Hard Love (Hacker #5)(3)
Author: Meredith Wild

“A path that led you straight to me.” He squeezed my hand. “Lucky me.”

I glanced up and kissed his cheek as we walked. I was lucky too. I couldn’t deny it.

But for all my early dreams, imagining where entrepreneurship would take me, I could have never imagined traveling the road I had. With Sid’s and Alli’s help, I’d built a business that had grown and had attracted outside partners that promised to take it to the next level. Days after signing over my stake in the company, I’d learned that Isaac Perry and Blake’s ex would control the reins. The devastating development had sent me into an emotional tailspin—one I hadn’t fully recovered from yet.

I thought back to the last day I set foot in the Clozpin office, none the wiser for what I’d done, what I’d signed away. I reminded myself that no matter what happened now, if the business flourished or crashed and burned, I’d never be able to go back.

“You’re quiet. What are you thinking about?” Blake asked.

I blew out a breath and shook my head. “The business, I guess. Sometimes I still can’t believe I’m not a part of it anymore.”

“You can’t let that eat away at you,” he said quietly. “It’s in the past, and you have a bright future ahead of you.”

“Most of the time, I try not to think about it.”

He was silent a moment before he spoke. “I know it still hurts. And I hate that you had to leave something you poured so much of yourself into. But you’re free now. You have the world at your fingertips. Despite everything that happened, that’s not a bad thing.”

Maybe he was right, but so much was still unknown when it came to my professional future. “Clozpin gave me purpose. I can only hope Geoff’s new projects will make me feel the same way. At least most of the team is still there, so it won’t feel completely foreign.”

Thanks to Blake appointing me to the board at Angelcom, I’d had the opportunity to invest in new projects that could fill the void. Geoff Wells was a programmer and had the same entrepreneurial spark that I recognized in myself. Enough that when things fell through with Clozpin, Sid, Alli, and I saw enough promise to rally around his concept as our next venture.

“I’ve been investing long enough to recognize passion when I see it. I see it in Geoff, and I’ve always seen it in you. You’re going to give everything you have to make this venture successful. It’s your nature. Believe me. One opportunity that didn’t go according to plan isn’t going to change that.”

The memory of disappointment, of a soul-crushing failure, echoed through me. The more time passed, the more I could emotionally distance myself from what Isaac and Sophia had done. The more I could see the experience for what it was—a chapter . . . a learning experience that I’d not soon forget. While being ripped from the business that had meant so much to me wasn’t as excruciating as it had been at first, the wound was still tender.

“Maybe. I can’t help but feel like I . . . failed somehow.” The guilt niggled at me like a bad dream I couldn’t shake.

He glanced down at me. “You didn’t fail. You learned.”

I scuffed the sole of my boots against the stones as we walked, avoiding his stare.

“I’ve been around the block a few times, you know. You should trust me.”

I smirked. “That’s why I married you, of course. For your business acumen and wealth of knowledge.”

He lifted an eyebrow.

“And your mountains of money,” I added quickly.

“You’re trying to tell me you didn’t marry me for my dashing good looks? I might be insulted.”

I pursed my lips, trying to look serious. “If I had to pick one thing that tipped the scales, I’d say it was your exceptional skills in bed. I think that’s where you really excel.”

“Well then”—he laughed, his eyes twinkling—“at least my purpose is clear.”

He gave my ass a firm squeeze. Laughing, I pushed him away as we approached a street performer who was crooning for the barest of audiences. A small group of French-speaking tourists stood nearby, and an older man, dirty from the streets, sat on the opposite side of the street with a sloppy grin.

We slowed to listen as the tourists dispersed. The song was sad, but rich with love—raw and emotional the way he delivered each verse. Blake turned me to him, bringing us chest to chest. Our fingers laced, his breath warm against my hair, he led us into a simple nameless dance. I swayed toward him and closed my eyes, clinging to his frame the way I clung to every magical moment between us.