Page 42 of Stripe for the Picking
Then, suddenly, her fingers stilled.
"Got it," she breathed, and something in her voice made every person within hearing distance turn toward her workstation.
She found something. My genius mate found the answer.
"What do you have?" Rylan asked, leaning closer until her warmth penetrated his skin.
"A method that absolutely nobody would ever think of," she replied, her voice gaining strength as certainty replaced desperation. "I'm going to deny their access by building a firewall that's never been created before."
Rylan watched in fascination as Wren's hands moved with total precision, executing a strategy that seemed to defy the laws of cybersecurity. Code flowed across her screens like music, each command building upon the last until?—
The alarms stopped.
Silence descended over Defense Nexus like a benediction, broken only by the soft hum of restored security systems coming back online. Green lights began replacing red warnings across every workstation in their vicinity.
She actually did it.
Then the cheers erupted. Officers throughout the floor burst into applause that echoed off the glass walls, their voices raised in celebration of the woman who'd just saved them all. Wren's eyes widened with shock as the praise washed over her, her cheeks flushing with adorable surprise.
General Kael appeared beside their workstations as if materialized from thin air, his face split by a grin that made him look decades younger.
"Wren," he said, "you are truly the best thing that's ever happened to Defense Nexus."
She beamed at the compliment, her entire face lighting up with joy that made Rylan's heart clench with possessive pride.
That's my mate. That's my remarkable, gifted, perfect mate.
After the applause and praise died down at their workstations, Rylan watched Wren methodically verify her firewall's integrity with the same precision she'd used to create it. Her hands floated across the console, cross-referencing security protocols while he monitored threat assessments from his adjacent workstation.
"Systems are holding steady," she murmured, her green eyes reflecting the soft blue glow of successfully restored systems. "No attempted breaches detected. I think we've actually locked them out completely this time."
Rylan's chest swelled with fierce pride as he confirmed her assessment across multiple security grids. Every indicator blazed green—a sight that had seemed impossible thirty minutes ago.
"Outstanding work," he beamed. "The hackers are completely shut out and Nova Aurora is secure again."
His tiger purred with possessive satisfaction as he turned toward her. The workspace around them buzzed with relieved chatter, but Rylan's focus remained laser-locked on the woman who'd accomplished the impossible twice in one day.
"That's it," he declared, standing and extending his hand toward her. "I'm taking you out for a much-deserved celebratory dinner. Not only for your superiority today at the Trials, but for saving Defense Nexus and refusing to let those bastards terrorize Nova Aurora."
Wren's face lit up with that smile that made his heart slam against his ribs. She placed her hand in his, and the contact sent those familiar electric tingles racing through him.
"Where are we going?" she asked, rising gracefully from her chair.
"Somewhere I know you'll love," he promised, guiding her toward the elevator. "But my apartment first, so you can getdressed into something fancy. I'm taking you to that rooftop restaurant overlooking the pink ocean that you said you gushed about on your tour with Kael—the one with the perfect view of the full moons."
The elevator doors closed around them, creating blessed privacy. Rylan's control snapped like a frayed cable. He backed Wren against the polished wall and captured her lips in a kiss that poured every ounce of his pride, gratitude, and overwhelming desire into her mouth.
His hands framed her face as he deepened the kiss, his tongue stroking against hers with desperate hunger. She melted against him, her soft moan vibrating against his lips and making his tiger roar with primal satisfaction.
Wren finally broke the kiss, her cheeks flushed and her breathing uneven. "If we keep doing this, we'll never make it to the restaurant."
"Fine," he growled against her ear. "I'll save it for after dinner."
Her green eyes darkened with heat that made his blood surge. "I'll hold you to that."
God, I love this woman.
Back in his apartment, Rylan watched Wren disappear into his bedroom to change while his mind raced with sudden, overwhelming certainty. Six days. She'd been in his life for exactly six days, and already he couldn't remember what existence had looked like before her.
