Page 11 of Stripe for the Picking (Paranormal Dating Agency #92)

NINE

WREN

W ren stirred beneath the silk sheets of her king-sized bed, consciousness slowly filtering through the haze of the most restful sleep she'd experienced in years.

Her cotton pajamas felt soft against her skin as she stretched, her body languid and surprisingly relaxed despite being on an alien planet.

How is it possible that so much happened in just one day?

Sunlight from Nova Aurora's twin suns shone brightly through the large window, casting warm golden and orange hues across the spacious bedroom.

The sight still felt surreal—yesterday morning she'd been standing outside a coffee shop on Earth, and now she was waking up in a world with purple forests and pink oceans.

But it wasn't just the alien landscape that had her mind spinning.

Images from the previous day flooded her consciousness—meeting Rylan with his piercing blue eyes and commanding presence and diving headfirst into their cybersecurity mess and actually solving issues that had plagued them for weeks.

For the first time in years, she'd felt truly useful, like her genius-level intellect was finally being put to work on something that actually made a difference.

I helped protect an entire planet.

The thought sent a warm glow through her chest. On Earth, she'd spent her days cleaning up other people's cybersecurity mistakes—password breaches, malware infections, or basic human error.

But here, she was combating sophisticated attacks from an organized syndicate, working alongside the most brilliant and capable man she'd ever encountered.

And God, what a man.

Heat pooled in her body as she remembered the evening—dinner at the Council event, dancing with Rylan's strong hands on her waist, and the way he'd looked at her like she was the most fascinating thing in his world.

Then that magical stroll along the ocean boardwalk and sitting pressed against his solid warmth on the bench under the moons.

I actually kissed him. On the cheek, but still.

The memory of her boldness made her cheeks flush.

She'd never been that forward with a man before, but something about Rylan made her feel confident and desired.

He didn't seem intimidated by her intelligence or success—if anything, he seemed to crave it, wanting her to shine brighter rather than dim herself to make him feel better.

This place is absolutely magical. Everything feels possible here.

The strangest part was how familiar it all felt—the environment, the technology, even Rylan himself.

She should have been extremely overwhelmed, terrified even, but instead she felt like she was finally where she belonged.

Like some part of her had been waiting her entire life for this planet, this purpose, and this man.

Wren swung her legs out of bed, her bare feet touching the cool floor as she padded to the closet.

She selected a crisp white blouse and a navy blue pencil skirt that hugged her curves perfectly, paired with heels that gave her an extra boost of confidence.

Professional yet feminine—exactly the image she wanted to project.

The morning air was pleasantly warm as she stepped out of her apartment complex, the twin suns already climbing higher in the alien sky.

Purple-leafed trees swayed gently in the breeze, and she could smell the unique scents of Nova Aurora—ozone from the advanced technology and something floral she couldn't quite identify.

Wren had just reached the main pathway leading to Defense Nexus when she heard footsteps jogging up behind her. Her pulse quickened even before she turned around, some instinct telling her exactly who it was.

"Mind if I walk with you?" Rylan's deep voice sent shivers down her spine.

She turned to find him slightly breathless from his jog, looking absolutely devastating in his black tactical uniform.

The fitted t-shirt showcased every muscle in his broad chest and arms, while the pants emphasized his muscled thighs.

Military authority radiated from every inch of his six-foot-two frame, but she caught that hint of nervous energy that seemed to surface whenever he was around her.

I love that I affect him like this. The thought gave her a delicious sense of power—this commander, this brilliant strategist was actually flustered by her presence.

"I suppose I can tolerate your company," she said with a teasing smile, falling into step beside him.

His answering grin transformed his usually serious features. "That's very generous of you."

They walked through Defense Nexus's front entrance together, the morning bustle of military personnel creating a backdrop of purposeful energy.

In the elevator, Wren found herself hyperaware of his proximity—the subtle scent of his cedar cologne, and the way his presence seemed to fill the confined space.

"Sleep well?" His voice carried that rough edge that made her stomach flutter.

"Better than I have in months," she admitted. "This place has a strange calming effect."

"Nova Aurora tends to do that to humans. Something about the dual suns and the energy fields."

The elevator doors opened onto their floor, and they walked over to their side-by-side workstations.

She settled into her chair, her fingers gently tapping over the holographic interface as she logged into the systems. The technology still amazed her—so far beyond anything on Earth, yet somehow intuitive to navigate.

She pulled up the overnight security reports, her analytical mind immediately processing the data streams. No new breach attempts, no rogue programs, and no suspicious activity. Their combined countermeasures from yesterday had held perfectly.

"We're clean," she announced, relief evident in her voice. "Not a single attempted infiltration overnight."

Rylan looked over from his own console, and the smile that spread across his features made her heart skip. "You actually did it. You bought us real time."

"We did it," she corrected, meeting his intense blue gaze. "Your systematic approach combined with my fresh perspective."

"We make a pretty good team," he said, his voice filled with pride.

Wren felt her chest tighten at Rylan's words, the simple phrase carrying more weight than it should.

Memories suddenly crashed through her—sitting across from Mark in their shared office six years ago, him saying those exact words before stealing her code and claiming credit with their biggest client.

Before that, David Miller at Nextech Industries, praised her brilliance right before assigning her grunt work while promoting less qualified male colleagues.

Don't get ahead of yourself, Wren. You've known him for exactly twenty-four hours.

She nodded and forced her expression neutral, turning back to her console without acknowledging his comment verbally.

The silence stretched between them, heavy and awkward, and she could feel Rylan's confusion radiating from the workstation beside her.

When she risked a glance, his jaw had tightened, and those blue eyes were shuttered with hurt.

Good. Professional distance. That's what you need.

But even as she told herself this, her heart squeezed at the wounded look that flickered across his features before he buried it behind his commander mask.

She's the one who kissed him last night, for crying out loud—what kind of mixed signals was she sending him?

Wren fixated back on her console and dove into her work, just like she always did when she was trying to avoid dealing with her emotions.

She tapped her fingers over the interface as she analyzed security logs and system diagnostics.

The familiar rhythm of code review and pattern analysis helped quiet the chaos in her mind, her intellect engaging with the complex cybersecurity frameworks Nova Aurora employed.

But something nagged at her consciousness as she worked. The timing felt wrong somehow—no attempted breaches during the Council dinner, complete radio silence overnight. In her experience, organized syndicates didn't just take breaks from their operations unless...

Unless they had inside information from a certain someone about when to strike and when to lay low.

Her stomach dropped as pieces began clicking into place.

Prime Minister Arvox's calculating stares, his artificial smile, and the way he'd tracked every interaction between her and Rylan with predatory intensity.

The microexpressions she'd cataloged—the slight tension around his eyes when Rylan spoke and the way his fingers had drummed against his wine glass during her introduction.

Oh, shit. He's involved, isn't he?

She glanced back at Rylan, who'd been working in pointed silence for the past hour. His broad shoulders were rigid with tension, and his jaw clenched as he methodically reviewed patrol schedules. Guilt twisted in her chest—she'd hurt him with her coldness, and he didn't deserve that.

Taking a steadying breath, she turned in her chair to face him. "Hey."

Rylan looked up, his expression carefully neutral. "Yes?"

"I didn't mean to brush your praise off. I just felt... overwhelmed in that moment and I shut down." The admission felt vulnerable and scary. "I didn't mean to make you feel dismissed. I'm just not used to working with someone again after branching off on my own. I'm a little rusty at teamwork."

His features softened immediately, the commander mask slipping to reveal the man underneath.

"It's okay, I understand." He leaned back in his chair, those impossibly blue eyes searching her face.

"I didn't mean to overwhelm you. I just got excited that our collaboration yesterday paid off in such a big way.

I really hope it continues. But there's no pressure.

" His eyes locked onto hers, causing her pulse to quicken.

"You're brilliant and capable, Wren. You don't need to prove anything to me. "

God, he really is different.

Warmth bloomed in her chest at his words, at the genuine respect and admiration in his voice.

Her ex-boyfriend and ex-business partner Mark had always made her feel like she had to earn his approval, constantly testing her knowledge and dismissing her contributions.

But Rylan seemed to see her worth immediately, without question.

"Thank you," she said softly. "That makes me feel better."

But the unease in her stomach hadn't disappeared. "But there's something else that's been bugging me for the last hour."

Rylan's attention sharpened, his body language shifting into full alpha mode—protective, alert, and ready for action. "What is it?"

"The timing of these cyber attacks." She pulled up the chronological data on her screen, highlighting the gaps. "Notice how there were no breach attempts during the Council dinner last night? And complete silence overnight?"

His dark blonde brows drew together as he studied the patterns. "What are you getting at?"

"I know we talked about Arvox last night, how he seems manipulative and wants to trip you up." She hesitated, then plunged ahead. "Something is just really off about that man. Not just political games—there's an underlying current, like he wants to stir chaos."

Rylan's muscles coiled with tension, his tiger instincts clearly on high alert. "Go on."

"Last night at dinner, I was watching him." She called up her mental catalog of observations, her analytical mind organizing the data. "Microexpressions others might miss—the way he moved, who he smiled at, what he avoided. My instincts are screaming that he's connected to these attacks somehow."

"How?" Rylan asked, his protective instincts clearly engaged.

"I think he's feeding information to the syndicate." The words tumbled out as the theory crystallized. "Think about it—they know exactly when to strike and when to lay low. They've been consistently one step ahead of your countermeasures. That doesn't happen with external hackers working blind."

Rylan's jaw clenched, his hands fisting on his desk. "I was thinking the exact same thing last night before I fell asleep. The way he operates, the subtle disruptions... I believe Arvox is playing everyone around him." His voice dropped to a dangerous rumble. "But I'm not playing along anymore."

"What are you going to do about it?"

"We need proof." His tone carried absolute authority, the commander taking charge. "Speculation won't fly with the Council. They'll demand concrete evidence before they even listen."

Wren's pulse quickened with excitement and purpose.

This was exactly what she had hoped to be doing with her expertise all these years—unraveling complex conspiracies and exposing corruption through digital forensics.

"Then we better start gathering our evidence.

I can map out the anomalies, and cross-reference attack patterns with Council schedules and Arvox's known whereabouts. "

"Do it." Rylan's eyes blazed with determination. "If he's feeding intel to this syndicate, we're going to expose him."

But why would Arvox do this? The question burned in her mind.

"What's his endgame? What does he gain by destabilizing Defense Nexus?"

Rylan's expression darkened, his predatory instincts surfacing. "That's exactly what we're going to find out."