Bookworm

Peter The last time I saw Leah, I had longer hair, just a patch of beard, and wasn’t as built as I am now. Maybe she’d recognize me if she focused on my eyes—but she wasn’t. Her gaze was elsewhere. "Oh! Isn't that Leah? We were just about to come down to your floor," Maxwell, the bulky CTO, said. Leah still hadn’t spoken. She stood frozen, deep in thought, completely unaware of what was happening around her. "This is Peter O’Brien, the CEO of Cybernetics," Maxwell continued, attempting introductions. "He’ll be in charge of investigating and resolving the cyberattack." If she was listening, she didn’t show it. Her expression remained distant. She had completely spaced out. Maxwell sighed before stepping beside her and giving her a light tap on the shoulder. "Earth to Leah!" he said, shaking his head. She jolted slightly. "Oh! Sorry, I zoned out," she admitted. Then, realizing she should introduce herself, she turned to me. "Hi! ...

Leah As soon as the elevator doors slid open, I froze. A man stood outside, surrounded by a few IT staff. Not just any man—an unreasonably handsome one. Tall, confident, with an air of quiet authority that made him stand out instantly. "Oh! Isn't that Leah?" one of the IT staff said. "We were just about to come down to your floor." I barely registered his words. My brain was too busy processing the sight in front of me. "This is Peter O’Brien, the CEO of Cybernetics," he continued, gesturing toward the man. "He’ll be leading the investigation and working on a solution to the cyberattack." Peter O’Brien. The name sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place it. A sudden tap on my shoulder made me jolt. "Earth to Leah," the IT guy said, raising an eyebrow. "Oh! Sorry, I zoned out," I admitted, embarrassed. I mentally smacked myself. Not only had I been caught staring, but I had been standing there like an idiot. I cleared my...

(Present Day) Leah Today was supposed to be the day the external cybersecurity experts arrived, but there was still no sign of them. Since our company couldn’t handle the situation alone, outside specialists had been called in. I just wanted this mess to be over. I missed my phone. My work. My life. Even though I had my old phone—faulty as it was—and my personal laptop at home, neither could compare to my confiscated device. Everything felt off without it. [sigh] While I was focused on work, an announcement came: the cybersecurity experts had finally arrived. I shut down my computer, left what I was doing, and made my way to the IT department. No need to summon me—I was already on my way. I took the elevator up to the fifth floor, leaving behind my third-floor workspace. The moment the elevator doors slid open, I froze. Standing just outside, surrounded by IT staff, was a man. A very handsome man. He carried himself with a quiet confidence, his posture regal and commanding. I didn’t re...

(Two Months Ago) Peter I was halfway to my destination when I realized I'd forgotten some important documents. I was never this careless—especially not with something so critical. Cursing under my breath, I made a U-turn and headed back home. Jasmine and I had been living there for nearly a year—eleven months, to be precise. She’d been my fiancée for two months now, and we'd moved in together nine months before that. I pulled out my phone and called her, hoping she could find the documents and have them ready before I arrived. But the call didn’t go through. The user is unable to answer your call. Strange. Jasmine never ignored my calls. Maybe her phone was on silent. Or maybe she was at that book club meeting she’d mentioned earlier. When I arrived home, I instinctively tried the doorknob, only to find it locked. Of course, it is. What was I thinking? Jasmine probably wasn’t home. Fishing my keys from my pocket, I unlocked the door and stepped inside. I was about to head strai...

  Leah Henderson was petite in every sense of the word. At twenty-four, she was slim, weighing just eighty-three pounds (83 lbs), and stood at five feet three inches (5’3”). She wasn’t as busty as her best friend, Mary Anna, but she wasn’t flat either—her curves were subtle but present. Her eyes were a mesmerizing mix of blue and green, though the exact shade was hard to pin down. Were they bluish-green or greenish-blue? Cyanic or aqua? It depended on the day, but one thing was certain—they leaned more toward blue when she was moody. Large and round, her eyes were easily one of her most striking features. With a heart-shaped face, ever-smiling lips, and a button nose, Leah had a beauty that turned heads. Though she sometimes envied her best friend’s curvier figure, she never felt ashamed of her own body. She wouldn’t flaunt it, but that didn’t stop her from admiring her reflection in the full-length mirror from time to time. Her blonde hair was naturally curly, but for reasons only...

…I padded barefoot into the kitchen for a drink of water, wearing nothing but a pair of panties and my oversized sleep shirt—the kind that practically swallowed me whole. I opened the fridge, grabbed a chilled water bottle, and took a long sip straight from it. That’s when I heard it—the unmistakable sound of someone clearing their throat. Startled, I spun around, my heart leaping into my throat. In my panic, I nearly emptied the entire bottle on the intruder. A male intruder, to be specific. He hissed as the freezing water hit him, but my brain barely registered his discomfort. Because, as ridiculous as it sounds, I was momentarily distracted by how annoyingly gorgeous he was. My thoughts scrambled, and before I could fully process what was happening, I did the only logical thing—I tried to scream. But he was faster. His large hand clamped over my mouth, muffling my voice. I should have been terrified. Instead, my brain chose to notice how good he smelled. Not the time, Le...