A knot twisted around my heart, and I reached for my phone to check messages in the hopes it would distract me from the feelings racing through me.
Thirty new emails, ten texts—most of which were from my friend, Zayn, asking for details, more notifications from various apps, and finally, tonight’s reports on Cupid’s Arrow.
I thumbed through the texts and emails quickly before moving to the reports. Everything was up. The party had done a great job exposing more people to the app and helping them find matches.
I closed the reports and instead opened up the app to see what I could toy with. I’d hardly had any time to play other than matching Chloe’s friend, Lana, up with a few distractions earlier in the night.
I’d just shifted a fun match together when Chloe stirred atop me.
“How is your lap this comfortable?” she muttered in that breathy voice that sent my hair standing on end.
I squeezed her hip and gave her ass a gentle slap. “Sleep, baby,” I told her.
She shifted up at my side and laid her cheek on my shoulder instead. “What are you looking at—are you—“ She pulled away and stared at me, suddenly totally awake.
“You’re looking at that app when I’m lying basically naked in your lap?”
A tease, but I pondered if perhaps someone had ignored her like that in the past.
“Curses of being a workaholic,” I said with a sigh.
“How is that app considered work?” she asked.
“It’s my app,” I replied.
She nearly balked. “What? What do you mean it’syourapp?”
“It’s my app,” I shrugged. “I developed it.”
And this time she was staring at me like I’d grown another head. “You’reGavin Erosin?”
I chuckled lightly. “Does that matter?” I asked.
“You…” She shifted to sit on the edge of the seat, an almost uncomfortable look on her face, and my eyes narrowed.
“What?” he asked.
She blinked as she took it in, and then she slumped her hands in her lap with a soft laugh. “Shit,” she finally said. “I could make a lot of money with stories from tonight.”
I smiled at the jest in her tone and the delight in her eyes. I never led with my name or, if I could help it, even told some people that part about myself. I liked parading in secret rather than being at the forefront of the brand in the headlines.
“I could see it on the front page of the tabloids while I sat on a yacht and sipped my martini,” she continued to tease. “‘Gavin Erosin seduces woman with promises that he is a god.’” She laughed, and I shook my head. “Too bad I’ll never see that headline.”
“Why’s that?”
“I like having you as my secret more.”
There was something about that statement and the look in her eyes that made me want to reach out for her hand and kiss her knuckles. My stomach twisted at how she was smiling at me then,. The light in her eyes was so familiar, though I couldn’t place it.
She huffed a quiet chuckle, her hair falling over the side of her face, and I cleared my throat.
“Pizza is getting cold,” I managed.
“Oh, I forgot about the pizza.” She turned and reached into the box like she was starving. When she slumped back into the couch and took a large bite, her eyes closed, and I knew then just how tired she was from our night.
“Mmm… fuck, this is good—sorry, did you not have any yet?” she asked as she looked over at me.
I smiled and waved her off before reaching for my own slice.
