Heart-Shaped Hack (18 page)

Stuart had
never
done anything like that.

There was something so powerful about Ian holding her that way because she was confined and yet completely exposed. And because of the way they were lined up, with her slightly below him, there was an amazing kind of friction occurring with each thrust. Powerless to do anything but enjoy how good it felt, Kate pulled his mouth to her neck by grabbing him roughly by his hair. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as he sucked on her skin.

“I meant it,” Ian said as he moved inside her. “I don’t share. Not ever.”

Kate wasn’t surprised. Ian would not be good at sharing. He was too used to getting his own way, too used to ignoring the rules and breaking them to get what he wanted.

“Here’s something you should know,” she said finding it hard to get the words out because it felt so good and she was almost there. “I don’t either.”

The next morning while sipping coffee in bed next to Ian, Kate read with interest the article in the newspaper about the mysterious hacking of the Jumbotron that had occurred the night before at the Timberwolves game.

“Listen to this part,” she said. “The sophisticated attack was undoubtedly carried out by a highly skilled team of hackers.”

Ian snorted. “No, just me, and I did it from my
phone
.”

“They also mention that it was”—she made air quotes—“
illegal
.”

“Does that bother you?”

“It should, but somehow it doesn’t.” Now that she knew him better, it was hard for Kate to think of Ian as anything but good, even when he broke the law. She threw a pillow at him. “You’re such a rebel.”

“I’m a hacker. We’re all rebels.” He tucked the pillow behind his head and grabbed Kate’s wrists when she tried to take it back. “Harmless halftime fun. I was watching it on TV. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it.”

He pulled her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder and continued reading. “It says that ‘steps are being taken to strengthen the integrity of the Target Center’s computer systems.’”

“That’s hilarious,” Ian said. “I’m tempted to demonstrate how futile their efforts are by doing it again.”

Kate laughed. “That’ll show ’em.”

“Never a dull moment, right Katie?” He trailed his fingertips along her shoulder, took the newspaper out of her hands, and covered her body with his.

“There is nothing dull about you, Ian. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Later that day, she received a text from Lisa.

Lisa:
Everyone was talking about the Jumbotron messages after you left last night
.
Did you see that article in the paper?
Those names were an awfully strange coincidence.
Your new boyfriend’s not a hacker is he? Come on, you can tell me. ;)

Kate:
Hahaha. No. My boyfriend is definitely not a hacker.

Lisa: Is it weird that I think it would be kind of cool if he was? Those messages were awesome.

Kate:
Yeah, I thought so too. : )

CHAPTER TWENTY

When Ian walked through the door of Kate’s apartment on the afternoon of Christmas Eve, she gasped. “What have you
done
?”

He laughed. “I knew you were going to say that.”

He’d cut his hair, and not just a trim either. It was short, above the ears, and not one single strand was out of place. He still looked breathtaking. In fact, Kate might have been able to argue that the haircut made him look breathtaking in a completely
different
way than before, but she’d loved the length of his hair, especially the way it felt under her fingers when she ran her hands through it.

“If I were meeting my daughter’s boyfriend for the first time, he would make a much better impression on me if he were a neatly trimmed business owner and not a scruffy hacker whose hair always looked like a woman had been running her hands through it in bed.” He set a gift-wrapped box on the table. “Nothing’s open tomorrow, so I had to do it today.”

“What am I supposed to grab on to now?”

“My ears?” He bent down to kiss her.

She put her arms around him. “I think it’s wonderful that you want to make a good impression. And you look superhot.”

“I do, don’t I?”

She grinned. “Humble as always.” She turned her attention to the box he’d set on the kitchen table. “Who’s the present for?”

“You, of course.”

“But we weren’t going to buy presents for each other. That was our deal.”

“Santa dropped it off. I had nothing to do with it.”

“When do I get to open it?” She picked it up and shook it.

“Not until we get home,” he said, taking it from her and crossing the room to place it under the tree.

Kate had been delighted to learn that Ian wanted to help serve meals with her. “Did you actually think I was going to spend Christmas Eve somewhere else?” he’d asked. “Besides, it will be nice to see the kids with their toys.”

Kate glanced at her watch.

“What time do we need to leave?”

“Not for another hour or so. I told Helena we’d be there by four to help set up.”

He smiled at her. “Maybe we can think of something to do until then.”

“Maybe we can.”

A steady stream of Kate’s clients came through the line while Kate and Ian were serving meals. There was Mike, a young man in his twenties whose girlfriend had broken up with him and kicked him out of her apartment. He’d been laid off three months before the breakup and had already gone through what little savings he had. He’d admitted to Kate how frantic he’d been when he’d scraped together enough to pay his bills and a deposit and first and last month’s rent on a new apartment only to realize there was nothing left to feed him.

There was a family of three who’d moved to Minneapolis from California for jobs that later fell through. When the mother had come into the food pantry—desperate, cold, hungry—the only thing she’d begged for had been formula for her nine-month-old daughter. Kate had soothed her, given her the formula, and filled a box with food. She’d been coming back ever since, often with her husband and baby in tow.

Rose, a sixty-year-old woman who looked a decade older, came through the line with her daughter and three young grandchildren. Her son-in-law had died two years ago, and Rose had been trying to help her daughter pick up the pieces ever since. Some months were better than others.

None of them had been able to resist giving Kate a hug or her hand a quick squeeze. She was their savior, and at that moment Kate didn’t care that she herself had needed Ian’s help in order to assist them. All that mattered was that they were warm and fed and wearing hopeful smiles despite their circumstances.

Kate had confirmed that Samantha would be attending the dinner, and when Kate spotted her in line with the girls and Georgie, she waved at them. When they reached her, Kate leaned across the table and said, “Santa gave me your present for safekeeping, Georgie. I’ll deliver it as soon as I’m done, okay?”

He nodded excitedly as Samantha ushered them along.

Helena’s husband Bert had dressed up as Santa, and when the children finished eating, they climbed onto his lap and told him what they’d wished for. Then Helena handed a present to them, and none of the children seemed to mind if the gift wasn’t exactly what they’d told Santa they wanted. Kate got choked up on more than one occasion as she observed their smiling faces.

Two volunteers took over for Kate and Ian twenty minutes later. Kate retrieved Georgie’s gift and found him playing alongside the other children a few feet from Bert and Helena. She sat cross-legged on the floor next to him, the gift in her hands. He smiled when he saw Kate and climbed into her lap. She pulled the Hershey’s Kiss from her pocket and watched as he unwrapped it and crammed it into his mouth. Next she handed him the Curious George stuffed animal she’d picked out at Target. Grinning widely, he examined it and then hugged it close.

Kate squeezed him tight. “Do you like it?”

Georgie nodded. “Mine.”

“Yes. It belongs to you. Merry Christmas, sweetie.” She kissed his temple. “Go play.”

Ian had been standing nearby, watching. Kate wiped her eyes as she walked up to him.

“You made that child’s night,” she said. “You made everyone’s night.”

He put his arm around her. “So did you.”

When they got home, Kate kicked off her shoes and Ian built a fire. He reached under the tree and pulled out the present he’d brought, setting it between them on the couch.

“Go ahead,” he said. “Open it.”

Kate untied the gold ribbon, removed the wrapping paper, and lifted the lid. Nestled within the layers of tissue were the most gorgeous items she’d ever seen. There was a black ribbed bustier, its lace bodice shot through with glittering metallic threads and covered with tulle. It zipped up the side but also laced up the back with black ribbons. The matching black thong had bands of wide lace on the sides.

“It’s La Perla,” Kate said, her eyes growing wide when she noticed the tag. The Italian lingerie was a ridiculously indulgent gift, and she didn’t want to know how much it had cost.

“Do you like it?”

“I love it. But I’m perfectly happy with Victoria’s Secret.”

“I know you are.”

“Promise me you’ll be careful when removing it from my body.”

“I promise to
try
.” He pointed at the box. “There’s more.”

The second item was a diaphanous ecru Chantilly lace babydoll nightie. The full skirt had chiffon inserts and a tea rose design. Kate didn’t think she’d ever had a need for the word diaphanous before, but it described the lingerie perfectly. Accompanying the nightie was a tiny pair of lacy high-cut briefs.

“It’s so delicate. And beautiful.” She looked at Ian. “You seem quite partial to babydoll nighties.”

“With good reason. There’s a lot to like.”

Using great care, Kate gently folded the lingerie and placed it back in the box. “Everything is gorgeous. Thank you.” She kissed him, then took a present from under the tree and handed it to him.

“You weren’t supposed to get me anything either.”

“It’s not from me. Santa must have dropped it off.”

Ian unwrapped it, pulled out a bottle of Four Roses single barrel bourbon, and grinned. “Lingerie and liquor. The jolly fat guy sure knows how to party.”

“There are glasses too,” Kate said.

He pulled out one of the rocks glasses and then leaned over to kiss her. “Thank you. This is the perfect gift, and I think Santa would want me to start enjoying it right now.”

He went into the kitchen and returned with the bourbon and a glass of wine for Kate. After throwing another log on the fire, he sat down next to her. Drinks in hand, they snuggled together on the couch.

“What are your mom and dad doing tonight?” Ian asked. Kate’s parents had arrived that afternoon and were staying at a hotel downtown. Kate and Ian were going to join them for dinner on Christmas Day. Their relationship was still fairly new, and Kate didn’t want Ian to feel pressured in any way. But when she’d extended the invitation, he’d said yes immediately and told her he was looking forward to meeting them.

“If he can’t be in his own home on Christmas Eve, my dad would prefer to spend it in a steakhouse with my mother, sipping whiskey. I do not begrudge him that desire. They had a seven-o’clock reservation at Manny’s.”

“Well then, your dad and I have something in common already. We’re both spending Christmas Eve with Watts women and whiskey.” He took a drink and set the glass on the coffee table.

“How is it?”

“Excellent. You chose well.” He kissed her, and Kate found the combination of his warm mouth and the smoky yet buttery flavor of the bourbon highly arousing.

When they’d finished their drinks, he went to the kitchen to refill them, and she slipped into the bedroom. She put on the bustier, zipping it up the side and admiring what it did for her cleavage. Kate thought she might be in danger of spilling out the top, but the ribbing kept everything in place. She stepped into the thong and then reached into her closet for her black stilettos. Her long limbs and full breasts were made for lingerie, and she felt sexy and bold.

Ian was going to combust.

She walked into the living room and watched his face as he took in the sight of her. He’d been in the process of raising his glass to take a drink, but he paused and stared. “Wow.”

“I was dying to try it on.”

“I’d say it fits perfectly.”

She walked toward him, and he didn’t stop looking at her even when he finally brought the glass to his lips.

“I need you to lace me up.” She sat down on the couch and turned so that her back was to him. He ran his hands through her hair, gathered it, and laid it over her shoulder. She took another drink from her wineglass while he cinched the ribbons tight and placed a kiss on the back of her neck.

Leaning back on the couch, drink in hand, he watched closely as she made several trips across the room, chest out, hips swaying, one hand trailing along her neck and collarbone. Kate grinned when her back was to him because he appeared to be in some kind of trance. Men were so visual, and she had a hunch that while Ian took immense pleasure in seeing her naked, there was something about seeing her half-naked that really turned him on. She made a few more passes in front of the couch, reveling in the way he never took his eyes off her.

“What do you think?” she asked.

“I’m incapable of forming coherent thoughts because all the blood has rushed from my brain to a different part of my body. I’ve never seen anything so hot.”

She sat down beside him and took a sip of her wine while he unlaced her. He reached around and cupped her breasts, squeezing them. Sighing, she leaned back and twisted her neck to kiss him. “Think you can handle the babydoll?” she asked with a mischievous smile.

“Only one way to find out.”

She went into the bedroom and slipped into the babydoll nightie and the tiny briefs. It covered more of her than the bustier had, and the off-white color made the garment seem more demure, but if Ian looked closely he’d be able to see her entire body through the nearly transparent fabric. Her nipples were dark pink buds under the tea rose pattern.