there, buddy.”
Finally, I snapped out of my stupor.
I sniffed and peered down my nose at the group as a whole. “You are all ridiculous.” My lips twitched. It was difficult keeping a straight face near them.
Finn grinned. “She’s already got us pegged.”
Godric scooched an inch closer to me.
I scrutinized his profile, my tone amused. “Don’t worry there, big man. I heard all about your greatness today with every stop on the tour.” I munched on another bite of my sandwich, thoughtful. “There’s actually a scientist that you may want to screen better. He’s a bit fanatical about you. Like, in a freaky ass way.”
Alaric snickered. “I bet she’s talking about Johnson.”
I pointed at him with the remaining bite of my sandwich. “Yes. That was his last name.”
Godric’s shoulders eased, the tension flowing out of him. “There’s already a restraining order against him. He’s not allowed within twenty feet of me.”
I knew it! Crazy science guy for the win.
“And you still allow him to work here?” I popped the last bit of my meal into my mouth, chewing and watching his eyes.
The pure arrogance that he was untouchable lived in their depths. “He’s a mastermind, even if a little cracked when he doesn’t take his meds. I want him on my team. I don’t take intelligence for granted, no matter where it comes from.”
I kept my eyes on his.
His on mine.
That was why he was so powerful, a little insight into the man. He knew how to use his resources to the best advantage—on his own terms. No one who disregarded skilled talent and outside thinking would ever be in power in the world we lived in.
I hummed quietly and smiled a little.
A clever man in the bedroom wasn’t bad.
I was content with my choice to continue with him.
The game flashed a reminder to play again.
I turned my attention from him as I enjoyed the tiny smirk he graced me with, and then touched my fingers to the screen. Once again, I evaluated the choices of destruction.
I picked one. It was the right piece.
The earth spun on the screen.
I started over with a new destination.
Godric leaned against my shoulder and stared at the screen, eating a carrot now. One of his long fingers started to touch my screen, and I slapped it away. His chuckle was quiet as he watched me win again and again without his help, even once when I had guessed wrong.
“Is that sandwich all you had for lunch?” he asked in a quiet tone, his gaze still on my screen.
I tapped a destruction piece. “Yes.”
“Why? You have an interesting evening planned.” He finished his second carrot, the crunch not unpleasant to my ears while he chewed with his mouth shut. He swallowed it down a few seconds later. “You need your strength.”
I sighed and evaded his question. “You looked at the CA schedule for the recruits?”
“I was bored.” He shrugged, his shoulder rubbing against mine.
“I can only imagine,” I muttered with sarcasm. But I lifted my left arm over his leg closest to me and stole one his carrots off the ground. I bit into it with relish, still ravenous. “Thanks.”
His chest shook with silent laughter. “You’re welcome.”
I finished off the carrot and then leaned, peering down between his legs. My eyes widened in pure, astonished delight. “Is th
at peach cobbler?” Peaches were a rarity, a special and expensive treat you indulged in once every ten years—if you could afford them then.
His nose was close to my left temple with the way I was positioned. He whispered, “Take it.”
I hesitated.
“You only have a chicken sandwich left then.” I cleared my throat, and then mumbled as quietly as I could, “And I can’t pay you back for that cobbler. I’m here with my own money, not my father’s.”
Heat burned on my cheeks as I blushed. Uncomfortable embarrassment thrummed inside my chest. But I really wanted that cobbler. I hoped he wouldn’t say no. I was so broke now that I wouldn’t be able to afford any meals outside of the Military House—it was free there.
Godric dipped his head forward, the tip of his nose now touching the tender skin of my temple. His voice was a mere breath. “Take it, pet. I want to watch that little pink tongue of yours lick every crumb off your delicious lips.”
I peeked at his friends, but they were still deep in their own conversation. They hadn’t heard what he said.
I seized the peach cobbler and the utensil next to it. Then I leaned back into my proper place. His shoulder still rested against mine, but we were no longer too close.
Around a mouthful of sinful indulgence, I mumbled, “Thank you.”
His lips twitch. “You’re welcome.
Golden eyes stared at my mouth.
Each time I licked my lips free of crumbs, his eyes flared in desire. He was enjoying watching me as much as I was enjoying eating. It was an excellent bargain.
Dark honey hair caught my attention as I licked the fork clean, the entire cobbler gone in less than a minute. The scary ass guy, who could pass for an academy student, was eating a piece of pizza by himself under a tree at a table.
I tilted my head in the man’s direction. “Who is that guy?”
Godric’s eyes flicked from my mouth to where I had indicated. He scanned the area with his intense gaze, many employees roaming the courtyard there.
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