Virtual Reality

by Kitty Cox

  "Really?" Jackson, the boy, asked.

  "Yep."

  "Unca' Adam?" LaToya said, raising her voice to be heard. "Can I have a present? Please?" She clenched her hands behind her back and twisted in place as she dragged out the last word.

  He laughed, looking right at Kate. "I dunno. Do you think you've been good enough? And why would you two want pictures? They aren't any fun to play with!"

  "But Aunt Mikey made them," LaToya insisted, grabbing his first two fingers to haul him away. "It's a bear. I wanna put it over my bed when we get the new house."

  "Jackson?" Adam asked, gesturing for the boy to follow. "What about you?"

  And then he was gone, being propelled through the posh crowd by the most adorable children Kate had ever seen. Beside her, Janelle hummed out a sigh and rubbed at her forehead. "Thank you."

  "For?" Kate asked.

  "I dunno. Being the middleman?" She smiled, but it looked so tired. "Mycah said bringing them wouldn't be a problem, but this isn't a good place for kids. They want to play, not stare quietly at pictures."

  "Well, if they get to be too much, I'll gladly spend a little time playing with them." Kate shifted so they were both looking at Adam as he lifted Jackson onto his shoulders. "You're so lucky to have a family like this."

  Janelle chuckled softly. "It's insane, but at least we're never alone. So, I can only assume you're the same Kate my mom's been talking about for the last bit. How'd you end up here as Adam's date?"

  "Seems I had the good fortune to meet Adam once in a video game, then again the next day when I applied for a job. Just found out that your other brother plays the same game."

  "Eternal Combat?" Janelle asked. Then she laughed, reaching up for a flute of champagne as another tray passed by. "Jackson already wants to play. Told him the game rules say he has to be thirteen, but he keeps trying."

  "It's fun - and not as violent as I thought. I mean, considering we're killing people and all."

  Janelle just smiled. "Oh, I know. Now tell me something. Are you really serious about my little brother?" Her words were perfectly polite, but the look in her eyes said she wanted an honest answer.

  "I don't know," Kate admitted. "I only found out Friday that the guy I met in a game was the same one I worked for. I'm still trying to wrap my head around all of this. Never mind that I'm not exactly used to the kind of lifestyle he leads." Then she gestured to the man looking so at ease with the children. "And I have so much to learn about him."

  "Yeah," Janelle breathed. "I know what you mean. Especially after getting divorced." She tossed a smile toward Kate. "You ever wanna talk, I'm here, ok? Whether that's about my almost baby brother or the joys of trying to start a new life, but I can't promise I won't show up with the little beasties."

  "I kinda like the 'beasties,'" Kate assured her.

  "Good, because we're all a packaged deal, and I don't just mean the kids. I like you so much better than the last idiot he showed up to one of these events with."

  "Hey," Kate teased, "I'll have you know that I'm a top-tier idiot some days."

  Janelle lifted her champagne in salute. "Aren't we all. Here's to being young and dumb once in our lives."

  Chapter 27

  Oddly, the art show was the perfect way to meet Nancy's family. Things were just formal enough, yet there was still plenty to do, and enough excuses to sneak away when it started feeling weird. That was how Kate ended up on the back patio of the gallery, staring out over the grass wondering what the hell was she doing.

  For almost a month, she'd been refusing Adam. She'd been doing everything possible not to get involved with him because of one reason or another. First, it was her ex-husband. Then it was her gamer guy. Now? She had nothing left. All of her feeble reasons for pushing him away were gone, and reality was staring her right in the face. He was amazing. He was gorgeous and rich, but also sweet and sensitive. Oh, he wasn't the perfect alpha male that she'd been taught to desire, but he was better. He took command when he had to, but never went too far. He made her feel desired. He seduced her body completely, but there was so much more.

  Adam was the kind of man she could spend hours talking to - and had! He laughed at her jokes, treated her like she was worth something, and she liked him. She honestly liked him. She liked everything about him, from his ripped abs to the way he called her darlin'. Most of all, she loved that he always tried to understand. So why did she feel like she should be running away as fast as possible?

  Marshall.

  Even now, a year and a half after she'd walked away from her husband, Marshall still had his claws buried deep in her mind. For seven years, he'd convinced her that she didn't deserve this. Her happiness was earned by making him comfortable, not the other way around. As his wife, her place had been at the very bottom. With Adam, it was at the top, and that wasn't as easy to get over as it should be.

  Standing there in the moonlight, she slowly turned the flute of champagne in her hands, trying to decide if she should even bother. Nancy said Adam was serious. His entire family knew all about her. Even QQ said he was a good one, but he was rich. Millionaires didn't have to worry about pesky things like monogamy. Their wives looked the other way, pacified by another pretty trinket, but Kate wasn't like that. She didn't want to be like that. She wanted to fall in love and be swept off her feet by a man's charm, not his wallet.

  And he didn't seem to be like that either, but what if he was? She still wanted him to desire her because she was worth something. Not a dollar figure type of worth, but the kind that made her feel good about herself. The type of worth that drew the line between weak women and strong ones. For far too long, she'd been standing on the wrong side of it.

  "Hiding?" Adam's voice interrupted her thoughts.

  She flinched, glancing behind her guiltily. "Thinking."

  He stepped closer. "Do I want to know what about?"

  "You."

  "Yeah." He lifted the champagne from her fingers and set it on the railing. "Why this time?" He shifted his back against the wall and caught her hips, guiding her against his broad chest.

  Kate relaxed into him, feeling his hands twine around her lower back. "You just introduced me to your family after one date, that's why."

  "Mm." He leaned in, sliding his face against the line of her jaw to whisper in her ear. "But you already knew them, or would have. The closest thing I have to a mom is your friend and manager. We were bound to meet here. Not the same."

  "I know." She tilted her head to let him keep teasing the length of her neck. "I'm just trying to put Ice together with Adam."

  "Same guy. In game, I like to run in and do stupid shit. In real life, I like to barge in and do stupid shit. Darlin', my virtual reality is just a simple version of my daily life."

  She tilted her head toward the open patio doors. "But in your real life, you could have any of those gorgeous women in there."

  "Yeah," he purred, tightening his grip on her rump. "And I do. I have the only one with the mind to keep up, the sass to keep putting me in my place, and the sweet, soft body to make me want to rip this dress right off."

  "Adam!"

  He chuckled. "Kate! Don't tell me you think I'd go for plastic tits and botox over a true redhead with a body I could enjoy all night. Besides." He leaned back and took a deep breath, the playful manner dissipating. "Darlin', I'm not looking for a fuck. I'm not looking for some bimbo to look good on a magazine cover. An old guy like me? I'm looking for a partner to share my life." He tipped his head, looking at her through dark lashes. "And I think you're a really good candidate."

  "Today. What about tomorrow?"

  Adam just shook his head. "Tomorrow I'll be older and wiser. More so the day after. Kate, I'm not chasing you for a piece of ass. Oh, I won't say I mind the sex, but that's not what I want. I've spent a long time wishing I could find a partner, someone who makes me feel like I belong here. I don't want to grow old alone like my father did, or fight over the petty shit the way Nancy did with he
r husbands. Kate, sex comes and goes. It's good for a few minutes of fun but doesn't really change things. What really matters is finding someone willing to share their life, to take risks with me. And I'm a pretty big risk taker. Kinda how I got where I am."

  "I'm not," she said softly.

  He reached up, tracing the line of her chin. "I know. You keep me grounded without making me feel bad for being who I am. How many times have I run into the fray just to have you taking cover behind me, killing the guys trying to flank?" When she ducked her head and giggled at the game reference, he kept going. "Same thing. You make me feel grounded. You give me a reason for all of this. And you're not nearly as meek as you like to pretend."

  "That's what you keep saying."

  "Because it's true. C'mon, Lith. We've spent almost every hour together for the last month, one way or another."

  Taking a deep breath, she looked back up to find his dark eyes patiently waiting. "It's hard. Marshall taught me that I'm not worth this, but I'm trying."

  "Me too," he promised. "Right now, I'm trying really hard to ignore how amazing that dress looks. And those heels. I swear your legs just go on forever."

  "Yeah?" She shifted, bracing her calf along the outside of his. "I told you this dress was perfect."

  He nodded, pulling her even closer. "And you were right. Best three hundred dollars I've ever spent. Even better if I get to see it on my floor."

  He'd just said she was right. Kate had no idea why, but those words hit her hard. They made her throat tense, killing the playfulness she'd almost found. "Adam..."

  He paused, releasing his hold. "Sorry."

  She just shook her head. Her throat fighting her voice with all its might. "I'm trying."

  "I know, darlin'. What'd I do this time?"

  "You said I was right."

  His hand swept across her face, pushing back the curls by her ears. Over and over, he just touched her, looking deep into her eyes. "I guess hitting you was the least of what he did, huh. Kate, you're right. You're going to be right a lot, but not always, and I'll swear this one thing to you. I will never tear you down just to build myself up. I won't ever make you feel bad just so I can control you. Baby, it's ok to be right, to be wrong, and everything in between. Just be you."

  "I'm trying," she said again. "That's what I was out here thinking. That it's ok for me to like you. That there's nothing wrong with this."

  "Nothing," he promised. "I'm allowed to spend as much time as I want with my friend."

  Her head jerked up. He was smiling, the curl of his lips so sensually sweet that she wanted nothing more than to kiss them. Except maybe to change her mind. Over and over, Adam had proven himself. She kept throwing up roadblocks, and he kept weaving his way around them to prove he was serious. Never mind that he was right. For the last month, they'd spent every waking hour together one way or another. She'd seen him rant, mope, and laugh. She knew him. She knew him better than she'd ever known Marshall. She just had to be brave enough to take one risk.

  "I think I want to change our deal." Her teeth clamped on her lower lip, and she lifted her chin. "If you don't mind, I mean."

  "Which deal?"

  She looked between his eyes, seeing nothing but honest confusion. "Mr. Degrass? You asked me what it would take to make this an equitable relationship. I was wrong."

  The muscles of his face went slack, and his head shook ever so slightly. "What are you saying, Kate?"

  "I was thinking that maybe girlfriend is a bit nicer than friends with benefits."

  The tension in his shoulders fled, along with the breath he'd been holding and Adam's eyes slowly closed. Thankfully, a smile began to grow. "Yeah. I think that's a lot better deal for both of us." Then he lifted his lids, showing nothing but tenderness in his eyes. "Darlin', I'll gladly renegotiate to that. Especially if it means I can take you home more often."

  "Yeah. I kinda like your place better than mine. But only on the weekends. I have a job that means a lot to me, and wouldn't want to screw it up because I'm not getting enough sleep."

  He chuckled. "And have an excuse to drive to work, I'm guessing. I figure we can try that for a couple of months before I start working on moving you in."

  "Adam!" She tapped his chest playfully. "What about what I want?"

  Groaning dramatically, he rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'll move into your apartment. Just figured my place had better internet for game nights."

  "I didn't ask you to move in!"

  "Yet." He winked. "Katelyn Gaskill, I always get what I want, and I'm patient enough to work for it. Right now, that means you."

  "You're going to work me?"

  He paused with his mouth open, thrown off his planned tangent. "Damn, woman. Is that an offer?"

  "Oh yeah." Stepping back, she turned slowly before him. "Have you seen this dress?" Then she tipped her head, running her eyes blatantly across his body. "And that suit? How much did you pay your tailor to make you look so lickable?"

  "Lickable?" He cleared his throat. "Oh damn."

  Her eyes landed on the rising bulge in his pants. "Very lickable. So, what was it we had to do?"

  He pushed himself away from the wall and caught both sides of her face. "First, I'm going to kiss you until you moan. Then I'm going to take my new girlfriend home and bend her over something." His mouth crashed into hers, devouring her quickly before breaking away. "I want you, Kate. I want you so bad, but I'm not some stupid little boy. You can't lead me around by my dick, darlin'."

  "No," she agreed, trailing her fingers down the line of his tie. "But I'm going to keep trying."

  "Then add a little sway to that ass of yours as you waltz in there and tell your boss goodnight." He turned her toward the door. "Because I'm gonna be watching it the whole way across the room."

  She did exactly as he asked. When she made it inside, she dared to look back, seeing a hungry smile on his lips. Oh, yeah. This man wanted her, but the best part was that he wanted a whole lot more than sex. She just couldn't believe she'd actually done that. The best part was that this felt so right. Kate couldn't remember the last time she'd been this happy - and it had never been because of a man.

  This time, it was in spite of one. No matter how hard Marshall had tried to ruin her, she wouldn't let him. Adam wouldn't let him. Her ex didn't deserve that kind of power over her. The bastard said she'd regret leaving, but he was so wrong. For the first time in years, Kate refused to give him any more control in her life. She wouldn't live to make him happy. She wouldn't deny herself anything to shut him up. She'd just found a man worth...

  Her mind froze. Worth what? Loving? As she thanked Mycah, said bye to Darius and Janelle, then promised Nancy she'd see her on Monday, Kate kept glancing to the corner. Adam Degrass was playing his role. His smile was sultry. His dark eyes were intoxicating. Everyone wanted a part of him. But what exactly did she want? Ignoring all the warning bells in the back of her mind, what exactly did she want?

  Then he looked over and met her gaze - and Kate knew. She wanted to find someone who'd fall in love with her. Not just let her adore him, but a man who would love her back. When Adam smiled, Kate dared to hope she was on the right path.

  Chapter 28

  It was late Sunday afternoon before she got home. With her new mini parked out front - and the alarm on - she hurried inside to make sure she was ready for Monday morning. One pass of her house was enough. She hadn't been here since Friday, and nothing had changed while she was gone. Pushing the button to power on her computer, Kate picked out clothes for work and brewed a pot of coffee while she let everything load.

  Then it was time. Using her headphones to hold her orange frizz in place, she opened up Eternal Combat and TeamSpeak. She had four hours to blow and a couple of friends she hadn't talked to in a while. While the game loaded, she tabbed into the chat program and paused. In the main area, lights showed the conversation was lively, flicking on and off as each person talked. She also saw IceMan's name near the top of the list. Evidentl
y, she wasn't the only one who'd missed her fix.

  She double clicked the room to join.

  "Still don't believe ya," Swish was saying.

  "Dude!" That was Fizz. "I'm tellin' ya. Met up with Lith and Ice on Saturday. We got some seriously hot babes in this outfit, bro. She's more like a ginger than a redhead but - "

  "Same thing," Synjd muttered.

  Fizz didn't even slow down. "I'm tellin' ya. She's hot. And she's going to be wearing a Paradox shirt when she does her little announcement thing next weekend, so everyone will know exactly which bros have all the cuties on our side."

  "Thanks," Kate grumbled, doing her best to sound unimpressed.

  Silence fell across the channel. Ice's deep laugh eventually broke it. "How long ya been listening, darlin'?"

  "Long enough to hear Fizz stick his foot all the way down his throat and out his ass."

  And that was it. The laughter came back with a vengeance, and this time it was directed at Fizz. He didn't seem to care, though, and he gave as good as he got. While she prepared her character for a round of fighting, the boys were blowing off steam. Then once again, TeamSpeak announced someone's entrance.

  "QQ has joined the channel."

  "All right, people," QQ said in greeting. "We're joining forces with Executive Pain tonight to go after PD. Those boys need a crash course in uneven fighting. Tomorrow, we'll fight with PD against Executive Pain, and on Tuesday, we're going to be the underdog. I want to see close, concise fighting. Find your bros and cover them. Knock, you're with me." Then she paused. "Lith?"

  "Yeah?"

  "Good to see you back! Was wondering if we ran you off. How'd the date go?"

  She giggled, feeling her face getting hotter. "Pretty good. I'm also officially divorced and excited about wearing a Paradox shirt to prove that we have the, uh, Fizz, how did you put it?"

  "Hottest babes in the game. Well, that's what I meant." He chuckled. "And of course the meanest, Q. Definitely the meanest."

  "Good cover," QQ teased back. "So, Lith? Ice as cute as we said?"