Venture Forward by Kristen Luciani Page B

okay?”
    Clutching the papers in her arms, she shook her head and walked into the conference room.
    “What’s going on? Can I help at all?” The evident pain in her eyes was heart-wrenching to witness. Had something happened in LA?
    “It’s nothing, really. I’m fine.” She fiddled with her bracelet. “It’s just been a long couple of days.”
    “Listen, if you’re not up to this, we can always reschedule.”
    “No, no. I’m good, really.” She let out a deep sigh. “I want to help. I’m, um, glad you called.”
    He inched closer, placing his hands on her shoulders, unable and unwilling to break the spell. Her eyes held so much emotion — was there something beyond all that pain? Was he fooling himself into believing there could be real feelings beyond the words she’d vehemently reinforced, so many times over? “I want you to know that—”
    “Hey!” Chris’s booming voice shattered the moment.
    He dropped his hands, trying to gauge a reaction. But her face immediately became impassive.
    Chris winked at Paul. “I hope we’re not interrupting anything.”
    Paul glared at him. “You’re late .”
    “Good thing, huh?”
    James walked in, laptop bag in hand. “Hey, Avery, thanks so much for helping us out with this project.”
    “It’s my pleasure, I love this stuff. Thanks for asking.”
    The next forty minutes stretched into what seemed like four hours. He forced himself to listen, memorizing every detail about her face as she outlined recommendations on the sensor design specs. Her delicate cheekbones… sun-kissed skin… long thick eyelashes that framed her sapphire blue eyes… those full pink lips… She was perfect — beautiful, bright, driven, and strong. Whatever bubbled beneath the surface remained carefully hidden. He wanted so badly to erase her pain, to make her feel the same peace he did when they were together. Every second that passed convinced him more and more. He needed this girl in his life, but for once, he wasn’t holding the cards. His destiny was in the hands of another, and he was powerless against her.
    “Thanks so much. This is really fantastic.” Chris jotted down a few notes. “I’ll give your recommended guys a call in the morning to discuss the next steps.”
    “I’m glad I could help.” Her phone buzzed on the table. When she looked at the screen, Paul caught the almost-imperceptible look of distress clouding her face.
    “Guys, I need to get back to the office. Sorry to cut things short, but just have Alison reach out, and we can get together again to finish up.” Her troubled gaze settled a moment longer on Paul. “I’ll speak to you soon.”
    A moment later, she was gone.
    Chris turned to Paul. “What the hell was that all about? Something going on between you two?”
    “What the hell is your problem? You told me to call her, and I did. Now we’re moving forward on her recommendations. I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
    “Maybe it was a convenient excuse to see her again?”
    James shot Chris an exasperated look. “Lay off. It’s none of your business. Paul, just give us a call about the next meeting, okay?” He grabbed Chris by the arm and pulled him out of the room. “Why don’t you go say hello to your fiancée?”
    Paul stared out the window. The last thing he needed was to get wrapped up in someone else’s problems. Christ only knew, he had enough of his own. But it was futile; walking away was no longer an option.
     

     
    “ WE HAVE GREAT NEWS for you. Take a look at this !” Carly pointed to her monitor.
    “The New York… Times ?” Fuck. “You told me this was near-impossible for a first-time author.”
    “I know! But all the buzz propelled it to the top. The bestseller list is based on volume. You’ve gotten the attention of national publications, both online and print. Sales are skyrocketing, all thanks to those silly little venture capital tabloid articles. Who would have thought that techies notice anything not