by Tiana Cole
“What do you mean, you know?” she asked, and a smug smile drew across his face.
“It was a competing company. They must have hired some crack hacker to destroy the code so that Ayden here couldn’t launch his golden goose.”
“Well, that’s not the most tactful way to put it, but we have to consider the possibility,” Alicia hesitantly agreed, not sure why she was suddenly uneasy.
“Or, there’s also the other possibility,” Ayden chimed in and Marcus instantly scoffed.
“Oh yeah? And what is that exactly?”
“Well, the data was on a secure server. Almost impossible to break through, or hack through, or whatever it is you kids call it these days.” Ayden grinned a little as Marcus rolled his eyes, but Alicia could see the hardness behind that smile.
“So, it’s got to be a hell of a lot easier to crack through the server from the inside, right? The easiest way is usually the right way.”
Marcus turned on Ayden with a glare of his own. “And what exactly is that supposed to mean? That someone here did it? How could you even prove something like that?”
“We can’t, unfortunately. We can’t prove anything,” Alicia said, resisting the urge to elbow Ayden in the ribs so he would stop grilling her employee. But there was something about his suspicion that rang true, she just hated the idea that someone on her team would be capable of something like that. But she knew who the most likely culprit was, even though she couldn’t prove it, even though she didn’t know why.
And he was standing right in front of her.
Chapter 6
“You have to do it, Alicia.” She gritted her teeth at Ayden’s words, repeated for the hundredth time. Or maybe it was the thousandth. She had lost count over the last hour of their conversation. She looked at the timer on her cell phone. Check that. An hour and a half of Ayden trying to convince her to move her operations to his office until the project is complete.
Alicia rolled her eyes again and tried to explain.
“Ayden, I can’t just pick up and move into your office for the next several months. Because it will be months now that all of that work was destroyed.” She still couldn’t talk about it without feeling the anger rise inside her like a volcano threatening to burst. They weren’t any closer to finding out who did it, but Ayden continued to insinuate that Marcus was the culprit. Marcus kept, loudly and frequently, blaming everyone else from rival companies to rogue hackers to even Ayden himself.
Even she had to admit that she had major doubts about Marcus now, and no matter what she did she couldn’t shake them.
“And that is exactly why you need to work here. It’s a great office, close to downtown. You won’t be disturbed at all,” he pleaded with her and she barely held back a cynical snort. Not disturbed. Hah. Working in the same vicinity as Ayden Ross?
She could barely handle working in the same city as the man without breaking into a lust induced sweat. Business and pleasure don’t mix, she reminded herself forcefully. Unfortunately, she had to tell herself that more often of late. And it was all Ayden’s fault. He was tempting her to break her number one rule, and she was worried that if she worked that close to him, day in and day out, the temptation would grow too large to resist.
“Listen,” he broke into her thoughts with a frustrated sigh, “I’m not taking no for an answer. I hired you, remember? I don’t want to, Alicia, but I have to insist. This project is too important to me to jeopardize.”
She could hear the honesty in his deep voice, and to tell the truth, she felt horrible that it already had been jeopardized, and on her watch. It was that guilt that finally had her agreeing, albeit reluctantly.
“Okay, I’ll do it,” Alicia capitulated. “I’ll start making plans to move over Friday and–”
“No, tomorrow. You can start in tomorrow. I’ll have my team help move everything in and you’ll be all set to go.” She didn’t miss the excitement in his voice this time and it had her wondering if she was making the right move. But the fact was, this job was important to her too. Working with a client like Ayden Ross would help catapult her business and solidify her position as the top coder and programmer in the city of Los Angeles.
“Alright, tomorrow then.” Alicia said a quick goodbye after that and turned back to the magnificent rooftop view spread out below her, all glistening lights and flashing neon. She tried to stem the flood of doubts. It was too late for that now. By tomorrow afternoon she would officially be working just a few feet away from Ayden Ross. God help her.
***
By the end of the day on Friday Alicia was sure she’d made a terrible mistake. Ayden had taken every opportunity over the last three days to flirt shamelessly with her, and she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed every minute of it. Of course, she would never admit that to Ayden. She was sure any sign from her would only be taken as encouragement. Not that he needed any. At all.
The smallest look, the slightest hint of a smile and he would be trying to charm her. Well, succeeding at charming her. Alicia at least had to be honest with herself about that. The sudden shrill ring of her phone startled her and she answered it without looking at the caller ID. She could have groaned when she heard Marcus’ adamant voice on the other end.
“Alicia, I called earlier. You must have missed me.” Alicia rolled her eyes. Missed him. Right. He had been calling at least twice a day all week. Sometimes even three. And all for the same reason.
“Tell me there’s an emergency, Marcus,” she said, her voice thin on patience.
“It is an emergency, Alicia! I’m telling you, Ayden sabotaged the data so he could get closer to you. Can’t you see what he’s doing?”
“Yes, I can,” she sighed in annoyance, “He’s trying to start a successful business, and I’m trying to run one and I can’t do that if you keep calling me with this nonsense.” She had tried to be gentle with Marcus at first, but this was getting ridiculous. Just then, there was a soft knock at her door quickly followed by a very handsome Ayden Ross.
She stared at him a moment, her train of thought lost as she soaked in the hard lines of his shoulders that tapered down past a muscular chest and narrowed slightly at his waist and then down…Stop it! Alicia chastised herself.
“Uh, Marcus, look I have to go. I got to get back to work.” She hung up on him still ranting that Ayden was the culprit, as ridiculous as it was. And it really was. If she had learned anything over the last three days, besides the fact that he was a terrible flirt, it was that he put more heart and soul into his business than any one she’d ever met. Except maybe herself.
“Hey Alicia, do you want to grab a bite to eat? It’s almost seven o’clock already and I know you barely had anything for lunch.” Ayden shot her that lopsided smile of his that instantly set her guard up. Danger ahead. She was already starting to shake her head ‘no’ when he went in for the kill.
“We can talk about the project. I have some more ideas I want to throw your way and I would really love your feedback.” His eyes got all big and puppy dog like and she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t say no. Just for work, she said to herself, but it sounded like a weak excuse even to her own ears.
“Alright, alright. Let me just clean up here and we can go.” Alicia couldn’t help the small smile of her own as she caught him doing a little fist pump of victory when he thought she wasn’t looking. Ayden Ross was making it very difficult for her to separate business and pleasure, and she knew over the next several weeks, it would only get harder.
Less than thirty minutes later, they were seated at a restaurant so exclusive a normal person would have had to make reservations months in advance just to get on the wait list. But Ayden had flashed that smile of his at the hostess and they had been immediately lead to a lovely window table overlooking the city from the 35th floor of the high rise building.
“Everything looks amazing from up here,” Alicia said the words softly, more to herself than to Ayden but he nodded, gazing down at the city right along with h
er. “I’ve always loved heights,” she continued. This time Ayden shook his head vehemently.
“I am terrified of heights.” He said the words nonchalantly, and they had Alicia whipping her heads toward him.
“Then why in the hell come to a place that’s over thirty stories in the air?” Alicia threw the question at him, confused.
“The food is really good.” Ayden shrugged and smiled at her like he was letting her in on a big secret and she couldn’t help but grin back at him. The man was crazy. And she really liked it.
She realized, with a sinking feeling in her stomach, that she really liked him. Alicia couldn’t help but wonder as the night progressed and they talked like old friends despite the constant layer of tension between them, if she would have dated him if he wasn’t her client.
It wasn’t even really a question in her mind. She knew she had a daredevil streak about a mile wide running through her veins and there was an air of challenge around him that she found hard to resist. Harder now that she was spending so much more time with him. Alicia lifted her chin and straightened her shoulders. I just have to be strong, she reminded herself just as he flashed her his lopsided, dimpled grin. She had a feeling that was going to be more difficult than she first assumed.
Chapter 7
Weeks passed in a haze of ones and zeroes punctuated by moments of pure, unadulterated attacks of lust. Alicia was proud that she hadn’t succumbed to Ayden’s charms, which had proven to be quite a feat.
With every day that flew by it became harder and harder for her to resist him, and it didn’t help that he kept talking her into going to numerous exclusive restaurants with him on the pretense of working. It was for work, she tried weakly to defend herself, but she knew the truth. She was slowly, inescapably falling under his spell. And she didn’t know what the hell to do about it.
Resist. Be strong. It was her new mantra and she was sticking to it! Take that afternoon for instance. He had asked her, yet again, to go out to dinner with him after work that night, and like the strong, resistant woman she was, she had turned him down. Yay for her! But then why did she feel like she had done the wrong thing when she knew in her head that it was right?
Alicia shook her head at herself as she packed away her laptop for the night. She cleaned off the make shift desk and took one last look around before shutting off the lights and locking up.
“You’re here late.” The voice made her jump around and she clenched hand to her chest as she sighed in relief.
“Damn it, Ayden! You can’t just go around jumping out at people. You’re about to give me a heart attack!” And it wasn’t because he had startled her. It was because standing there, leaning nonchalantly against the metal doorframe, he looked like one hundred percent man-candy. And she desperately wanted a taste. Resist. Be strong!
“I didn’t ‘jump out’ at you, but I am sorry I scared you.” He smiled at her, dimples and all, and she thought she might melt there on the spot. “If you wait a few, I’m almost done in here. I can walk you out?”
No way. There was no way her system could handle any more Ayden Ross right now without going into meltdown mode.
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m parked just around the corner, so…,” she trailed off for a moment, lost in the depths of his gaze before she could pull herself back together. “Right, well. See ya later.”
She turned and quickly headed for front door, barely acknowledging his goodbye and breathed a sigh of relief when she walked out into the cool night air. Fall was officially there, and even though fall in L.A. wasn’t as cold as it was elsewhere, it was a welcome relief from the heat of summer.
She looked up into the cloudless night sky and tried to shake off the prickle at the back of her neck as she turned and started walking towards her car, parked just a few blocks away. That scare with Ayden must have her nerves on edge because no matter how she hitched her shoulders she couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched.
The only warning she had was the sound of footsteps too close behind her. Alicia turned, real fear shooting through her this time as she caught sight of the big, dark shadow right behind her.
“Give me your money and your phone. Give me everything you got, bitch.” The voice was rough and felt like dull knifes running across her skin. She was in danger. Alicia could feel it like a boulder on her chest, in the panicked thud of her pulse in her ears. She froze for a bare moment – or an hour – she wasn’t sure. It felt like it lasted forever as her attacker’s grizzled face loomed closer, his eyes red rimmed from drugs or liquor she couldn’t tell, but she could smell the alcohol on his breath. It drove spikes of terror through her skin, into bone and tissue, making it impossible to move, to make a sound. In a hot wave, anger followed.
That she would be attacked in the city she loved, right outside of an expensive building! She opened her mouth to scream for help, but before anything could come out another shadow flew out of the darkness, toppling the first one to the ground.
She could hear the sounds of a scuffle and a muffled curse before it was quiet once more. It happened in the blink of an eye, so fast she could barely make sense of what was happening around her. And then the second shadow stood and walked towards her. Alicia inhaled to scream again but it backed up in her chest when she saw the familiar blue eyes and blond hair.
“Oh my god, Ayden!” It was the only words she could get out before his arms were around her, squeezing the air and any possibility of speech from her lungs.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere? Are you bleeding?” His questions were shot out in rapid fire and she didn’t even bother to respond as he pulled her even closer, tucking her tightly against his chest. He was still holding her moments later when red and blue lights illuminated the street. The police officers that Ayden had called right after taking down her would be mugger arriving to do their job.
***
There were several minutes of questions from the stern-faced officer as his partner cuffed her assailant, who was just regaining consciousness.
“Was anything taken, ma’am?” the officer asked and Alicia shuddered. Her peace? Her sense of confidence? She wondered how long it would take to get them back after that night, but she just shook her head, not saying anything. The officers quickly wrapped up the questioning, saying they would file the report and needed her to come into the station in the morning to sign a statement.
Alicia nodded, barely even hearing them. A trembling had started. Deep inside at first, now it shook across her arms and down her legs, making it impossible to stand without Ayden to lean on. He was still holding her. He never let go, not through all of the questions and the statements. His arms were wrapped around her, her only connection to reality.
The police finally left, and still they stood there, surrounded by the dark night. Alicia couldn’t seem to make sense of anything. Her mind was a tangled mess of random thoughts and images and she couldn’t seem to make any of them focus.
“Hey, let me get you home, okay?” Ayden whispered the words softly in her ear and all she could do was nod. They both turned to each other at the same time and when she looked up into his ocean blue eyes she felt his gaze ricochet all the way through her, shattering some of the numbness that had settled like a blanket around her. Neither of them spoke for a long moment, their eyes locked together.
Running on impulse and something deeper pushing her on, Alicia rose to the tips of her toes and pressed her lips to his. Ayden stood still for a shocked moment, and then he was taking control of the kiss. He speared his fingers through her shoulder length hair, tilting her head to get a better angle, to kiss her deeper. His lips moved over hers harder and hotter, and it was like a chain of explosions were set off inside her.
Mines laid deep over the past few months of working together, flirting together. All of the tension and desire she had pushed away came roaring back with the feel of his mouth devouring hers.
His tongue swept out, teasing the seam of her lips and on a sigh, she grante
d him access. He wasted no time invading her mouth, teasing her own tongue with his in an age-old rhythm that had moisture gathering at her center.
She pressed herself closer to him, as close as she could with their clothes still a barrier in between them, trying to ease the ache growing deep inside her. It still wasn’t close enough.
With a muffled curse, Ayden pulled back just enough for them to catch their breaths.
“Alicia, I think…I think I should take you home now.” He sounded like it was the last thing he wanted to say, and it was definitely the last thing she wanted to hear. She wanted to feel his lips on hers again, to feel the fire flash through her, burning away all thoughts of what had happened just a short time ago.
Finally, she nodded, and walked quietly with him to his car. She was still trembling and couldn’t imagine getting behind the wheel of her own vehicle so Alicia let him drive her home. It was a short ride and as they pulled up the driveway to her condo, Ayden reached over and grabbed her hand, still sitting on her lap.
“Would you…That is, do you want me to stay the night?” He blushed a bright red as she turned to look at him with an arched brow, a hint of her old familiar spark starting to shine through the trauma of the night. “I mean, not sleep with you, but uh, you know just sleep in the same vicinity. Damn it.” He shook his head and moved to pull his hand away but she stopped him.
“You could sleep on the couch…” she suggested hesitantly, the first words she’d spoken since the attacker had jumped out of the shadows at her and Ayden had saved her.
“Yeah. Yes. On your couch, that’s what I meant.” He shook his head again, this time with a soft laugh. “I made a mess of that, didn’t I?”
