Page 168 of Soul Mates: Hercules Valentine and I

“Fee. Not salary. I can’t be on your payroll.”

“Okay. Fee.”

“And what about Benny?”

He throws his arms up. “Come on, Paisley. It’s hard enough for the guy to take money from me. He’s never going to take money from the sexy girl who devours his hot dogs.”

We’re staring at each other again, resisting the urge to just do it. It doesn’t have to be deep tonguing, can’t-get-enough-of-each-other kissing. A small, yet sensual one will do.

Our breaths crash against each other.

He’s engaged, Paisley.I don’t care if his relationship isn’t real. I have to change the subject. I lean away from him. “Um…”

“But is that so? You created Killer Firewall. The software was released when we were in high school.”

I’m glad he changed the subject before I could. I tell him all about how I made the software. I initially made it for the CodeOrama competition. But I always aimed to make something GIT could use, and I finally did it. So I had to whip up a new project real quick while GIT took Killer Firewall.

Hercules kicks his legs out, making himself more comfortable. “Damn, I always knew you were brilliant. I always wanted to know how you did it.”

“You did?” I ask in a high-pitched, highly inquisitively voice.

“Yeah. You were just…” I’m staring into his sexy eyes yet again. “Different.”

“You too,” I say.

“That night of the party, I came for you,” he says.

My heart raps against my chest like it wants me to open my heart and give him full access to me.

“I came for you,” I whisper.

Our lips are like magnets in need of connecting. Finally, I swallow hard. Desire made my throat dry.

“Do you know why our families hate each other?” I ask.

“No,” he whispers then clears his throat. “No one will tell me.”

“Me neither.” Suddenly, I’m angry about the whole silly feud. “I bet it’s nothing. I love my grandfather, but when he had a grudge with someone, he could be like a dog with a bloody bone.”

Hercules spreads his legs wider, and I look down at his knee that’s against the side of my leg. “My grandfather wasn’t vengeful. He was, um…” His frown deepens. “I don’t know. Sometimes I wondered if he was authentic.”

“What do you mean by ‘authentic’?”

He shakes his head. “I don’t know. Just authentic. For instance, my father, he’s doing his own thing. He had a heart attack and said, ‘Screw it. I don’t want to run VTI anymore.’ And now he’s living on some tropical island, surfing, clam-baking, and doing whatever the hell he wants.”

There’s a look in Hercules’s eyes that I’ve never seen before. It’s close to anger, but it’s empathy too. “Hugo and Chris, there was something about their relationship that leaves me questioning.”

Now, I’m the one who grunts thoughtfully.

He shifts abruptly, and his knee pushes deeper into my leg. Still, I don’t pull away. I should, but I don’t.

“You’re the genius in this Valentine-Grove duo of ours.” He cracks a sexy smile. “Have you ever done some digging?”

“Oddly, I haven’t,” I reply, my tone ringing with surprise. “I guess I never knew where to start. Maybe my dad.”

“How about Achilles? Maybe Max too. Or…” He shakes his finger as he thinks. “My mother. If a super-smart, beautiful and”—his hungry gaze takes in the cleavage I made just for him—“sexy woman decided to do some digging, then she should start with Marigold Grace Valentine.”

The crotch of my panties is beyond soaked. Gosh, we have to end this little meeting of ours soon. “Duly noted,” I say, barely audible.