AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“That’s the running excuse,” she muttered.
He didn’t seem to have heard her. “My report on you says you travel a lot more than you’re home. In fact, it was rare for you to be in San Diego, and I’d missed you by a few hours.”
Sakura had no problem with the fact that he had a report on her. All of the field staff had dossiers. The hunters didn’t just study their prey. They figured out the best person to send for the job and what skills would match best. Now that they were down to just Sakura, she didn’t figure they had much of a choice as far as the women.”
“I met everyone else,” Roger was saying. “I wanted to get to know you in person, especially if I’m going to recommend other women.”
Sakura gasped. “Other women? My dad intends to hire women to replace my sisters? He never told me that!”
“He didn’t say so, but you can’t do it alone, right?”
For some reason his words seemed to hold a challenge, but she refused to rise to it. “Makes sense, I guess.”
He nodded. “But first you. Tell me what you’d like to drink. I’ll do all in my power to please you.”
“Sit still,” Sakura told him and rose. “I’ll get us something.” Her habit was never to allow a man to have access to her drink, and she didn’t care if Roger did work for her father. A cautious nature would not be denied. She procured a beer for him and a mojito for herself, including Bacardi, lime, mint syrup, and club soda. She also asked for a double order of fries because she hadn’t eaten much that day, and she was starving. Having more alcohol on an empty stomach might spell trouble, so she wanted to head it off.
/> “Thanks.” Roger took the offered beer and snagged a French fry. Sakura ate a few and sipped her drink. Roger leaned toward her as if to keep others from overhearing, but she doubted with the music vibrating the air around them anyone could listen in. “So why are you in Miami? This doesn’t seem like your scene.”
“And you would know my scene?” she countered.
He studied her face. “Somewhere exotic maybe. With an ocean between you and home.”
She glared.
He held up hands, grinning. “I’m not judging you. Who knows, I might feel the same. I travel all over myself, but I’m new to Cali. So far, I like what I see.”
Sakura knew he aimed the statement at her. Roger worked hard to get close to her, which was hardly necessary. From the way his gaze dropped every so often to her legs, exposed beneath her dress, she assumed he would have no problem should she ask him to join her in her room later. For a while now, Adam had been her only lover, and she usually kept at least two. None lasted more than a year, except Adam. Okay, stop thinking of him, damn it! Maybe she should invite Roger to her room. If she took on a new lover, it might help dissipate the feelings she had built for Adam.
“Thanks,” she said in a deep, sultry voice, and she tilted her head to the side while studying him. Color rose in his cheeks. She crossed one leg over the other at the side of the tiny table and made sure to bump his leg. “Oh, sorry.”
He shifted in his chair. “No worries.”
“So I guess you’re a genius, huh? The way you recovered our system in no time?”
He preened. “Me? No, just know a little about computer systems. Your sister was pretty good in the way she wiped out most of the data, but she outsmarted herself in the end. There was another backup—granted in pieces of code. I simply rooted around in it and solved the puzzle. Viola.”
“Oh, viola,” she said, amused. “I don’t know computers, but I’m guessing the rooting around took hours.”
“Hours, days, weeks. I have no social life.”
“I don’t believe you.” She bumped him again, this time letting him know it was on purpose. “You look like you know how to have fun.”
The man practically panted.
She waggled a finger at him. “I bet you are so smart, you could find anyone, anywhere. Not just shifters either. Wait, you’re probably like those guys…um…”
His brows rose. “Those guys?”
“The ones on that show. They pick up clues from crime scenes.” She felt like an idiot. The stretch from computer wiz to a CSI investigator was so wide, but she hadn’t been able to come up with any other way to lead the conversation where she wanted.
Roger nodded. “Ah, yes, that show. I’m a strong guy, but I think a crime scene with all its blood would be beyond me.”
Sakura almost slumped with disappointment.
“But once it was on a computer, I could go through it easy enough. Hell, I could probably even hack into the medical examiner’s office computer if I wanted.”
Medical Examiner. His words triggered an idea in Sakura. Why hadn’t she thought of it before? Someone must have found her mother’s body and called the police and the medical examiner. Her family had many contacts in official capacities, and they had covered up more than one incident that involved shifters to keep the general public in the dark. She couldn’t outright use one of the contacts to gain information because it might get back to her dad, but maybe if she had the excuse of another case, she could get into the office.
