Katie’s stomach lurched.

Holy shit.

She’d known about Carly, of course, her relationship with Aaron had been in all the tabloids and gossip blogs. But she’d also thought they’d broken up.

And she sure as shit knew Carly hadn’t spent last night with Aaron because it was Katie who’d ridden him to orgasm and then spent the night in his arms.

She needed some reassurance right now, a knowing smile that promised everything was fine and that the guy she’d been virtually screwing last night wasn’t some piece of shit who liked to juggle hotties and play with people’s feelings.

Katie turned to Aiko, her eyes wide. What the fuck?, she mouthed to her friend.

But Aiko was too distracted to catch Katie’s question.

“That fucking velociraptor!” she spat, grains of rice launching across the table. “Goddammit!” Aiko picked up her sushi plate and stood.

“Just bring your food,” she said. Stalking to the lounge exit, she beckoned impatiently for Katie to follow her. “Come on, I wanna know if she’s actually in the building, because if she is, I’m going have a new pair of lizard skin boots.”

Katie chased Aiko down the hallway, watching with amazement as E.I. employees parted in front of them, giving a wide berth to someone they’d obviously seen in the throws of a tantrum before.

“Are they still dating?” Katie asked in a rush, breathing heavy as they hopped in the empty elevator. “I thought–”

Aiko held up a hand. “They are not together,” she said firmly. “Aaron would never have hooked up with you if they were. She’s a flaming bitch who cheated on him with a photographer and then said, ‘It’s just business’ when he confronted her so–”

“Should you be telling me that?” Katie said, her mouth gaping “I really don’t think you should be telling me that.”

Aiko sighed. “Probably not. Fuck.”

“How do you even know that?” Katie asked. “What exactly do you do here? I thought you worked for Jack, but now you work here–”

“I do work for Jack,” Aiko said. Handing Katie her plate she fished her cellphone out of her pocket and began texting furiously. “I work for Jack, who owns a consulting company, so he loans me out for people who need consulting. Aaron needed our help.”

“Oh so… still doesn’t really answer the ques–.”

“I do whatever needs to be done,” Aiko said, thumbs still stabbing at the screen of her phone. “Whatever Aaron needs. My job is to protect all of his interests, any way I can.” Aiko slipped her phone in her pocket and took her plate back from Katie. “Today,” she said, stuffing another piece of sushi in her mouth, “I’m hoping that involves murder.”

* * *

Unbelievable.

Aaron’s ex-girlfriend had just totally hijacked his interview, heavily implied that the two of them were back together, and managed to ensure that the next few days of the tech world news cycle wouldn’t be about his companiy’s innovations in virtual reality, but rather about E.I.’s CEO screwing a super model. The worst part was he’d been too stunned when it was happening to contradict her. To say anything.

Un-fucking-believable.

Aaron ripped off his visor and unstrapped himself from the rig. As he was stepping out of it he saw Aiko burst into the demo bay, Katie trailing behind her.

The last time he’d seen her she’d been in his arms, now here she was, in the flesh. It was really nice flesh.

“Is she here?” Aiko demanded, her gaze darting over the other rigs in the demo bay. “Is Carly here?”

Aaron shook his head and accepted a bottle of water an employee held out for him. “She’s not here,” he said, unscrewing the cap. “Her agent got her a private session in one of our demo sites out in California. How could you think I’d let her in here?”

Aaron took a swig of water and tried to catch Katie’s eye, but she was very obviously looking anywhere but at Aaron.

“No,” Aiko said, shaking her head. “You’re right, you wouldn’t. Okay, so listen I texted Malcolm, he’s on it. Do you want to firebomb her house or dump poison ivy oil into her water supply?”

Before Aaron could answer, a brunette in a smart blue pantsuit burst into the room, a collection of clipboard wielding minions in tow.

“That was brilliant!” crowed Susan Charles. “Why didn’t you tell me? Great idea, just what we needed.”

“I hate disappoint you Susan,” said Aaron. “That was all Carly’s idea.” He glanced at Katie, who’d wandered away from them, and was examining one of the rigs with an air of fascination, which was odd since she had a rig of her very own at her apartment. She’d used it last night, when they’d been together. Why was she pretending?

Oh. Boy am I stupid.

He noticed her posture. Katie stood stick straight. Her shoulders were rigid, neck stiff and her head was tilted casually, but really, she was listening…wasn’t she? Probably wondering what on earth was going on. He couldn’t blame her.

Aaron cleared his throat, raised his voice a little so she’d be sure to hear. “I’m not sure why Carly said what she did, but she and I are not together, and haven’t been for some time. In fact, Susan, I’d like you to clarify that to point to the press as soon as you can.”

Susan’s face fell. “Oh sir, I cannot recommend that at all. This is exactly what we need to distract from the fraud stories that came out this morning. It’s the perfect sexy celebrity juice that will get everyone talking, even blogs and magazines that ordinarily wouldn’t be interested in something they consider tech news. It will expand our organic reach incalculably.”

“Fuck,” said Aiko, staring at her phone. “She’s right, shit’s already on Jezebel.” Aiko turned, tapped Katie on the shoulder with her phone, then handed her a plate of sushi that Aaron just now realized she’d been carrying. She hit a few buttons and lifted her phone to her ear.

“What are you doing?” asked Aaron.

“Calling off Malcolm, I dunno if he had the surface to air missiles loaded yet, but I might be able to catch him in time.”

“Aik,” Aaron said, his tone a warning.

“I kid. I kid.” Aiko held up a hand and shrugged. “Sort of.” She turned her back and wandered away from them to make her call.

“Sir,” said Susan, stepping forward. “I realize it’s uncomfortable, but maybe I can come up with a contract. It might be good to have something formal, in writing, to clarify the terms of whatever press you and Ms. Carpenter are comfortable collaborating on.”

“None,” said Aaron. “None at all. That’s how much I’m comfortable with.”

Katie cleared her throat. It was a quiet sound, barely audible to anyone that wasn’t standing near her. Aaron looked over, and she caught his eye, gazing back with a grim smile.

“They’re right,” she said softly. “It’s good press. Don’t do something stupid on my account.”

“It’s not–” he began, but Susan cut him off.

“Great!” Susan’s eyes darted back and forth between Katie and Aaron so swiftly that he knew she was confused by the woman who’d just agreed with her, but she didn’t care enough to ask her name. “That’s settled,” said Susan. “We’ll–”

“No.” Aaron squeezed the water bottle and heard it crackle under his grip. “I said no.” It wasn’t just Katie, it wasn’t just the fact that he’d spent the night with her, and hoped there’d be another. It was that Carly had only injected herself into his life for her own selfish purposes. He couldn’t let that stand.

“Get on CNN,” he told Susan. “When they ask, and they will, clear it up.”

“But Sir,” Susan complained.

“That’ll be all.” Aaron turned his back on Susan and her team and gestured to Katie’s plates of sushi. “You gonna eat all that?” he asked. “I’m starving.”

* * *

She was here, alone with him, in the flesh, sitting in his office on the leather sofa across from him, nibbling on sushi and smirking at him shyly while he smirked back. There was so much to say. And he had no idea how to say it.

When the last bite of rainbow roll had been consumed, Aaron stood up, ready to give a charming and sincere speech. All he had to do was smooth over the awkward tension that lingered from the debacle downstairs, and they could move on to more appealing things. Like that second date. Maybe that could be tonight?

He took one look at her and lost his nerve. Those big brown eyes stared back at him, lush pink lips wet from the last sip of water she’d taken from her glass. All he wanted to do was pull her into his arms and taste those lips, experience the one pleasure he’d been craving all last night. The one thing that had been denied them both.

Katie’s eyelashes fluttered and she licked her lips, parting them slightly as if she too had something she wanted to say.

“I’m pretty sweaty, think I’ll go grab a quick shower.” Aaron said, before she could speak. “Don’t uh, don’t go anywhere.” He beat a hasty retreat to his executive bathroom muttering “coward” to himself the whole way.

But the shower turned out to be a good idea, because under the water, he came up with a plan. He’d take her out to a real dinner tonight. Somewhere nice, Italian or French. Somewhere with private booths and dim lighting. Somewhere he could hold her hand, push her hair back off her shoulder, play footsie under the table and finally…touch her. For real.

They’d gotten so close last night, and so fast. It had shocked him. It had been amazing, a sensory overload. She’d surprised him, delighted him, and flipped the script, tossing him to his back and riding his cock until he’d cum in his S-suit. He’d thrown that suit in the laundry himself, unwilling to have to explain it to his dry-cleaner.

He was eager to get her into bed. To feel her touch against his skin, and not the technical aesthetics of the of the S-suit. They’d take their time, no need to rush. When he finally got the real Katie in his arms, Aaron wanted to linger over every kiss.

When he left the bathroom, hair wet and a fresh shirt on his back, Aiko was with Katie and the flat screen on the far wall was on.

“Susan’s about to be on CNN,” said Aiko, popping her feet up on his coffee table. “I figured you’d want to see it.”

“You could’ve texted and told me that,” said Aaron frowning. He crossed to where she sat and kicked her feet off his coffee table.

“Don’t get pissy,” said Aiko. “You stole my lunch date. I’m the one that should be mad.”

Aaron bit back his retort when Susan’s face appeared on screen and the interview began.

The reporter talked about HyperLyfe, explained virtual reality to the audience and played a promotional clip they’d shared with the press. When the clip was over the camera cut back to Susan and the reporter got right to it, asking in a gossipy, playful tone if she could “get the exclusive on whether Aaron Eldridge and Carly Carpenter were back together?”

Susan smiled and paused, working her lower lip between her teeth for a moment.

Aaron crossed his arms over his chest, and Aiko grabbed his pant leg.

“Uh-oh,” she said.

“Relax,” said Aaron glancing at Katie. She seemed to have felt his eyes on her, because she looked up, caught his gaze and smiled prettily. “Susan knows what to say,” said Aaron, smiling back at Katie. “I told her–”

“Well Erin,” said Susan, her grin broadening. Aaron could see hesitation in her eyes. “They were really hoping to keep it private for a while, but yes, Carly and Mr. Eldridge have recently rekindled their romance, and as you saw today they are just adorable together–”

Aaron picked up the remote and turned off the flat screen.

“Slash her tires?” said Aiko, standing from the sofa. “Or how about we infest her apartment with bed bugs? I know a guy in Queens–”

“Fire her,” said Aaron. Crossing to his desk, he leaned against it and gripped the edge so tightly it bit into his palms. “Fire her and her whole team, and have Jack find me a new firm. We’ll release a statement clarifying the whole thing.”

“Nope.” Aiko crossed to him, shaking her head. “It’s done now. If we contradict this, we look like a fucking mess. We look like a company with drama that can’t control its people and a CEO that takes his personal life more seriously than his product.”

Aaron nodded and stared at his feet. He hadn’t bothered to put on shoes after his shower. He’d thrown on some jeans and a dress shirt and come out of that bathroom hoping to persuade Katie to let him take her on their second date. Now, there was no way they could be seen in public together until this nonsense with Carly died down, and that wasn’t going to happen any time soon.

Aaron ran a hand through his wet hair and groaned.

“Alright do me a favor and get out for a minute would ya?”

“What?” Aiko deadpanned and raised an eyebrow.

“Leave me and Katie alone for a sec so I can talk to her.”

“Jeez, fine.” Aiko left, and the second the door shut behind her, Aaron went to sit beside Katie on the sofa.

“I gotta be honest,” he said, meeting her curious gaze steadily. “I’m handling this situation a little differently than I would ordinarily and that’s because of you.”

“Please don’t,” she said, smoothing her hands over her thighs. “You’ve got so much going on right now, and you shouldn’t let personal issues get in the way of running your business.”

“No, but I won’t let my business ruin my personal life either,” he said. Since when, he thought? You’ve always let work ruin your relationships. Aaron groaned and leaned back, stretching his arms up over the back of the sofa.

Katie’s eyes lit up, and a tiny smile danced at the corner of her lips. He followed her gaze. She was looking at his arms. He snapped his gaze back to hers and saw her cheeks had pinked. She was remembering last night.

Aaron grinned slyly and winked at her. “Last night was…” he shook his head and laughed. “Words fail me.”

“Yeah, words have been failing me all day today,” she said, biting her lip. “I’m not the extrovert Aiko is–”

“Nobody on this planet is an extrovert like Aiko is,” said Aaron.

“No, nobody is quite like Aik.” Katie laughed, and he saw her shoulders relax a little. “But what I mean is, I’m not shy either, but…” Her fingers played with the hem of her sweater.

“But?” Aaron prompted.

“But you make me feel shy.” She blushed again and Aaron sat up. Extending one hand, he cupped Katie’s cheek in his palm and rubbed this thumb over soft pink skin.

“Wow.” They both said it at the same time.

Taking his hand from her cheek, Katie held it in her own.

“Cards on the table?” she said.

“Please.”

“I feel nervous and awkward, and it doesn’t make any sense. Last night, I was so comfortable with you. Just totally free and…why–”

“I feel it too,” he said quickly. “I think it’s actually because of last night. I told you I’ve played in HL before, sexually.”

Katie nodded.

“But Carly and I never did. And I didn’t cheat on her,” he clarified quickly. “The times I played were before she and I were together. But when I did play, it was anonymous. Nobody I knew, just complete strangers.”

“And we’re not.”

“No, but we don’t know each other very well, either.”

Not yet, he thought, and from the fresh blush in her cheeks he guessed she was thinking the same. Bolstered, he figured he could go ahead and share the rest of his theory.

“Remember I told you I was looking at this month in VR as sort of an experiment?”

Katie nodded and stared at their joined hands. Her fingers tracing distracting little circles over the back of his hand.

“Well last night,” he said, trying not to think about how soft her skin was, how good she smelled and how tight the crotch of his jeans seemed to be. “You and I collected a huge amount of data from each other, and we kind of skipped some standardized courtship steps in the process. In a way, it was like being drunk. Our inhibitions were lifted because of the environment and now, today, we’re paying for it. Things moved fast and so maybe…we just need to slow it down.”

She looked up.

“Maybe go on that second date?” he said.

“Okay but…” Katie bit her lip and her eyebrows knit like she was worried, or embarrassed, or…Aaron wasn’t entirely sure, but he really didn’t want her abusing her lip like that. He cupped her cheek again, and slid his thumb over to gently pry her bottom lip free.

“There now, don’t do that.” He smiled. “You were saying?”

“We could slow it down,” said Katie smiling around his thumb. “Or we could just speed it all the way up.”

She jumped him, and they both fell back on the sofa. The length of her body molded against him, soft and warm and smelling of vanilla and something else that he couldn’t quite pin down–but it reminded him of chocolate chip cookies–and all he wanted do was eat her up.

Her face was in his hands, her cheeks smushed up between his palms so that her plump lips were pouting above his, just within reach, just begging to be kissed.

“Aaron,” she breathed his name, and her breath was hot against his skin. “I want–”

The office door banged open and Aaron heard a whistle.

“Oh, that is priceless. Sorry to cock-block ya KitKat,” said Aiko. “But they need the bossman downstairs.”