Authors: Tracey Livesay
“Easy for you to say, Genius George. But for us mere mortals, there’s nothing fun about looking stupid.”
“In the week since we’ve met you’ve asked me to do things that have made me uncomfortable. I’ve done them, which required a level of trust. I’m asking for that same level of trust in return. Playing video games is how I relax and have fun and I’d like to share that experience with you. If you don’t enjoy yourself, you can leave and we can resume our lessons tomorrow.”
A dent appeared between her brows and her gaze bounced away from his. An evasive maneuver. Fuck! Was she going to decline his invitation? A week ago he’d denounced déjà vu as fanciful nonsense. What he wouldn’t give in that moment to be a mind reader, to know her candid and unfiltered thoughts. He waited, his breath caught in the back of his throat, hoping she’d decide to stay. Finally, the corner of her mouth tugged upward and she walked around to the front of the sofa and sat down.
“So, what game are we playing?”
Lightness spread throughout his chest, and he resisted the urge to pump his fist in triumph. Instead he settled next to her and picked up a controller. Pressing a few buttons, the television sparked alive in a burst of color.
“UnMapped 2.”
“UnMapped. Isn’t that your favorite game?”
She remembered. “Yes,” he said, trying not to sound too pleased at this revelation.
“Is this a new version? You didn’t mention a series when you answered
CGR
’s questions.”
“The designers sent a beta to select players for feedback before its release early next year.”
“How did you manage to get on that list?”
He smiled. “I may not be much in the entertainment field, but in the computer world, I’m a big deal.”
She slid him a sidelong glance. “I hate to tell you this, Mr. Bennett, but you’re a hotshot in anyone’s world.”
The words were innocuous enough, but he thought he detected a warmth in her tone and a sparkle in her eye. It could be an illusion of the light, still . . . His dick twitched in his pants.
“It’s great for all gamer levels. It’s a third-person POV shooter that hard-core gamers love, but there’s a storyline with romance and extended cut scenes that I think newcomers will enjoy as well.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” She laughed and clapped her hands together. “I’ve always wanted to say that. So this is what you do for fun?”
“Yes.” He brought up the game’s menu. “It’s also beneficial for my work. If I encounter a problem and the solution eludes me, playing for an hour often yields an answer. A release of dopamine, combined with a relaxed state of mind and a distracting activity, can lead to a burst of creativity.”
“And you said you needed help. That type of endorsement should be splashed all over the packaging.”
He laughed and reached over to hand her the other remote. “I took the chance you’d agree to play and set up your avatar.”
Her digital character, complete with mocha skin, big brown eyes, and a riotous mound of black curls, appeared on screen.
“I’m not much of a gamer,” she said, narrowing her eyes, “but even I can tell that avatar is pretty specific.”
In prepping their game session, he’d been surprised at the limited choices of avatar options for women of color. And none of what was available came close to capturing the richness of Chelsea’s skin tone. So he installed a mod file organizer and uploaded his own modifications until he was satisfied with the end product.
“The choices were narrow-minded and shortsighted. So I modded details about your character’s face and body.”
She said nothing for several seconds and he frowned. Had he done something wrong? Maybe she would’ve preferred a generic avatar and was annoyed that he’d made the choice for her. When he looked at her, she had a hand pressed against her chest. “That’s . . . amazing. Thank you.”
Warmth dispersed throughout his body. “It was my pleasure. It makes the experience more enjoyable. My feedback will contain a recommendation for more ethnically diverse options in creating game characters.”
A nanosecond after her sweet fragrance provoked his senses, her hand landed on his thigh and she kissed his cheek. Her luminous eyes pinioned his for a long moment before she released him and returned her attention to the screen.
He reached up and swept his fingers over the sensitized skin on his face. The warmth in her eyes, the kiss on his cheek felt more intimate than anything they’d done days before. This was exceeding his expectations. He cleared his throat and refocused on the controller in his hand. Pressing more buttons, he used his thumb to move the joystick. His avatar, created from the stock selection, popped up on the screen next to Chelsea’s.
“Is that your character?” she asked. “He’s hot.”
He winked at her. “A cyber imitation of the original.”
Hoping he could deliver on all he’d promised, he started the game.
“The graphics are incredible,” she said. “I feel like I’m watching a movie.”
“These sequences are called cut scenes. They’re used between game play to give backstory, show conversations between characters, and as rewards if you reach a certain level. This scene informs us of our character’s motivation and sets up the adventure.” He pointed to the screen. “We need to get to that ship. Are you ready?”
She flexed her fingers around the remote. “Yeah, I think so.” The corners of her lips inclined upward. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into playing video games when we should be working.”
“You can’t work all of the time.” Mike and Jonathan would never believe that
he
was the one championing a respite.
“I have to if I want to be successful.”
“And being successful is important to you?”
She narrowed her eyes and lifted her chin. “It’s everything.”
Later, he’d consider what she’d revealed, but now he activated the characters and led his avatar to the ship, where he took fire from the enemy. He ducked behind a cargo crate and looked for Chelsea’s avatar. She was several feet away, engaging in a bizarre choreography of moves. She paced left and right, jumped up and down, crouched, then straightened, pulled out a gun and knife, then re-sheathed them. She was shielded from enemy fire by the broken-down pickup truck near the pier’s entrance.
“What are you doing?” he asked, mesmerized by her avatar’s frenetic gestures.
“I’ve got to learn the controls. I can’t look down at my hands the entire game.”
He stared at her, captivated by her logical thought process. Two minutes later, she scurried across the pier toward the shipwrecked boat. She didn’t draw her weapon, appearing to value stealth over confrontation and brawn. Seeing that she didn’t intend to protect herself, he became her muscle, shooting anyone who even looked in her direction, as she made it to the ship. When his avatar joined hers, the scene froze and wording on the screen indicated they’d successfully completed the level.
“That was so much fun,” she said, edging forward on the couch. “Now, somewhere on this ship is a treasure map, right?”
“Yes, but the money isn’t our endgame. There’s an ancient artifact he believes will cure his sister. The money is for the scouts who’ll guide them through the jungle to the sacred temple. To get the artifact, we’ll need to locate the map.”
She firmed her lips and nodded. For the next hour he marveled at her complete dedication to searching for that map and interviewing guides for their expedition.
“This is crazy. He can’t believe they’re going to live up to their promise. They’re the bad guys,” she yelled at the screen, when a cut scene showed their characters interacting with a group of mercenaries who were seeking the map for different reasons.
She surprised him with the questions she asked, more invested in the game than he’d anticipated.
“Why did you make that move?”
“What would’ve happened if we’d declined their deal and explored on our own?”
“If we think we’ve made the wrong decision, can we go back and change it? Will that error affect the game’s outcome?”
And through it all, he was cognizant of her next to him, her scent a subtle tease to his senses. Even as he pushed the correct combination of buttons to take out his prey, he was aware of when she reached for a drink, scratched her neck, or shifted on the sofa.
Thirty minutes later, they’d crossed the first threshold in their game mission.
“That was really good,” she said. “It was better than I expected.”
Unclenching his fingers from the controller, he stood and stretched. “Better than Wii Sports?”
She laughed. “Yes! You know, it reminded me of those books I used to read when I was a kid. The
Choose Your Own Adventure
books. This was like an interactive movie where you could decide how you wanted it to play out.”
He grabbed two bottled waters from the cooler and handed one to her. He plucked a grape from the bowl of fruit on the table in front of them.
“Not your typical gamer fare.”
“It’s not,” he agreed. “But I spend a lot of time in front of a computer screen. Programming can be a sedentary lifestyle.” He patted his stomach. “I don’t want to get fat.”
Her eyes swept down his body and a rush of desire made him light-headed. When their gazes met, hers was feverish. “I don’t think you’ll have any problem with that.”
He sat down slowly and shifted on the sofa until their knees were touching. He assuaged the aching in his fingers by reaching out to lightly stroke a curl. His body tightened as the spiral encircled his digit in a gesture he yearned for their bodies to mimic. Her lips parted, then she blinked, exhaled, and moved away.
He smarted from the severed connection. Shaking his head, he took a drink of water from the bottle and swallowed. He picked up the other controller and offered it to her. “You ready for the next level?”
He expected her to demur, to decide that she didn’t want to continue. Instead, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. “Bring it on,” she said, and he placed the controller in her palm.
He smiled and pressed the buttons needed to begin the next level. She had no idea what was coming. She’d completed a few levels and believed herself experienced.
“Holy hell! Where did they come from?”
The pirates he’d been expecting swarmed their characters on the screen. She leaned forward, her eyes narrowed as her fingers moved over the controller, depressing buttons in different combinations.
“Stop staring at me and get your ass in gear. I can’t hold them off by myself!”
He grinned and settled back against the sofa. For the first time in years, he was content.
F
I
V
E
H
O
U
R
S
LATER,
her fingers cramped and almost numb, Chelsea dropped the controller on the coffee table. She didn’t try to repress her giddiness.
“That was incredible!” Outside, the sun had set, the orange glow bathing the mountains in a warm light. “I can’t believe we played all afternoon! It feels like we sat down ten minutes ago.”
Next to her, Adam set down his controller. “Only if one of us were capable of traveling at the speed of light.”
He stood and stretched, the movement lifting his white T-shirt and treating her to another glimpse of his golden, muscled skin. Her mouth watered at the sight, and she had to swallow to avoid an embarrassing drooling incident. Her response to him no longer surprised her. She glanced up and their eyes met. The air between them thickened. Without breaking the visual contact, he lowered his arms and his tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip. Her nipples tightened and tingled, blood rushing to all parts of her body.
Dammit. It’s like the time she spent lecturing herself hadn’t happened. It would be so easy to give in to it, in to him. Especially now that she’d had a taste of him. Knew how intoxicating his kiss could be. Knew how strong he was, how being held in his arms made her feel sexy and desired. But it couldn’t happen again, and the fact that she was still obsessing over it made her question her once-dependable sanity. She had a job to do. And as much as she’d come to like him, she’d been working toward this partnership for a long time. Once this was over, she would go back to her job and never see Adam again.
She ignored the twinge that thought engendered. It didn’t matter how she felt or how she’d enjoyed the day or how much she reveled in his kisses. She needed to keep her goal in mind. She was here to get him ready for the project launch.
And they’d lost an entire day because she’d let him distract her from her goal.
“Well, that was fun, but I’m starving. I’m going to head back to my house and grab something to eat. Good night.”
“Wait.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand as she started to walk away. Jolts of electricity tingled up and down her arm at the contact. She looked at their joined hands, at his strong fingers gripping hers, before peering up into his face.
His eyes were dark and intense as they stared at her. He was so gorgeous; she could look at his face forever. She wondered whimsically if this was some sort of trial. Was the universe testing her to see if she really wanted this promotion? Was he the pond’s reflection and she Narcissus? Would she spend all of her time looking at him as things around her changed and died, like her career focus and goals?
She flexed her fingers and he dropped her hand. Her body wept at the loss of contact.
“Our day isn’t over,” he said, his voice thick and husky.
“I think I’ve played enough video games for a while.” She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. “These babies need a rest.”
He laughed, as she’d intended, the thickness of tension easing in the room.
“No more games today, I promise. We’re having dinner in San Francisco. Quartet,” he said, naming a popular restaurant beloved by some of her clients.
She’d always wanted to eat there. Swallowing hard, she shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
“You said you were starving. I’m offering a practical solution.”
“Adam.” Her self-preservation alarms went off as she stepped closer to him. She could dance around this, but that wasn’t really her style. “We shouldn’t do this. Not if you still want me to help.”
She moved away, heeding her inner warnings.
His gaze was steady. “More than want. I need your help.”
She nodded and turned away.
“But I also need to understand what’s happening between us.”
His words stopped her, an invisible verbal leash.
“You shouldn’t be concerned about us. The Computronix launch is in a week.”
“You think I’ve forgotten?” He closed in on her, his tone urgent. “This presentation means more to me than you could possibly comprehend. But when I spend as much time recalling the feel of your lips pressed against mine as I do rechecking code, there’s a problem.”
Oh
. She locked her knees to keep from sinking to the floor.
His eyes blazed, their intensity hypnotic, refusing to allow her to look away. “I know what I should be doing, but until I can figure out what’s between us, I’ll continue to be distracted. Are we reacting to something real, or are we victims of circumstance?” He lowered his voice. “If you can’t be altruistic, be selfish. The sooner I can focus on my work again, the sooner we can get back to your lessons.”
She wrapped an arm around her waist and rested the opposite elbow on it, tapping her fist against her mouth. None of this should be happening. How had she ended up here? It was ridiculous to even consider getting involved with this man. Her client. Someone she was lying to.
Then why was she contemplating saying yes?
“It’s only dinner,” he said, tilting his head.
“I shouldn’t.”
Stay strong, Chelsea. Do the right thing.
He breached her personal space. “Do you want to?”
He smelled incredible. So much for fortitude. She leaned her forehead against his chest. “I need some time.”
“How about two hours? Our reservation is for eight thirty.”
She shouldn’t entertain this notion. But she was. What was happening to her? Why was she willing to risk everything she’d worked for on a genius with the fate of the technological world on his broad shoulders?
A
S SOON AS
she closed the front door of the Andersons’ home behind her, Chelsea brought up the favorites screen on her cell and pressed the first contact listed.
“Were your ears tingling?” India asked. “I was just bragging to a couple of coworkers how I know someone who’s friends with Ellis York. I contend it makes me a friend by association.”
Love and warmth flooded her at the sound of her foster sister’s voice. She dropped her purse on the table in the foyer. “I told you, we’re not friends. I worked with her a couple of years ago.”
“She’s in that new big-budget drama movie and that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t thinned out her entourage and polished up her image. She should be begging you to be her bestie.”
Chelsea laughed. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who holds that opinion. How’s work going? Have you gotten to the beach yet? The water is probably too cold for swimming, but you can wade in to your ankles.”
“I know there are lakes nearby, but Nashville isn’t known for their beaches. I’ll have to check them out.”
“Wait, Nashville? I thought you were working at that resort in Charleston?”
“I was, until they reassigned me to their nursery. You know I don’t do kids and I wasn’t about to spend hours watching other people’s children when they’re either too lazy or too selfish to do it themselves.”
The words were harsh but Chelsea knew they originated from pain. She’d been fortunate that her stint in the foster care system had only been eight months. For Indi, it’d been twelve years . . .
“What made you choose Nashville? You’re not into country music.”
“I didn’t plan on staying here. One of the girls from the resort is an aspiring singer and she’d saved up enough money to make a go of it. When she announced she was driving to Nashville, I caught a ride. I figured I’d hang out for a day or two and make my way down to Key West.”
“That’s not an efficient travel route.”
Indi continued as if Chelsea hadn’t spoken. “But one thing led to another and—”
“You’ve set up short term residence in the fifty-ninth city in the past eight years.”
“Stop exaggerating. It hasn’t been that many.”
“Close to it.”
“What can I say, I’m a citizen of the world. I’m not meant to be tied down.”
Chelsea had called Indi seeking advice, but was filled with second thoughts hearing her so blithe and carefree. She spruced up her frustration with gaiety. “And my sympathy to the person who tries.”
“You know me too well.” Indi paused. “As I know you. You sound odd. What’s up?”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you’re not. You called me and your voice
does
sound weird. What’s going on?”
Chelsea kicked off her shoes and strode over to the window in the great room. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the fingertips of her left hand to the cool glass and blurted out, “I’ve met someone.”
Indi uttered a soft curse. “Is that all?” A rush of expelled air and then, “That’s nothing new. You’re always meeting someone. Who is he?”
“It’s Adam Bennett.”
“That name sounds familiar.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes heavenward. “
People
’s Sexiest Man Alive last year.”
Indi shrieked and Chelsea pulled the phone away from her ear.
“
That
Adam Bennett? He’s hot. You can see his intelligence and passion vibrating off of him. And those eyes.” She sighed. “Wait, wasn’t he involved with Birgitta?”
“Yes.” Chelsea pictured the mono-monikered leggy Scandinavian model with her trademark ice-blond pixie cut and pale blue eyes. Another reason not to get involved with Adam. Who wanted to follow her?
“How did you meet him?”
“He’s the important client my promotion hinges on.”
“Oh.” That one word carried weighty significance, and Chelsea knew Indi understood her dilemma.
“I can’t get involved with him. It wouldn’t be professional.”
“Oh, please. You’ve never let anything get in the way of your career. You’re one of the most professional people I’ve ever met. Jump his bones.”
“Why am I not surprised? Not everyone believes in free love and living in the moment.”
“They should. They’d be a hell of a lot happier. Besides, I’ve seen that man. He looks like a dark sex god. And you have the opportunity to be with him?”
“I do.”
“Then what’s the issue? Go for it. You’re not talking forever, right? Just a little fun?”
“He made me an avatar.”
“What?”
“An avatar. Like in a video game.”
“I know what avatars are. I’m surprised that you do.”
“I know about video games.”
“Dance Dance Revolution doesn’t count,” Indi said, snidely.
“Very funny.” She left the window and settled into an oak rocking chair. She pulled one leg beneath her and used the other to set the rocker in motion. “He wanted me to play this game with him. One of those adventure games where you go on missions. He didn’t like the selection of avatars available, called it ‘narrow-minded.’ So he hijacked it and made one that looked like me. Curly hair, skin tone, everything.”
Silence hummed on the phone between them.
“That has to be one of the most romantic things I’ve ever heard,” Indi finally said.
“I know, right?”
“So, you’re saying this might be more than just a little fun?”
“Maybe.”
“Where are you?”
“In the mountains of Northern California.”
“And you’re with him?”
“For the most part.”
“How long?”
“A few weeks.”
“Is he pressuring you?” she asked.
“No. He’s not pressuring me. It’s the situation. I don’t have a lot of time to work with him, and he says he can’t focus until he knows what’s going on between us. He said I’m a distraction.”
Indi whistled, then laughed. “That’s a line if I ever heard one.”
Chelsea nodded, even though Indi couldn’t see her. “Normally I’d agree. But not with Adam. He means it. He doesn’t lie.”
“Everyone lies.”
Chelsea shifted in the chair, uneasily aware of her own deception. “I know it sounds naïve, but he doesn’t. He’s direct, sometimes to the point of rudeness.”
“Since when are we attracted to men who are rude?”
“This from the woman who took up with the French soccer player who abandoned her in Denmark?”
“Well played, sir. But in my defense, he was sexy as hell.” Indi’s laugh trailed off and her tone took on a mantle of seriousness. “It’s been difficult for me to let people into my life. You’ve been the rare exception. And when I was being a special kind of brat, you told me we only get one life and we needed to live it with purpose and to the fullest. Now, while you probably intended for that advice to steer me toward law school, it changed my life. Be smart enough to heed your own counsel.”
Tears burned Chelsea’s eyes. “I hear you.”
“Good.” Indi cleared her throat. “You know your purple and light blue silk scarf? The one you wore to dinner the night I got to LA this last time? The one I really liked?”
The one Chelsea suddenly realized she couldn’t remember finding when she packed.
“Yesss,” she said, dragging the word out, confident she wasn’t going to be pleased by what Indi said next.
“Yeah, well I borrowed it and I . . . uh, kind of forgot it when I left Charleston.”
“Indi!”
“I know, I know and I’m so sorry. I’ll replace it, I promise. Nashville has some awesome boutiques.”
“Unless you want to avail yourself of some of LA’s hostel accommodations the next time you visit, you’d better.”
Chelsea ended the call, but she continued to rock. Adam asked her to dinner. As a way to find out if there was actually something between them or if the events that brought them together was enhancing the effect. Despite the time crunch, it was a logical request. Especially if it turned out to be the latter. Then he could get back to work, she could get back to their lessons, and in a week she’d leave with everything she always wanted.
But what if it was the former? What if there was something between them? How would they handle that knowledge? On a date? And with the fire heating his eyes, there was a chance the night might end with more than a handshake at the door, despite what he said. Was she ready for that? Once they took that step, there was no taking it back. And it would affect what she was here to do.
But it was more than their working relationship. She was lying to him. If they acknowledged something was between them, did she have the strength to still push him away, not wanting to sleep with him under false pretenses? Questions tumbled around, like a mental lottery ball machine, making her head hurt from the numerous possibilities. It was so much for her to think about and she’d been thinking for so long. Calculating every move to get where she wanted to be. Where she needed to be. Suddenly, she wanted to let go of everything that tethered her in this world and follow him into his.