her boldness. But Mallory Hunt clearly had an agenda and he wasn’t taking one step in her direction until he understood what it was.
This woman was fire, and he’d been burned before.
“Okay, Jake. Here’s the deal in a nutshell. You pick what you think is your most secure property. I’ll research your system, determine where the weaknesses are, prove my position by infiltrating your system and then submit a summary so you can address the problems.”
She slid the shower door open as he realized exactly what it was about her tone that he found so very intriguing.
There was no doubt in her voice. None. Mallory was completely confident in her abilities, just as she’d been while confronting him that dark night long ago.
He waited until she stepped inside and closed the sliding glass door before he played his hand. “I’ll pick my most secure property, you get inside and take me with you to show me how you do it.”
He saw her pause and experienced a surge of satisfaction that he’d surprised her. A definite first in their limited acquaintance.
She recovered quickly, though, and he heard her bubbling laughter over the running water as she stepped into the spray, tipping her head to wet that magnificent hair.
Until she responded, Jake had absolutely nothing to counter or debate, so he stood there and enjoyed the show.
Steam billowed around her, misted the glass and showcased her beautiful curves. The beige tile cast her pale body and dark hair in soft relief, drawing his attention to the graceful way she lifted her arms, reached for a bottle from a shelf.
He’d tried to anticipate every eventuality for today’s meeting. But of all the unexpected things he’d expected, playing spectator while this slim beauty showered hadn’t even made the list.
“I operate alone, Jake,” she finally said.
“You didn’t ten years ago.”
“True, but I’m in a different line of work now.”
Their encounter that night had sent both their lives spiraling off into entirely new directions. It had taken him a long time to make peace with the changes to his career plan. How had she felt about her own?
He didn’t ask, just said, “I insist.”
“Really.” No question mark.
“Really.”
“Why?”
A simple question, but one that surprised him. “I don’t trust you.”
He thought he heard her chuckle over the running water.
“But you contacted me, Jake Trinity.”
“Yes, I did. I researched your references and looked into your business dealings. I understand you operate a legitimate business now and your services come highly recommended. But I also discovered that most of your clients don’t realize how you honed your skills.”
“I’ve never kept my background a secret.”
He didn’t doubt her. This woman impressed him as someone skilled in turning disadvantage to advantage. She was manipulating the situation to her advantage right now and he didn’t know why. But she had a reason for putting on this show, for lathering her long hair with slow, sinuous motions, arms raised, body displayed through sheets of water and steamy mist.
She definitely had a reason for challenging him to combine business with the pleasure of watching her. His body was on red alert, and the conversation was the only thing helping him maintain control, forcing his focus on something other than the tumble of dark hair and lather playing over her sleek skin.
“Mallory, I’ll be hiring you to infiltrate a prototype of the Sentex 2000 that’s in place on one of my client’s properties. They’ll be allowing you to break in at my request. My reputation is on the line here. You must understand my need for caution.”
“I do. But I’m guessing you don’t have a clear idea of what it takes to infiltrate a security system. Trust me when I say it requires a skill that doesn’t lend itself to spectators.”
Here it was, and Jake went for it. “I don’t want to be a spectator. I want to assist. Show me what to do and I’ll do it.”
“You want a course in thievery 101.” Still no question mark.
“Yes.”
She only reached for a bath sponge and started a whole new show by working lather over her neck and shoulders. Jake followed her motions, the continued level of excitement wearing at his restraint. He found it increasingly difficult to concentrate when the memory of how she’d felt pressed up against him collided with the sight of all that bare skin. He struggled to stay sharp, because staying sharp was crucial to dealing with this woman.
“If I agree to your conditions, what exactly do you think you’ll gain?”
“A couple of things,” he said, shifting his position to ease up the seam that was biting into his crotch. “First is that I’ll be with you when you infiltrate my client’s property. I can offer them my personal assurance that their interests will be protected because I’ll be overseeing you personally.”
“And?”
“I want to see how you operate. You offer a unique perspective on security. I want to benefit from your experience and bring that knowledge with me when I design my systems.”
The soapy bath sponge continued a leisurely path down her arms, graceful swirls of motion that drew his gaze to the way her back arched slightly, thrusting those incredible breasts forward, the rosebud nipples spearing through the lather.
He shifted position again, trying to ease the pressure of a tight seam.
“Are you willing to pay my fee?”
“I am—even though you quoted me a number that starts forty percent above what you charged my competitors.”
She turned to face him, aiming another salvo with a fullfrontal shot of all that soapy skin, that smooth stomach and the barely-there dark curls peeking out between her thighs. “Inflation.”
Right. Even if he hadn’t heard the amusement in her voice, Jake knew better. Unfortunately, he was still no closer to understanding her agenda. With the dramatic decrease in both his willpower and IQ beneath her sexy assault, he wouldn’t be satisfying his curiosity any time soon.
“Does this mean you’ll take the job?” he asked out of sheer desperation to distract himself as that bath sponge wound a path between her thighs.
“Why should I? You’ve already told me you don’t trust me. Think about all the extra work training you will mean for me.”
He’d thought about it—long and hard, in fact. Her extra work meant his, too. He also thought about just telling her outright that she owed him, tipping his hand and letting the cards fall where they may.
But Mallory Hunt couldn’t know that she’d cost him his job on that long-ago
