Page 19 of The Deception: Hercules Valentine and I
The Elevator Effect
Paisley Grove
Say something.
“You have something in your hair,” he says. And oh my God, he’s touching me. A lock of my hair is between Hercules’s fingers.
“Oh,” I say, embarrassed. “That’s paint from last night.”
He raises his eyebrows. “You were painting last night?”
Our faces are so close. I want to kiss him. But also, I don’t think I should tell him I was hanging out at Lake’s place. I mean, we even got topless and rubbed our breasts against the canvas.And our vaginas and asses too!I’m Lake’s boss, and I think I crossed a line.
“You were with your boyfriend, huh?” His smirk wavers as he stares deeper into my eyes.
He thinks I have a boyfriend.“No,” I barely say.
The doors open. “There you are!” Mason exclaims.
I rip my gaze off Hercules and look at Mason, though my body still sizzles with lust. “Sorry I’m late.”
He points at Hercules. “I was talking to him. You’re right on time, Lark. Your team has set up for the presentation. And we’ve got company,” he says, focusing on Hercules. “Orion.”
Hercules frowns at me and then at Mason. “What’s he doing here?”
“That’s what I’m asking you.”
Then he does it… Hercules puts his hand on my back like I’ve seen him do with Lilith. “We should get started and feel him out. He can’t help himself.”
When Hercules said that, he sounded as though he were a million miles away. Even as he and Mason talk about Orion’s possible intentions, I can barely focus on a word they’re saying. He touched me in the same way he touched Lilith.
Does he want me?
Our gazes are momentarily fixed on each other as we enter the pod. All I want is to wrap my arms around his masculine neck and pull his sexy mouth to mine.
“Lark, don’t be nervous,” Mason says.
He’s watching me with concern. I must look as flushed as I feel. He thinks it’s Orion who’s making me uneasy. I’ll let him believe that.
I fake a confident smile as I shake my head. “I’m not nervous at all. And you shouldn’t be rattled by the presence of Mr. Valentine…” I set my confident smile on Hercules. “Orion Valentine, that is. If he wants to take this company out of the red and into the black, then he’ll see what we have to show him and then get on board with it.”
Hercules’s eyes smolder. “That’s what I like to hear from our director of product development.”
I nearly trip over my own feet while looking at his lips.Gosh, this is embarrassing.I hope nobody saw me. I'm not even going to look and see if Hercules noticed.
* * *
My team has just demonstratedthe full use of the new game’s software to Mason, Hercules, and Orion. Even Lilith has shown up. Whenever it was my turn to talk, I avoided Hercules’s stare like the plague.
There’s no way I can be at the top of my game and focus on him too. I’m so in trouble with him being around. I have no idea how long I can keep up the ruse. However, I don’t want to leave VTI. I don’t want to make a life far away from him ever again.I’m in trouble. I’m in big trouble.
“This is great,” Lilith says. “How long will it take to get this product to market?”
“But it’s just a video game,” Orion says. His tone rings with objection.
“It’s more than a video game,” I say before anyone else can speak.
Thanks to Max, I know how to handle naysayers like Orion Valentine. I’ve been pitching ideas to Max since junior high. And he’s shut me down most of the time, unless what I give him is a real winner.
