“How long were you gone?” he asked.
“About a week.”
“And they never called you?”
“I kind of moved apartments within the same complex, and changed phone numbers. I really didn’t want to be found.”
He leafed through the rest of the book. “Is there any way you can do more than you’ve done so far?”
Tilting my head, I stared at him for a moment. “Are you asking if I’m marketable or if I’ve hit a wall?”
“Sort of. Can we make them promises we can deliver on?”
“I think so. In chapter twenty-five, I hint at more possibilities but they were outside the range of my resources at the time. This computer program will certainly keep them going for a while.”
“You know what that means?” he asked, his blue eyes meeting mine.
“Sure. They’re really going to hunt me down now. I’m doomed, aren’t I?”
“No, you’re more marketable. Name your price and it’s yours.”
I shook my head. “I’m really not good at that. What do you think?”
“You need to do some real thinking about your future. What do you want out of life?”
“I have no idea. I live from day to day.” I studied his face, which seemed to go blank. “Is that bad?”
He smiled. “With your brains, yep, that’s bad. You can go anywhere with your talent, but I’d like you to stay with me and work for Madcap.”
“Is that a job offer?”
“Yes, it is. Name your price and I promise you’ll get it. If the NSA is willing to offer you a fifty thousand dollar signing bonus, they’ll be willing to give you whatever you want, plus protection from bad people.”
“Can I think about it?”
“You have until the end of this trip to do that.” He reached over and touched my arm. “Don’t forget my offer of marriage, too. That’s on the table as well, and I intend to prove I’m worthy of you.”
I suddenly felt guilty for not telling him everything I knew about my thesis, but had made a pact not to. “Worthy of me?” I asked, my hand flying to my chest and my eyebrows hitting the ceiling.
“Absolutely. You can run circles around me with your brain. It’s almost…scary.”
“I scare you? Are you insane?”
He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it while his eyes seduced me. Oh, he was hot, for sure. “Absolutely.”
The stewardess came to our table and took our drink orders.
“Just water, thanks,” I said.
“I’ll have a soda and Amy will have some champagne.”
I couldn’t believe it. It wasn’t even noon yet. “Champagne? At this time of the day?”
“Yep. No time like the present to start that desensitization.” The stewardess walked away, chuckling.
I leaned closer and lowered my voice to a whisper. “So you’re going to keep me drunk? Is that how you intend to make me marry you?”
“No. That’s going to be your decision and I’d never make you marry me. For the alcohol, we’re starting slow. Eventually, you should be able to drink two drinks without hunting for your silverware on the floor and hula dancing in a restaurant.”
“I didn’t…” I felt my head shake in denial.
“Never mind.” He chuckled as the stewardess brought us our drinks, then walked away. “Now tell me what you know about data modeling.”
So this was going to be a working trip. I didn’t mind that much but would rather have just sat on a couch and made out. Describing what I knew, I explained how just a few modifications to the current way of doing business could save companies tons of money if they just thought outside the box. I sipped the champagne, but stopped after about half a glass. I was done and didn’t want to push it.
He shook his head. “You’re amazing. Do you know what this means?”
“I gave you what you wanted and now you’re going to throw me out the window?” I glanced toward the side of the plane. “I don’t think I’d like that, and would hunt you down if I lived.”
“No. I’d never do that. You’re even more marketable, but extremely untrusting.” He sat back and studied me for a moment. “I wonder why that is?”
“No reason.” I took another sip of the champagne and diverted my eyes away from him.
“You’re hiding something and it’s huge.” He leaned closer. “Why are you hiding something from me?”
I faced him. “If I’m so marketable, then why couldn’t I get a job when I moved to Devon?”
He smiled. “You didn’t look in the right places. I’m so glad you quit working at the bank. I really want you to work for Madcap now. Some of our new clients are loaded and have nowhere to turn for help with their data administration needs. They can’t find good people.”
“So if I’d approach any of those other companies, they’d hire me?”
His face became very solemn and he sat back. “You wouldn’t do that to me, would you?”
I grinned. “Probably not. You’re quite a worrier, aren’t you?”
“What’ll it take to get you to Madcap?”
So I had the upper hand. I had no idea what I could ask for, considering I was living in absolute poverty. I was sure he was playing with my head. “You’re teasing me, right?”
“Not at all. I never tease about business.”
“I don’t know how to answer you,” I said.
“Think about it. The sky’s the limit, pretty much. You’d report directly to me, because what you’d be working on is too sensitive to report to anyone else.” He glanced around. “The CIA has some other things to be done, too, like new ideas for gathering information worldwide, how to find out what people are doing in this country using mathematical models and data analysis, and so on, but it’s all under the radar.”
“I’ve read some of their reports in my classes, because Dr. Urban wanted us to know what was out there.”
“I know. I read the syllabus for the class.”
I studied him for a while, trying to put it all together. “Let me get this straight. You want me to marry you and report to you at the same time? Wouldn’t that mean we’d be together every day, all day?”
He grinned while nodding. “Yep. And I can’t wait.”
“What if you get sick of me and want to divorce me?” I thought this was the most diplomatic way to say that I might get sick of my boss.
“I don’t think that’ll ever happen, however if the tables were turned and you wanted out, I wouldn’t hold you back from either your personal or professional life. I’m not kidnapping you or holding you hostage. Also, when we had kids, you’d probably only want to work part-time at the most.”
“Kids.”
The plane started to descend.
“Yes. Assuming you want kids, like you told me before. I’m willing to do whatever you want, you mean that much to me. It’s all up to you.”
The plane landed and screeched to a halt, but Mark’s eyes continued to stare at me.
“I have no answer for you right now,” I said.
“I figured as much. It’s too much like a fairytale and I can’t blame you. I don’t know what I’d say to these offers either. It’s almost too good to be true, if you ask me.” He leaned up to me while the stewardess opened the door to the plane. “But look at it from my standpoint.” His voice lowered. “I found everything I need in you and am willing to make any sacrifice to keep you happy.”
“I see.” But he made no sense.
He stood up, unbuckled my seatbelt, and helped me to my feet, while I kept my eyes on his.
“Wait,” I said. “Are you saying you’re making sacrifices in your life because of me? Are you just trying to keep me happy to get me to work for you?”
“No, and I intend to prove that to you. Even if you weren’t what I wanted in my business, I’d still be very attracted to you. Trust me, Amy, you’re the whole package and I mean it. I just hope you don’t get sick of me.”
We walked down the stairs to the p
lane and onto the blacktop toward the terminal in Atlanta.
“But you’re the real catch here. Who could ask for more? Even if you weren’t loaded, you’re still amazing.”
“Oh, about that. Let’s keep my secrets away from your family for now. I’m just a programmer and make above average wages.”
I nodded in agreement. “Good idea. I don’t want them thinking I’m with you for your money.”
“With your talent, you could far surpass me.”
“I highly doubt that,” I said and took his hand. “You’re an amazing businessman and no slouch yourself.” Plus, I could snow him and not tell him all my secrets, and he’d fall for it.
He pulled me to him with a kiss. “I wish all of this were over with and we were married right now.”
“Yeah, I know.”
We were just a few feet from the building when some men began running toward us, wearing casual clothes with guns in their hands. They appeared to be Asian, too.
“Mark!” I screamed, pointing. He pushed me toward the building, and we got inside just in time. As soon as I saw my brother and his fiancée, I pulled both of them with us while running.
“Follow me!”
“Amy, what’s this about?” Randy asked, trying to keep up.
“I’ll tell you as soon as we’re safe.”
We followed Mark around a corner and to the back of a small clothing store, behind a rack of t-shirts. Mark pulled out his cell phone and pushed a number on speed dial. “Tony, we’re being chased. Call the FBI, and get them here right away. They look like the Chinese nationals.”
I closed my eyes. This wasn’t happening.
“What’s going on?” Randy asked me. “Are you going to tell me now?”
“Shhh! Someone’s chasing us. Just be quiet! The police are on their way.”
Mark pulled me to his chest and stroked my hair. “I’m so sorry this is happening. I should’ve just kept you at home.”
“Are you two married?” Randy asked.
Mark held me to his chest so tightly; I could hardly breathe. “Yes, we just got married on a stopover before we got here,” he said. “We didn’t even have time to get rings yet.”
I pushed away from his chest and faced him with surprise on my face. “Married?” I mouthed.
His eyes danced while he faced me. “Now, sweetheart, I know this is supposed to be your honeymoon, but until we get these guys off our tail, it’s just going to have to wait.”
I bit my lips to stop from laughing, but had to play along. “Yes, dear. Just know I love you in case we get killed.”
His eyebrows rose and I saw him trying to get into my head. I just nodded with a wink. It was the weirdest thing, but I did love him. He was the nicest man I’d ever met, and he protected me. He really was that prince I’d been searching for, and I wasn’t going to let him get away.
A commotion outside had me ducking my head closer to Mark’s chest. He wrapped his arms around me and whispered into my ear. “Did you mean what you said?”
I nodded.
“You really love me?”
Men had to have everything spelled out to them. “Yes, Mark. I do,” I whispered, looking back up at him.
He pulled me back from my brother and his fiancée. “When we get to Colorado, we’re getting married. I can protect you better that way. I don’t have the ring yet, but will you accept my proposal of marriage?”
I’d never gotten a proposal before, but you only live once, I figured. “Yes, sir,” I whispered with a nod.
He grinned as he moved to face me, then kissed me, hard, tongues and all.
“Hey, I thought you were in danger. What’s going on with the kissing?” Randy asked.
We ignored him and continued to enjoy ourselves. Mark finally pulled away from me and moved toward my ear while hugging me very tightly. “I love you, Amy, and I promise to be the best husband and give you a nice home.”
“It’s already much nicer than what I have now.”
“Very funny,” he whispered. “Now, we have to get out of here. Any ideas?”
“What’s going on?” Randy asked.
I turned toward him. “We’re trying to figure out how to get out of here.”
“By kissing?”
“Hey, if it works,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “We just got married, silly.”
The woman standing beside Randy shook her head. “But marriage is just to save on bills, not for kissing.” She thrust out her arm and shook both of our hands. “I’m Brandy, by the way.”
I was stunned. “You really believe marriage is just to save money?”
“Oh, yes,” she answered.
I turned to my brother. “Do you believe that?”
“Not really.”
“When are you getting married?” I whispered.
“September.”
I just shook my head in disbelief. My family lived far away from me for a reason, and it was plainly obvious what that reason was.
Mark’s phone rang and he answered it. “Mark.” He listened for a moment then glanced at me. “I understand. We’re on our way.”
He took my hand and walked past the busy sales clerk. “Can I help you?” the woman asked.
“Oh, you already did…more than you’ll ever know,” Mark answered with a grin. We went into the hallway and Tony came running toward us.
“You okay?” Tony asked.
“Sure,” Mark said. “But I have a little job for you to do on the way to Colorado.” He glanced at me with a grin, then walked ahead of us with Tony.
“So, the wedding’s in September?” I asked Brandy. “I’m Amy, by the way.”
“I figured,” she said. “What was all that about?”
“Well, someone broke into my apartment, and we think they’re chasing us. That’s why we have to protect everyone in my family.”
“And you got married this morning?” she asked.
“Yes, we did.” I pointed ahead of us. “That’s Mark, my husband. My last name is now Dallas.” Well, it would be, soon, if Mark had his way.
Randy picked up their luggage beside the outside door. “John didn’t tell me you were even dating.”
“It’s a long story,” I answered. “But I’d rather talk about you two.”
We left the airport with an FBI and police escort and walked onto the plane.
“Wowee!” Randy yelled. “Will you look at this? What kind of business do you work for, Mark?”
Mark put the laptop, the papers and the books away before either my brother or future sister-in-law saw what they were, not that they’d understand any of it.
“I work as a programmer for a software company,” Mark said. “I’m good friends with the owner.”
Me too, I thought to myself. Since I was now pretend-married to him, it was even sweeter.
We all sat in chairs that swiveled and talked about the upcoming nuptials for Randy and Brandy. It suddenly hit me that even their names rhymed. It instantly made me want to hurl. I was sure Brandy thought it was cute, so I kept that fact to myself.
Right before we took off, the door to the cockpit opened and Tony and another huge thug walked toward us. Just seeing his face reminded me how he’d helped put Connor in jail and also chased me at the beach. Those little incidents seemed so long ago.
“Sir, we need to talk to you,” Tony said. He smiled and winked at me, and I lowered my eyes. Each of the two bodyguards was so tall, they had to stoop slightly in the huge plane so they wouldn’t hit the tops of their heads.
Mark kissed me as he stood, then winked at me. I was ready to deck him. “I’ll be right back.”
He left and Randy faced me. “How long have you known Mark?”
“Oh, a little while. He’s really worried about me, since I was robbed again.” I had to keep prattling or he’d want details. “By the way, John asked us to bring your bat, so I have it with us.”
“Do you still have that old thing?”
“Sure do. I use it every time I e
nter the apartment.”
“Well, I guess you’ll be moving in with Mark now, so you won’t need it any more, right?”
“Guess so.” I had to change the subject, fast. “So what are the plans for the wedding?”
“Well, we pretty much told you everything on the way to the plane,” Randy replied.
That was it? A wedding in September? That wasn’t the details.
I turned toward Brandy. “What colors are you going to have for your bridesmaids?”
“Whatever they have in their closet. I don’t care.”
What sort of woman didn’t care about details for her wedding? What was I thinking—I didn’t even care, but just wanted to stay alive.
I faced Randy. “How’s work?” I was stalling for time until Mark got back, hoping it wasn’t obvious to the rhyming couple—Randy and Brandy.
“I’ve been promoted to head chef,” Randy said, sticking out his chest. “I’m also developing some new dishes that I’d love to try out on everyone.”
“Maybe when we get to John’s place?” I asked. Mark thankfully returned to his seat, and I turned my gaze to him. “What happened?”
“Nothing major.” Mark stared at me. “It was just the boss calling to congratulate us on our marriage.”
Huh? I stared at him and he gave me a look I’ll never forget. It was a ‘talk to you later’ look and I didn’t like it one bit.
The plane took off and Brandy started to turn green. “Is there a bathroom near here?” she asked.
Mark pointed to the room at the front of the plane that said ‘bathroom’ and she ran to get there in time. Randy rolled his eyes and stood up. “She’s never flown before. She’s terrified.”
“You’d better go help her,” I said. As soon as he was gone, I faced Mark. “Spill it.”
“The NSA wanted to know what happened. They’re keeping tabs on you for some reason. I can’t imagine why.”
I ignored his facetious comment. “Why did you tell Randy we were married when we’re not?”
He glanced around to make sure we were alone. “So I could stay in a hotel room with you tonight. I want to make sure you’re protected.” He touched my hand and leaned closer. “It’ll be okay. Trust me,” he whispered into my ear. “We’ll make it legitimate in Colorado.”
Saved By The Glass Slipper Page 10
