by M. S. Parker
I climbed in the back and warmed up during the relatively short drive to Archer Enterprises. I stared out the window at the mountains, barely seeing the view I normally relished. I'd come to Fort Collins because the mountains had appealed to me, but this evening, I was already focusing on the job at hand. Even though I hadn't seen the problem yet, it had to bad if Rylan needed additional support. It would take both of us working together to fix it in time to save his system. We just had to figure out the best way to divide up the work.
There were still a few people coming out of the building after working over but, for the most part, it looked dark and empty. A different security guard than the ones I met before greeted me when I came in. This time, when he asked if I'd been here before, I told him I had. He called up to Rylan and then waved me through.
“Boss said to send you right up,” he said as he motioned for me to follow him.
I wondered if Rylan had also told him to escort me the whole way, but I didn't ask. I wasn't in a bantering mood tonight. This was serious and, while I might toe the line sometimes, I knew when I needed to behave. Besides, I already looked unprofessional enough. I didn't need to add snark to it.
When we got to the elevator, however, I saw why the guard had needed to come. One of the security measures must've been to lock down the elevators after hours because he had to swipe his badge before the doors would open. That was smart. As I stepped inside and pushed the button for the top floor, I wondered if all badges would get the elevators working or just a certain clearance level.
My thoughts on the process were interrupted when I reached the top and the doors slid open. Not surprisingly, Rylan was waiting. He glanced at my clothes and gave me a this-would-be-funny-if-things-were-different half-smile.
“Thanks for coming. Did I catch you at a bad time?” he asked as he turned and walked toward the computers.
I followed. “Not really. I was just working on a project for a client, but it's not due for a while. It wasn't a problem to put it off.”
“Well, I'm glad you could.” Rylan ran his hand through his hair, giving it a sexy, tousled look that I thought suited him much better than how he'd styled before. “Because this is a serious mess.” He sat down and gestured toward the screens.
I took a look as I was sitting down and swore silently. He wasn't kidding. Whoever'd hit him had done it hard and done it right. I glanced at a couple screens to confirm my suspicion before asking a question, “Did they take anything?”
“I don't think so.” Rylan sounded frustrated and I wondered if that was at himself or the hacker from hell. “It doesn't look like anything left the system.”
“So whoever did this just wanted to screw with you?” I chose more polite phrasing than I would've done under other circumstances.
“I would've used a bit stronger word, but yes.” His face was grim and I found myself distracted by it. I was seeing more of the man under the professional mask now than when we'd gone out for coffee. I didn't know what it was, but something about this man fascinated me. I had to force myself to turn back to the computers and focus on the work to be done.
“We need to each work on separate sections, but in sync with each other,” Rylan said.
I nodded. My thoughts exactly. “I was thinking along the same lines.” I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down what had been going through my mind since I first looked into the problem. “If I do this...”
“It'll make an end run around the virus,” Rylan continued.
“Closing tighter and tighter, like a noose.” I was impressed he'd been able to figure that out. “Tell me again why you need me?”
“Because I never would've been able to write that code on my own in such a short period of time,” Rylan admitted.
“Well, don't be too impressed,” I said. “Because while I'm doing that, you need to be rewriting the damaged sections behind my code.”
He nodded, understanding dawning in his eyes. “So when we're done it's not just empty space.”
I liked that I didn't have to explain to him why it needed to be done. We could get started instead of him asking a million questions about why things wouldn't just go back to normal once we got rid of the virus. I'd never had a client who knew much of anything about software, much less how to do what I was asking him to do.
“Thanks again for coming so quickly,” he said, interrupting my thoughts as I flexed my fingers. “I'll be paying you time and half for this. With a bonus if we get it done without losing anything.”
I grinned at him. “Then we'd better get to work.”
He gave me a flash of a smile and slid his chair into the empty space next to mine. We were closer than I liked to be with someone not naked, but I was a professional. I could do this.
I began to work, my fingers flying over the keys as I created the code. Next to me, I heard the steady tapping of Rylan doing his part. Slowly, I relaxed, letting the rhythm and familiarity get me to a place where everything else became background.
Gradually, as the night wore on, I became aware that we were sitting closer as we shifted into more comfortable angles. Our arms brushed against each other when we moved and I couldn't deny I liked the contact. A pleasant humming spread across my skin from every place we touched and I found myself intentionally turning in ways that made it happen more.
“It's working.”
I could hear his relief. “You doubted me?” I teased.
“Not for a moment.”
I nearly shivered. There was something in his voice that comforted and scared me. It made me want to run and turn toward him at the same time. If I hadn't been working, I'd have chosen the first option. But, I’d already done that once. Besides, I had a reputation to maintain and an imagination like no other. I told myself there was nothing there and I spun the chair around to face him.
“That's good to know.” I crossed one leg over the other and was pleased to see his eyes drop to watch. My nipples started to harden as they rubbed against my shirt, helped along by the memory of Rylan's arm sliding against mine. Maybe I should've taken the time to grab a bra. Then I saw the heat in his eyes and was glad I hadn't. He was even hotter when he was turned on. “Liking this more than my skirt?”
“Definitely considering it.” He smiled at me and stood. “Want some coffee?”
I stood too, my joints popping and crackling. All I needed was a snap and I'd have breakfast. “That'd be good. We're at a bit of a stuck point, waiting for the programs to finish their run.”
He glanced at the clock on the computer. “Damn. I didn't realize it was this late.”
I hadn't paid attention either and was surprised to see it was closing in on midnight. Then again, I knew how I could be when I got in the zone. Looked like Rylan was the same way.
“You want it black or with sugar and cream?”
“Black,” I said. “We'll probably be here at least another couple hours, so the stronger, the better. No decaf this time.”
“You don't have to stay,” he said as he walked over to a counter against the far wall. “I can keep an eye on things, then run the system check when it's done.”
“And if something happens?” I asked as he pulled out one of those single serving things that I'd seen but never paid much attention to. If I was going to brew coffee, I was going to make enough for it to be worth the time.
“What do you mean?” He busied himself with the coffee.
“What happens if we miss something or if anything goes wrong?” I leaned against the back of the chair and glanced over my shoulder to confirm everything was running smoothly. “What if the hacker planted something deep?”
“Seems unlikely,” he said. The smell of coffee filled the room.
I shrugged. “True. But do you want to risk it?” I told myself I was just looking out for my client; that I wasn’t trying to stay because I wanted to figure out why he fascinated me. Or how much I liked looking at him. I'd never act on it, of course, because I was under contract with his comp
any, but that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy the view.
“If I didn't know any better, I'd say you wanted to stick around.” He smiled as he carried over two mugs of coffee. He handed me one and a jolt went through me when our fingers touched. “That bored? Or is it just my charming personality?”
“Are you like this with all your employees?” I arched an eyebrow.
His expression sobered and then he frowned. “I'm sorry. It's a bad habit of mine.”
“Flirting?”
His frown twitched for a moment. “Deflecting with humor... and some flirting, I admit.”
I took a sip of the coffee. It was the expensive stuff, but I barely tasted it. Instead, I was curious about why he felt the need to deflect. “Do I make you nervous or something?”
I watched myriad emotions flicker across his face before one settled, a new one, one I hadn't seen. I supposed I could've described it as dark, but it wasn't the kind of dark that haunted my nightmares. No, this was the kind of dark that made things low inside me twist and turn.
“Yes, Jenna. You make me nervous... or something.” He took a step toward me, putting his coffee mug next to mine.
Now he was making me nervous. Still, I couldn't move.
“I don't know what it is about you, but I haven't been able to get you out of my mind,” he confessed. His voice was low, husky, and it struck a chord inside me. “You're one of the most brilliant, beautiful women I've ever met.”
Shit.
This was not how tonight was supposed to go. I started to protest, to tell him we needed to keep it professional, but then his mouth was coming down on mine.
Oh, fuck.
Oh, yes.
The man could kiss.
His lips were the right combination of firm and soft. He took control of the kiss from moment one, but I felt no panic as his tongue traced my bottom lip, then slipped into my mouth. All I could think was how amazing it felt to have his tongue caressing mine.
His hand on my waist broke the spell and I jerked away. His eyes looked almost purple and his breath was as hard as mine.
“We can't do this. I work for you.” I retreated behind logic and didn't give him the chance to refute it. “I'd better go.”
I grabbed my bag and, for the second time, left Rylan Archer staring after me while I ran from his office. Only this time, I wasn't confused about what had happened, just about how I felt.
Chapter Eight
He called me twice the Thursday after our kiss, but I didn't answer the phone. I listened to the voicemails though and they were both of him apologizing for his unprofessional behavior, but also asking if we could meet. He wanted to talk, discuss whatever this was between the two of us. I didn't want to talk. I didn't even want to think about what had happened. Unfortunately, my brain seemed to disagree with my desire and seemed intent on remembering what his lips had felt like moving with mine. How they'd somehow managed to be hard and gentle at the same time. I'd felt the strength there, and knew he'd held back. I had no doubt he was the kind of man who could do the kinds of things I liked, but I was equally as certain that he didn't give over control.
Which meant I needed to stay as far away from him as possible. I was reluctant to give up a client, but I didn't have much of a choice. I sent my invoice off and tried my best to forget the entire thing. Technically, I was supposed to be Archer Enterprises’ tech company on call, but I hoped by ignoring Rylan, he'd get the hint and leave me alone.
Nearly three weeks went by and, after those first couple of calls, I didn't hear anything from Rylan at all. Finally, by the middle of the third week in October, I started to relax and let myself focus on the big weekend I had coming up. Every year, there was a big tech conference in Denver where the best and the brightest in their fields came together to talk shop. I'd gone last year and had actually enjoyed myself, which was surprising considering I'd been in a hotel full of strangers. This year, the conference was being held at the Hilton Garden Inn and the show-runners were putting the panel members up in their own rooms, so when they asked me to speak on a panel about the growing security risks in an ever-changing technological field, there was no way I was going to turn that down. Denver was only a short drive if traffic was iffy, so I could've technically just driven in, but I wasn't about to pass up a free room.
I'd gotten the list of the other panelists a couple weeks ago and was impressed by the names. Two had Ph.D.’s in computer science and one had written one of the most secure systems to ever be created. The other two I'd heard of, but weren't as well-known. The moderator was coming in from LA and his bio said he was some computer whiz, but I didn't recognize the name. That didn't surprise me. His job was to ask questions and guide the people on the floor so that things kept on schedule, not be an expert.
After what happened with Rylan, getting out of Fort Collins, even if just for the weekend, was looking even more appealing than it had before. Just enough of a change of scenery to help me relax. Plus, it had been a while since I'd gotten laid and I was starting to get the itch again. It might be nice to get some out-of-town action. No risk of awkward encounters afterwards, especially if I steered clear of the other techs.
As I packed a bag Friday afternoon, I made sure to include some sexy underwear for when I went out on Saturday night after the panels were done. A miniskirt and halter top joined them despite the fall chillness in the air. Other than that outfit, I kept the clothes fairly simple. Plain black dress pants and simple blouses. I had a hard enough time being taken seriously. I didn't need my wardrobe to make it worse. Not that I gave a big damn about what others thought.
The drive was eventless and traffic light. When I reached the hotel, I followed the signs into the room reserved for registration. I was surprised when I didn't meet any resistance getting my ID badge and hotel key. In fact, the woman who took my information barely gave my hair a second look.
The room was amazing, the bed soft. I took a long, hot bath and then sprawled on the bed to watch some TV. I'd brought my laptop so I could work if I wanted to, but at the moment, relaxing sounded like more fun.
I should've known that a smooth beginning meant that the shit had to hit the fan at some point.
That point came just after lunch on Saturday when I walked onto the stage for my panel, took a seat, and then saw the moderator walk toward the podium. Fashionably messy dark brown hair, full lips... oh shit.
What the hell was Rylan Archer doing here?
I barely managed to keep my face blank as he addressed the room and then introduced us, one by one. I was last and he said my name as easily as he'd said the others. I supposed it was a good thing. It meant he wouldn’t treat me differently because of our history. I couldn't, however, completely stop the stab of disappointment that went through me when his eyes briefly connected to mine and I saw none of the desire I remembered so clearly.
I didn't know how I made it through the panel, only that I must've answered my questions well because I didn't get mocked and more than one person offered compliments as I hurried from the room. I needed to get away from him. I didn't want to see if he would approach me or ignore me. If I were honest with myself, I wasn't sure which I wanted.
And then, he was in front of me. I barely stopped quickly enough to stop myself from running into his chest. I immediately regretted it; felt a pang of sorrow for not having an excuse to touch him. My fingers itched to trace his abdominals, feel the firm muscles I was sure were hidden under his carefully pressed dress shirt.
“Hello, Jenna.”
“Rylan.” I gave him a curt nod and crossed my arms. “I'd surprised to see you here.”
“I got the call yesterday asking if I could fill in for Addison Vorak. I guess he's in the hospital with gall stones.” He took a step closer, not enough to make me panic, but enough that he was edging toward the line between professional and personal. “I have a confession to make. I was glad when I saw your name on the panel list.”
“I got your messages,” I said, scr
ambling for a change of subject. “Apology accepted. No need to repeat it.”
“I wasn't planning to.” He smiled and something behind my belly button jerked. “I wanted to know if you'd like to go to dinner with me. Maybe drinks afterwards.”
I shook my head. “That's not a good idea.”
“Completely professional, I promise,” he said. “I still want to convince you to come work for me.”
Fuck. Did he emphasize the word ‘come’ or was it my imagination?
“No, thank you.” I stepped around him, desperate for air. “If you'll excuse me...” I was walking before he could respond. I needed to get a drink and then find someone I could bring back to my room and fuck until all thoughts of this man were scrubbed from my brain.
Things didn't go as I planned. It was too early for the good clubs in the city to be open so I decided to get something to eat. By the time I was finished, I was even more ready for a drink, but I no longer wanted to be around a lot of people. I could still find someone to sleep with, but it might be a better idea to just do it from the hotel bar. The idea of playing the seduction game didn't appeal to me anymore. My relaxing weekend away was turning into a gigantic disappointment, and I knew exactly why.
The hotel bar was packed with people from the convention, including a couple of guys who looked to be in my age range and were giving me appreciative looks as I walked toward the bar. I was pretty sure some of the people who'd been at my panel were giving me double-takes, but I focused only on the men checking me out. At least three looked promising.
I ordered a shot of tequila, downed it and asked for another. I didn't get drunk – ever – but I'd eaten enough that two shots would only take the edge off and that's what I needed. It always surprised people that I was careful about what I drank, but I didn't care. Loosening up was one thing. Losing control was another.
I heard a shrill outburst of laughter and automatically turned toward the sound. Two barstools away sat a brassy blond with enough cleavage to get lost in. She was laughing as she put her hand on the arm of the man sitting next to her. A man I instantly recognized and wished I hadn't.
