The Nerds and the CEO (The Nerd Love Equation, #5) Read online

  “Keep in mind none of us is getting younger. Tell Antonio I called?”

  “I will. You have a good evening, sir.”

  Justin hung up and sent Antonio an instant message. Can you break away? Now seemed like the perfect time for a debrief.

  He watched the telltale “...” of someone typing, as it flashed on screen for several minutes before the response arrived. Sure. Your office?

  Yes.

  Justin locked down his mind, to keep it from jumping to conclusions. Antonio would clear up the truth of the situation, and there was no point speculating.

  Justin considered himself patient, but twenty minutes later, when he was still the only person in his office, his mood had shifted from on edge but curious to downright sour. As Justin picked up the phone, to find out what was going on, Antonio stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

  “Sorry about that,” Antonio dropped into a seat.

  “Is this a bad time?”

  If Antonio had an issue with the sharp tone, it didn’t show. “Now is fine. I had to get the new girl squared away while I was gone.”

  Right. The other thing Justin wanted to know about before this new distraction came in. “How’s she working out?”

  “She might actually be human.” Antonio cracked a smile. “Talented. Intelligent. If she’s not the best actor in the world, she’s probably not here just to spite us. She could help us make up lost time.”

  A pang of something Justin couldn’t identify knocked in his thoughts, and he stowed it. “In other words, she’s doing more than reading developer notes.”

  “I’ve been giving her the official orientation. You’re okay with that, aren’t you?”

  “Your department—you make the final call. And it’s not why I wanted to talk.”

  Antonio raised his brows. “What’s up?”

  “Tony called me.”

  “All right...?”

  “He asked if you’d given me a solid resignation date yet.”

  “Fuck.” Antonio pinched the bridge of his nose. “So much for my waiting until next month to discuss it with him.”

  Justin’s next question should be, What will it take to keep you here? Or, Do we actually need a transition plan? “Why haven’t you told him no?”

  “He’s family. My father.”

  “I understand.” It was something Justin struggled to wrap his brain around. He didn’t get along with his family and never believed anyone did until he saw Antonio with his parents. That kind of loyalty, simply because of blood, wasn’t instinct to Justin.

  “That’s the stress speaking. What can I offer you to keep you here? I can’t quite match his offer, with the whole the family company is yours now thing, but there’s got to be something.”

  “We built this together. I don’t want to leave. I’m working it out. Speaking of making things work—part of Emily’s bribe to convince us she’s not all bad is dinner on Grant. You should put in an appearance.”

  “Emily. You’re already on a first-name basis?” This teasing was much better than floundering in the unknown of whether or not Antonio was staying in the States.

  “I can’t quite call her The Retainer for the next month.”

  “I don’t see why not.” Justin didn’t believe anyone who made a living doing what this Ms. Lowry did was all kindness and sunshine. She helped dismantle companies from the inside out. Who the fuck enjoyed that? It would be nice if something was unexpected in a pleasant way, but he didn’t expect it.

  EMILY REVIEWED HER notes from half a day of training with Antonio. Her head spun with everything she learned today, the whirring compounded by the highs and lows of her first day in the office.

  She was grateful to work for Grant, especially on the retainer payroll. The small salary meant she didn’t have to stress if there were lapses between her development contracts, and he was a good boss. However, walking into one of his jobs was always a game of balance. She had to exert enough confidence she wouldn’t be stepped on, but not so much she came off as threatening.

  When Antonio met her in the lobby, his rich accent slid over her skin like satin, teasing and drawing up images of her delicious Saturday night. The rush of fantasy and memory intensified when she remembered the Mr. Conroy she was supposed to meet was also a Justin. If this Justin was as hot as Saturday night’s hook-up... holy hell, that would be hot.

  Antonio helped her silence the delicious images by being an asshole, but then he had to turn around and be not only apologetic and kind, but also brilliant. And the fact his accent was both sexy and pretty much how her Saturday night fantasy sounded, didn’t hurt.

  She’d seen a lot of Silicon Valley startups over the years, and while there wasn’t an exact science to predicting which would fail, there were some good indicators—and not the things most people looked for.

  The décor at APPropriate Designs could belong to any office building. White walls, black stuffed chairs with basic trim, and gray carpet. However, Antonio and Conroy owned and occupied the entire seven-story building. That, combined with what she learned today about both the front-end product and the technology behind the scenes, made her wonder what she was doing here. They seemed to have their act together.

  “Antonio.” A male voice carried through her cubicle wall, sounding louder than its actual quiet hiss, thanks to the silence in the room. “I need you for a minute, for pro—”

  “Yeah. My office in five minutes.” A sharp edge lined Antonio’s voice.

  What was that about? A knock on metal caused her to spin toward her cube entrance. Justin—random world-traveler guy Justin from the bar—stood in front of her.

  All her other thoughts evaporated.

  The rise of his brows was the only indication that he recognized her. “I’m Justin Conroy. I’m sorry I couldn’t meet with you this morning.”

  “Emily Lowry.” She accepted the greeting and failed to ignore the rush of heat that traveled from his grip down her arm and over her body. She wanted to run. Hide. Oh God. Antonio was the guy from their shared fantasy, and he stood next to Justin, watching the exchange. The realization made her pulse race. She should probably say something. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Same. We have a lot to discuss about your next month here, and I understand you’re free this evening. I’m looking forward to hearing what you and Grant have in store for us.” Justin’s cool tone never wavered, as he searched her face.

  She forced a smile. “I’m happy to share. Do you mind if I steal a moment of your time? Now, if you’re free.” Not that talking to him alone would be a good idea in the future, but the tiny part of her brain that still worked insisted they clear the air now.

  If Antonio noticed the tension, it didn’t show. He leaned against a cubicle wall, one hand in his pocket and expression pleasant.

  “Sounds great.” Justin kept his voice low. “Fair warning, though. Antonio is my business partner. Whatever we discuss, he’ll be privy to later.”

  Was he saying that for show, or was she about to have her personal life on display for a third party? “I understand. No secrets.”

  “We’ll be right back. Take care of PP—make sure they deploy the beta tonight—and we’ll all catch up in a few minutes,” Justin told Antonio, then steered Emily toward an empty conference room, away from the developer area. He closed the door behind them.

  “Really? No secrets?” The question slipped past her lips before she could stop it.

  Justin turned to face her, calm expression vanishing beneath a clenched jaw and tight gaze. “When it comes to business. There are a few details of how I spent my weekend that he doesn’t know about.”

  “Details.”

  He shrugged. “Things I shouldn’t have said that might make working conditions awkward. But don’t think it’s anything you can hold over my head.”

  “I hadn’t even considered that.” She didn’t like the implied accusation. “I’d rather forget it happened.”

  “Was it that
bad?”

  “It was incredible.” She snapped her mouth shut. His mouth twitched with an unformed smile, and her cheeks burned. “But I’d still rather... That is—it’s between us? That’s what you’re saying?”

  “Well... Yes and no. Some things can’t be taken back.”

  The growing knot in her throat plummeted into her stomach. “Fuck.” His words from the bar rushed back to her. Not the tantalizing story about the best friend, but what came before. They’re sending in a ruthless, heartless killer... He’d been talking about her. “This is convenient for you, isn’t it? I’m too embarrassed about the awkward situation to stay on, and you’re free of judge and jury?”

  “That would be a pleasant notion if I were delusional. Grant would send someone else, and the fire I’m floundering in would get hotter when I ran off one of his best. His words, by the way.”

  “Exactly.” It was hard to keep the indignation in her voice when he took all the oomf out of her retort.

  “Though, I’ll be honest—I never pegged you for a shark.”

  She bit the inside of her cheek, as more of her memories from the weekend flooded back. His fingers tracing over her skin. The conversation that convinced her to go home with him. All things she needed to disassociate from this contract. “I’m sure we have a to learn about each other. Professionally,” she added quickly.

  His smile looked as uncertain as her grip on keeping her cool. “We should keep this short. Antonio knows I picked up an attractive redhead, and he’ll add one and one pretty fast. He wasn’t privy to any details beyond that.”

  “Oh.” The lightbulb went on in her head. “You don’t want him to know what we talked about.”

  “Do you?”

  Touché. Emily could picture that conversation with Antonio. Yeah, Justin and I know each other. We fantasized about having sex with you. I mean, not that I knew it was you. “I’m good with that arrangement.”

  “Everything all right in here?” Antonio cracked the door and stepped into the room. “No one’s tearing anyone’s head off?”

  Emily looked between the two men. Best friends and business partners? Or more than Justin let on?

  The curiosity was enough to make her pulse lick under her skin, igniting her senses and taunting her with images of Justin backing her against the conference room table and twisting his fingers in her hair and kissing her, while Antonio watched.

  “Everything’s shiny,” Justin said.

  This morning, Emily had been prepared for hostility. Her first job, Grant neglected to warn her what she was walking into—that most of the companies he invested in felt the same way about his retainers that Justin did. It caught her off-guard, and she fumbled her way through the week. But she finished the job.

  Her second contract through Grant, she made the mistake of walking in all casual and friendly like, and they rolled over her. Third time around, she tried to project an air of owning the place, and no one would deal with her. The assignments weren’t only about meeting development deadlines; they were also meant to settle waves between Grant and whatever company he sent his retainers into. If she didn’t get this one right, Grant would drop her contract.

  Which meant not fantasizing about being the Oreo filling in a co-founder sandwich cookie.

  “You’re all right?” Antonio was looking at her.

  She made her smile as genuine and friendly as any smile had ever been. “Fantastic. I was just reciting my script. I’m not here to take over or ruin anyone’s day. I’m only here to help. You know—all the things you heard this morning.”

  She wasn’t letting Justin, or Antonio, or any other seductive, enticing executive take this job from her, for any reason.

  Chapter Six

  “WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE the dessert menu?” The waitress never took her eyes off Justin.

  Which didn’t surprise Antonio. She’d been hitting on Justin all night.

  What struck Antonio as odd was that Justin wasn’t flirting back. Instead, Justin’s gaze flicked to Antonio and then Emily. “I think I’m all right. How about you two?”

  The waitress set a booklet in front of Justin, and leaned in until her chest brushed his shoulder. “Are you sure? We’ve got a vanilla torte with cherry filling, and a drizzle of cream sauce. Tart and sweet, to keep things interesting.”

  “Sounds like the perfect dish to share.” Emily watched the waitress with a pleasant smile, her tone as sweet as could be.

  Justin furrowed his brow. “She’s got a point. Sure. One of those.”

  The waitress scowled, but erased it before she looked at Antonio. “For you?” she asked.

  “Just coffee for me.” Antonio wasn’t sure if he was more confused or entertained by how Justin and Emily shut the woman down.

  “If she asked about your tattoos next, would you have a pre-spun story to go with one?” Emily looked at Justin. Her tone was light and teasing.

  The question pushed Antonio’s curious buttons. It wasn’t the first comment she’d made along those lines tonight. Saying something distinctly specific given she’d spent a total of maybe ten minutes in the conference room with Justin. An explanation as to how she knew so much tugged at the back of Antonio’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it.

  Justin shook his head. “Sometimes people don’t want elaborate tales. Those are best saved for someone who’s interested.”

  Emily twirled her glass, ice rattling at the bottom, and looked at Antonio. “Where are you from? I hope it’s all right to ask that. Your accent is Italian? From what part?”

  The question was innocent enough. Small talk. A nice shift of pace. “Milan. Have you ever been?”

  “I haven’t.” Emily tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “But I’ve heard it’s lovely. Should I add it to my list?”

  “Your list?”

  Emily hesitated. “I’m taking a trip after this contract. Or hoping to. You know how some people backpack across Europe?”

  “Or South America.” Which is what he and Justin did in their early twenties. It was how they met.

  “Exactly.” She smiled. It was a gorgeous expression that brightened her face and shone in her eyes. “I want to do the adult version of that. As in, I’m-too-big-a-coward-to-do-it-without-a-safety-net. Should I add Milan to my list?”

  “My answer will be biased. Never ask a native if you should visit their hometown. Ask someone who’s seen it through a tourist’s eyes.” Antonio was more fond of vacationing in Rio Di Janeiro, but for personal reasons.

  Justin leaned in. “You absolutely should. Milan in spring is gorgeous.”

  “You’ve been there too?” Awe lined Emily’s voice. “Is that where you two met? I guess that’s a stupid question. For all I know you ran into each other at some networking conference in L.A.”

  “We met in Brazil.” Antonio was being sucked into her fascination. It had been a while since the world was that and amazing and vast to him, but she looked enthralled with the idea he and Justin had traveled.

  Justin scrubbed his face. “Please don’t tell her this story.”

  “You have to now.” Emily looked amused.

  The waitress returned with their dessert, and it sat untouched.

  Antonio always hesitated to delve into the memories of how he and Justin met. It was a bittersweet moment. He’d gloss over the details and they’d move on. “A couple of friends introduced us.”

  She looked between them. “And that’s an embarrassing story?”

  Maybe he couldn’t completely gloss over it. “It was a blind date. His friend read Justin wrong. She didn’t realize Justin doesn’t swing that way.”

  “Really?” Emily’s eyes widened. Justin gave her a look Antonio didn’t understand and a frown crossed her face before vanishing. “I didn’t know you were gay. That is, not that it matters. Or that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about it.” She dropped her face into her palm. “Oh my God, this conversation just became an HR nightmare.” Her words were muffled. “I’m shutting
up now.”

  The hint of flustered was as alluring as her confidence. Antonio liked the contrast; it made her feel even more real. “No one’s going to Human Resources, unless you do. And I’m not gay. I’m more of a keep my options open kind of guy.”

  “Oh.” She looked up. “So, um... the two of you meet in Brazil and bam instant friendship?”

  Justin chuckled. “Exactly like that. If you remove the weeks of awkward fumbling and trying to find each other’s boundaries, a lot like this conversation.”

  “Which tattoo is from Brazil?” Emily seemed determined to move on to a new topic.

  Again, her question struck Antonio as oddly specific, given she and Justin only met a few hours ago.

  “It’s where I had my inspiration for APPropriate Designs, so it’s an AI.” If Justin thought Emily’s insight was odd, it didn’t show in any of his mannerisms.

  The answer was misleadingly vague. It really didn’t have anything to do with what Justin decided on in the end.

  “As in artificial intelligence?” Emily asked. “Like Johnny Five from that old Short Circuit movie?”

  “That’s the one.”

  Antonio’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he ignored it. Whatever it was could wait a few minutes. “That was disturbingly specific.” Especially since that specific tattoo was on Justin’s right shoulder blade. “What am I missing?”

  Pink spread across Emily’s cheeks. “Nothing.”

  Justin grinned. “Not anymore, anyway. Saturday night, you missed the stunning redhead hiding several rows of teeth behind an incredible mask of sweetness and a sharp tongue.”

  Reality plowed into Antonio, and his world tilted. Emily was the woman Justin picked up? And now, not only was she working with them, but she and Justin were still flirting. What the fuck? Words escaped him. “This just got surreal. As in, bad plot kind of surreal.”

  Justin opened his mouth but was cut off by the shrillness of his phone. He answered it before the first ring finished. “Hey, Merc.”

  Mercy. The bizarre evening shifted aside in Antonio’s head to make room for its neighbor, ill ease. Something had gone wrong with the Promiscuous Perks beta the developers deployed this evening. Wrong enough Mercy couldn’t wait until morning to get it fixed. The code name was meant to be misleading so no one would guess it was Justin’s education component.