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“Oh yeah.”
“Good job he can’t see you lolling in bed when you should be at work.”
She laughed, “Yes, I can’t decide which would be worse.”
“Worse? Which what would be worse?”
“Whether it would be worse if my father knew I’d brought a hacker into his precious business premises, or the fact I’m sleeping with him.” She chuckled, like it was something she thought about often, to amuse herself.
Draco stared at her, his thoughts clouding. He wanted to deny what he’d just heard her say, deny the amusement he saw in her eyes, but he knew her a lot better than that. She didn’t do or say anything without thinking about it. It wasn’t just an off-the-cuff comment. She might have made it sound that way, but the words coming out of her mouth always reflected what she really believed.
She poked him in the ribs as if to encourage him to laugh with her, her eyes bright with amusement.
His gut tightened and he pulled away from her, tossing back the sheet. He sat on the edge of the bed with his back to her, trying to quell the rising anger he felt.
The touch of her hand on his back made him flinch and he rose to his feet.
“Draco, what is it?” Her voice, soft and filled with concern, made him edgier still.
By the time he turned around to look at her she was sitting up with the sheet clutched her chest. At least she realized she’d said something wrong, something that made him feel betrayed and used. It was as if she had an entirely different motivation to the one she presented to him. Rising to his feet, he jerked away from her outreached hand.
“You just want to get your father’s attention.” Pacing up and down he gestured at her, his disbelief turned into full on rage. “This isn’t about impressing him at all, that’s only half of it.”
Her eyes widened and flitted about. She was trying to think of an appropriate response. Draco saw it now, she was always thinking, always planning.
“Calm down,” she insisted. “You know what this has been about from the beginning. I want to do better than my brothers. I want him to give me the chance they’ve had.”
“I completely understand that, but what I don’t get is you’re so ready for this to go wrong, for him to find out what you’ve been up to.”
In a flash she was out of the bed in on her feet. “I am not!”
“You wouldn’t consider his reaction to you sleeping with a hacker if you weren’t ready to face up to it.”
She stared at him as if astonished. “I’d be crazy not to think about the implications of being discovered, in every way.”
“I know that,” he said, between gritted teeth. “It’s the fact you’re laughing about him finding about us that makes me wonder what the hell is going on in your mind.” Pacing to the chair he set about snatching up his clothes. He glanced back.
Lara was staring at the bedside clock. “Shit, we’re going to be late.” Gathering herself, she nodded at him. “I’ll call a cab and we’ll talk about this on the way to the office. Sensibly.” She gave him one of her looks, the look she always did when she was trying to exert her authority over him.
Draco’d had enough of it. “Late for nothing, I’m out of here.”
“No!” She looked at him, clearly horrified. “You can’t do this, our agreement.”
Instantly Draco knew he couldn’t and wouldn’t abandon her and her hokey project, but he wasn’t about to let it lie. She was a spoiled little rich girl walking on the wild side, she had everything to gain and nothing to lose. He was just another toy, something to play around with. She needed skills and she was following him into dangerous situations for the thrill of it. “I’ve figured it out,” he said as it dawned on him. “You intend to impress your dad one way or the other, either through making him proud or shocking him.”
Why did it feel so bad? A tight fist had planted itself in his chest.
It was the betrayal, the fact she was so glib. He’d started thinking they might continue to see each other—that she really liked him and it wasn’t just about the project and having a bit of fun.
Lara looked at him aghast. She started muttering under her breath as she moved to the wardrobe and pulled open drawers, throwing clothing onto the bed. Climbing into her panties she shook her head. “This is unbelievable.”
“No, you are unbelievable. I knew you were a risk taker, that was obvious. What I didn’t realize was how prepared you are for it to go wrong.”
She turned on her heel and glared at him. “I want to succeed.”
“But you’re thoroughly enjoying this image of yourself as the rebel outsider, the one who brought a criminal into the company, the one who’s having a fling with the bad guy right under daddy’s nose.”
“You’re wrong. I want this to go well. I’m calling for a taxi.”
