Breaching His Defenses by Allyson Lindt (read aloud books .TXT) 📖

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the name. They don’t need a reason besides boredom. But if you’d prefer, let’s make it more personal.” She barely registered the hush in the room. Something in the back of her mind told her it was significant, but she was too focused on the debate. On making her point.

“Are we talking vengeful ex kind of personal?” Jared’s attention was all on her now, never wavering. “Because it’s true, that happens, but things like a girlfriend stealing your administrative password are a little harder to code for.” He turned his attention back to the room. “Not that measures can’t be put in place. Once again, industry standards dictate things like IP checking for logins. Trusted computer settings. There’s an intensive list of things that prevent the up-close and personal violation from becoming an issue.”

Vengeful ex. She hadn’t even thought about that. Something to add to her ever-growing list of possible loopholes she tucked away for work. “I’m not talking about the trusted friend, loved one, or family member. Though there are things to be concerned about there, too.” But that was a different conversation. “Everyone has beliefs, right? Something at their very core that they hold true?” She couldn’t help her satisfaction when he shrugged in agreement. “With today’s instant access to all things news—whether it’s really news or not—more and more people’s beliefs go on trial on social media every day.

“Suddenly, regardless of what you think or believe, someone decides they disagree with you, and they take it out on your business’s online presence. Graffiti on the website, maybe? Or again, stolen customer information. Names, phone numbers, addresses. Do you think they really stop and ask themselves, ‘does this website follow industry standards?’ and then steer clear if the answer is yes?”

Jared’s mouth drew into a thin line, and he half rose from his chair. “But you’re painting the rare scenario. Standardization and certification statistics show those things impact less than one percent of online businesses. These are companies who are paid to verify things work the way the rules say. Time and again, research has proven the chaos hacker is the boogey man in an executive’s closet. It doesn’t happen to the everyday user. Statistically it doesn’t even register on the radar.”

“But that’s what we sell.” The words slipped out without her considering them. “Peace of mind. You’re not buying security because it happens all the time. You’re buying because you don’t ever want to be the person who said, ‘That’ll never happen to me.’ And then it does.”

The corner of his mouth twitched up. It looked like he wanted to reply when the moderator cut in. “Thank you, Ms. Elford. Very enlightening. But I think we’ve gotten off topic. Next question?”

She turned her attention back to the audience, but not before she saw a hint of a smile whisper across Jared’s face. Had she impressed him? She liked the thought of that.

The rest of the panel passed without incident. After, she lingered, shaking hands and accepting business cards, along with a smattering of, “Great insight. We’ll be in touch.”

Part of her wanted to wait for Jared to extract himself from the small pocket of people around him. For professional reasons, of course. So far he’d had some very specific opinions on what did and didn’t work in this business, and she wanted to know how a brain like that crossed the line into innovative.

And maybe she was lingering just a little because every time she looked at him, new images flashed through her mind. Of his lips gliding up her throat. Or his hands on her hips. Or his mouth swallowing her cries in a hungry kiss.

Her skin tingled, reacting to the simple caress of her shirt against her body. She pushed the onslaught of fantasy aside. Too bad she had to get back to work. She made her way toward the exit, still toying with fantasies around the familiar voice fading in the background.

“Michaela.” The sharp word cut into her thoughts, and she spun toward Hayden. He stood on the other side of the hallway, face stretched into a grin. “A minute?”

She crossed the short distance, taking a cue from the fact he’d picked an out-of-the-way spot and keeping her voice low. “What’s up?”

“I caught the end of your performance in there. Absolutely brilliant. Want to run the rest of the show?”

“I—” How was she supposed to answer a question like that? It was tempting, but only if it came with the great view again. “I think tech’s more my thing. I didn’t say anything you wouldn’t have.”

His expression shifted, corners of his mouth tugging down. “Except you did the one thing I really need you to not do.”

She replayed the panel in her head, focusing on the bits that weren’t blurred together. Nope, nothing stood out as “bad.” “Which was?”

“Making waves with Skriddie.”

“Oh.” This again? What had he expected? So much for him giving her more excuses to stare at Jared. When she rolled his words around in her thoughts, his request dragged back her nagging question from earlier. Why was he so fixated on this? “You know it was a panel discussion, right?”

He jammed his hands in his pockets. “Just… Please. You’re fantastic at what you do, so I let you do things your way. I only have this one request.”

She bit back a snort at how his idea of doing things her own way contrasted with the tight leash he kept on everything, but she couldn’t suppress her next question. “You’re really kind to worry about my wellbeing. Especially since you already have me on staff, and technically I’m just a grunt. Are all bosses this concerned about how the competition views their employees?”

His jaw clenched. “No. Most of them are assholes. I know you’re new to jobs like this, but I’ll remind you again, making waves in an industry is never a good idea. You’re talented. I’d hate to see you throw your future away because your ego is bigger than your sense.”

She forced a smile onto her face, despite the welt his words left on her thoughts. “Of course. My mistake.” She wasn’t sure which bothered her more. The insult, or the thinly veiled threat about the future of her career.

Chapter Eight

Jared scanned the dining room, gaze flitting from face to face. Compared to the impromptu brainstorming session at lunch and the intriguing debate with Mikki, the rest of his day had dragged in a way he wasn’t used to.

He didn’t have time for a business dinner tonight. He should be going hands-on with the network again. Getting to the bottom of these rumors. Except he didn’t have any leads beyond what he’d already checked. Any and all digging had come up clean.

So he was taking this chance to learn what people were talking about. Where the concerns were, and if there were any new rumors that might point him in a specific direction.

If only he could focus on the whispers around him. His attention kept drifting back to one face in particular. The way her black hair framed her face, and how her oversized, button-down shirt hinted at her curves without revealing anything. Then there was the fact he couldn’t stop thinking about pushing up her knee-length skirt…

A sharp elbow dug into his ribs, dragging his attention back to his own dinner table. Vivian’s voice faded in. “I’m sure it’s all up to spec, but our tech brain can give you any details you want.”

He smiled at whomever they were talking to—the owner of a small website making polite conversation. The man had indicated when he’d made himself at home at their table an hour ago he had no need of Skriddie’s services. He’d spent the rest of the time trying to convince them to sign up for the same multi-level marketing company he sold candles for.

“Sure.” Candle guy’s smile was thin. “I’m just hearing rumors you’ve got some holes in your security. I wonder, if a big player like Skriddie can’t keep their secrets hush-hush, what chance do I have?”

Something tickled the back of Jared’s memory. You’re most vulnerable where you’d least expect to look. Mikki’s words from the presentation this morning. She didn’t know about this, did she? His nerves protested the idea she might be involved, but he couldn’t shake the nagging thought.

He dragged his attention back to the conversation, nodding and smiling as was appropriate, and grateful when it was over.

“What’s up with you, space case?” Vivian hissed in his ear as candle guy turned to someone else at the large table.

Besides non-stop thoughts of stripping Mikki out of whatever she was wearing? A fantasy he really needed to stow until they were back home. This was exactly why kept his attention on work, and order, and making sure everything in his universe lined up the way it was supposed to. Which Mikki didn’t. She didn’t fit into any of his plans or logic. “Do you think NSS really knows something?”

Vivian pushed her salad aside. “I knew you were thinking about her. I just didn’t think you were still dwelling on what she said. It was a sales pitch.”

“A very convincing one.” When Mikki had said in her presentation NSS had something that could trump the competition, he knew she was hyping things up, and probably not of her own accord. At the same time, something in her body language said she believed it, at least to some extent. Mikki slipped out a side door, and he pushed back from the table before he realized what he was doing. “I’m done for the night. I’m going to get some work done.”

Viv and Tate wouldn’t argue. They’d both expected him to step out early anyway. He moved into the hallway and surveyed his surroundings. Now where had she gone?

Something caught his attention, a flash of electric blue like the shoes and shirt she was wearing, and he chased after her.

“Mikki,” he called as he rounded the corner.

She paused, and the smattering of people still in the convention center milled around her. Her back stiffened, and she turned to face him. “Hey.”

Don’t stare. He forced himself to make eye contact. “Do you have a minute?”

She glanced around her, over his shoulder, pretty much everywhere. “Sure.”

She almost looked like she expected someone to jump out of the shadows at any minute. He stepped closer. His questions were strictly business, but he still didn’t need anyone else eavesdropping. What was was off about her posture? “Are you all right?”

She didn’t keep her attention on him for long. Every few seconds her gaze darted around again. “I’m fine. What’s up?”

He caught sight of a small alcove behind her. He’d noticed spaces like it around the convention center. The spots were set aside to help people keep their phone calls or other conversations more private. As long as it was empty, they wouldn’t have an audience. He nodded toward the hidden spot. “Away from prying eyes?”

She let out a tiny breath, and her expression relaxed. “Good idea.”

Was she terrified of being seen with him? That didn’t fit. Nothing in the last twenty-four hours aligned with that. But the moment they were out of sight, her posture eased further.

“What’s up?” she asked again.

He leaned against a nearby wall. It was tempting to stand closer, just enough to dive into the heady scent of energy and citrus she radiated, but he hadn’t tracked her down to get up close and personal. “Can I ask you something?”

She tilted her head to the side and leaned closer. Her voice dropped until he felt as much as heard the words brushing his cheek. “They don’t match tonight.”

Match…? She means her bra and panties. His eyes grew wide and he straightened, surprised when she met his gaze. “I wasn’t…”

She blinked back, a tiny smile slipping out.

There was the woman he’d sung with. He resisted the urge to trace a finger along her bottom lip. “You should do more of that. You’re beautiful when you smile.” Not where I want this conversation to go. Focus on the facts. What does she know? How much can you get from her about her presentation? The verifiable info.

Pink flooded her cheeks and she ducked her head. “You didn’t pull me aside to flirt, I’m sorry.”

He did need to keep things on track, or risk the conversation sliding into territory he couldn’t have it in—like what color was her underwear if it didn’t match?