Fearless (9 page)

Smart enough to run circles around the geek twins and the rest of the team.

Smart enough to rewrite complex code in a way that made this project smooth enough to skate on.

And smart enough to seduce the hell out of him in Vegas, leave him panting for more, then hide her identity while working with him.

Luke’s fists clenched in his pockets, the blurry whiteboard taking on a red haze.

Oh, wait.

She was
almost
smart enough for that last one.

Unable to stand still for a second longer, he shoved away from the desk to storm from one end of the room to the other. The chat with Landin had gone long, so he’d had to postpone the project meeting. He’d got back to find a notice waiting. Gia had transferred off the team. Luke had actually laughed. She wouldn’t leave. They were kicking ass together. Sure it was some kind of error, he’d gone in search of her cubby. But she hadn’t been there. Her station had been shut down, and there hadn’t been a purse or jacket lying around.

What there had been, what he’d only noticed as he was halfway out the door, were shoes.

A very sexy, very red, very familiar pair of high heels.

He’d stared at those shoes for a solid minute before the implication of what he was seeing sank into his brain.

Sonofabitch.

Not only had she freaking ditched him. Again. But she’d straight up lied. Played him for a fool.

Gia, his dream tech, was actually Vanna. His dream woman. The realization had made his head spin, his body harden and his fury mount.

He should have pushed her into a face-to-face sooner. Should have made her play with the rest of the team.

Should have used the blindfold to tie her to that damned hotel bed so she couldn’t escape while he was passed out in a fog of sexual exhaustion.

So much frustration churned in his gut that Luke was ready to punch something. He pulled out his cell and tried calling Gia.

Again.

It went direct to voice mail.

Again.

“This is Luke Monroe. We need to talk. Call me,” he said into the phone. Again. This time being pissed won over good sense, causing him to threaten, “If you don’t call back today, I’ll come find you tomorrow. That’s a promise.”

He threw the phone on the desk with enough force to send it bouncing off his monitor, then ricocheting back at him.

“I’d heard those new iPhone cases were crazy durable. Nice way to test it.”

“I thought you left,” he said, giving Matt a dismissive look before sliding the phone into his pocket.

“And leave you all stressed out? What kind of friend does that?” Matt crossed the room, holding up two Starbucks cups as he came. “Can’t bring booze in, so I figured caffeine was the next best thing.”

Luke offered a half smile in thanks as he took the cup.

“So what’s the problem?”

“Nothing.”

“Women tell me I’m easy to talk to,” Matt said. “At least, I think that’s what they say. I don’t really listen.”

Luke gave a short laugh, knowing his friend expected it. But he still shook his head.

“I’m not six, this isn’t sharing circle, and we’re not girls. I don’t want to talk about it.”

Matt didn’t push. Instead, he scanned the project board, making impressed noises as he drank his coffee.

“Looks like you’re ahead of schedule. Guess you’re on your way to padding your rep as the golden boy.”

Setting his untouched coffee on a table, Luke crossed the room to glare at the board.

“This was a mistake.”

“What was?”

“Taking the lead job.”

“But you’re rocking the project.”

“No. I’m rocking at motivating my team. At pushing them. I’m a people person. Not a tech.” If nothing else, at least he’d figured that out this week. He hated this stuff. He missed interacting, selling, teaching.

“Is that what’s wrong? You’re bumming over the realization that you don’t like your new job? Now, that’s a serious waste of energy. Just go get your old position back. Or call Kettlemens. They’d still grab you up.”

Luke shrugged. He didn’t want his old job, nor did he want the Kettlemens gig. He thought of Vanna’s—or was it Gia’s—scoffing comment that he had it all too easy. She was right. He wanted a challenge, but he wanted one he’d enjoy.

Like finding her, stripping her naked, tying her to a desk and forcing her to confess her every crime. He was pretty sure he could maintain his righteous anger before he gave in to the desperate need to lick his way up and down her body.

“I’ll figure it out,” he said dismissively. Then, figuring he’d explode if he didn’t spit it out, he said, “Job issues are a hell of a lot easier to handle than women.”

With a toast of his coffee cup, Matt laughed in agreement.

“Dude, I don’t care how easy you make it look figuring out women is one huge pain in the ass. Especially when they count.”

“When they count…”

Which was really the core of the issue.

Gia counted.

“Why do you think I play the field?” Matt asked, tossing his empty cup into the trash. “I keep it light and loose. Otherwise my head’d be all messed up. That’s what women do. Mess with our heads. Make us question every damned thing. Make us think about all that crazy stuff like fidelity and commitment and, you know, that ugly
l
word.”

That pulled a laugh out of Luke. Before he could respond, though, a couple of women passed the open door. Their voices were like loudspeakers, their tone the one some women used to share secret gossip they wanted everyone to hear.

He and Matt exchanged eye rolls.

“Did you hear?”

“About the girl in Marketing and the new VP of sales?”

“She thinks she’s going to get a promotion on her knees, I’ll bet.”

“Oh, yeah. Like that poor tech last year? The one who had an affair with her boss? Remember how fast she was fired. I think she still had her keyboard in hand when her butt hit the curb.”

“She should have known better. She claimed it was love. But I didn’t see him loving her enough to take the hit when they were busted.”

As the voices faded, so did part of Luke’s anger.

“And then there’s that,” Matt pointed out. “Women get ugly when other women are happy.”

And Tri-Solutions’ policy against fraternization meant there was plenty of opportunity for them to spread that ugly. Which was probably why Gia hadn’t wanted their weekend fling making rumor rounds. It didn’t explain her deception, though. Or her glaring omissions when it came to sharing the truth with him.

Did it?

“You gonna be okay?” Matt asked.

Luke saw him glance at the clock on the wall and nodded. “Yeah. I’m good. I’ve got some decisions to make, but I’ll be fine.”

“Gonna change jobs?”

“Probably. Maybe a few other things, too,” he declared, returning his friend’s hand-slap and nodding his goodbye.

As soon as Matt left, Luke resumed his trek back and forth across the room. He’d realized a couple things in the past ten minutes.

One, he was done with this job. He just had to figure out what his next one was going to be. Something he was good at but that held a challenge all the same.

Two, while she still had a lot to answer for, he couldn’t fault Gia for not being open about their Vegas fling. She hadn’t come through the building looking for him. She’d been assigned to the team and had probably freaked.

And three, he knew that no matter how much she wanted to avoid it, he’d be getting answers out of her. He just didn’t know how yet.

By the time he’d paced the length of the room a dozen more times, he was all out of mad and cursing his reasonable personality.

If he had the mad going on, he could justify confronting Gia. Forcing a confession. Making her explain why she’d snuck out. Or lied about her identity. Or taken off without a word. Or tried to pretend the weekend hadn’t happened.

And worst of all, why she’d left him.

Luke’s head dropped. Damn.

It really all came down to the fact that he was hurt.

She’d left him.

Twice, dammit.

And he wanted to know why.

But more importantly, he wanted her back.

Girlz Guide Words of Wisdom
…

Sooner or later, life hands you the bill. So make sure it’s worth paying
.

“Friday. Thank God,” Gia muttered, swinging her bag over her shoulder and getting ready to scurry out of the building. She was starving.

She’d managed flextime for the past couple of days, but Fridays were mandatory. When she’d arrived, she’d heard the bosses were making their rounds, which meant that Luke was probably roaming the halls, too. So she’d hidden in her office all day, surviving on warm yogurt, an apple and a bottle of water.

Pathetic.

See what stupid lies and stellar sex got her?

A paranoid twitch, an empty stomach and memories hot enough to keep her vibrator in action for years.

She had one foot out the door when someone called her name.

“Hi, Mr. Landin.”

“Gia, just the lady I need to talk to. I’m running behind, though. Can we chat while I walk?”

Known for his eccentric ways, knock-knock jokes and habit of offering random bonuses, Landin was the oldest VP in the company and the head of her department. Figuring he wanted to discuss her transfer, she had her excuses and tidy lies all lined up in a row.

But he didn’t mention the transfer. Or her work. Instead, he went on and on about the new health-care package and changes in the retirement plan. It wasn’t until they reached the other side of the building, heading toward Luke’s office, that she realized where they were going.

Fear bubbled up in Gia’s throat like molten lava, ready to spew any second.

The old guy was taking her to see Luke.

Why?

Over transferring off the project?

Or had Luke figured out the connection between her and his Vegas Vanna?

She muttered something about needing to run to the bathroom.

The old guy kept walking.

She said she felt ill.

He waved a dismissive hand, then told her how the new health-care package included vitamin coverage. It was like being escorted to her execution by a very cheerful, very oblivious jailer.

“Here we are,” he said, gesturing to Luke’s office. “You just finish up this employee review with Mr. Monroe and we can get your promotion completed.”

Promotion.

Right.

Because everyone got a raise and better position after bailing in the middle of a key project.

“Thanks,” she muttered, offering the VP a stiff smile. Her fingers on the handle to Luke’s office door, she waited to see if the man would leave so she could sneak away instead of going inside.

He made it as far as the elevator before he was stopped by Matt something-or-other. Gia didn’t know the guy personally, just his rep as a horndog and a good friend of Luke’s. Which did nothing to settle the butterflies duking it out in her belly.

When both men glanced back her way, Gia forced her fake smile up a notch, shook her head as if having a little more hair around her face could disguise her features and swallowed hard.

A deep breath, another glance toward the blocked escape, and she turned the handle.

“Ah, Gia. I’m glad you got my message.”

Luke leaned against his desk, arms crossed over his chest, the image of masculine assurance. He looked so good, it was all she could do to keep from grabbing him. Hoping there was some way to get through this without him realizing she and Vanna were one and the same, she shook her hair into her face and kept her head averted.

“Message?” she asked, keeping her tone a little higher than normal. Without thinking, she reached up to rub her throat. Heck, the strain on her vocal cords had been as much reason to ditch the team as fear of discovery.

“Message, escort, whatever.” Gia cringed at his emphasis on the word escort. “Come on in. Shut the door.”

A glance toward the elevators assured her there was no escape. At least, not without outing herself completely.

For a brief second, she considered running. Ignoring the audience and the probable consequences and just taking off. But good sense overcame fear. What? Was she going to throw away her job on the off chance that this was about Vegas? Or was she willing to gamble on hiding her identity one last time?

Not sure which way she was rolling the dice, she took a deep breath and stepped into the room and shut the door. The click was so loud she flinched.

Avoiding looking directly at Luke, as if eye contact would instantly fill his head with visions of her naked body straddling his, she fixed her gaze on the window view.

“I’m confused. Did you need to talk to me about the project?” she bluffed.

“The project?” he asked in a musing tone, his eyes narrowed as if he were a cat about to pounce all over her mousy self. “Why would you think that?” He took a seat behind his desk.

“Did you have an issue with my transfer?” she asked, determined to play innocent until there was absolutely no other option.

“No. I mean, the team suffered losing you. I had to bring in three people. Two to handle your workload and another one to take over the project.”

That got her attention.

Unable to stop herself, she met his gaze.

He’d stepped off the project?

Was he leaving Tri-Solutions?

Would she be excited if he did?

Nerves churned in her stomach, making it hard to tell if they were mixing with joy or misery.

He looked thrilled, she noted.

And gorgeous, damn him.

His blue eyes danced, and he looked more chill than she’d ever seen him. Relaxed and at ease. As though he’d found nirvana and the answer to all his life questions and had some chick under the desk servicing him, all at the same time.

She squinted, trying to see around the desk.

“Did you need me to go over some project issues, then?” she asked, seriously confused. What was going on here?

“I think the project will be fine. We’re going to discuss a number of other things instead.”

Gia’s heart sank into her toes and her throat closed up so tight she was afraid she’d suffocate. Black spots danced in front of her eyes as panic took hold.

It was his tone of voice, jovial on the surface with an underlying thread of fury, that told her the game was over.

Knowing it was ridiculous to keep trying to pretend she didn’t know what he meant, Gia shrugged. There was no way she was going to come out of this conversation without looking pathetic and desperate.

Why add stupid to the mix?

“What do you want me to say?” she asked. “I’m sorry? I am. I’m sorry about the entire Las Vegas debacle.”

“Are you?”

Well, she was sorry that she’d left him. And that the weekend had shown her that Luke was more than a hot body and a wild sexual fantasy. She was sorry that her heart was aching and miserable and that she went to bed at night crying because the two of them together was an impossible dream.

She was sorry about enough that she felt justified in giving an emphatic nod.

Which seemed to be all Luke needed to hear.

“So here’s the thing,” he said, coming around from behind his desk. Gia hurried across the room, wanting to stay out of reach. Not that she was worried about what he’d do to her. She was more concerned she couldn’t keep her hands off of him.

“We have some unfinished business,” he continued. “I’m not a fan of loose ends. So we’re going to settle it all here. Now. This weekend.”

“I’d rather not,” she said, her smile more a shaking of the corner of her lips than a look of cheer. “Let’s just call it an oops and write it off as a bunch of bad decisions.”

His eyes wicked with delight, Luke shook his head.

And, damn him, he was stalking her. He’d been all the way over there by the door just a minute ago and now he was close enough to touch. So close she could smell him, heady and inviting.

Not caring that she looked like a chicken, Gia hurried to the other side of the room.

He followed her.

Again, stopping just a foot or so away. Close enough that she could reach out and touch him if she wanted. Close enough that he could grab her and pull her tight against his body at any second.

Gia almost whimpered at that image, a part of her wishing he’d stay away and quit tempting her. And another part wishing twice as hard that he’d hurry up with the grabbing.

“I don’t think we’re going to write this off. After all, fair’s fair. I figure Vegas was your little fantasy. This–” he gestured to the office “–is mine.”

“What?” Gia shook her head, trying to clear the buzzing from her ears. There was no way she’d understood him right.

“You had your turn. Now I’m taking mine.”

His expression was so satisfied all he needed to do was lick his lips to complete the cat-about-to-nosh-on-a-mouse image.

Gia freaked.

Taking his?

As in, taking her?

Excitement shimmied, glittery and bright, through her system. Her nipples tightened and heat swirled low in her belly. It was as if someone had flipped her passion switch. Every damned thing was turned on now.

But…

“Not that I’m against equal-opportunity fantasy fulfillment, but I don’t think this is a good idea,” she told him, pretending she wasn’t forcing herself not to jump on him, wrap her legs around his waist and say “Let’s ride, cowboy.”

He wanted her. That thought kept tangling in her mind with images of his naked body, remembered sensations of the last time he’d been inside her and a running list of three dozen more things she wanted to do to him.

He wanted her.

Before Vegas she’d have figured this was a joke. Guys like Luke didn’t go for average, run-of-the-mill girls like her. They went for Vanna.

And she’d finally accepted that she
was
Vanna.

She was sexy and clever. She was entertaining and challenging, pushing Luke and letting him push her so they both tried harder.

At work.

In bed.

And, as terrifying as it was, emotionally.

But was she the only one who felt it?

“Is this some kind of game? Revenge for Vegas?”

His eyes wide, Luke laughed and gave her a questioning look. “Revenge for what? We had a great time. That was some of the best sex of my life.”

She shot him a narrow-eyed look.

He looked as if he meant every word he’d said. His eyes were hot as they cruised over her body, his smile mellow, as though he had all the time in the world to enjoy the view.

But he sounded hurt.

She knew him well enough now to catch that. To realize that he’d been just as invested that weekend as she had.

Gia took a deep breath. She’d been so wrapped up in her own fears, in her own need to keep from getting hurt, that she hadn’t once considered his feelings.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured.

His smile faded. For just a second, he looked vulnerable. Little-boy sweet, as if he needed a hug. Then, stepping a few feet away, he shrugged.

“What have you got to be sorry for? Other than leaving without saying goodbye, of course.” In a typical guy move, he brushed that off as if it hadn’t meant a thing. But Gia knew better. If it didn’t matter, he wouldn’t have brought it up.

“I hurt you.” Calling up all of her nerve, Gia forced herself to walk across the room. She stopped a foot away from Luke, unable to move closer. Not because she was afraid of him but because she was seriously worried that if she got within touching distance, she’d throw herself into his arms and beg him to forget everything and do her on the desk.

“I’m sorry.”

The look he gave her sent shivers down her spine. Scared, sexy shivers. For the second time that day, she wanted to run. Because she knew what those shivers promised. She knew how incredible it’d feel. How sweet it’d be afterward, wrapped tight against his body while he murmured soft endearments into her hair.

Gia’s feet twitched, but she stayed put.

Because those shivers, those feelings, were worth whatever price she was about to pay.

“How sorry?” he asked, his words as quiet as his look was intense. He stepped closer. Close enough that Gia had to angle her head back to keep her gaze on his. Close enough that his scent filled her senses. Close enough for her to reach out and trail her fingers over his chest.

Her hand was halfway there when she realized what she was doing. With a wince, Gia curled her fingers into her palm and lowered her arm to her side.

“What do you mean, how sorry?”

“I mean, how sorry are you? And the more important question, what are you willing to do to make it up to me?”

What was she willing to do?

She’d hurt him.

She’d used their weekend of sex—amazing as it was—to make herself happy without thought to his feelings.

“To make it up to you?” she repeated quietly. “I’m willing to do anything.”

“Anything, hmm? That could be interesting.”

He could think of a whole lot of anythings he’d like her to do to him. And from the look on her face, Gia had a few in mind, too.

Luke watched the heat flare in her big blue eyes. The color might be different, but their shape was the same. So was the depth of emotions there. As if her entire heart were wide open for his viewing pleasure.

How had he not seen it? The resemblance between the woman in front of him and his Vegas fantasy was beyond obvious. Brown contacts and red extensions didn’t change her look. The full bottom lip still pouted, as if waiting for him to taste. Her curvy body might be wrapped in jeans and a peasanty type of blouse, but the shape was the same. Rounded, welcoming and gorgeous.

Finally, he let his gaze drop to her feet.

She wore sandals with skinny little straps that crossed over her deliciously manicured toes.

They weren’t the same shoes as she’d worn in Vegas.

But they were still sexy as hell.

And they were still red.

Yeah. He was an idiot.

“I can’t believe I didn’t realize who you were sooner,” he murmured.

“Well, I was doing everything I possibly could to make sure you didn’t,” she pointed out with a careless shrug. The move did intriguing things to her blouse, the cotton sliding over her full breasts as if it was scraping her nipples. Whether it was the fabric or, his ego hoped, proximity to him, those nipples were temptingly hard.