NOVA
I stalk sharply through the doors of my office, dressed in yesterday’s clothes, my hair scraped back into as professional a bun as I could make it with only my fingers and water from the bathroom sink to smooth the coils.
Too many people stampede into my office behind me, crowding me with their frightened eyes and their desperation for answers that I don’t have.
“Alright. Alright.” I grip the back of my chair because there’s no way I can sit down right now. My body’s too full of restless energy and I’d probably bounce right up again like a spring. “One by one. Go.”
The PR director starts first. “Articles about the plagiarism accusation have already begun circulating online. It’s gaining ground on social media.”
“So fast?”
“Because we made such a splash in the news yesterday, Mr. Harrison is a hot topic. It’s catching fire faster than we can put it out.”
I jut my chin down sharply, trying to remain calm.
At least on the outside.
On the inside, I’m as chaotic as the goo that was crawling out of the lab yesterday.
The clean-up crew still haven’t scraped all the foam out, which is yet another problem on my docket. It’s lower on the rung, but I still can’t forget about it.
“Next,” I order.
Roberts whips his laptop out and shows me a bunch of lines. “Our stocks are dropping. Fast. People don’t want to be anywhere near Vision Tech’s products and it’s chomping down on the bottom line like a tyrant.”
I process that information and then wave my hand. “Next.”
“Some of the participants at this year’s convention are calling for Mr. Harrison to be stripped of his rank before the second round of the competition.”
I glance up harshly at the HR manager. “They haven’t even waited for verification of the story.”
“We think they’re capitalizing on the bad press in order to take Mr. Harrison down. They’re a small group, but they’re making a lot of noise.”
I lower my head and let a breath out slowly through my nostrils. I’ve known about the group of disgruntled participants for a while. They’re mostly sore losers who feel it’s unfair for a Vision Tech inventor to win every year.
I wonder how they would react if they found out that not only is Adam the best inventor in Vision Tech, he owns the whole thing.
“Anything else?” I call loudly.
The room falls silent.
I glance up, my eyes cutting through the crowd.
Rochelle, the office assistant, raises her hand. “Mr. Hall is on line four.”
I nod, glad that our lawyer can get back to us so soon. At least we’re not paying through the nose for nothing.
Glancing at each of the people in my office, I speak in a level tone. “I’m going to discuss our options with the lawyers first. In the meantime, come up with ideas to wrangle this out of the public eye. We can’t deal with the falling stock prices until we fix the image of Vision Tech.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll get right on that.”
I pierce Roberts with my gaze. “We’ll have a meeting in an hour. Can you keep the shareholders calm until then? Assure them that we’re doing everything we can to fix this.”
“What exactly are we doing?” Roberts demands.
I glare at his tone.
He shrinks back, his eyes darting around. “They’re going to ask.”
“Assure them we are handling it,” I say through gritted teeth. “Can you not manage such a simple task, Mr. Roberts?”
He glances down.
“He’s got a point.” The PR director pipes up. “Shouldn’t we tell people that Adam didn’t steal those blueprints?”
I shake my head. “No one is going to listen to us at this point. We need to gather proof that can back up our statement and, to gather that proof, I need to talk to our lawyer first.” I frown. “Does anyone have any more questions?”
My voice is sharp and it cuts through the air like a knife. I’m not really inviting another problem right now and they know it.
“Good. If you’ll excuse me…”
They recognize my silent brush off and file out much slower than they did when they’d burst in. Unfortunately, they leave their worry behind.
I glance at the group of directors through the blinds. Their shoulders are tense and worry lines are wrinkling their foreheads.
I can practically taste their desperation.
It’s our first time taking a hit like this in public. After years of licensing new inventions, we’ve come across issues with patents and legalities. Most of the time, we’re the ones handing out the lawsuits though.
This is only our second plagiarism case, and the first one of this magnitude. The public being involved is a curveball and the bad press is mounting faster than I can manage.
My landline rings.
It’s the lawyer.
At once, all the strength leaves my legs. I fall into the chair, clear my throat and then pick up the phone. “Mr. Hall.”
We dive right into a discussion about our next steps, and I don’t like what I’m hearing.
“You’re saying, even if we have Adam’s blueprints, it’s not admissible?”
“That’s what I’m getting from the suit. I’ll need a little more time to untangle the red tape and get to the bottom of things but, from what I can see, Adam’s blueprint only proves that he built something new, not that he designed it.”
I stifle a groan. Fast-paced and worrying as the situation may be, what frightens me more is the fact that the blueprint got out. It’s illuminating a deeper problem than I have the energy to tackle.
“Adam would never steal from anyone,” I say firmly. “Whatever you do, I hope you attack this case from that angle. We will never admit guilt for something we didn’t do.”
“Understood.”
I throw the phone in the cradle and rub my forehead with my palm.
I’m feeling immensely overwhelmed and it doesn’t help that I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday.
Food is the absolute last thing I have time for. Not when I have a million tasks tugging me in a million different directions.
What should I do first? I need to prepare for my meeting with Roberts. And the PR team needs approval for the newest press release. And I need to take a better look at those stock prices. And… and…
The room spins slightly and I close my eyes, trying to get back into the game.
My body can’t fail me.
Not right now.
I have too much to do.
“Put your head between your legs and take deep breaths, darlin’,” a voice rumbles.
I glance up as Adam rushes into my office, carrying a lunch bag. Not the paper bag, like the kind that was sitting on my desk yesterday. An honest-to-goodness lunch bag with a long strap and a zip down the front.
I fixate on that bag as if it’s the solution to all the problems that are plaguing me.
The material is blue and puffy.
Blue is Adam’s favorite color.
I wonder what Rowan’s favorite color is? I have to ask him.
Adam sets the bag on the desk and kneels in front of me.
He really has to stop doing that.
Going down on one knee.
He did it last night when he took off my shoes and again today. Watching him kneel in front of me makes me feel like he’s about to propose or…
I know I’ve lost it now if I’m thinking about Adam and marriage in the same sentence.
“Darlin’,” Adam takes my hand and swirls his thumb over the back of my knuckles, “I need you to breathe. Okay?”
My eyes devour his face. Just like me, Adam looks like he didn’t shower. He’s wearing the same worn T-shirt that hugs his pecs. The same jeans with the holes in the knee.
Looking at this man, the last thing you’d think is that he owns a billion-dollar company.
I’ve never met someone who cared less about money than Adam.
Ironically, I’ve never met a man with as much money as Adam either.
Black dots start dancing in my vision.
I’m not passing out. I’m focusing on Adam.
I’m fine.
I’m great.
“Dammit, you’re scaring me, Nova.”
I suck in a deep breath. For someone who didn’t shower, he still smells good. Like metal, always that metal, and something else. Sandalwood. Was he doing woodwork? His hair is wet. It must be raining outside. There’s a drip of water running down his strong forehead, past his temple and along the curve of his unbelievably square jaw.
When it comes to the genetic lottery, I think Adam’s right there in the winner’s circle. It’s like he fell on top of a sculptor’s chisel when he was growing up.
His touch gets firmer. “Nova.”
The world tilts and goes dark. I can see, but it’s like a fog has settled on the room or like I’m trapped in a warm dream.
I’m suddenly aware of strong arms cradling me. I’m falling out of my chair, but I’m not on the ground. I’m in something soft. A cloud?
A lap.
Adam’s lap.
I hear him mumbling, “It’s okay, Nova. I got you. I got you, darlin’.”
If I wasn’t fighting to stay conscious, I’d push him away. What if someone came inside? What if they saw me sitting in my boss’s lap and told everyone that Nova Delaney is being inappropriate with her employer?
The part of me that’s made of ice and should care about things like that has started to thaw. I’m as limp and helpless as a newborn right now, but I’m not scared.
Adam’s here.
He says he’s got me.
As if I needed the words.
He’s proven time and time again that he’s someone I can rely on.
I close my eyes for a bit and breathe in time with Adam’s rushing heart. I’m not sure how many minutes tick by while I half-sit, half-float in Adam’s arms, but slowly I come back to myself.
The first thing I realize is that my fingers are curling in his shirt and my cheek is stuck to his left pec. Adam’s lips graze my temple—did he just kiss me?
Stunned, I open my eyes wider and turn to look up at him.
“There you are. You okay, Nova?”
I land fully back into myself and battle a floundering panic. What just happened? Did I just nuzzle my boss?
Gah!
I want to cover my face and take a flying leap through the window. My body jumps as if eager to live out the command. Unfortunately, I can’t go far because Adam has a good grip on me.
“Don’t move too fast, Nova,” he warns. There’s a tender note to his voice and also a hint of amusement.
Embarrassed beyond measure, I push up so I’m sitting on my own instead of laying sprawled on his chest.
I can’t even look at him. After that confusing moment in the hallway this morning, I renewed my promise to keep a distance from Adam. The scalding hot attraction I feel for my boss is getting harder to resist and I can’t afford to make any mistakes.
Unfortunately, the mistakes are piling up so high, they’d reach outer space.
“That’s the first time a woman’s literally fallen for me,” Adam teases, brushing my cheek with his knuckles.
“In your dreams.”
His entire chest rumbles with a chuckle. “Good. You’re firing back at me. It means you’re feeling better.”
“What are you doing here?” I whisper faintly. “I told you to stay at home and not to worry. I’ve got this.”
“I am worried.”
“I’ve—”
“Not about the lawsuit,” he says. His brown eyes fall on me like a gentle rain. “About you.”
I tremble a little.
Adam shakes his head. “It’s a good thing I came too. Imagine if you’d hit your head on the edge of the desk? Then Vision Tech would have a much bigger problem.”
Vision Tech. Right.
I try harder to push away from him this time, but Adam slides his arms around me and I collapse against his chest.
“Just a few more seconds,” he coaxes. “Relax.”
Impossible. Not with his hard, muscular chest at my back, with his familiar scent wrapping around me and with the strength of his arms across my stomach. And definitely not with the way my heart is picking up speed from being held like this.
“Mr. Harrison, this is… very inappropriate.”
He chuckles. “Don’t tempt me to show you what inappropriate really looks like, Nova.”
My eyes bulge. I start squirming around.
“Calm down, darlin’. I’ll let you go in a minute.”
“Now.”
“Take three deep breaths and then you can stand up,” Adam says.
I open my mouth and gulp in air like a fish. Then I pry at his hands until he loosens his grip.
Rolling out of his arms, I jump to my feet and pat down my hair. One swipe makes me cringe. I didn’t sleep with a bonnet yesterday, which was Island’s fiercest recommendation when joining Team Natural Hair.
Now, my hair is frizzy beyond measure and curls are popping out of my hair clip. I must look like a total mess.
“You look beautiful,” Adam says as if he can read my mind. He grips my arm and sets it down gently at my side to stop me from fussing with my hair.
His touch sends an explosion of electric sensations up my body.
I turn away quickly and try to forget about Adam holding me in his lap and calling me ‘darlin’ in that sexy voice.
Adam grabs a container from the bag and sets it on the desk. “I brewed your favorite coffee. Although I wish I’d gotten you water. I think that would be better for you.”
I pounce on the bottle. The beautiful scent of roasted coffee beans rises to my nostrils and gives me life.
As I take my first sip, the world rocks back into focus and things start making sense.
Maybe I only imagined Adam kissing my head.
Maybe it was my deranged mind that felt his heartbeat picking up speed as he cradled me.
Maybe all the things that I found sexy and romantic were just pure panic from a man who thought I’d die in his arms.
“Thanks.” I cap the top of the travel mug and set it on the desk. When I glance down, I notice a file tucked in between the lunch box. I fish it out. “What’s this?”
He snaps it from me. “That is something I’ll show you after you eat breakfast.”
I pout. “If you have something that could help, I need it now. I don’t have time to—”
He slants me a firm look.
I give him a tight glare in return.
He doesn’t budge. I’ll have to play along if I want to see what he brought.
“Fine.” Plunking down into my seat with a little less force than I wanted to thanks to my still-weary body, I accept the lunch box.
Inside are two pancakes with bananas for eyes and a blueberry smile.
I melt. “Rowan did this?”
“My kid’s got an artistic flair.”
My lips curl up. My kid?
I accept the fork he offers me. “Did you ask Dejonae to watch him?”
“No. She offered, but I didn’t want to put her out. Mariana is watching him.”
I nod. It was a matter of time before Adam’s housekeeper found out about Rowan.
“Honey?”
“What?” I glance up in shock.
Adam shakes a packet in front of me. “I brought honey. For your pancakes.”
“Oh.” Why did my heart rush thinking he was calling me by an endearment? I must still be a little dazed.
I shove the pancakes into my mouth and then show Adam my clean plate. “See? Now what did you bring me?”
“So impatient.” He opens the file and slides it across the table.
I push aside the empty container and draw his sketch close. “What am I looking at?”
“The blueprint I submitted to the patent office isn’t the one I worked on originally. It’s the rendition I formulated on a computer.” He unfolds a long, thin paper and shows me a much older blueprint. “This is the one I created with a pencil and my own crude measurements. It’s dated and notarized.” He points a pale thumb to the numbers. “I do that with all my original creations. Just in case.”
I snatch up the blueprint and bring it close to my face. My heart starts singing like a black choir at an Easter service.
“Adam!” My eyes widen. I can’t even form the words I need to express my relief.
He leans against the desk, smirking at me. “The lawsuit isn’t necessarily about the overall design, but about the bass frequency conduction functions. I have a dated blueprint for that too.”
My eyes move slowly up to his. “Thank you.”
He shakes his head. “I’m glad I could take one worry off your plate.”
I grab my phone, snap photos of the blueprints and then text our lawyer. Next, I grab my pen and write a comprehensive to do list. It calms me seeing the tasks lined up. Plus, now that I’m fueled up, I feel like I can tackle anything.
“The crisis is averted now, right?” Adam asks, studying me intently from his perch on the desk. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”
“Not even close.”
He frowns at me.
I lean forward. “Yes, the blueprints came in handy. We can counter-sue for damages and I’m sure the other company will back off…”
“But?” He prods.
“But how did the blueprints get copied in the first place?”
Adam rises to his full height. “You think it’s someone from the company.”
It’s not a question.
“Adam, consider it. It’s the only answer that makes sense.”
“I don’t need to consider that. It can’t be anyone at Vision Tech.”
I tip my head back to look at him, noticing the stubborn set of his jaw. “You can’t always believe that everyone at Vision Tech has the company’s best interests in mind.”
“What would be the point of leaking our blueprints? What would they gain by doing that?”
“Money? Evil satisfaction?”
“We have the most comprehensive benefits of any tech company, plus profit sharing after one year. Everyone knows that my work is property of the company, just like theirs is if they choose to sell. They’re paid well either way. There’s no need for betrayal.”
I stand too because Adam looking down on me makes me feel like I’m losing the argument. “Adam, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but just because you treat people well doesn’t mean they’re going to treat you well too. You can’t be so trusting all the time.”
“Maybe you need to trust a little more.”
“Me?”
“You think everyone is out to get you.”
“And you think everyone is good inside.” I place my hand on the table and lock eyes with him. “You’ve been in your lab making inventions twenty-four-seven. You only deal with the people you want to deal with. I’m out here every day, protecting the company from the greed, jealousy and bitterness of others. I don’t get to have such an optimistic point of view.”
He studies me for a long moment before looking down at the blueprints. “I’m not discounting how much you’ve sacrificed for Vision Tech, Nova. And I’m sorry I didn’t notice before how much mud you had to slog through just to get us to where we are.”
“I’m not fishing for an apology, Adam. I’m only saying—”
Adam interrupts. “I know what you’re saying. But humor me. Where would you be spending your energy if you were sure that the culprit wasn’t someone from the company?”
I give him a perplexed look. “We can’t be sure though. It’s easy for someone from the company to sell us out. It doesn’t even have to be a recent employee. It could be someone who’s left already. An intern who didn’t get promoted. Someone I disciplined…”
He plants his hands on the table and leans over until his face is close to mine. “What if it was just you and me who created this invention? And no one else was at the company. Who would you be trying to investigate then?”
“I don’t know. The… patent office?”
He arches an eyebrow as if to say bingo.
I open my mouth to protest, but then it sinks in. He might have a point. It’s worth investigating at least.
Scrunching my nose, I poke a finger in his direction. “We don’t know if you’re right.”
“We don’t know if I’m wrong.”
I shake my head at him and sling my purse over my shoulder.
“Where are you going?” Adam asks. “You could just give them a call.”
“It’s too easy to shake someone off on a call. I need to investigate with my own two eyes.” I round the desk.
Adam is right behind me.
I stop and stare at him. “I don’t need your help.”
“And even if you did, you wouldn’t ask for it.” He steps closer. “You’re supposed to be showing me the ropes, remember? How am I supposed to learn if you leave me in the dust?”
I hesitate. Adam’s a distraction and, after that embarrassing episode in his lap, I’m afraid of what I’ll do if he catches me off-guard again.
“You’re too close to this case,” I say to deter him. “It’s better if I handle this alone.”
“Then at least let me drive you.” When I scowl, he holds up both hands. “That’s all I’m going to do.”
“I know you, Adam. You’ll walk in right beside me.”
He looks guilty as charged.
I don’t want him following me around. I’m definitely going to tell him. I will not—
“Okay,” I find myself giving in as though my mouth has a mind of its own. I whirl back around and jab a finger at him. “But I’ll do the talking.”
He gives me a grin that makes my heart skip a beat. “Yes, ma’am.”
I really hate when Adam is right. Not only because I hate being wrong in general, but because Adam knows how to lord it over me.
“Don’t say a word,” I whisper to him as we return to the company after our short but fruitful investigation.
Adam makes a zipping motion in front of his lips.
I glare straight ahead and march into the conference room where everyone is waiting.
All the directors are present and staring expectantly at me.
I lift my chin at the PR team. “The patent office’s internal investigation team will be in touch with us soon. They’re going to put out a statement clarifying the situation and absolving Adam and Vision Tech.”
A wave of ‘what’ and ‘how come’ echoes over the office.
I lift a hand for quiet. “The patent office was already investigating one of their own for selling blueprints and blackmailing inventors to make money. They’ll host a press conference. Today.”
“Then we’re saved!” Roberts declares, flashing me a big grin.
“Not quite.” I stop their early celebration. “The damage to Vision Tech is severe. We need ideas for an event that will align the company with positive news articles. Preferably something related to the kinetic batteries.”
“What about a sports day?” Adam suggests. “The kinetic batteries were created to encourage movement. We can invite the local schools or children’s homes to participate.”
“That’s ridiculous!” Roberts spits. “We’re a tech company. Not a community center.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “No, I like it. We can have the participants beta test low-budget prototypes and show reporters how the batteries are supposed to work. We also get to push the message that Vision Tech is here to make the lives of everyone easier. By involving the community, we can make the company look more accessible and warm-hearted rather than cold and distant.”
Roberts chuckles nervously. “You’re right. It’s a great idea! I love it.”
I slap my binder closed. “Take care of that,” I say to the PR director. “Roberts, invite our biggest shareholders to the event too. Let them see how the kinetic batteries work in advance. With their support, it’ll be easier to convince the board to green light in-house manufacturing.”
“Got it.”
I dismiss them and head back to my office.
Adam matches my pace. In the elevator, he checks his watch. “I’m going to make sure you eat lunch and then I’ll head back to Rowan.”
“I notice you’re not running away from him anymore.”
“Yeah, well, if he’s not my kid, I can write it off as babysitting for an old friend. And if he is… at least I won’t regret my first impression.”
I smile up at him. “I’m glad you’re seeing the light. But you don’t have to stay until lunch. I’ll make sure I eat.”
“I don’t believe you,” Adam says.
“You never believe me.”
“Maybe if you didn’t get so caught up in work and took better care of yourself, I’d worry about you less.”
“You don’t have to worry about me at all, Adam.”
He steps close enough that his cowboy boots are kissing my pumps. “It would be easier to stop breathing, darlin’.”
My eyes catch and hold on his.
The elevator turns into an electromagnetic field, zapping sensations at me one after the other. The air feels different all of a sudden. I feel different.
But different is not what I need when it comes to Adam.
I force myself to glance away. “I really do appreciate you bringing the blueprints today. And breakfast. Tell Rowan his blueberry smile brightened my day.”
“He’s going to love that.”
I offer a tired nod.
Adam’s eyes stay fixed on me. My heart tries to do a fancy backflip even though it knows well and good that it has no permission to do so. The stupid, idiotic butterflies stir to life and if I had a knife to shred their wings, Hannibal Lector style, I would.
I’m vaguely aware of the elevator stopping and the doors opening. But it’s only when I hear Henry’s voice that I break out of my Adam-trance.
Vision Tech’s most brilliant intern is staring at us. He gives Adam an odd look before bestowing me with a smile. “Miss Delaney.”
“Hi, Henry.” I lift my chin, doing my best to act cool and unruffled.
Note to self: no skipping breakfast and lunch around Adam. It makes me way more susceptible to his good looks and charm.
“Ehem. Are you getting in?” Adam asks a little abruptly.
Henry clamors into the elevator. Once the doors close, he turns to me. “I was just coming to see you.”
“Did you need something?” I ask, slipping into work mode.
“I, uh, wanted to check if you’d gotten home okay.”
My eyebrows cinch together. “Yes, I did.”
“And, um, did you enjoy the sandwich?”
I hear a sound of stifled laughter and glance up at Adam. One corner of his mouth kicks up and he gives me an innocent look.
I scowl at him and then glance back at Henry. “Yes, thank you.”
That’s a lie.
I didn’t eat Henry’s sandwich, but I don’t want to tell him that. Not when he was being so nice.
“Good. Good.” Henry bobs his head. He wipes dark hands on his lab coat and seems to be searching for something else to say. “I heard we’re having a sports event.”
“Yes, we are.”
“I heard employees can participate.”
“Yes, they can.”
“Would you like to be my partner for one of the games?”
The smile drops right off Adam’s face like butter from a hot skillet. He steps forward but, just then, the elevator stops.
I walk off.
Both Adam and Henry are right behind me.
“I don’t know if I’ll be participating,” I tell Henry, my heels clicking on the tiles.
Since the most pressing matters have been averted, I’ll try to shake Adam so I can work through lunch and then I’ll go home early to shower. I’m starting to feel grimy.
“But if you do,” Henry insists, “will you partner with me?”
My phone buzzes.
It’s the lawyer’s office.
“Yeah, sure,” I say flippantly. Henry’s a smart kid and I’m hoping to speak to him about continuing at Vision Tech in a permanent position. It won’t hurt to pay him some attention before then.
Adam’s eyes widen in horror.
I lift a finger before he can say whatever it is that’s bubbling on the tip of his tongue.
“Hey, Hall.” I move into my office.
Adam glares at me through the blinds and, for some reason, it makes me want to laugh.
Hall says something and I have to ask him to repeat it.
Enough staring at your boss.
I focus on Hall’s outline of our next steps, a lot more comfortable with the game plan now that we have the truth on our side. I’m grateful this matter cleared up without dragging on for too long. But that’s mostly due to Adam’s evidence backing all the bad guys into a corner.
I realize I’m smiling just thinking about Adam and quickly fix my face.
When I’m finished with Hall, I notice a text on my phone.
Adam: Mariana had to leave, so I’m going back home to check on Rowan. I’ll order lunch for you. Make sure you eat it!!
Adam: Also, Dejonae invited us to a barbecue tonight. I’m picking you up at five. No overworking today!!
I chuckle at his text.
Adam tells me I’m bossy, but the truth is that he’s the bossy one. And what’s with all the exclamation points?
Me: I’ve got a meeting at five. But I can try to end it by six.
Adam: Deal.
I set the phone away when it buzzes one more time.
Eagerly, I pick it up and check Adam’s latest message.
By the way, tell that kid to back off. If anyone’s partnering with you for that sports event, it’s going to be me.
