Page 28 of Undeniably Corrupt
I give him a look. “Just because you’re all married and in love doesn’t mean that’s what everyone is supposed to have or even want. It’s not for me. I was just trying to help her.”
“By hacking and getting her fired?” Owen deadpans, looking at something on his phone.
I smirk. “Probably not my best choice.”
Katy chokes out a laugh as she sets her soda down on the coffee table. “Ya think? But now you’re dating her too?”
I shake my head. “Not dating her. She’s my new Champagne. That’s all.”
“But you want to. It’s all over your face.”
I shift Nolan so I can flip off his father. “I don’t want to date her, and I won’t date her. I don’t date. That’s such a ridiculous term for me, I can’t even wrap my head around it. Regardless, she needed help, and I helped her in my own fucked-up way, and that’s all there is to it.”
Mason smirks at me. “That’s not all there is to it, brother, but you keep telling yourself that.”
I will actually because it’s true. Yes, she’s beautiful and sexy, and the fact that I’ve seen her mostly naked and know what it feels like to have her grind on my dick isn’t ideal, but it doesn’t change the reality. She’s my new assistant and nothing more.
The reasons I left her then are as valid now. Her brother never wanted me near her. But more than that, I’m not right for her. And it’s as I said, I don’t date. I don’t have relationships. Hackers don’t get that. We do illegal shit and live in the shadows.
“What Lucas and Sadie did happened a very long time ago. You had feelings for Liora before. Why not again?”
At Owen mentioning Lucas and Sadie, my body seizes up reflexively. Yes, it was a very long time ago. I was twenty and at MIT with them. My best friend and roommate and the girl I was screwing around with, who was also screwing around with him. I didn’t care so much about that. I wasn’t willing to be exclusive, and she wasn’t anything special to me. But with them, I was careless and stupid.
They’re why I don’t trust people outside of this circle and why I don’t tell anyone anything about myself and why I don’t fucking date. Both of them ruined my life, or at least seriously tried to when they doxed me to the feds, and the reminder is almost a welcome one.
I went from losing Cassian and breaking Liora’s heart to them, so yeah, no thanks. I have no reason to trust Liora with anything and keeping her at a distance is how this has to go for me.
I stand and pass Nolan to Owen. “I’ll catch you all later.”
“Aww, come on,” Mason pouts. “You don’t have to go.”
“I do actually. But I’m glad to see you’ll miss me.” I blow him a kiss and throw a wave at everyone else and head out the door and down the elevator. I make it all the way to my car before I check my text.
Liora: Sounds good. I’ll see you when I get in a little before one.
Simple. Straightforward. Professional. I’m relieved it’s not flirty like our texts were the other day. I spent most of yesterday ignoring her, and she didn’t seek me out. Champagne spent the majority of the day training her on all the systems and things she’ll need to know, and I left them alone to do their thing.
She’s not someone I want to be tempted by.
And the sooner my dick and brain get that message, the better off all of us will be. Especially as I won’t have Champagne as my buffer soon.
The elevator ride up to my office feels especially slow, but it gives me a chance to catch up on the litany of emails that supposedly require my attention. I love my mother and I love the company her father built, but I hate being the CEO. It’s shareholders and board members and earnings reports and client glad-handing.
It’s business, and business isn’t my thing.
It’s likely why I spend so much time in my closet here, in my office at home, or with my friends and family. Otherwise, I’d go crazy.
Maybe that’s why I brought Liora here. To mix up my otherwise boring workspace.
Stepping off the elevator, I tap out a beat against my thigh as I head down the hall, keeping my head high and forcing hellos and smiles at the people I pass. That is until I get near my office and find my mother there chatting with Champagne.
My mother spots me, and a smile hits her face, her green eyes—the same shade as mine—sparkling. “And there he is. Late as usual.”
I roll my eyes. “I didn’t know you were coming today.”
“That’s because I like surprising you.”
“I’m not late. I was at Mason’s now that baby Nolan is home.”
