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Was he so eager to get rid of her, then? Obviously. And it hurt. She hadn’t expected him to want to marry her or anything, but still.
She remained silent, not trusting herself to speak right now.
“Tell me the truth.” His thumb drummed on the wheel. “Are you holding back on me?”
She forced a smile. “I assure you I’m not so desperate for your company that I’d play dumb to stick around.”
There. Take that, Jake.
He snorted, not looking the slightest bit upset. “I wasn’t implying you were. Last night was a distraction that really shouldn’t happen again. The important thing between us is our work.”
Of course. A distraction. That’s all. She’d do well to remember that from now on. He might have blown her figurative socks off several times in a row, but it had only been a release of sorts. “Obviously.”
Without another word, she stared out the window.
How long could she pretend not to remember the code? How long could she get away with playing dumb before she got found out? Not long, she’d bet. Jake was no fool. He’d be onto her soon…if he wasn’t already.
After a few minutes of tense silence between them, he turned into a parking lot. An office building with big windows sat at the end, and he parked directly in front of it. Shutting off the engine, he turned to her. “I’m not kidding around, Tara. You better not be playing me. This is my career we’re talking about—and your freedom.”
She shook her head and did her best to keep her facial muscles relaxed, but her heart sped up. And the guilt…it choked her. She wanted to help him. She really did. But helping him came at a cost, and she wasn’t sure she could pay it. “I don’t remember.”
She followed him inside. They rode the elevator up to the third floor, and after a few awkward introductions, she was seated behind his desk. His office had a wooden door and two windows. One overlooked the outside world, and the other showed the interior of the office building, and had those vertical blinds that could be closed if you wanted privacy. A bunch of men hustled about, but there were no signs of any women.
She’d spent a few minutes checking out his space, taking in all the details, but her examination hadn’t lasted long. While spacious, the room was barer in terms of personal effects than his house was. As he leaned over and opened the correct file, their arms brushed, and his chest pressed against her back.
The spicy scent of his familiar cologne teased her senses, and she inhaled deeply. Her stomach clenched tight, half from desire and half from fear. Shit was getting real—and she needed to make a choice.
Help Jake…or go to jail.
“Okay. Here it is. Study it, and see if something comes to you. Maybe we’ll luck out after all, and avoid a trip to the site,” he said.
She nodded and grabbed the mouse. She had to at least seem like she was trying, but she didn’t have to do it with him staring at her. He’d see through her act.
“Can you go get us some coffee?” she asked, grimacing and pressing two fingers to her temple. “I can’t work with this headache.”
Shifting his weight to his good leg, he glanced at the door, then back at her, with a furrowed brow. “You’ll stay here?”
“Yes.” She held her wrist out and sighed impatiently. “Would you like to cuff me to the desk to make sure I don’t run?”
He touched her wrist, lingering over her racing pulse. “That won’t be necessary.” He started for the door and glanced over his shoulder. “They’d stop you before you hit the door anyway.”
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nbsp; “A bunch of rental security dudes?” She rolled her eyes and scrolled down the page. This code was so simple it hurt her to study it. “I think I could take them.”
Scoffing, he shook his head. “This company consists of military men who have been trained to take down targets without blinking. I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”
He shut the door behind him, and she was alone.
She watched through the interior window as he walked to the closest desk. He said something and gestured toward her, and a brown-haired man turned her way. Though he was a good distance away, she could make out the fact that he had deep brown eyes, was extremely muscular, and had tattoos all up his arms.
He screamed military.
As a matter of fact, a quick scan of the agency building showed a bunch of former service members. They all held themselves in the same way. Tall and strong, and they carried themselves with pride.
Turning her attention back to the computer, she studied the simple code. Within seconds, she found the spot where he’d gone wrong. Tapping her fingers on the desk, she glanced over her shoulder. After opening an internet browser, the first thing that popped up was a picture of her at her parent’s funeral. She wore all black and had her head lowered from view. She’d been crying, of course.
He’d been researching her. Her heart wrenched, and she closed the page. She didn’t need to be reminded of all she lost. Didn’t need to remember that day. After going broke in a Ponzi scheme, her parents had managed to pull their lives together. Their love for each other had never died. Not until a drunken senator had crashed into them, killing them both instantly.
