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“So you help the very lifestyle you disdain?”
“It’s not disdain—”
Intrigued, Abby sat quietly, waiting for him to say more. She sensed something underneath his words she couldn’t quite identify and for some reason it was suddenly very important to her to understand what drove him.
His words were quiet when he finally spoke again. “I want more out of my life than watching my stock portfolio all day.”
“Your parents raised you and your siblings with a work ethic. There’s nothing wrong with that. There’s also nothing wrong with enjoying the fruits of your labor, however you choose.”
“This from a woman regularly known to work ninety-hour weeks. Tell me, Abby—” he leaned toward her across the expanse of the limo, his voice husky “—how often are you enjoying the fruits of your labors?”
She could hardly argue with the assessment, even if it suddenly struck her as a rather cold view of her life. “I enjoy a full life.”
“Outside the boardroom?”
She laughed, the sound surprising her with its hollow echo. “I lead a privileged life. I’m hardly in a position to complain.”
Their driver pulled to a stop and Abby sensed their conversation was at an end. “Speaking of privilege, what you do does have a few perks.”
“Perks?”
“You weren’t exactly fending off the advances of a world-renowned diva, now were you?”
She purposely looked away from Campbell’s widened eyes as the driver held her door open. Abby took the man’s proffered hand and stepped from the car, satisfied that—for the moment—she’d had the last word.
* * *
Campbell walked behind Abby through the ornate entryway to one of his favorite bars, his gaze returning again and again to the long cascade of her hair falling rich and lush over her back. The woman was a sight and he couldn’t quite shake off the small kernel of enjoyment that Carlotta had gotten to her.
He also thanked his lucky stars the diva hadn’t ruined his cover.
Carlotta had a rather sizeable chip on her shoulder at her ill-fated seduction attempts and this evening could have gone sideways faster than a computer virus in a mainframe if she hadn’t recognized the financial value in sucking up to Abby.
He could only offer praise to the few brain cells he possessed that he’d never taken the diva up on her more than generous offer—one given while stark-naked—the previous fall. She was an assignment—the victim of a high-end ring of identity thieves—and he didn’t mix business with pleasure.
So why was he struggling to keep that in the forefront of his thoughts as he spent time with Abby?
And what the hell was he thinking coming on to her in the limo? He had no idea how she chose to live her life and insinuating otherwise was seriously out of line. Despite the knowledge he needed to stop this ridiculous curiosity about his newest client, he couldn’t deny how the woman intrigued him.
Nor could he deny the overwhelming urge to wipe away the sadness he saw in the depths of her lush brown gaze.
He was neither a fanciful man, nor a poetic one, so the fact that thought even crossed his mind was proof positive he was far more gone than he’d realized.
The hostess led them through the bar to a prime seat in front of the oversize windows. The south entrance of the park sat open before them and he could see several horses with their riders waiting to ply their trade.
With deliberate movements, he slung an arm around Abby’s shoulders once they were settled on a small high-backed settee before the window.
“There’s no one here,” she hissed as she looked up at him.
“What’s the matter? Not enjoying my company?”
“That’s not what I meant. The event is over and we’re not on display any longer. You said the evening didn’t seem out of the ordinary.”
His impressions earlier in the day as well as observing her throughout the evening were one of a woman used to being in control. Add on her comments in the car when he tried to probe deeper and he knew she wasn’t used to giving up one precious bit of that power.
Whether it was his own stubborn, subversive nature that his family regularly cursed him for or the fact that the woman tantalized him like no other he wasn’t sure, but he couldn’t resist baiting her.
“Just because the evening didn’t seem out of the ordinary didn’t mean there wasn’t anyone watching. Nor does it mean we don’t need practice for our trip to Paris.”
“Practice?”
“Of course. People have to believe we’re really together. If a few drinks together can’t loosen us up, there’s no way we’re going to convince a room full of people who’ve known you for years that we’re an item.”
“They’ll just think we’re not a very affectionate couple.”
The pert retort gave him the exact opening he needed. With deliberate slowness, Campbell leaned in, pressing his lips toward her ear. “Like anyone would believe you could be cold and indifferent in a relationship.”
“There’s cold and indifferent and then there’s wildly inappropriate. I wouldn’t be inappropriate at a business function.”
Her spine was arrow-straight and her face was a mask of that indifference he’d accused her of and suddenly, despite the fact she was a client, he simply couldn’t resist seeing where she was willing to take things. With deliberate slowness, he ran a finger down the length of her forearm, the soft feel of her skin beckoning him. “Shame.”
“Wh-what’s a shame?” Her voice was breathless as he trailed his finger once more over that delicate skin, turning her hand over so the expanse of her wrist was bare to him.
“It’s a shame that you wouldn’t allow even the tiniest bit of passion to make its way into your business meeting.”
“The boardroom’s not the time or place.”
“I suppose you’re right.” With a quick shift, he put some space between them as their waitress came over to take their drink orders. He gestured Abby to go first, then ordered his standard whiskey and soda.
And settled back to see what move Ms. Abigail McBane decided to make next.
* * *
“Don’t think I’m not on to your game.”
Campbell’s gaze was diverted as he scanned the room but his words held no hesitancy. “I’ve no doubt you are.”
Yet again, Abby felt herself caught off balance as he fully acknowledged what had roared to life between them. “Oh.”
He finished his perusal and turned the full power of that vivid blue gaze on her. “We’re attracted to each other. It’s a wee bit inconvenient, but some of the best things in life are.”
She watched his face in the subdued lighting of the bar, curious at the mix of ennui and matter-of-fact sincerity in his tone. “You’re rather practical.”
“There’s that word again. I just prefer to think of myself as honest.” He reached for a pretzel nestled in a small silver bowl on the small cocktail table between them and popped it in his mouth. “There’s a difference.”
“Honest? You know all about the inner workings of computer fraud and high-level hacking. Isn’t that a bit like saying the fox should have access to the henhouse?”
“It all depends?”
“On what?”
He leaned in once more and Abby couldn’t fight the delighted shiver that raced down her spine at the warmth emanating from his body. “Whether or not you open the door.”
A discreet cough from their waitress caught Abby’s attention and she watched as the woman set down a glass of cabernet. Abstractly, she wondered if the wine matched the flush trying to work its way across her face.
Why was she so upside down over this man? She’d attended meetings with the President of the United States, damn it. She could do this.
Even more important, she had to do this.
This strange attraction might have thrown her for a loop, but she’d be damned if she were going to behave like she was a slave to her body. This was a business arrangement and it was time to start treating it like one. She waited until their waitress left them before pushing their conversation back onto safer ground. “I’m on the committee for the opera charity. I can probably get a list of attendees tonight if you think you could do something with that.”
He took a sip of his drink before setting it down. “Good. That’ll save time and I’ll run it against a few of the databases I’m pulling from your systems. I set a few other things up to run overnight and I can look at the data in the morning.”
“You were busy this afternoon.”
He shrugged. “A few simple programs to begin organizing your staff lists. I’ll take it up a few notches after we get to Paris and get set up at your offices there.”
“I can get you access to the Paris office but I won’t be able to join you. I’m holding the meetings at my home.”
Her words hit a mark she wasn’t even aiming for as he put down his glass without even taking a sip. “You can’t be serious.”
“Of course I am. I use this week of meetings to entertain and I always do it from my home. It’s more personal that way.”
“Abby. You’re dealing with a security breach that may have originated with your staff. You can’t put yourself at risk like that.” All hint of teasing and innuendo was gone as he stared at her with that stark blue gaze.
“Nothing’s going to happen in my home. And no one stays there. They’re brought in from a nearby hotel.”
“Doesn’t change the fact they’re there for hours on end. Do you have any idea how easy it will be for someone to slip away for a few minutes and get a sense of the house?”
Abby had been diligent about tamping down her own sense of paranoia, unwilling to allow the out-of-control feelings to invade her annual meeting plans and in a few brief moments, Campbell had managed to bring them welling right back up to the surface. Forcing a sense of bravado into her tone she didn’t really feel she pushed back. “It can’t be that bad. I’ll add some additional security detail.”
“So you have some? At the house now?”
“I have a state-of-the-art alarm system, installed a year ago, and maintained with monthly software upgrades.”
He was already reaching for his phone when she stilled his arm. “What are you doing?”
“Getting someone in there now. You can’t just rely on the technology, especially if the person we’re dealing with has the skills we suspect.”
“There’s nothing to be done for it tonight, Campbell.”
“It’s five in the morning in Paris and the best don’t sleep anyway. I want a team in there immediately and I want the house swept for devices and bugs before you arrive tomorrow.”
“It’s a good system. Custom designed.” She couldn’t resist adding that last bit, more than a little embarrassed to have her ability to protect herself found lacking.
His eyebrows rose at that as he reached for his whiskey once more. After a hearty sip, he turned toward her. “I’m not trying to scare you, Abby. Believe me, that’s the last thing I want to do, but I don’t understand why you aren’t taking this seriously. You were concerned enough to call my sister to secure our help. Add on you can’t account for a significant problem in your security protocols.”
“I am taking this seriously.” She snapped out the words. “I’ve been through this before and it was nothing. I’m not going to look like I’m crying wolf and running around like a helpless little woman. I won’t do that again.”
His already sharp gaze grew even more pointed. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing. It was a long time ago.”
“Then why’d you say it?”
She took a deep breath, willing her raging emotions to cool. Why had she even mentioned it? She wasn’t helpless. She was a strong, resourceful woman and she knew how to take care of herself.
So why the hell couldn’t she find her balance?
“I don’t want to live in fear. That’s not a way to live.”
“No, it’s not. But ignoring the problem isn’t going to make it go away. And ignoring the true root of your feelings isn’t helping, either.” When she remained silent, he pressed on. “So what happened?”
“I had an incident about a year after college—almost seven years ago, I guess. I was assigned to our London office and one of my coworkers took an inappropriate shine to me.”
Campbell nodded, the hard set of his jaw tight as he listened to her story.
“It was little things at first. A few emails. Mutual trips in the elevator as I was leaving. Then it got worse with a visit to my flat.”
“What did you do about it?”
“Gently rebuked his interest at first. Then more forcefully when he wouldn’t take the hint.”
Although time had faded the memories, Abby was surprised by how quickly she could pull it all back. “I escalated it up when it became evident he wouldn’t stop and Human Resources took care of him. European employment laws are different than the U.S. but the owners’ daughter gets a bit of extra special attention. It was all a moot point in the end.”
“Why’s that?”
“He was found dead about two weeks after the human resources department arranged for his departure.”
“Did you investigate it?”
“Of course. Nothing turned up and the cause of death was ruled a heart attack.”
“How old was the guy?”
“About thirty.”
“And you didn’t find a heart attack suspicious?”
“It was ruled a condition from birth. One of those strange circumstances of nature.”
Campbell’s intense focus—complemented by a heavy dose of skepticism at the story of the man’s death—had her rethinking the incident in light of her current situation.
Was it possible there was a connection, even a distant one?
“And you’ve never dealt with anything else?”
“You mean other than the routine, vitriolic letters that come into the McBane press office, suggesting I’m the spawn of Satan for running a company that sends satellites up into orbit?”
“Something like that.”
“Then no. Nothing has happened since London.” She hesitated, the need for reassurance warring with the concern that she was just being silly. “Do you think there’s a chance they could be connected?”
“I think I’m glad you told me about it so we can rule out any connection.” Campbell reached for her hand, his voice thick with the shades of his whiskey. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Abby. You do believe me?”
“Yes.”
His fingers returned to the sensitive skin of her wrist and he rubbed gently against the small space with the pad of his thumb. Desire wrapped around her with sly tendrils, soft fingers of need that beckoned her toward him. The urge to simply lean forward and kiss him—to find out if the strength she sensed in him would follow through to his ability to draw a response from her—had her nearly acting on the impulse.
In the split second between desire and action, the bar exploded in confusion. The heavy, unmistakable sound of a gunshot echoed through her ear as the window opposite them exploded into a million pieces.
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