Page 10 of Stripping Bare

3

NorthCarolina

One YearLater

PresentDay

Someone had triedto make Tucci’s, a downtown Charlotte restaurant, glimmer with holiday cheer. Fake mistletoe hung from doorways, colorful foil garlands swagged along the walls, and little Santas parachuted from theceiling.

But for Jonah, it was suddenly too noisy, too hot, toocrowded.

Any place where he and Tessa Martin were in the same room was too crowded. Made him feel as if his skin had been tossed in the dryer and shrunk like a woolsweater.

What was she doinghere?

He hadn’t seen her in person since the day he’d asked her to help Micki. To help him. After Tessa had called the DA and State’s Attorney to clear his name, he’d told himself that an elaborate floral arrangement and a heartfelt thank-you note wasenough.

Now it felt like nothing more than a dickmove.

He took a sip of his beer and tried to keep his attention on the circle of people around him. He’d heard a few of his former developers would be in town and figured it was a perfect time to talk with them about a new project he wanted tolaunch.

“So when are you gonna tell us why you’re plying us with food and booze when we’re supposed to be at some boring conferencedinner?”

Jonah flinched, realizing Jimmy Stafford, a Python whiz, had caught him staring at Tessa like a teenager jonesing for a promdate.

He forced himself to look away from her, but his brain was still mulling over her appearance. She was wearing snug black pants, heels that could fuel a thousand fantasies, and a silky red shirt. He caught himself rubbing his fingers together as if he could feel the texture of the fabric, so he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and pretended he’d simply been glancingaround.

At the bar, a dude with a martini in front of him was staring intently at someone. Jonah followed his line of sight directly back to Tessa. The guy’s scrutiny made the hair on the back of Jonah’s neck quiver. Then he looked down at his drink, and Jonah relaxed. Just a man looking at a beautifulwoman.

He blinked, remembering Stafford had asked him a question, but instead of answering it, he asked, “What’s Tessa doinghere?”

Keith Benery, a self-taught young developer he’d hired at Steele Trap, was standing on the opposite side of the tall cocktail table. “Aw, shit. I didn’t realize this was a private thing. Figured you were fine with anyone from Steele Trap coming, and she was going to be around,so—”

“Not a problem.” It wasn’t, because he wouldn’t let itbe.

Tonight was about making strides to shed his recent reputation as the bored Baby Billionaire. Baby Fucking Billionaire. His brothers had given him the nickname with a sort of twisted affection, but it stillrubbed.

After he’d saved his hometown from the brink of bankruptcy, people had acted as if he was some kind of savior. A hero. But hewasn’t.

Any idiot with a bank account could throw money around. And since he’d built his big cedar-and-glass house on the ridge, people had started to idolize him evenmore.

If only they knew they were wasting their time looking up to a man who didn’t deserve theiradmiration.

“I wanted to feel you out about working on a side hustle,” he said to the guys aroundhim.

Keith hooked a thumb in his belt loop and knocked back half his IPA. It always struck Jonah as a little funny seeing the guy drink beer, because with his blond crew cut and freckles, he looked aboutthirteen.

“Another game like Steele Survivor?” Jimmyasked.

“Nah. Been there, done that.” He could’ve made another game, since the timeline on his noncompete had expired. Steele Survivor was a game he’d first imagined when he was a kid. It was fun, and it had made him a rich man, but at the end of the day, it was just agame.

Now, he wanted to make something thatmattered.

Before Jonah could explain his idea for a suite of personal safety apps, Keith turned and called out to the room, “Hey, guys, Steele’s making gamesagain!”

That brought the rest of the coders he’d invited his way, drinks and snacks in hand. They crowded around him and peppered him withquestions.

“Another survivorgame?”