by Terri Pray
If her stomach hadn’t already been involved in a sea battle that left her stomach complaining with every breath, Sue might have risked trying a cup. “How long do you think they’ll keep us waiting?”
“Just take a deep breath and focus. We’ll get to see him, her, whoever it is they’ll let us talk to, and then we can head back for work. Even if they don’t take any action at least we can say that we tried.”
Would that be enough?
“And if they don’t do anything?”
“That’s up to them. We can try and do something about Bill, but the others -- well, that’s down to our employers. Not us. We can’t force people to take action. Maybe Ann’s brother will help us, if she calms down enough to tell him. He’s bound to have contacts that will be able to track these jerks down. Or we try contacting the women mentioned on the blogs then raise some cash and hire a private detective?” Barb kept her voice low and rested her elbows on her thighs, her chin cupped within her hands.
“Long shot, but it’s an option we can look at if we have to.” Not the way she wanted to go with it. How many women had been hurt by that ring of hateful men? What did they think they were doing, anyway? Just getting some cheap thrills in? Or did they really think they were on top of the game, able to control the world around them by putting those nasty posts up?
Had Bill been the one who had started the whole thing? Or had he just jumped on the bandwagon?
God, sometimes she just wanted to wrap her hands around that bloody man’s throat and squeeze until his face turned blue.
“Mr. Martin will see you now.” The receptionist slipped out from behind the desk, her low heels barely making a sound on the polished wood floor. “If you’d like to follow me?”
Barb glanced over, the look in her wide eyes giving life to the same question that now rang through Sue’s mind. They were being taken to see the owner? Over a rumor? After just walking into the building? All right, either they had lucked out or they were about to be laughed off the face of the planet.
“The Mr. Martin?” Sue tried not to stammer as she hurried after the receptionist. The one she’d been ogling on the wall? Or his father? “I wasn’t expecting that. I thought we’d just go and talk to someone in…”
“Mr. Martin Junior. Alan Martin.” The young woman glanced back over her shoulder then thumbed the button. “I’ll walk up with you; it’s become policy that all visitors are now escorted through the building.”
Why, though? Sue nodded and followed the receptionist into the elevator. Had something happened to increase security in the building?
“So where do you two work?” The young woman stepped back from the elevator door. “I’m Stephanie, by the way.”
“The other building,” Barb explained.
“Ah, yes. Small place, nice though, at least from what I’ve heard.” The elevator hummed into life with little more than a soft jerk. “I wasn’t aware we had any business matters that needed to be brought over personally, though. Normally we handle anything by phone or computer.”
Sue shook her head slightly, catching Barb’s attention for a brief moment. The last thing they needed was the story being spread around the office before everything spiraled out of control. God, what were they doing here? It wouldn’t take long before they were escorted back out of the building and…
“Well, you know how it can work. It’s hard to keep track of who is doing business, or when things are social calls, or just catching up on old times.” Barb flashed a confident smile at Stephanie.
“Good point.” The elevator stuttered to a halt. “Here we are. I have to escort you right to the door. It’s a pain but if I don’t I’ll end up with a mark on my record. Not something I want.”
Odd indeed. Most places just signed people in and out of the building. Sue tried not to frown but could feel the lines furrow across her brow.
“So what’s he like?” Barb took the lead through the corridor.
“Alan Martin? Good man, easy to talk to, and gets along with most here. He takes an interest in most things in the company but doesn’t lord it over the rest of us. Not the normal sort of son-of-the-boss type.” Stephanie smiled, a soft flush of heat shimmering over her cheeks. “Not to mention he’s definitely on the cute side of things. You’d expect a man in his position to try and make a pass at the occasional woman here, but no, he keeps his hands to himself.”
Great, just what she needed, a handsome son of the boss to deal with. It didn’t matter that Stephanie claimed the man played by the rules; men with power grabbed, took advantage, and that was just how life worked. Sue tugged on her blouse, trying to straighten up a little more. At least he would focus most of his attentions on Barb, which might give her the chance to try and put her thoughts in order.
“Well, here you go.” Stephanie tapped on the door. “Mr. Martin?”
“Come in.” The rich, deep voice filtered past the closed door.
Stephanie pushed the door open and walked in. “Sue Night and Barbara Haven to see you, Mr. Martin.”
“Yes, I know. Thanks, Steph. I’ll take it from here.” A pair of dark eyes looked up from across the mahogany table. “I’ll buzz you when they need an escort out.”
Which would be in about five minutes from the way Sue’s gut knotted. All right, maybe ten if he was in a good mood; she was a fool for even attempting this.
“Please, sit down.” Alan Martin stood up, a warm smile chasing away Sue’s doubts for a moment. Now there was a man she could dream about. Tall, easily over six feet, broad shoulders but not enough to fit the rugby player image, and short-cut, jet-black hair. Her gaze played down over his body, to the slight narrowing of his waist. A red, soft cotton shirt clung to his chest and vanished under the black brushed material of his suit pants.
Sue tried not to suck in her bottom lip as she took in every inch of the man they had now been left alone with. He would have looked perfectly at home on the cover of a fashion magazine.
“Thanks.” Barb settled into one of the three chairs that had been set in front of the desk.
“The chairs won’t bite.” He turned the full force of a devastating smile on Sue.
“Er, yes, I know. Sorry.” Heat flushed across her cheeks as she sat down.
“Nervous?”
“A little,” Sue admitted.
“Sue thinks you’ll laugh us out of the office.” Barb smiled. “I’ve tried to tell her that it won’t happen, but she’s a little nervous.”
Sue barely suppressed a groan. Why say that? “It’s just a lot to deal with, that’s all.”
“Well, why don’t you tell me what brought you here?” Alan settled on the edge of the desk rather than taking the third chair. “And I don’t bite. Well, not often.” He flashed another grin, turning his attention fully on Sue. “Unless you ask me really nicely.”
Was he flirting with her?
No, of course not. Why would he do that when Barb was in the room? It didn’t make any sense. Still, she squirmed on the chair, her thighs pressed tightly together beneath her skirt. Her stomach tightened; a warmth played through her inner walls, and for a moment the years stripped away.
No, he was just being polite. That’s all it was.
And she was letting her imagination run away with her. That’s what she deserved after spending all that time staring at his picture. But at least now she had a voice to go with the image, and together they’d make a delicious package for her next set of dreams.
“There’s someone in the company keeping a blog and putting out sensitive material about the company onto the Net.” She blurted out the words and tried to break away from his gaze at the same time.
His face instantly hardened. “I see. And just what makes you think it’s someone in the company and not a person picking up information on the street?”
There it was, the game face. Tiny lines had narrowed around the corners of his eyes, the muscles across his shoulders tightened.
“Because the information has to co
me from inside, it’s too detailed. The man behind it also lists women in the company he’s had sex with, as well as others outside of work, where he scores them or scores their abilities in bed.” Sue struggled to keep the stutter from her voice, but the more she spoke the harder it became. “He -- I mean I think he -- well, he could damage your company. There was a post -- on the blog -- that spoke of a deal you have in the making with Barnes and Locus. There are a lot of people involved in the ring; all of them put information about the companies they work for but they use codes. Well, initials, really. If I hadn’t already worked out the code from one person’s blog it might have taken me a little longer to work things out.”
“That meeting is common knowledge.” Alan shrugged, though the tension didn’t ease from his face. “So I’m not sure what the problem is.”
“Is it common knowledge that you will be at the meeting and it’s due to take place tomorrow morning at the Royal Hotel? Ten, I think, is the time you’re supposed to be there, and it’s not a discussion about a possible arrangement, but you’re signing the papers.” There it was, all the information now laid out on the table for him. What he did next was entirely up to him, but at least they’d taken the time to warn the company.
“Shit!” He slid off the corner of the table. “You’re telling me this is all on a blog? Sprawled out across the Net for anyone to see?” His voice went from a calm, conversational tone, to a near yell. “How in hell’s name did they get that level of detail? Are you sure it’s about this comp -- never mind. Of course you are or you wouldn’t be here. All right, fine. I just need a minute to think this through. Bollox. This could blow the entire meeting out of the water.”
Sue nodded and tried not to wince. His jaw clenched, full, sensual lips pressed into a tight, thin line. “I’m sorry.”
“What for? Unless you’re behind the posts,” he growled.
“What?” Her hands tightened on the arms of the chair.
“No, that doesn’t make sense, you’d not be here if you were involved in this. But I do want to know how you found out about the post, and this ring of bloggers, and just what they’re up to.”
Sue shifted in the chair.
“I’m not sure we can go into all of that right now,” Barb began to explain. “There are some hurt feelings involved and a couple of people who I don’t feel comfortable…”
“I want the information.” He turned to face Barb. “And I don’t take well to being told no. So when I tell you to fill me in on the details then that’s exactly what you will do.”
“I’m sorry but…”
“Barbara -- that’s your name, isn’t it? Well, Barbara, I am not asking you, I’m telling you.”
“Now hold on one damn minute. You might be the son of the boss here but we don’t belong to you. Shit, we didn’t have to come to you with this information and you sure as hell don’t have any right to treat us like this. So go ahead, fire me. I don’t care. I don’t want to work for someone who acts like this.” Sue gave a sharp wave at Barb before her friend could say anything further.
He blinked and took a step back. “Well, if you just gave me the information I need then it would be a different matter.”
Sue pushed up from the chair, her hands clenched into tight fists. “I’m sorry we ever came to see you. Barb, I think we should leave. It appears that Mr. Martin needs a lesson in basic manners. Obviously we both have better things to do than pander to his every need.”
A smile twitched at the corners of Barbara’s lips, and a mischievous light danced within her eyes. “You may well be right. Perhaps we made a mistake in trying to help him.”
“Now hold on a damn minute. You can’t just leave like that. I need more information.” Alan frowned, the growl little more than a memory in his voice.
Sue turned back to look at him. “Then maybe you should remember that shouting, growling, and making demands might be a way to get information from some people, but unlike them I’m not a coward who will back down to an angry child.”
Alan blanched.
“So we will see ourselves out, or you can call down for Stephanie to escort us out, either one works for me.” Her heart raced beneath her rib cage, her lungs burned, and yet despite the rolling stomach, the quiver in her legs, and the way his dark, wonderful eyes narrowed on her face, she held her ground.
Had anyone ever stood up to him before?
“Did you just call me a child?”
“Damn right I did. You’re acting like one. And here I thought you were a businessman who knew how to handle men and women. Instead I find a boy trying to make demands of people who went out of their way to help him.” Sue turned and took a step towards the door.
She made it as far as putting her hand on the doorknob before he spoke again.
“Look, I’m sorry. I just -- can we start again?”
“Are you going to accept that I’m not going to disclose sensitive information without the permission of those involved?”
One strong hand rested lightly on her shoulder. “Yes.”
A shiver ran through her body under his touch. God, she didn’t need to deal with this right now. Yes he was handsome and spirited, the way his eyes flashed as he shifted from one emotion to the next was bewitching, but she wasn’t here to flirt with the man. Besides, even that hadn’t been serious.
“And you promise there will be no more growling, or giving orders?” What would it be like to lean against his hand, and feel his touch fully?
“The giving orders I can promise, the growling -- well, all I can do there is try.”
Sue took a deep breath and turned to face him. His full, sensual lips curved into a smile as he leaned closer. Her skin tingled, nipples crinkling into fine points beneath her blouse. No, she had to keep this under control. Letting him see how she was affected by him would be a mistake.
“Are you saying you have a slight temper issue?”
“Only on matters I feel passionately about.” His breath caressed her face. “And I’m afraid when it comes to matters of business, I, I’m very passionate indeed.”
Oh, I bet you are.
“Fair enough.”
“So, you’ll stay and give me a second chance?” He stood there, his hand still resting lightly on her shoulder, each slight twitch of his fingers triggering a new wave of heat through her body.
“For now, at least.” She didn’t want to move, to step away from his touch, but if they were going to get any work done then there was no other choice. “So, did you want me to sit back down or were we planning on holding the rest of our discussion standing by the door?”
“Well, I hope you will give me a chance to apologize for my behavior, say, over dinner tonight?”
Dinner?
Her? Him? Them?
Sue opened her mouth to reply only to clamp her lips tightly shut. How could she possibly go out with him?
Except it was just an apology, wasn’t it? And maybe a chance to go over some of the details about the blogger ring? And it wasn’t exactly as if he was asking her out on a date. No, that would have been silly; a man like him could have any woman he wanted, so the last person he’d be interested in was a woman like her.
“Well, do I have to beg for you to join me tonight?”
She glanced over at Barb, searching for some clue as to what she should do, but all her friend did was smile.
“All right, I’ll join you for dinner then.”
“Good, then I’ll need your address and phone number, and I believe I’ll be able to pick you up around eight…unless you have any other plans?”
Pick her up?
“She’ll be ready on time, don’t worry about that.”
Sue shot Barb a quick look.
“Right now I’m not even sure she’ll join me for dinner. Perhaps I’ve scared your friend off.”
Oh no, he had not just gone there! “Eight will be just fine.”
“Good, now we’ve got that part of it settled perhaps we can go back to discussing
the issues raised by this blogger ring?”
“That sounds like the best idea you’ve had all day.”
“So you stumbled across this -- no, I’m not trying to find out how, by the way -- and you decided to come to me with it because?”
“The other companies listed were ones I couldn’t be sure about. I thought I had the abbreviations worked out but yours was the only one I could confirm.” Sue took a long, slow breath and met his gaze head on. Damn, why did he have to be so bloody good looking?
“We have looked into this, but with the meeting being so soon we didn’t think it would be wise to delay bringing this to your attention,” Barb explained.
Alan glanced over towards the other woman in the room, blinking for a moment. Had he forgotten Barb was there?
“I see, and just what do you think is behind the posts?” He turned his attention fully back on Sue.
“I think, at first, it was a way of making themselves feel like better men, getting back at women who didn’t like what they saw. Or just a couple of guys being jerks over things. Then it grew into something more. I’m not entirely sure who started off the office secrets side of things, we didn’t have time to dig that far into the background of the ring, but it’s been going around six months.” She was missing something here, a piece of the puzzle that should have been obvious, but her brain refused to hand it over. “Real Man is the one making the posts about our building, the one in yours uses the name Dangerous Liaisons.”
“Pranks that went too far?”
“I think so.” Damnit, why hadn’t she dug into matters a little more before bringing it to him? There could have been a dozen other clues in the posts on that hateful ring if she’d only taken the time to research it. “But I can give you the web address of the ring, to look into matters further.”
He frowned slightly, the lines across his brow furrowing. “You’re not afraid that I’ll be able to work out how you tracked this ring?”
“No, I’m not. I will ask you to take things slowly though. The men behind this have done enough damage as it is.”
“Oh, I’m a master at taking things slowly when the need calls for it, and picking up the pace when it will get the best results for all parties involved.” He grinned and looked her slowly up and down. The rest of the office fell away in that moment. Her inner walls tightened, rippled, only to tighten once more. Her legs felt like Jell-O.
