Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56180 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
“The same thing I’ve been doing every day,” he says with a sigh. “I’m sorry, Sera. I wish I could stay with you. I’d like nothing better than to spend all day holding you in my arms, forgetting about everything that’s happened, but I have to work. We’re just about keeping our heads above water… I’ve got more interviews to give.”
“How is the AI stuff going? Have you extricated the code?”
“We’re getting there,” he says. “We need to see how far the damage goes.”
“Do you need help?”
“You’ve been through so much…”
I stare up at him. “Is that really why you don’t want my to help, or is there something else? It’s okay if you’re worried. I work, worked for TechGuard – for Graham.” I probably don’t have a job anymore, not that I want it.
“Hey, listen to me. I believe everything you’ve told me. I haven’t doubted you – and I don’t doubt you – for a single moment. I just don’t want you taking on more than you can handle.”
“Honestly? I think I’d prefer to do something productive rather than sitting around an empty apartment. But I don’t want to put you in an awkward position. Your team might get angry if a TechGuard employee arrives, considering who’s responsible for all this.”
“But you’re not responsible,” he points out. “Forget what the team thinks.”
“You could find me a small office, out of the way. I’d rather lose myself in code… rather help to fix the problem, than sit around feeling useless.”
“You could never be useless,” he says passionately. “Even if it’s just to make a grumpy like me smile.”
“Is that a yes?”
He leans down, kissing me. “It’s a hell yes.”
The next day, I sit in a small office on the third floor, out of the way of everyone else. Luke told me I could work with the main team if I wanted, but I’d rather be alone.
I smile when my cellphone goes off.
Luke: Codebreaker sixty-nine.
That’s the safe word we came up with last night to prove it’s really us. We landed on ‘codebreaker’ first, but then we couldn’t think of a follow-up. When he suggested sixty-nine, I told him we’d have to try it if we were going to use it as a code.
It was amazing, grinding against his face, bent over him with his length in my mouth as I worked my hand up and down his shaft. The hottest part was feeling his need in the movements of his mouth and tongue against my core. The faster I sucked and stroked my hand, the more erratic his movements became as he struggled to contain himself.
Luke: How’s it going?.
Sera: I think I’ve rewritten a decent portion of it, but you’ll have to check how it integrates into the whole. How is your day?
Luke: Boring, but I feel better knowing you’re in the same building with me, safe and sound. Have the police contacted you yet?
Sera: No. I think they’re just happy I’m not in any danger. Damien hasn’t tried to catch a plane. I think they’d call me if he had… or they’d just arrest him. I guess his only other option would be to drive across the country. Before you ask, yes, I have thought about that. I may have even researched it.
Luke: Go on.
Sera: He could conceivably be here by this evening. Or tomorrow morning. It would take a truly determined, obsessed man to do that. But I met him. He seemed deluded and obsessed.
Luke: I know it’s easier said than done. But try not to worry about that. This building has security. My apartment has security. If we go somewhere in public, we’ll be together. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.
Sera: Thank you, Luke.
Luke: Speaking of public, actually…
Sera: You know, in a text, you don’t have to leave dramatic pauses, right?
Luke: Maybe I need to maintain my status as your mystery man…
Sera: Ha ha, well, you’re doing it. Now, put me out of my misery, please.
Luke: I told Victor we’d have breakfast with him tomorrow. He mentioned it, and I got excited and said yes before I asked you. I can find a way out of it, though.
Luke’s told me a little bit about the Victor and how much he means to him, the man he sees as a father figure. I just hope he doesn’t hold my association with TechGuard against me.
Sera: No, I want to go. I know how much Victor means to you. It’d be nice to meet him. What time do you think you’ll be done tonight?
Luke: Pfft. No idea. Nine if I’m lucky. I can give you a ride to the apartment sooner than that, though.
Sera: I’ll stay here. We can leave together. I might get some empathetic AI work done, too. It’s good to be busy. It reminds me of why I fell in love with coding.