Defended & Desired Read online

“But I’m guessing that’s not why you stopped by my office.”

  “Right.” When he approached her desk and handed her a portable USB drive, he carried with him the scents of sun-warmed leather and summer wind.

  She accepted his offering. “Um, thanks, but I have a million of these.”

  His vivid green eyes sparkled. “Not like this one.”

  Sitting back in her chair, she inspected the memory stick. “What’s so special about it?”

  “Don’t know if Trey mentioned it, but I’m working with the bodyguards, matching their skills with clients’ personalities and experience. But I’m new at this. What do I know, right?”

  “We all have to face a learning curve in the beginning,” she assured.

  “Some take longer than others to come around,” he said wryly. “I had this idea for a tech gadget clients can use in emergencies. I don’t have an iPad or tablet or laptop attached to my hip, but a lot of people do. I went to Allen Guthrey and he made up some specs for what I wanted.”

  That took serious initiative, forward thinking and intellectual investment. She realized Trey had a diamond in the rough with his cousin. The word specs caught her attention because she hadn’t heard anything about this experiment from Allen, but she encouraged her people to think outside the box. “What does it do?”

  “I wanted a small device people could carry on them, in a coat pocket or purse. Something that wouldn’t look out of place or catch attention. And I wanted it to send a signal like an SOS, some kind of alert that goes straight to my phone, because I don’t read many emails.”

  Unable to fathom her day without reading or responding to a single email, she tried not to gape at him. That would be like living without a toothbrush or coffee.

  Apparently sensing her disbelief, he shrugged and stared at the floor. “Me and words never got along too well.”

  Compassion filled her as she realized Adam had just admitted to having a learning disability. “I can’t drive a stick shift,” she blurted out to fill the awkward silence. “No one can be good at everything.”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “You can’t ride a motorcycle until you’ve learned how to shift.”

  “No thanks.” She held up her palms in refusal. “I’ll leave motorcycle riding to the cool people.”

  “I don’t know about that.” He rubbed his chin. “Hacking into computers is a pretty awesome skill if you ask me.”

  Had she and Adam just bonded? Imagine that. She smiled. “Now that we’ve established our rank in the cool crowd, I want to know more about this thumb drive.”

  “Sure. Allen brought me some of his ideas, and as of today we have the SOS prototype.” He started talking with his hands, more animated than she’d ever seen him. “It has a built in Wi-Fi signal. The instant the drive is plugged into a laptop or tablet, it sends a signal to me, Trey, Cade and Liam. Unless you’re in a third world jungle, your alert reaches us in seconds. Allen programmed my phone with a ringtone for only this device. It also sends an SOS text message. Using the same frequency as cell phone towers means we can track the client’s signal and estimate a GPS location.”

  “That’s genius.” Why hadn’t she thought of anything this remarkable? “I’m serious. This adds a vital layer of protection for your clients. One more reason people should hire bodyguards from Soren Security instead of the competition.” She tilted her head in admiration. “You’ve given this company a huge boost to its bottom line. I’m totally impressed.”

  “Really?” A tinge of red colored his sharp cheekbones. “You’re not just saying that.”

  “I don’t give out compliments lightly. They have to be earned.” She snorted. “Just ask my team.”

  His half smile transformed the sharp, rugged planes of his face. “Cool. Then we’ll start production next week.”

  “Sounds good. The sooner the better. In fact, you’ll want to think about sending a notice to your staff and clients describing the device and its uses. Get together with the marketing department and have them create some descriptions, pamphlets and literature for this special added security measure. A patent is probably your next step.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll leave that to people who know what they’re doing.”

  “Nice work, Adam,” she said sincerely.

  “You should’ve seen me testing this thing. I rode my Harley all over the city and into the mountains with a laptop bag strapped to my back. I got some strange looks.”

  “Innovation is rarely trendy. Sometimes you have to go to extremes, and it’s always worth it in the end.”

  Nodding, he seemed to take her words to heart. She handed him back the USB drive, but he waved away her gesture. “Keep it. We’ll have more soon. Besides, I know Trey would want you to have it.”

  A perceptive glint stole into Adam’s emerald eyes. She curled her fingers around the thumb drive and slid it into her purse. “Thank you,” she said softly. “I appreciate that.”

  “No problem.” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jeans, he shrugged. “Guess I should get this ball rolling in marketing. Good suggestion. I wasn’t sure what to do next.”

  “Oh, and tell Mindy who’s in charge of PR, so she can connect with the marketing department to write up a press release. This is going to get a lot of attention. You should be proud.”

  He turned to leave. “I’ll be proud when it saves someone’s life.”

  “Thanks for coming by, Adam.”

  He sent her a nod and left.

  Mind spinning with possibilities, she grabbed a stack of sticky notes and jotted down ideas as they came to her about ways she could improve the SOS device by syncing it with their IT network. Creative juices flowing, she felt jazzed about the new technology feature. It truly was brilliant. Adam turned out to be full of surprises.

  As she moved from quick thoughts to a more detailed plan of implementation and integration, she switched to note cards that she’d add to a Gantt chart for her team to follow as they embarked on the project. It seemed like ages since she’d worked on something innovative and game changing, too swamped with keeping the status quo at Soren Security to orchestrate a new rollout plan.

  Excitement coursed through her veins. This was what she loved, thrived at, lived for—bringing innovation to the masses. Making a difference. Not exactly the types of projects she would work on at ActionNet, but the inner sense of empowerment was the same.

  A startling thought stopped her in her mental tracks. If she contributed to these worthwhile projects regularly, would she need to change careers? After all, the ability to problem solve and the sense of contribution gave her joy, not specifically the content. The SOS device would save lives. She could never attribute that impact to a video game.

  Had she stumbled on a way to achieve work satisfaction while staying in Denver? When she realized her fingers were trembling, she set down her pen. The specially equipped USB drive not only boosted security and profits for Trey’s company, it provided her with purpose and ignited her passion. The realization was both exciting and unnerving, because it led to a greater question. Could she give up her dream job in Phoenix to take a chance on her dreams here with Trey?

  While she enjoyed moments of spontaneity, abrupt life changes terrified her. There was no guarantee of a safety net if she took the plunge and remained. Except for Dan, she’d never altered her life plans for any man, and had sworn she never would again. Her heart couldn’t take the risk. Honestly, she hadn’t fully invested her thoughts or emotions into a future with Trey, anticipating her move and their inevitable separation.

  But now? Anxiety speared her and she blew out a slow breath. Now she didn’t know where she stood or how she felt about taking the biggest risk of all—offering her trust to him without reservations, without second guessing.

  Trey wasn’t a man who approached anything halfway. She had to give him all or nothing. Also, she realized how much easier their relationship had been when she didn’t have options, when she knew what she want
ed and believed the job in Phoenix would give her what she’d been missing.

  “Crap,” she muttered. It would destroy her if Trey came to the same conclusion as Dan had the day they were supposed to get married. If that happened, she would’ve stayed here for nothing. Out of a job, out of love, out of hope.

  While she prided herself on being a strong, successful, independent woman, she doubted she could recover from a repeat of Dan’s abandonment.

  Dampness pricked the backs of her eyes, and her heart cramped.

  “Damn it.” She pressed the heels of her palms against her lashes until the flood of moisture disappeared.

  Looking for a mindless escape, she scrolled through work emails, deleting or responding as needed. When a professional external email came up in her queue, she straightened and scanned the contents. Then she returned to the top, sharpening her concentration.

  Dear Ms. Leigh,

  Our company, Developer’s Muse, recently partnered with ActionNet, Inc. to develop an exciting game prototype called Generation A (A for Apocalypse). We met with their staff but were unable to find the right fit. Then they described the unique skills you’re bringing to the ActionNet team. We were sold. Your personal and professional credentials exceeded our expectations. We would refer to your expertise on every level of development, from storyline and characterization to development and deployment. We’d like to hire you as a contractor through ActionNet. If you are interested, please respond via our Human Resources manager, Ellen Stafford, so we can set up a separate interview with you. We will travel to your location. We hope you will consider our offer.

  Sincerely,

  Carl Wells, CEO

  Developer’s Muse

  Whoa. They were asking her to develop a video game from the ground up, character creation to rollout? “This is what I wanted.”

  Exactly what she’d craved when she’d interviewed with ActionNet. Endless creative options, a chance to push her programming limits, and full control over content. Could it get any better?

  Out of curiosity, she looked up the company’s website, read their mission statement, and tried to contain a squeal of excitement. A reckless instinct urged her fingers to the keyboard to type an enthusiastic response. She hit send before thinking twice. She still had time to discover whether she and Trey were meant to be together, but the job interest from Developer’s Muse was too amazing to pass up, the chance to have it all in her career.

  Then she realized she’d replied to the CEO directly, not the human resources woman. Annoyed with herself, she retyped her letter of interest. Before she finished her second email, she received a response from the CEO.

  We’re pleased you are interested. I’ll have my assistant make arrangements for me to fly out for an interview next week. We are eager to have you on board, and we’d like you to start immediately. Best regards, Carl.

  She leaped out of her chair and did a happy dance. “The opportunity of a lifetime,” she said aloud.

  Then a twinge of guilt pricked her conscience. She’d planned to delay her move to ActionNet for another month and devote her efforts to improving her team’s knowledge. She couldn’t leave without fulfilling her promise, but…could she start a new contract with Developer’s Muse part-time while she completed her daytime obligation to Soren Security and continued her nighttime adventures with Trey?

  The more she considered her options as a contractor, versus a hired onsite employee, her future shone brighter than ever.

  *

  Sunlight reflected off the pool’s warm water as it lapped Devon’s waist. She’d arrived with Trey at Logan’s birthday party two hours ago and had made the social rounds. She’d enjoyed seeing familiar faces from Stone Security. Then Logan came up with the brilliant idea of pitting Soren Security’s directors’ team against Stone Security’s top brass in a pool volleyball game. She and Mindy, Trey’s PR girl, were the only women in the pool.

  “Go girl power,” Mindy said, and water sluiced down their arms as she met Mindy’s high five.

  “That’s hot,” Liam said with a grin. “Nothing better than the element of distraction.”

  Trey threw him a murderous glare. “Watch it.”

  “Damn, dude. Why so touchy? I’m admiring,” Liam replied. “It’s a compliment.”

  “Keep your compliments to yourself.” The two engaged in a brief, playful water brawl, while Allison and family friend Rick Dunn unfurled the volleyball net, securing it in place.

  Unable to help herself, Devon scanned the two teams, doing a little admiring of her own. Of course, Trey was the hottest man there, but bare chests, broad shoulders, and gleaming muscles abounded.

  The Soren’s team of buff male bodies included Isaac Atlas—who she’d noticed admiring Mindy on more than one occasion—Blaze Taylor from finance and Ryder Worth from the HR team, and naturally the handsome Soren clan. An intriguing contrast to Logan’s team, which included Logan plus eight of his seasoned and crew cut ex-military types. Her team was younger and more laid back, rough around the edges, with a day’s worth of unshaven jaws and longer hair than she knew Logan would’ve liked.

  An impressive sight to behold, there was eye candy galore. The female guests were outnumbered three to one, and the single ladies had to be appreciating the view.

  Suddenly, she realized she didn’t consider herself single anymore. A smile glowed in her heart as her eyes rested on Trey’s muscular, towering form in swim trunks.

  When Logan whistled, Trey and Liam called a draw on their wrestling match. Trey’s glance moved to her, and a sizzling look settled in the depths. Appreciation spread through her as she realized she’d happily give up her single girl independence to wake up to that look and his fine body every morning. His lips quirked as if he’d read her mind. He mouthed the word, “Later,” followed by a possessive sweep over her bikini. She responded by arching an eyebrow over a come-and-get-it glance. She swore a low groan echoed across the pool.

  Then she turned to face the net as Logan rattled off a list of rules, including, “The first team to twenty one, wins.”

  “Wins what?” Liam asked.

  Logan leveled a look across the volleyball net. “Bragging rights. For all eternity.”

  The Soren team responded with whoops and chest pounding. She rolled her eyes. Hopefully, she and Mindy wouldn’t get lost in this overwhelming sea of testosterone.

  “Guest team serves first,” Logan stated, tossing the volleyball at Trey, who was ready for action in the far left corner of the pool. He made a killer serve that put the smack down on Team Stone.

  From the poolside, Allison grinned and counted the score. “One point for Team Soren.”

  Team Stone grumbled and skewered their opponents with icy hard-eyed looks.

  “Yeah? Bring it.” Devon moved back one line as her team shifted stations. Trey swam to the front near the net, and, when he surfaced, she stole a moment of opportunity to admire his six pack abs.

  Then she and Mindy worked a nice volley between them before her forearms pumped the ball in Cade’s direction. He slammed it into the water, and she cheered for her rockin’ team.

  Team Stone gained four points on them, but Team Soren soon regained the lead at fifteen points. Then twenty. Her competitive streak seemed to match that of her teammates. She loved the lightning-strike intensity the Soren men poured into everything they did, whether they were running a business or playing pool volleyball.

  Pride filled her and so did a sense of belonging. She realized how much she wanted to be a part of the Soren team. Personally and professionally. These were her guys, and she wanted to remain their colleague and friend, and with Trey she wanted so much more. She wanted to be part of his family.

  As the life-changing thought crossed her mind, she glanced at him.

  Just in time to see little Sammy streaking toward the pool. Trey’s expression changed when he looked to his right. They both abandoned their posts, diving toward Sammy at the same time, catching the boy’s pudgy arms
as he hit the water. Never mind that he wore a floatation ring around his middle and his arms were packed in puffy orange floaters. The kid almost gave her a heart attack.

  “It’s okay,” Allison exclaimed as the volleyball splashed in the pool beside them unheeded. “Sammy and I have been swimming all week.”

  Devon released a pent up breath. “You could’ve told me that before my stomach dropped to my toes.”

  “Right.” Trey relaxed his grasp on the boy who kicked and splashed and squealed in delight.

  Devon strove to bring her pulse back to normal.

  “We win, at twenty one!” Rick shouted from Logan’s side.

  “I call interference,” Trey retorted, his eyes on Sammy until he seemed assured the child would actually float on his own.

  “Trying to save my son’s life gives you a pass,” Logan assured with a deep fondness in his tone as he watched his little boy giggle in the water.

  Then Rick and Vivi Dunn’s four kids leaped into the pool. Rick sighed. “I guess adult time has gone into recess.”

  The team rivalry quickly dispersed, and the focus shifted to family.

  Near the net, Rick showed his boys how to play pool volleyball, while Mindy and Isaac stood on the other side to catch the ball and throw it back to the kids. Adam and Liam commenced with handstand competitions in the pool. Logan played with his son, flipping Sammy upside down and catching the boy right as he hit the water’s surface, while Team Stone scattered and headed toward their wives or congregated around the stocked outdoor bar.

  “Hey, gorgeous.” Trey’s voice drifted over her like a caress.

  An instant smile touched her lips. “Hey, handsome.”

  Truthfully, she didn’t care anymore who saw them together, exchanging intimate gestures, words and smiles. She adored him and couldn’t help showing it. Her shell of self-protection had crumbled in the past week. She had nothing to hide from him.

  Or wait. She still had one thing, and she needed to reveal that to him as soon as the time seemed right and nonthreatening. Though when it came to the way Trey regarded family, no time would be right.