by Nana Malone
But like he’d told Chase, now that he was properly looking at the structure and the framework, there was something extremely familiar about it. The code was clean. At this level he expected some of that, but honestly, most developers had their own way of writing code. Little notes and hints they left for themselves along the way. Sometimes it was because they wanted to check on something later. Sometimes it was to help explain what they were trying to do to whoever looked at it after. Something. And to some degree there was a little of that, but code like this was rare.
It was technically superb but also allowed itself to be built upon. Nate had only ever seen something like it once before.
Back when he was another person. Back when he lived a shadow life, trolling the dark net and making friends and enemies.
Seven years ago, when he'd been on the other side of legal with his code, he'd gone up against a hacker trying to break into Queen’s Bank in Scotland. Nate had been approached by a client to see if he could gain access. The payday had been large enough to set him up for more than a minute if he could keep his nose clean. All he'd had to do was get in and get out by frog hopping his IP addresses through several countries.
But the night he'd tried to do the job, he'd been too late. Someone had already beaten him to it. They'd climbed over each other for a good couple of hours trying to hack decryption keys.
He'd lost out on the payday that night, but he and that other hacker had danced and understood each other once they'd tested each other's skills. Nate knew he'd recognize him if he saw the code again. And this had all the signatures. It wasn’t so much what was in the framework, but how it was in the framework. It was like giving two developers the same task. And giving them the same rules and resources. How each one got to the end result was still artistic license.
What the hell was this imprint doing in the framework of Synth Games’s code? Maybe Nate hadn't been the first hacker Chase had plucked out of the shadows. It was unlikely though.
So where had this code come from?
Taraby had said he’d practically built the code base from the ground up. And despite the hot air the guy blew, he was too flashy to be this good. Or was he nearly as good of a conman as Nate had once been?
Nate shook his head, unwilling to believe it. Taraby couldn't be responsible for the code. The code was elegant. Sophisticated. There was nothing elegant about that douche bag. So the question was, who'd written it, and why was this asshole passing it off as his own?
Now fully immersed in the code, Nate knew he had to make a call, whether to keep going or get to bed. If he kept digging through this, he'd likely be here until dawn.
He glanced at his phone again. Who was he kidding? Picking it up, he slid his fingers over the keys quickly.
I’m in desperate need of chocolate.
Less than ten seconds later, Delilah responded.
That’s funny, so am I. Know where I can find any?
A grin tugged at his mouth as his heart kicked into gear.
I know a place. It’s in mid-town. The lighting is low, but with chocolate they serve wine and naked men. ;)
Oh, yes, I’ve heard of this place! It’s called heaven, right?
Lol. I have no objections if you want to refer to me as a sex god.
Ha! Of course you don’t.
I know you’re working, but you must fortify yourself with wine and chocolate.
What about sex?
Who’s to say I don’t have something kinky planned for that chocolate and wine?
Nate couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so giddy. But Delilah had a way of bringing that out of him.
I like the way you think.
It’s late, can you get away from work? And by away, I mean my place.
He thought about it for a second, then sent another text.
I miss you
Silence. For two minutes, he stared at his phone, but there was no reply. Beads of sweat popped on his brow. Was that too much? Finally a text came in.
I miss you too. Can you give me an hour, or is that too late?
You could turn up at two in the morning, and it will wouldn’t be too late.
He returned to his apartment only minutes before Delilah arrived. He yanked off his tie on the way to the door. When he opened it, she grinned up at him.
“I have to say, Nate, there’s something sexy about a man taking off his tie.”
“You feel like helping me?”
“Thought you’d never ask.” She reached for him, then halted. “Wait, I was told there’d be chocolate.”
He chuckled. “Oh, there is. But I’m sampling mine first.” Pulling her to him, he kissed her, days of craving adding an edge to the kiss.
In the silence of his apartment, all that could be heard was the clomping of shoes as they were kicked off and the groans and hushed moans of need. Impatient, Nate picked Delilah up so she straddled his waist and headed for his bedroom. Her fingers toyed with the hair at the nape of his neck, and he longed for her to dig her hands into it, tugging like she did when she was on the brink of orgasm.
Quickly, clothes were jerked, pulled or thrown off, and with unfettered access to her lush breasts, Nate stared at his prize. He dusted a light kiss on one distended nipple. Delilah drew in a shuddering breath as she arched her back, allowing him more access, begging for him to take the stiff peaks into his mouth. Craving her rocked his equilibrium. Electricity hummed over his skin, making all his hairs stand up. Making him shake. Torching his flesh from the inside.
He started kissing up her neck, savoring the spicy floral scent of her. Reveling in every curve, every hidden secret. And she moaned as he licked the sensitive spot just above her clavicle.
“That is my favorite spot to kiss you,” he whispered, “It's such an unexpected surprise when your body opens up for me every time I kiss you here.” He did it again, and her thighs parted, causing him to smile.
She muttered something unintelligible while he continued to kiss her. All he could distinguish was the sound of his name on her lips over and over again. His brain had already been rendered useless.
With his hand, he skimmed the satiny flesh of her stomach, pausing to tease her belly button. Her hips bucked in silent invitation, and he drew his head back to gaze at her. “Are you trying to tell me something, Delilah?”
She rolled her hips again. “Nate, I need you.”
He exhaled slowly before returning to her soft lips. His tongue slid into her waiting mouth and he devoured her. His fingers skimmed just beneath the fabric of her thong, tracing lazy patterns into her skin. Finding her most sensitive spot, Delilah dragged her lips away from his and tossed her head back into the pillow.
Immediately he stilled. “Too much.”
She shook her head but whispered, “Yes.”
Ragged, harsh breaths tore out of him. His muscles bunched as he fought for control. “Hmm, sweetheart, that’s a very mixed message. Should I stop?”
Her wrists flew to his and held him in place. “Don't stop. I-I like it.”
A slow smile tugged at his lips. He drew a circle over her clit with his thumb, and she bit her bottom lip. Nate bent his head and nipped her lip, releasing it from her teeth. “Tell me what you want, sweetheart.”
“I-I...want...”
He kissed her softly again while his hand delved lower, and Delilah groaned at the contact. With sure fingers, he brought her to the edge.
“Nate, please make love to me. I want you.”
He hesitated. He wouldn’t ever be able to let her go if they did this again. Not being with her had driven him half mad. “Delilah, you’re making me...so crazy.”
He continued to explore her body, driving her wild with craving. When he slid his fingers free and tugged down her underwear, she lifted her hips and helped him slide the fabric down her legs.
With his heart hammering and his lungs burning, Nate fumbled in his side drawer for a condom. He tore the foil and quickly rolled it on. When he settled betwee
n her legs, Delilah lifted her hips to meet his. Nate cursed as her hot, slick flesh came into contact with the head of his cock. He gritted his teeth against the onslaught of need. He rocked his hips, and inch by aching inch, slid into her slickness.
But Delilah was in no mood for a slow love making. She smoothed her hands down his back and over his ass. Her legs wrapped tighter around his hips, and she pushed him deeper into her, lifting to meet his thrust.
“Fuck, Delilah.”
“Harder, Nate. I can’t take the teasing.”
With every thrust of his hips, she moaned. With every slow, sliding retreat, she tugged on his hair. The fire started at the base of his spine. Oh, hell. He wasn't going without her.
She was so goddam tight. And with every moan he wrenched from her, he wanted to stay inside her even more.
Nate slid an arm under her back, forcing her to arch her back and raise her breasts to him like an offering. He latched onto her nipple and sucked gently.
“Nate. Oh, God.”
He continued to tease her for a few seconds more, but finally the burning in his spine warned him that he couldn’t last another second. While raking her taut nipple with his teeth, he found her slick clit and stroked a gentle circle. Again and again, he teased her some more, then finally he applied pressure and increased his pace.
Just as soon as his vision began to gray and the fog of orgasm took hold, she stiffened around him, her slick heat pulsing over him, threatening to hold him captive for life. As she crested, she called his name.
And as the orgasm finally took him over, he knew he was lost.
###
Something warm and bright over her eyes woke Delilah out of a sound slumber. Blinking rapidly, she flung an arm over her face to ward off some of the sun’s glare. She’d actually slept through the night? Had she taken a sleeping pill? Her fuzzy brain tried to piece together the events of the previous night. Then an arm tightened around her waist and the memories flooded back. Nate.
For just a second, she let herself relish in being held and let his warmth cocoon her. But that only lasted for a moment before his phone chimed. With a groan, he rolled over and picked it up. His sleepy, sex-rumpled, half-smile quickly morphed into a scowl.
“Everything okay, Nate?”
The scowl was gone in a moment, replaced by a completely impassive expression. “Fine.”
“Are you sure? You look upset.”
His brows furrowed. “Delilah, it’s fine.”
“Okay.” A flush heating her skin, she bit her tongue. Curiosity burned, but he clearly wasn’t going to discuss whatever it was. A tiny alarm bell rang in the far off distance of her mind, but she quashed it. He was entitled to some privacy. Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling he was deliberately keeping something from her.
His voice was softer when he spoke again. “Do you know you sleep like a wild woman? I had to hold you against me all night just to keep you from thrashing around.”
She flushed. Morning after conversations were not her forte. She hadn’t had many of them. And usually they were punctuated by her or her partner making a hasty retreat. Usually her.
She cleared her throat. “You’re lucky you didn’t get hurt.”
He grinned at her. “Not for lack of you trying.”
Good Lord, the man’s smile should be outlawed. Lazy and sexy and sleep-rumpled, he was dangerous. Who the hell was she kidding? He was dangerous all the time. Fully dressed in a business suit, in a T-shirt and jeans, shirtless, naked, in bed—he pretty much always screamed, “Go on. Jump my bones.” Escape was paramount before she did in fact do that...again...make that again and again. He’d woken her up in the middle of the night with the mother of all wake up calls. She could still feel the evidence of his tongue’s deft strokes between her thighs. She ducked her head and mumbled an apology as she tried to tuck the sheet around her breasts.
He frowned, and his voice was low when he spoke. “Why does it look like you’re running, Lila?”
Because I am running. “I’m not running. I’m just trying to gracefully exit the bed without flashing you. I’ll never understand how they make this happen in the movies. The elegant escape.”
He hauled her body up against his before kissing her shoulder. “And if I don’t want you to escape? I have a few plans for you this morning. None of them include you getting dressed.”
A giggle escaped, and she covered her face with her hands. “God. You’re like every fantasy come true.”
His rich laughter filled the room. “Oh, yeah? Tell me, Lila, what other fantasies do you have? I’d love to make them all come true.” His hand skimmed down her belly to the juncture between her thighs even as his cock nudged her ass insistently.
The pull of lust low in her belly was unavoidable. Her body was tuned to his, and he knew just how to play hers. “Nate, I can’t stay in bed all day. I have things to do. Work, and I have to get on the road. I can’t....” Her voice trailed off as his expert fingers found the slick button of her clit and slid over it, making her shiver and quake.
“What was that you were saying, Lila?” he drawled. Low and sexy, his voice seduced her as much as his fingers did, spiking her blood with desire and lust.
Delilah clutched the sheets and arched her back as he dipped a finger into her slick wetness. “God, Nate.”
He teased and plucked her nipple while giving her love bites on her shoulders and neck. But above all, his whispered caresses were what had her so unsteady, so desperate. “So perfect...feel so good...used to dream of touching you...feel like home.”
She whimpered when he rolled away. In the near silence of the room, the tearing of the foil mingled with their breathy pants. When he slid behind her again, her breath caught in desperate anticipation. She needed him to take her again. Needed him to keep holding her and never let her go. That need terrified her. Even as he stroked deep and she drew in shuddering breaths, the insidious terror wove its way into her consciousness.
As he drove into her, knowing exactly how to make her body hum and sing, her brain desperately scrambled for purchase up the slippery slope. Needing to get to the high ground where it was safe and protected and he couldn’t hurt her again. But his voice seduced her just as his body did. It wasn’t when he told her he thought she was beautiful that pulled at her, but every time he whispered the word home.
Because that’s how she felt. Like in his arms she was where she belonged. That she was home.
He whispered in her ear, “C’mon, Delilah. Stay with me.”
She slammed the door on her thoughts and let desire take over. Gave herself up to the feel of his deep strokes and his strong hands on her flesh. Gave herself over to the lust. She could think about what she felt later. Or maybe never. It was safer for everyone if she didn’t think about it. “I am with you.”
With his warm breath tickling her neck, he whispered, “Then come for me.”
And with the flick of his sure fingers, she did. The wash of pure bliss traveled down her spine, sending her body bowing into his.
He nipped at her, then with three more deep slides, he stiffened. “Fuck, Lila.” He held her tight to him and kissed her again.
She couldn’t be sure, but she would have sworn she heard him whisper, “Please stay.”
###
An hour later, Delilah tried to extricate herself from Nate’s hold. Even in a slumberous stupor, he was strong. She whispered, “Nate, I can’t stay in bed all day. I really do have to do some work.”
He groaned. “Just stay in bed another hour, and then we’ll get up. Maybe go for breakfast. There’s this bakery around the corner with these croissants to die for.”
Her stomach grumbled. Traitor. “I can’t. I have to check in on the Michael thing. Then I have to grab some stuff to head home for Mom’s birthday.”
His grip loosened and he levered himself up to study her. “You’re headed up today?”
She nodded slowly as she tried to read him, but his expression was inscrutable
. “I’ve missed the last few family dinners, so I have to show my face. And I think Mia had something she wanted to discuss with me. She left me a cryptic voicemail, so I wanted to get up there before the whole troop was home and we wouldn’t have a chance to talk.”
His brows drew down. “Have you told them about me?”
She sat up with a start, and the bed sheet slipped. His eyes immediately dipped to her breasts, and her nipples hardened. She ignored him and slid the sheet more securely under her arms. He would not distract her with sex again. “No! God no. I mean, what could I have said, honestly?”
He flattened his lips. “What are you going to say now?”
She stared at him. “Still nothing. Look, you made it clear that you didn’t exactly want the reunion thing, and I heard you, so I’m not saying a word, okay?” She slid out of bed. Now where the hell were her clothes? She scanned the floor. Was it undignified to crawl under the bed looking for her thong?
His next question surprised her. “And if I wanted you to say something?”
She turned to face him slowly. “You’re kidding, right?”
He slid out of the bed too, except he didn't bother with a sheet. Her mouth watered. Fantastic. Even on a verge of an argument she wanted him. She needed to do some hard time on a psychiatrist’s couch. “And if I’m not kidding?”
“What—I’m supposed to go home and say, what? Hey, guys, I found Nate. Do you have any idea what that would do to Mom?”
A vast silence extended between them. “Somehow, I don’t think it has anything to do with your mother or how anyone else will react. You don’t trust me.”
