Venture Forward (20 page)

A loud beeping sound jolted her from the reverie. “What the hell is that?”

“My phone. I forgot to turn off the ringer.”

“I guess maybe you had other stuff on your mind last night.”

“Guess so.”

How the hell was she supposed to navigate the sticky little situation they’d created? Was everything really fine between them like he’d said? Were they still friends, or had this taken them to some unknown point beyond that? The same nagging voice peppering her with questions quickly reminded her she wanted more than he’d ever give. Argh! It figured. Not only was he gorgeous and brilliant, but of course he had to be a freaking sex god to boot.

Another obnoxious ping from the phone.

“Um, do you want to get that? Sounds like someone’s desperate to talk to you.”

He grabbed the phone, running a hand through his mussed hair. Whatever he saw on the screen transformed his expression from relaxed to… well, anything but.

“Is everything okay?”

His jaw was set. Not good. “I have to go.”

“Oh, okay, sure.” Tears sprang to her eyes as she got out of bed and gathered her clothes, but she refused to let him witness the inevitable. Don’t fall apart now. This was bound to happen.

“Avery.”

She grabbed her tank top and pulled it on, avoiding his eyes “Yes?”

“I’m sorry I need to take off so soon. It’s not what I planned.”

“Really, don’t worry about it. We both knew what this was. No strings, no questions, right?” She stepped into the shorts and yanked them up. “Um, I’m going to jump in the shower, okay?” Clenching her teeth, she finally made eye contact before her emotions bubbled over and drowned her in a sea of self-pity, rejection, and heartbreak. A final forced smile made her face feel like it was going to crack at any second. “It was fun.”

Once inside the lavish marble bathroom, she locked the door. He couldn’t even say anything in response? After that ridiculously amazing night? Their intense connection? It wasn’t one-sided, it couldn’t have been. But judging by his reaction, this was the end of the line. He’d always made his thoughts about relationships crystal-clear. One night, no strings, no headaches. She turned on the shower, watching the steam rise out of the glass enclosure.

Moments later, the door closed. He was gone. The finality hit her like a ton of bricks, and she slid to the floor, finally allowing the tears to flow. It still stung, worse than a hive full of wasps.

“
YOU LOOK LIKE SHIT
. Rough night?”

Paul pulled off his sunglasses and tossed them onto the desk. “I didn’t sleep well, and then you texted me at an ungodly hour. Are you going to tell me what’s so urgent?”

“How was the wedding?”

“Good.”

“Avery was there, wasn’t she?”

“She was a bridesmaid.”

“Uh-huh. And…” A.J. raised his eyebrows, an expectant look on his face. “…did something happen?”

“Is this why you dragged me back to town? To badger me about my night?”

“I wish that was the case, but we’ve got a problem.”

“What the hell could have happened since Friday? Does the press
ever
take a break?”

“This hasn’t hit the press.
Yet
.” A.J. slid a folder across the desk.

“Where the hell did this come from?”

“I don’t know. It was messengered over on Friday afternoon, no name included. I waited as long as I could to get in touch, but we have to deal with this.”

“What the fuck? Who even knows about this? We took care of the evidence!”

“Somebody has intel, and if they leak the story, it’ll put a nail in your coffin.”

“Great, thanks for the commentary. What are we going to do about it?”

“We need to figure out who’s behind it. Someone knows what happened between you and Ray Androtti, and they’re threatening to go to the press. If that happens, you’re fucked, and I’ll have to do a hell of a lot of damage control to keep Blue Coat’s doors open.”

It had always been a matter of time before the potential scandal with his former business partner came back to haunt him, just like everything else in his life.

“Whoever sent this was sitting on the information, probably foaming at the mouth for an opportunity to use it. Someone wants to take you down. It can’t be Androtti. He’s got too much to lose if he takes a potshot at you.”

“I have no idea who it could be.”

“You better start thinking. I can’t fix this without more information. You can’t sit around with your dick in your hand, waiting for the next demand to come. We have a business to run.”

Thinking was all he could seem to do, but it wasn’t about his career. It was about the woman he’d left behind in Napa, the one he needed to stay far away from… now more than ever. He couldn’t pull her into this downward spiral. Any association with him would cripple CrowdRok.

“Paul? Are you with me?”

“Sorry. I just need a little time to soak it in and figure out what to do next.”

“Okay. I’ll dig around in the meantime.”

“Let me know what you find out.” Numbness paralyzed his heart, all farfetched hopes for a normal future dissipating like smoke into nothingness.

“Paul, I didn’t mean to be a prick before. We just need to find the person behind the threats before any more damage is done.”

“Don’t worry about it. I put myself in the situation. I’ll handle it.”

“
JESUS CHRIST, TINA! DID
you see this!” Avery shook the magazine in front of her.

Tina’s eyes widened. “Oh my God.”

The cover of
Newsweek
was graced with two drop-dead gorgeous men — a composite of Peter Everly and Paul Emerson.

“I’m a freaking bestselling author, and all I want is for that book to disappear forever.”

“Have you spoken to him at all?”

“No.”

“No texts or emails?”

“Nothing!” Gulping down the last ruby-red droplets of wine, she stared at the cheering college basketball fans on the large flat-screen television. Even watching her beloved Duke Blue Devils trounce the Kentucky Wildcats did nothing to lift her spirits. “I’ve really screwed things up this time. I was supposed to tell him the truth, and instead I ended up sleeping with him. Do you know the worst part? I took a risk, put myself out there, and he couldn’t get away fast enough the next morning.” She pressed a throw pillow to her face, her voice muffled. “I knew he’d run. He always does.”

“Maybe he needs some time to process everything. I mean, you guys took kind of a major step.”

“I just wish I didn’t care.”

“I know. I’m sorry things turned out this way, but if he can’t see what a fantastic girl you are, then—”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway. You know I can’t handle relationships.
I
know I can’t handle relationships. Hell, I don’t even know what a normal relationship
is
, but I still can’t move past this goddamned rejection. Why?”

“You know the answer to that. What I don’t understand is why you can’t admit it.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Because it’s all wrong. Everything about it. It’s… whatever the hell
it
is… all bullshit! I’m scared because of the way I feel, disgusted about what I’ve done, and panicked about what happens next. I can’t fix this. Even without the book, I’d still make a mess of everything. I just don’t have it in me.”

“That’s the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard. You’re avoiding how you feel, and, for once, it’s real. Just come clean about everything. It’s obviously eating you up inside. I know it’s scary, and I know you think you’re too damaged to get involved, but you’re already there, so just
tell
him.”

“Tell him what?”

Tina smiled. “That you love him.”

A DEEP BREATH DID
nothing to steady her racing pulse. She shifted her weight as the elevator crept up to the Blue Coat offices the following afternoon. It had been two weeks since the wedding, and Paul had finally emailed her about a SportSensor meeting with James. There was evidently an important update that couldn’t wait until Chris and Mia returned from their honeymoon.

What the fuck was that all about? An
email
? He couldn’t even bother to pick up the phone, a clear indication there was little desire to salvage whatever shreds of friendship remained between them. The only reason she’d even agreed to the meeting was to make up for the mess caused by her book. It was the only thing she could do to assuage her guilt. But trying to do the right thing was slowly twisting and turning the ever-present knife in her heart.

“Hi, Avery, I’ll let him know you’re here.” Alison flashed a pleasant smile at her as she walked into the lobby, but there was something else in her expression. Amusement? Curiosity? Judgment? Jesus, did everyone know what had happened between them at the wedding?

“Avery.”

The sound of his deep husky voice made her jump. “Oh, hi.” He looked so incredibly sexy, yet uncharacteristically unkempt. His hair was carelessly tousled, and stubble peppered his chin. But it was the heaviness in his eyes that made her stomach churn.

“Thanks for coming. James is in the conference room.” He held out his arm to lead her down the hallway.

Her breaths grew shallow as if all air was being squeezed out of her lungs. How could he be so cold? Ah, no questions, no strings, remember? Still, a part of her wanted him to come back for more. She wanted to feel desired. Lord knew she wanted
him
, over and over again.

Paul pushed open the door to the conference room where James was pacing by the large picture window.

“Avery, hey, it’s good to see you again.”

Paul collapsed into a chair. “Avery, I asked you to come in today to see if you can keep working with Chris and James. They’ve made some good hiring decisions based on your input, and you’ve provided great feedback on sensor design and function. They’d like to discuss your future involvement with SportSensor, if you’re interested.”

“Oh, definitely. I think this is a fantastic concept, and I’d love to continue working with all of you. There are a lot of really great—”

“Good, Chris and James will be your primary contacts going forward so you can determine how best to collaborate.”

She looked at Paul, brow furrowed. Why was he being so abrupt and formal? It wasn’t as if she was some random person off the street. “I’m not sure I understand.”

Paul met her confused gaze. “I’m pulling out of SportSensor.”

“But why? You’ve already gotten investors lined up, the athletic associations are on board. Why would you walk away now?”

“Because investors are threatening to pull the funding if Paul stays involved with the business.” James spoke up, a pained look on his face.

“Wh-why?”

“Evidently, my reputation is not one they want permeating the future of such a promising young company. My alleged ruthless business practices are overshadowing the investment, and it’s either me or them. Chris and James will be fine without me, but they can use your help from a strategic standpoint.”