It's All Geek to Me (Nerds & Geeks Book 3) (6 page)

D
ulcie thought
at first that the wine might be responsible for the change in Frazer’s behavior. He scored very well at Gopher Hole Golf and performed several victory dances that were sexier than he knew. Once his inhibitions were gone he could shake his booty with the best of them.

She expected him to dial it back after the wine wore off, but no. He brought the same carefree spirit to their lovemaking that night. She’d never had more fun and less sleep. Sunday morning he suggested they spend the day in bed and forget about the app, which was fine with her.

They slept, made love and ate food that didn’t require much preparation. She had moments when she wondered if this was real or some fantastic dream. Other times their relationship felt as solid as if they’d been together for years. They’d had to navigate around Hercules and his nap schedule, but the cat had spent most of his day on the sofa, which had worked out well for all concerned.

Interestingly, not a single member of her family called or stopped by. When she’d told them she and Frazer would be beta testing all weekend, they must have interpreted that as code for two days of sex. In fact it had turned out exactly that way.

Sunday night, as they lay side-by-side recovering from another romp between the sheets, Frazer brought up the subject of future plans. She’d waited for him to broach it. He was the one who’d set out on an evolutionary course and he might need a little space after such an intense couple of days.

He cleared his throat. “We should talk about what comes next.”

“We should.” For the first time since they’d had dinner Saturday night, she could feel him tensing up.

But to his credit, he went straight to the point. “I’m free next weekend. I’d like to spend it here, but you might have things you need to –”

“Nothing that can’t be juggled. Anna’s school has a carnival on Saturday, but you wouldn’t have to go.”

“What if I want to go?”

She turned her head to look at him. “That will bolster my family’s conviction that we’re together.”

“We are together.” Then he sucked in a breath. “I made a leap, there. I feel as if we are, but you might not.”

“I feel very together with you, Frazer.”

Rolling to his side, he gave her a smile that curled her toes. “Excellent.” He stroked her hip and gazed into her eyes. “Call me a sex maniac, but I want you again. Just once more. Then we’ll sleep.”

“Okay, you’re a sex maniac.”

“You can tell me no. It won’t hurt my feelings.”

Her voice quivered with suppressed laughter. “No.”

“So how do you mean that, exactly? And even more important, how are you spelling it? If it’s only two letters, that’s somewhat clear, but if it’s the four-letter
know,
that’s almost a challenge, as if I’m supposed to
know
what you want from me.”

She turned over and reached for his warm and very erect cock. “I want this.”

“Great answer.”

D
ulcie used
to love Monday mornings because that meant seeing Frazer again. But after having him to herself for the whole weekend, she was no longer eager for Monday morning. They would be together but no longer alone.

Taking separate cars to the office felt lonely and wrong even though it made the most sense. Frazer wouldn’t be coming home with her tonight. They’d agreed that during the week they both needed sleep more than sex. Eventually they might be able to spend a night together mostly sleeping, but they hadn’t reached that point.

He followed her to the office and they each parked in their designated spots in the parking garage under the three-story building. His space was closer to the elevator so he waited for her. “Do you want to tell anyone?”

“We didn’t talk about that. What do you think?”

“I think people will figure it out pretty quick.” He punched the elevator button. “How about if I go in and talk to Tony right after we get there?”

She nodded. “Good idea. It’s only fair that he knows.”

“What about that document we all agreed on, the relationship disclosure thing?”

“Oh, right.” The elevator opened. It was empty and she stepped in with Frazer right behind her. “I’d forgotten about that.” She turned to him. “What do you –“

He grabbed her and kissed her before she could finish. Instantly she caught fire and kissed him back for all she was worth. He released her when they reached the third floor but he held the button to keep the door closed. “Sorry. Couldn’t help it.”

“Nice to know. But we can’t be doing that in the hallway.”

“Trust me, I wouldn’t.”

“I do trust you.” She pulled a tissue out of her purse. “But you have lipstick on you and that’ll make Tony laugh.” She wiped it off. “Do I look okay?”

“Perfect.”

“What about that document?”

“I’d be honored to sign it.”

She smiled. “Well, all righty, then.”

The moment she stepped off the elevator she felt the Monday morning energy flowing around her. Even though she and Frazer couldn’t be alone today, they would be part of this innovative swirl of ideas. She considered it a privilege to work here.

Setting her purse on her desk, she went in search of Rylan. As planned, Frazer had gone directly to Tony’s office, which meant the news would soon be out that she and Frazer were involved. She’d belatedly realized that everyone might focus on the new relationship instead of the main issue, which was Rylan’s brilliance in creating the app. She wanted to tell him first-hand that as a non-techie average consumer, she loved what he’d done.

She passed Blake Pearson in the hall and gave him a fake smile. As usual he ogled her rack before focusing his pale blue eyes on her face. Jerk. She hoped the app would make millions immediately. Then Tony could fire Blake’s ass and everyone would heave a sigh of relief.

Rylan and Miranda each had a chair drawn up to his desk as they stared intently at the computer screen, both of them oblivious to the world. It was so cute to see. Rylan was in his usual outfit – jeans and a plaid unbuttoned shirt over a white t-shirt, but his beard was neater these days now that he was living with Miranda.

“Definitely that one.” Miranda flipped back her long dark hair and pointed to the screen. “Excellent shot. I’ve never seen more vibrant looking conkerberries.”

“What’s a conkerberry?” Dulcie walked around the desk to see what they were talking about. The picture resembled a couple of plums hanging from a branch.

Miranda glanced up. “Hi, Dulcie. They’re from Australia and an outstanding fruit. Our app wouldn’t be complete if we didn’t include conkerberries.”

“And that’s why we pay her the big bucks.” Rylan stroked his beard and winked at Dulcie. “Conkerberries. Who knew?”

“Not me, that’s for sure.” She braced her hip against the edge of the desk. “I came in to rave about the app. I
love
it.”

“Yeah?” Rylan grinned like a little kid as he leaned back in his desk chair. “It worked okay?”

“Oh, my God, so cool. Even in dim light. Whatever you did to make that possible was genius. Frazer has a few notes for you, but nothing major.”

“So where is the big guy?”

Whoops. “He’s . . . um . . . he’s in Tony’s office.”

Rylan sighed. “That sounds ominous. Please don’t tell me you two had issues. Frazer’s a great guy, but he tends to be –”

“We didn’t have issues.”

“Well, good. The way you hesitated when I asked about him I thought something might be wrong.”

Miranda watched the interchange with a little smile. “I don’t think anything’s wrong. I think something might be right, though.”

When Dulcie felt her cheeks grow warm, she figured there was no point in being coy. “Very right.”

Miranda whooped and leaped up to give her a hug. “I had a feeling about you two! Awesome!”

“You and my big brother?” Rylan stared at her in confusion. “But you’re so . . . and he’s so . . .”

Miranda laughed. “Gotta love engineers. So verbal.”

“I get what you’re saying, Rylan,” Dulcie said. “You’re right, but like the Universe, people are always in motion.”

He blinked. “That’s brilliant.”

“I didn’t make it up. I read it somewhere. For all I know it’s a Gene Roddenberry quote.”

“I keep forgetting you’re a Trekkie.” He gazed at her. “You have all the makings of a geek, Dulcie. How come you didn’t study computer science?”

“I love geeky stuff but I’d rather work with people than technology. Wrangling you guys is my idea of a perfect job.”

“Which makes us damned lucky to have you.”

“I’d agree with that,” said a male voice.

She turned as Garrett came into the office. With his broad shoulders, neatly trimmed beard and a white dress shirt open at the collar, he sure didn’t resemble the skinny, clueless kid Frazer had described. Even his glasses looked trendy. “Hey, Garrett! Is it true that you know Klingon?”

He smiled. “Somebody’s been revealing my secrets.”

“It was Frazer.” She returned his smile. “I’m a Trekkie from way back. I’d love to hear you say something.”

“Me, too, dude.” Frazer walked through the door and gave her a warm glance before turning to Garrett. “It’s been a while since you’ve shown off your Klingon chops. But before you launch into it, I wanted to ask Dulcie where the phone is. I meant to snag it earlier and forgot.”

She knew why, too. Kissing had been going on and after that he’d been focused on the upcoming discussion with Tony. “It’s still in my purse. I’ll get it. And FYI, Miranda and Rylan know the situation but Garrett doesn’t.”

Frazer grinned. “Then I’ll be happy to fill him in.”

“Be right back. Then I want to hear some Klingon.” She squeezed Frazer’s arm on the way out, but she was glad to leave him alone with his friends for a few moments. They all had a history she didn’t share and they might appreciate being able to comment on this new development without her in the room.

Walking back to her desk, she reached in the pocket of her purse for the app phone. It wasn’t there so she searched the other pockets. She hadn’t used the app since leaving the Italian restaurant Saturday night. It had to be in there somewhere.

But after she’d emptied the contents onto her desk without finding the phone, she faced the fact that it wasn’t in her purse. It wasn’t on the floor around her desk or lying somewhere between the elevator and her desk. Could it have fallen out during the elevator ride while she was kissing Frazer? She walked to the elevator and pushed the button. The door opened and she scanned the floor. Nothing.

By now she’d been gone long enough that Frazer had to be wondering what had happened to her. She had no choice but to go back to Rylan’s office and tell them she’d lost the phone. How totally embarrassing, but at least it had happened at the end of the testing period instead of in the beginning.

As she walked down the hall, she could hear them all laughing about something. Damn, she wished she hadn’t lost the phone.

Frazer obviously noticed when she walked in empty-handed. Frowning, he rose to his feet. “Couldn’t find it?”

“Nope. It’s not in my purse.”

“Did you check the area around your desk?”

She sighed. “Yes. I even checked the inside of the elevator in case it had dropped out there.”

An emotion that could be guilt flickered in his eyes as if he might be thinking of that kiss in the elevator. “Okay, let’s retrace your steps. Are you sure you put it in your purse at the restaurant?”

“Yes. But we should call there.”

“And the golf course.”

She nodded. The first time they’d played she’d had him lock her purse and the phone in the trunk of his car, but on Saturday night they’d walked there so she’d had to carry her purse over her shoulder. They’d traded off holding it during the game. She would have heard the phone fall, wouldn’t she?

“Don’t sweat it,” Garrett said. “We’ll load the app on another phone. If someone finds it they won’t be able to get into it, anyway.”

Frazer’s jaw was tight. “Even so, I’d like to find it.” He glanced at Dulcie. “I’ll call the restaurant while you call the golf course.”

“Okay.” She hurriedly left the room and went back to retrieve her regular phone where the golf course number was stored. Nobody had turned in a phone but they promised to let her know if anyone did.

When she went back to Rylan’s office, Frazer was pacing in front of the desk and not responding to his friends’ assurances that the phone didn’t matter. Obviously it hadn’t been turned in at the restaurant, either. Worst of all, Frazer wouldn’t meet her gaze.

“It wasn’t at the golf course,” she said.

Garrett shrugged. “Then let’s forget about it.”

“We may have to.” Frazer blew out a breath. “But before we give up, Dulcie and I can go down and check the floor of her car and the area near there.”

“Hey, guys!” Blake Pearson appeared in the doorway and held up a phone. “I found this on the floor of the elevator. Lucky I did, huh? Wouldn’t want it falling into the wrong hands.”

“Sure wouldn’t.” Frazer’s face showed no emotion as he walked over and took the phone. “Thanks, Pearson.”

“No problem. Well, I’ve got stuff to do. See ya.” He turned and left.

Dulcie’s stomach churned as Frazer laid the phone on Rylan’s desk. He obviously thought it had fallen out because he’d kissed her and he was furious with himself for causing the turmoil.

His clipped voice underscored that. “I’ll give you my notes later, Ry. I have some things to do, too.” Without looking at Dulcie, he started out of the office.

“Wait!” She ran after him. “He couldn’t have found it on the floor of the elevator. I looked there.”

He turned toward her. “You were distracted. You probably missed it.”

“I did
not
miss it.” She stood her ground. “There’s something very fishy about this.”

“I agree.” Miranda left her chair and walked over to Dulcie. “It’s not like you to be careless. Could Blake have taken it out of your purse?”