by Nia Simone
“No one can hear us.”
The waiter arrived. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Jared’s gaze cut to the waiter. “Something cold. Coke.”
“Diet Coke, please,” she added.
“So much for not being overheard.”
“He did seem to come out of nowhere. Sorry.”
Jared nodded and studied the waiter’s retreating back until the man was out of view, then looked back to her. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Ally. I owe you an explanation.”
“You don’t owe me anything about the past. I don’t care. But now there’s obviously a huge security threat at NST and I need to know what’s going on.” She could have just asked Chapman. She hadn’t fooled herself into believing she really needed to meet Jared in person. But had she fooled Jared? His lips were curved in his mystery smile. No, she hadn’t fooled Jared either.
“Chapman suspects someone in the company is stealing their IP.”
Her stomach dropped. Companies in Silicon Valley lived or died by intellectual property. This was a lot more important than not seeming weak to Jared. “If he’s concerned, why wouldn’t he come to me?” Had the suspect been one of the employees she’d cleared? “And why the FBI?”
“Stew is a friend of mine and he thinks the information’s going to a foreign country.”
A friend? So that’s what brought him to her office. What were the chances? “Why didn’t he involve me?” Her voice pitched higher. “Am I a suspect?”
“No, of course not. We’re narrowing the possibilities. We know it’s not you, but we wanted to keep it quiet. And quite frankly I didn’t know the hired background-checker was you.”
She forced a tight smile. “Where are you from?” Might as well get back to the personal side of things since her professional life was not looking too good.
“New Jersey.”
“So, that’s the same.”
“Yes. I was undercover in New York as well.”
An image of his naked back under her covers flashed. This had been a bad idea. Being this close to him recalled far too many sensual memories. “I figured you were working undercover. Okay, I know all I need for now. The rest I’ll get from Chapman.” She stood.
“I’ve regretted leaving you every day.” There was an ache in his voice. His Adam’s apple worked and he glanced away. When his gaze returned to meet hers, his dark eyes were wide and honest. “Stay.”
Her heart leapt, but she clamped down on the false hope. “Good line. Does it ever work?”
“Give me another chance, Ally.” She pulled her hand away, but he caught it. “Even though I don’t deserve it.”
“Jared, if that’s even your name—”
“It is.”
“There’s no way I’m going out with you again. You must think I’m a fool if you think it’s even worth asking me.” She withdrew her hand.
“I have a lot of explaining to do,” Jared said. His eyes were still on her hand. Something about his hand, lying abandoned on the table, made her heart squeeze.
“Wouldn’t you like to hear the whole story?”
He’d hit another weak point. One didn’t get to be a PI without a lot of curiosity.
“Okay.”
“Sit.”
She sank back onto the bench and ran her palms over her skirt. Underneath her skirt, she wore a garter belt.
“Thank you,” Jared said. “What are you smiling about?”
“Nothing.”
The waiter checked on them and Jared ordered appetizers. “Sound okay with you?”
She nodded.
“I was working undercover when we met,” Jared said, looking her straight in the eye. “A new assignment came up and I had to leave. Since you and I hadn’t made much progress, I figured I’d let it go. I’m sorry. Not just for you but for me. And that’s not a line.”
His words knifed her heart. “Hadn’t made much progress? Oh, never mind. Of course you’re right. Where did you go next?”
He frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I don’t have a way with words. Anyway, I went to Atlanta next.”
Her Coke was gone. She chewed some ice. Ice trailing over her naked breasts. Her face heated and the ice lodged in her wind pipe.
“You okay?”
She coughed again, nodded and waved. When she could breathe, she said, “And now you’re here. You thought my office was bugged?”
“A precaution.”
“I understand taking precautions. My whole business is built around them. That’s why I marked you a security risk.”
He chuckled. Good. She’d avoided the whole pathetic you-dumped-me thing.
“So, now it’s my turn,” Jared said. “You’ve moved your business to California. Why?”
Because of you. “Better weather.”
“And?” He crossed his arms.
She hadn’t fooled him. “Needed a change.”
“Ally, I’m sorry if I had anything to do with your decision.”
“You give yourself too much credit.”
A grudging smile and nod. “Touché. Is there any way we can start over?”
A rush of warmth filled her heart. No, she couldn’t be falling for his charms again, she just couldn’t. “What for? So you can dump me again when your next assignment moves you on?” So much for not sounding pathetic!
His brow crinkled. “I don’t know. I just want to see you.”
Her heart plummeted. He didn’t know. But what had she wanted? A proclamation of love? Yes. She sucked on some more ice. Where was the waiter when she needed him?
“You found me by chance,” she said. “And you just want another short-term fling. Well, thanks, but no thanks.”
Jared’s attention over her shoulder told her the waiter was coming back. In profile, when his eyes weren’t all soft and lovey-dovey for her benefit, he was a focused FBI agent. Hard jaw, alert gaze, body poised for fight or flight. It was so obvious he was in law enforcement. How had she missed the signs before?
Love goggles, that’s how. Was she destined to repeat her mother’s experience? Her pretty mom, the other half of a “good-looking couple,” cried every night after working all day to support them. Sure, Dad had paid alimony and child support, but a cloud of sadness hung over their household and it never cleared. Risking involvement with the exact same type of man as her dad wasn’t smart.
The waiter delivered the appetizers and their smell roiled her already upset stomach. Jared loaded her plate and slid it her way.
“No, thanks,” she said, shoving it back. “This was a mistake.”
Did he know what he was doing with those puppy-dog eyes?
“Ally, let me explain. I’d decided not to try and have a personal life during this phase of my career.”
“Sleeping with me wasn’t personal?”
“Yes, of course it was. I thought we could casually date. It turned into more. I thought you deserved a lot more than what I had to offer. I didn’t mean to have happen what… what happened.”
“That’s just great. So I was a mistake?”
He hesitated, then spoke in measured words. “You weren’t a mistake. I just didn’t want to hurt you.”
“You need to work on how you go about not hurting people.”
He frowned and nodded once, keeping his gaze on her. “I don’t want to do that again. I don’t want to be good at leaving.”
He’d said the right words. Her heart thudded against her ribs. Don’t fall for it. “What do you want from me? Forgiveness?”
“Nothing. I just want to explain. I was working undercover, waking up every day and having to remember what my name was. I thought it would be easier for you to forget me if you didn’t hear from me again.”
“Why do guys always think that? Would a phone call have killed you?”
“I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant it to go as far as it had.”
His gaze dropped to her mouth and her cheeks burned with the memory of his whiskers against her skin.
“And yet it did,” she said.
“Like I said, we had an amazing time, but I couldn’t get involved. I didn’t mean to. But our involvement got away from me. I wasn’t sure what to say. I thought you’d get over it faster if I just left. You’d write me off as a jerk.”
“Involvement? Not a relationship? Well, you succeeded with the jerk part.” Pressure built behind her eyes.
“Ally, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize—”
“What? You’re right. We didn’t have anything worth thinking twice about.” Her throat tightened and eyes stung. She had to get a grip, hold on to some vestige of pride.
Jared’s eyes softened and the compassion in their dark depths contrasted with his hard features. Was it real? He reached across the table and took her hand, the roughness of his skin against hers sending electricity through her body.
“I’m sorry, Ally. I made a mistake. I knew it, but had given you up for lost until I saw you today. I feel lucky to have a second chance. If you’ll let me.”
“What? I thought you didn’t want anything from me, just wanted to explain yourself.”
“I do want something from you. A second chance.”
Spots danced before her eyes. She should say no, but he wanted to try again. The knot in her belly relaxed. “What’s different now? You’re still undercover.”
“I’m not making promises—”
“Too bad, because I need a good laugh.”
His grip tightened as he leaned forward, eyes pleading. Her inhale brought the warm undertone of his male scent. His head might as well be snuggled into the nook below her chin, his tongue might as well be tasting the groove in her neck. The spots before her eyes melted away. Heat flooded her veins and strengthened her.
“Please,” he said. “I know I made a mistake. Let’s see if I’m right. I know you want to or you wouldn’t be here.”
“I’m here for professional reasons.”
He focused on the groove in her neck. Like he’d read her mind. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to play this out in the office.”
“I’m not suggesting that!”
“And it’s not something we can ignore.”
With her hand gripping his and her hot face and pounding heart clear for him to see, it was hard to argue.
“I need to think about it,” she said.
“Okay.” The simple word melted the tension between them but left her legs weak. When he released her hand, she slid from the booth, only just managing to stand.
Jared stood and offered an arm. His strength steadied her. “I’ll be in the office tomorrow.”
“Does Chapman know about our history?”
“Yes.”
“Great.”
“It’s okay.”
“For you, maybe.” She let him escort her to the door. Her privacy at work had been breached. On the positive side, her professional reputation gave her something to think about besides Jared Green. “I don’t want other people knowing about us. Play it cool at the office.”
“Of course.”
“Goodbye, Jared.”
“Let me walk you to your car.”
“It’s not necessary.”
“Yes, it is.”
“I’ve managed to survive all this time without you.”
He frowned. “You’re not going out there alone. End of story.” He held the door for her and settled his hand in the small of her back as she passed. The heat from it, and the symbolism of possession, comforted. November brought early darkness and a bite of cold. Nearing her car, she pulled her remote from her purse and pressed the lock release. Its chirp cut the crisp air. Still holding her, Jared reached with his other hand and opened the car door.
“You aren’t giving me much space to decide,” she said.
“Just want to keep you safe.”
“Where were you for the last year?”
“With my head up my ass.”
She laughed. His rueful gaze shifted to her mouth. The sounds of distant traffic faded as he pulled her to his chest. His lips teased hers as the hand he’d used to open the car door found the back of her head. His fingers grazed her neck, slipped through her hair.
“I’m going to make it up to you, Ally. You’ll see.”
“I’m not promising anything. You said it was up to me.”
“I did?”
“Yes!”
“Right.”
After he relaxed his grip, she collapsed into the driver’s seat. She started the engine to drown a groan. She was weak and had failed to protect herself once again.
As she drove away, her gaze kept darting to the rearview mirror until she could no longer see Jared’s lean muscular frame.
****
Stewart called him the next day, catching Jared getting ready at his extended-stay hotel room and thinking about Ally. Why the hell had he left the ball in her court? He’d wanted to go on kissing her all night, but it would be a mistake to push too hard. He had backed off. Did he have a chance with her? She was angry. But there was still chemistry. It could go either way. His gut clenched. He couldn’t control this situation.
“How’d it go with Ally?” Jared pressed the speaker button and set the phone next to the sink so he could finish toweling off after his shower.
“Let’s focus on the case.”
“That bad, eh?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” He rubbed the steam off the mirror with a corner of the towel.
“Well,” Stewart said, chuckling, “she cleared you for working here, after reading me the riot act over keeping her out of the loop.”
“Where did this conversation happen? The office?”
“No, she was waiting outside my house this morning. We talked there.”
“I see.” She had a good head on her shoulders. A conversation at the office could jeopardize the op. She’d been discreet.
He pressed the button on his shaving cream and spread the lather on his face. The smell of mint helped wake him up. He’d been up late, going through computer records. “Our guys found a lot of traffic going from an IP address at an employee’s house. Going to China.”
“That’s even worse than I thought.”
“Yeah. This is major. Good you brought it to us. We don’t want the Chinese getting this technology. Not even legitimately.”
“Probably too late,” Chapman said. “Everything I worked for, all the IP, is probably gone already.”
“They might not be able to do anything with it.”
“Good point. This company is more than good code, which is all they got.”
The hope in Stewart’s tone cheered Jared. Nothing satisfied him more than shutting down criminals. Except keeping an old friend’s life dream from getting stolen by one.
“So,” Chapman said, “what do you plan to do with your Ally problem?”
His hand, which was steering the razor through the cream, stopped. “Give her some time.”
“You sure that’s smart?”
“Don’t want to crowd her. This way it’s up to her whether to talk to me again.”
“Hm.”
“What?”
“You’re going to wait.” Stew’s description made the muscles in Jared’s back tense. “You were never good at waiting,” Stew said.
“Shit.”
Stewart laughed “It’s okay. Ally doesn’t want you to wait. Take control.”
“Yeah? How do you know?” Had Chapman lied about going out with her? What about the fact Ally had talked to him at his house this morning? He just might have to kill his best friend.
“Calm down. I know her from work. She’s a type, okay?”
Jared finished shaving the last strip of his chin and turned on the tap to rinse the razor. “What type?”
“Are you shaving?”
“Just finished.”
“Oh. At least you’re not peeing. I don’t need to hear that before coffee.”
Jared chuckled. “What type?”
“She
’s a woman. She wants romance. You know. Pursue her.”
“Spend the night with her?”
“I don’t think women define romance as sex. I don’t know. It’s confusing.”
“Flowers?”
“Yeah!”
“I hope you’re as good at advice with the ladies as you are with running a company,” Jared said.
****
Leaving the next step in Ally’s hands was a bust. A week later he was sitting in his cubicle pretending to be a programmer but still waiting for her call. The roses he’d sent did little more than leave him with a puncture in his thumb from one of the thorns the florist had missed. He’d cut off the thorn with his pocket knife before giving them to her, but maybe he’d missed one and that’s why she didn’t call.
He stood up and looked over his cubicle wall. Her office door was closed. An earlier surveillance pass had revealed the flowers were nowhere in sight. He couldn’t see the whole desk through the window, though.
He sat and clicked his keyboard. He couldn’t work on the case in the office. The FBI had people doing analysis off site. He kept a Java-code file open in case anyone walked by and saw his screen. For good measure, he pressed the Return key a couple times.
Following Ally out of the office in the evenings and watching her to her door without getting caught had added an extra work load he didn’t need. It would be a lot easier to protect her when they came and went to work together. Keeping an eye on her had its advantages though. It had given him a chance to observe her without the distraction of getting her into bed and without the distortion field of wild monkey sex.
He’d read up on her reports. Found them thorough, showing savvy and resourcefulness. She’d screened out plenty of bad pennies. Of course, the one they were tracking had slipped past her, but since the FBI hadn’t even found the perpetrator yet, he couldn’t fault her for that one.
He’d been right about not deserving her. He’d never had a role model for being a good husband, but he’d always known someday he’d have to figure it out. Ally’s wholesome looks and brains were everything he’d remembered and more. Combine those qualities with her passion and sensuality and he wanted to deserve her. The time had come to figure it out.
Stew had made a show of asking him for a report to give their interactions some cover and it was time to take advantage of the ruse. He headed to Stewart’s office, passing by Ally’s on the way. But she wasn’t there.