by Cynthia Eden
“I don’t think that’s what he said.”
“I don’t care what he said.” Her finger traced over his lower lip. “Kiss me.”
He did. His mouth took hers with a savage hunger. Or maybe she was the one with the savage hunger. It was hard to tell. Their lips met. Their mouths parted. Need exploded.
She couldn’t get close enough to him.
He caressed her with frantic hands.
His tongue thrust into her mouth. She moaned because, God, she did love him. And she loved everything that he could do with his tongue.
“Can’t lose you,” Sebastian grated.
“Then don’t try getting rid of me.”
“Fucking can’t.” His mouth fed on hers. Deep, drugging kisses that had her arching toward him. The t-shirt was in the way. Hers. His. She needed to throw them across the room.
Across Winston’s office?
A little bit of sanity raised its head. This was probably not the best place.
But he was kissing his way down her throat. Sucking and licking and—
She moaned.
Are the cops still outside? If so…I should… “Yes, right here.” Her hands sank into his hair. What he was doing with his mouth felt so good.
Someone knocked at the door.
Because…right. They were in a police station. Other people were close.
Sebastian stiffened. His head lifted.
“I’m opening the door,” Winston barked. “You know, the door to my office.”
“We will finish this,” Sebastian whispered to her.
In the next moment, he’d lifted her off Winston’s desk, spun her around and put her in the chair she’d originally been sitting in a few minutes before. Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest, blew out a ragged breath, and straightened up as he assumed a position near the desk just as Winston threw open the door.
Winston eyed them suspiciously. “What in the hell did I interrupt?”
“Alyssa was telling me her take on the crimes.” Sebastian’s voice was rough, a wee bit raspy, but other than that, he seemed totally in control.
Good for him. Meanwhile, Alyssa’s heart was about to jump out of her chest and her lips were tingling because she swore she could still feel his kiss.
“Uh, huh. You were just talking.” Winston shut the door and sauntered inside. He frowned at his desk. “What happened? Who knocked over my stuff?”
“Dex,” Sebastian supplied immediately. “Such a bastard. Found him in here, sitting on your desk, if you can believe that.”
“What an asshole.” But Winston glowered at Sebastian.
“Absolutely.”
Alyssa shifted in her seat. “How did the interrogations go?”
“It’s looking like the perps have zero clue that they stumbled into a spy web. We’ve got a very solid lead on the person who hired them, though. I’ve got cops retrieving a laptop that should take us straight to the ringleader.”
That was good news. She nodded.
“That’s in line with Alyssa’s suspicions,” Sebastian said.
Winston’s focus sharpened on her. “Tell me.”
Okay. She did. She told him all about how she wasn’t so sure this case had anything to do with spies and that, instead, it seemed to have a whole lot more to do with Shark Gaming and Design. Or at least, that was the way it seemed to her.
Another knock banged on the door.
She wasn’t at all surprised to see her brother stroll in. His gaze was considering as it drifted from her to Sebastian.
“Did you get that shit worked out?” Antony wanted to know as his stare lingered on Sebastian.
“Oh, they got it worked out. Trust me,” Winston muttered.
She flushed. So they’d gotten a bit, um, carried away.
Sebastian took a step toward Antony. “Were you on my computer last night?”
“Yes, sure, I was.” He gave Sebastian a you-should-remember-this frown. “You were there. You burst in and nearly scared the hell out of me. That was right before Alyssa saved me from getting shot.”
Sebastian waved an impatient hand. “After all of that. After we left the hospital and split up, did you go back to access my computer?”
“No. I hit the streets to talk to some contacts I have.”
Winston lifted his brows.
“I have contacts,” Antony mumbled when he caught Winston’s doubting expression. “You and Sebastian are not the only ones with connections. I get that my connections might not seem as cool as the ones you use but—”
“You weren’t on my computer again?” Sebastian’s expression had darkened.
“You hit your head. I get that.” Antony nodded. “Heard all about that header you took into the pavement and that’s why you’re asking the same question over and over again.” He smiled patiently at Sebastian. “No, I was not on your computer a second time last night.”
“Someone was.”
Everyone’s attention locked on him.
“Got the alert on my phone, right before that jackass climbed in the window at Alyssa’s safe house. Literally right before.” Sebastian’s voice was flat. “Then I was fighting that jerk, he was saying there was a bomb, and we had to escape as quickly as we could. During the escape, I lost my phone.”
Alyssa pushed out of the chair. “You almost lost your life.”
“Yeah, that fits, too.” He didn’t seem concerned.
She was plenty concerned. “It fits?” Wow, her voice had just risen way too much. But nothing about him nearly dying fit for her, thank you very much.
“Sure. I was the only one who knew that someone had hacked into my computer. That alert goes straight to me, no one else. I didn’t get the chance to report it or check on it, and if I’d died, then no one else would ever have known that someone at Shark Gaming and Design was hacking into my files.”
She reached for his hand. “Good thing you didn’t die.”
He squeezed her fingers. “Good thing I had you watching my ass.”
She smiled at him.
His dimples started to—
“This is really sweet and all,” Winston interrupted. “But from where I’m standing, it looks like Alyssa is right. This isn’t about your spy BS at all.”
Antony had taken a step back. “No, it’s not. Hell, it’s about the oldest reason in the book, isn’t it? The oldest reason to turn on those close to you. The oldest reason to kill…”
“Money,” Sebastian supplied. “Someone was trying to steal our tech to make a freaking killing. That someone started by using Alyssa to distract you and me both, Antony. Then he stepped up his game and went straight for us. He tried to shoot you. He tried to kill me.”
“Sonofabitch.” Antony’s mouth dropped open. “We need to get to Shark Gaming and Design!”
“Hell, yeah, we do.” Sebastian pulled Alyssa toward the door. “Let’s go.”
“Right.” Antony was in their path. He nodded quickly. “She’s going now. Gonna be constantly at your side. Got it. Good decision.” Another nod. A satisfied one, this time. “Knew you’d get over that whole leaving her crap as soon as you found out she was in love with you.”
Alyssa immediately dug in her heels. “Leaving me?” Her heart ripped open. Or, at least, it sure felt that way.
Sebastian’s head swung toward her. He gaped at her in shock. “You’re in love with me?” he asked at the same time.
Winston whistled. “Well, this got even more awkward.”
Chapter Twenty
“We’re going to talk,” Sebastian told an obviously unsettled Alyssa as the elevator climbed to the top floor of the Shark Gaming and Design building. “And I’m going to clear the air, and I will apologize to you a thousand times if necessary.”
“You were going to leave me?” Pain creaked in her words. That gutted him. If he had his way, Alyssa would never know a moment’s pain.
But…
I’m the one who hurt her.
The elevator hurtled up. He’d used
his key pass in order to get access straight to the top floor. “Baby, I can explain…”
The elevator stopped. The doors dinged.
Antony coughed from his position in the corner. “Try explaining later. Let’s crime solve now.”
Sebastian and Alyssa both tossed a glare his way.
“I’ll check my office first,” Antony offered quickly. “I’ll see if I can find the guy’s tracks on my system. You review yours.” He hurried out of the elevator and away from them.
Alyssa jumped out of the elevator, too.
Ella and a group of guards were waiting in the top floor’s small lobby for them. “What’s happening?”
Sebastian raked her with a quick glance. “I guess you’re working twenty-four-hour shifts, now, huh? You must have pulled an all-nighter. I know you didn’t expect all this when you signed on with us.”
“Antony was almost shot last night.” Ella’s gaze darted to his retreating figure. She motioned with her hand, and one of the guards immediately moved to tail Antony. “On my watch. So, yes, I’m pulling a twenty-four-hour shift. I’m doing anything necessary to help.” Her gaze came back to Sebastian. “What can I do?”
“Keep the building locked down from this moment forward. No one leaves, but Detective Winston Lewis and a fellow named Dex Ryan will be arriving ASAP.” Arriving with the laptop. Dex had already pulled rank at the police station. As soon as the cops Winston had sent retrieved the laptop that they all needed, Dex planned to bring it straight to Sebastian so that he could work his magic on it.
One way or another…this mess was ending.
“They’ll have ID, and they will be armed.” Just so she knew. “But they’re on my side. Send them straight to me.”
Ella nodded. “I met Dex last night. Kind of an unforgettable ass of a guy.”
Most people tended to think that way about him.
Her gaze flickered to the wound over Sebastian’s eyebrow. Ella winced. “Do I want to know what happened?”
“A collision with pavement. Could have been worse, though. At least I didn’t get shot in the back.” He wrapped his arm around Alyssa. “Thanks to Alyssa.”
Ella’s eyes widened as her attention flew to Alyssa. “You saved him?”
“Apparently,” Alyssa’s voice was cool. “It’s what I do.”
“Damn, girl. Good for you.”
Then Ella got moving. So did her guards. Sebastian hurried and—
His assistant Doug walked right out of Sebastian’s office. Sebastian frowned at him. “What in the hell were you doing in there?” And why hadn’t Ella mentioned that Doug was in his office?
Doug stopped. Stared. Then rushed forward and threw his arms around Sebastian. “I’m so glad you’re okay!”
“Why were you in my office?”
Doug pulled back. His red bow tie was a bit crooked. “I always put the weekend mail in your office on Monday mornings.”
Wait. Was it Monday? Seriously?
“You normally let Doug in your office.” Ella had come back. Now she frowned worriedly. “Has the procedure changed? You didn’t tell me to stop him—when you called, you just said to have guards ready to act.”
“Our stock is tanking.” Doug’s voice dropped. His body trembled. “Did you see? Apparently, it’s bad news—major bad news for the market—when one of the company’s founders gets shot at on Shark Gaming and Design property. Added to the fact that you pulled that disappearing act at the big press promotion—”
“Doug. Get your shit together,” Sebastian ordered. “Your body is shaking.”
Doug slumped. “I don’t want to be fired. I don’t want us going bankrupt. I like this company.” He twisted his bow tie. “This is so bad.”
“Doug.”
Doug puppy-dog stared at him.
Ella frowned suspiciously at Sebastian’s assistant.
And Sebastian tried to figure out if he was staring at an enemy. “Doug, what time did you arrive this morning?”
“Seven a.m.,” Ella piped in. “Just like he always does.” Her hands went to her hips. “You think he’s involved in what’s happening? Want me to interrogate him?”
Doug backed up. “I-I just dropped off mail! I was doing my job!”
Alyssa sidled closer to Sebastian. “Let’s get on your computer. Every moment that passes wastes more time.”
She was right. “Keep Doug in the building,” he ordered Ella.
“What?” Doug paled. “Oh, God. Oh, God.” It almost looked as if he might faint.
“Doug, get some coffee,” Alyssa advised him. “Coffee and deep breaths, and we’ll all talk soon, okay?” Now she wrapped her hand around Sebastian’s. “Right now, I need to be alone with Sebastian, so excuse us.”
“I could use some coffee,” Doug mumbled.
Ella spoke softly to a guard, and then the guard advanced on Doug. “Come with me,” the guard ordered, “and we’ll get that coffee.”
Sebastian knew the guard would also make sure Doug didn’t leave. Do I really suspect my assistant?
No, but Sebastian couldn’t take chances.
Alyssa cleared her throat. “Sebastian, you ready?”
Ready to end this? Hell, yes. But…from the corner of his eye, Sebastian saw Isaac Swain appear in the corridor that led back to Research and Development. He held a brown box in his hands and appeared utterly dejected.
Isaac.
It was startling to see the guy. Mostly because the last time that Sebastian had come face to face with the fellow, Isaac had been on a date with Alyssa.
Now he was…
Isaac was slowly starting to glare at Alyssa and Sebastian. “I knew it!” Isaac crowed. “I knew the two of you were sleeping together!”
Sebastian took a hard, aggressive step toward the crowing dick.
“Nope.” Alyssa tightened her hold on him. “Not worth it. Don’t.”
Isaac stalked toward them, still clutching the box of what appeared to be his possessions. “You came to that theater, jealous as hell, busting up our date—because you’d been sleeping with her the whole time!”
“I wish,” Sebastian fired back.
Isaac frowned. “What?”
“I wish I’d been sleeping with her the whole time.” He hadn’t stuttered or mumbled. Sebastian thought he’d been quite clear.
Isaac squinted at him.
“You were swinging out of your league,” Sebastian told him flatly. “So the hell am I, but for some reason, Alyssa wants me.”
She may even love me. God, I hope she does. We are circling back to that one ASAP. As soon as I can smooth things over and get her to stop glaring at me.
“I’m not staying here.” Isaac straightened his shoulders. “So you don’t have to fire me.”
Sebastian peered down at Alyssa. “Was I firing him? Was that on my to-do list?”
“You’re jealous because Alyssa went out with me!” Isaac accused. “Because she wanted me!”
Alyssa didn’t look over at Isaac. “I don’t think we even talked about him after the theater. We were distracted by other things.”
She wasn’t just talking about sex, obviously. Because, hello, a whole lot had gone down. But her words still made Sebastian smile.
“Though he did call once to check on me,” Alyssa added.
Wait, he had? When?
Isaac cursed, then said, “Excuse me, but I’m on my way out.”
Now Sebastian did look at him. “Yeah…no.” With his free hand, he motioned to Ella and her crew. “Detain the guy. Put a guard on him and make sure he stays in his office until I can have a little one-on-one time with him.”
“Consider it done.” Ella advanced on Isaac. A bulky guard followed her steps.
“What?” Isaac gripped his box even tighter and backed up. “You can’t force me to stay here.”
Sebastian headed toward his office with Alyssa at his side. “Sure, I can. Haven’t you heard? I’m a selfish prick. I do what I want all the time.”
“
Oh, God.” Isaac’s voice was horrified. “I knew you heard me say that at the theater! That’s why I was packing up. I know my job is over. I’m sorry! Jeez, I’m sorry!”
Sebastian ignored him because Alyssa was right. They needed to get to work and stop the distractions. He swept into his office and went straight to his computer. Alyssa tried to step away from him, but he pulled her right back to his side. “I work better when you’re near.”
He booted up the system. Ignored the stack of mail on his desk.
“Since when?” Alyssa asked softly. “I could actually swear that you’ve been barely aware of my existence for the last few years.”
His fingers were flying over the keyboard. Some bastard had been in his system. Good work, but…a little sloppy in places. The wrong places—places that would have sent alarms blaring for Sebastian.
But then, I wasn’t supposed to find his footprints on my system. I was supposed to be dead.
He kept typing. Hunting. Pulling up every piece of data that the unknown bastard had accessed.
Nothing about spy work. This is all pure Shark Gaming and Design. Schematics. System plans. Future development ideas.
“I’m always aware of you,” Sebastian said as he followed the footprints. “Anytime that you’re in a room, I know exactly where you are. And when you’re close to me, that’s when I’m at my best. That’s the reason I want you close right now. I can sure as hell hunt and think better when you’re near. You just make me better.”
“But you were going to leave me.”
For an instant, his fingers faltered. “You make me better,” he said again. “But I’m not sure what I do for you.” His gaze darted to her. “Turn you into a killer? Make you live a life full of danger?”
She slowly shook her head. “You don’t turn me into anything. I do what I want. And if I want to protect you, I will. If I want to have sex with you, I will. If I want to get married and have kids with you…”
He stopped breathing.
“Well, I guess that’s something we’ll talk about later. You know, way after all of your apologies and your declarations about how you love me and stuff.”