Lauren (Silicon Valley Billionaires 1)

“I doubt it. He wants more.”

Gabe looked at me thoughtfully. “He wants you. He wants any piece of you he can get. Don’t underestimate your power, Lauren. Look at what you’ve built. Look at what you’ve achieved. People are trying to steal from you because no one else can do what you’re doing.”

I felt miserable, not powerful. “I don’t want to have power over him. I just want him to go away. And I know that’s not going to happen. Not easily, anyway.” I looked at Gabe’s handsome face, feeling that yearning again.

“We can make him go away. But you’re right. It won’t be easy.” He paused for a second, as if he were thinking it through. “For now, we have to deal with the fact that Paragon has a very large problem on its hands. He went public with that s

tatement because he knows you haven’t told the FBI or your board about what happened—about the data breach. He wants to put you in a corner. Either accept his buyout or he’s going forward with the stolen technology.”

I nodded, anger starting to burn through me again. “That’s what he’s trying to do, but it won’t work. I can still tell the board about the breach.” I kept pacing, my fists clenched, my knuckles whitening at my sides.

“Why haven’t you told them?”

“Because the timing of this is so horrible. I’m supposed to meet with my investors next week for another round of fundraising in order to bring the technology to market. If news breaks that we’ve had a data breach—and even if that news stays internal for now—my people will doubt my ability to bring this to market safely. The only thing my investors and my board have known for the past six years, without a doubt, is that they could trust me to keep Paragon safe. That’s why I have all this security, all this secrecy. We’ve been keeping this thing under wraps for this long to prevent our competition from beating us to market, and that’s exactly what Clive’s threatening to do. At our most vulnerable hour.”

I stopped pacing and rubbed my temples. “A security breach right now threatens my credibility with the board and my investors. And my credibility’s all I have.” I slumped on the couch across from him, feeling relieved to at least have talked to someone—but then I remembered. The photo. The supermodel athlete.

I shot back up to my feet. “I have to go.” I grabbed my bag.

Gabe stood and blocked my exit. “Oh no, you don’t.”

I looked him in the eye. “Yes, I do. I appreciate that you’ve heard me out on this. Now that Paragon is partnering with Dynamica, I should keep you in the loop.” I tried to dodge past him, but he caught me by my shoulders, gently stopping me.

He cautiously released me. “Why are you running away?”

I straightened up and adjusted myself, lackluster ponytail and all. I thought of the photo, with Gabe’s hand on that woman’s arm, and the jealousy came back. “I want to make sure I get out of here before another one of your dates show up.” I groaned inwardly at the way I sounded.

Gabe nodded, as if he’d expected my reaction, but he didn’t budge an inch. “I’m guessing you saw the picture online. That’s Sara. I see her from time to time. We’d had those plans for two weeks, though. Before I met you.”

“It’s really none of my business, anyway.”

His eyes bore into mine. “Well if that’s the case—what’re you doing here, Lauren?”

I shrugged, feeling as if I were crumbling on the inside. “I really have to go.”

Gabe smiled at me then, but it wasn’t his nice smile. “You and I both know that’s not true.”

“Please. Let me go.” I felt like I might cry for the second time that week.

“I want to hear you say it.” His voice sounded stubborn, but there was something more underneath. It was…need. I heard his need.

“Say what?” What the hell did he want from me?

“That you were jealous.”

I took a step back, surprised at his directness. “I was surprised when I saw the picture, that’s all. I thought you wanted…”

He raised his eyebrows, waiting. His face had softened a little, almost as if he felt sorry for me. “Wanted what?”

I took a deep breath. I might as well tell him the truth. I didn’t think it was possible for me to embarrass myself any further.

“Me.” I thought you wanted me.

He took another step closer to me. “Well, you were correct. As usual.”

Electricity crackled between us, but I had no idea if that was real or if he could feel it too. I had no idea about anything, for once.

“If I’d thought I had an actual shot with you, I would have canceled that dinner.” He reached out and brushed the hair from my face. “As soon as your sister called me, I left.”