Level Up: A Geek Romance Rom Com, Book 1 (Fandom Hearts) Read online

  "How'd that go?"

  "About as well as you'd imagine," she said, wincing a little at the memory. "Most of the guys wanted to talk about their cars, or their jobs, or whatever. For a while, I think my mother thought if I just found a nice Latino boy, I'd stay in Southern Cal, give up this video game programmer business, and live nearby with a pack of kids, just like my sister Anabel. And I don't think it's bad--I'd like to get married and have kids. Someday. But I'm not giving up my job."

  Stacy nodded. "It's about choices."

  "Exactly." Tessa grinned. "Which is why I'm choosing to leave the party now, before midnight strikes and all those drunken frat guys suddenly see the opportunity to kiss any woman in sight."

  "Chicken," Stacy said, nudging her, and Tessa laughed.

  "Oh, no! You're leaving?" a voice piped up behind her, and there was Kyla--dressed as Kaylee, from Firefly, in mechanic's coveralls, with a floral parasol. "But it's not even midnight!"

  "That's the point," Tessa said.

  "Pussy," Hailey chimed in. She was dressed as a rockabilly Snow White, and it worked surprisingly well. Rachel was dressed to kill as Gogo from Kill Bill.

  "Tessa's scared of getting kissed," Stacy said, and Hailey blew a raspberry at her.

  "Or not getting kissed, maybe" Tessa joked. "I feel like I'm in the seventh grade at a party and everyone's going to be making out while I flip through magazines. I want to get out while I can."

  Kyla laughed. "I know how you feel."

  "Come on. I'll kiss you," Hailey said, causing a few of the gentlemen nearby to leer.

  "No, seriously," Tessa said, but she felt good that they were trying. "Besides, I really should get coding. We don't have a lot of time."

  "You gonna catch a cab?"

  "No, I'm waiting for my ride..."

  There was a slight commotion by the door. "This party is by invitation only," a hotel security guard said. "Hey! You're not on the list."

  It was Adam. Tessa felt a surge of relief. "Oh, there he is."

  "Sooooo. Adam, huh?"

  "He's my roommate, remember?"

  The countdown was starting, she started walking briskly, then nearly sprinting for the door. This was the last place she wanted to be when the clock struck twelve.

  "He's with me," Tessa shouted, causing a few people to turn. The bouncer reluctantly let Adam through.

  "Jeez, it's a costume party," the now drunk French maid said, a bit sourly--probably because her date was grinning and flirting with a Slave Leia. "What the hell is this guy supposed to be?"

  He gave her the perfect look of derision, then walked up to Tessa. Then, the most amazing thing happened.

  He stopped, then did the most perfect Sherlock hair-ruffle she'd ever seen. Then he reached out, framed her face, and laid the most breathtaking kiss she'd ever experienced on her.

  Seriously. She felt like she'd been hit by a train. Her brain short-circuited, and for a second, she barely registered the words "HAPPY NEW YEAR!" being shouted all around her.

  She bent into him, and he followed her, holding her tight, kissing her breathless.

  Then, just as quickly, he straightened, stepped back, and turned to the drunk French Maid.

  "The name's Sherlock Holmes," he said, then winked, grabbed Tessa's hand, and dragged her out.

  CHAPTER 6

  Stacy's parents' house was a large log-cabin styled mansion at the base of Mt. Si, only seven minutes from downtown Snoqualmie. With traffic from the taxis and cars leaving Stacy's place, it was more like ten.

  Right now, it felt like the longest seven minutes of his life.

  They hadn't spoken since he'd laid one on her and then taken her by the hand, dashing to the car he'd left in the large circular driveway, ignoring the valet yelling at him. They'd hopped in and driven home without a word.

  He wasn't sure what had gotten into him. There were scantily clad (and, let's say it, incredibly stacked) women all around. But it was Tessa, with her ponytail and her lab coat, that he'd wanted to see.

  "Please come get me," Tessa had said. "I'm miserable. I just want to go home."

  He knew she was already at her wit's end. He didn't know what had prompted her to go to this gig in the first place, but he heard the agony in her voice, and his first instinct was to go there and rescue her.

  He felt incredibly chivalrous. And right now, incredibly turned on.

  He pulled into their driveway and they silently got out. He unlocked the door, his hands shaking slightly. He'd say from the cold, since it had to be nearly twenty degrees out, with a light dusting of snow. But it wasn't. It was adrenaline, and lust, in equal parts.

  He finally got the door open.

  "Thanks for picking me up," she said, her tone subdued.

  He didn't answer. He took off his jacket, hanging it up. Waiting until she'd done the same.

  She smiled, staring at him. "Wow. We've kind of got the track record for showy display kisses, huh?" She laughed, sounding breathless. "I guess security was giving you a hard time?"

  He couldn't speak if he wanted to. Instead, he took a step closer to her.

  "We gotta stop doing that," she said, with more nervous laughter. She was waving her hands a little, fidgeting. "People are going to get the wrong idea."

  "What idea is that?" he said, finally, following her into the living room as she headed towards the hallway.

  That stopped her in her tracks. She turned around, looking at him incredulously. "That...you know, that we..." She made an inarticulate gesture, then sighed. "That we're together," she said.

  "Maybe I don't care if that's what they think," he heard himself say.

  If her eyes got any larger, she'd be anime. "What?"

  "Maybe I didn't do it for show, either."

  Blink. Blink. "What are you saying?"

  He stepped up, toe to toe with her. Not touching her. Giving her just enough space that, if she wanted to, if she said the slightest word, he'd stop. Giving her the time and the opportunity to turn him away.

  Instead, her lower lip trembled. "Adam?" she whispered. "Why did you kiss me?"

  He reached up tentatively, took a deep breath, and stroked her face with a feather light touch of his fingertips. She gasped softly.

  "Why did you kiss me at the restaurant?"

  "Out of spite," she said. "That guy was a total asshat."

  He let out a startled laugh, and caressed her cheekbone. She sighed, a ragged breath. He saw her pupils dilate.

  "Not then," he corrected. "Tonight. And the other night, in the hallway. Why did you kiss me back?"

  "Because..." He saw her swallow hard. "Because I wanted to."

  "Maybe I want to, as well," he pointed out. "Ever think of that?"

  "You want me?"

  It was the surprise, the disbelief in her voice, that had him dipping down, brushing her lips with his own. Feeling her shiver under his fingers as he took the kiss ever so slightly deeper.

  "I want you," he whispered against her mouth, then covered her mouth with his, kissing her with fervor.

  She moaned softly...then dove at him.

  Her dive propelled them both backwards, and they landed on his couch, her halfway on top of him. The pressure of her breasts against his chest was enough to make him groan in return. His hands reached up, stroking at her back as she latched onto his shoulders, pulling him tighter, her mouth moving like a tropical storm. He moved his tongue to meet hers, and after a second's pause, she matched his.

  His breathing went shallow and uneven. She was panting.

  She pulled away.

  "Tessa," he said, his cock already straight up midnight and every muscle tense. "Are you all right? Do you..."

  He stopped on a gasp of his own, as she tore off her lab coat and then stripped off her sweater. His eyes popped. Her breasts were perfect, just about a handful, high and round. She was wearing a midnight blue bra with just a hint of lace.

  "Holy crap," he muttered, and her delighted smile was a killer.

>   "Now you," she said.

  Together, laughing, they tugged off his sweater. The house wasn't super warm, but he felt like he was on fire, and when her skin met his, he wouldn't have been shocked if the house went up in flames.

  He tugged her hair out of its ponytail, weaving the fingers of one hand into her hair. It felt like silk, and he held her head closer to his. She shifted, straddling him, and he moaned as he felt her heat surrounded his hard-on, still trapped in his jeans. Her fingernails dragged down his chest. She gasped, pressing hot, drugging kisses along the column of his neck, nibbling at his earlobe, all the while shimmying just enough to drive him wild.

  He finally grabbed her hips, holding her tight and still against him.

  "You keep that up," he said, around gasps for air, "and this will be over way too quickly. And I'm in no rush."

  Her answering grin was wicked. He had no idea she had that in her.

  "You're shivering," she said, leaning forward until her bra slid against his skin. "Maybe we should get you hotter."

  "Like the sound of that..."

  "Wait, no," she said, pausing, breathless, to cock her head and listen for a second. "I think that's your phone."

  "Screw my phone." He pulled it out of his pocket, not even glancing at the screen and shutting it off.

  "Just your phone, huh?"

  He froze for a second. "Depends. Anything else around here need a good screwing?"

  She laughed. "I think there's something that could definitely use it..."

  The house phone rang. He cursed.

  "If that's Fezza, I'm going to kill him."

  Tessa, however, got up, and he got up with her, not wanting to let her go.

  "It might be an emergency," she said, then frowned. "I don't recognize the number, do you?"

  He shook his head. "Let 'em leave a message."

  Tessa smiled, turning back to him. "Let me just hear if it's one of the girls," she said. "They might need a ride or something, and..."

  The machine picked up. "Adam? Adam, it's Casey."

  Tessa froze. Adam shook his head. "Crap."

  "I just wanted to say...I miss you. New Year's just isn't the same without you."

  "Forget it," he said, wondering if he could mute the phone somehow.

  "Ever since I left you, just before New Year's last year, I think I've made some bad decisions. And when I got the package you sent me...Adam, I still love you. Please, please pick up."

  He suddenly felt like he'd been stabbed in the chest.

  "Pick it up," Tessa said, nodding.

  He sighed, unsure. She nudged him, and he grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

  "Adam?" It was Casey--sounding sad and vaguely tipsy.

  "Are you all right? It's got to be...what, four in the morning where you are."

  "I was out with some girls," she said. "We went and saw the ball drop in...the big thing. You know. With Ryan Seacrest and everything."

  "That's great. I knew you'd love New York," he said. "Can we have this conversation in the..."

  "I got the package of stuff you sent," she interrupted him, hiccupping. "Adam, I still love you."

  He rubbed his eyes, feeling his body knot with tension this time, not passion. His heart hurt. "Yeah, well, you're three thousand miles away, Casey, and you made it clear that going to New York was more important than staying here with me, so let's not do this, okay?"

  "I told you. I think...I think I might've made a mistake."

  He glanced guiltily at Tessa, who was picking up her sweater and putting it on with clumsy motions. "Casey, you've obviously been drinking. This is the champagne talking."

  "Tequila, actually."

  "Okay, then it's tequila talking." he couldn't help it, he felt concerned. "Are you all right? Are you safe?"

  "That's so like you, Adam. You always took care of me." She hiccupped, and he heard her break down into tears.

  "Oh...C'mon Casey. It'll be all right. You'll feel much better in the morning."

  "I miss you," she blubbered.

  "I miss you, too," he said. "But it's been a whole year."

  "Oh, God," she said. "Have you found somebody new? Have you moved on?"

  "No, I haven't found anybody new or moved on," he said impatiently.

  "Do you have a woman there? Like, right now?"

  He glanced to see Tessa heading for the hallway. "As a matter of fact..."

  "Oh, God. And now I've gone and ruined it." She started crying even harder.

  "She's my roommate, and a woman I work with," he said. "But seriously, Casey. We've both got to move on, okay? You've got a new life and so do I."

  She snuffled and said something unintelligible.

  "Are you at home?"

  "Ye-yess," she sniffled.

  "Drink some water, take some vitamins, and go to bed, Case," he said. "You'll feel better in the morning."

  "I love you, Adam."

  "Love you too," he said reflexively, and hung up.

  By the time he got back, Tessa was already in her room. He knocked on the door.

  When she opened it, she was wearing Adventure Time pajamas and a horrified, embarrassed expression. "I'm so sorry about that," she said.

  "I'm not," he protested.

  "Casey...that's your ex, right?" She didn't look at him when she asked it.

  He sighed. "Yeah."

  "Been a year since you guys broke up, huh? That's when I moved in," she said. When he nodded, she sighed. "Still hung up on her?"

  "No," he said, but there must've been something in his voice that made her hold up her hand.

  "It's been a long while for me," she said. "I'm making new friends and hopefully, I'll be making the engineering team. We'll be working together, as well as living together."

  He frowned.

  "Let's face it. Wouldn't that be awkward?" She said, avoiding eye contact. "I mean...would this just be for tonight?"

  "I...honestly, I hadn't thought about it." Now he felt embarrassed.

  "Neither of us did." She grinned. "You are a very good kisser."

  "Hopefully that's not all," he said, starting to reach for her, only to have her shake her head.

  "It's too fast, there are too many variables, and it's potentially a disaster," she said. "We need to sleep it off, and just chalk it up to hormones, the holidays, and forced proximity. Dodged bullet. That kind of thing."

  "Is that what you want?" he said, his voice tight.

  She sighed. "It could affect our jobs. My job," she pointed out. "It's the smart thing. And trust me----I always do the smart thing."

  With that, she nudged him back, and shut the door.

  He retreated to his room, his head swimming. Casey still loved him...but all he could think about was the dark haired girl in the other room. Not just because he'd like to have wild monkey-sex with her--although his body clamored frantically at that enticing thought, and he winced at the sudden blood rush----but because of the sadness in her eyes.

  Would it have been just tonight?

  He wasn't sure. But apparently, when it came to her job--she was.

  Tessa had managed to avoid Adam the next day, and had managed to bum a ride with Stacy into the office on the following day, saying she wanted to get there early even though they both knew there was no reason to. She'd spent the day coding, partially because she didn't want to disappoint the girls, but mostly because she didn't want to deal with Adam.

  Her cheeks still burned just remembering how she'd acted. And, frankly, how he'd felt underneath her. I took off my sweater, she remembered. But instead of more embarrassment, she remembered the feel of his chest. His lips--holy hell, what that man could do with his mouth and tongue was ridiculous.

  And then his ex-girlfriend had called.

  "I still love you, too." That's what he'd said.

  She winced and focused back on the computer screen.

  Making out with Adam hadn't meant anything. They were both lonely, it was the New Year. They were emotional. Hell, she had
n't had sex in three years, so she was basically a time bomb. It could've happened with anyone, and she should be grateful it wasn't Fezza or José Yao. That would've been a walk to shame to end all walks of shame.

  So, yeah, they'd made out. Now, they'd just downshift back to co-workers and roommates. Easy-peasy.

  Riiiiight.

  She rubbed at her temples. What's worse, Adam was right. There was absolutely no way they could code even a simple game in time for the deadline. Not with just the two of them, anyway. And when she'd emailed the engineering team Adam's production schedule for her project, she'd gotten absolutely no replies.

  She thought about agoraphobic Cressida, and Hailey. About Rachel. About her new friends. She was the one who had proposed this cockamamie scheme. Now she felt responsible, and she didn't want to fail them.

  Which meant she had to get the guys from engineering on board by any means necessary.

  The guys were in the break room, lounging on the couches, playing the latest Mortal Kombat. There was still the leftover feel of the holidays--true work wouldn't probably begin for another week or so, and in a few months, they'd be in the crunch. They were taking advantage of the break until new assignments were handed down.

  She marched in front of the TV, ignoring their jeers and shouts to move.

  "I need your help with this game," she said.

  "I need you to move the hell out of the way," Abraham growled.

  "You never answered my email!"

  "That wasn't a production schedule, that was a pipe dream," he shot back. "It's impossible."

  "I thought you guys were supposed to be awesome, kick ass coders," she said, hoping that a cattle prod to the pride might jump-start them into action. "Sure, it's two weeks. But it's only four levels. Jeez, I'd think you alone could do it in your sleep, Abraham!"

  He glared at her. She glared back.

  "I could," he said, his expression surly. "But I don't want to. That's the difference."

  "It would take an insane marathon," Fezza said, more gently.

  "And no offense, but I don't want to make a game based on some lame TV show about a bunch of male models trying to fight crime or whatever," José added.

  "They don't fight crime, they fight evil aliens," she shouted, balling her hands into fists. She stopped herself, forcing herself to calm down.