Free Bedding the Geek Tycoon by Desiree Crimson Page A

had phone numbers for everybody in the city—illegally, of course. “Lucky guess.”
    “I’m surprised you remember me. We hardly spoke in college.”
    Her voice was about an octave too high. “Well, you know, memory like an elephant and all. How can I help you?” Please let it involve nudity.

    “I need a programmer for a special project. I asked around for references, and Professor Pratt recommended you.”
    Professor Pratt. Of course. Jenn had loathed his stupid assignments in Visual Basic, but if she had seen him now, she would have kissed him for sending Ryan her way. “Special project? Sounds exciting. Let me give you my email address…”
    “Actually, I was hoping we could discuss it in person. Are you busy?”
    Her heart skipped a beat. “No, not at all. I was just heading home.”
    “Why don’t we meet your place?” he asked.
    Ryan Stone, sexiest geek at Jenn’s alma mater, in her apartment? Alone? She swallowed back a too-enthusiastic response and was proud of herself when her reply came out sounding casual. “Sure. We can do that.”
    She gave him her address.
    “I’ll be there in a half an hour,” he said. “See you soon.”

Two
    Jenn got to her apartment ten minutes before Ryan did. She rushed to clean: picking up things her cat, Bowser, had decided wasn’t correctly arranged on the shelf; putting the dirty clothes from her bathroom floor into the washing machine; throwing out bottles of Bawls by the cushy couch she used for gaming.
    But there was too much to do and not enough time. She settled for kicking everything on the floor under her couch and chairs.
    Her apartment looked convincingly tidy. Not bad for a five minute blast.
    Bowser meowed at her feet. “What do you need?” Jenn asked, looking down at her very fat marmalade with her hands on her hips. He mewled again and bumped his head against her shin. “Right. Food. Does my big mean neighbor still have you on a diet?”
    His only response was an approving purr as she reached for a can of cat food in the same cabinet as the Top Ramen.
    A heavy knocking at the door. Jenn’s heart leapt. She tore off the can’s top and dropped it on the floor.
    “Just a minute!” she called, stepping over Bowser as he hunkered down to eat. Jenn took one last, sweeping look at her apartment, pushed her hair behind her ears, and opened the front door.
    Ryan Stone stood on the other side.
    The last time she had seen him, Ryan hadn’t quite finished growing into his muscles. But now… now, he looked like a real man. His broad shoulders helped make his six-foot-two height seem even taller, and he filled the doorway with silent, radiating energy. His lips were soft and full—the only feature on him that was soft.
    He still had the glasses. Those wonderful, sexy, thick-rimmed glasses.
    She stared at him, breathless, and he stared back. “Hi,” she said. Oh yeah, Jenn. Irresistibly smooth.
    He peered around her shoulder. “Hey. Can I…?”
    She gave a shaky laugh. “Of course. Yes! Please come inside.”
    Ryan’s eyes scanned the room as he stepped in, and she got the impression that he was studying her living space. Jenn tried to see it like he did, but there wasn’t anything interesting about her apartment—it was a collection of IKEA furniture and cat accoutrements. Her apartment had huge windows and wood floors that matched her green wallpaper.
    “Your place is nice,” he said.
    “Thanks. I guess.” Jenn briefly contemplated offering him a “grand tour,” but it was pretty boring aside from the server room, and she didn’t let guests in there. “Can I get you something to drink?”
    “I’d love coffee.”
    She led him into her kitchenette. One side of her freezer was packed with frozen dinners; the other side was occupied by vacuum-sealed canisters of whole coffee beans. Ryan tactfully didn’t remark.
    Keeping him in the corner of her eye as she ground up the beans, she watched as he wandered up to one of her photo prints. Or,