Love On My Mind (18 page)

He loved her slowly and leisurely, as if nothing else was important and her pleasure was the only thing he cared about. He took his time, drawing out the sensation, making it last, and just when she thought she would come from the pleasure, he stopped. It was so close. She could feel it, taunting her. She squeezed her eyes shut. She was afraid to move, afraid that any movement would bring it on and she wanted to share this feeling with him. The feeling of standing on a precipice, with one foot out over the edge. Where she was equal parts safe and equal parts imperiled.

“Wait for me, sweetness.”

She could hear him. Her closed eyes and existence in a sexual trance had heightened her other senses. She heard the shirt slide from his skin, the pull on the zipper descend, the heavy fabric hitting the floor, the tearing of the foil. Then he was touching her, hooking her knees over his elbows and pulling her toward him. This was it. She knew she wouldn’t be able to hold out much longer.

“Chelsea. Look at me.”

She did, opening her eyes and gazing into his heated stare.

“No confusion about who’s claiming you. You’re mine and I’m yours. Okay?”

“Yes,” she whispered.

With a triumphant grin, he surged into her. Her breath caught in her throat at the rightness of the coupling. She clenched around him, welcoming him home as he repeatedly thrust into her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek, his ear, his jaw.

“You feel so good,” he said, leaning his head on her shoulder.

She felt the abyss calling her, whispering to her, letting her know it was there, waiting for her to tumble into it. She answered the call, falling headfirst into pleasure unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“Chelsea,” he shouted, as he came inside her.

She clenched her legs around his hips and held him to her as waves of pleasure rippled along his frame. Finally, they were both still, their breaths feathering the other, their hearts beating strong. Adam lifted his head and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“Can I request this same reward on the actual day of the presentation?”

She laughed and his answering chuckle rumbled through his body. She stroked his hair from his forehead and succumbed to the sensations enveloping her. The world could end at this moment, and she’d be content. Lying in his arms, there was no place she’d rather be. She thought about the moments of happiness she’d felt in the last few years. They usually involved work. How much brighter and more gratifying would it have been if Adam had been by her side, celebrating those triumphs with her?

In between one breath and the next, her world tilted on its axis and when it righted itself she knew she had fallen in love with him. The joy she felt thickened to sludge when she imagined him learning her secret. If he discovered she was lying to him before she had the opportunity to explain, he would hate her forever. But if she confessed now, how would that affect his presentation?

Sure, she was concerned about her own employment issues. She’d worked hard, and for a long time, to earn this opportunity. But Adam also deserved the victory that would come from a successful launch. And anything that divided his focus risked that success. Maybe if she had more time. The launch was two days away. There was no scenario where she thought she could confide in him now and he’d be ready to go on Friday. No, the presentation was the more pressing objective. She’d get him through it and then she’d tell him the truth.

And hope like hell he’d forgive her.

Chapter Seventeen

T
HE
D
A
Y
B
E
F
ORE
Computronix’s product launch there was a tangible buzz in the Moscone Center. People scurried to and fro all around her, carrying bags, clipboards, and the ubiquitous tablets and smartphones. The sense of excitement was palpable.

Adrenaline raced through Chelsea and she squeezed Adam’s hand, pressing her body against his arm. The lights, the energy, the chaos all reminded her of the various award ceremonies she’d attended. No matter the field, people were eager to be in the presence of greatness. As they took the steps to the lower level, everyone recognized the man next to her.

“There’s Adam Bennett.”

“Wow, the rumors are true.”

“What is he doing here?”

“No one’s seen him in over a year.”

Chelsea bit her lip and executed a sideways glance, but she needn’t have worried. He was resolute, his entire being focused on the upcoming presentation.

When they reached the door to the main conference area, Adam showed his credentials to the guard. The man referred to his clipboard and granted them access to the room.

The inside was arranged in a manner similar to many other press conferences she’d attended. Recessed and stage lighting flooded the rows of chairs placed facing forward. At the front of the room, three large screens projected Computronix’s logo. A stage had been constructed in front of the center screen, and a man stood there now, his body appearing minuscule against the backdrop of the thirty-foot surface. Two chairs sat on the left side of the stage and a podium was situated on the right side. Technicians scrambled around them fine-tuning the sound system, adjusting the lights, and taping down cords to avoid stumbling hazards.

“Check one. Check one.” A familiar voice boomed through the speaker.

“There’s Mike.” Adam smiled and headed toward the front of the room.

Dread claimed residence in Chelsea’s chest and she pressed a suddenly shaky hand to her midsection. She hadn’t spoken to Mike Black since that day at Beecher & Stowe. She didn’t know what he’d been told or if Howard had warned him that she’d be there, but she needed to speak to him before he could say or do anything to ruin her relationship with Adam.

“No delays with setup. We’re running on schedule,” Mike was saying to Adam as she approached.

“Great. There’s someone I want you to meet. Chelsea?”

She stepped from behind Adam, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Mike’s smile dissipated from his handsome face and he stared at her with wide eyes. Not good. She rushed her greeting, ending the budding awkward moment and attempting to set the tone of their introduction.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said. “Adam has told me all about you.”

Mike pulled on his bottom lip, his brows smashed together into a confused arc. “I can’t say the same. He’s been secretive where you’re concerned.”

“That’s not true,” Adam said. “Chelsea’s the neighbor I mentioned.”

She wasn’t sure what Adam had told him, but based on his reaction it couldn’t have been favorable. Mike stiffened, his shoulders going rigid beneath his black tee. His nostrils flared and he studied her with the same disdain an A-list celebrity gives the paparazzi. She smoothed her hand down the sides of her pencil skirt and shifted in her strappy heels. If only she possessed the ability to disappear.

“Sorry. She’s not quite what I was expecting.”

Adam slid an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “You’re forgiven. Not only is she stunning, she’s also extremely talented. Chelsea’s in the entertainment business and she’s been assisting me with the presentation.”

“Really?” Mike said, his expression hardening like quick-set cement.

Her smile sat heavy on her face. Adam seemed oblivious to the tension in her body, conversing easily with his friend. Was it wrong of her to be slightly grateful that his Asperger’s shielded him from the shame and guilt that seeped from her pores?

“She helped me with the
CGR
feature. The one whose continued incompletion had Anya labeling me as a terrorist.”

Mike narrowed his light blue eyes. “I guess we should thank you on behalf of Computronix,” he said, his tone caustic.

“It was no problem.” She met his heated stare.

Please, don’t say anything. I promise I’ll explain.

Mike firmed his lips and glanced at Adam. “Some of the tech guys have a question about connecting the HPC to the large screen display. Can you walk them through it?”

Tears pooled in her eyes and she allowed her lashes to flutter closed. Thank God. It appeared he was providing her the opportunity for which she’d mentally begged.

“Chelsea?” Adam’s soft grip on her elbow induced her to open her eyes. “I’m the only person who will touch the HPC until after the presentation. Do you mind?”

“Don’t worry about Chelsea,” Mike answered in her stead. “I’ll keep her company. She can talk to me about what’s she done to get you ready for the presentation.”

Adam frowned. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She forced a smile. “I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here and talk to Mike.”

He kissed her. “I’ll be fifteen minutes.”

As he pulled away, she reached up and briefly touched his cheek, halting his escape. She stared into his eyes, memorizing every plane and angle of his sexy and intelligent face. God, she loved him. “Go get ’em.”

One last kiss and he jogged off to the stage, a tempting sight in dark jeans and a merlot-colored cashmere sweater.

When Adam was out of hearing distance, Mike turned on her. “What the hell is going on?”

“I can explain.”

“I wanted you to get him ready for the presentation. I didn’t think sleeping with him was required to accomplish that goal.”

She flinched as his verbal arrows hit their intended target. “It’s not what you think.”

“Really?” His tight smile reeked of condescension and rendered his attractive features anything but. “Are you telling me you haven’t slept with him?”

“That’s none of your business,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’m his best friend. I’m making it my business. If you knew him, you’d know how serious this is.”

His concern deflated her indignation slightly and she sighed. “I do know him and that’s the only reason I’m going to address that issue. I didn’t set out to get involved with him. I fought our connection until . . . I couldn’t.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m not.” She hadn’t found anything humorous about this situation for a while.

“But he doesn’t know the truth about how you two met. You’re still lying to him.”

Hello, hypocritical pot! She arched an incredulous brow. “I’m not the only one.”

Mike pointed an accusing finger at her. “Don’t compare our situations or motives. I did what I did because it was best for him and the company. You did it for a promotion.”

“No. I neglected to tell him the truth in the beginning because you ordered us not to. After we became involved”—she shook her head—“I was afraid I’d lose him. I’m in an untenable situation, but we want the same thing: for this presentation to be a success. For Adam. We both know how much he deserves it.”

She glanced over her shoulder and saw Adam gesturing as he talked to the tech guys on stage. He looked up and their gazes met and held. Her breath seized in her throat and everyone around her froze in suspended animation. Had it only been a few weeks since they’d met? He was so intertwined with her heart that she couldn’t imagine not being a part of his life. He waved and she responded instinctively with her own greeting. He smiled and turned his attention back to the young man. She released her imprisoned breath.

And the world resumed around her.

“Adam has a thing about lying—” Mike began.

“I know. That’s why this has been so difficult. I approached Howard numerous times about changing our tactics, but he refused based on
your
orders.”

“Adam’s been through this before. His last girlfriend lied to him and—”

“I know all about Birgitta and the rushed launch of the mini game console.”

He shook his head. “I’m not talking about a typical person’s distaste for lies—”

“He has Asperger’s. I know,” she said, at Mike’s shocked expression.

He cleared his throat. “He told you about that?”

“Yes.”

His mouth tightened. “So you know he felt betrayed and why. He vowed he’d never be in that position again. So to see him here with you like this . . . it’s Birgitta two point oh.”

That produced a bitter tang in her mouth. She recoiled, wrinkling her nose. “I’m nothing like her. I would never betray him.”

“No, it’s not in your financial interest.”

Fuck him.

Irritation boiled her blood and she turned away from him, twisting her curls up and letting them cascade down her back. He was the one who’d started this with his insistence on hiding her identity from Adam. But she refrained from expressing her outrage, knowing she was the sole culprit for her current predicament. Investing in transferred emotion was counterproductive. Anger wasn’t the antidote for Mike’s suspicion. Understanding was the strategy for her success. She had to convince him they were on the same side. Plus, a part of her admired the other man for defending his friend.

She faced him. “This isn’t about work or my promotion. Please, I don’t want to hurt him. I love him.”

He stared at her for a few tense moments. Was she wasting her time? Would Mike never trust her sincerity and decide to blow her cover with Adam? She replayed their conversation in her mind, wondering if there was anything she could’ve said or done differently to affect the outcome.

“I believe you,” he finally said.

She exhaled and straightened, her conscience having shed thirty pounds. His approval was like whipped cream on dessert—not necessary, but nice to have. “Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. You love him. But none of it matters until you tell him the truth.”

“I know, and I promise I will, after the presentation.”

“I’ll give you some time, but then I’ll have to step in. This lie is larger than you. I’m already lying to him about how you met, and now I’m part of the lie about your relationship and I—”

He stiffened and winced.

Oh, no. Please, God, no. Not like this.

She closed her eyes and her heart sank into the depths of her stomach. Slowly, she turned to find Adam standing behind her, his once-heated gaze gone glacial, the vein in his temple twitching frantically.