Leasing Love: A #GeekLove Contemporary Ménage Romance (Your Ad Here Book 2) (18 page)

“I can’t
pay
to get my clients the kind of exposure you’ve gotten over the past two weeks,” Ian said. “You didn’t deserve the doxing with the job offers, but it’s impressive coverage anyway. Who did you piss off?”

“Do you want a list?” Jordan laughed. “
There’s no such thing as bad publicity.
Unofficial company mission statement.”

This wasn’t so bad. Liz relaxed a little. “They rescued me at E3 from a blogger who wanted to talk about George. That’s pretty much how we met. They’re probably caught up in this mess because of me, but they’re been too polite to call me on it.”

“Nothing to call you on. The guy’s a dick.” Chloe sipped her tea as elegantly as anyone in the room. She wiggled her pinky finger. “Teeny, tiny, needle-sized.”

Liz bit her tongue, not sure how to react.

Ian raised his brows. “With all that free time on your hands, what are you up to now?”

“Packages,” Jordan said with a straight face.

Mercy smirked, and Liz almost choked on a laugh, remembering the last time they had this conversation. She wasn’t used to holding her tongue in front of any of these people, but it felt as though the rules had changed with them all in the same room.

“Really.” It was impossible to get a read on Ian. He was either playing along or getting irritated.

Liz set down her cup. “Yup. KaleidoMation has an impressive tool.”

“Perfect for individual market penetration,” Chloe chimed in.

The corners of Ian’s mouth twitched, and then his poker face slid back in.

Mercy grinned broadly. “I saw that when I was out there. They were demoing it to the entire group.”

“Take a joke.” Liz elbowed Ian.

He shook his head, but his smile finally burst through. “You’re all children.”

“And you’re a grumpy old man.” Liz kept her tone light and teasing.

“And you’re my baby sister, who’s sweet, and innocent, and doesn’t talk about things like this.”

Mercy and Chloe snorted.

The waiter returned with their appetizers and set several sizzling plates in the center of the table.

“He’s right.” Chloe held up her hand as if in surrender. “This is polite company.” Another round of snickers passed around the table, and she glowered before turning to Mercy. “
If
we insist on talking business, I’ve heard brilliant things about your tracking and reporting capabilities.”

Mercy reached in to grab a pot sticker. “We’re the best. But it’s all top secret, black-label stuff, so… I tell you, I have to—I don’t know—cut off your ear or something.”

“They’re cute ears, though.” Liz traced a finger along the edge of Chloe’s ear, realized what she was doing, and tried to be subtle about pulling back.

Mercy didn’t miss a beat, jumping in before anyone had a chance to blink. “A kneecap, then. Those are extraneous.”

As dinner came and dishes were cleared away, the conversation carried on. Apparently Jordan and Chloe were friendly enough with the staff they didn’t get dirty looks for occupying the table for several hours. Things wound down, and the group wandered to the parking lot together. After ten, even on a Saturday, the streets were half-empty. Liz squeezed Chloe’s hand and then Jordan’s. “We’ll talk on Monday night?” she asked Jordan.

“Yup.” Jordan and Chloe headed in the opposite direction of where Liz had parked.

“Monday?” Ian asked as soon as they were out of earshot. “What happened to never seeing them again?”

Right. The tantrum Liz threw just a few days ago. She couldn’t tell him about the pitch for Jonathan. She was under a non-disclosure agreement and had a feeling Jordan didn’t want anyone knowing what he was up to. As much as she hated keeping things from Mercy and Ian, this was one time it was necessary. “I think we both overreacted that day,” she said.

“I don’t overreact.” Ian drew his lips into a thin line.

“Really? Tell us again about why you got kicked off the high-school baseball team in Chicago?”

“That was once, and it was fifteen years ago.”

“Closer to twenty,” Mercy said. “But no one’s counting. What about that time you got pissed off enough you let your mouth run, and you and I almost never spoke again?”

“
Almost never
is a bit harsh. Besides, I groveled—of my own accord—and you forgave me.” Ian spoke with finality, as if the topic was closed.

This felt right. A kind of casual fun Liz hadn’t had with these two since… Was the last time really before they hooked up? Liz hated the thought. She looked at Ian. “All right. You don’t overreact,” she teased. “But you
were
a big grump that day. And I was too. I’m sorry.”

Liz hugged them both, and they walked her to her car before heading toward their own. She sat in the driver’s seat for several minutes after they left. The evening was a blast. More fun than she’d had in ages. No, that wasn’t right. The last time was L.A. The single reminder was enough to send a gaping emptiness spilling through her. She started the engine and cranked the radio. It was nothing the blaring music couldn’t fix.

Starting Monday, she’d go back to being professional and friendly, but nothing more. She was struggling too much to distinguish the difference between that and flirting, when she let things go further.

Liz rearranged her work schedule so she could be done with her R&T tasks by four and get in a few hours of working with Jordan before it got too late. She showed up at his door a little before four-thirty, and they made themselves comfortable in the home office.

Or rather, Jordan told her to get comfortable. He watched her now, sitting with her back straight and staring straight ahead, looking like she’d rather be anywhere else.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“Absolutely.” Her dull smile matched her tone. “We should get started. We have two weeks, and a lot to cover since we’re starting from scratch.”

“Why two weeks, and why from scratch? I have a portfolio.”

“Fantastic.” She didn’t quite look at him, but rather at something beyond him. “That’s one thing to check off. I talked to Jonathan again. There’s an industry show locally in fifteen days, and he’ll be in town. He’ll meet with you then.”

Wow. This was really happening. Jordan had an appointment and everything. It almost made it easier to ignore the weird tension in the room. “You’re the boss. Tell me what I need to do.”

She pulled a tablet from her briefcase and swiped the screen. In a tone a computer would envy, she ticked off a list of things they needed to accomplish in their timeframe. She met his gaze for a second, before staring past him again. “You pick where we start. Most of this can be done in any order. If you do the stuff you consider boring first, you’ll have more energy for the fun at the end.”

That was like any other job. “I’d rather mix it up. Numbers today and tomorrow, initial design on Wednesday—back and forth like that.”

“Sounds like a plan.” She made some notes and then started down another list, this one of questions. The next couple of hours passed the same way, with Liz jerking away each time he made eye contact, and keeping several feet between them at all times.

When Chloe got home, Liz greeted her just as professionally and left moments later.

Chloe stared at the closed door for a moment, and then turned to Jordan. “Was it something I said?”

“Nope. She was like that all day.” He guided her to the couch and handed her the remote before pulling her to sit next to him.

“So… did I imagine Saturday night?”

“Not unless it was a shared hallucination.”

Chloe leaned into him but didn’t turn on the TV. “She’s more open in front of her regular friends?”

“Could be, but did you see the way she paled when her brother said he knew who we were?”

“That was kind of cute.” Chloe sighed. “I miss the Liz who doesn’t hold her tongue.”

Jordan did too. “She may be back, but things have changed. Maybe to what they always should have been.” If they were going to fool around with someone else in the future—a thought that didn’t entice him as much as he expected, if at all—they’d have to set stricter boundaries first.

Tuesday with Liz wasn’t much different. Cool. Polite. Professional. With a smile and a nod for Chloe, as Liz left for the evening.

Every time Jordan tried to bring it up, Liz brushed him off.

“Are you sure you’re all right?”

“I’m fine.” She didn’t sound angry or irritated or much of anything.

“Did I do something to upset you? Did either one of us?”

Liz would shake her head. “Not at all.” She sounded sincere.

By Wednesday afternoon, it was time to surrender. Whatever had Liz so aloof, she didn’t seem interested in sharing. One thing he couldn’t complain about—her professionalism and skill. Every suggestion she made and task she had was fantastic from Jordan’s perspective.

He sat in front of his computer, trying to arrange the series of portfolio thumbnails in front of him into a visually appealing layout. “Can I get your thoughts on this?” he called over his shoulder. He didn’t look up, as he continued to click and drag and rearrange text in the pre-sized box.

“Sure.” The sound of shuffling carried toward him, and seconds later, she rested her hand on his shoulder.

He made sure to tuck away his shock, not wanting to startle her. “I can’t decide—keep it thematic or vary my selection?”

“Show me both.” She leaned in closer, until her head was inches from his and her breast nudged his arm. “That’s thematic, right?”

“Right.” His voice almost cracked. Jesus, he was a horny thirteen-year-old again, getting flustered because he touched a woman’s boob.

She pressed in closer, and her soft perfume teased him. “Go with the variety option. You’ve got such an impressive range. Show it off.”

That’s not the only thing about me that’s impressive.
He focused on keeping the thought to himself, and turned to look at her. “Perfect. Thanks.”

She widened her eyes and stepped back, but not far. “Fiddle with the white space a little, and some of the angles. It’s almost there, but not quite.” She kept her hand on his shoulder, as he dragged objects on-screen. “Closer. Maybe a new font?”

“Similar style or something different?” The contact was pleasant. It raced over his skin and teased him with memories of shared nights. Mostly, it was reassuring. As if this was the way things should be.

“Completely different. Mechanical. Or modern.”

Time to push the limits a hint, and hope it didn’t make her backpedal. He selected a novelty font Chloe picked up years ago. It was subtle, until closer examination.

“Oh God.” Liz laughed. “Are those anal beads? What’s that supposed to be? A fleshlight? Probably not the best choice for this.”

“Fine.” He dragged out the word in an exaggerated huff and selected Comic Sans instead. “Better?”

“No.” She slapped him playfully. “I preferred the dildos.”

“That’s what she said.”

She shook her head, but her smile didn’t fade. “Mechanical or modern.”

With the tension evaporating, the next couple of hours flew by. Ambivalence tugged at Jordan when he heard the front door open. He was grateful Chloe was home, but didn’t want to see Liz’s good mood vanish.

“My lovelies,” Chloe called. Seconds later she stopped in the office doorway. “Am I interrupting?”

Her smile and good mood were infectious, chasing away some of Jordan’s concern.

More of it fled when Liz hopped from her chair and said, “Perfect timing.” She crossed the room, grabbed Chloe’s hand, and then pulled her back to the computer. “We need your opinion. Sit.” She positioned Chloe in the empty spot. “Don’t think about it too long on any screen. Each time, do you like option A or B?”

She leaned over, one hand on Chloe’s shoulder, and clicked through a series of options. For the next hour or so, the three of them talked a little work, a little bullshit, and everything random.

After Liz left, Chloe stared at the closed front door for several seconds. “Which one is body snatcher Liz? Tonight’s iteration, or yesterday’s?”

“I’m not any more certain than you are.” Jordan settled a hand at the small of her back, and steered her toward the living room. “But like you, I’m hoping today was the real deal.”

“Was she like that all day?”

“About halfway through it she relaxed.”

Chloe smiled, and lines of stress vanished from around her eyes. “Fingers crossed it lasts.”

* * * *

Friday afternoon, she arrived at three and told him she skipped out early so they’d get a little extra done before the weekend. She scooted her chair close enough their arms were in constant contact, and every few minutes, she leaned in without hesitation to make a comment or suggestion. The awkward pauses were gone.

Two hours into their work, Jordan’s phone rang. He grabbed it as soon as he saw Chloe’s picture flash on screen. “Atomic Comic Collection Connection.” He reeled out the line from
Venture Brothers
without thought.

“You’re a dork. Also, you’re in a good mood.” Chloe sounded like she was as well.

“I might be. Life is good.”

“Liz still there?”

“Yup.” In fact, she’d just nudged his hand out of the way to take control of the mouse.

“Tell her I said
hi
.”

Liz didn’t look up from what she was doing, but cheerfully said, “Hello.”

“I’m off early today. Well, early for me. Normal time for other people.” No wonder Chloe sounded happy. “Pizza?”

“Pier 49?” Jordan asked.

“Of course. What does Liz like?”

He glanced at her, ready to ask the question and for her to shrug him off and say she had to get home soon.

Liz met and held his gaze. “The vegetarian six cheese one, add sausage.”

“How does that even make sense?” Jordan wanted to know.

“It’s easier than ordering any other way.”

“Tell her I got it,” Chloe said. “See you both soon.”

As soon as he hung up, Liz bumped his shoulder with hers and nodded at the screen. “If you invest in the correct equipment up front and have some of the right connections, you can lead with die-cut stickers and certain types of plastic injection-molded figures.” Using the mouse pointer, she indicated a couple line items in a spreadsheet.

“I don’t have those connections.” As much as he loved the idea, it didn’t sound feasible.

“I do. I’ll introduce you.”

“There’s no way I can return a favor this big.”

She glanced at him. “Do whatever you can to make this work. That’s what I want to see.”

So did Jordan. They dove back into work until, forty-five minutes later, the sound of the door latching drew his attention.

Seconds later, Chloe poked her head around the corner. “Stop working. Come eat.”

“Two minutes.” Liz didn’t look up from what she was doing.

When they saved everything and made their way into the other room, Jordan was surprised to see Chloe set the kitchen table. He couldn’t remember the last time, outside of holidays, they sat down to a formal meal in their kitchen. For them, meals tended to be on the go, or in front of the TV. The open pizza box in the middle of plates and cutlery normalized the scene.

“I couldn’t make up my mind, so I got two slices of each. I didn’t know what kind of wine goes with pizza, so you’ll have to make do with Dew.” She winked at Liz.

“I’d tell you, but then you’d tease me for having an answer.” Liz hesitated before sitting, seeming to watch their cues.

They each grabbed a slice and dug in. Chloe reached toward Liz’s plate. “Can I steal a piece of sausage?”

“You should have gotten your own.” Liz shifted her food half out of reach, but looked more amused than irritated.

“I told you, I couldn’t make up my mind. I shared my sausage with you.”

Liz rolled her eyes, but it didn’t detract from the flush spreading across her cheeks. “You’re reaching, with a pun like that.” She plucked a piece from amid her toppings and popped it in Chloe’s mouth. Chloe snagged Liz’s finger, sucking it into her mouth, before letting Liz go.

Jordan barely suppressed his groan, but he couldn’t ignore the heat that flooded him at the visual and the associated memories.

*

They continued to laugh and joke through dinner and while they cleaned up. Chloe was grateful for the break from the work grind. Her new position was tough, and the hours were still long, but she was thriving. She was challenged in new ways. She’d never enjoyed her job this much, but she still looked forward to a weekend of relaxing and spending some time with Jordan. She looked at Liz. And her too.

“You two aren't going back to work tonight, are you?” Chloe batted her eyelashes.

Liz's expression fell. Was that disappointment? Hurt? “I cleared my calendar for the night. I don't have to be anywhere else.”

“I'm not trying to kick you out.” Chloe quickly tried to assure her. “I was going to make you both take a break and watch movies with me.”

Jordan looked at Liz. “What do you think, boss lady? Can we afford the lost time?”

“I’ll let you two enjoy your weekend. Let me grab my stuff.”

Chloe stared at Liz, wondering what she missed. Half an hour ago, they were joking about sharing sausage, and now Liz looked as if she wanted to bolt.

“How about if we promise no James Bond?” Jordan asked.

Liz seemed to consider this, brow furrowed. “I'm not doing anything else...”

“Perfect.” Chloe didn't know why this was so important, but she wasn't ready for Liz to go. “Pick your poison. Romance. High action.”

Liz chewed her bottom lip. “Pacific Rim?”

“Another reason to love you.” Chloe's mind ground to a halt when she realized what she just said. “I mean …”

Liz's smile wilted before returning brighter than ever. “I get it.” She took a seat in the chair next to the couch and perched on the edge, back straight.

Despite the fact the movie was one of her favorites, Chloe’s attention drifted away from the screen and to Liz every few minutes. Why wouldn’t she relax?

They made it to the first lull, when Jordan stood. “Popcorn?”