Heart-Shaped Hack

She wished Lisa would sit down.

“What the fuck?” Derek said, looking warily at Kate and finally removing his damn arm.

Kate stared back at him, an innocent smile on her face. “What an absolutely bizarre coincidence.”

Kate: OMG. I’m dying.

Ian: Do you think he got the message? Or do I need to continue?

Kate: He’s very confused. And fairly drunk. But he moved his arm!

Ian: VICTORY IS MINE.

Kate: I’m coming home.

When she arrived at her apartment fifteen minutes later, he met her at the door. After removing her coat, he backed her up against the wall, sliding his hands into her hair and crashing his mouth onto hers. His kisses were rough, demanding, and he didn’t stop until they were both gasping for air.

“You sure know how to make a statement,” she said, breathing heavily.

He pressed his body against hers and sucked his way down the length of her neck. “Just staking my claim, sweetness.”

He lifted her sweater over her head and took off her push-up bra. He yanked on the button of her jeans, unzipped them, and pushed them down. “Step out,” he said when they’d cleared her hips and landed at her ankles. Then he pulled a condom from the front pocket of his jeans, ripped it open with his teeth, and spit out the narrow strip of foil. She looked at him questioningly as he unzipped his jeans and freed himself enough to put on the condom.

He smirked, desire blazing in his eyes as he pulled down her underwear. Then he lifted her and pinned her against the wall, and all she could do was press her shoulders into it and grab his biceps as he entered her.

Stuart had never done anything like that.

There was something so powerful about Ian holding her that way because she was confined and yet completely exposed. And because of the way they were lined up, with her slightly below him, there was an amazing kind of friction occurring with each thrust. Powerless to do anything but enjoy how good it felt, Kate pulled his mouth to her neck by grabbing him roughly by his hair. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as he sucked on her skin.

“I meant it,” Ian said as he moved inside her. “I don’t share. Not ever.”

Kate wasn’t surprised. Ian would not be good at sharing. He was too used to getting his own way, too used to ignoring the rules and breaking them to get what he wanted.

“Here’s something you should know,” she said finding it hard to get the words out because it felt so good and she was almost there. “I don’t either.”



The next morning while sipping coffee in bed next to Ian, Kate read with interest the article in the newspaper about the mysterious hacking of the Jumbotron that had occurred the night before at the Timberwolves game.

“Listen to this part,” she said. “The sophisticated attack was undoubtedly carried out by a highly skilled team of hackers.”

Ian snorted. “No, just me, and I did it from my phone.”

“They also mention that it was”—she made air quotes—“illegal.”

“Does that bother you?”

“It should, but somehow it doesn’t.” Now that she knew him better, it was hard for Kate to think of Ian as anything but good, even when he broke the law. She threw a pillow at him. “You’re such a rebel.”

“I’m a hacker. We’re all rebels.” He tucked the pillow behind his head and grabbed Kate’s wrists when she tried to take it back. “Harmless halftime fun. I was watching it on TV. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it.”

He pulled her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder and continued reading. “It says that ‘steps are being taken to strengthen the integrity of the Target Center’s computer systems.’”

“That’s hilarious,” Ian said. “I’m tempted to demonstrate how futile their efforts are by doing it again.”

Kate laughed. “That’ll show ’em.”

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