Virtual Reality

by Kitty Cox

  "I'm so hitting you up," Kate teased.

  QQ laughed. "Sure. If you get the balls to ask, I've got it. Void says I'm not rich, but it sure feels like it, and I'm only going to make more."

  "And what happens when you're knocked out of the ladders?" Void asked.

  "Well," she drawled, "I'll have a man to keep the farm running. See, I'm sleeping my way into money, baby."

  "You make more than me," he said. "Almost double."

  "Only because you can't take a PLG contract."

  "Hey Q?" Knock asked. "Loan me money for a car?"

  She laughed. "No. I gave you a car."

  "But it sucks! I want something like Void's!"

  Kate couldn't help but laugh at the kid. She'd be happy with a car that worked. She'd taken hers to Marshall's attorney that evening and was stuck riding the bus now. QQ's offer was tempting, but she wasn't quite ready to ask, not yet. She'd already gotten a thousand bucks from her boss, but the conversation made her feel much better about it. He had millions. He certainly wouldn't care about that little, not from what Void said.

  So maybe she needed to be a bit nicer to him. Recalling back to the main base, she joined up with her squad again, sill thinking about it. She'd thank him on Monday. She'd make a point of it.

  That didn't mean she'd tell Ice about it. Adam had given her the money as a friend. Yeah, he'd made comments about being interested in her, but if she had to choose? She'd rather date Ice. He made her feel comfortable and always knew just what to say. He understood her, and he was charming with the way he always called her darlin'. She fell in behind him as they made their next attack and wondered if he was half as good looking as he sounded. Maybe she should just ask.

  "Hey, QQ?"

  "Yeah, Lith?"

  "So, is Ice cute?"

  The guys all started laughing. A few of them started picking on him, a few others made assurances that yes, he was. She wasn't sure which was more amusing. QQ waited until they all died down before answering.

  "He's a very clean cut, organized kinda cute. I go more for the bad boy type. You know, piercings and such, but Ice is the kind of man that could probably pull off a suit."

  He groaned. "Yeah, I wear one all week. Thanks, Q. Not easy to get a compliment from you."

  "Still wouldn't have fucked you," she teased.

  "I'm glad. I had no idea what hole I was digging. Just thought you had a little spunk, didn't realize that you were nothing else. I break too easy to even go there."

  QQ laughed. "Ok, brownie points, Ice. Lith, I'll send you a pic."

  "Don't," Ice said, cutting her off. "I talked her into a face-to-face, once her divorce is final."

  "Oh?" a few of them asked, their amusement showing.

  "Yeah," he admitted, sounding almost embarrassed. "She lives in the same town. Gonna do the meet and greet all proper-like before the tournament."

  QQ was excited about that. "Ok, that's sweet. Sorry, Lith. No pics. Trust me, it's way more fun."

  Kate groaned. "There'd better be some champagne, Ice."

  "Done," he agreed. "I told you, it's a celebration. If you talk to me the day after, I'll know I'm still in the running."

  "Uh," Swish drawled. "Dude, what happens if she's a nasty fat cow? I mean, Lith's cool and all, but goes both ways, doesn't it?"

  "She's a redhead," Fizz teased. "He's good."

  "Dude, there's some ugly-ass redheads out there."

  "Hey," Ice said, trying to calm them. "It's cool. I'm kinda more interested in someone I can talk to. That's why I tried for Q. She was very obviously a gamer, you know? Lith's awesome."

  That was more than the guys could take. While Kate blushed at her monitor, they awed at Ice's sweet talking, a few making jokes about how he was already trying to get in her pants. Except, she was pretty sure he honestly meant every word.

  Chapter 11

  "Degrass Industries, Nancy Macintosh's office," Kate said into the phone. "This is Kate, how can I help you?"

  "Kate," the man on the other end greeted her. "James Weiss, from Corwin, Weiss, and Weiss. I represent the PLG, and am calling on behalf of Deviant Games. We needed to clear up a few things about the accommodations for the game tournament at your Columbus facility."

  "Certainly, Mr. Weiss. How can I help you?"

  He chuckled, the sound reminding her of someone; calm, like he was letting her in on a private joke. "Last year, we had problems with the convention hall in the Clairmont. The tournament organizers are worried about the ambient temperature."

  She turned to her computer, quickly pulling up a document filled with notes. "Yes, sir, I was told about that. Forgive me, I was not involved in the project last year. Do you know how many players we should be expecting?"

  "We already have two hundred and seventeen entries. Usually, we get a third of that again on game day."

  She quickly typed numbers into her calculator. "Well, I'm glad you called," she assured him. "They've made plans for approximately two hundred and fifty machines. From what you're saying, sounds like we'll be closer to three hundred. That's going to raise the temperature a little." A few more clicks and she was looking at the requirements for the hotel's staff. "Mr. Weiss, they've planned to set the hall at sixty-five, but why don't we just make that an even sixty? It might be a bit chilly at first, but once the gamers fire up their rigs, it'll heat up."

  He made an appreciative noise. "Thank you, Kate. I'd never hear the end of it if one of the professionals lost a match because their machine was running hot. Nice to finally have someone who understands. I was worried this was going to be complicated."

  "Not at all," she assured him. "Don't tell, but I'm highly motivated since my own computer runs on the warmer side."

  He actually laughed at that. "Good to know. I'd wish you luck, but I'm rooting for someone else. Would it be a problem if I have Mark from Deviant contact you directly?"

  "No, sir. Just give him this number. I'm under orders to make sure this operation runs smoothly."

  "Will do. Have a nice day, and again, thank you so much."

  She hung up the phone and stood. Nancy was frantically typing at her computer, so Kate just pulled open the door and stuck her head in. "Columbus needs a change, so I'm across the hall."

  "Yep." Nancy agreed, not even bothering to look up. "I'm about to head to the third floor. Have a meeting with information security. I should be back before lunch."

  "Good luck," Kate told her. Information Security was notoriously hard to work with, and the manager was balking at some of the requirements for the convention. "That's one part of this ordeal I want nothing to do with."

  "Me either," Nancy whispered, shooting a devious grin over. "Think a baseball bat might make it easier?"

  "Oh, maybe. Make sure you get an aluminum one, though. Man's head's harder than wood." She wiggled her fingers and backed out to the sound of Nancy laughing.

  As she made her way across the building, she decided she would buy Nancy a lovely aluminum bat and a pair of hooks to hang it on the back wall. The thought had her smiling to herself as she passed Mark's desk. Maybe she'd tell Adam to do it. It'd be a nice way to ease into thanking him for the money he'd loaned her.

  When she stepped into his office, Adam wasn't in sight. She mentally smacked herself. She'd been too busy thinking about Nancy with a bat to even check to see if he was in. Just as she was about to turn around, the sound of a coffee cup on a table proved she wasn't standing in an empty office.

  Following the curved back wall, she made her way to the recessed nook. The edge of his arm was barely visible, draped casually over the chair. Kate moved behind him, scanning the room to make sure Adam was alone. He was. He also had no clue she was even there.

  His eyes were locked on a tablet, and he slowly reached up for his cup, taking a casual sip. Thin, white cords dangled from his ears, connected to a top-end smartphone sitting on the table. She couldn't hear it, but she had a funny feeling the music was blaring. That was why she waited until he s
et his cup back down before gently touching his shoulder.

  In a smooth and fluid motion, Adam dimmed the screen and looked up. Then he let out a breath, and his shoulders relaxed again. "Good, it's you," he said, yanking out the earbuds.

  She was right. The music was loud, but it wasn't at all what she'd expected him to listen to. "Is that P!nk?"

  "Do not judge a man's music," he warned, gesturing at the chair. "And no, I'm not getting up." He tapped the tablet. "Mackenzie just surprised Ryan in the shower."

  "You're reading my book?" She groaned and pressed her hands over her face. "At work?!"

  "Well, at least you've given up on picking on my music. It's good. I expected more sex."

  She waved that away. "It's a love story, not a sex story. Look, I just talked to James Weiss for the gamer tournament - "

  "You have any with more sex?" He was completely not listening to her.

  "Yes. Finish that one, first."

  He lifted the tablet and waggled it. "She reminds me of you. Determined, unwilling to drag anyone else into her problems, even if they want to help, and so sure that she can't be as amazingly attractive as the men think she is." He lifted an eyebrow. "So where's your tattoo?"

  "Got a tramp stamp when I was eighteen. Adam, the Columbus gamer event?"

  "Right, Void's dad's on a roll. What's he want?"

  That made her pause. "What?"

  "James Weiss. He created the PLG to give his son, Logan Weiss, an outlet, and now they both work for the same law firm. We all know him as the infamous Void. He just revealed his name in Denver, and we're still a bit shocked. You didn't know this?"

  "No. I mean, they mentioned Void being anonymous for a long time." She groaned. "And QQ said he's an attorney. Ok, I just didn't put it together."

  "So, what does Mr. Weiss want." He placed the tablet on the table and gestured to the chair again.

  Kate waved that away; she wasn't going to stay long. "The convention hall to be cooler. I approved the temperature being dropped to sixty, but I don't know how long it will take. If we set it on Thursday, will that work?"

  "Wednesday night. I also need you to make a little speech." He flicked his eyes over her and smiled.

  Kate sighed. "Seriously? Public speaking was not in the job description."

  She hated public speaking. She hated feeling like everyone was looking at her! She always felt like her tongue ended up twice as thick and half as flexible, plus, if there were too many people - oh, like a few hundred - she started skipping words.

  "Yeah, hazard of the job. It's also simple and easy. No food and drink in the convention hall, how to report problems, and that sort of thing. Just a PSA, Kate. Not a big deal."

  "Then you do it!"

  He grinned. "You really think the gamers will listen to me? Nah, needs a pretty face so they'll pay attention. Trust me, those guys aren't thinking with the head on their shoulders."

  "Adam," she begged. "I hate having everyone look at me."

  "Least you didn't try to deny the pretty face part." He leaned back and slid his index finger and thumb along either side of his chin. "Besides, I like looking at you. Let me buy you lunch?"

  "What?" How had they gone from ambient temperature to lunch?

  He smiled and tilted his head slightly. "I believe you've asked that before. We're going to have to work on your vocabulary, Ms. Gaskill. Phrases such as 'I'd love to,' or even, 'sure,' would be much more appropriate."

  Oh, he wanted to make it formal? She could do that. "I can't, Mr. Degrass, as you well know. I have work to do."

  Adam surged to his feet, stepping just inside her space like he was about to pull her against him. "You shouldn't call me that," he said softly. "Every time you add that little sneer to my last name," he shifted a bit closer and looked down at her mouth, "it makes me wonder what it would sound like when you whisper it. Would it still be there?"

  This conversation had taken a drastic turn! She didn't know if she wanted him to try, or if she should be running back to her office, but Kate couldn't convince her legs to work. While her mind whirled, he looked deep into her eyes, reading her as easily as her book. She was breathing harder. She knew it, and from the look in his eyes, he'd noticed as well.

  "Adam," she corrected, but it came out breathless.

  He leaned even closer, his smooth cheek so near that she could feel the heat of him. His nose brushed her hair, and his lips paused beside her ear. "That is how you'd sound as I kiss a line up your throat, tasting the salt on your skin." His breath was coming harder, too. "Tell me to stop, Kate, and I will."

  She closed her eyes but didn't move. "I'm married."

  "I haven't touched you. I never will until you let me, so there's not a single thing wrong with this."

  She tried to take a deep breath, but it came slowly, in flutters, filled with the clean scent of his shampoo and aftershave. "I'm hoping to see someone when I'm single."

  "I'm hoping it's me."

  She turned her head and found his eyes waiting. "Adam," she begged. "I can't."

  A slight dip of his head was the only acknowledgment he gave. "I have less than a week to convince you this has nothing to do with work. I'm going to keep trying until you tell me to stop. I'm used to getting my way, Kate, but all you have to do is tell me to stop, and I swear, I will."

  "Adam, I like this guy. You are distracting, and intimidating, and incredibly good-looking, but I work for Nancy."

  He smiled. "You didn't say stop. I keep reminding you that you can, and yet you never do."

  Mostly because she really didn't want him to, but it was too soon to admit that. She needed to sound stern and confident. Instead, she got pleading. "He gets me, ok?"

  He stepped back slightly. "I get you, Kate." He took another step away, but his expression was kind. "I spend all evening thinking about you. Amazed by you. Enthralled by you. I'm pretty sure I can guess what makes that mind of yours tick, and that for all the soft and gentle on the outside, there's a strong core that had to learn how to bend." He took one last step back and leaned against the wall. "I also think I'd be doing a lot better with you if I wasn't rich and powerful."

  Her feet were frozen to the ground, her pride refusing to let her run. She could do confident, she really could. "Maybe, but it's also possible that I can't compete with women like Sophia."

  He laughed. "There's truth in that, but not like you think. Sophia has nothing on you. She's fake, and she loves my bank account. She also really likes it when she gets on the front page. You? You like to make me work for it. You're not the kind of woman to be pampered." He lifted his hands. "It just makes me want to pamper you more."

  "I'm not used to being pampered, Adam. I don't need it."

  His face softened. "You should be."

  Her breath caught. He was so self-assured, so aware of his own good looks. Adam just waited, letting her take the next move. He could've pressed his point, but he wasn't pushing. He was persuading. He'd also left the hall to the exit wide open.

  "I have work to do," she mumbled, hoping her hasty retreat didn't look as frantic and desperate as it felt. God, she wanted to make a really bad decision. She wanted to kiss the shit out of him, but she knew better. She knew exactly how that would end.

  "You didn't say stop," he said softly, halting her feet. "Just be straight with me on that one thing, Kate. Should I leave you alone?"

  "I don't know," she whispered, her eyes locked on the ground.

  He nodded. "You know I won't hurt you, right?"

  Slowly she lifted her head, looking right into his eyes. "No, Adam, I don't. All I know is that I'm tired of being owned."

  For the first time, he broke. His fingers fiddled with the edge of his suit jacket, and the confident presence that clung to him seemed to dissipate. He took a deep breath and turned to his hands, nodded, bent the expensive material between his fingers, then nodded again.

  "I don't have a dungeon, Kate. I have a study filled with a stupidly elaborate computer, more moni
tors than I can use, and the only people I can trust on the other side of a screen. I've never figured out how to buy true friends. I certainly don't think it's possible to either buy - or own - someone's affection." He swallowed, then slowly raised his eyes. "I don't date because I don't do well talking to people. I'm really good at telling them what to do, but not this. Not just talking. I know how to be a CEO, but not just a guy."

  "I think you're doing pretty good," she admitted, her words little more than a whisper.

  He chuckled, but it didn't sound happy. "Yeah, I was hoping you'd think that. Give me until your divorce is final to try?"

  "I already have a date Friday." But she was no longer sure she was making the right choice. Ice was so sweet, yet Adam was making her cave. She'd never seen a man speak so honestly, so openly, about how he felt.

  He nodded again. "Then how about you tell me after that if I should give up."

  "And just like that," she snapped her fingers, "you'll turn all professional on me?"

  "Friends," he said. "I don't promise professional, but if I can't change your mind this week, just friends."

  "Five days," she decided, then forced her legs to work, walking out of his office without daring to look back. She had to be an idiot.

  Chapter 12

  "I need advice," Kate said as Nancy strolled back into her office.

  Her boss paused, slowly turned her head, then lifted her eyebrows. "Lunch? We'll make that little bimbo in the lobby bring up sushi and have some girl time."

  Kate sighed, feeling her fears rush out. "Sure. I'll order."

  "You order, I'll buy, and we will both take off our damned heels." Nancy shucked off her shoes right there, then bent, hooking her fingers in the backs with a wink.

  Placing orders for Nancy Macintosh was almost as easy as throwing around Adam Degrass's name. Soon as she dropped either one, people started doing their best to impress. Before Kate knew it, a simple sushi lunch had been upgraded to a miniature sushi buffet with delivery. They promised it would be there in fifteen minutes.