One by one, I dump the screws in my leather toolkit until I can pry the second layer of dark gray plastic off the machine’s inner guts. “Jackpot.”
“Uh, still blind here, darlin’. What is it?”
I press the USB stick into his palm. “Hopefully, some answers.”
The movie’s long over. Dax fell asleep an hour ago, stretched out on the couch, snoring almost imperceptibly. His warmth at my back keeps me going, though the lines on the screen are starting to blur. I tuck Dax’s Bluetooth in my ear, pair it with my phone, and call Wren.
“Evianna? What’s up? It’s really late there.”
“Yeah, almost two,” I say quietly as I pad into the unused, second bedroom and shut the door. “Kyle didn’t delete all the copies of Alfie’s code. He kept one. I found it on a thumb drive in the answering machine. It’s eight months old, and the function names and line numbers he wrote down don’t tell me anything. A few of them don’t even exist.”
“What about in the current code?” Wren asks with a yawn. I forget, she keeps Boston time, so it’s late for her too.
“I won’t know that until I get to the office tomorrow. I don’t suppose you made any progress on that little trojan you were working on?” Now I’m yawning, and I press my hand to the thin wood door, silently promising myself—and Dax—that I’ll try to to turn my brain off and sleep soon.
“Almost done. I’ll have it for you in an hour. Maybe less. But you’re going to have to install it on the server manually. Can you do that? Without anyone noticing?”
With a sigh, I start to pace the room. “During the day? No. We have a network admin who practically lives in that room right now. But…we’re having a party tomorrow night to celebrate code complete. I can do it then. As long as I’m quick, no one will miss me for five minutes.”
“You’re not going alone.” Dax’s sleep-roughened voice rumbles from behind me. “I don’t trust your boss, and we don’t know who else at your company is involved in this. Hell, I don’t even want you going to work in the morning, but I know you have to.”
In my ear, Wren chuckles. “Ry and Dax…they’re a lot alike. Put him in his place, will you? But…also…be careful. And, Evianna?”
“What?” I say, glaring at Dax. I don’t care that he can’t see me. Maybe I’ll throw in an eye roll for good measure.
“He’s right. Let him protect you. Just…tell him to lose a little bit of the attitude while he does it.”
Jerking the Bluetooth out of my ear as Wren hangs up, I stalk over to him. “We’re…together, Dax. But that doesn’t mean you can order me around.”
“I’m not—fuck. Fine. I’m not above ordering you around if it keeps you alive. I almost lost you the other night, and then, I didn’t feel…anywhere near what I feel for you right now. And it still almost destroyed me.”
My resolve softens, and the emotion in his eyes—the same emotion written all over his face—washes over me. Neither of us have said the words. But I know right now, he feels them. As I let him wrap his arms around me, my heart swells a dozen sizes, making it hard to breathe, hard to even think.
I feel them too.
28
Dax
Evianna takes my hand and leads me across the suite to the master bedroom. “We had some unfinished business earlier,” she says as she reaches for the belt of my robe.
“You needed to eat.”
“I could have had an appetizer to hold me over.” The robe lands on the bed, and then she’s on her knees, delicate fingers wrapping around my dick and sending pure, raw need shooting through me.
“Darlin’, I don’t want…” And then the warmth of her mouth surrounds me, and I groan. “Fuck.”
Her tongue runs along the bottom of my shaft, and I tangle my fingers in her hair. I’ve never been one for having a woman on her knees—not that I have a lot of experience one way or another. When she hums, my entire body electrifies, and my hips jerk against her.
Pulling back, my dick sliding from her lips with a little pop, I kneel next to her. “Not like this, darlin’. I want…I know I can’t see you, but this…you’re not a woman who should ever be on her knees.”
She tastes of me when I kiss her, and shit, that makes me even harder. Yanking on the tie of her robe, I bare her breasts. They’re heavy in my hands, and her nipples pebble when I roll them between my fingers. “Dax,” she breathes as she tips her head back. “I need you inside me.”
“Don’t worry, darlin’. You’ll get what you want…” Scooping her into my arms, I ease her onto the bed. “What do you like, Evianna? Tell me how you want to be touched.”
Slowly, I run my hands up her thighs, and she shudders. I want to live in her scent, in this single moment when nothing matters but the two of us. One finger slides through her slick folds, and when I bring it to my lips, tasting her, I hear the hitch in her breath.
“Like that, do you?” In one fluid motion, I’m on top of her, kissing her, mingling our tastes, and her moans are the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
My dick aches trapped between us, and I’m so ready for her. I fumble for the drawer on the nightstand, desperately searching for the rest of the condoms I stowed there this morning, but Evianna beats me to them, snagging one of the foil packets, and ripping it open.
This time, I don’t let her take charge. Stealing the condom from her, I take over, and when I nudge her entrance, she spreads her legs further, inviting me home.
“Go slow,” she whispers. “You’re…impressive, and…I want this to last.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Her tight channel grips me, and fuck. I want to see her eyes. Just once. Their color. To see her lids flutter. But then she rakes her nails lightly down my back, and there’s only her. Only my desperate need to lose myself in her.
“More.” Evianna grabs my ass, digging her fingers into the tight muscles, and I slide deeper.
“How much more?”
“All of you. Then…kiss me.” Her husky tone drives me higher, and it’s all I can do not to bury myself fully, slamming my hips into her like a man possessed.
But unlike last night, this is the time for slow and tender. After two gentle strokes, I pull out, slide down her body, and flick my tongue over her clit.
Evianna whimpers and clutches my arms. “Come back. Please.”
“In a minute. You deserve to be worshipped, darlin’. And I plan on doing just that.”
Her body does things to me I can’t explain, don’t ever remember feeling before. Another taste, another desperate cry, and I bury myself inside her, balls-deep. But again, I only give her enough to feel the gooseflesh under my hands as I wrap my arms around her.
Scoring my teeth over her nipple, I savor the way she arches her back, offering me her breasts like a banquet to feast on.
I want to taste her again, but she wraps her legs around my hips, and it’s like I’ve come home after a lifetime of exile.
“You’re mine, Dax Holloway,” Evianna whispers against my neck. “And I want you to make me come.”
I’ll give her anything, and so I slant my lips over hers, thrusting harder as I tangle my fingers in her hair. Angling her head, I trail kisses along her jaw, to her neck, and when her muscles start to quiver, I bite down, just enough to send her flying over the edge.
Her hoarse cries, the way she writhes under me…it’s all too much, and I shout her name as I lose myself to this woman I think…I just might love.
Evianna
Dax’s alarm blares a little after seven, and I roll over with a groan. He’s not in bed, and from the other room, I think I hear…grunts and heavy breathing? When I peek out the door, my jaw drops open.
Shirtless, wearing only his briefs, his feet hooked under the couch, he works through a set of crunches, then rolls over for pushups.
“Like…what…you see?”
“Y-yes. Very much. How long have you been up?” I lean against the wall watching his muscles cord and flex with each precise movement.
&nb
sp; “Not…long.” After another ten pushups, he gets to his feet and stifles a wince. I rush to his side, but he holds up his hand. “I’m fine, darlin’. Just a headache. Happens sometimes. Grab my glasses for me? Left ‘em by the bed.”
By the time I press the glasses into his hand, he’s cracked the seal on a bottle of water from little mini-fridge and donned his robe. “Darn,” I tease. “I kind of liked the briefs-only look.”
Dax slides his arm around me, giving a little tug on the robe’s belt. “If we had time, I’d take you back to bed. But…” His face sobers, and he squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, “Evianna, I know I’m an ass. It’s part of my training. We have it drilled into us, every single fucking day, that if we aren’t on top of our game, people die.”
Frowning, I wrap my fingers around the robe’s lapel. “But you work as a team, right? And you have to trust them.”
“Implicitly.”
“I’m part of your team, Dax. I don’t have your training. I’ve never shot a gun. Never killed anyone. Never had my life threatened—until this past week. The most dangerous thing I’ve ever done is slap an old boss when he tried to feel me up late at night during a major network upgrade. I was twenty-three and scared out of my mind. Or so I thought. That was nothing compared to the other night.” With a hard swallow, I continue. “But I know my job. Alfie’s code. What she can…and can’t do. I know my office. My team…well…most of them. You can’t just keep me hidden and hope this goes away. You need me.”
Dax brushes a thick lock of hair away from my face. “I know I need you. But I also need you to be safe. And if I can’t touch you or hear you, I can’t protect you. Do you understand how hard that is for me?”
“I…I think so. Just…talk to me, okay? We’ll both go to the server room, but you have to do exactly what I say. I know where the security cameras are, and I can get us in and out quickly. It’d be easier if I were alone, but we’ll handle it. Together.”
His gentle kiss reassures me. We can make this work. Tonight’s little adventure…and us.
Two blocks from my office, Dax’s phone announces, “Call from: Ford.”
Dax scrambles to tap his Bluetooth, and when the call connects, his voice is strained. “Ford, where are you?”
I touch his arm, offering whatever silent support I can. “Trevor have any ideas?” he asks.
“We’re here, Evianna. I can walk you to the elevator,” Clive says.
I don’t want to leave Dax. Not when he looks like his world is about to end. Leaning in, I whisper, “Call me when you can,” and he nods, then grabs my hand as I’m about to get out of the car.
“Evianna? Be careful. I…I need you safe.”
As I shut the door, Dax slams his fist against the seat in front of him. “Goddammit, Ford. What the fuck were you thinking?”
Clive cringes as we head for the building. “That’s…not good. Boss needs to hire a few more guns. Sounds like Ford could use ‘em.”
“Guns?” My voice isn’t completely steady, but I glance over at the sandy-haired man with the easy smile next to me.
“Dax is Special Forces. Trevor is former CIA. I did a stint for the FBI, but I’m also a former Army Ranger. Ford…he’s a marine. Ella was army, then a cop until she was shot in the line of duty. We’re all officers. Our job is intelligence. A few years ago, Dax brought in a couple of hired guns—former enlisted guys who couldn’t plan worth shit, but who could fight like nobody’s business. But…they didn’t work out. We didn’t have enough work for them. But now…I think we might.”
Clive punches the button for the elevator and waits until I’m inside the car before slapping his hand on the door to hold it open. “Remember what he said. No leaving today. I’ll take him to our office, then I’ve got to check on my mom. I’ll be back here by noon. You need anything, you call him.”
“I promise. I’ll be careful, Clive. And…thanks.”
Unlike the unbridled chaos of yesterday, this morning, there’s an air of celebration infusing every conversation, every movement. As I drop my briefcase behind my desk, Noah knocks on my door. “We’ve been waiting for you.”
My cheeks heat, and I fight not to stare down at my shoes. “I wanted to be in by seven, but—”
“Relax, Evianna. That wasn’t a criticism. Come out to the bullpen.” He extends his arm, like he’s planning on escorting me personally, and my shoulders stiffen.
“I’ll be right there. Just need to send one email.” I don’t, but at least it’s an excuse Noah will believe. “Two minutes. Max.”
“Any longer and I’m coming back for you,” he teases.
Prick. After I lock my tablet in my file cabinet—I transferred bits and pieces of the old code from the USB drive onto the device early this morning—I smooth my hands down my skirt and steel myself for whatever public display of sexism Noah has planned.
With a quick glance at my phone and a flash of disappointment that Dax hasn’t messaged me yet, I head out to the bullpen.
“There she is!” Noah says. Barry stands at his side, with Priya behind them both. “Evianna, you’ve been the heart and soul of this project since I hired you three years ago. You’ve given up nights and weekends, motivated the team, and helped us negotiate with some of our most influential partners. So, when Barry came to me half an hour ago with a bit of news, I told him we had to wait until you were in.”
Great. Another subtle little dig? He couldn’t just leave that part out?
“Barry?” Noah says with a flourish of his hand.
Our lead developer steps forward and hands me his tablet. “Take a look, boss.”
Bugs: 0
Service Status: Up
Performance: Green
My heart crashes against my ribcage. I knew we were close. Hell, I knew we’d see this before the day was up. But it’s only 9:15 a.m. Glancing around at the team, I see the exhaustion on their faces. The dark circles. The bloodshot eyes. But I see something else, too.
Pride. Relief. A sense of accomplishment no one can ever take away from them.
Scrolling through our bug list, I note the times each fix was checked in: 3:00 a.m., 4:23 a.m., 6:55 a.m. Priya fixed the last bug only half an hour ago. Five bugs wait for my sign-off, and I quickly scan each one before entering my personal digital signature code.
Months ago, when we announced our launch date, Kyle found an old stoplight and repurposed it as our status board. It’s been yellow for the past seven weeks. But as I sign off on the last code change, it flips to green, and the room explodes in cheers.
My smile is only tempered slightly by my fears. Whatever is going on with Alfie…whoever is trying to kill me…we did this. We built something wonderful. Something with the potential to help so many people.
Holding up my hand to try to quiet the team, I take a deep breath, hoping my voice won’t crack. Above all, right now, I need to show strength. Not emotion. Well, not too much emotion.
“I officially declare Alfie…code complete,” I say, straightening my shoulders and standing up a little taller. “She’s ready to meet her public on Monday. Congratulations, everyone. I have never met a more talented, passionate, and dedicated group of people anywhere, and it’s an honor to work with each and every one of you.”
A tear burns the corner of my eye, and I blink hard to keep it at bay. “Alfie is going to change the world. Now let’s get her packaged up with a pretty little compiler bow and get ready to celebrate tonight!”
Raising Barry’s tablet in the air to a chorus of applause, “woo-hoos,” and “fuck, yeahs,” I pray whatever Wren’s trojan lets me see doesn’t ruin everything.
29
Evianna
Back in my office, I pull up my email.
Hi Mom, I’m sorry I haven’t been by this week. But we signed off on Alfie this morning! It’s been a hard few days. Long hours, and some stuff I’ll tell you about this weekend, in person. Would it be okay if I brought someone with me when I come on Saturday? He’s…well, he’s
special. Love you!
It’s early enough, she’s probably still caught up in her morning news shows, so I tamp down my nerves over the inevitable questions she’ll have about Dax. How do I explain how quickly the relationship has progressed without going into the whole “someone’s out to kill me” bit?
The burner phone buzzes in my briefcase, and one bit of the tension pressing down on my shoulders eases slightly.
Ford’s okay. Just…being reckless. I had to make some calls to the Turkish Embassy to vouch for them. He’ll head into Turkmenistan tomorrow. Everything okay there?
I can’t imagine what Ford’s going through. Not knowing where his old girlfriend is, scared she’s being abused…tortured. My thoughts turn to Dax, and what he went through, and suddenly, I understand why he was so insistent he come with me tonight. Because he knows what it’s like.
I’m about to reply when my mom emails me back.
Congratulations, sweetheart! I am so proud of you. I want to meet your special man. But are you sure you can come tomorrow? The man from your office who brought me flowers today said you might be too busy to see me for a few more days.
The man from my office? Why would anyone from my office send my mother flowers? Most of them…oh my God.
Mom, what did he look like?
I don’t wait for her to answer before I lunge for my file cabinet, grab my tablet and laptop, and throw both into my briefcase. They know where my mother is, and if they can get to her…
Racing out of my office, I almost run right into Barry, but manage to side-step him just in time.
“Evianna? Where are you going? We’re all ordering lobster rolls from the Chop House and Noah went out to grab some Champagne.”
“Minor emergency at the house. Plumbing. I won’t be long, but if I don’t run home, the entire basement is going to be a total loss. Start without me!” I don’t know where I pull that excuse from, but it seems to work, because he doesn’t follow me or protest.
Second Sight: An Away From Keyboard Romantic Suspense Standalone Page 19
