her secretary. “Good morning, Alexa.”
The sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby. It was a glorious day in the City. Despite the heavy industrialization, she’d never wanted to move from Helion. She loved the smog, the bustle of the planet. She couldn’t live on one of the desert planets. Too lonely. Too stark. Too much time to think, to remember.
“Good morning, Dr. Simon. Dr. Ramierez is waiting for you in your office.”
A buzz of excitement rushed through her veins. “Thanks, Alexa. Some coffee would be good.”
“Right on it.”
Ramierez in her office meant one thing—a new case. Exactly what she needed to chase away her personal demons.
She opened the door and greeted her colleague. “Hello, Enrico.”
He stood and smiled a perfect smile, all white teeth and sculpted lips. He had jet-black hair, dark skin and eyes that betrayed his Latino heritage. He was wide, tall and muscular.
“Hello, Mia. You look lovely this morning.”
A gentleman as well as a hunk. Yet Mia felt nothing more than friendship for the gorgeous doctor.
“Thanks.” She put her briefcase down, booted her computer and sat behind her desk.
Ramierez once again seated himself. He was still smiling. His featured softened and she looked away. She didn’t want to encourage any familiarity. She didn’t want to date him, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Jesus, why couldn’t she love a man like Enrico? Kind, soft, comfortable. Why did she crave something more? Why did she crave the darker side of love?
She mentally shook herself and forced her head back in the game. “So, what do you have for me?”
As a psychologist, it was her job to get inside the minds of criminals—literally. Thirty years ago, a technological company had made virtual “reality” a reality. For a hefty price, people could have a microchip inserted into their brain and go under, allowing them the opportunity to create their own worlds and interact with other users. People could experience their hearts’ desires. The VR, as it became known, was a huge success.
Ramierez pulled out his palm-sized tablet and loaded a file. “Dylan Benjamin. Should be on your screen now.”
A folder icon flashed up and she tapped the screen, opening the file.
Dylan Benjamin. A blond, blue-eyed criminal with full, kissable lips and a dimple on his chin. No one could call him pretty. His nose was too crooked, slightly off-center. His mouth a little too harsh. His expression too hard. The word handsome was too feminine. Dylan Benjamin emanated raw sexuality.
Just looking at him made her blood thicken. Her heart pumped a little faster. Her pussy bloomed.
The system labeled him a habitual thief. From jewelry to antiquities to large bank heists, it didn’t matter what the goods—if he could steal it, he would. He’d gotten caught when one of his team members turned state’s evidence after they’d robbed an Interplanetary Reserve.
One thing that had emerged during Dylan’s interviews was an advanced IQ. His intelligence was off the charts. He could have been anything, yet he chose to live a life of crime.
Numerous agencies had interrogated him. He’d nearly bankrupted the system and they wanted their money back. They’d even resorted to physical torture.
No one could break him. No one could get inside his mind.
So here he was. His file on her desktop.
A slither of excitement ran down her spine. Anticipation sped her pulse. The thrill and perceived danger of the VR was better than sex.
The medical community had learned to harness it for their own purpose. Since the VR plugged directly into brain waves, allowing the user to change reality at will, they had produced a blocking code—a chip that only responded to certain patterns—ensuring a safe environment where law enforcement and psychologists could interact with criminals and procure confessions or implement rehabilitation.
That was where Mia and her team came in.
She looked over
The sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the lobby. It was a glorious day in the City. Despite the heavy industrialization, she’d never wanted to move from Helion. She loved the smog, the bustle of the planet. She couldn’t live on one of the desert planets. Too lonely. Too stark. Too much time to think, to remember.
“Good morning, Dr. Simon. Dr. Ramierez is waiting for you in your office.”
A buzz of excitement rushed through her veins. “Thanks, Alexa. Some coffee would be good.”
“Right on it.”
Ramierez in her office meant one thing—a new case. Exactly what she needed to chase away her personal demons.
She opened the door and greeted her colleague. “Hello, Enrico.”
He stood and smiled a perfect smile, all white teeth and sculpted lips. He had jet-black hair, dark skin and eyes that betrayed his Latino heritage. He was wide, tall and muscular.
“Hello, Mia. You look lovely this morning.”
A gentleman as well as a hunk. Yet Mia felt nothing more than friendship for the gorgeous doctor.
“Thanks.” She put her briefcase down, booted her computer and sat behind her desk.
Ramierez once again seated himself. He was still smiling. His featured softened and she looked away. She didn’t want to encourage any familiarity. She didn’t want to date him, but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Jesus, why couldn’t she love a man like Enrico? Kind, soft, comfortable. Why did she crave something more? Why did she crave the darker side of love?
She mentally shook herself and forced her head back in the game. “So, what do you have for me?”
As a psychologist, it was her job to get inside the minds of criminals—literally. Thirty years ago, a technological company had made virtual “reality” a reality. For a hefty price, people could have a microchip inserted into their brain and go under, allowing them the opportunity to create their own worlds and interact with other users. People could experience their hearts’ desires. The VR, as it became known, was a huge success.
Ramierez pulled out his palm-sized tablet and loaded a file. “Dylan Benjamin. Should be on your screen now.”
A folder icon flashed up and she tapped the screen, opening the file.
Dylan Benjamin. A blond, blue-eyed criminal with full, kissable lips and a dimple on his chin. No one could call him pretty. His nose was too crooked, slightly off-center. His mouth a little too harsh. His expression too hard. The word handsome was too feminine. Dylan Benjamin emanated raw sexuality.
Just looking at him made her blood thicken. Her heart pumped a little faster. Her pussy bloomed.
The system labeled him a habitual thief. From jewelry to antiquities to large bank heists, it didn’t matter what the goods—if he could steal it, he would. He’d gotten caught when one of his team members turned state’s evidence after they’d robbed an Interplanetary Reserve.
One thing that had emerged during Dylan’s interviews was an advanced IQ. His intelligence was off the charts. He could have been anything, yet he chose to live a life of crime.
Numerous agencies had interrogated him. He’d nearly bankrupted the system and they wanted their money back. They’d even resorted to physical torture.
No one could break him. No one could get inside his mind.
So here he was. His file on her desktop.
A slither of excitement ran down her spine. Anticipation sped her pulse. The thrill and perceived danger of the VR was better than sex.
The medical community had learned to harness it for their own purpose. Since the VR plugged directly into brain waves, allowing the user to change reality at will, they had produced a blocking code—a chip that only responded to certain patterns—ensuring a safe environment where law enforcement and psychologists could interact with criminals and procure confessions or implement rehabilitation.
That was where Mia and her team came in.
She looked over
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