Page 20 of Unbearable Player
“Watch out for the data streams!” someone in the real world called out.
On cue, rivers of binary code flooded the street. Brianne leaped, grabbing onto a floating platform. She swung herself up, narrowly avoiding digital dissolution.
“Nice moves, Pixel!” Glitch’s voice cut through the simulation.
Brianne grinned, her confidence surging. She navigated through a maze of shifting corridors, solving complex coding puzzles that appeared as holographic displays. Her fingers flew, manipulating the virtual code with practiced ease.
“Two minutes remaining,” the system warned.
The central mainframe loomed ahead, a towering monolith of pulsing light. Brianne cracked her knuckles. “Time to work some magic,” she muttered.
She dove into the mainframe’s defenses, her mind racing as she unraveled layers of security. It was like playing every hacking minigame she’d ever designed, all at once.
“Thirty seconds.”
Sweat beaded on Brianne’s forehead as she input the final command sequence. The mainframe’s surface rippled, then shattered in a spectacular display of fracturing light.
“Mainframe breached. Escape route activated.”
A portal opened before her. Brianne dove through just as the timer hit zero. The virtual world dissolved, and she found herself back in the club, surrounded by wide-eyed hackers.
“Holy shit,” Glitch breathed. “That was... I’ve never seen anyone beat it that fast.”
Brianne removed the headset, grinning triumphantly. “What can I say? I’ve got a way with code.”
The room erupted in cheers and applause. Hackers crowded around, peppering her with questions and congratulations. In the excitement, Brianne’s eyes sought out Reid.
He stood at the edge of the crowd, a mixture of pride and something else - something warmer - in his gaze. Brianne made her way to him, riding high on adrenaline and success.
“Not bad for a script kiddie, huh?” she teased.
Reid’s lips quirked in a smile. “Impressive,” he admitted. “Though I’m not sure I followed half of what you were doing.”
“That’s okay,” Brianne laughed. “I’ll teach you the ways of the code.”
Maybe it was the thrill of victory or the way Reid was looking at her - like she was the most fascinating puzzle he’d ever encountered. Whatever the reason, Brianne found herself leaning in, closing the distance between them.
She rose to her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. Their lips met in a kiss that sent electricity sparking through her body, more intense than any virtual reality. For a moment, the noise of the club vanished, and it was just the two of them. Then, he pulled her close, a soft growl sounded from him before he took her lips in a deeper, harder kiss. God.
Her body melted into his. Tongues danced together and her blood thickened in her veins. The way he owned her with the kiss proved to her that what she felt during their first kiss was real. His hands on her body were electrifying. Every place his big hands caressed tingled. Her need for more than a kiss made it hard to think. She gave as good as she got. Reid’s kisses were like a claiming. A mark in her soul of his desire for her. She wanted him too. So bad. So much.
When they parted, both slightly breathless, Brianne grinned up at Reid. “Now that,” she said, “was definitely a high score.”
Reid’s eyes flashed and she sucked in a breath. Jeez, this man was panty-dropping gorgeous even when he looked ready to eat her alive. He looked like he was having a hard time controlling himself. With his arms still around her waist, he licked his lips and glanced at her mouth. “I think we both won that round.”
As they turned back to the crowd of hackers, now eyeing them with renewed interest, Brianne felt a surge of confidence. They were one step closer to finding her prototype, and she’d just unlocked a whole new level with Reid. She pressed herself closer to him and he groaned. “If you don’t stop that, I’m going to have to cut our night short.”
She licked her lips and met his gaze. “Do you promise?”
“Fuck, Brianne.”
TEN
When they got back to Brianne’s place she stopped at the door and met Reid’s gaze. “Come in.”
It wasn’t a question. He followed her inside and locked the door behind them. Her heartbeat tripped over itself. Her body vibrated with arousal. He stared at her but made no moves. Like a predator watching his prey. She walked back to him and stopped. She took his hand and guided him to sit on the sofa. The small lamp lighting the living area was dim enough to keep things intimate. His look was scorching. She stopped questioning how smart this was and focused on action. Straddling him, she sat on his lap. Her mouth was level with his jaw, and a whiff of his cologne filled her lungs.
Instinct took over. She shut her eyes and rubbed her nose on his short beard. His sharp intake of air made her smile. Following the line of his chin, she slipped down until her lips fluttered over his neck. The harsh pounding of his pulse drove the urgency inside her. She nuzzled his throat and inhaled again.