And I don’t give him time to second-guess it. “Good. Because I want the same thing.”
He lets out a relieved breath. “Okay. Good. Would you… maybe want to come back to my place? I haven’t been home in a few days, and my dog sitter isn’t responding. I’m kind of worried, honestly. And I want you to meet Bear. But just so we’re clear”—he gestures between us—“tonight doesn’t have to be… that.”
I know exactly what “that” means as relief washes through me. Not because I don’t want him. I do. God, do I. But because it means he wants this to be more than a one-off insane day with a stranger and so do I.
“Good,” I say, stepping closer again. “Because I want to see you again. A lot more than I want to sleep with you tonight.”
He blinks at me, surprised and pleased. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I brush my thumb across his bottom lip, unable to resist. “If we do that, I want it to be… intentional. Not just a quick fuck.”
“Then let’s go meet Bear.” He grins. “Follow me.”
CHAPTER 01: OLIVIA
“Wow.Single again?”
With a chilly smile, I glance up from my phone screen—where I just so happen to be scrolling through profiles on the dating app HER—and give the barista a pointed look. “Good morning, KC. One tall americano with a double shot, please.”
The young man's brows hit his hairline. “One of those mornings, I take it?”
You could say that.Though as CalTek's newest Chief of Operations, every day has beenone of those mornings.Between project deadlines, endless meetings, and an assistant who doesn't know what a ten-key is, I'm literallyswamped.
Pretending like I hadn’t just swiped left on three wildly unattainable women, I lock my phone and slip it into my pocket. “I’m not single because I’m incapable of commitment,” I add, despite the fact that KC hadn’tasked. “I’m single because I relocated, took a promotion, and every person I've tried to date since has said I'm ‘emotionally unavailable,' which is complete nonsense. I'm just busy.”
KC hums, long blond hair falling down his back as he makes my drink. Technically, the company baristas are supposed to wear hairnets, but as long as no one else complains, I let some things slide. “Ryann used to have the same problem when he had your position. He worked all the time. Shilo was the first person he ever saw as more than just a casual hookup.”
Speaking of one of our CEOs, I grab my phone to scan his e-mail on profit margins one more time. Unfortunately, until a new Financial Officer is hired, I've been running everything. “He's lucky to have found someone who puts up with his schedule. Planning dates is hard when I can't even remember my last day off.”
“Well, I saw something that might help if you're interested.” He sets the cup on the counter and rings up my order. “I saw this ad on Instagram the other day. A local photographer is doing some queer photography sessions. She matches you up with a stranger, you both meet and take cute pictures. Sounds pretty fun.”
I stare at him for a longmoment. “KC…”
“Yes?”
“I run operations for a multi-million dollar tech company withthreelocations and twin CEOs who don't believe in work-life balance.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I do not have time to be photographed with a stranger for ‘fun.’”
He just shrugs, grinning. “It’s on the weekend. This Saturday.”
“I work Saturdays.”
“Of course you do.”
“AndSundays.” And every day from here on out until said CEOs find me some help.
“Well, I tried.” KC salutes me and moves on to the next person in line. “Good luck to your poor vibrator.”
Oh, I keep it well charged.
Biting back a laugh, I glare at him in warning before grabbing my cup and turning away. KC is definitely a character, but he crosses the line into harassment territory more often than not. If it weren't for the fact that he makes a mean cup of coffee—and everyone here loves him—he would have been fired a long time ago.
Fully fixated on my phone screen, I make my way to the big glass elevator in the lobby and press the button impatiently. A giant white oak stretches toward the glass ceiling above me, plants and foliage decorating the vast space.
As one of the most progressive tech companies on the West Coast, CalTek has cornered the market in tintable windows controlled by its app. That particular invention put them on the map, and it's the sole reason I agreed to let them buy out my mid-sized security company two years ago. Not only did it make me a lot of money, it also earned me this incredibly high-paying,high-stressposition.
