Come As You Are(18)

By the time I’m outside, I realize I left my panties behind.





7





Flynn



A swath of white shimmers on the floor.

Must be one of the ribbons from her wings. Maybe it fell off, or it was ripped off, or it was manhandled during what was an absolutely unexpected but thoroughly fantastic screw against the wall. And hey, how awesome is it to meet someone who likes hot up-against-the-wall sex as much as I do? It is awesome by a factor of ten to the twenty-seventh power.

Figuring I ought to straighten this library before I leave, I bend to pick up the stray ribbon so I can toss it in the trash can.

As I touch it, a wicked grin spreads on my face. It’s not a piece of her wings. It’s her panties, and I tuck them into my pocket, laughing quietly. This is better than finding a glass slipper. Maybe she’s my dirty Cinderella. But then I’m no prince, unless Prince Charming ravaged the heroine in a library.

Hell, maybe that’s why the guy is so damn popular. Maybe that’s why men have to live up to Prince Charming—because he was secretly a dirty bastard.

I stand, patting my pocket where I’ve safely stowed the panties, as well as her number, since it’s now stored in my phone.

I head to the door when out of the corner of my eye I spot something else she forgot to grab in her mad dash. On the desk is her homemade halo with its headband, wire, and all the dollar bills wrapped around it.

I run a finger over the band, wondering if she needs this. Maybe this is her favorite headband and she’ll be glad to have that back along with the panties. Guess this gives me a double excuse to see her again.

I grab it and run a hand through my hair, hoping I don’t entirely look like I just had the best sex of my life.

Wait. Where the hell did that thought come from? Not the best sex part. Clearly, I’m well aware of how I’d rate that encounter on the How’m I Doing scale—at the pinnacle.

But the idea that I don’t want anyone to know. That’s an interesting thought, and I ruminate for a moment, roll it around in my brain until I realize where it started.

From something I saw in her expression.

Some flash of vulnerability in her eyes, even behind the mask.

I don’t know who she is, and I want to protect her. To keep her secrets. Maybe even to keep her a secret.

I straighten my shirt, tuck the halo under my arm, and head out of the library. I check my phone. It’s eleven thirty. Listening briefly to the thumping music from the ballroom, I decide my team is having a blast still, and there’s no need to return to the party. I saw everyone from Haven, chatted with my employees all night long, and endured all their mockery over my that’s-so-lame costume. Like a good leader, I bore the brunt of the outfit ridicule and gave them a chance to have some fun before we roll up our sleeves and dive into the heavy lifting of market rollout this week.

Plus, if I head home now, that means I can curl up with the newest quantum physics book I downloaded and practice my Japanese, since I have business meetings in Tokyo next month. Last time I flew across the Pacific, I was able to handle the majority of my meetings in the native language of my business partners. This time, my goal is to handle all of them.

Why?

Because. That’s why.

As I stroll down the hall, I yank my mask over my head, since I don’t need to wear it anymore, and when I turn the corner, I nearly bump into a frog.

When I first met Kermit at a conference last year, he asked me to introduce him to my VCs. Laughing, I told him I hadn’t been venture funded in five years. I was past venture funding. My brother and I had already sold our firm, and some of the money from that went to fund Haven. I’m one of the fortunate ones who are self-funded now.

Kermit didn’t care for my answer. “But you know everyone, and everyone takes your calls. And this isn’t even for me. It’s for the tech my network runs on. It’s going to blow up.”

He was a bold little bastard. Persistent. Dogged. Determined. I suppose that’s part of why he played a big role in securing his network’s money in the end. Tenacity—he has it in spades.

Now in the hall, he lifts his chin. “Flynn. How’s it hanging?”

“Hey, Kermit. It’s hanging well. How’s your night?”

“It’s been interesting.” His muddy brown eyes narrow, and he roams them over me, like he’s cataloging every detail. Briefly, I flash back to something Jennica told me about his podcast network—the guy is ferocious. He wants to smash down barriers, get everything out in the open, and let consumers decide on tech. In short—“tread carefully because he does what he wants. He’s rogue,” Jennica had warned.

“Did you enjoy the event?” I ask, keeping it innocuous.

He scratches his jaw, considering the question. “I did. Met a ton of people who want to work with me. You know what that’s like, right, man?”

I clear my throat. “Sounds like a good problem to have.”

“The best problem,” he says, puffing out his chest, then he takes a beat, narrowing his eyes. “When are you going to sit down for an interview with me?”

“You know how to reach Jennica. She’s in charge of all that.”

“You could say yes to me right now.”

Persistent, indeed. “Jennica’s the one though. She’ll have my head if I go around her. It all goes through her.”