Beauty and the Geek (Gone Geek Book 1) (16 page)

“I really want to get out of this outfit. Come up with me?” She twined her fingers with his.

“Sure. I’m sorry about the flowers.”

“Thanks for the thought. That whole white knight thing was kind of sexy.”

“You didn’t need my help.”

“Maybe not, but still—thank you.”

“I just—I don’t ever want to see someone treating you like that.”

“And I’m done making excuses for people.”

They finally got an elevator. A few stragglers eyed their lift, but opted to wait for another one, leaving them alone. Finally. For the first time in two weeks.

Tamara cornered him, lifted up on tip-toe and brushed her lips to his.

“I still can’t believe you’re here,” she said.

“Piper kicked my ass.”

“She’s good like that.”

“I know.” He stared at her for several moments. “I’m sorry. I say everything wrong. I should never have left.”

“I’m sorry, too.”

“Just tell me what to do to make it right.”

“You’re here. We can talk about the rest later. As long as you’re in my corner, that’s all I need.”

“I’m sorry about the interview.”

“Don’t be. I’ve had several conversations with the HitPoint team, and we’re going to be working together. They kind of hate Adam as much as I do.”

“I like these guys even better.”

The elevator dinged, and she hooked her finger in his pocket, leading him down the hall. Every couple of steps she glanced at him, still not quite able to believe he was there.

She slid the keycard and held the door.

So this was why all their crap was in the other room… How convenient…

Stephen set the broken and bent flowers on the dresser. They were a lot like them, battered and weary, but still—beautiful. He turned to face her, so much emotion in his eyes.

“I didn’t really get what you did until now. It’s…different.” He rubbed his hands on his trousers. “I watched the show.”

“Did you? I wear what Rashae makes and look great doing it.” She did a little pose, then stashed her blaster in the closet where it was least likely to get trampled. Her hands only shook a little.

“Should we—do something about Adam?” he asked.

“If someone got that on video, maybe? But the hotel has already made it clear they’re under-staffed and the conference isn’t equipped to deal with this level of policing. I think…for now at least…we just stay in our own corners and avoid each other.” Besides, she had a feeling karma would get Adam someday.

Stephen’s gaze slowly rolled over her. Not in a lewd way. More like, he was seeing her for the first time all over again. And he still made her heart beat too fast and her palms sweat.

“You do look great.”

Stephen was here.

That was all she wanted to focus on. It was everything that mattered. And this time—this time—she’d do it right.

She unbuckled the straps keeping the foam chest and shoulder armor on and slid out of it. The body-hugging base suit fit her like a second skin. Piece by piece, she shed what made the outfit unique and memorable until all she wore was a beige, beaten up second skin.

Stephen watched every bit of it, hands in his pockets.

“Just—I don’t expect anything from you,” he said quickly.

She prowled toward him.

“I haven’t seen you in two weeks.” She looped her arms around his waist. The evil secret was that she couldn’t get out of the suit by herself. She had to have help.

“I know, and I’m sorry.” His hands slid down her back.

“Let’s not be sorry anymore, okay?” She had to know everything, and not only for her sake. “The list?”

“It was a mistake.” He winced.

“I was pretty pissed when I first read it.”

“Rightfully so.”

“But then I read between the lines… All that stuff? It’s happened before, hasn’t it? Those are places where things went wrong with other girlfriends?”

“Yeah. But treating that—”

“I get it. The list was never about me. It was about doing things with someone you cared about. Someone who saw you—for you.”

“I guess. I never thought about it like that.”

Tamara let go of him and grabbed his sketchbook out of her bag. She opened it to a new page. One she’d written on. It was his list—but longer and in greater detail.

“I want to finish the list,” she said.

“Tamara—”

“I want to. I want to take all those horrible memories, all those dumb bitches who didn’t really see you, and I want to wipe their memories out of your head. I want to finish the list and make it about us. And—I want you to promise me you’ll talk to me more.”

“Okay.” He nodded and swallowed.

“I’m serious. I feel like I didn’t really know you until I read the notebook.”

“I just…I say things wrong if I don’t stop to think them out.”

“Okay—then here’s the deal. You can say things, and say them wrong, so long as we get to talk about it. And if I don’t like what you want to tell me, we’ll talk about it, too. But sometimes I’m going to need an intermission to cool off. And sometimes I say the wrong thing, too. Can you do this?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“I might need a few reminders.”

“I’m good with that. Sticky notes. Email reminders. Whatever.”

Stephen nodded, emotion creasing his face.

“We’re good?” she asked.

“Better than good.”

“Good. Unzip me?” She turned in place and swept her hair to the side.

They’d hit a road bump. They’d had a bad moment. They could get over this, and create new memories. Better ones. She couldn’t imagine doing it with anyone else, because no one got her like Stephen.

He tugged at the zipper, drawing it down, all the way to her tail bone.

She wiggled one arm out of the sleeve, but the second one Stephen helped her slide out of.

“This is very…figure-hugging,” he said.

“You like?”

“I like you out of it more.” His gaze dropped to her breasts, straining to escape her minimizing bra. “I did not come here expecting sex. Or even forgiveness.”

“We’re putting that behind us, remember? New memories. I missed you, Stephen. I missed you so bad it hurt. I hated not being with you.”

“Me, too.” His gaze slid lower still, to where the suit clung to her hips.

“Do you mean to tell me you don’t miss this, too?” She grasped his wrist, guiding it down between her legs while the suit strained around the intrusion.

His fingers slid between her folds and deep within her. She rocked her hips and shoved the suit down farther.

“Fuck, yes,” he muttered. His gaze darkens, the blue going stormy. “Will you still be my slut?”

Tamara shuddered and gripped his wrist.

“Yes.”

Stephen stared at her.
This was a moment he didn’t deserve. Her forgiveness was enough. But he couldn’t deny he wanted her.

The vice-grip-like suit slid down her thighs, helped both by gravity and her hands.

He nudged her back onto the bed, and the moment her feet popped up, he caught the fabric and pulled it off—gently—because he valued his balls remaining attached.

Tamara laid on her back in nothing but a bra.

I
love
you
.

The words stuck to his tongue.

Before she could move, Stephen went to his knees, trapping her thighs.

He pushed her legs open. She didn’t resist him one bit.

He licked her, needing to taste her, to have her—if she would allow him. Her knees closed around his shoulders, her thighs hugging his face while he thrusts his tongue into her. He could breathe—barely—and it was good enough. Her hands gripped his hair, her hips bucked against him and it was all he could do to not come in his pants.

Tamara’s words fell on deaf ears. There’s nothing she could say to shock him. He’d missed her way with words, her body, her smile, her laugh and how it felt being in her. How she completed him in a way that no one else could.

Her body bowed, her spine off the bed, her cries sharp and insistent as her body quivered around his.

Her hands pulled at his hair.

She sat up, tugging at his belt.

It became a race to strip, buttons flying and clothing sailing into corners unknown. There was a mad, frenzied need and it couldn’t be satisfied by anything except this moment.

Tamara rolled the condom down his cock, giving his balls a familiar, friendly squeeze. Her hands guided him to her pussy, while her eyes were on him. No one had ever seen so deep as her.

He pressed into her slick, hot body, neither of them breathing until they were joined. He kissed her slowly, pouring everything he couldn’t say into it. The trust they’d broken would need to be rebuilt. He couldn’t go too fast, but someday—he’d tell her. When she was ready.

“I missed your cock.” She grabbed his ass, pulling him deeper.

“You feel so damn good,”

Her breathing hitched and her chin tipped up.

“Stephen, I missed you fucking me with your huge cock. God, I love you. Fuck me harder. Yes!”

The words spurred on his orgasm far too soon and before he could reply, he was robbed of all ability to speak. Tamara’s pussy clamped down, milking every drop of cum from him.

He clutched her to his chest, his head spinning.

Had he heard her right? Had she just said—it?

Her breath fanned his chest his neck. He buried his face in her hair.

“I—uh—Stephen?” Her voice wavered.

“I love you.” He said it before she could speak—before she could take it back.

“What?” Tamara pulled back, blinking up at him.

He captured her hands and pressed his pelvis against hers, where their bodies were still joined.

“I fucking
love
you.” His voice was ragged, a bit savage, but it was the truth.

Love made even smart men do dumb things. Like run out on the girl of his dreams.

Epilogue.

Six weeks later…

Stephen counted the seconds
from the moment he heard the elevator ding until the front door of his loft opened.

Right on time.

He glanced up at Tamara, loaded down with a couple duffle bags, and scrambled to help her unload.

“You are not going to believe the day I had. Hi.” She lifted up on tip toes, pressing her lips to his.

“What happened?”

“So, we were on set trying to rejig this segment Samir wants us to try when Adam’s PA comes in. Guess who is now Josh’s assistant…” She tilted her head to the side.

“Not Adam…”

“No, Adam’s former PA. Because guess who got canned from his show and lost his cushy sponsor support? Hm? Can you guess?”

“Adam?”

“Yup.” She pulled a frozen lasagna out of the freezer and ripped the box open, smiling the entire time.

“What—how?” He wasn’t upset to hear the news, but this was out of nowhere.

“I’m not entirely clear about what went down, but after that video hit YouTube and I filed that harassment report—thank you for helping me with all that phone evidence—some other girl came forward, and then another one.”

“What…did…he do?” Stephen had a sick feeling about where this was going.

“Not that. No, he’s a dick—don’t get me wrong—but all he’s guilty of is harassing women.”

“Oh.” He only felt marginally better. “And…what? They just, dropped him?”

“I think, and the PA can’t say anything I guess, NDA and all that, but I think the sponsors pulled their support first, and it was all quiet-like. I was wondering why he wasn’t at the con the other week. Well, when he didn’t bring any real benefit to the show—beyond being a fat mouth and an expensive paycheck—they cut him. Can you blame them? He’s so much trouble to work with and if he has that many harassment complaints, he’s not worth it. Josh and the guys are so much better.”

“That’s great news. Right?”

Tamara slid her arms up and around his neck.

“It is. And—I should have listened to you sooner about filing charges and standing up for myself.”

“You did pretty well all on your own last time I saw you standing up for yourself.” He leaned down and kissed her. He was just happy that she was happy.

“Yeah, I had a little help. So…change of subject.” She fluttered her eyelashes at him.

“So…did I forget something?”

“Did you talk to the realtor like you said you were going to?”

Oh.

That.

He tried to ignore the odd sensation of buzzing in his stomach.

“I left three messages and emailed twice. It’s time to find a new realtor.”

“Damn it.” She made a face.

Her lease was up in a month, and they’d spent far too much time in each other’s space for it to make sense to be apart. Besides, he wanted her with him always. They had a whole new bucket list to work on, and at the top of that was a home to call theirs.

Together.

It was a new adventure, and he had the best woman by his side.

Forever.

You can stay up to date on the rest of the Gone Geek girls this fall!

The Vet and the Geek
in the Crazy Cat Lady box set this October.

The Gamer and the Geek
in the Home for the Holidays anthology this November.

The Star and the Geek
in the Rule 34 box set January 2017.

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