by Gage Grayson
“Okay, boss, no problem,” Mark says over the phone. “She’s the one you mentioned earlier, yeah? I’m downloading her credentials right now. And I have to say…there’s not a lot on her to go on.”
“Of course there’s not, Mark. She’s a fucking hacker. She’s probably wiped her records clean. She just escaped from jail right under my nose. This girl is good―and that’s why I need you to find her no matter what,” I say, pissed that I have to spell it out for him.
“Okay, alright. No problem. We’re on it,” he says, trying to placate me.
I slam the phone down on my dashboard and drive slowly around the darkened streets. A part of me is looking for her. Maybe she’s hiding somewhere, or maybe she’s escaped by now, far on down the road.
All I know is that I want to see her. She’s permanently etched into my subconscious, and I won’t be happy until I have her in a position to submit. I will make her submit. She’s out of control, and I’m just the person who needs to rein her in.
I drive slowly through alleyways shrouded in shadow, and I look at all the streets surrounding the police station. I know I won’t find her, but I need to try.
I have to know where she went. Luckily, my entire investigative team is on it. She’ll be found soon enough.
I turn my Mercedes around and go home to my penthouse. Only then can I brood in silence.
Once I’m settled back home, I think about calling on one of the women I have on speed dial. I have any number of gorgeous beauties ready to come over for a quick fuck―but suddenly I find myself thinking only about Katy.
I want more.
I stalk and pace around my penthouse. I have the entire top floor of my own skyscraper all to myself. Maybe if Katie saw this, she’d have a little more respect for my authority.
To be fair, I did pretend to be some stupid NGO worker. Not that I think she believed that for a second.
I imagine she lives in some rat hole of an apartment. I imagine her place is littered with old Chinese food and clothes on the floor. It would be typical of the hacker lifestyle, wouldn’t it?
Suddenly, I want her to see me in all my glory. I want her to see how much money I have and how powerful I am. I want her to know that I can and will dominate her.
I go to the bar to make myself a stiff drink. I need it after a night like this. No girl has ever gotten me as hot as she did.
And she did it all from within a jail cell.
I take my drink and go out to the terrace where I can look at the night sky and think about what to do. The scotch goes down smooth, just the way I like it.
At last, my investigators call. Impressive. It only took them a couple hours to find her.
Mark says, “We have her location, boss. She’s at a diner downtown.”
He gives me the name, and I rush off immediately―alone, even though they offer to accompany me.
I get back into my Mercedes and speed downtown as fast as possible. I don’t want to lose her. I don’t want her to slip through my fingers once again.
This time, I’m not going to be the one surprised.
I get to the place and park a little ways down the street. I walk the block up to the diner, and I see her through the window. She’s eating alone, just looking around. She’s trying to be invisible to the crowd.
In fact…she is invisible to the crowd. How the hell is no one paying her any attention? The girl is fucking gorgeous, I’ll give her that. Who could not notice her?
So this is her talent on full display, huh? She’s in stealth mode, and she’s fucking good. Again.
Too bad for her. She may be invisible to everyone else, but not to me.
And I’m about to teach her a long overdue lesson.
Chapter 5
Katy
I’m finally in my happy place.
The burger I’m eating cures my hangover more than anything else ever could.
I love it when I find places like this: nondescript, crowded, fast-moving. It’s perfect for going incognito.
A few bread crumbs fall on my shirt, and I wipe them away. Can’t get new clothes dirty this quickly.
I used the cash in Marcus’s wallet to buy this new outfit. I’ll admit they looked at me pretty funny in the store, dressed in my prison clothes. But I got in and out quickly.
Now I’m in my trademark black-on-black outfit. I look like myself again.
I run my fingers through my messy, chopped hair and think about what luck I’ve had to escape prison once again.
I suppose it was a stroke of luck that led that guy Marcus to the prison cell. Thanks to him, I have new clothes and a burger―oh, and I’m a free woman.
The thing that continues to intrigue me about Marcus is that he’s as hard to read as I am. There was nothing in his wallet besides cash. No card, no ID of any sort, not even a business card of the NGO he works for.
As I sit in the back of the diner drinking hot coffee to further heal my tired body, I think about Marcus and how the hell he could’ve located me in prison.
I’m normally very careful with my movements. I’m not easy to find. Except that I do have an activist page―that stupid front―which is seemingly how he got a hold of me.
And yet I wonder how he found me all the way in jail.
Did their NGO keep tabs on people who publicly call themselves activists? It’s possible. And it doesn’t matter me as much as I thought it would. As long as they stay away from now on, that is.
Sighing, I dig into my food quickly. It’s been a rough day. I need fuel for my depleted system.
I like this diner, and I’m gonna be sad to never set foot in it ever again. I don’t normally eat at places more than two times in a row, but the burger in this place is so good that my mouth was practically watering at the thought of it.
I knew I had to eat here at least once more before I start looking for another haunt.
Being constantly on the run and undercover is what keeps me safe, after all. No one ever finds me.
That is, until I see him.
Shit.
Marcus is walking into the diner.
Shit.
I realize I’ve made a mistake by coming here. Good job, Katy. You just had to get the goddamn burger.
A clusterfuck of emotions build inside me.
First, I feel…regretful that we never got to finish what we started in the jail cell. I don’t know much about the man, but fuck, is he gorgeous. Truth is, I’d let him take me in a prison cell any day―as long as I got out afterwards, of course.
Two, I’m a little sheepish, seeing as how I left him…hanging. Like, literally. Hanging. Hung. You know.
And three, I’m pissed at myself. I’ve been careless, and now I’ve been found.
Shit.
And yet…watching Marcus saunter towards my table, I have to admit I’m really, really smitten at how good-looking he is. He’s like a model snatched from the front page of a fashion magazine. I almost forget he’s practically stalking me.
Almost.
He slides comfortably into the seat in front of me.
A flashback of the scene in jail where I was teasing him starts to flood my mind.
Ah, shit, I can already feel the familiar wetness in between my legs at seeing Marcus up close. I cross my legs quickly.
“Hi there. Long time no see.” I smile sweetly at him.
He smirks. “You’re a hard woman to find.”
“Usually happens if a person doesn’t want to be found. Took you all of two hours, though.”
Marcus grins. Of course, even his teeth are perfect. Typical.
“So what are you doing here?” I say, sipping my coffee, as if I could care less that this golden god is sitting before me.
“Once again, I’m here to reiterate the fact that we want you to join us in our organization―”
“Heh. Listen―”
“―we can help you. Don’t refuse so quickly, Katy. You don’t have many options in the world, I think. You need the support.”
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I don’t know what this guy thinks he’s talking about, but I definitely don’t need support. I’m a lone wolf―and I like it that way.
“Okay, listen: you really shouldn’t have made it all the way down here just to tell me that. Because, really. I don’t need your organization. And I certainly don’t want anything to do with it.” I look him square in the eye. “It is never gonna happen.”
I gather my things and get up to leave. He doesn’t stop me.
I walk out of the diner and don’t look back, although instinct tells me to see if he’s watching me go.
I mentally say goodbye to him and to my favorite little diner. It’s time for me to continue my life and move on.
I operate alone. Always have. Always will.
No one will change that―not even someone that hot.
Chapter 6
Marcus
I don't follow Katy out of the diner.
I don't even watch her go.
I know she wants me to, so I resist.
I like to hunt but not like this. I won’t be fucking forced to pursue a woman. Fuck no.
But I know I'll find her again. It’s inevitable.
Christ. I don't remember when the last time was that a woman turned me down for anything, no matter what was on offer.
It makes me incensed to know that she can turn away from me so easily. She doesn't know that I plan to keep my eye on her forever. She doesn't know that I'm working undercover. For all she knows, this could've been our last goodbye.
I just can't believe she walked out on me like that. It's never been done before. Like, ever. Once again, the challenging aspect of her personality shows itself, and goddammit, if it doesn’t fucking turn me on. My cock is getting hard just thinking about it.
I pick up my phone and call the investigator. "Follow her. No matter where she goes and no matter what she does, I need you to report to me on wherever Katy is. Understand?"
I hang up the phone before he even replies, but I know the job will get done. This will be a long night. Mostly because I've met a woman who finally fascinates me. The fact that I can't have her is driving me fucking crazy.
I give her some time and space to make her getaway before I make my way to my Mercedes parked on the street. She might be watching, but it's okay if she sees my car. I will, however, have to hide the rest of my life from her. There's no way Katy can ever find out how much money I really have, that I'm a goddamn billionaire.
Otherwise, my undercover plan will fall apart. She'll know I'm the head of a corporation she’s out to get and that I'm really out to expose her, too.
I slide into the car and peel out. In no time, I’m back to the penthouse.
Once inside, I crash onto my massive king-sized bed and fall immediately to sleep. And fuck, if I don’t dream entirely about Katy. She's mesmerizing, this one. Apparently, I can’t get her out of my head for a minute.
I’m almost pissed when I wake up and wish that she was in bed with me. I wish I could claim her this morning and I wish I had done it all last night. I want her so badly that all other women I’ve had pale in comparison to her. She really is that gorgeous and her brilliant mind intrigues me.
Sunlight streams in through my heavy gray curtains when I rise from my bed at the crack of dawn. It's time to resume my everyday job.
I drive to my office in the Mercedes, and even though I know it's fucking ridiculous, I find myself searching the streets for a sighting of Katy. Seeing her once more will not only amplify my desire for her but it will give me another opportunity to lock this thing down. Katy is somehow much more to me than a business deal. She's something I want to own.
I'm working in my penthouse office when the secretary knocks.
"What is it?" I say gruffly, hating to be interrupted.
"Um, sir, there are a few employees that you fired that are slowly gathering in front of the bank to protest. I just thought you should be aware."
I'm pissed as all hell. I'm tired of these ex-employees thinking they should get a piece of my business, that they deserve more than what I've given them. I fired them for a good fucking reason. They were incompetent, all of them.
I'm furious as I tell my secretary, "Goddamn it. Call the security team and make the employees leave. Ex-employees. It's not gonna be good publicity once the media learns about this. Tell the security team to get this under control or they can join that gathering of fired people outside. Got it?"
She nods her head and leaves the room timidly. I think I scared her. But fuck.
It's hard to work when there's a security breach downstairs. By late afternoon, I know they have to have everything wrapped up downstairs. I would've heard about it otherwise. Luckily for me, my investigator calls at just the right time.
"We found Katy again. She's in a coffee shop uptown," he says.
"Good, I'm on my way."
I'm gonna have to hurry if I want to catch her there. This time, I'll make seeing her look like an accident.
This thing with Katy is becoming everything, but I remind myself it’s just a ploy to get to who she really is. I will find out what she plans to do to my company and I will stop it. And that’s where it ends. Even if my cock thinks differently.
I pull the Mercedes up to the designated place. I go into the little bohemian coffee shop and see her sitting in the back, obviously wanting to be invisible again.
I walk up to the counter and order something to make it look coincidental. They hand me my espresso and I casually turn in her direction.
I have to stop myself from laughing. Katy seems less than enthused to see me. She's crouching down in her seat trying to blend in, but it's not going to work. I'm determined to get close to her because I have to know her plans. I need information. I need to know if others are involved. Whatever she’s up to, I have to put an end to it.
I stroll over to her and say, "My, my, what a coincidence. I seem to have found you again, Katy. For all your running, it looks like you might never get away from me."
She's fuming at being found again. My cocky smirk probably doesn’t help matters. After her little stunt in jail I know she’s one of those women who thinks she's in control all the time, but it's not that way with me—ever. And soon she's about to find that out.
"Why are you here?" she asks.
"Like I said, I want to know if I can trust you. I want you to work with my organization. And Katy,” I add, dropping my voice. “I always get what I want."
I take a seat across from her without waiting for her to offer.
She looks me straight in the eyes and says, "I don't work with strangers or people I don't trust. Sorry, Marcus, you’re one of those people on my ‘Do Not Trust List.’ Find somebody else."
I'm getting frustrated now. I can't keep tracking her down like this and have her continue to deny me or, worse, escape my grasp. I have to think of something soon.
"What about dinner? You have to eat. Why not eat with me?"
"What part of no do you not understand?" she says, insolent. And fuck if that doesn’t turn me on too. What they hell is she doing to me?
"Look, Katy, you're either gonna come with me willingly or I'll make you. Don't test me."
The thought of bending her over my knee for said insolence is fucking tempting, but we're just not at that level. Yet, a voice whispers in my mind.
She looks up at me with determination. "What's your deal, Marcus? Dinner. Seriously? What is it that you really want from me? Because I know you aren’t telling me everything."
"Listen, just come out to eat with me and you can get to know me and the organization. It will be very worth your while."
She hesitates. At least I've got her thinking about it. She seems like the kind of person that wouldn't have many friends or associates. I mean, she obviously doesn't want to be found because she's a hacker, so she has to keep a low profile.
But she doesn't know that I know that. And I plan on keeping it that way.
I try to make it easier on
her. "Would you be more interested if I offered to just go to my place instead?"
Maybe the idea of being out in public with me is what's scaring her off. She obviously doesn't go to many public places. She wants to be incognito.
I own a few other establishments and it would be no problem bringing her to one of my smaller properties, you know, to keep up the facade. She doesn't have to see the penthouse...yet.
I ignore the part of me that says bringing her to my place immediately crosses a line. Because fuck that.
My persistence pays off because Katy reluctantly agrees. I was right. Public places make her edgy. I take her hand and lead her out of the coffee shop and into my waiting Mercedes. Finally, I have her within my grasp.
My cock is so fucking hard but I have to tame it. She can't know how much I want her on a personal level. I never mix business with pleasure.
But I’m starting to wonder if for a woman such as this, I might be willing to break even my own rules.
We get into the Mercedes and go.
Chapter 7
Katy
The smooth, black leather interior of Marcus’s car does nothing to subdue my desire for him.
I feel hot, and the walls are caving in around me.
I’m not used to being so vulnerable with anybody, much less someone as hot as he is.
What was I thinking getting into his car like this? Going to his turf?
As much as I tried to get out of going anywhere with him, he was so damn persistent that I had to say yes. I’m attracted to him, after all. What’s wrong with having a little fun?
I try to relax, knowing that no matter what, I can depend on myself to escape.
He drives to his place. The entire time, I see that his cock is hard and throbbing beneath his pants. It’s definitely big―at least 10 inches long and very, very thick
I’m tempted to lean over and just start sucking it right here in the car. But I hold back. I might as well not show all my cards up front so fast. I still don’t know why he’s interested in me.