Fascination Read online

She looked at him, her eyes serious. “Sounds like it. He had the time. You were asking what he’d been up to for the last five years, well…this could be it.”

  “Is there a way to find out what companies are targeted? Warn them?”

  She shook her head. “You can guess it will be major retailers. I remember some of the ones we were after, but it’s a crapshoot, depending on where consumers buy. You could hypothetically target it, I suppose, by tracking purchases and consumer records, but that would take a lot of time. Anyway, there’s another problem. EJ found it.”

  “What’s that?”

  “The new bot is booby-trapped, for all practical purposes. There’s a notation about a fail-safe in it that if Locke doesn’t send the right command or gets shut down before it executes, it fatally crashes every computer it’s planted in.”

  “Which could be millions?”

  “Yes. Or more.”

  “So there’s no way to stop it?”

  “You’d have to get his computer—his mainframe—and shut it down from there before it executes. There’s no way to tell where all the bots are and no real way to know all the companies he’s hitting, at least not at first.”

  Ian walked over and stared out the window. Millions of computers crashed, paralyzing businesses, hospitals, governments, schools, personal computers—wherever these little programs had buried themselves—or a massive attack on e-commerce. Great choices. He turned back to Sage and EJ.

  “I guess we have to find him then, and fast. According to the note he left with the disk, we can assume Tuesday’s the day he plans to execute the program, in honor of your release. That gives us three days. Let’s hope it’s enough.”

  SAGE’S EYES WERE BLURRING. She and EJ had been sitting at the computer all day, digging deeper into the code, seeing what other hidden goodies they could find. Ian had been in the background, on the phone, though a few times when she had peeped out to see what he was doing, his charged glance had locked with hers as he’d continued speaking softly into the phone, not missing a beat.

  Sage stretched in her chair. Watching someone else at the keyboard was so boring—she would much rather be driving than riding shotgun. But EJ was good—and he didn’t seem to be faltering at all. The man had amazing stamina to sit and focus for so many hours, and she wondered idly what other kind of stamina he had, though she wasn’t remotely interested in him that way. It had been, however, nice to sit with someone who smiled at her and who treated her nicely after putting up with Ian’s gruff and distant manner for so long.

  They’d worked right through lunch, and her stomach growled, loudly. EJ looked over, grinning.

  “The beast is restless.”

  “You can say that again. Breakfast was great, but it’s been a long time.” She laughed, enjoying their camaraderie. He’d caught her up on a lot of things she’d missed over the years, explaining new programs, new viruses, new advents in the computer world. She was surprised to find out how much she’d missed. It had the dual effect of making her feel out of the game and making her itch to get back in it.

  “So what do you want to do when you’re free and clear? Just a few days now, right? It must be exciting.”

  Sage looked back at Ian quickly, then down to where her hands were clasped in her lap.

  “I don’t know. I thought I could find something in network security—you know, helping companies patch the weaknesses in their networks, that kind of thing. But you’ve made me see there’s a lot I need to catch up on. Maybe I should take some classes. Maybe even teach someday.”

  “Taking some courses never hurts, but you know this stuff on an instinctive level. For the work you want to do, they’re more interested in how attacks are done, how access is gained. In that sense, the basics never change.”

  Sage smiled, feeling encouraged, and launched into interrogation mode, getting as much information as she could. She was thrilled when EJ even offered to hook her up with someone in the field who might be able to help her get some consulting gigs to start with to help her build a name for herself. But the conversation—and her excitement—was quickly dampened by Ian’s suddenly cool presence as he walked up, apparently catching drift of their conversation.

  “What the hell are you doing?” He pierced EJ with a look that would make lesser men wither, but EJ just cocked an eyebrow.

  “We’re talking shop.”

  “She’s not allowed to do that.”

  The eyebrow rose a little farther. “Don’t you think it’s a little late for that considering what we’ve been doing all day?”

  “There’s a difference between getting information off that disk and encouraging her to do it again.”

  “It’s hardly that, Ian, and you know it.”

  Glowering, Ian looked down at Sage, and she ground her teeth, biting back a response. He was just being a jerk.

  “EJ and I can talk about whatever we please. I’m going to find a good job and get out of that stinking plumbing-supply place where you stuck me—which, by the way, I never showed up for today so I am probably fired anyway and thank God for that. You have no say in what I do or what I talk about or to whom.”

  Her chin went up mutinously as his eyes glittered dangerously down at her, and she wondered if she had gotten a little too brave in EJ’s presence and pushed a bit too far. Technically he did have a say, though it rankled her. Ian’s gaze were back to EJ and he nodded curtly.

  “Thanks for the help. We’re going now.”

  “Why don’t you stay for dinner and we can—”

  As they spoke, the door opened, and Ian stepped back, avoiding it. Millie walked in, obviously surprised to see them there and not entirely pleased, though she was much too polite to say that. Ian recovered from the unexpected interruption first and smiled.

  “Ian…how nice to see you…again.”

  “Just like a bad penny, huh, Mil?” Ian teased, trying to change the subject. “We were just leaving. Things took longer than we thought. Sorry to have interrupted you twice in a day.”

  Millie looked at EJ, questions in her eyes as she spoke. It was clear there was going to be a “discussion” between the two of them once they were alone. Sage felt a little sorry for EJ. Millie obviously didn’t like her husband-to-be dabbling in law enforcement.

  “I understand, of course. But I’m forgetting my manners. Are you staying for dinner?”

  Ian just reached for the door handle. “Thanks, Mil, but another time—lots going on right now.” He looked at EJ pointedly. “I’ll be in touch.”

  EJ shifted a little uncomfortably, not quite meeting Millie’s gaze. “I’ll be around. You want me to keep at this?”

  “You have time?”

  EJ nodded. “I’ll make it.”

  “I would love your help then. Thanks. You know where to contact me.”

  EJ nodded and walked them to the door. Sage bestowed a smile on him when he winked at her, his friendliness taking some of the sting out of Ian’s blatant rudeness. She touched his arm briefly. “Thanks, EJ. Thanks for the tips on jobs, and I hope we can talk about that soon.”

  “I’ll look forward to that.”

  They left, and Sage took a deep breath as she faced getting back in the car with Ian, who looked like a thunderbolt personified. It was going to be an interesting ride.

  SAGE SPUN AROUND TO CLOSE the door to her house, glaring at Ian when he stood in the way.

  “Do you mind?”

  “Actually yes. You’re slamming that thing on my foot.”

  She gave it another push for good measure, but he put his hand up, stopping it before it hit his boots.

  “You need to pack. We’ll get some dinner and then we have a long night ahead of us.”

  Staring at him dumbfounded, she blinked.

  “What? Pack for what?”

  “You aren’t staying here—you aren’t moving out of my sight until this thing is over. And I’m not staying here, so get what you need and we’ll go to my place.”

  “I’d
rather be here. This is my home.” She felt exhausted from the long, tense day. She did want to be home. She wanted to shower and crawl into her bed and forget about everything. She turned away, walking from the door, not facing him. Too much had happened, and all of her ragged emotions bubbled too close to the surface. She needed some distance.

  “Please, Ian. Just let me be for a while. I promise I won’t take off anywhere.”

  Her heart sank when she heard the door click shut and then heard his soft footsteps cross the entryway to where she stood. When he spoke, his voice was softer, even a bit more gentle than usual.

  “Listen, you can shower, get freshened up. I’ll wait. But we only have so much time left and we need to use it all. I promise you’ll be comfortable at my place. And you’ll have your own room, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

  Sage could have dealt with him yelling, cursing or ordering her around. But the softness of his voice, something so rare and lovely, wrecked her.

  “I—I’ll just go shower then. Thanks.”

  She tried to make her escape, but his hand twirled her around, and she tilted her face away, but he took her chin in his fingers, made her face him. She couldn’t cop an attitude if she tried—everything was there for him to see. His eyes had changed, too—they were softer, as well—and she just stared as he drank in every detail of her face.

  She couldn’t turn away from him. This new side of him, the side that urged her to lean in, to find comfort, stunned her. But it’s what she did, and felt his arms close tightly around her as she heaved a sigh and soaked up the warmth of him. All of his gruffness and harsh words made these gentle moments surprising and sweet. She might have imagined his lips in her hair, but after a few minutes, he eased her away from him.

  “Go. Get cleaned up. I’ll be right out here.”

  She backed away, noting that he didn’t look at her. Had the unexpected tenderness he’d shown her disturbed him as much as it had her? She headed for the shower, not sure what to think.

  IAN UNLOCKED THE DOOR to his house, every bone in his body aching. Had it only been a day since he’d discovered the envelope at Sage’s? In that time his entire world seemed to have changed.

  He’d always been clear, always sure of decisions he made, and now he wasn’t. He’d let a known felon talk him into not arresting her, he’d let her violate her sentencing agreement to help him get information and he’d made love to her. And worse, he wanted to do it again.

  Sage was helping him, though. She’d been used by Locke—everything she had been accused of doing might have been false, at least to some degree. He wasn’t sure what to do with that knowledge.

  On the long drive to his home, the scent of Sage’s skin and hair, made more fragrant from her shower and the humidity that hung heavy in the dusky air, had nearly driven him mad. He’d wanted to pull the car into the first available spot and devour her. Now she was stepping in his front door, looking around, taking in the view of the Chesapeake that graced the patio doors of his living room.

  “Wow. Nice place.”

  “Thanks. I’ll show you to your room and we can get some dinner.”

  She turned, looking refreshed in her red sheath and sandals.

  “You go get showered and freshened up. Show me where things are and I’ll cook.”

  He must have just stared blankly in shock because she waved her hand in front of him.

  “Ian? Hallooo. Point me to the food.”

  “Your room…”

  “That’ll keep.”

  He nodded, feeling too zoned to do much more than agree. Adrenaline and lack of sleep were taking their toll. Showing her to the kitchen, he turned back. “Help yourself to whatever you want. I think there’s some fish in there, if it’s still good.”

  He left, oddly comforted by the sound of her moving around in the kitchen and yet feeling unsettled over leaving her there alone. What if she took off? Or tried to contact Locke? He shook his head. She wouldn’t be that stupid—not so close to the end of her sentence. She’d already had one close call.

  But to be safe, he stopped by the entryway and looked into her bag, snagging her keys and taking them with him. The only landline in the house was in his bedroom, and he patted his pocket for his own keys. He tried to relax and let it go, forgetting everything for a while as he stepped under the steaming water of the shower.

  When he emerged, feeling more refreshed, he inhaled deeply—something smelled damned good. And he relaxed. If he was smelling food, she must still be here. Truth be told, he had hurried through his shower, just in case.

  He pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, walking back downstairs in his bare feet, following the delectable scent.

  Stopping in the doorway, he felt like one of those cartoon characters that the very large rock falls on. He watched Sage moving around his kitchen like a pro, humming softly and doing a little dance as she put a salad together. He saw the tuna fillets being kept warm on the grill and cleared his throat, letting her know that he was there.

  Surprised, she turned, smiling at him, and he reeled—did a second rock usually fall on those cartoon characters? Because when she smiled at him like that, that’s how he felt. Flattened. If she wasn’t the most stunning woman he’d ever seen, he’d eat his shirt. Which he was almost hungry enough to do anyway.

  His body seemed to be experiencing an odd little buzz, which could be due to hunger, but he thought it was more likely caused by Sage. He couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her, and his body—certain regions in particular—was definitely responding. Suddenly he doubted the wisdom of having her here. He walked into the kitchen, enjoying the feel of the cool tile on his feet.

  “Smells great. Is that lime?”

  She nodded. “Made a lime-and-dill butter for the fish. Perks it up a little. I hope you don’t mind it rare—tuna really is best that way.”

  Ian just blinked in amazement as he inhaled the heavenly scents again.

  “I didn’t know you could cook.”

  She smiled and her voice was almost teasing. “Hey, big surprise, there’s one thing you don’t know about me.” Picking up the tuna and transferring it to a plate, she inhaled the pungent aroma and smiled. “I cooked a lot during my eighteen-month in-house—I needed to do something creative or I would have gone nuts. I’m surprised I didn’t gain about fifty pounds.”

  “You must have a great metabolism.”

  “Nah, with so much time on my hands, when I was bored with cooking I just worked out.”

  “It must have been pretty hard. You don’t seem like the type to do well cooped up.”

  She nodded and shrugged and didn’t say anymore.

  Ian cleared his throat and spoke cheerfully. “I’ll get some wine. Want to eat outside?”

  There was that smile again. Man.

  “Sure.”

  They grabbed everything and moved out to a small table that sat on a teak deck overlooking the wetlands that bordered the Chesapeake Bay.

  “How did you ever snag this place? I thought only millionaires lived like this.”

  Ian had to laugh. “Pays to be in the federal government sometimes—criminals get arrested, their assets get auctioned off. I picked this up for a song.”

  “Hmm. Nice deal.”

  Ian marveled at how normal it all felt to be sitting there with Sage, enjoying a quiet dinner. And he caught himself—it shouldn’t feel normal. He shouldn’t let it.

  “You and EJ did some good work today.”

  “Oh…thanks. I didn’t think you were all that hot on my work.”

  It was hard to tell in the evening light, but he thought his faint praise brought some color to her cheeks. He knew he’d been a bastard for most of the day and he didn’t know why he was feeling so soft toward her now. Scratch that—he did know. He just didn’t like admitting it.

  “I’m not—not about your writing viruses or being involved with Locke. But one of my, um, consultants told me Locke often does what you said—uses his underlings�
��” he chose to avoid the word groupies that Sarah had actually used “—to do his dirty work. I guess that sounds like what happened to you.”

  Sage stared at him intensely, and he frowned, wondering why, but didn’t say anything. She did.

  “Does that mean…you believe me?”

  Ian shrugged, not really knowing how much to give away. “I’m willing to admit there is a chance that you were not the programmer of that virus. But as you said, you still sent it out. And it still did do a lot of harm.”

  Her shoulders sagged a little. “True.”

  “But it’s in the past.”

  Her eyes raised to his again. “Yes.”

  Taking a deep breath, he stood, walking to the rail and staring out over the water. After a few moments he realized she’d joined him, standing only a few inches away.

  “You had a good time today.”

  Her brow furrowed. She seemed confused by his comment, so he elaborated.

  “With EJ. Working on the code. It must have been like old times. You want back in.”

  He felt more than saw her pull back from him, her chin kissing up as it always did when she was settling in for a fight.

  “Don’t try to trap me, Ian, asking questions like that.”

  “But it’s true, isn’t it?”

  “Not the way you think. I do want to return to working with computers in some professional—and legal—capacity. I love it and I’m good at it. Do you think the desire to do it just goes away?”

  “It should, perhaps, after what you’ve gone through. Or maybe even if you still want it, you shouldn’t get too close. I’m surprised you’re so eager, really, to find that kind of work.”

  She expelled a frustrated breath. “Ian, it’s not like being an alcoholic. I’ll never work on viruses again, not in terms of writing them. But I would be good at prevention work, security. I know I would be.”

  “Kind of like a drug addict using legal drugs to get their fix.”

  Her jaw set again.

  “That’s ridiculous. It’s a talent I have. It’s what I know. Do you just expect me to work at useless jobs for the rest of my life?”

  “You could reeducate. Be something else. A teacher.”