Hard Limit

Book 4: Hacker

by Meredith Wild

Genres: Women's Fiction; Contemporary Romance; New Adult Romance; Romantic Suspense

Synopsis

Blake Landon is a man who has everything-wealth, good looks, and the love of Erica Hathaway. The power couple has been through hell and back, and when life has torn them apart, somehow they have always found their way back to each other, more in love and stronger than ever. Erica has never been more ready to say I do. On the verge of making the ultimate commitment, she uncovers an unsettling chapter of Blake's history. As she makes peace with her own past and the family who left her behind, she presses Blake to tear down the last walls between them. Determined to know the man he once was, she opens a door to a world beyond her wildest imagination-a world that has her questioning the limits of her own desires. As danger lurks and dark secrets come to light, will the past destroy their promise of forever?

Release date: April 7, 2015

Publisher: Forever

Print pages: 295

Sample

Two weeks earlier

I slid my cold palms up and down the sides of my dress. I’d dressed up to make a good impression. I knew it was foolish. Especially since this wouldn’t exactly be a first impression.

“Coffee?”

Blake walked up to where I stood and held out a steaming cup. He was dressed in dark blue jeans and a white collared shirt that made his skin glow. His skin was tanned from our time at the beach house, the place where we went to escape the city life and recharge. Today, like all the others, Blake took my breath away. He could have stepped out of a catalogue, but there was more to the man than his breathtaking good looks. His entire presence had a way of throwing me off balance. Sometimes—when I wasn’t swooning over his perfection—I wondered if I did that to him too.

“Thank you,” I murmured. Our hands grazed each other when I took the cup, and I let the heat seep into my fingers.

“Call me crazy, but you look nervous.” He sipped his own coffee and cocked his head.

I stared into the creamy liquid, let the rich aroma fill my nose, and tried to imagine what the next half hour would bring. Being here with Blake by my side should have been a small—a great—comfort, but it wasn’t. “I can’t help it.”

He chuckled softly. “You have absolutely no reason to be. You realize that, right?”

Easy for him to say. Across the room, a tall young man was speaking with some of the other investors. I was now on a first-name basis with many of them, but I couldn’t get past the fact that they were the makers and breakers of dreams. They were men, more or less, like Blake. Some were self-made, and others had done well in their professional careers and had taken on angel investing as a hobby, dabbling with fresh new ideas.

The young man’s jaw was tight, his motions jerky under a tense smile and wide eyes, like he’d consumed all of the coffee in Boston this morning.

“That was me a few months ago,” I said. “It’s terrifying, and you’ll never know what that feels like. Plus I probably have post-traumatic stress disorder from all the shit you put me through in this room. Twice.”

Blake’s amused expression lacked all the remorse I was trying to elicit from him. Only months ago we’d come face to face in this very room, a meeting that set off an unexpected series of events—our life together as we knew it.

“I can see you’re really broken up about that,” I added, trying to sound annoyed as I blew a puff of steam off my coffee.

“I was a jerk. I admit it.”

“A complete asshole,” I corrected.

A cocky grin curved his lips. “Fine, but you couldn’t get me to take a single second of it back, because now I have you.”

His green-eyed gaze locked to mine as he stood in front of me, his stance wide and casual. He had me all right. As my anxiety slowly melted, I fought the impulse to kiss the smirk off his face in front of all these men in suits. The man drove me wild, in more ways than one.

“What do you think? Any regrets?” he asked.

His eyes darkened as if he could read my thoughts, the amused, cocky man replaced by the lover who held my heart in his hands. I drew in a breath of air through my nose, waiting for the touch that often followed that look. A simple reassuring touch that held in it all the love we shared for each other.

He trailed his fingertips lightly along my jaw, lowering his face to the side of mine. The soft kiss brushed against my cheek could have been mistaken for a quiet exchange between colleagues and filled the air between us with his scent. My breath caught, trapping his essence in my lungs. I wanted to be immersed in it, bathed in that uniquely masculine aroma.

He retreated, returning to his casual stance in front me. His coffee cup occupied his beautiful lips once more when I wanted them against me again. God, the sensual torture I’d endured at the mercy of those lips.

Closing my eyes, I shook my head. There were no words. No regrets. He was right. All the ups and downs, however painful, had been worth it. We’d made mistakes. We’d hurt each other, but somehow we’d come through it stronger. He knew my heart, and I knew his. I couldn’t speak for the future, but I couldn’t imagine it beside anyone but Blake.

“Still nervous?” he murmured.

I opened my eyes to find his amused smile returned, new warmth in his eyes.

“No,” I admitted, too aware of our lack of privacy and conflicted by the sudden shift in the air between us. I tried to ignore the way my heart swelled against the walls of my chest, that nameless reminder of how desperately I loved him. I was a slave to this man and the body that repeatedly shattered my ability to comprehend life beyond our bedroom. I wished now that we were alone, that I could be free to touch him. I ached to touch him.

“Good. This will be fun, I promise.” He moved to my side and slid his arm around me, stroking light circles at the small of my back.

Maybe this wasn’t casual anymore. Blake had a way of letting the world know I was his no matter where we were. Boardroom or bedroom, he never left much doubt. I can’t say I minded. I wanted to lean into him now, breathe him in, and let the world melt away in his arms.

“We’re starting in a few minutes. Do you want to eat something? You didn’t have breakfast,” he murmured, his breath warm against my neck.

I shook my head. “No, thanks.” I paused, unable to ignore the little seedling of doubt that grew within me. “Blake…”

“What is it, baby?”

His voice was soft as his pet name for me rolled off his gorgeous lips. And the way he looked at me… I could ask for the Hope diamond on a silver platter and I had little doubt he would figure out a way to bring it to me.

“Are you sure you want me here?”

He winced, marring his beautiful features with a small frown. “What do you mean? Of course I do. I put you on this board for several reasons, and they weren’t all selfish. You deserve to be here as much as any of these guys.”

I rolled my eyes. “I doubt that.”

“You have your own experiences—failures and successes—that you’re bringing to the table today. You know that.”

The reassuring presence of his palm on my back disappeared, replaced by a gentle caress up my arm and back to my cheek. He tilted my chin up until he was all I could see, all I could think about.

“Don’t doubt it, Erica. Don’t ever doubt your value.”

I shook my head slightly. “I guess I’m worried those reasons have more to do with … us, than me deserving to be here. What if I don’t have anything to contribute? I don’t want to embarrass you in front of all these people.”

He pivoted his impressive body, squaring with mine.

“Listen to me. This is your first pitch as a prospective investor, so it’s okay to be a little nervous. Just ask the questions that come to mind. If none do, it probably has a lot more to do with the poor guy over there who’s about to toss his breakfast than you. He’s the one with his ass on the line, so do yourself a favor. Drink your coffee, waltz over there like you own this fucking place—because in a few weeks, when you’re my wife, you will—and do what you do best. Be a boss. Look for talent and decide if this guy’s venture is worth a second look.”

I swallowed over the emotion that burned in my throat. How he could have that kind of faith in me blew my mind. Then again, not much about Blake wasn’t completely overwhelming and mind blowing. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

His serious expression softened into a smile that met his eyes. Blake’s happiness meant everything to me. I wanted to hold onto it, bind it with my own, and stay that way as long as we could. Hopefully forever.

I closed my eyes, cherishing the brief moment between us. His lips met my forehead with a soft kiss.

“Now, let’s go find our seats before I send everyone home and make passionate love to you on that table. I’m having a hard time keeping my hands off of you right now.”

I looked up, trying not to let my thoughts run away with the fantasy. “It’s a little early in the morning for idle threats,” I teased with a half smile.

His tongue slid out, traveling a sensual path across the bottom of his teeth. “Not an idle threat, and I think you know that. Now get your sweet ass over there and impress me.”

I waited a second for the heat to fade from my face before I led the way to the long conference table where the others were now taking their seats. We sat down and Blake cleared his throat, glancing down at a paper in front of him.

“Everyone, this is Geoff Wells. He’s here to present on his venture, wearable technology applications.”

Geoff was young, early twenties. He was thin, his skin pale, and his dark blond hair fell long and untamed on his shoulders. He had all the earmarks of a programmer. His bright blue eyes were wide, darting from face to face, and his Adam’s apple worked on a swallow as he waited for all the people seated across from him to get settled. God, did I feel for the man. When our eyes met, I smiled. Maybe I could be a friendly face in the crowd. He smiled back, seeming to relax his posture some.

“Thanks for coming, Geoff,” I said. As nervous as I was for him, wanting him to feel more at ease launched me out of my shell. I nodded toward the stack of papers in front of him. “Tell us about your idea.”

He straightened and drew in a deep breath. “Thanks for having me. I have been programming most of my life, but the past few years I have been focusing specifically on application development. As many of you might already know, we will be seeing a new market emerging in the technology space over the next year. Software—specifically applications—for wearable technology.”

Geoff launched into the details of his project. He spoke animatedly, the way Sid and I sometimes spoke about our business to each other and others. All of us—Sid, Blake, James, and I—lived in another world, our own high-tech bubble. We spoke a different language. I wasn’t a codeslinger, but I loved the business side of technology and I reveled in our weird little microcosm. Geoff clearly lived in this world too, and possibly not much outside of it based on his complexion and unkempt hair.

The next fifteen minutes were filled with all the high-level details of Geoff’s plan to expand on the applications he’d already created. He hit all the checkpoints I’d drilled into my mind when I was preparing my pitch to Angelcom months ago. As Geoff spoke, I recognized his passion and talent. Beyond that, I thought the idea was pretty neat. I jotted notes down onto the legal pad in front of me, eager for a chance to ask him questions and secretly hoping that Blake was as excited about it as I was.

Blake’s phone silently lit up, distracting him from the presentation. I shot him a glare. When he didn’t notice, I jabbed him with the toe of my shoe. His frown met my own, and a small knowing smile replaced it. He looked straight ahead, his focus trained on the only person who should have had his attention in that moment.

“What applications have you built so far?” Blake asked when Geoff hit a pause in his presentation.

“I have a handful of apps built for major platforms that will be releasing in a few months.”

“How quickly do you think you can bring more apps to the marketplace?”

“It depends on funding. I need a lot more developers who specialize in different platforms working on multiple projects. Right now it’s pretty much just me.”

“Do you have more ideas already mapped out?” I asked.

“I have several. The technical specifications are ready to go. I just need more hands on deck to build them out so we can release them before someone else does.”

I nodded, doing some quick math, matching up his funding request with the timeline in front of us. I glanced to the side, hoping what I saw in Blake’s eyes was interest. He looked back to Geoff before I could try to read him.

“Okay, Geoff, I think we’ve covered all the basics. Do you have anything else?”

Geoff shook his head. “I think that’s the gist of it, unless you have more questions.”

Blake glanced around, an unspoken last call for questions. When met with silent nods, he prompted the gentlemen on the other side of us to speak. “What do we think, gentlemen? Ready to decide?”

The first man, one who’d sat in on my pitch, quickly passed. He’d passed on mine as well. Geoff worried the inside of his cheek.

The next two investors passed, and I was fully anxious for Geoff now. His gaze landed on Blake, the familiar terror of being unilaterally rejected plain on his features. Blake clicked his pen a few times.

“I will…” He paused, taking another moment to tap the pen to his lips. “I think I will defer to Miss Hathaway on this one.”

He gestured to me at his side. My jaw fell open slightly. I loved Geoff’s concept, but as the seconds ticked by, I hoped that Blake would be the one to make the move. With his arm over the back of his chair, Blake gave me a crooked smile. Damn him.

Geoff now looked as confused as he was terrified, his face even paler than it had been.

“I like it,” I said quickly.

Geoff’s face brightened. “You do?”

“I do. I like everything about it so far. I think it has incredible promise. I’d love to hear more about your specific app ideas.”

A broad smile split his face. “Thank you so much. Whatever you need to know—”

“How does next week look for you, Geoff?” Blake interjected, shifting Geoff’s attention away from me.

“Next week is perfect. Um, anytime that works for you, of course.”

“Great. We’ll have Greta set something up in reception.” Blake glanced to the other men. “Gentlemen, thank you for coming. I think we’re good to wrap up.”

Gradually the other investors rose with us.

Geoff gathered his notes and circled the large table to where I stood. “Thank you so much for this opportunity.”

“No problem. I’m excited to check out some of the things you’ve built.” I gave him a warm smile and shook his hand. “I’m Erica Hathaway, by the way.”

Blake rose by my side and held out his hand next, his palm meeting Geoff’s in a firm grasp. “She’ll be Erica Landon in a few weeks. I’m Blake, her fiancé.”

Geoff’s smiled broadened. “Great to meet you, Mr. Landon. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Yeah? Well, it’s all true.” Blake laughed quietly before his attention diverted across the room. “Excuse me. I have to go talk to someone quick. But congrats, Geoff. Erica has very discriminating tastes, so you’re lucky to have her in your corner.”

I rolled my eyes and nudged Blake’s arm, urging him off. “Go away and let us chat.”

Blake grinned and left us.

“Sorry. He’s … Well, don’t feel bad. He horrified me at my first pitch.”

“You pitched here?”

I shrugged, in disbelief that I was now sitting on the other side of that table after a matter of months. “Yeah, that’s kind of how we met.”

“Wow. He must have really liked your idea.”

I laughed and fought the blush that I felt certain was coloring my face. He liked something.

“Blake is a great person to have on your team. He’s taught me a lot.” I reached into my purse and handed him my card. “Here’s my info if you need to reach out to me for anything. I might contact you with a few more questions before our meeting. I need to let all that information marinate for a bit though.”

“Of course.” He studied the card closely. “Clozpin?”

“That’s my startup.” I decided not to mention that Blake refused to print my Angelcom cards until I changed my name. Damn, the man was possessive.

Geoff looked up, his elated smile now a seemingly permanent feature on his face. “Awesome. I can’t wait to check it out.”

“I’ll be in touch, okay?”

“Great, thanks again.”

As Geoff turned to leave with the others, Blake spoke in quiet tones to someone through the open door. I leaned back against the table, waiting for him to return. He closed the door and stalked toward me.

“Alone at last.”

I bit my lip. “How did I do?”

He slowed in front of me and wrapped an arm around my waist, drawing me closer to him. “You made me proud. You always do.”

“You put me on the spot. Are you going for some sort of record for the number of times you can drive me nuts in this room?”

He smirked. “Would you expect any less from me?”

“No, of course not. Tell me what you really think about his idea though. Am I way off?”

“It has promise. I had a feeling you’d bite.”

I skimmed my hands up to his neck, sifting through the hair that fell a little long against the collar of his shirt. “What if you hate something that I love? It’s our investment. Shouldn’t we agree?”

“I guess, ideally. But if you like something, grab it and go. Just like you did today.”

He ran a finger down the front of my dress and back up, cupping my breast through the fabric. I leaned into his touch. The unmistakable proof of his desire was hard against my hip.

“I take it you like when I’m decisive.”

He pressed his hips forward, trapping me between the table and his hard body. “I’m not like most men whose dicks go limp at the sight of a woman who has her own mind.”

He brought his lips to my neck, trailing down over my collarbone. Goosebumps raced over my skin and my nipples hardened into points that strained against my dress. I arched against him, desperate to give them some relief, but the more our bodies touched, the more out of control I felt of my own.

“You realize that runs in stark contrast to your compulsive need to be in charge of me, right?”

Curving his hand at my nape, he gazed at me. The now serious look in his eye stole my breath.

“I don’t want to run your life, Erica. I want to be a part of it, and I want you to be a part of mine. But I won’t have you exclusively calling the shots for both of us, especially when it comes to life and death.”

I stared, speechless and breathless—from his intoxicating proximity, his possessive hold on me, and the painful knowledge that our relationship hadn’t been the only thing in peril over the past few months. At times, our lives had been too. For that, I wasn’t entirely blameless.

“That’s not too unreasonable, is it?” The tension around his mouth softened.

“No,” I whispered.

We’d been to hell and back, negotiating the terms of who held the power in our relationship. He’d made concessions, and in the end, torturous as it had been, so had I. I’d given him more control than I’d ever given anyone.

He relaxed his grasp, roaming over the fabric of my dress, down to where the edge of it met my thighs.

“Good. I’m glad we cleared that up. Now that work’s done for the day, I’d like to fuck you on this table, if you don’t mind.”

I paused, gauging the seriousness of his statement. “I wouldn’t mind, but I’m sure no one in the company wants to walk in on that. There’s no lock on that door.”

“Doesn’t matter. I gave Greta explicit instructions not to disturb me in here—under any circumstances.”

“Explicit instructions?” I teased.

A small smile broke his earlier seriousness. “Yes, they were filthy. She was appalled when I detailed the things I planned to do to you.” He hiked my dress over my hips and effortlessly lifted me onto the table.

“She might be too busy wishing it were her to keep people out.” I covered his hands with my own, trying in vain to push my dress back down to a decent place over my thighs. He pushed farther between my legs so I was nearly baring everything.

The reality of what he was proposing crept over me, heating my cheeks and setting a slow burn over my skin. I saw no shred of doubt in his eyes. A second later, he covered my mouth with his, overwhelming me with his hungry kiss. Starving for him too, I let his tongue pass between my parted lips. I sought the warm sweetness of it and gave myself over to it, but where was thi. . .