Picking my fork back up, I prod and poke at the pasta. I shrug and shove the tasty morsel into my mouth. “Suit yourself.”
“Don’t mind if I do.”
After I wash down most of the rest of the water, I glance at Bo, who’s sweeping up the sauce on his plate with a wedge of garlic bread.
“Thank you,” I mutter, my voice thick and dry at the same time. “Would do the same if the situation were reversed. You know that, right?”
He nods without saying anything. It’s our way. Brother watching over another brother. Keeping an eye out. Being there when shit goes down.
I wish romantic relationships were as easy to maneuver. What I’m dealing with is like walking through a freakin’ minefield. I don’t know where to step or stand. The only thing I do have solid footing on is the need to flee. Get back to work as soon as possible and put some serious space between me and this entire mind fuck of Johan and Skyler. More than anything I need some perspective.
“Regarding the Montreal job, I’m going to the office tomorrow. Have the CEO come in and give us the lowdown about her company in secret. From what I understand, she’s been waiting for us to get back in town and situated. I’m thinking this job might be an entire-IG-team approach. What do you say?”
Bo grins. “Been needing to get the hell out of Dodge. Canada should be great this time of year.”
And far, far away from my personal problems.
Alexis Stanton is not at all what I expected when Wendy leads her into my office two days later. She’s tall with a killer body and bangin’ curves. The woman is a walking, talking Playboy bunny in person. However, based on the file Wendy provided on her, she’s a savant-level genius in her field.
Trying to ignore my aching hand, even after a dose of painkillers, I take my time evaluating the woman while she sits across from me. Her blonde hair comes to her shoulders, full-bodied and in big curls that look to be made of spun gold. Unlike my blue eyes, hers are a bright cerulean that could match the color of any crystal-clear Caribbean waters on a sunny day. She has a pert little nose and high, rounded cheekbones. Her lips are full and glossy pink, the color so tempting any warm-blooded male would kill to have a taste.
I clear my throat and try not to look down at her form-fitting white dress. The sleeves are long, coming a tad past her wrists, though they’re the only long thing on the item of clothing. The hem of the dress hits just above the knee but climbs all the way up a lean, toned thigh when she sits and crosses her legs. She’s paired the dress with nude strappy stilettos, the kind that make a woman’s legs look a mile long. Problem is, on this woman, they are lethal since her genetics are such that her legs already go on for days.
I press against my temples and sit back in my chair, then adjust my tie awkwardly with one hand since the other is bandaged. Outside of the bandage I have the two broken fingers splinted and taped together.
“Mr. Ellis, thank you for seeing me. I’m happy you’re back early. The situation with my company is becoming dire. There’s not a moment to lose.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning and give me an idea of what we’re facing? Royce tells me you’re concerned that someone is stealing trade secrets and selling them to your competitors. Is that correct?”
She nods. “Yes, but it’s more complex than that.”
I frown and lean forward to cross my forearms on my desk. “How so?”
“Not only have the last three products been stolen and released by my direct competitor two to three weeks earlier than our planned releases”—her mouth twists into a scowl—“but someone is sabotaging our work processes in the meantime.”
“In what way?” My interest is piqued.
“Software corrupted by viruses, files lost or deleted, seemingly out of nowhere. It’s as if the programs are under siege by a ghost in the system.”
I dig back into my memory bank from my days at Harvard. “I’ve heard of this term, ghost in the system or ghost in the machine. Has to do with computer artificial intelligence or bugs of some sort coming about through errors in coding, right?”
She nods and bites down on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure you can help with that threat. I’ve got the greatest minds in the industry working on the technology issues. Besides, my brother and I have written all the original code, but I do need to figure out the very real threat. Someone is sharing our product information, and after endless research and scrutiny of my team, I’m at a loss to figure out who it is.”
I sit back and curl a finger around my chin. “The simplest explanation would be that both problems are being perpetrated by the same person, no?”
She sighs and winces, following it up by arching her back. The move is designed to ease tension, but the shape her body takes is electrifying, especially in light of her jutting out her very large chest like a white flag waving in surrender. She eases back into the chair and crosses her legs to the other side. I swear I can hear the swish and glide of the fabric along her tanned thighs. The move sets my teeth on edge, and I mentally chastise myself. It’s only been three full days since I ended things with Skyler. Ended being rather questionable, since technically she’s still waiting for me to call her.
While I’m thinking about my own personal problem, I scan the woman in front of me. My dick wakes up from its three-day sleep, and I lick my lips and focus on her face, tempted to look at her beautiful body once more, but knowing it’s not right. Lusting after a woman other than Skyler is absolutely not on my agenda.
Regardless of what I said to Nate about things being over between me and Skyler, I need to tell the woman directly. It’s the only fair and honest thing to do. I can’t expect Skyler to be forthright and honest with me if I can’t be so with her. I’m just not ready to deal with it all yet. Saying goodbye. Letting her go. Allowing all that we built between us to just disappear.
My gut churns, and my abdominal muscles tighten. I let out a heavy sigh while Alexis is none the wiser and answers my questions.
“I guess it would make more sense if the two problems were related, but it’s just hard to believe that someone on my coding team could be part of that. Do something so blatant and behind my back to hurt me.”
I huff and shake my head. “Well, I can tell you from personal experience, people are rarely what they claim to be.” And it’s as true today as it was when Kayla destroyed my heart, the feeling more intense now because of the deep connection I believed we had. I was stupid to believe that my relationship with Skyler would be any different. A downright fucking idiot.
“That’s a very jaded way to view the people in your world, Mr. Ellis.” Alexis frowns.
I cant my head and assess her piercing gaze. It’s as if she’s trying to look straight through me. I hate it. “Let’s just say I’ve had my fair share of experience with people letting me down recently.”
“People, or a woman you cared about?” She purses her lips and cocks an eyebrow.
“Would it matter?”
She lifts one shoulder and lets it fall. “I guess not. Though, I’ve vetted my team to the extreme. Made them each submit to a lie detector test, which every last one of them passed. I’m at a loss for how to proceed. Which is where you come in.”
I plant my elbows on the arms of my chair so I can steeple my fingers under my chin. It’s a move I’ve always subconsciously done but is now made difficult by my bandaged hand. I grind my teeth and remember why my hand is in this condition. Because the woman I love betrayed me and I lost control. Never again. I’ll never let my emotions control my decisions when it comes to the opposite sex. That particular boat has sailed.
Alexis’s pretty pink lips curve up into a sensual pout. “Do you think you can help me?”
I nod. “Yes, I believe we can, though it may take my entire team.”
“In what way?”
“You said you had your team vetted.” She nods as I continue. “That means whoever is doing this is cunning as hell. It could be anyone in any department leaking the
trade secrets and only a handful of people dropping the viruses. Then again, we may have a team working together. One person doing the leaking, another accessing the system.”
She grimaces and runs her hand through her long blonde hair. I loved running my fingers through Skyler’s locks. They always felt like silk. I wonder momentarily if Alexis’s hair is as soft as Skyler’s, then mentally slap myself for even thinking about Skyler.
Focus on the work, Park. Not the woman.
“What do you have in mind?” She brings my attention back to the matter at hand.
“My assistant is a tech guru. We’ll bring her in as a new hire in your coding and analysis department. Royce will come in as an auditor in the finance department. Bo will act as a new, very hands-on client who wants an application developed. Something related to photography perhaps. Do you think you could swing it?”
“Sure. There are a ton of applications you can create dealing with filters, lighting, sizing, instant editing, photoshopping. And you? What part will you play, Mr. Ellis?” She purrs my name as if it’s a sensual treat she’s about to eat up.
I ignore her. In another time, I would have been all over this woman like butter over a hot baked potato. With everything going on, though, I’m not sure how to react. I’m floundering between the professional and personal signs the sexy woman is tossing out. It’s an uncomfortable, disheartening sensation I’m not sure how to take.
With a deep breath, I focus on the task. The work is what’s important right now. Not the lengthy looks or subtle flirting happening from Alexis.
“I’m going to come in as a workflow-productivity consultant, which means I’ll have to interview every employee, ask them about their job, what they do, that type of thing. I’m very good at reading body language and an individual’s microexpressions. I can typically tell when someone is lying or being misleading. Plus, knowing you’ve got an auditor and a consultant digging into things might scare the person into making a mistake.”
“Okay, how do we start?” She leans forward, and the material of her already-tight dress seems to expand further across her tits.
Don’t look at her tits, Parker. Don’t look at her tits.
Not cool, dude. Not freakin’ cool.
However, I gotta admit to myself, she wouldn’t wear dresses like that if she weren’t expecting people to size up her form. My guess, with how comfortable she is and how tight fitting and short the dress is, she wants the attention. Possibly even craves it.
A muscle in my temple starts to flicker, reminding me that I should not be ogling this woman, even if I may be ending my relationship with Skyler. I haven’t actually ended anything officially.
My stomach tightens into knots again, but I breathe through it and stick to the work plan. “My first suggestion would be to have Wendy come on board immediately, as in tomorrow.” Her eyes widen briefly in what I can see is surprise, not complaint, so I continue. “We’ll have you implement her right away so there isn’t any suspicion of her position, and she can start connecting with the team and digging into your computer systems.”
“Done.”
“Next, we’ll have you bring Bo into a meeting of the minds, including your application creation team, and he’ll go over what he wants. He’ll make a show of wanting to be where the action is, and you’ll give him an empty office to work in.”
She tilts her head. “Easy enough.”
“I’ll work with Wendy to pull the files I’ll need on your staff. How many are on your team?”
“Twenty-two, not including me.”
With that settled, I pick up the phone and hit the button to call Wendy.
“Word up, boss man,” she chirps into the line.
“Did Royce have you do a full write-up on Stanton Cybertech while we were in San Francisco?” I gaze out the window, so I don’t gaze at my client.
“Yessiree, Bob. I’ve got full files on all twenty-two employees and another on Alexis Stanton. Figured if something funky is going on at her company, you’d want all the info you could get your hands on.”
I smile huge and turn around in my chair. “Excellent. Also, you’re going to need to plan flights and hotels for all four of us.”
“Four?” There’s excitement in her tone that can’t be denied.
“Yes, ma’am. You’re going to be a new hire at Stanton Cybertech, starting tomorrow morning. We need to move on this and fast.”
“Holy shit, boss! Rock on! I can’t wait to tell Sir Mick! My first undercover mission. This. Is. Awesome!” She gasps the last word as if I’m making every last one of her dreams come true.
“Glad you think so. We’ll talk more when I’ve finished here, but bring me the files.”
“Righty ho!” she announces, and hangs up.
I turn back around to Alexis, who is taking me in. And when I say taking me in, I mean all the way in. The way a tiger scopes out a raw steak. She licks her lips and jostles her chest, wiggling in her chair. I have to bite down on the inside of my cheek not to take the bait and say something totally inappropriate.
“Okay, that’s settled. Tell me a little bit more about the products you say were stolen.”
3
Alexis Stanton’s office is the exact opposite of ours. Where Team IG prides itself on crisp and sleek designs, Stanton Cybertech lives for comfort. Her office feels more like a home than a place of business. If it weren’t set up in a multilevel warehouse on the outskirts of Montreal, I would have believed this could be her home. It’s unsettling and bizarre. I stand up and walk around the space as Royce waits patiently in one of the deep-cushion, high-back chairs in front of a fireplace. Yep, a fireplace. Directly across from that fireplace are a couch and coffee table.
I look at Royce, and he smiles one of his shit-eating grins. I shrug. “Weird right? It’s not just me?” I hook a thumb toward the other half of her office, which has an eighty-inch flat screen with an old beat-up wooden desk facing it. On top of the desk, a slim laptop, a phone, and a Tiffany-style lamp, complete with a flower pattern in the stained glass, are the only things that rest on the surface. A bookcase hugs each side of the flat screen.
“Different strokes for different folks, as Momma would say.” Royce fingers his tie and smooths it back into place.
I walk over to one of the bookcases and scan each shelf. All of the pictures are of Alexis with a much younger man. A brother perhaps, since they share the same facial structure.
Alexis saunters in, carrying two cups of steaming coffee and wearing a smile. “Hi, boys. Thought you might want a shot of caffeine.”
“Thank you.” I reach for one of the mugs. Her thumb caresses mine as she pulls away. I glance up to find her smirking.
She offers a saucy wink and then brings the other mug to Royce. Her attire today is similar in fit and scope to what she wore the other day, though the black halter top is more revealing. Her double Ds are bulging against the deep V of the neckline, and the hem barely touches the top of her matching black slacks. There’s a thin looped belt slung around her hips, bringing the eye to her hourglass shape. On her feet are my kryptonite: a pair of dark-red stilettos.
Sexy as fuck.
I clench my jaw and suck in a long, slow breath, waiting for the frustration to pass.
Royce glances my way over the mug he’s sipping from and clears his throat. “Ms. Stanton—”
“Alexis. Please. We’re all very informal around here. Everyone calls me Lexie, actually.”
Roy nods. “Okay, Lexie, what does the team know so far?”
She stands near her desk, opens her laptop, and hits a button. The flat screen comes to life showing fifteen different squares. Each square is where a camera is planted in a different location in her warehouse.
“Well, as you can see on screen two, Wendy is sitting with Kidd, deep in training on our systems. According to him, she’s a very quick study. More than that. Last night he told me it was strange that she wanted to work for us in a lower-level coding and analysis positio
n, when he thinks she’s a bit of a genius and could work anywhere. We might have to bring him in on our secret spy work.”
I smile, proud of my own quick smarts in hiring Wendy. “Who’s Kidd?”
This time, Alexis preens, her face taking on a beautiful glow. “My baby brother.”
“Fella’s name is Kidd?” Royce chuckles.
Alexis’s expression completely morphs from one of happiness to annoyance. “Yes, our parents were hilarious.” Her words are laced with disdain.
Royce stands up, lifting his hands in surrender. “Hey now, Ms. Stanton, Lexie, I meant no offense. My name is Royce, not so common either. And the fact that his name is Kidd and he’s your kid brother was humorous. I apologize for not being more professional.”
She shakes her head and runs her fingers through her long tresses before going up to the bookcase and picking up one of the photos. “No, it’s just . . . it’s not your fault, okay? I’m protective of him. He’s all I’ve got in the world, and he’s been down a rough road. Our parents hated his mere existence, feeling caged in by having another baby late in life when they didn’t want one. Later, he dealt with bullies in school, fighting until he was beaten bloody and everything in between. I’m his only family, and he’s mine. We disowned our parents long ago. And now, he’s doing so well, and he’s only twenty-three.”
“Royce meant no harm,” I say, backing him up, and walk to her side to look at the image in the frame she’s holding. It’s the two of them back-to-back in front of the office sign.
She laughs dryly. “I know, I’m sorry, Royce. No harm done. Really.”
Royce dips his chin and puts his hands in his pockets.
“Did you notify the rest of the team about our arrival?” I circle the conversation back around to work.
She nods. “Had a late meeting yesterday and introduced Wendy, which everyone seemed to take in stride. Then I mentioned we had a new client coming in tomorrow, and the two of you coming midmorning today. Royce, I’m going to drop you off with my CFO to start the evaluation of our finances. Parker, I’m going to set you up in one of the small cozy conference rooms to start your interviews.”
Montreal (International Guy Book 6) Page 3