Hate to Love You Strong Brothers #4)

by Ajme Williams

  “I get them from our distributors and other outside contracts as well. So do your brothers when they’re negotiating terms.”

  Noah’s brows furrowed into thought. Then he looked at Phil. “How about here? Same thing?”

  Phil nodded. “Less so than the main office, but sure.”

  “That can help actually. I can scan through the computers looking for docs that were sent and hopefully the offending virus is still attached. Whoever did this probably covered their tracks but maybe if we look at who sent docs around that time, we can narrow the possibilities.”

  “Sure. I can’t imagine anyone we work with would do that though,” Phil said looking dubious.

  “Can you name some?”

  Phil began listing off a few names. “And you know Marcus Chen—”

  “Chen.” Noah’s eyes narrowed and he quickly glanced at me. “Are the other contracts concerned about the hack?”

  “Most don’t know. At least they haven’t said they know,” Phil said.

  Noah looked at Phil. “Are you sure? Chen said he’d heard about trouble from some.”

  Phil shrugged. “If he did, they didn’t tell me. We have had some talks with our partners about the issues resulting in the supply chain mix-ups, but no discussion of a hack.”

  “So, Chen knows about the hack but isn’t concerned,” Noah said. “Interesting.”

  “How so?” Phil asked.

  “He’s the only one who knows, and he doesn’t care. Why would that be if his success is tied to ours, unless he’s the source of the problem.”

  I shifted in my chair, feeling guilty for having accepted some of Marcus’ advances. I’d been truthful in my endeavor to get information, but also, I’d liked that Marcus found me interesting.

  I felt the need to make things right if even in my own head. “I can see him again and get more information—”

  “No.” This time Noah’s authoritative tone didn’t sit well with me.

  “You don’t think I can do it?” I challenged him.

  Noah’s jaw tightened. “It’s not necessary.”

  “You just said he was your top suspect.”

  “He is. But you’re not the one who needs to do this.” Noah’s voice was tenser.

  “I’m the best one to do this. He trusts me.”

  “He wants to fu—” Noah stopped himself.

  I looked at Phil whose gaze was moving between the two of us like he realized there was something more going on but not sure what.

  “Can you give us a moment?” Noah asked Phil.

  “Sure.” He looked relieved to be able to leave the room, shutting the door behind him.

  Noah stood and came over to where I sat. “I don’t want you to see Chen.”

  “Why?”

  He rolled his eyes. “I think this morning should tell you why.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. “You think I’m going to go from you to him?”

  “You did it before.”

  I shot up from my chair angry that he’d think I’d sleep with him one minute and be with Chen the next. Yes, that had sort of happened, but only because Noah had called me a mistake.

  Noah’s hand reached out to take mine before I could walk away. “I’m sorry. I think I’ve also made it clear that I’m jealous.”

  His confession made me realize that he thought I liked Marcus. “I have no interest in Marcus. More importantly, I’m not a woman that sleeps with more than one person at a time. That’s you, Noah.”

  He looked down. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” He tugged my hand pulling me until he could wrap an arm around me and set me on his lap. “I told you I’ve been going mad about you.”

  I pursed my lips at him not wanting to let him sweet talk me.

  “And for the record, I don’t sleep with more than one person at a time.”

  “I’m not talking about ménage à trois,” I quipped.

  “I’m not either,” he said. “I’ve got a lot of faults, Andi, but I don’t betray people.”

  “What about your family? You’re working on secret stuff at Strong offices but won’t work for them.”

  He stiffened under me and I had the sense that he wanted me to get up. But I was intrigued by his reaction, so I stayed put. It was odd to fight with him while sitting on his lap, but then Noah and I were often odd.

  “I’m working here now, aren’t I. Just because I don’t want to be handed a job doesn’t mean I don’t care about my family’s business. But maybe I want to make something of my own.” He cursed and looked away like he regretted saying too much.

  “Is that what you’re doing? Working on your own thing?”

  He paused for a moment. “That’s not what’s important. What’s important is finding who’s fucking with the company.”

  I nodded and unable to help myself, I shifted on his lap.

  He groaned. “Now you’re fucking with me.”

  “I could be,” I said, changing positions so that I was straddling his chair.

  It took him a moment, but his expression finally matched what his dick was saying as it was hard against my belly. “Here?”

  “I thought you were an easy rider, Noah.” I undid the button of his pants. “Daring. Adventurous.”

  “If Phil walks in, I’m not stopping,” he said as his hands slid under my skirt, and his finger slid between my folds.

  I rocked against his finger. “Good. I’m not either.” I freed his dick and then rising up over it, sank down until it filled me again.

  21

  Noah

  I was keenly aware that I was fucking up again with Andi, and yet, now she was straddling my dick, riding it in the middle of the conference room in the Hong Kong office. It was a thrill ride like I’d never had before. Andi was like that. Wild. Unpredictable. And apparently forgiving considering what I’d said to her about Chen.

  I unbuttoned the delicate buttons of her silky shirt so I could see her tits. This morning, I’d made a point to discover every inch of her, but I hadn’t spent enough time with her tits. I pulled her bra cups down and her hard nipples made my mouth water.

  I leaned forward, sucking one in my mouth as I tweaked the other with my fingers.

  “Oh God,” she gasped as her fingers gripped my shoulders. Her hips rocked in short quick bursts, telling me she was close.

  I held her tits in both hands, pushing them together and alternating as I licked and sucked one then the other, my gaze lifted to watch her face. She was biting her lip, likely to keep from making too much noise.

  “Noah…Oh God…I’m coming…”

  Her pussy gripped tight as her body went taut for a moment, and then she rocked again. I love watching her as she sought her pleasure.

  When she finished, I stood, lifting her with me and set her on the table, hooking her legs over my shoulders. Then I gripped her hips and let go. I thrust and plunged, I ground against her, and repeated. Soon she was coming again and taking me to heaven with her.

  When we finished, her legs fell from my shoulders. I leaned over her, my hands on either side of her body.

  We grinned at each other. “We’re crazy, you know that?” I said.

  She nodded. “I thought you liked crazy.”

  I leaned down closer to her. “I like you.” I kissed her, but not before I noticed a flash of surprise in her eyes. I wondered how long it would take before she believed me when I said I was interested in her.

  We quickly put our clothes back together.

  “So, you’re okay with me seeing Marcus to find out if he’s behind all this.”

  I frowned. “I don’t recall saying that.”

  She stepped up to me and cupped my dick. “Just remember, you don’t have anything to worry about.” Then with that flirty, don’t-challenge-me smile, she walked out of the conference room.

  Andi wasn’t an easy woman to like, but I supposed I wasn’t an easy man either. Perhaps that’s why we seemed to work in a strange way.

  I made sure I wasn’t
disheveled and headed out of the room finding Andi and Phil in the lounge.

  “I ordered for us,” Phil said, offering me a container of food.

  I wasn’t that hungry, but Andi was there and as it turned out, I was finding it harder and harder to stay away from her.

  She and Phil were chatting away, and I realized how relaxed and free she seemed. She had an easy demeanor with him. I wasn’t jealous of Phil, but neither did I feel good about how easily the two of them connected. When I was with her, she was guarded and ready for the next comeback. I couldn’t blame her for that. Our relationship was built on the way we’d banter and snipe at each other. But what I wouldn’t do to be able to have an easy conversation about nothing. To be able to laugh and joke easily the way she was with Phil. To have that brilliantly bright smile aimed at me.

  When Andi finished her lunch, she tossed her trash and said she had some emails to catch up on. I hoped to hell it didn’t include one to Chen about a date.

  When she left the room, I asked Phil, “What’s your opinion of Chen?”

  “He’s never done anything to make me question his intentions,” Phil said tentatively.

  “But?” I prodded.

  Phil shrugged, putting his napkin in his food container and closing it up. “He’s ambitious. There’s a slickness to him. I suppose it’s possible he’d hack us, but I can’t find a reason why? What would his motive be? He’s rich, but he didn’t get that way by sabotaging his partners.”

  He had a point. “Would he have any reason to seek revenge?”

  Phil frowned. “Revenge? For what?”

  “I don’t know. Andi saw him and they talked about motive and revenge was one of the reasons he gave. That and greed.”

  “Greed makes sense. Revenge not so much. Strong Incorporated does business on the up and up. We negotiated a fair contract. More than fair, if you ask me.”

  I nodded in agreement.

  “I’ve pulled up email records that included attachments for you to review. I wonder, though, if maybe we need to cast a wider net?”

  I pushed my lunch away and leaned my forearms on the table. “What do you mean?”

  “We get documents from the main office quite a bit. Carter in particular has sent a great deal of financial documents. Andi has sent us documents as well.”

  “You’re thinking the malware was sent to the main office and we sent it to you?” That was plausible but I hoped to fuck that wasn’t what happened. I’d been sure all systems were safe in the main office.

  “I don’t know. Many of the emails for review are from the main office, which is why I’m thinking of it.”

  I shook my head. “I’ve kept those systems clean.” Maybe if I said it, I’d believe it.

  He leaned closer as if he didn’t want anyone to hear me. “Then maybe you need to consider someone is on the inside helping our Hong Kong hacker out.”

  Jesus, fuck, not that. My grandmother and brothers prided themselves on hiring only the best. If they had someone in their ranks doing this, it would be a disaster. Then again, I remembered my Gran’s concern that it could be someone close to us.

  I nodded. “I’ll get on that.”

  Phil sat back. “Do you have the feeling the other shoe is about to drop?”

  “What do you mean?” I drank my tea wishing for coffee.

  “Like we’re working against a timer and our time is about to run out?”

  I inhaled a breath. “Actually, I do. We can’t wait for Chen or whoever to show their hand or fuck this up.”

  “That’s how I feel too. What do we do about it?

  “We start with those emails and I’ll contact the IT in San Diego about the possibility of the malware being sent there as the key to getting into the system.”

  I went back to the IT office, contacting the main office, and started on the emails. But I couldn’t stop thinking about what Phil said about the other shoe dropping. Someone was breathing down our necks and could potentially do something to fuck up the business. Scanning email docs felt like too little too late.

  I grabbed my coat and headed out. “I’m going to deal with some of this back at the hotel,” I said to Andi and Phil. “More privacy,” I explained.

  “Do you need me to come with you?” Andi asked. The pervert in me wondered if she was suggesting doing something other than work, and I wanted to take her up on that. But not now. Now I need to find who was causing problems so I could protect my Gran’s company.

  “If you could review these emails, that would be a help,” I said. It wasn’t a lie. No, the lie was something else.

  “Okay. I’ll call if I find anything.”

  I nodded and had the urge to go kiss her goodbye. I was able to resist. “I’ll see you back at the hotel later tonight.” If I was lucky, she’d move back into the suite. Into my room.

  I left the building, calling for a car to take me across town to Chen’s office building. There was no way I was going to let Andi play spy with this guy. I couldn’t be sure he hadn’t been doing the same to her, pumping her for information.

  Besides, if he was fucking with the family business and trying to fuck my woman, I wanted to put him straight myself.

  I arrived at his building and went straight up to his office.

  “Do you have an appointment?” the secretary asked.

  “No. But I’m Noah Strong of Strong Incorporated.”

  Her eyes flashed with recognition of my family’s business, but she didn’t necessarily act like I was important. “Let me see if he can see you. He’s very busy.”

  I glared at her. He was likely busy ruining my Gran’ business. “I’m busy too and will be happy to take the family business elsewhere.”

  She seemed unfazed by my comment. She called Chen's office, speaking in Chinese so I had no clue what they were saying. Her glance at me suggested they were saying something negative about me.

  She hung up the phone. “He’ll be with you shortly.”

  People in Hong Kong must have a different definition of “shortly” as it was an hour before Chen opened his door and with his fake smarmy smile welcomed me into his office.

  “Noah, welcome to my office. Can I get you some tea? Or coffee?”

  “No thank you,” I said. His office was large with a vast view of Hong Kong.

  “I don’t see Andi. Such a shame. I do enjoy her company.”

  Fucker. “This meeting is just between me and you, Chen.”

  There was a flash of irritation in his eyes. “It sounds like you have something on your mind. I hope I can help.” He motioned for me to sit in a stark chair in front of his desk. Not wanting to appear too confrontive at that outset, I sat as he went behind his desk to his chair.

  I wondered how one went about accusing a partner of hacking? I figured either I was right, and Chen would fess up to it or at least stop now that he knew we were on to him. Or I’d be wrong, and Chen would be furious. That could cause all sorts of problems starting with having to set up a new distribution partnership. Even then, I could end up alienating everyone in the network and no one would want to work with Strong Incorporated. If that happened, I’m sure Gran would be pleased to have me not join the business. I’d hate that she and my family would think I was a fuck up, but I was what I was.

  “I guess I can call her later. I had such a lovely time with her. She’s so smart and clever.”

  I gritted my teeth. “She won’t be seeing you again.” Andi would rip my dick off if she knew I was doing this. She would see my actions as being brutish. I could picture her telling me what she did or didn’t do was her own decision and I had no right to intervene. I had every right, I thought. She was mine, another sentiment she wouldn’t like.

  Chen arched a brow. “Am I encroaching on your territory? I'll admit, I had a feeling that you might have a problem with my relationship with Andi.”

  “You don’t have a relationship beyond a professional one,” I said, trying not to reach over his desk and throttle him. “And
that one ends today.”

  “Oh? Why? Did you fire her?”

  I jerked back. “No. Why would I fire her?”

  He shrugged as he sat back in his chair, resting his elbows on the arms and steepling his fingers. “Because she was seeing me. Clearly you don’t like it.”

  I shook my head to regain control of this meeting. “I’m here because I know you’re the one fucking with our supply chain.”

  I waited for him to deny it, but instead he studied me for a moment and then clapped his hands. “Bravo. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think an unfocused party boy would figure it out. Turns out Margaret was right. You are good at computers.”

  This was a joke to him. “So, you’re admitting it?”

  “No. Of course not. I’m not stupid either.” The sinister smile on his face told me he did do it. “I am concerned that you’re about to accuse me of something for which you have no proof. You can’t break our contract without ruining your business here, and I have enough influence to make sure that you can’t find new sources. Before you say any more, perhaps you need to call your grandmother. Get permission as I doubt she’s handed over that much responsibility to you.”

  My teeth ground at his words. This was the reason I didn’t want to work with the family in the first place. How could I be respected if everyone believed I didn’t earn my position?

  “I don’t need my grandmothers permission to withdraw from a contract from a partner that is fucking us over. I have the proof and am sending it to the lawyers.”

  To Chen’s credit, he seemed completely unfazed. It was almost as if he was expecting this. Maybe even wishing for it. “You’re welcome to tie up the court’s time and slow down your family’s expansion, or we can make a deal.”

  “Deal?” What the fuck was he talking about?

  “We could be partners.”

  “You’re already partners with Strong Incorporated.”

  He shook his head and had an expression that suggested I was dense. “Not the company. You and me. Let me buy your interest in Strong Incorporated, and we can use my network to expand through the world.”