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“Careful. Squeeze me too tight and you’ll crack my father’s laptop.”
He pulled back, holding me by the shoulders. I saw then that the others were there. Noah, Travis, and Jordan were all standing by the couches, eyes wide with surprise. None of them looked like they’d expected me to pull it off.
“You got it?” he asked.
“You doubted I would?”
“How the hell did you manage it?” Adrian asked.
“Would you believe me if I said it started off by choking out a guy who was about seven feet tall?”
Adrian shook his head. “Actually, yes. I think I would believe that.”
* * *
To celebrate, Noah and Jordan went to the store to get supplies for a victory dinner at our place. The kitchen was filled with the smells of Italian cooking as Travis whipped up his “specialty.” It was some sort of garlic, pasta, and butter dish with vegetables and crusty bread.
I had a moment alone with Adrian on the patio while the food cooked. Jordan and Noah were inside working on the laptop.
“So that’s really all he’s going to need?” I asked. “Just the laptop?”
“Yeah,” Adrian said. “Those passwords you gave Noah have made it even easier. He’s got all Russ Coleton’s usernames and passwords. I can’t believe a man like him was foolish enough to write all that down in one place.”
“It’s arrogance,” I said. “He never imagined anybody would get into his office if he didn’t allow it. I think certain kinds of paranoia feel like weakness to him. The more brazen he is, the more it means he’s as powerful as he thinks he is.”
Adrian nodded. “You’re right.”
“So what happens now?”
“I get you all to myself,” Adrian said. He scooped me in closer with a hand on my lower back, pressing my belly into him. He kissed me softly, making my body hum with pleasant warmth.
“That part was a given,” I said. “I was talking about with Coleton Enterprises. How long does it take to destroy something like that? And is there any chance it won’t work?”
“It’ll happen. But there’s something I wanted to tell you.”
“Okay,” I said. I felt nervous for some reason, but I kept it from my expression while I studied his gorgeous features. Adrian had a hundred different ways to look good. It was hardly fair, but highly enjoyable. Sometimes his hair would be wild and untamed, which suited him. Sometimes he let his stubble grow in, which suited him. Sometimes he was clean shaven, casual, professional, thoughtful, angry, or anything in between. It all looked amazing on him, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever get tired of enjoying the view.
“I love you,” he said. “I loved you way before it was sane to love you.”
My breath caught. Wasn’t expecting that. But I let his words sink in and felt them open something up in me. I started to speak, but he pressed his finger to my lips.
“Don’t just say it because I did,” he warned. “I feel the way I feel, and you feel the way you feel. It’s alright if you’re not ready to-”
“I love you too,” I said.
Adrian’s eyes looked heavy and hungry as he gazed down at me. He tilted my chin up with his forefinger and kissed me tenderly again. “I was thinking when this is over, we could move back out to North Carolina. Get a place together. Somewhere outside the city, maybe.”
“Oh, you were thinking that?” I asked.
“I was,” he said with a grin. “But I’d be open to suggestions, if you’re making them.”
“No,” I said. “That sounds really nice.”
“Break it up,” Travis said loudly. “Food is ready. You two can dramatically fuck each other once we’re all full and out of your hair. But I’m going to warn you right now, if you do it while I’m here I’ll watch every stroke. I’m kinky like that.”
“Travis,” Adrian warned.
Travis held up his palms. “Just putting the cards on the table, Adrian.”
We all ate and Travis made me retell the story of my “heroic” escape at least three times. Noah had my father’s laptop and his own open during the meal and barely touched his food. He was somehow typing on both at the same time, eyes shifting between the two screens.
“Is it going to be difficult to bring him down?” I asked once we’d all eaten far too much of Travis’ surprisingly tasty dinner.
“No,” Noah said. “But based on what you’ve said, it has been about three hours since you got this laptop. I have a certain level of freedom before he finds out I’ve taken it and have access to his systems. There were a couple things I wanted to copy over before he potentially found a way to remotely restrict my access. That’s all done, so I’m just finishing up now.”
“Sounds good?” I asked, not completely sure I understood how my father’s laptop was really going to accomplish as much as the others seemed to think.
