“I’m clean.”
Good line. Not a new one, but he pulled it off better than most guys. She tried not to be self-conscious of sitting in front of him naked. It didn’t work. She crossed her arms over her bare boobs. “Doesn’t matter.”
He sat up next to her and kissed her. “I adore how stubborn you are.” Never leaving the bed, he reached down, grabbed his wallet from his jeans, and then plucked a foil square from the battered tri-fold.
Rae didn’t know if she should be amused or bothered that he was not only prepared, but had pretended otherwise. That’s right, she wasn’t thinking too much.
Wrapped up, he pushed her shoulders. She fell back, and he forced her legs apart with his knee. Excitement spilled through her, swirling and dancing in her thoughts. He leaned in and kissed her earlobe, his breath warming her skin. “I guess I’ll have to get the mood back now.”
He traced his tongue down her throat, and she arched her back. He hooked his hands under her knees and moved forward, his moan mingling with her whimper when he entered her. The penetration drove any negative thoughts aside and drew her back into the now. Being under him, wrapped around him, a part of him, felt so right.
He thrust against her in a slow rhythm, pulling almost all the way out before plunging deep again. Every time he thrust, an intense spark raced through her. She shifted closer, moving her hips faster and hoping he’d take the hint.
He gasped. “If you do that, I won’t last long.”
He’d already coaxed her so close to climax, her body just needed a little more of a nudge. She bit her bottom lip, response breathy. “I don’t care.”
He followed her cue, pounding against her and matching her need. A powerful surge built inside her. Her moans grew louder. Something in the back of her mind reminded her to keep it down. Geez, this felt incredible. Her inner muscles clenched around him, and orgasm rushed through her.
Still riding the waves of her climax, she heard him grunt, and he thrust his pelvis against her. His hands slid to her hips, his frantic pace slowing and then stopped.
He leaned forward to kiss her deeply before he rolled to the side to lie next to her on his back.
She struggled to catch her breath as she rested her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. The only word she could find was a soft mmm.
He moved a hand to the small of her back, holding her close. “Now we can talk.” His words vibrated through her palm and cheek.
She smiled against his skin. “Nope. No words. Sorry.”
He traced a finger along her shoulder blade with his other hand. His quiet voice drifted through the dark room. “You know I’m sorry about what I said the other day, right? I really enjoy hearing what you’re thinking.”
The apology sent a new type of warmth rushing through her to blend with the euphoria. He meant the argument at his place. Even though the brush-off had dug deeply, she’d almost forgotten about it with everything that had happened over the last few days. “It’s not a big deal.”
“It is to me.” His chest sank when he exhaled. “Here’s the thing... You probably don’t remember, but way back in the day, when our biggest worries were passing tests and whether or not we all had enough change in our pockets to put gas in someone’s car, we used to sit under that stupid tree.”
Her smile grew. She kissed his chest. “I loved that tree.”
He intertwined his fingers with hers, their hands resting on his ribs. “I used to count the minutes until lunchtime, partly because I was a teenage boy, and I knew the sexiest girl in school was going to climb into my lap.”
She flushed at the description and the way it loosened the memory, blended the feelings of then into now.
He tilted his head up enough to kiss her on the forehead, and then flopped back onto the pillow. “But at least as much because we always had the best conversations. No one sees the world the way you do, and you don’t mind making that clear.”
She melted into him, not sure what to say. He remembered and enjoyed their time in high school the same way she did and for the same reasons.
The revelation sank deep until it nudged something loose. A whisper of fear. A pit she didn’t want to acknowledge. Did that mean they were about to make the same mistakes as before? No. She’d learned her lesson, and they knew their limits. They were talking things through—that definitely didn’t seem to be a problem anymore. They’d be fine.
Chapter Sixteen
“You want me to build a no-room-for-error development calendar for the next nine months?” Scott sounded irritated, and his bunched up eyebrows reinforced it. “I don’t usually do this for more than a couple of weeks at a time.”
They were gathered at Chloe’s. She refused to hang around when Zach and Scott were over discussing work—said it was too false-hopey for her—so she was at Jordan’s.
“You have to know it’s possible.” Rae needed to remember that, even though these men were her friends—she glanced at Zach—and more, they were still her clients. Colleagues? They weren’t being difficult on purpose. She just had to make them understand, and at the moment, that centered around Scott proving on paper he could meet the aggressive development schedule he’d laid out without burning his developers out.
“Don’t be unrealistic,” she said. “But be aggressive. Look at what your people can do on a deadline versus what they do when that pressure isn’t there, and find a spot somewhere in the middle.”
Scott sank back into her couch. “What makes you think they don’t produce the same amount of work all the time?”
She stared back at him, lips pursed.
He laughed. “I’m not the only one working, right? You’re going to make him do something?”
“Absolutely.” She looked at Zach, trying to ignore the heat lurking beneath his disinterest. The three of them were finalizing plans before they started making job offers and announcing their new venture. She was doing what she did with any company, making them prove they could work within the numbers she’d mapped out. “He’s going to go through his address book and see if he knows anyone who wants to invest.”
She could have sworn the temperature in the room dropped fifty degrees in an instant. Scott coughed, and Zach glared at her.
“Not funny.” Zach’s words held a hard edge.
She’d mentioned investors seriously once, and met such a hostile response she’d immediately crossed it off their list. Neither of them wanted to end up in the same situation again, and she didn’t blame them. She held up her hands. “Okay, I won’t tell that joke again.”
Zach relaxed.
Scott rolled his eyes. “And if you’re holding one back about sleeping with the boss, cross that off your list too.”
Her eyes grew wide. Right. There was that. The secret he didn’t know yet.
Zach gave her an almost imperceptible shake of his head before responding. “You know something I don’t, man? What happened to just friends?”
Scott looked up. Zach stared back. Scott flinched first. “Nothing happened to it. Aren’t you doing something?”
Rae forced herself to breathe and make sure she could keep the nervous waver from her voice before she spoke. “He’s calling people. Hardware distributors, benefits companies, anyone he’s ever met, or who he thinks might know his name, and making sure he can get you the best deals possible.”
“On it, boss.” Zach was already pulling his phone out and wandering into her room. Seconds later, the door swung shut behind him.
“You know.” Scott didn’t look up from his screen. “A month ago I would have sworn you’d rather die than let him in your bedroom, even a temporary one.”
She laughed. Did that sound as forced as it felt? “Funny how things change.”
“Hmm. True.” He tapped a few more things in. “What happens if there are people who don’t accept our job offers?”
Relief nudged her at the change in topic. This she could do. “There will be.”
He frowned.
&nb
sp; “It happens,” she added quickly. “You’re a startup. They’ve already been burned once, and some people will get better offers. But you do what you did last time: find the undiscovered talent and let them shine. You’re building from the ground up, so proprietary knowledge doesn’t mean anything except being comfortable with each other.”
“That’s worth a lot.” He gave her his full attention. “You get a couple of people who bounce off each other just right, and suddenly everything moves faster. Kind of like with you.”
She dropped onto the couch next to him. “How so?”
He shrugged. “You and I operate on the same wavelength a lot. It makes it easier to do this. I know I can trust you. I know your ideas are founded in logic instead of emotion. I hope you get the same from me.”
She sank back into the cushions, able to relax again now the conversation was neutral. There was no way she and Zach could hide their relationship much longer. It was going to devour her. “I do. I came up with your numbers, didn’t I?”
He laughed. “That’s not how I know you trust me. It’s because you took the job.” He worked while he talked, fingers flying over the keys even when he was looking at her. “I’m just glad you and Zach are finally getting along.”
Was that a catch in his voice? Her head shot up. He stared back with the blankest expression she had ever seen. She was reading too much into his reactions. “Me too. It’s nice to have the tension gone.”
Silence descended over them as the conversation lulled, and they both dove back into their work. Rae was proofing a series of document templates to make sure they were error free before they went to a lawyer for review. At some point Zach rejoined them in the living room and made some notes on his laptop. The whir of fans and tapping on keyboards were the only sounds in the living room.
Zach wandered to the fridge. “Heads-up.”
Scott’s hand shot straight up, and a can of Mountain Dew flew across the room. He snagged it out of the air without missing a beat.
Rae snickered at the sight. Scott had been their quarterback in high school—probably the worst one the school ever had—but a person could go a long way when their father donated heavily to the team.
“What?” Scott asked. “I’m catching, not throwing. Besides, this is valuable.”
“I get it. It’s still funny.”
Zach set a can of iced coffee on the table in front of her. When she met his gaze, something less than lighthearted stared back. The want sent a new rush through her, turning her amusement into lust. How soon could they call it a day?
This was work. Fun would wait until they were alone. Even if her thoughts were filled with memories of his hands and lips all over her bare skin. Heat flooded her. She grabbed the drink and tried to be subtle about running the icy can up the inside of her arm. It didn’t help as much as she’d like.
“Are we going to make a habit of meeting here?” Scott’s sudden question shattered the bubble of lust enveloping Rae’s thoughts.
“It was convenient. I guess it depends,” Zach replied.
The truth was Zach had spent more than half his nights there over the last week. The only way they’d managed to keep their relationship from Chloe was her sister decided they were both workaholics. Rae stared blankly at her own screen, not comprehending the words and numbers in front of her.
“How is it convenient?” Scott asked.
Why was this entire line of questioning making her paranoid?
Zach glanced at him for a second. “I was having breakfast nearby.”
That was an understatement.
Scott raised an eyebrow but went back to what he was doing. Rae bit back her sigh. She was never going to forgive herself if she drove a wedge between them. When half of her asked why she hadn’t thought of that before, she faltered, and it hit her. It wasn’t that she was worried about being the wedge; she was terrified she’d become the third wheel. If Scott didn’t take the news well, she’d be the one left out in the cold. The woman who had been stupid enough to try and find her place with them.
Fortunately, the questions died off as they each dove into their own projects. The afternoon and evening came and went, and so did the Chinese takeout.
Scott’s vocal yawn bounced through the otherwise silent room. “After ten. It’s been a long time since we did any work this hardcore.”
Rae rubbed her eyes, trying to get some of the moisture back into them. He was right. She hadn’t even realized it was so late. “It’s for a good cause.”
“And I completely agree.” He snapped his laptop shut, unplugged the power cord, and stowed it all in his bag. “But I need sleep, or none of my estimates are going to be any good.”
“He’s right. Same place, same time tomorrow?” Zach mimicked his actions, packing up his computer.
Rae nodded. They were close to having the information they needed. “Another day, and we can probably make this news public.”
Scott let out a short, relieved laugh. “Best thing I’ve heard in weeks.”
They exchanged their goodbyes, and Rae locked the door behind them. She sank back into the couch. She was alone in the apartment for the first time in days. It was an odd sensation. The only sounds were from Rae’s computer and the fridge.
She shook the eerie feeling away. It made sense for Zach to walk out the door with Scott, to keep up appearances, but that didn’t stop her from missing him. Maybe it was time they talked about telling their friends.
Or maybe she didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. Part of her was still terrified he was going to get bored with her. With them. She rubbed her eyes again. She needed a hot shower and then a good movie she’d seen a million times and could fall asleep to.
Fifteen minutes later, she emerged from the shower. She probably shouldn’t be wearing one of his T-shirts over her knit shorts, but it wasn’t as if anyone was going to see.
A knock startled her. Her racing heart switched gears but not speed when she answered and saw Zach standing there.
He rubbed the back of his head, his mouth crooked sheepishly. “I got halfway home and realized I forgot something.”
“Oh?” His laptop had left with him. Unless he meant the clothes she was wearing. She wasn’t going to think about what it meant if he wanted those back. His gaze traveled her frame from head to toe, and back again. “You wear that better than I do.”
Heat flooded her cheeks, not just from his attention, but also from the images of how the shirt looked on him, just tight enough to show his wiry muscles, shifting with his every move. “That’s really a matter of opinion.”
“Are you busy right now?”
“Also a matter of opinion. I was thinking about watching TV and falling asleep. I have work in the morning.”
“Can I kidnap you for a little while?”
She shook her head.
“Why not?”
She tangled her fingers in his. “Because I’ll go willingly. Let me change first.”
“You look great like you are.”
“I can’t go out in public like this.”
“Technically where we’re going isn’t public.” He grabbed her keys from their stand near the door, and nudged her sandals toward her. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“It’s a surprise. Though, probably not much of one once we get close. You’ll see.”
Curiosity piqued, she followed him to his car, and slid into the passenger seat when he held the door open. “Do I get a hint?”
He settled in, started the engine, and pulled onto the almost empty road. “I think you’ll like it.”
“That’s my hint?” What meant to sound like a flat retort came out with a hint of laughter. “I could have guessed that.”
He pointed the car west and navigated toward the freeway. “How so?”
“I assume—maybe not rightly so, but I do anyway—that you’re not going to do it if you think I won’t like it.”
He rested a hand on her knee, the he
at from his palm sinking into her skin, soothing her. He glanced sideways at her. “No, you’re right. I’d do an awful lot to see you happy.”
The words warmed her more than his touch, though the combination of both sent flutters through her chest.
The conversation drifted from one random work thing to the next. How it was nice to be pulling this project together. The success they had so far. A tiny voice in the back of her head pointed out they stayed away from Scott’s name and anything to do with him.
She argued with herself. It wasn’t as if they were making decisions without him or keeping him out of the loop.
Except, you know, this whole hooking up with Zach thing.
They’d get around to telling him. Soon, of course. Of course. Great. Her own thoughts didn’t believe her reasoning.
She snapped herself from the internal debate when the car slowed, and Zach pulled into an exit lane. Rae knew exactly where they were, because her parents still lived out here. Almost as far west as one could drive before hitting the mountains. They’d all grown up on this side of the valley.
Which still didn’t tell her what they were doing out here. She didn’t have to wait much longer. Less than five minutes later, they pulled into the student parking lot of their old high school. She still didn’t understand the significance. The sight brought back a rush of powerful memories—good and bad—she thought she’d dealt with long ago. Her chest tightened, and she drew in a shaky breath.
Zach studied her. “You okay?”
Another breath and then a third, and she managed to tuck most of the potent wash of emotion away. “I’m fine.”
They climbed from the car. He met her in front of the car and tangled his fingers with hers. “Come on.” He tugged her toward the science building and then past it.
Her heart clenched, and another unexpected surge almost made her stumble. Their lunch tree. “What are we...?” She didn’t know what she was trying to ask or why this was hitting her so hard. It was ages ago. Something she’d walked away from and never looked back. Not really, anyway.
His Long Shot Page 13
