My words were quick and a bit authoritative, but if I didn’t rapidly cut things off, we could be severely set back in our pursuits to gain enough data to dispel the claims against Marcus. “Put the food down and disconnect your Wi-Fi connection on your new laptop, then bring me the old one from the dining table.”
Marcus moved at lightning speed to disconnect his computer from the network while I disconnected mine. He grabbed his old laptop from the table and thrust it into my hands before coming to stand behind me.
Slightly out of breath, he asked, “What the fuck is going on, Kenna? You’re scaring me.”
I checked to see the dummy programs Ethan and Sophia had created were still running, and thankfully they were. I pointed to the screen. “See how the image of the screen is flickering a bit?”
He nodded. “It’s only slight to my eyes, but okay. And?”
“Someone is trying to come in through your Wi-Fi system. I was afraid of this, but not surprised. We’ll have to be a bit more careful and do a direct hookup of our computers to the network itself, using a VPN—or in layman’s terms a Virtual Protection Network—to encrypt our activity and what we’re looking for so no one can see us, see what we’re obtaining, or be able to trace us back here.” I wasn’t sure how well versed Marcus was on wireless technology, but I’d show him a little more detail about the system when time permitted. It’s not like we wouldn’t be spending a lot of time together over the next two to three months, pending we either got confirmation of his innocence or we reached the trial date.
Marcus leaned on the couch behind me to watch as the screen began to flicker before the mouse arrow began to move on its own accord. “Are you doing that?” He asked as he pointed to the screen.
I put my finger over my lips to indicate we needed to whisper, since we were still being monitored both visually and conversationally. He seemed to get my gist and whispered, “Why aren’t you stopping them?”
Leaning my head back, I replied, “Once they entered your computer, they activated a tracer. If they stay on this system for a little bit longer, I’ll know where they’re at.”
“You can do that?” Marcus’s eyes went wide with wonder.
I gave an affirmative nod. “Every router has an IP address attached. If someone is using a home system, we’ll have their address. If they’re using a coffee shop or other business offering a Wi-Fi hotspot, we’ll be able to put up surveillance there to try and catch the perpetrator.
“At the very least, I have the computer recording the actions this person is taking so we can show someone is trying to manipulate your information and check up on you.” I went on to add, for his peace of mind, “If they attempt to upload a file to your computer, it will come in as encrypted, so we’ll be able to ascertain if it is incriminating evidence before anyone else sees it.”
We watched as an upload was attempted, numerous times, but failed. I couldn’t understand why that happened, unless someone was second-guessing their actions or they didn’t have enough knowledge to complete the process.
I smiled and fist pumped the air when they hit on a dummy folder I’d set up yesterday. It was opened and a few files downloaded. “Gotcha, sucker!”
Marcus’s hand rubbed against my neck and then shoulder before he squeezed it. My breath caught and my body responded—my nipples turned to hardened peaks, and the tension I’d been carrying in my muscles seemed to melt away, just as it had in the past. The action transported me back to happier times when we’d played in our parents’ club, on nights they weren’t around, and in the privacy of our own bedroom. You may not call him your Master, but he still dominated over you as if no time had passed. Your body still craved him even if your heart hadn’t taken the hint.
I shook my head slightly to dispel the thoughts of my subconscious. In one respect, it was right: my body did respond to Marcus as if I’d never left. But I wasn’t ready to break down the walls just yet. I needed to know that he truly was willing to put himself out there for me and wasn’t just feeding me a line of bull to get back into my pants.
Feeling the heat of his breath against my neck and the soft peck of his lips, I stilled. “What’s wrong, love? You seemed so happy a minute ago. Do I make you uncomfortable?”
One, two, three . . . ten. I took a deep breath in and released it, taking with it the sexual tension that had been building.
Turning my head toward Marcus, I said, “I am happy because the idiot on the other side of the computer just downloaded some bogus files, ones that listed names of people we needed to look at, places I needed to send people to investigate, and so on.
“Apparently there was enough there to cause them alarm and the need to look at it further. When they activated the download, it triggered a virus that will slowly eat away at their computer over the course of the next several weeks, pending how often they use it, until it is totally worthless. Then if we have someone bitching up a storm about their computer being corrupted by a bug or see Internet activity on how to remove a new virus Titan created, we either have our head honcho or someone who’s working for them. But it might be enough to put us on the right trail.”
I watched as Marcus nodded and then bit his lip in deep thought. You know you want to be the one biting that lip, girl. Those pain pills have my inner monologue going haywire, along with my hormones.
“As for your other question, yes. I’m a little intimidated by the nearness you insist upon. You have to remember that for the past five years, I’ve kept myself distant from everyone. I’m not used to talking to anyone outside of work, my mother, and my sister. This”—I motioned between us—“closeness you’re trying to push on me has happened a bit too fast. What are your thoughts, Marcus?”
He took a deep breath in. “I know we’ve been thrown together under devastating circumstances. Am I happy we’re here together? I’d have to say the fact that you’re within arm’s reach of me makes me alive again. I don’t like seeing the stress and strain you’re under, but I know it is part of what we’ll have to go through. I just hope we come out stronger on the other side.”
I breathed a little easier knowing he comprehended where I stood on all this. At least he was allowing me to do my job.
“I’m not sure I follow how this whole computer virus thing works. How will we be able to keep tabs on all the potential suspects to see who has a computer issue?” Marcus asked. “And what if it isn’t someone on the list? What then?”
I neither had the time to explain everything nor the desire to speak downstairs where we ran the risk of being overheard. So I reached up to where he still had hold of my shoulder and gave his hand a pat. “That’s for my team and I to worry about. We’ve got a great record of figuring things out. You’re just going to have to have faith in us.”
We both cringed as the last words left my mouth. I knew I had huge trust issues with him, and I’m sure he wondered if I would run as soon as this case was over, regardless of the outcome. Yesterday, I admit I wanted to run, but after all that’s happened and the couple of heart-to-heart talks we’ve had, I’m open to seeing where things may lead. I wasn’t sure he’d want to travel down that road once he knew about the complications of my last injury or how badly I suffered from PTSD. Did I want to subject him to a life of that or would I be better off being alone?
My stomach growled and interrupted my thoughts. Marcus was quick to move the computer back to the dinner table and reconnect it to the power supply to keep it up and running as if someone were on it. The program I installed yesterday still gave the impression Marcus was navigating between different e-mails, files, and so forth, where it provided the illusion he was trying to find answers to his case.
A bowl appeared in my line of sight before I could even reach for my laptop. The soup—a velvety chicken gnocchi with veggies—appeared before me. My favorite!
Luke jumped off the couch as Marcus brought his bowls downstairs and filled them with fresh water and food for him in the kitchen. I’d moved to a sitting pos
ition earlier, giving Marcus space to sit right next to me. As Marcus sat down, his legs lightly brushed against mine, causing me to tense. “Do you want me to move? Am I hurting you?” He asked with great concern flooding his voice.
I just shook my head. “No, I’m fine.” Actually I wasn’t. His proximity, the heat of his body, the alluring musky smell of his cologne, and his amazing kitchen skills were all starting to wear down the walls around my heart. I felt conflicted, wondering if I needed to fill in the gaps or let the memories of yesteryear come flooding back. All I knew was that I couldn’t survive if my heart were broken again.
It had been two fucking weeks since Makenna arrived, and we were no closer to figuring things out than when we’d started. The lawyer’s first visit had caused us some alarm. When we’d discussed the case and the fact that someone was definitely trying to tamper with information, he’d suggested we dig deeper. We’d need hard evidence to have the charges dropped, since the people he’d be dealing with were adamant I should rot in jail.
There weren’t many positive aspects of Mr. Townsend’s visits, but knowing Mr. Prescott had insisted upon him kept me encouraged. At least I had one of the best lawyers in the country representing me. He admitted that someone seemed to be paying off people to expedite my case, and had his team looking into it. If he could prove it, he might be able to delay the trial date.
The evidence against me was mostly circumstantial, but video supposedly existed putting me at the office when the transactions took place. However, Makenna hadn’t been able to track down any video evidence of me ever working there, so Mr. Townsend had made a motion to provide us the possibly doctored tape for review. The only problem: the motions kept getting lost. He said he’d make one more attempt to speak with the judge who was overseeing the case.
Another issue was the people who helped Makenna remotely—I think she said their names were Sophia and Ethan—had been dealing with issues of their own. They’d both been beneficial in finding a couple of trails for us to pursue, but both of Sophia’s daughters gave birth within days of one another. One seemed to be doing okay, but the other had multiples, and Sophia was needed there.
Ethan had followed a flow of cash to some offshore accounts and had been trying to determine the real owner or owners, when his wife went into labor as well. The delivery was a complicated one, and he’d almost lost her, so his need was to be with his family. I couldn’t fault the man for that. I knew if Makenna ever gave birth to one of our children, complications or not, I’d be there, dropping everything to focus my full attention on her. I’d even told her that, but she quickly deflected the subject and focused back on work. What was up with that? Did she blame me for her miscarriage? Had everything been too stressful for her and that’s why she lost the baby? I had tons of questions, but I could tell now was not the time to ask.
Everyone was on edge, hoping for a miracle. We received daily phone calls from Mr. Townsend, Rick, and on occasion my brother, Jackson, to find out what we’d accomplished so far.
Makenna and I mostly worked alongside one another in close quarters within my office on the first floor under the bedrooms. It provided us with the ability to use a direct link to the Wi-Fi server and her VPN thing that, supposedly, encrypted things. I didn’t really understand any of that stuff, but it was a bonus to work with her in such close proximity. Plus, the camera no longer watched our every move. Sadly, we still had to be careful what we said, since there were audio devices in my office. But that didn’t stop me from brushing up against Makenna every chance I got or giving her chaste kisses any time we were near. Damn, I felt like a teenager dying of a lustful thirst, and she was the only person who’d ever be able to quench my extreme need.
I took advantage of every opportunity to wrap my arms around her. One evening in the kitchen, I showed her a few pointers on how to cut up some vegetables, but instead of standing next to her, I stood behind her so I could wrap my arms around her and hold her as close as possible, hoping to smell the intoxicating scent of her arousal mixed with the subtleness of her vanilla perfume.
The hitch in her breath along with her ass rubbing up against my hardness was almost enough to make me cum my pants. Damn the woman was frustrating, and still just out of reach. But the more time we spent together, the more hope I had that maybe we could be together.
On a positive note, Makenna had her stitches removed last week by Dr. Collins, and yesterday she got the all clear to resume normal activity but to go slow at first to see what her body could handle. I was relieved to see only a small scar remained as a reminder of the vicious attack. However, I’ve been troubled for two reasons. First, she still withheld information regarding the shooter and/or something else, because any time I brought up the shooter, she quickly changed the subject. Second, she still continued to jump at the smallest sounds, ready to pull her gun without hesitation.
Rick had explained the signs of PTSD the night she was shot, when she was in the midst of her nightmare, and I’d further researched it on the computer so I could understand how to help her and what to look for. I just wished I knew how to get it across to her that I could be trusted and had never betrayed her.
Kenna thought I’d go back to my bedroom, given the window was replaced and the protective film installed over it. Yeah, right. So not happening.
I went five years without her and have enjoyed every moment spent in her presence. Granted, I did have to convince her she needed my help showering so she didn’t get her wound wet. Well, and she had limited movement on one side of her body.
I missed the voluptuous curves she once held, but have enjoyed the feel of her firm muscles as I caressed every inch or her body. I knew I was getting to her, especially when I washed her breasts or got close to the apex of her thighs. She would tense, but she couldn’t hide how her body responded to me, with peaked nipples, a hardened clit peeking out from her folds, and that scent. Damn, just thinking about it made me want to go take a cold shower and rub one out, just to release a fraction of the pent up desire burning its way through my body.
We played things safe, agreeing to stay in the same room together for fear of another attack through my bedroom window. Granted, I knew the person couldn’t see where I was within the penthouse, but I admittedly couldn’t sleep soundly knowing glass and a protective coating were the only things standing between a bullet and me.
We’d fought about this, and I’d offered, “You take it if you want your privacy so badly.” But she refused. I guess her getting shot in there was a turn-off for all of us. As soon as this damn thing was over, I’d put the unit up for sale and find something more to my liking, hopefully somewhere with Makenna.
Sharing the bedroom wasn’t without temptation, but the most we’d ever worked up to was maybe second base, in vanilla terms. I spooned with her, caressed her body, and rubbed her shoulders, and occasionally, my hands travelled into a forbidden area, where she quickly smacked at them, forcing me back to neutral territory.
She tried to hide it, but the scent of her arousal, her hardened nipples, and movement of her legs to quell any sexual desires gave her away. I knew if given enough time, maybe she’d give in to my affections and let us go to third base.
The majority of my time was spent working on the case, cooking, or sleeping with Makenna in the guest bedroom, but I also spent a great deal of time in the gym and taking cold showers. I needed the distraction to help me work off some stress. The case bothered everyone, because, according to my lawyer and Rick, it shouldn’t have been so difficult to find information. But they assured me they had their best working on it, Makenna included.
Makenna joined me in the gym this morning. She rode a stationary bike and tried a few small reps of light lifting on the weight bench, but was a little disappointed she couldn’t handle much without wearing out. However, she appeared to smile at having some level of control back in her life. She was definitely one who enjoyed being able to do her own thing. I think that was part of the reason why I fell
so head over heels in love with her. She carried her own, fought for what she believed in, and only surrendered herself to someone she could trust. At one time she’d trusted me.
The sight of her in that exercise bra and spandex leggings caused me to think up all the different ways I could tie her up using the weight bench, or any other item in the room, and make mad passionate love with her. Being this close to her and still unable to touch her was taking a toll on my sanity. I needed to either get myself under control or schedule separate times for us to work out.
“Could you maybe spot me on the weight bench?” Makenna inquired. “I’d like to try pushing up to larger weights every couple of days. Also, I need a sparring partner versed in martial arts. You received your black belt recently, right?”
“Yes, and I’d be more than happy to help. But you already knew that, didn’t you?” I could see her face blush slightly. I’d take any excuse to get my hands on her or, when sparring, get her pinned under me.
I’d been working on tearing down those damn walls of hers and was making some progress, just moving at a snail’s pace. She’d resisted the accidental brushes up against her, so I’d added squeezing her ass to the list, and her breath caught every time, but she soon brushed it off, citing, “Cut it out, Marcus. We need to focus.” Damn, the woman had learned better control than I’d ever imagined. It made me question whether I’d lost my edge as a Dominant. All I knew was I was definitely out of control when it came to Makenna.
Several more weeks had passed, and the only success we’d had was in getting Cassia to stop calling. She’d tried several times to enter my building and come up to my place, but was stopped by the guards outside my penthouse door or by the manager of the building. We’d soon discovered, through video Makenna had decided to review of the building, that Cassia had paid the doorman to help her sneak up to my place on numerous occasions, giving her access to my place and opportunity to put in some bugs and a camera. The only problem was we couldn’t see past the lobby or into my condo to prove it was her, not yet anyway. We could only assume she was the culprit.
Makenna's Trust: Titan Security Series #3 Page 14