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CHAPTER ONE

My phone dinged

B: I’nored Blake’s e, and turnedbrown hair behind her ear and continued to update the team on the weekly stats for our Internet startup, Clozpin I listened attentively, grateful to have her back on the team

Alli had been back in Boston only a feeeks, but she was finally sharing a city and an apartain Heath was happy, she was happy, and I was thrilled to have her reclai director after the debacle with Risa I’d invited Alli back even before letting Risa go for sharing confidential inforht Alli was a fountain of opti , and somehow the silence between us filledelse I wanted to doubt her ability to start a co site with Max, our almost-investor and Blake’s sworn enemy, but the unknoorried me What if they successfully lured our advertisers away? What if they were able to build soitimately better and filled a need that Clozpin didn’t?

With the kind ofto the table plus Risa’s inside infor I’d learned inwas possible And so about the way she left, filled with so much venom and resent a business I was still fledgling, without a doubt I wanted to believe I could hold my own, and in many ways I had, but I had a lot to learn

Another textas it vibrated against the glass top of the conference table

B: Erica?

I rolled my eyes and quickly tapped out a reply I knew he’d pesterI’ll call you after

B: I want you naked in et home You should leave soon

E: I need more time

B: I’ll be inside you within the hour Your office, our bed, your choice Wrap it up

The air in the rooainstuncoainst my shirt How did he do that? A feell-placed words, delivered via text no less, hadelse you want to cover?"

My eyes locked with Alli’s She cocked an eyebrow likeattention All I could think about were the consequences of keeping Blake waiting, and the physical response to that anticipation was already becohts away from Blake’s proood Thanks, everyone" I collectedI waved off the rest of the group, and they dispersed to their workstations Alli followed me into my partitioned office

"What’s up with Perry? I didn’t want to bring it up at thesince it’s kind of an odd situation"

"Not ain, but I haven’t replied yet" I didn’t have tiht now if I wanted tohim on as an advertiser?"

"I’ brown eyes ide "Does Blake know he reached out to you?"