Chapter Sixteen

Booker

Goddamn stupid app.

I glare at my computer screen, then I glare at my closed office door. I know she’s behind it, somewhere. Out there.

Just waiting to see what my reaction will be.

What is my reaction? I barely know. I’m pissed, but I can’t quite pinpoint why. The truth is, this is entirely my fault. I let this go too far, and now both of us have to pay the price.

Whatever that may be.

I should have dropped my account well before the photo reveal. I should have tested the product and then bailed when it was obvious I was getting in too deep.

Idiot. Moron. Asshole. How could I have lost control of this situation? I never lose control.

Ever.

I glance down at my phone. Deleting the app was a good idea, but of all the worst things in the world, I miss her.

Goddammit. I miss someone who doesn’t even exist!

How do I know Sasha and Angel are one and the same? That Angel isn’t just some online persona Sasha uses to lure men in? The truth is that I don’t. I don’t know anything. I’m completely in the dark about what to do next, and I can’t fathom speaking to another human being until I figure out what the hell I’m going to do.

I try and focus on my work. I want to see if there was a way I could have prevented this—prevented our pictures from being revealed. I tap into the back-end and poke around, trying different glitches to halt the reveal.

A knock on my door disrupts my concentration. I don’t respond.

Another knock.

Is it her? Is she going to confront me? Am I ready for that? I don’t think I am. Maybe I should go on a long business trip to Europe for a month, then come back. By then, I’ll have fucked a few other women, gotten Angel out of my system, and Sasha and I can pretend none of this ever happened.

The thought of dismissing Angel like that has me pissed at myself again. What kind of man am I? I’m starting to sound like Kieran. At least the women I’ve been with have understood that emotions were not part of the deal. That isn’t the case with Angel… Sasha. She knows more about me now than anyone on Earth.

I shouldn’t have been so open. I should have been thinking with my head. Somehow, my dick and heart got involved, and now we’re tangled in this absolute disaster of a mess.

There’s a third knock, louder this time.

“For fuck’s sake, what?” I bellow at the closed door.

It opens, and Lucy peeks in. Her eyes are wide, her lips pressed together. Her shoulders are hunched.

She’s afraid of me.

Great. Now I have my staff openly fearing me in my own office. Perfect.

“What is it, Miss Shone?” I do my best to gentle my tone, but she still has her guard up.

“It’s well past lunch time, Mr. Knight. I wanted to see if you needed anything to eat.”

Considerate. I should have been nicer. Still, I can’t lift my mood as I stare at her. Am I hungry? Not for food. My stomach was twisted in knots all damn night, and when I couldn’t take it anymore, I came into the office and barricaded myself in.

“I appreciate you checking in, Miss Shone. No, I am fine. Thank you.”

She hesitates, which is unlike her. Usually Lucy accepts orders and moves on, like a good assistant. What is she up to today? Is everyone on a mission to drive me insane?

“Are you sure, sir? I think maybe a sandwich or some soup might be just the thing to lift your spirits.”

“Thank you, but no. Is there anything else?”

Her eyebrows narrow at my curt tone. Again, unusual. Since when has Lucy responded emotionally to any of my work demands? Has she always been this way, and I just never noticed until my own emotions decided to wake up?

Ugh.

“You have a few messages, and Kieran has called for you several times today.”

“I’ll bet he has,” I grumble.

“Sir?”

“You can bring in the messages. I’ll take a look at them.”

“Very good, sir,” she says, perking up a little. Lucy likes to be useful, I realize. Maybe I should utilize her more often. It certainly beats calling Sasha into my office, with her stunning hair and perfectly plump lips and that personality that’s managed to entangle my soul in a twisted and complicated jumble.

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit.

Lucy saunters back in and bends over as she places my messages on my desk before me. I’m granted a brief view of her ample cleavage before she straightens back up and smiles down at me.

“I don’t know what’s happened, sir, but I’m sure everything will work out fine.”

“Why would you assume anything is wrong?” I ask.

Something’s changed about her. It feels as though she’s trying to tempt me, to seduce me, but I must be projecting. Now that I know who Angel really is, perhaps I’m seeing things that aren’t there. Perhaps I’m overly suspicious that all the women in this office have been somehow playing me this entire time.

Of course, that’s insane. But still. This feels weird.

“I don’t know. You never lock yourself away like this. Also you screamed at me just for knocking on the door to check on you.”

A little pout drops her lip, and I frown.

“I’m sorry for that. It was unprofessional, and it won’t happen again. You are right that I’m dealing with something, but it shouldn’t be reflected here or on anyone who works here. Forgive me.”

She lifts a dark eyebrow in surprise. Do I really not apologize that often? I feel like I do. That’s twice in one week that people have seemed surprised by this action. Perhaps I’m not as considerate as I give myself credit for.

Then again, considerate doesn’t tend to make one rich. Or does it? Can I allow myself to let human emotions exist in a world that has made me a very wealthy man without them?

Too deep. Don’t want to think about it.

“I understand. The launch is coming up soon and it’s a stressful time. Just know that you’re a very smart, very successful man, Mr. Knight. This is going to be the greatest launch yet.”

Her smile is filled with encouragement, but I can’t bring myself to smile back at her. Let her think that my anger stems from work stress.

In a way, it kind of does.

“Thanks again. You can close the door on the way out, please.”

With that dismissal, she nods and does as I ask. The door closes with a quiet click, and I’m left in peace once again.

Well, whatever kind of peace this is. It’s more like a personal hell, isn’t it?

I sift through the messages on my desk. Most of them are shitty hints from Kieran, taunts and threats to hit on Angel. I’m going to kill him. What if Lucy caught wind of what this actually meant? The best thing I can do is protect us both by keeping this deeply under wraps.

I hate secrets. I hate hiding. Rage fills my chest as I realize what a huge mistake I’ve made. More anger piles on top of that when I realize that deep down, I don’t regret it. It was nice to open up to Angel, to feel connected to another human being.

Why couldn’t that human being have been anyone else?

I growl and pace around my office a few times to release pent up energy. After my heart rate slows, I take a seat and open up a project I haven’t started on yet. I can’t look at that stupid app another minute if I want to keep my sanity. There is plenty to do starting up the new project, so I bury myself in that work. The sun crosses the sky behind me. Eventually it sinks below the horizon, and I continue to work in the dark, the glow of the screen my only source of light. Only when my eyes start to cross with exhaustion do I decide to turn off the screen and call it a day.

It’s well after hours. I should be safe leaving now, anyway. I shut off my computer and stand. My arms reach into the air as muscles in my back creak from being inert for so long. I should have gotten up and taken breaks, but that would have meant taking a chance on letting my mind think.

I can’t afford to let that happen. Not if I want to keep myself from going nuts.

I pack up my work bag, fully prepared to busy my mind with this project all night if I need to. A busy mind is productive and keeps those nasty little thoughts at bay. When I open my door, I peek out first to check if the coast is clear. The hallway is dark, the cubes all empty.

Good sign.

I can’t help but glance over at Sasha’s office. It’s empty. In this moment, I feel like a complete coward. I’m hiding from a woman, and for what? Because I don’t want to face the fact that she knows I’m a human being and not some money-crazed robot?

I release a breath and close my door behind me. My footsteps are muted as I walk to the elevator. I hear it ding, and the doors open. Clearly, I’m not the only one working late.

Great.

I consider stopping. I could wait for the doors to close, then take the next ride down. I really don’t want to talk to anyone. Of course, I’m being an idiot, though. Just take the fucking elevator. It’s time to go home.

When I reach the elevator, the doors are still open. Inside, a woman turns and presses a button, then her gaze collides with mine.

Sasha.

Of course. Of fucking course.

We stare at one another. The doors start to close, and I wonder if she’s going to let them. She holds her hand out, and they fling back open. She moistens her lips and glances down, then back up at me.

“Mr. Knight… Booker… I didn’t know. You have to believe that I had no ill intentions when this all happened. I honestly just wanted to test the app, and then I started to have feelings for… for…”

I continue to watch her. She’s wearing a nice blouse and a skirt, though both are a little wrinkled from a day at work. Her hair is tied back in a tasteful bun. Her green eyes are wide and scared and vulnerable.

In her, I see Angel. It’s clear as day to me now. Still, I don’t move.

She stammers beneath my steely gaze.

“I… I want you to know how much this company means to me. I would never do anything to jeopardize what you’ve created, what you’ve built. I need you to understand…”

I’m barely able to focus on what she’s saying anymore. I step forward and cross the distance between us. I take her face between my palms, and I press my lips against hers.

They’re just as luscious as I imagined.

Her body goes tense at the unexpected contact, but she soon melts beneath my touch. She wraps her arms around my shoulders as I deepen the kiss. I nudge at her lips with my tongue and delve inside, exploring the sweet cavern of her mouth.

She moans against my lips, and I grasp her hair as I pull her closer, enveloping her with my body. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted, and I can’t get enough.

Sasha will be mine.