Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“You’re starting a fight you can’t finish.”
“Trust me, I’ll finish it,” I grit out.
“Nobody will help you. The cops can’t do shit. We own the cops.”
“I don’t need the cops. I’ll take care of you myself. Get the fuck out of my office.”
“You’re making a mistake,” he hisses, turning away and leaving my office quickly, like the coward he is.
Once he’s gone, I drop into my chair, burying my head in my hands. The adrenaline slowly drains out of me, leaving me to wonder if he was right. I lost my temper. I can usually keep myself under control, but lately, my walls are crumbling down.
I don’t have to wonder why.
Taking out the prototype phone, I touch the location widget. A message appears, Contacting other user for permission. Yeah, that could use some work.
When I get another notification – permission granted – I see she’s in a restaurant near the office. A moment later, another notification appears: Other user is sharing a video.
She appears in a selfie, a smile on her gorgeous face. “Is everything okay?” she says.
I try to look calm and less panicked, urging my anger to dissipate.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she says, her smile a little shaky.
“Should we get starters, Piper?”
Savage possessive instincts grip me when I hear the man’s voice. Is she on a fucking date?
“I’m with Milo,” she murmurs a moment later. “We’re discussing copy.”
Her voice gets shaky. She must be able to see the jealousy forming my features.
“At a restaurant,” I say.
“Yeah…”
“Fair enough. I just wanted to make sure the video share worked.”
I end the call, trying to focus on what just happened in my office. But I can’t.
I need to see Piper.
CHAPTER 14
PIPER
“The main thing is making the experience seem fun,” I say, then take a sip of red wine. After the last few days, I don’t feel guilty about a small glass. “Or maybe we could have stages.”
“Stages?” Milo asks.
“At first, the copy is fun and carefree, but as the users progress through their romance, it can become more romantic and meaningful. For example, the video share could start with, Hey, want to chat? Not that exactly, but something easy, casual. Then it could go to something like, Your soulmate is calling…”
“Whoa,” Milo says, eyes wide.
“I know. That might be too cheesy.”
“No, I mean…” He nods. “Mr. Wolfe is here.”
“Logan?” I say, my heartstrings tugging.
I regret using his first name in front of Milo. Turning, I see Logan striding across the restaurant like a man on a mission. If I thought he was tense in his office, this is something else entirely. He looms over the table, his fists clenched at his sides.
“Mind if I join you?” he says huskily.
“Sure, Mr. Wolfe,” Milo says. “We were just discussing the copy for Forever Love. The notifications for screen sharing, specifically.”
Logan sits next to me, his leg brushing against mine under the table. When he looks at Milo, it’s like he’s angry. Is he jealous? Does he think this is a date? Would it be wrong if I kind of like that?
Yes, it would. I need to relax. Logan showing up like this isn’t okay. I shouldn’t like him being so possessive so fast. That’s the thing with us, though. What I should and shouldn’t want goes out the window when we’re together—digitally or physically.
“I was thinking we could have stages,” I murmur, suddenly achingly aware of his closeness. He looks closely at me, seeming receptive to my ideas. “The first stage: the crush. The second is going steady. Third, things are heating up. The fourth is soulmates. Something like that. And for each stage, the copy for the notifications could be slightly different.”
“That’s fascinating,” Logan says.
A giddy smile spreads across my face. My chest heats up, joy bouncing through me more potent than any wine.
“You think so?”
Logan nods. “I seriously do.”
“She’s a keeper, isn’t she?” Milo says.
Logan stares at him like he’s going to go completely feral.
“Excuse me,” Milo says a moment later. “The little boy’s room is calling…”
“Logan,” I hiss once Milo has gone. “Stop looking at him like that.”
Under the table, he squeezes my leg. He seems even more on the edge than when I left him in his office. He’s wild, staring down at me as if he’s going to crash his lips into mine right here in the restaurant.
“What is he to you?” he snarls.
I reach under the table, grabbing his wrist, meaning to push him away. But I can’t. It’s like there’s this block inside of me, this desire that won’t stop, this swelling in my heart that won’t stop, either, telling me we’re perfect for each other.
“It shouldn’t matter to you,” I hiss. “Because we’re nothing to each other.”
“Is that what you honestly think?” he says, gliding his hand up my leg. “Every time I touch you, kiss you, text you, I feel like I own you.”