Defended & Desired (2 page)

“If this thing compromises the third floor, I’m pulling the plug.”

“Only as a last resort.” Her eyes pleaded with him.

“This needs to stop before it reaches the second floor. We go dark during the press conference, and we can kiss our flawless reputation goodbye.”

“I won’t let that happen,” she vowed, her determination as unwavering as his. “But if all the servers go down, it’ll take me at least a week to restore data from the past few days to everyone in-house. It’s bad enough all work from today has been wiped.”

“Isn’t there some kind of back-up device?”

She bristled. “You think I’m a rookie?”

“I know you run a tight ship, but I’m not familiar with the ins and outs of IT protocol.”

“Hang around with the nerds for a few days and I’ll give you the whole geek-ified tour.” Her tone implied he hadn’t invested time or resources in her department. They may not have passed the budget proposal she submitted months ago, but he’d sat in several times when she gave presentations to her team, which always impressed him. Then again, he should be more informed to give her better assistance in a situation like the one they faced.
Nothing like hindsight,
he thought scowling.  “Never mind, we’ll be swamped for days,” she added with a touch of misery. “You can get your geek on after I handle this meltdown.”

He planned to take her up on that offer, but right now he needed firm assurance. “So there is a backup.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, we have an off-site server housed a few blocks from here. But it’s a huge pain to reset everything when our servers go down.”

A muscle ticked in his jaw. He gave Devon a lot of leeway because he trusted and believed in her. But if she rolled her eyes at him again, they were going to have words. This was
his
business and
his family’s future
on the line. His voice came out harsh. “I don’t care what you have to do. Just make it work.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing—before you barged in here and pestered me to death.”

He crossed his arms, more amused than irritated. “Within an inch of your life, I see.”

She exhaled. “I tend to exaggerate when I’m stressed.”

“Where are your minions?” Typically they flocked around her, hanging on her every word, following her around like enamored puppies.

“In their cubicles working their fingers to nubs helping me locate the source code for this beast.”

“Hacking the hacker?”

She sent him a saucy grin. “That’s how we roll.”

The tingle at his scalp zipped down his spine and intensified below his belt. Despite the urgency surrounding them, he wanted to tilt her head up and seal his mouth over those gorgeous red lips.

Another buzz on his phone interrupted his unprofessional thoughts. The text came via his marketing director—on the third floor.
My computer
’s blank. Can’t get my screen up.
Tried IT. No answer.

Trey launched into action. He stole the dry-erase marker out of Devon’s hand, pitched it toward her desk and grabbed her waist. “We’re shutting this down.”

“Wait—”

“Now.” He scooped her up and out the door before she protested further. She moved toward the elevator. He veered her in the opposite direction. “We’re taking the stairs. I’m not gambling the operational status of the elevator with the fate of our company.”

Her demeanor became resolute. “Got it.”

Kicking off her heels, she picked them up and flew down the steps ahead of him. Hastening his strides, he caught up to her. Resting his hand solidly on her back, he flung open the basement door followed by the door to the server room, and ushered her inside with him.

The first thing he noticed about this unfamiliar room was the loud drone of equipment fans. Air-conditioning pumped constantly, cooling the temperature—the vibration hum
of static electricity and the stale chill scent of free-on cooling the space at a constant set temperature.

The sounds quickly became white noise. Then he noticed rainbow splashes of color running like rivers from the server cables. Blue, purple and green. Then yellow, orange and red.

He scanned the loud, crowded space, completely out of his element, though he berated himself for not paying more attention to all the things that functioned under his watch. “Where do we start?”

“Third floor.
This row.” She dropped her shoes and trailed her fingertips along the metal mesh backs of the server racks. “We have to contain the virus here before it creeps through and attains second-floor access.”

With a quick, thorough scan, he took in the room and its components stacked floor-to-ceiling. On the way, he noticed a section of the wall where plugs fused with huge sockets meant to handle massive flows of electricity. “Is that the ultimate off switch?”

“If I say yes, do you promise not to use it?”

“Nope.”

“I was afraid of that.” She let out a distressed sigh. “Please, Trey. That is our absolute last resort. You have no idea how long it takes—”

“I’ll make that call. Fix what you can before I have to.”

“I will, but I need your height.”

His height? “Why?”

“We need to investigate the condition of the servers. The racks down this aisle cover the top three floors.”

“What am I looking for?”

“Green lights are good. Flashing yellow or red lights and we have problems. You take the top, I’ll take the bottom.”

If only they were in his bed right now and not fending off a pending disaster. Smart, sassy and incredibly sexy, he’d love to have her under him any day, any time, any place.

Thirty seconds later, he paused as a series of red lights flashed in his face. “Devon.”

She came to his side. “Did you find something?”

He pointed to the highest server on the rack. “You tell me.”

She stood on tiptoe and craned her neck. “I don’t see—”

Without stopping to think, he slid his arms around her waist and hoisted her so she was eye-level with the top server. If the situation wasn’t so dire, he’d revel in the feel of her in his arms, her slim body pressed against him.

“Now?” he asked.

With an audible gulp, she stated, “Pull the plug, Trey.”

He slid her down his height until her toes touched the floor, and then darted to the knot of plugs at the end of the row. Wrapping them in his fist, he gave a hard yank. The servers went dead, their loud hum silenced.

He breathed a sigh of relief, and the tension tightening his chest eased a fraction. He glanced at Devon who rubbed her temples. She looked close to tears, although her tough-as-nails persona would probably never allow her to admit it.

The corners of her eyes pinched with a strain he could almost feel. “Now there’s no way I’ll meet the deadline for the software update release this week.” She dropped her hands. “This is why I need better equipment and more staff.”

He nodded in total agreement. He opened his mouth to tell her that he and Cade intended to pass her budget.

Before he could, she launched into a verbal tirade. “You know, you people want to snap your fingers and poof. Presto.
IT perfection.”

He frowned and shook his head. “That’s not—”

“Well it doesn’t work like that. Without the budget increase I asked from you and your chiefs months ago, I can’t pull miracles out of thin air.”

He wished she’d let him finish a sentence. “Actually, I don’t expect—”

She took a step closer and pressed a finger against the front of his chest. “I refuse to take blame for sloppy work when my team and I are stretched so thin we have to water down the coffee. Have you ever seen an entire tech department on caffeine withdrawal? Not pretty.”

Her eyes had grown impossibly dark as her temper heated. Her chest rose and fell, and that tempting scrap of lace between the lapels of her jacket drew his attention to her breasts. Struggling to remain focused, he said, “Devon, we—”

“I’ve waited six months!” she interrupted again, punctuating her point with another jab to his chest.

He swore if she didn’t calm down and let him speak, he’d put her sexy mouth to better use. “We plan to pass your—”

She took another step forward. “I’m so stressed out I could—”

His patience snapped. Without thinking, without worry about the consequences, he slid his fingers into her hair and captured her lips.

Chapter 2

Pure shock radiated through Devon’s limbs.

Frozen in place, her hands opened and closed on air. The attraction that always sparked to life around Trey quickly burst into flames of desire.

A compulsive thrill scattered across her nerve-endings. She hadn’t seen this coming, but she liked what she saw—and felt.

Swept away by the suddenness and the instant chemistry sizzling between them, she leaned in and kissed him back.

His lips were warm, soft, searching. They parted slightly, then closed on hers again. A tiny moan escaped her throat.
He angled her face, his mouth firmer, more insistent. His breathing turned choppy. When he exhaled through his nose, she felt his hot breath against her cheek.

Too hot.

Too close.

Too much.

Breaking the kiss, she turned her face away. This was insanity. A catastrophic mistake. One she couldn’t let happen again, even if she’d loved every second. Business and pleasure didn’t mix, and she had the track record to prove it.

He released her and drew back, but not far.

She stared at him. Her words evaporated like raindrops in the desert.

Trey was tall, dark, and beyond gorgeous. He was also distracting and tempting. She glanced at his mouth. He might be her boss, but she’d fantasized about having his lips on hers, and the reality had been way better than she’d imagined. God, the man could kiss, and she wondered how well he’d deliver on her other fantasies…

“I—” She pulled her desire-intoxicated thoughts out of the gutter. “Why did you do that?”

“You wouldn’t stop talking long enough for me to tell you Cade and I agreed to pass your IT budget. Adam and Liam won’t be far behind.”

“Oh. That’s good.” She licked her lips. “Kind of an unconventional way to shut someone up.”

“I like to think outside the box.” An insanely sexy grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She had no idea what to say.
Kiss me again
crossed her mind. The flames of desire he’d stoked still licked inside her.

“I probably shouldn’t have done that,” he murmured without a trace of apology in his tone or expression.

“I probably shouldn’t have liked it.” Her cheeks heated. “Did I say that out loud?”

Dark eyes glittering, he cupped her chin. “I appreciate spontaneity in a woman.”

His head lowered and he pressed his lips to hers again. She put her hands against his chest, knowing she should stop this, but ended up curling her fingers around his lapels. It had been so long since she’d felt wanted, desired. The sensation wrapped around her along with his arms, and she melted into his strength, ceding to this powerful attraction and undeniable chemistry.

This time he sought entrance beyond the barrier of her teeth. Thoughts of refusal turned to ash. He licked her upper lip. Hesitantly, she parted for him. The silken touch of his tongue sent sparks of lust shooting through her veins.

“Miss Leigh?” someone called from the doorway.

Devon sprang away from Trey. She grabbed her heels and hopped as she slid them on her feet. Using the back of her hand to blot her lips, she stepped out from the row of servers. “I’m here,” she said unsteadily.

“I think I’ve found the hacker’s source code, and I’m running a search.” Zander Atkins tugged at the sleeves of his oversized shirt that made his thin body look concave. He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Are you all right, Miss Leigh?” he asked with a slight lisp.

“Fine.” She raked a hand through her hair. “No, actually, I’m not fine.” She admitted defeat. “We had to pull the plug on the servers to stop the virus from spreading.”

“Unavoidable,” Trey said, stepping out from the row of servers to stand beside her.

“Oh. Hi, Mr. Soren.” He scratched his ear, where his hair hung in untrimmed layers. “Looks like the team has some long hours ahead.”

“I’m not happy with this outcome, either,” she assured. “I’ll be making plenty of Starbucks runs, I promise.”

She’d mentioned her team’s caffeine withdrawal to Trey earlier just to get his attention. She would never let anyone who worked for her suffer, in any way.

Zander nodded and sent her a shy smile. “Sounds okay to me.”

Her team was extraordinary. She realized she hadn’t told them that enough lately. She had nothing without their effort and dedication. Is that how Trey felt now, knowing she was all that stood between his reputation and a shallow hacker?

Their kiss was probably his response to a shocking situation. She shouldn’t read into it. Besides, more important things loomed.

She offered the young, dedicated man on her team a grateful look. “I appreciate all your help, Zander.”

“Anything for you, Miss Leigh.” He blinked twice, flushed, and left her in the server room. Alone with Trey.

As far as bosses went, she liked Trey immensely. He gave her equal amounts of freedom and support, and that was rare. Unlike Logan Stone, who’d needed to know and control every detail before he approved her management decisions, Trey gave her his blessing and let her results speak for themselves. While he left no doubt that he was the ringmaster, the one in ultimate control, he gave her a wide circle to perform whatever technological acrobatics she believed best benefited the company.

But with one incredible kiss, he’d knocked her equilibrium off-balance. Not that she was complaining…she just had no idea where she stood on the line between personal and professional interaction. She didn’t know what to think. And this was not the time to have her thoughts scattered to the wind.

“Devon—”

She held up a hand to stop him from speaking. About their kiss.
About the server catastrophe. About how unsteady she felt even as she savored the remnants of his taste. About anything she had no solid answers to give. She needed to gather herself and deal with this very serious breach. “Later, Trey. Right now there are four back-up servers calling my name. They’re cranky about this whole thing and so am I.”

“Sure. Do what you have to do. We’ll set up a meeting for tomorrow. I want to know your thoughts on all of this.”

Them or the hacker? The hacker, she’d figure out—years of experience would see to it. But them? There couldn’t be a “them,” even if her body ached for more of his touch. She worked for him and his family, and besides, she had plans that didn’t involve a relationship or staying in Denver. She glanced at his lips. Oh, but she’d love another taste of his skillful mouth.

“I’ll keep you posted,” she said, then exited in a rush, lost as to how he’d unplugged the rational part of her brain along with three floors of servers.

*

The next day, Trey stood at the head of the oval table in their sixth floor conference room. Fortunately, the press conference had gone well. But things were far from back to normal.

“Our business is security,” he stated. “If we promise that to our customers physically, with bodyguards, we’d better provide that same level of protection to their confidential information
as well as to our own assets. I vote we give Devon’s IT department the five
hundred
thousand she requested months ago. A small price to pay, considering the alternative.”

Cade nodded. Trey couldn’t read Adam or Liam’s expressions. His cousins hadn’t been there to suffer the nerve-racking stress.

“We can’t afford technical breaches damaging what we’ve worked so hard for. The cost is nothing compared to what we’ll lose if we don’t take enhanced security measures.”

“Agreed,” Cade said, still looking weary from yesterday’s near-meltdown.

Liam lifted a shoulder. “I guess.”

Adam gave Trey the stink-eye and crossed his arms. “No.”

Suppressing the urge to shake sense into his obstinate, cynical cousin, Trey forced himself to stay calm. They weren’t badass bounty hunters anymore who used their fists to solve disputes. “Why’s that?”

“We’ve been bleeding money left and right since we bought this thing last year. It’s stupid. We never dealt with overhead bullshit in the bounty hunter business.”

“And we haven’t sent anyone working for us to the hospital or the morgue, either,” Trey replied coolly. He refused to bury another family member or employee.

Adam’s biceps tightened beneath his leather jacket. “Our guys knew the risks—part of the deal in our line of work.”

Trey
looked at him levelly. “Not anymore.”

“I noticed,” Adam grumbled. “Now we stuff ourselves into suits and sit on our asses all day.”

The only one in a suit was Trey. Cade wore tailored gray pinstripe pants and a matching vest over his button-down. Liam wore holey jeans a t-shirt that said
Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy.
Adam had on his usual black jeans, black shirt and black leather coat despite the eighty-degree July weather. And none of them had been sitting on their asses for the past twenty-four hours. “I never enforced a dress code, though to look at you maybe I should. I’ve also never heard you whine about your limitless credit card or the balance in your bank account.”

“I don’t care about the money,” Adam snapped.

“Isn’t that why you’re voting no?”

Adam set his fists on the conference table. “If Devon couldn’t prevent this shit-storm in the first place, why should we give her half-a-mil?”

“Adam has a point.” Liam nodded, infuriating Trey. Didn’t his cousins understand that five
hundred
thousand was nothing compared to the billions they had on the line?

“Why aren’t you guys getting it?” Cade exploded. “This is now a publically traded company. We not only have customers and employees we’re responsible for, we also have shareholders with financial expectations tied to our success.”

Trey stepped in to support Cade’s defense, addressing his cousins. “Do you two have any idea how much we’re worth?”

Liam shrugged. Adam yawned.

“By the end of this year, the Wall Street Journal has estimated our net worth at a billion dollars.”

“Christ.” Liam’s eyes bulged. “How many zeroes is that?”

“More than we ever would’ve seen in three lifetimes as bounty hunters,” Cade retorted.

“It puts us in league with the big boys,” Trey stated. “We’re not a mom-and-pop shop in a strip mall. This is serious business, and we need to get serious about our security. We start by giving Devon’s IT proposal the green light.”

Adam tilted his head at a cocky angle. “I still say no.”

Trey weighed his options and came to a decision. “I’ll arm wrestle you. I win, Devon gets her money.”

“Deal,” Adam said with a gleam in his eye.

“Seriously? Honest to God.” Cade threw up his hands. “You have my vote, Trey. I’m out of here.” He shoved his chair back from the conference table and strode from the room.

Liam sat forward and grinned. “I’m staying.”

Like Cade, Trey was over the need to equate brute force with success. When he pulled his family out of Las Vegas and the reckless lifestyle of bounty hunting, he knew Adam would require the longest adjustment period.

Adam needed a physical challenge. Trey was giving him that.

“Not here.” Trey motioned across the room to the square café table with four high-backed chairs beside the pool table.

Removing his suit jacket on the way, he tossed it on the back of one chair. He propped his elbow on the table, positioning his arm at a forty-five
degree angle. Adam clasped his hand.

The ridiculous battle began. Trey held firm instead of accelerating his strength when Adam’s bicep bulged. They were well matched, Trey’s height and strength competing against Adam’s weight-lifter physique and aggression. However, Trey held one advantage. The key to winning an arm-wrestling match wasn’t brute force but persistence. Although Adam had stubbornness down to a science, he lacked the patience.

After two minutes, they were still dead
even at the center of the table. Adam glared at him. “I should kick your ass for sending me and Liam to that stupid class.”

“It’s good for business.”

“Making me die of boredom is an asset?”

“I consider that an improvement.”

Adam’s nostrils flared. “The leader went into all kinds of touchy-feely garbage. How to bring out the best in your employees,” he said in a mocking voice. “Identifying your B.S.F.U. personality traits.”

Liam interpreted Adam’s acronym aloud. “Bull Shit Fuck You. I like it.”

“D.I.S.C. is a highly respected management tool.” Trey tightened his jaw. “Better than being on the streets risking your L.I.F.E.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I’d rather rip my fingernails out with rusty pliers than do that crap for an entire week. Or make a living at it.”

A surge of power went through Trey’s forearm, angling Adam’s hand downward. “Tell me you learned something, so I can say the ten grand was worth it.”

Adam scoffed. “You’re an idiot. I could’ve gone to a Vegas whorehouse and learned more about business smarts, team work, and how to handle people’s personality differences. At least I would’ve gotten laid.”