The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback (Astra and Zayne) novel Chapter 217

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Zane had entered the reception area with two men beside him and another following several steps behind. He hadn’t made it far before someone intercepted him, followed almost immediately by another executive waiting to shake his hand.

His arrival drew attention from every direction, which was hardly surprising after watching him hold an entire room for the better part of an hour.

“That’s Ashton,” the man beside me said, watching him with something akin to awe.

Rebecca spared Zane a brief glance before drawing the conversation back to the projection in front of us.

Kieran joined us a few minutes later, shifting the discussion to Vantage’s expansion strategy. I concentrated on the numbers while the steady exchange of greetings behind me made it increasingly difficult to ignore Zane’s progress through the reception.

He wasn’t coming toward me. He was networking, speaking to people who clearly wanted a moment of his time, and our group simply happened to be somewhere along the same path.

That explanation was becoming harder to hold onto when Kieran suddenly looked past me.

“Ashton.”

“Sinclair.”

Zane’s voice came from close enough behind me to send a rush of heat straight down my spine.

Kieran stepped forward to greet him. “Congratulations on Vantage.”

“Thank you.”

Rebecca turned with him, leaving me facing the projection for another second before remaining there became far more conspicuous than simply doing what everyone else had done.

So I turned too.

Zane stood less than six feet away, and seeing him onstage hadn’t prepared me for what that distance would feel like without anything separating us.

Up close, the sheer size of him was impossible to ignore. I had to tip my head back, taking in the broad frame I’d spent the last hour viewing from several rows away and the harder features that were far more difficult to examine when those piercing green eyes could turn toward me at any moment.

For now, they remained on Kieran as the two exchanged a few words about Vantage. Rebecca was introduced next, giving me a few more seconds in which Zane showed no indication that my presence meant anything to him.

Then his eyes shifted to mine.

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The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

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Every carefully constructed explanation I’d given myself since leaving the presentation became much harder to believe.

He didn’t stare or visibly react. If anything, the complete absence of either was worse.

He simply looked at me with an unreadable calm that gave me absolutely nothing to work with.

Kieran gestured toward me. “And this is Isla Smith, one of our business intelligence analysts.”

Zane kept his eyes on mine.

“Isla.”

Hearing my new name in his voice was so wrong that my response lodged somewhere in my

I managed to extend my hand between us. “Mr. Ashton.”

throat.

His eyes lowered briefly to my outstretched hand before returning to my face, and for one unbearable second, he made no move to take it.

Then his hand closed around mine.

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14:13 Tue, Aug 25

The Nerd Who Stole The Quarterback

know the difference between attraction and whatever the fuck this was.

Looking at Isla Smith felt like being handed a memory with half of it missing.

“Zane?”

Kieran’s voice dragged me back into the conversation.

“What?”

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The amusement in his expression made it clear he’d caught me staring. I didn’t care enough to pretend otherwise.

“I asked whether Ashton intends to retain Vantage’s existing regional leadership.”

“For the immediate integration period. Replacing management before we’ve finished assessing the existing structure would create unnecessary disruption.”

Kieran nodded. “Makes sense.”

Normally, Kieran would’ve had my undivided attention. Sinclair was our most immediate competitor in several markets Vantage had just given us access to, and he didn’t attend events like this without a reason.

Today, the woman beside Rebecca tucked her hair behind one ear, and my eyes followed the movement instead.

For fuck’s sake.

A server passed with champagne, but I waved him on as Rebecca brought the conversation back to the timeline we’d presented earlier.

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