Chapter 22

T he moment I enter the terminal where we're supposed to meet, I spot the tall, dark, and handsome man who occupies my every thought. Just for him, I got up an hour early to pluck, wax, exfoliate, hydrate… I'm ready for whatever will go down in San José.

Rolling my suitcase behind me, my backpack heavy with my laptop, I join Lex and Steven—the only ones here so far. Lex notices me when I'm about ten steps away, and his eyes lock on me, not letting go until I reach my destination. "Hey, guys!" I greet.

Strategically, I avoid looking at Lex, fearing I might spontaneously combust. He's wearing a black button-up shirt tucked in his jeans and a dark blue blazer. I'm wearing a white dress shirt with a red leather jacket I barely ever wear, brand new jeans, and my black Chucks.

Since we'll represent Kelex there, we were told to step up our game. That's why my suitcase is filled with blouses, professional-looking tops, two skirts, fancy jeans, dress pants… I have some more comfortable items too, but not much. There's also a pair of modest heels in there.

Steven is still sporting one of his plaid shirts, but it's ironed. "Hi, Andy," he says with a smile, adjusting his glasses on his nose.

"Hi, my dudes!" Brian barges in, visibly very happy to be here.

Before long, Mason arrives too, looking so stylish he could be on the cover of Vogue. Then it's Oliver, charming in his beige pants and a mossy green long-sleeved shirt. While Lex is busy talking to Brian and Steven about their presentation, I greet my ginger friend with a smile.

Our little group is energized, and we share an exciting conversation about our hopes and expectations. The whole thing feels more like a fun trip with friends than a work trip, and I cannot wait to get there. The computer nerds in us are thrilled. I'm confident it'll be amazing, especially if I score some slexy time while in San José.

Joseph arrives about five minutes later, dressed like his usual professional self.

"Everyone," Lex calls once we're all here. He takes out a large envelope from his laptop bag and pulls out our plane tickets before distributing them.

Twenty minutes later, we're boarding our plane. With some resentment, I look up at the compartment I'm supposed to lift my suitcase into. "Okay, let this not be too humiliating," I whisper.

I'm struggling to make it fit when a familiar hand comes to my rescue. Lex is right behind me, standing a little closer than he should, and he effortlessly settles my luggage in there.

"Thanks," I say, feeling even shorter than usual.

"No problem."

I take my seat by the window and frown when I see Lex settle his suitcase up there with mine. He then removes his jacket, folds it in half, and lays it over our things. My confusion deepens when he sits beside me, setting his computer bag at his feet.

"Did you… Did you plan this?" I stammer, gesturing at our seats.

His unfazed look makes me feel stupid for some reason. "Of course. I asked Beatrix in accounting to get me a seat right next to yours when she bought the plane tickets," he sarcastically answers.

It's only fair to get stupid answers when we ask stupid questions, but still, I don't exactly like his tone. "Okay, no need to be a jerk."

He surprises me by resting his hand on the inside of my knee, sending a shiver up my thigh. "Sorry. I'm not a big fan of planes."

The guys are somewhere in front of us, so I doubt they can see Lex's hand, which is why I don't swat it away. The intimate gesture does all sorts of things to my brain and body.

I don't know how to make him feel better, but having a view might be a nice distraction. And most people prefer the window seat, right? "Do you want to switch seats?" I offer.

"I have more legroom here."

Since that didn't work, I try something else. "You know, planes are the safest form of transportation. Then I think it's buses, trains, ferries, cars, and way down there, motorcycles. I can't remember where bicycles stand."

He looks down at me with a crooked smile and a soft chuckle. "I'm not scared of the plane crashing. I just don't enjoy being stuck in it with people," he explains. "I find it overwhelming, with the noises, vibrations, uncomfortable seats…"

Oh, yes, that makes sense too. "Well, at least it isn't a long flight," I say with optimism.

He squeezes my thigh gently. "Something tells me I'll enjoy it. "

Letting go of my leg, he unbuttons the wrist of his sleeve before rolling it up, revealing his muscular forearm. Hypnotized, I follow the movements of his hand, methodically folding and tucking the fabric before doing the same on the other side. Those long and thick fingers fucked me to bliss yesterday evening.

Ugh, why does everything about this man have to be so hot?

Two hours this close to him is a bad idea. A hundred witnesses—five of them being colleagues—and a very hot Alexander is a dangerous combination.

As if sent by the gods themselves, Mason pops up next to us. "Hi, fam. Andy, would you mind changing seats with me? I wanna show Lex something, and I thought we could use this time to do that," he asks. His voice contains so much hope that I know I can't refuse. "I mean, if that's okay with you," he adds to Lex.

Our boss cocks an arrogant eyebrow but says nothing, so I understand that I'm in charge of making the call. Mason looks like he really needs this time with Lex, and it would be weird of me to refuse such a simple favor.

"Yeah, of course," I say, picking up my bag at my feet. I can feel Lex's disapproving glare but ignore it, biting my lips to hide my amusement.

"Okay, great, you're saving my life, girl. I'll go get my stuff," Mason says before leaving us.

Once we're alone, Lex turns to me, his eyes dark with annoyance. "Seriously?" he coldly asks.

"It'll help pass the time. Mace is very talkative."

Aware that I'm being a tease, I stand from my seat with my handbag. Lex moves his knees to allow me to get to the aisle, and while I'm squeezing my way there, his large hand clasps my ass. It's his second intimate touch within five minutes, and the sexuality of this one sends a flash of lust straight to my intimacy. It's ridiculous how easily he can make me horny.

"This would have been more efficient than Mason's blabbering," he mutters, his fingers squeezing with eagerness before releasing me altogether.

Pretending to have barely noticed his adventurous hand, I don't say a thing until I'm in the aisle. "Please enjoy your flight, sir," I say with my best flight attendant voice, "and thank you for choosing our airline." He shakes his head as if unamused, but I can tell he's holding back a grin.

Mason's already coming back, holding his bag before him. "Thank you again. I owe you one, boo," he tells me before giving me his seat number.

Behind me, I hear Lex say, "I'm taking the window seat. "

A silent giggle rolls out of me as I walk to 26B. To my great surprise, Oliver is in the seat next to it. "Hi, stranger," he says upon seeing me.

"Hi, yourself."

"I saw you were with the boss, and I thought you'd prefer my approach," he explains as I sit down, taking out his Nintendo Switch.

I'm a little lost at first, but then I get it. "You sent Mason?"

"Well, he was telling me how he needed to find some time with Lex during the convention, and I pointed out that now might be a great opportunity."

"I see… Pretty smart, Paulson. What games do you have?" I ask, pointing at his Switch.

The plane takes off shortly after my relocation, and Oliver sets the screen on a tablet in front of us, handing me the red controller. We play games on it until my bladder decides it can't last a two-hour flight without a purge.

On my way up the aisle, I smile at Lex and Mace, intently focused on the laptop in front of them. I would have preferred being seated next to Lex, but I'm happy Mace is making the best of it.

" I need to go to the bathroom," I tell Mason. He stands to let me pass, and I follow the faint trail of jasmine Andrea left behind as she walked by.

I barely even caught a glimpse of her, but it was enough to set my plan into action.

Once I reach the toilets, I discreetly close the partition curtain and wait. I hear the flush, the tap, and the lock being turned. The door folds open, and Andrea's eyes widen upon finding me right there. She looks to my right, notices the curtain is shut, and a knowing smile stretches her tempting lips.

Not wasting another second, she fists the front of my shirt and pulls me in with her in the confined space, tilting her head to the side. Our lips connect before the door is even closed behind me. Our embrace is full of impatience, as if we haven't done it for weeks instead of twelve hours.

"Good morning," she breathes into our kiss.

"‘Morning," I impatiently reply before taking her lips again.

We're too voracious, almost brutal, and my glasses between us become an issue. I throw them in the sink, and we resume. I can never get used to how good this is. Our tongues are meant for one another, and despite the height difference, we're always in perfect harmony. Kissing her feels like sex, like sin, like our souls are set ablaze. The dripping lust between us has to be a one-way ticket to hell, but it's a price I'm willing to pay.

My hands slither down her back to grope her thick ass, lifting her against my hardening erection and making her moan in my mouth. Wishing I had more hands to enjoy every part of her at once, I then cup the space between her legs, sensing her heat seeping into my palm. This insatiable hunger can't be normal. Something's wrong with me. With us.

Still kissing her, I slip my hand into the waistband of her jeans, past her underwear, and push it down until my fingers graze the curls of her intimacy. Purposefully, I ignore her clit and slide two fingers along her drenched opening, scooping as much wetness as I can.

"I didn't take the time to taste you yesterday, and it's been driving me insane," I groan.

Shock spreads on her face as I bring my two glistening fingers to my mouth, sucking them clean. Fuck, she tastes good. The flavor of her cunt is quickly replaced by that of her tongue as she kisses me again with savagery, hooking a leg over my hip in an attempt to be closer. After stumbling a few times, she ends up with her back to the door while I press her onto it.

I'm unsure how she does it, but she manages to unlock the door behind her. Before I can stop her, she opens it and steps outside. We're both slightly panting, and I consider pulling her back in. We can be discreet and quick. No one would know. As a last resort to counter the insanity that is us, she opens the curtain, exposing us to the passengers.

"This should help you last until tonight," she states. Then she looks down at my hard-on and grins. "Good luck getting rid of that."

Then she's off, leaving nothing behind but a raging erection, frustrated needs, and a lingering aroma of jasmine.

I don't care if it's in my room or hers, but I'm fucking her through a mattress tonight.

" A lright. I have one room with twin beds for Brian and Steven, in case you two need to work on your presentation, rehearse, or prepare."

We're all gathered in the hotel hall after our ride from the airport, and I'm handing out the keycards. The sun is shining outside, the weather is warm, and I can tell they're all overjoyed to be here.

Once they have their cards, I hand the next ones to Oli, Mace, and Joseph. "This one has two twins and a queen for you three. "

"Dibs on the queen," Mason quickly chimes.

"As if there would be any confusion," Oliver jokes.

This is a professional trip, so childishness should be kept to a minimum. Finally, I give the last one to Andrea. "You have a single room with a queen bed."

"And what size is your bed, then?" Her question is innocent enough to not raise suspicions. But we both know why she's asking.

"King-size," I answer, eyes planted on hers.

Heat dances behind her irises, and I guess I have my answer. I'll be fucking her through my room 's mattress later today. Especially since hers is on the same floor as three of her colleagues while mine is isolated from everyone we know, a few floors up.

They all get fifteen minutes to freshen up, and then we gather again in the hotel's lobby. This time, I hand them their badges, and we're off. The convention center is a ten-minute walk from the hotel, so we're on foot. When we arrive, I barely look at the space and the stands. I've been coming here every year for over a decade, so it's lost its charm. I observe Andrea, though, and the way she marvels at everything. She looks thrilled to be here, and it warms me from within. She's the reason for this change of plan, after all.

"Everyone," I call, demanding my employees' attention. "Some ground rules before I let you run around like kindergarteners. Don't go near Avoss, or they'll try to poach you. It's happened in the past."

I check my watch and look back at my team. "The day ends in a little over five hours. Keep the receipts if you get food or drinks so Beatrix can reimburse you. Alcohol is on you, and keep it light. I will not have Kelex's image tarnished because you can't control yourselves. We will all meet back here after the last conference ends. Warn me if you leave before that."

They nod impatiently, ready to explore the stands, energized like overcharged batteries. With a wave of my hand, I set them free. Brian, Steven, and Joseph immediately walk away together while Oliver and Mason encourage Andrea to follow them. She gives me a sheepish look and takes off with the duo, leaving me alone.

I know we need to be discreet, but this isn't how I envisioned today to unfold. We were robbed of our plane ride together, and now this…

With a disapproving mumble to myself, I make my way to one of the smaller rooms, where it isn't as crowded and noisy. If I don't get to spend time with Andrea, there's no point in exposing myself to so much stimuli.

T his place is incredible, and I can't get over the fact that I'm finally here. Hanging from the high ceiling, some banners and installations show the location of the biggest companies, like Google, Facebook, Avoss, Blizzard, Microsoft, Apple… Every single tech giant is here. The immense hall is divided into booths of various sizes, and the companies range from international tycoons to family-sized businesses. Some develop dozens of apps per year, while others only have one software program.

A few stands offer games or tests, and we stop in front of one that challenges the passers-by to code a game of snake. Mace, Oli, and I take three of the available computers, and when we're ready, they set off a timer. It's like some thrilling race, the surrounding people cheering us on. Oliver finishes first, me second, and Mason third. It turns out Oli forgot that the snake dies when touching itself, so he's disqualified. I'm crowned champion of the round, and I happen to be their best score today. I have no illusion I'll be dethroned soon enough, but it feels good.

When Lex finds all six of us, we're all settled in the Avoss lounge, too curious not to venture there. This company is an impressive conglomerate, almost as big as Google, dabbling in almost everything online. Both a search engine and a social network, they are everywhere. They're also the fastest-growing internet tycoon, and working for them is every programmer's dream, mine included. Or at least, it was before my incredible position at Kelex.

Lex gives us an irked glare, shakes his head, and joins us. We're talking to someone ranking relatively high in the company, and when he sees Lex arrive, he stands up.

"Alexander! It's been a while," the man says, extending his hand.

"Hugh." Lex shakes the man's hand, visibly squeezing it harder than necessary. "Last time was when you took Gregory from us."

The name Gregory rings a bell, and I try to remember why.

Oh! Right! Gregory is the former employee the guys suspect to be Nammota. Oli mentioned how the timeline of his departure matched the high scores appearing in the Donkey Kong game. So, Nammota is possibly working for Avoss now? It makes sense.

"It's a nice herd you've got here," Hugh says while turning our way, ignoring Lex's animosity. "Is this your programming team? "

"Yes, the company has been doing very well," Lex answers. "Mason has been with us for about three years. He's particularly good with visual programming. Brian is our C and Java expert. He joined us about two years ago. Our last recruit is Andrea. She dabbles in everything, particularly Python, and we're currently working on an app we bought from her." I can hear the pride in his voice as he introduces his A-team like this. Clearly, we aren't as big as Avoss, but we're the shit.

"Oh, really? What does this app do?" Hugh asks, turning to me.

"Hm, it's… um…" I hesitate, unsure of what I'm allowed to say.

Lex is quick to rescue me. "We're still working on it. You'll understand we'd like the information to remain private until we're ready to go public."

I'm used to seeing business-Lex. This version of him is pragmatic, efficient, and cold. He's concise and doesn't leave any room for contestation. However, there's something more going on here. Lex despises the man. Hugh doesn't insist and just nods, accepting that he won't get anything.

"There's a conference about to start, and I'd like my team to be there," Lex says. We all spring off the couches, ready to follow the will of our fierce leader.

"Of course. I guess I'll see you around," Hugh responds haughtily.

Lex doesn't scold us on our way to the conference, but there's no need. We can all sense how much he disapproves. The hall is almost full when we arrive, and my colleagues spread out to find empty seats. I'm about to do the same when a firm hand clasps my arm.

"Over there," Lex says, pointing toward a spot where two seats are available. The room is dark, and the guys are already seated. It doesn't seem risky, so I follow him.

"So, what happened between you and Hugh?" I ask once we're settled.

"Nothing in particular."

"Yeah, right. You wanted to strangle him, but nothing happened."

"We didn't get along when we worked together."

"He worked at Kelex?"

"No. I worked at Avoss."

Before I can ask more, the lights dim to full darkness, and a few people enter the stage. Out of respect, I shut my mouth and listen to them. I quickly realize I already know their software, and it's rather unimpressive, so I return to more interesting matters.

"When did you work for them?" I whisper to Lex.

"For who?"

"Avoss. "

"It was my first job. I was twenty, fresh out of college. Hugh started at the same time."

"Why did you leave?"

"Andrea, I was serious when I said I wanted us to listen to this presentation."

"It's bogus. Their app is just a better-looking version of Scratch . It's as limited as the others, and they ask for a ridiculous price." For the first time since the presentation started, he looks away from the stage to stare down at me, inquisitive. "I was a beta tester for it," I explain. "So, why did you leave Avoss?"

"Kevin and I wanted to do our own thing. Also, things were getting out of hand with Hugh."

"What happened?"

"He's an arrogant and entitled prick with a ridiculous sense of superiority," Lex recalls. I don't say anything, but I almost want to point out that he can pass for all those things. It seems I don't need to say it. "It's not the same thing," he argues. "I'm socially inept, and he is an imbecile. Two entirely different issues. Avoss' management even offered to fire him if it meant I'd stay."

"Neat. How long did you stay?"

"Over six years."

So, he left Avoss when he was about my age and then started Kelex. It makes me wonder, "How old are you?"

"Thirty-four."

I nod silently. Eight years older than me. I never thought about it before. It isn't a lot, but it isn't meaningless either.

"Does it bother you?" he asks, uneasy because of my prolonged silence.

I shake my head and gaze up at him. The room is dark enough to shield us from the others but sufficiently bright for me to admire the details of his face. His age doesn't matter at all. Actually, it means he's old enough to make decisions and know what he wants.

Feeling bold, I take his hand from the armrest and press a kiss on the back of it.

"It really doesn't bother me."

I lay our joined hands on the armrest between us. When his palm moves under mine, I think he wants to remove it. Instead, he intertwines his fingers with mine and sets our hands on his lap, his thumb gently grazing my skin.

During the entire presentation, I feel alone with him, as if we're in a safe bubble where no one can reach us. And there's an unshakable grin lingering on my face the whole time.