HACKING THE BILLIONAIRE

by Jenny Devall

  She’d have to meet him to find out.

  She typed. “I’m free tomorrow.”

  Riley waited a few minutes then picked out an outfit. She returned to the computer, hoping for an answer. “Damn.”

  Showering, she was sure he was going to toy with her. When Riley was about to leave, she heard the beep on her computer. It was Zeke answering her e-mail.

  “We can meet tomorrow afternoon.”

  He gave her an address for a meeting spot. She acknowledged she’d be there then signed off. She looked on a map program to see where she was going. A warehouse district in Brooklyn. Wow. Closer to her home turf, so she wasn’t worried about it.

  What could happen? Still, it was odd that he wanted to meet there instead of somewhere in Manhattan. He must have something to hide. Her doorbell rang, then Joan walked in dressed to pick up a man.

  “You clean up good, girl,” Riley said.

  She turned off her computer and tucked the details of the case into the back of her mind. For one night she wouldn’t think about leaks or firewall for handsome billionaires who knew how to give her orgasms beyond belief. For one night she was just Riley.

  ***

  Dirk looked at his phone. He was pouting in front of the television. A football game was on, but he’d ceased to watch it. He had no idea the score or even who was playing. His mind was on Riley. Had she been telling him the truth? Maybe she hadn’t been cheating on him.

  Chad wasn’t the best of men, but Zeke was his friend. Why would he lie? None of it made sense to him. If she was playing him then his instincts were off. He’d never known them to be wrong.

  He’d made a mess of it, and now he was not sure what he should say if he called her. Not like him at all. He always knew the right thing to say. Always knew his next move. Riley stumped him.

  His phone buzzed, but it took him a few minutes to look at it. Riley had sent him a text.

  “I’m meeting someone about your leak. I’ll let you know when I’m done and give you info if it is significant.”

  He sat up. She was meeting someone. It was his damned company. Why hadn’t she invited him along?

  “Damn independent woman.”

  She was going to handle this all by herself. All because she knew he was mad at her. Damn his temper. Damn his jealousy. He should be in better control, but Riley had him all out of sorts.

  He dialed her number. She didn’t answer. It didn’t go right to voicemail, which meant she just ignored him. He called again. “Come on, Riley. Answer.”

  This time the call went straight to voicemail. She’d either turned off her phone or denied his call. Damn. She was being obstinate. He should be in on this meeting. This was his company. Did she forget that? Or was she just being a pain because of his temper?

  He paced across his living room, not enjoying the view at all. His brain went through many scenarios, some of which he didn’t like. She may not think corporate espionage was dangerous, but it could be. People were murdered over corporate secrets.

  Then he remembered that he could track her. He’d turned on location services on her phone one day. He’d never used it, but he could now.

  Booting up his laptop, he whistled. He’d find her. He wasn’t tech savvy, and as long as she didn’t realize that he’d turned on the service, he’d find her. He knew how to do this. One of his old girlfriends had taught him.

  With a few clicks of his keys, he located Riley. In Brooklyn. He didn’t know much about that part of Brooklyn, so he used Google Earth to look at it. Warehouses. Not a nice neighborhood.

  “Damn.”

  He called his driver. He wasn’t going to take any of his cars into that area. No one would be around. Who knew what could happen.

  His heart rate spiked. He had to go find her and get her. What if something happened to her? His driver arrived a few minutes later.

  “This address,” he said to the man.

  “Right, boss.”

  The man had learned a long time ago not to ask too many questions. Some businessmen relied on their drivers to talk to. Dirk didn’t do that. The man needed to get him from one place to another. He paid him well with bonuses, but he didn’t see any reason to take his business advice.

  Dirk tapped his foot, wishing the trip wouldn’t take so long. At least he was going to Brooklyn and not The Bronx. Maybe he should have called the cops, but he didn’t have anything to report. What would he say? “I know something might happen?”

  He’d sound ridiculous. And he may be worrying too much, but Riley was not a true city girl. She didn’t have those instincts. She wouldn’t know that she could be in danger. Damn. He should have called her sooner. He should have fixed this.

  She was being reckless, and if he’d been there for her, she wouldn’t have had the chance. His heart hurt, wishing he hadn’t done that. Not one to have regrets, these feelings were brand new to him. His whole life, he believed that whatever he did to advance his career was fine. And not being committed to anyone had been part of that.

  His past girlfriends had understood this. Then his heart stopped for a moment. He was forgetting that Riley wasn’t his girlfriend. This was business. Pretend. Here he was going off half-cocked and on his way to Brooklyn to save her. She didn’t need to be saved.

  He shook his head. No, he still had a responsibility to help her. This was his company. His corporate leak to plug. She was just a means to an end. She still needed him.

  Besides, if he admitted it, he missed her. This way she could come home with him and they’d work this out. Whatever this was. Even if they only sorted themselves out for the length of this job. He would do what it took to get his company back, and Riley was a part of that.

  No doubt about it. He had to make nice with her for all of this to work out. Right now, he needed to find her, meet with the other person, then bring her home.

  Home. Yes, to his home. Don’t get sentimental. It’s business.

  That settled, he looked out the window, enjoying the buildings going by. They were almost there. Brooklyn didn’t seem too bad. He didn’t often get out of Manhattan. If he did, he flew most of the time. He didn’t see the sights. He sighed. What was he doing? He was in Brooklyn for this woman. For goodness’ sake. Was this a wild goose chase?

  “Just a few more minutes,” his driver said.

  “Thank you.”

  The buildings became dingier and dingier, and now Dirk knew he’d done the right thing. This place gave him the creeps and he was inside the car. Hopefully he’d find Riley before anything happened.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Riley waited in her car. She wasn’t comfortable in the area where the meeting was taking place. Not enough people around. What had she been thinking?

  She’d been thinking that she might be able to solve this leak and get on to the next job. Leaving Dirk and this mess behind. The sooner she solved it, the sooner he’d be history. Though she’d thought of nothing else but him for the last few days.

  He’d gotten under her skin. That hadn’t happened with any other man she’d been with. Maybe Joan had been right. She had been dating men who didn’t challenge her.

  She’d left the car running and facing a way to get out. Unless the person brought two cars, she wasn’t going to be blocked in. This cloak and dagger stuff was not fun. She didn’t normally think this way.

  Most of the jobs she’d done prior to this had not involved corporate espionage. She’d never seen anything like this, but she also didn’t want to see it again. She could code for a long time, but this pretending to be some guy’s girlfriend was truly out of her comfort zone.

  She tapped the steering wheel. Zeke hadn’t given her any instructions besides the address. Was she supposed to go in? She didn’t see any other cars.

  Her phone buzzed again. Dirk. She sent his call to voicemail. She’d only been giving him an update. She hadn’t wanted him here. He would hopefully respect her privacy.

  Oh hell. Who was she kidding? If he knew where
she was, he’d probably be riding in like a knight in shining armor. Dirk was a man who got things done. He might not be happy, since she didn’t include him in this meeting.

  She figured it was Zeke, and the less Dirk knew about her suspecting him, the better. That was why she hadn’t told Dirk who she was meeting. He would not believe her.

  She also didn’t want to break up a friendship if it turned out that Zeke was just a jerk. That would be Dirk’s problem. If his friend was the leak, then it would be her problem. No reason to mess up a friendship.

  Then she heard a car. It came down the street, moving slowly, as if looking for something. She tensed. Was that Zeke? She hadn’t asked what car he would be driving. That had been a mistake.

  The car stopped next to her. The back seat window rolled down. It was Dirk.

  Shit.

  “Hello,” he said, as if he’d just been in the neighborhood. Which she knew he wasn’t. Brooklyn would be the hinterlands for a Manhattanite.

  “How’d you find me?”

  He smiled. She wasn’t amused.

  “I had location services turned on for your phone,” he said.

  Well, at least he didn’t lie, but she bet he wasn’t going to apologize for an obvious breach of her privacy.

  “There are lines, Dirk. You crossed one,” she said.

  She climbed out of the car and looked at him. He sat in his back seat, looking regal despite his casual attire. Her anger spiked.

  He put up his hands. “Riley. It’s my company. I should be here with you for this meeting.”

  “No, you shouldn’t. You should let me do my job.”

  “Is part of your job meeting someone in the warehouse district of Brooklyn?”

  Was part of her job giving him a blowjob in his shower? She chose not to ask that. Certainly not in front of his driver. “If it gets the person who leaked the information, then yes, it is my job.”

  “This isn’t safe.”

  She glanced around. Not ideal surroundings, but she didn’t feel unsafe here. Not completely. “I’m tougher than you think. I’m also not yours to protect.”

  His expression, with his mouth open, told her he didn’t agree with that.

  “Did the person show?” he said.

  Of course he’d change the subject. He wasn’t going to win that argument. She rolled her eyes. “No, and I don’t think he will show if he sees me here with you.”

  “Who was it?”

  “I’m not ready to tell. I don’t know if this person has information or if this person is the leak. If you know and treat them differently, then they will know I gave up the name. I want to keep their name until I’m sure what role they play in this.”

  He sighed. “Okay. Makes sense.”

  She stared at him. He stared back. She wasn’t going to blink. Or back down. She glanced around one more time, but no one stirred. Her meeting was a bust.

  All because Dirk stuck his nose in where it didn’t belong. She sighed now. “I’m going home.”

  “Come home with me.”

  Her heart leapt in her chest. She cocked her head, placing a hand on the top of the car. “You believe me suddenly?”

  He pressed his lips together. “You have to admit that your story is tough, but as far as I know, you don’t have any reason to lie.”

  She straightened. “That isn’t a ringing endorsement. Nor is it an apology. I’ll sleep in my own bed tonight.”

  Climbing back into her car, she glanced back at him. His mouth moved. He was probably forming an argument. Dirk was a man used to getting what he wanted, when he wanted. She could be just as stubborn.

  “Riley, please. It’s lunch time. Let’s go grab a bite and talk.”

  She put her car in gear. She didn’t want to meet with him. He’d charm her. He’d get her to do things she didn’t want to do.

  “At the very least, you need to give me some kind of update on this. Besides, we need to be seen together in public so no one gets suspicious.”

  Of course he had a point. They had to keep up this charade, and he was enough of a public figure that people would wonder if they didn’t see him. Thankfully no one had pressed her on the modeling scenario.

  She sighed. “Okay. We can have lunch.”

  ***

  Dirk felt that Riley agreeing to have lunch with him was a triumph. In public, she had to pretend to be his girlfriend. That meant, she had to touch him. He smiled as his driver took him to his usual lunch spot.

  Many people knew him there, and he’d be seen with Riley. And she couldn’t do anything about him being affectionate. Which he wanted to do anyway. Now she had no choice. Nice!

  His driver dropped him off while Riley parked her car. She walked up to him, dressed in jeans and t-shirt. Not exactly high style, but she made them look good. It would have to do on short notice.

  Maybe he needed to keep an outfit for her in his car for cases like this. Really, he wished she would just move in while they were fake dating.

  “I can see by the look on your face, you don’t approve of my outfit.”

  He held the door open for her to the restaurant. It was a trendy little bistro. “It will do.”

  “I was going to a meeting in a dingy place,” she said.

  “It’s fine, Riley. The shoes are horrid, but hopefully no one will notice.”

  He’d never worried this much about what a woman wore. Any woman, let alone one he dated. Because he spent his time with models, they always knew how to dress. He’d never thought about it until now.

  Riley had been a fashion mess at the beginning. That might fly in New Jersey, but not in Manhattan when you were dating an eligible bachelor. He put a hand on her back as the hostess led them to a table by the window.

  Even more visibility.

  He wanted to laugh as he pulled out her chair. She glared at him over her shoulder, but he was going to be the perfect gentleman. The hostess handed them both menus, but he knew he wanted the sea bass. Riley looked at her menu and not at him.

  “You’re going to have to be a little more attentive to me in public,” he said.

  His smile didn’t dim. Hers never appeared. “Fine. As soon as I order you’ll get my full attention.”

  “Good.”

  The waitress came and introduced herself as Jane.

  “Hello, Jane,” Riley said. “Do you have any specials?”

  “We have a lobster macaroni and cheese.”

  “I’ll take that,” Riley said.

  Dirk ordered his sea bass. The waitress left. “Macaroni and cheese?”

  “Yes, with lobster in it.” She smiled a broad smile and reached across the table to grasp his hand. “You aren’t going to dictate my meals. Don’t even think about it.”

  He chuckled as she squeezed his hand. Hard. “Ouch, sweetie.”

  “Am I hurting you? Sorry.”

  She let go and patted his hand. He got the message. She wasn’t going to toe the line just because he said so. Or just because they slept together. Riley was not going to make this easy on him.

  “So what have you found out?” he said, ignoring everything else going on.

  Ignoring the tension between them.

  She took a sip of water and finally looked him in the eye. “I got another notification from my program. I also found out the code I had someone else check out, records what information goes in and out of the firewall.”

  “Why would someone put that there?”

  “I don’t know. It could be something innocuous your brother or sister put there to check the integrity of the firewall. Or it could be something nefarious, but I can’t tell yet. I need time.”

  “How much time?”

  “I don’t know. It is like stock that you’re willing to sell at a certain price. You have no idea when or if it will reach that price.”

  He smiled. “Thank you for using an analogy that I can understand.”

  She shrugged. “I just don’t want you in my face about this every day.”

&n
bsp; “Are you going to see if you can contact that person again?”

  If he hadn’t been looking at her, studying her, he wouldn’t have seen the quick blink.

  “No, it must be a dead end. I can’t think of a reason for them not to have shown.” Then she stared pointedly at him. “Other than you showed up.”

  “I was concerned. And, not to belabor the point, this is my company.”

  “But you hired me to do a job. Let me do it.”

  “I hired you to pretend to be my girlfriend and sit in front of a computer. Not to play cloak and dagger.”

  She sighed. “I’m not your responsibility.”

  He tapped his fingers on the table. Technically she was right. “I feel a certain responsibility.”

  “Hopefully this will be over soon, and then you won’t feel obligated.”

  Her words shouldn’t have hurt him, but they did. She felt nothing? It was just sex for her? It was supposed to be just sex for him, too. Somehow it had become more. Why? Why was Riley different from every other woman who had been in his bed?

  “I guess I won’t, but I would still like to keep you safe.”

  She glanced down at her hands. “Dirk, that isn’t your concern.”

  “You’re just going to say black if I say white today.”

  “You are not my favorite person, right now. And I’m getting to a point where I don’t give a damn if you believe me or not about Chad.”

  “What about Zeke?”

  She put a hand up. “You can believe me or not that I didn’t make a pass at him. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter.”

  “No?”

  “No, it doesn’t. We have no commitment. No strings. Nothing that will bind us once this is done.”

  “Okay.”

  “Don’t pretend you want it any other way.”

  He frowned. “Right. That’s my MO, isn’t it? Love them and leave them?”

  “You can’t deny it. We knew this was temporary form the start. We had fun. We got burnt. Time to step back and just pretend. I’m not really your girlfriend.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Riley threw herself into her work the next day to avoid having to think about Dirk. And his invitation to stay last night. She didn’t. Her body wanted to, but her mind knew better. This case was hopefully wrapping up, and that would end anything with Dirk.