Hard Wired Trilogy DeAnna Pearce (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

this good in person. He had to have some upgrade to his program skin to make him look like a model. Changing clothes was one thing inside a virtual, but skins were trickier and usually required extra programs and costs ahead of time—unless one is a warper like Ari.

“So how has your day been? Higgins still on your back.”

Ari tried to look for the answer he wanted and give it to him. “Of course. The work never stops.”

He reached across and grabbed her hands before she could stop him. Man, this guy was fast. “If you’re not feeling particularly hungry, I scheduled a back room for us.” He kissed her top knuckle.

She jerked back, holding her hand against his chest.

“What’s wrong?”

Crap. Niomi hadn’t prepared Ari for anything like this. She remembered her words though. I am Kari. So how would Kari get out of this?

He leaned back in his chair, the lines in his brow deepening. “You seem off today, Kari. What’s going on?”

Ari closed her eyes for a second. She’d never been an actress, never wanted to, but now she had to sell this lie better than anything before. “Sorry, Antoine.” This time she reached for his hand. Ignoring what this meant, she held his hand tight.

“Higgins has been riding me hard. I barely got away today and in fact I have to get back right away.” She glanced at the HUB on her wrist. “I sneaked away, because I just had to see you for a moment. I’m so sorry.”

Slowly the lines on his face smoothed and the same softness and desire in his eyes returned. “I can’t wait until we need to meet outside this program.”

“Me too.” Unsure of what was happening, she hoped that wasn’t possible. Representing different countries, she went on the assumption they lived thousands of miles away.

“I know. This is enough for now, but you need to find extra time inside before then.”

Extra time inside VLEX was expensive, which paid for the program. Any other similar programs were just as expensive. But Ari didn’t want to force him to be suspicious. “I’ll do my best, but I really need to go now.”

Pushing out of the chair she turned to leave. Before she made it a step, he grabbed her shoulder, turning her around and gathering her into a hug. “You must be in a hurry if you forget to kiss me good bye.”

Ari tried to step back and figure out an excuse, but he leaned forward pressing his lips against hers. It was over as quickly as it began, but it was intense.

“I’ll see you soon.” His dark eyes shone with the promise of tomorrow, and Ari’s insides twisted.

Speechless, she nodded and then hurried out of the restaurant. After she broke free of the town center, she slowed and caught her breath. Guilt gnawed at her conscience. She’d kissed another man, and not any man, but a freaking gorgeous man. She didn’t want to. Antoine was probably an overweight bald man who cooked numbers for his country. She shook out the feeling of him on her body and rubbed at her lips. Even if it was a VR, it felt very real and very much like a betrayal to Reed. But it really wasn’t her choice. Or was it?

She’d talk to Niomi when she got back. For now, she’d finish her day, and hope no other surprises jumped out at her.

Chapter 9

Ari awoke from the VR with a gasp. Something pulled at her arm. A patch pinned into her flesh with a clear tube connected. She reached to tear it off.

“Just wait a sec,” Niomi said from her computer station nearby.

“Why did you patch me?” Ari had seen plenty of those while visiting her dad in the hospital.

“You’ve been under for eight hours. You needed fluids.”

Slumping against the chair, Ari realized she was right. The working day flew by so quickly that she forgot about the real world. Anxiety gripped her throat. She’d never been inside the program for so long. How long was too long before she forgot completely about reality like her father?

Once unhooked from the wires, Ari stood and stretched out her limbs, trying to soothe her nerves as well as her muscles. “Kari has a new boyfriend. It was a nightmare.”

Niomi pushed a stool towards her. “Write down everything you did and everything you can remember.”

“What? I sent the needed documents. Don’t you have cameras there?”

“No. They are banned and do regular sweeps for monitoring devices. If all the information can come back so easily, then it would be easier to steal.” Niomi turned away from the screen. “Just finish your reports, we’ll get a twenty-minute workout in, and then you can call it a day.”

Ari checked the time, and her shoulders slumped. In the VR for over eight hours, then more paperwork and exercising? The idea made her want to crawl into bed. Her stomach grumbled at the lack of substantial food.

“Okay. At least Kari will have to deal with her own handsy boyfriend tomorrow.” She pushed her hair out of her face and pulled the stool towards the desk.

“Sorry, that’s you again, Ari.”

“What?” She stopped. “He’s going to figure it out. And what will happen when she returns?”

“Let us deal with Kari. You deal with the boyfriend.” Niomi had gone back to working at her station, her eyes glued to the screen. “It’s part of the job, sweetheart. And trust me, it’s not bad in comparison.”

An unsettling sensation resided in her neck and she rubbed her port. Maybe she was just tired. Exhaustion pulled at her limbs, and she headed towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Niomi’s sharp words carried a threat.

“I’m going to grab some food if that’s something I’m allowed to handle.” She didn’t even bother to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

“Don’t be long.”

Ari stormed down the hall, every step echoing through the empty corridors.

“Can I help get some food started for you?” the AI said from the communications panel in her