O Magnet (Titans of Tech #2) - Tessa Layne Page 0,3

losingest team in the MLB. But that's changing thanks to the predictive analytics Penny developed as a recruiting tool. And now I'm really swimming in it because four pairs of eyes are glaring at me, and Miss Henry is staring at me wide-eyed.

"Penny, get me a sharpie." The fine point roller ball I keep in my pocket won't suffice. Five minutes later I breathe a sigh of relief as the last of Miss Henry's class says thank you, and marches out the door.

Miss Henry waves, pink blushing her cheeks. "Thanks again, Mr. Forde. You've made their day."

If only the next five minutes could go as smoothly. I turn to my mother, flanked by Sloane and Joanie. My gaze floats to where Penny's perched on the corner of her desk, arms folded across her body, watching avidly as her teeth press into her lower lip. She lives to see me squirm, and I wonder what punishment she's cooking up inside that beautiful brain of hers, because she'll find a way to make me pay for this.

But an awful, wicked idea enters my head. One that will turn the tables on Penny, and that is guaranteed to get my mother and her minions off my back for the foreseeable future. If I can get rid of my mother and get the better of Penny all in the same day, I will die a happy man. There is nothing quite so satisfying as messing with and one-upping my cantankerous, perpetually grouchy chief technology assistant.

I spread my hands and step next to Penny. "Ladies, I apologize." I wrap an arm around Penny's shoulders, ignoring the frisson of electricity that whips up my arm and the way my body warms when I pull her against my side. "We've been so caught up in our exciting news, we completely lost track of the day."

My mother's eyes narrow suspiciously. "What news?"

Penny stiffens. I squeeze her shoulder, hoping it's enough to get her to play along with me. "Penny and I are engaged."

Take that, laughing emoji.

Joanie swallows a squeak. My mother's mouth drops open, eyes blowing wide and darting between the two of us before narrowing suspiciously.

"Since last night?" Sloane asks, incredulous, shooting daggers at me.

Okay, so maybe I should have thought this through a little better. But Penny is the last person my mother would accept into the family, so it's sure to put me off her social calendar for at least six months. Maybe more, if I can string this out longer.

"Since breakfast, right sweetie?" I say dropping a kiss on the top of Penny's head. Again, the heady, sexual scent of her invades my senses, sending a shock of awareness straight to my balls. Even a sharp elbow to my ribs isn't enough to bank the heat that suddenly flares in my belly. I momentarily lose my train of thought. "It was, err... rather spontaneous, so we... we thought we'd keep it under wraps for a while." I stutter like I'm in junior high asking Margie Wilson to dance. "A-and with our schedule as packed as it's been, we figured we'd wait until things settled down to make an announcement. You know... we didn't want to steal attention."

Her hand comes to mine at her shoulder, and she digs her slate gray fingernails into the skin right above my wrist. There's going to be hell to pay, all right. But I will endure Penny's wrath over my mother's poor attempts at matchmaking any day.

"So you could have your cake and eat it too?" Sloane spits. "You... asshole."

"Language, Sloane," my mother reprimands sharply, not taking her eyes off Penny. She doesn't discriminate when it comes to foul language.

"My family will be hearing about this. Your name will be mud." Sloane turns so fast, her auburn hair swings out behind her as she stomps out.

She may be right, but Tokyo doesn't care about my name in social circles. Neither does Amsterdam or Silicon Valley. And there are a half-dozen companies who would beat down the door for our Kansas City Kings apparel contract if her family cancels out of a sense of loyalty. I feel a little bad about Sloane, but I was upfront that I wasn't interested in a relationship. It's my mother's reaction that has me on pins and needles.

"Do you love him?" she's staring at Penny so hard, I half expect laser beams to come out of her eyes.

Penny squeaks and clears her throat. A flash of panic rips through me. This will be over