Page 12

Chapter Twelve

Luke

I stand backstage, tapping my foot on the floor, waiting for my chance to go onto the stage. When my phone buzzes and I take it from my pocket, I realize my hand is trembling slightly.

Sera: You've got this, Luke. You're doing the right thing.

Luke: Thanks. For the first time in a long time, I'm nervous.

Sera: I don't blame you, but you're going to do great.

Luke: And I've got a reward in the shape of a curvy genius AI guru waiting for me after to console me.

Sera: There is that.

Steve approaches me, his typical grimace shaping his lips. I almost tell him he should get it copyrighted. "You good?"

"I'm great," I tell him. "We've got to do this, so there's no point umming and ahhing over it."

"Other companies would hide something like this."

"Yep... and when it leaked, they'd appear even more foolish."

"Do you believe we have a mole?"

"I don't know," I say. "But that crap with Damien watching us has got me on-edge."

No one else saw Damien. Steve narrows his eyes for a moment. He tries to hide it, but I can see the judgment there, the unspoken implication that I conjured Damien up out of thin air.

Soon, it's time for me to walk onto the stage. I search for Sera in the crowd. She's got her hair tucked up in a bun, a pencil through it, wearing smart business clothes that make her look capable and gorgeous.

"Ladies and gents, thank you for coming," I say. "There are CEOs who would hide in the shadows at a time like this, but as you know, I've always been straight with our customers. Ever since our first self-driving car mistook a golf course for a highway all those years ago, I've been honest."

This gets a laugh from the audience. Sera's smile urges me on.

"In that spirit, I have something I need to share with you all," I continue. "While our other products are completely safe and protected – and I have to stress this – we have gone above and beyond, and, in three years, haven't had a single incident – the prototype I was intending to show tomorrow has encountered issues."

I scan the crowd for signs of Damien. I felt sorry for him when he first came to me with misguided ideas about his place in the company. He has the motive, but how the hell would he gain access to our code?

"Someone has sabotaged the code to the AI we were planning on unveiling," I say. "Prompting it to make distressing and counterproductive statements."

When I use the word 'sabotage', people whisper, exchanging anxious looks with each other. A tense atmosphere descends over the room. Many have already got their phones out, texting frantically. The news spreading, then.

"We are going to sort this out," I say firmly. "I wanted you all to be aware of the truth. We, as a company, do not hide. We don't trick our customers. It's the reason we have built so much trust..."

Thirty minutes later, I'm sitting in the back of a car with Sera at my side. She massages my shoulder gently. "You did really well."

"I'm thinking Steve was right," I mutter, looking down at my phone, at my feeds, at the shitstorm the admission has caused. “Look at this headline ‘Sabotage or More? What are they hiding?’ People are calling the entire company into question. I should've explained that the prototype code was more accessible than the final products will be. I should've emphasized that our regular product lineup is entirely unaffected."

"You emphasized that," she says.

"I did?"

"Hey..." She touches my hand, lowering my phone from my gaze. "Try not to torture yourself, Luke. You did everything you could do. You did the right thing."

I let my head fall back, groaning. "Maybe it wasn't enough. I just wish I knew who did it... if it was Damien, how did he get access?"

"How many companies provided contractors for the code?"

"Three," I tell her. "That was clearly a mistake, too. It's the first time I've cut corners on cost, and look where it landed me. From now on, no outsiders... sorry."

"I get it," she says softly. "But for the record, it wasn't us. You fly back in the morning?"

"Yeah." I take her hand, mentally pushing everything else away. "Which means we need to make tonight count. I've rented out the Waldorf Astoria SkyBar. I know how much you loved the view from our first date, so for our last, I wanted to give you another..."

She squeezes my hand tightly. "Our last," she repeats.

"For now."

The driver takes us to her hotel. I wait in the car, texting manically, and then I couldn't focus on texting even if I wanted to. When she returns, she's wearing a green dress that clings to her figure, emphasizing her wide hips and her delicious curves. Her hair is loose around her shoulders, giving her a sexy, tousled look.

She captivates my attention.

I climb from the car, opening the door for her. She brushes her hand across my stomach.

"You look amazing," I tell her, climbing in after her.

"It's funny. When I bought this dress, I honestly didn't think I'd have time to wear it. It was a what-if purchase."

"You look perfect."

She grabs my shirt and pulls herself close, breathing in shakily as she leans in for a kiss. I press my lips against hers, tasting her, savoring her.

For the rest of the ride, I keep my phone in my pocket. We use the back entrance to the top-floor bar. Soon, we're alone together with views of Vegas. Sera walks to the window. I walk up behind her, folding my arms around her, pressing my body against hers.

My desire responds instantly, heat surging through me. She wriggles against me. "I thought we were here to eat..."

"Maybe that's exactly what I'm thinking..."

I kiss her neck, then turn her around and find her lips. Her breasts press against my chest as my erection strains against my pants like it's trying to break free from my zipper.

Leading her to the table, I gesture at the camera.

"Did you tell the staff to hide until you need them?" she asks.

"I wanted to be alone with you, truly alone," I tell her. "At least until Vegas gets busy and we can lose ourselves in it."

"Lose ourselves?"

"All the times I've visited for the conference, and you know what? I've never actually gambled," I admit.

"Doesn't this feel like taking a chance? Go on—puke. My cheesiness is too much to handle, right?"

I smirk. "This can't be gambling. I've already won the prize. There—I one-upped you."

When the waiter arrives, we order a shared platter and some sparkling water.

"Sparkplug," I say, taking her hand and looking deeply into her eyes. "I am aware you want to avoid discussing the difficulties of a long-distance relationship, but frankly, I see myself messaging you, at the very least. Let's say I do that. What will you do? Block my number?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?"

"If you did," I say fiercely, "you'd wake up one day to find your entire building shaking as a helicopter landed on the roof."

"Ha, I doubt my building meets helicopter landing codes."

"Then you better give me the right answer."

"We can text," she murmurs. "I was considering long distance. When it has an endpoint, I think people can manage it. When it's for a month, a year even, or longer, they can't tolerate it. But could it work if it was only long distance?"

"Don't forget a billionaire's ability to visit whenever he likes."

"But you'll be busy. I'm aware of how hard you work."

I squeeze her hand comfortingly. "You've given me permission to text you. That's all I need."

She rolls her eyes. "Like you need permission."

"You're right. I meant what I said about the helicopter. But even if every vehicle I own broke down, I'd run across the country if you ghosted me."

"You're so silly," she says, laughing.

"Until you, I wasn't silly at all. You bring it out in me and make the world seem brighter. My problems seem very, very far away when I'm with you."