She stood. “I think it’s past time to brief Adam.”
“What about the camera?”
“We’ll fish it out tonight when the office is empty.”
“What about the security cameras? What’s your perfectly logical, suspicion-evading reason for being in my office after dark, presumably with the lights off?” He didn’t like where the thought sent him.
Or maybe he liked it too damn much.
Mischief danced in her eyes, growing in him a strong suspicion she knew exactly where his thoughts had gone.
“Oh, Edward,” she said demurely. “Haven’t you heard? Passion knows no logic.”
* * * * *
Sophie’s phone call to Adam wasn’t going well.
“You’re telling me there have been even more breaches than we already knew?” He sounded as if he’d just swallowed a bug. Her sister was probably going to have to go after him with a fire extinguisher before the call ended.
Of course, her sister wasn’t the only one with the hots for a cesspool of intensity. Sophie rather liked seeing Edward riled up, so after this, Honeysuckle just might owe her one. She grinned. “There is a bright side, you realize. I’m also telling you it doesn’t have to be Edward. It could be anyone. I’d say that should come as a relief.”
“Relief comes when I find out who the hell is doing this, and why.” He spoke as though his jaw had been wired shut. “It does not come when I find out my security is a joke.”
“Calling it a joke is a bit harsh,” she said mildly. “Taking fingerprints isn’t the cornerstone of your security. It’s an accessory.”
“When you’re in the business of security, there are no accessories. Everything is a cornerstone.”
“There are only four cornerstones in a given structure, Adam. Choose your battles.”
He sighed. “You’re impossible. I’m starting to understand why you and Edward are getting along so well.”
“Yeah, well, don’t count on beautiful music,” she said. Far from it. Despite an intense attraction that spread from her head to the apex of her thighs, she hadn’t been able to get her mind off the paperwork exchange that morning. Had Edward dropped the papers as a means of passing information along to the dark-haired woman? The fact he’d thrown away a perfectly good napkin made it clear he’d made a point of getting close, but that didn’t mean he’d dropped the papers on purpose—or that he knew she’d taken any. The situation troubled her, but her instincts insisted Edward wasn’t the bad guy.
“What does that mean?” Adam asked sharply. “Is something else wrong?”
“You’ve met him.” She wasn’t willing to pass along anything that wasn’t fact. “I don’t believe he requires further explanation.”
“I guess it’s time to rework in-house security.” He sounded distant. No doubt the gears were turning.
“Not yet. When was the last time you switched out those scanners?”
He gave a short laugh. “A couple of years ago when that model was cutting edge technology.”
“You’d be surprised how resourceful crooks can be. If you insist on doing anything, roll it out as a planned upgrade, but I suggest you wait. I know how hard you worked to smooth over the fallout from that book. No need stirring up anything, especially now that we’re onto this.”
“We. Are. A. Security. Firm.” Adam spoke through his teeth.
“You don’t manufacture thumbprint scanners. As a matter of fact, I’d say you did a hell of a job of testing them. Proved them fallible, right?”
“I’m glad you’re in such a good mood.”
“Funny. Edward relayed the same sentiment,” she said, glancing up to see Edward standing in front of her. “I’ll let you know when I learn more.”
“Sounds good.”
Sophie ended the call.
“What did I say?” Edward asked.
“Adam’s not any happier about this latest development than you are.”
He blinked. “You expected him to be happy?”
“You’re a real glass-half-empty sort of bunch around here, aren’t you?”
“It’s a security firm,” he said. That seemed to be the end-all answer for the men of Steel Hawk.
“Adam may have mentioned that.” The Men of Steel Hawk. She’d buy that calendar, and knowing her, she’d be sorely tempted to leave it on page Edward the whole year. She stared him up and down, deciding he’d make a great Mr. July. It was one hell of a hot month.
Mr. July wasn’t amused by her amusement. “What about audio?”
She leaned back in the cushy leather chair. “Adam didn’t mention audio.”
Edward rolled his eyes. She had a feeling he didn’t do that often. “I meant, if there’s a camera in my office, does that mean there’s an audio feed?”
She appreciated his question. He was digging in, seemingly more willing to take action than deflect it. That was a good sign. “It’s possible,” she said, “but I don’t think it’s probable. My best guess is that the camera is located directly over your desk. That’s the only way to get a clear view of any documents, but anything stuck there would have to be exceptionally small or you’d notice it. And getting good audio would be tough on something microscopic.”
“But it’s not impossible.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s not. However, there could be a separate audio bug.”
“Great. So this person might know we’re onto him?” Concern darkened his eyes, and while she still hadn’t eliminated him as a suspect, her instincts told her he was more worried about the breach than being outed as the guy behind it.
“It’s entirely possible he knows. But if he does, it could work in our favor. He might get sloppy. Or desperate.”
His eyes narrowed. “Then why didn’t we just barge in there last night and find the damned camera?”
“Because I didn’t have my RF detector last night. And if you’ll recall, thanks to those glass walls, your office is under constant video surveillance. I’m not so much worried about tipping off the bad guy as I am everyone else. I’m sure Adam doesn’t want all this getting out.”
He took a deep, measured breath. “Of course you’re right. Dammit, I don’t like playing the victim.”
“Good. You’re needed for a new role anyway.”
“What’s that?”
“Detective. I need you to go through security footage and figure out who might have let themselves into your office without permission.”
“That could take forever.” It wasn’t an argument. It sounded more like Fuck me, but if that was what he was thinking, at least he thought better of offering the suggestion.
“Not necessarily,” she said. “If our suppositions are on point, it happened before the patent paperwork crossed your desk. Start there and go backwards.”
“I can pull up several screens. With a second set of eyes, we can cover ground faster.” He sounded almost hopeful. Was it because he wanted her near, or because he didn’t want to be stuck doing the menial job all by himself? And why did it have to matter so damn much?
Sophie hesitated. She wanted to enlarge the photos she’d taken in the café before she committed to another late night with Edward. “I need to run back to the hotel,” she said. “Give me an hour, and I’m in.”
“There’s a café across the street. Bring coffee, and it’s a deal.”
She didn’t mention she already knew the place, and, she noted, his words suggested he hadn’t seen her that morning. “How do you take yours?”
“Black.”
She laughed. “I should have seen that one coming.”
He smiled. Damned if those grins of his didn’t look better with practice. She thought about that during the short walk back to the hotel—that, and whether his kiss would be as demanding as the rest of him. And whether he exacted the same control in the bedroom he seemed to expect out of life.
God, she’d love to see him turned inside out. She’d love it even more if he was naked when it happened.
&n
bsp; Damned hormones. She didn’t want Edward to be guilty, but it’d be a lot easier if she had a reason not to like him so much. Nevertheless, when she pulled up the café pictures on her laptop, she said a silent prayer she wouldn’t see the words TOP SECRET on the document the woman had pilfered.
At first glance, the document appeared to be blank.
Sophie frowned. She tried changing the angle of the screen, but still not a drop of ink was visible—not that it mattered. Even if she’d been able to read the paper from across the room, that didn’t mean there wasn’t anything on the other side. One brilliant idea down, one to go.
As if another late night with Edward could be categorized as brilliant. Guilty or innocent, either way he was trouble.
With a sigh, she grabbed her purse and her RF detector and headed to the café.
The first thing Sophie noticed upon her arrival was the dark-haired woman, who still occupied the same chair as she had before. That in itself wasn’t unusual, but a sideways glimpse of her computer revealed a game of solitaire. Maybe she was just taking a break, but something didn’t sit right. Of course not. She pocketed those papers.
Sophie thought of little else as she ordered Edward’s black coffee and a cup of French vanilla cappuccino for herself. On a whim, she added a small selection of pastries to her tab. Once she collected her order, she turned to find the woman staring at her.
“Hi,” Sophie said, walking immediately over to her. “I noticed you were in here earlier. I left my book. You wouldn’t happen to know if anyone picked it up?”
The woman, who had dropped her gaze the second Sophie headed her way, shook her head. “Perhaps if you ask an employee,” she said quietly.
“You have a lovely accent,” Sophie said of her soft lilt. Too bad the woman hadn’t spoken loudly enough for Sophie to identify it.
The woman nodded, offering a split second of eye contact and a hesitant smile. Then she turned back to her urgent game of solitaire.
There goes another one. You’re batting a thousand today, kid.
Sophie blew a sharp upward breath that ruffled her hair. Hopefully Edward was having better luck. She remained wary of his odd interaction with the woman, but still felt he’d been floored by the possibility of a camera and the ease with which she’d entered his office. Her instincts remained firmly on the side of his innocence, but she needed an explanation for what she’d seen in the café. Either way, her questions about him did nothing to sway the sexual urgency that had somehow attached itself to his name, and she couldn’t help thinking that sharing his laptop screen would be the mother of all bad ideas. Maybe they had a projector and a ten-foot pole she could use to keep her distance.
As if.
She braved the ancient elevator and found him in the boardroom. He looked up from his laptop, then tapped a few keys and stood.
“Any luck?” she asked, handing him his coffee. The annoying little voice in her head that would almost certainly one day save her butt whispered something about him closing tabs or hiding files from her, but she blew it off. The man was allowed to touch his keyboard in her presence, and he hadn’t exactly panicked when he saw her coming.
“No luck yet. I have, however, learned I spend a dreadful amount of time walking in and out of my office. What’s in the bag?”
She held it up, as if he could see through the paper. “Donuts. And cream cheese Danish.”
His gaze swept over her, slow and languid. “You don’t look like you have much of a sweet tooth.”
She dropped her purse on the table and sank into the chair next to his, hoping he couldn’t hear her heart hammering after his obvious appreciation of her body. “Say what you will. You’re not talking me out of my half.”
“I can be very persuasive, Ms. Garza.”
“My name is Sophie. And I can be unbelievably stubborn.”
Though his gaze remained steady, a hint of amusement tugged at his lips. “I don’t know about unbelievable. I’m pretty sure you can pull off stubborn.”
She glared—unconvincingly, she was certain—and dug into the bag. After she extracted a Danish, she passed him the rest.
He came up with a chocolate-covered donut, and all she could think about was whether or not he’d lick his fingers after he finished it. A man like him probably had a handkerchief tucked in a pocket somewhere, but a girl could hope.
“You have a girlfriend out there somewhere, Edward?”
He glanced up in surprise that ended with a slight head shake. The corner of his mouth tipped. “Of course. My sunny personality is irresistible to women.”
“Sarcasm?”
“So you see my point.” He tapped the keyboard, and the video footage came to life, times twelve. He must have paused it when she entered the room. “Two weeks at a time. Building stays locked up tight on Sundays.”
“Most places record over this footage.”
“These are all digital feeds. They’re not taking up any real space. If he had a closet full of VHS tapes, someone might need to draw the line.” He shot a quick glance her way. “Or are you too young to know what VHS is?”
“I think I saw one in a museum somewhere,” she said dryly.
He looked at her again, and this time his gaze lingered. This time she noticed the chocolate on his face.
She almost told him it was there, but she’d developed a rather persistent craving for catching him off guard. In homage, she reached and, pressing gently with two fingertips, wiped the chocolate from the corner of his mouth.
Sophie hadn’t any idea what she expected, but having the intensity in the room ramp up a hundred and ten percent wasn’t on her radar. He didn’t move when she touched him, and she didn’t move once her fingertips grazed his skin. “You…have…chocolate,” she finally managed.
But she didn’t finish.
Because Edward Long kissed her.
One second she was trying to figure out if there was any end to the depth of his eyes, and the next, his lips grazed hers so softly that at first she wasn’t sure it actually happened.
Just as quickly, there was no mistaking it.
Sophie wasn’t entirely sure she was breathing, but she couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so alive. He didn’t just touch her mouth—he owned it. The gentle caress exploded in her a need so hot and unexpected that she fell headfirst into it. Her fingertips found his nape, felt the heat of his skin. Her lips parted, and for a moment, no one moved. Then he closed the short distance, and this time, there was no hesitation.
And she was ready for him.
He tasted of coffee and chocolate and heaven, and he toured her mouth like he wanted to memorize it. God, she wanted him to—she’d give him all the time in the world to do it. He emanated raw power, and the force of it grew more devastating with every sweep of his tongue.
Sophie might or might not have been whimpering by the time he pulled away.
He smiled. Then he took her hand and kissed the smudge of chocolate on her fingertips. “You were right about the chocolate.”
“You really need a new hobby,” she muttered over the hammering of her heart.
“I would hardly consider one kiss a hobby,” he said dryly.
“I wasn’t talking about the kiss, which, I might add, numbered more than one.”
He reached over and froze the video footage. “If you were able to keep count, I must not have done it right.”
She smiled at the warmth of his voice. Then she noticed the computer screen and managed to put two and two together and come up with four. “Did we just do that on camera?”
“You have to ask?”
Her belly flipped and fluttered and generally felt ridiculous. “You aren’t…bothered by that?”
“I probably should be,” he admitted. “But I have a feeling that’s one moment I’m going to want to relive a time or two.”
Sophie could count on one hand the number of times her jaw actually dropped.
That was one of them.
“So
what is it I need to give up?” he asked.
She stared at him dumbly for a beat too long before she remembered what he was talking about. “Smiling.”
To which he only grinned.
Of course.
Chapter Seven
Edward had no idea how Sophie had gotten under his skin so quickly, but he sure liked having her there. He couldn’t think of the last time anyone had actually joked with him—let alone a gorgeous woman—but whatever they had went deeper than that.
Whatever they had. Sure. The only thing they shared was a desire to get to the truth of what was going on with Steel Hawk. Yeah, that’s why she was wiping chocolate off your face, you dumb bastard. Because of Steel Hawk.
It was after ten and they were in his office. The lights of San Francisco chased away any chance of total darkness, but the shadows were enough for the finer details of what they were doing to evade the security footage from the camera trained on his office.
Sophie nodded toward a dark half dome attached to the ceiling a few feet outside his office. “Is that it?”
“That’s the one. It’s not obvious which way the lens is directed, but that’s kind of the point. And for what it’s worth, there’s more than one camera in there. The floor is under constant surveillance, though for any one spot, it’s not necessarily continuous.”
She pressed her lips into a thin line. “Yeah, I think I learned that lesson in the boardroom.”
“That’s your takeaway from what happened in there?” He feigned insult, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face when she shot him a sideways glance.
“Not all of it,” she said. “It seems I’ve developed a rather sudden craving for chocolate. Now make yourself useful and stand between me and the camera.” She pulled a device—presumably her RF detector—from her handbag. “This is one of the best handhelds money can buy. If there’s something in here, we should find it.”
She’d lost him at craving for chocolate. By the time he caught up, she had her gadget operational and was peering at the tiles positioned over his desk. Most of the third floor featured the original high loft ceilings, but they’d put a lid on the offices, so to speak. Lot of good that did since pretty much anyone could saunter in. He had a feeling that little revelation would sting for a long time.
Dangerous Illusions (Steel Hawk Book 3) Page 7