Page 29 of Office Affairs

“Yeah. It’s just …” I trailed off and shrugged. “It’s so different.”

“But it’s what you want?” He floated on his back, his sculpted body on full display.

Was it what I wanted? I’d been shocked with Russell and Chase. To add a third seemed overkill, but since when did I ever back down from a challenge? I lived and breathed challenging what others considered normal. “I don’t want to be forced to choose. And I’m worried that’s what will happen.”

“The three of us have worked together long enough to know how to play nice. We share a company, and while I’ll admit that sharing a woman as amazing as you comes with complications, I think it’s worth the risk.” He dropped into the water and swam closer. “You’re worth it, Sabrina.”

Damn it. I told myself not to cry as his words dug their way beneath my defenses and hit my shielded heart like a battering ram. I didn’t expect soft and tender from Garrett.

“What did you really want to talk about?” He splashed playfully in the water and swam away from me.

I followed at a slower pace. “Who says I had something else?”

“Your face.” He laughed. “Come on. Spit it out.”

“Bet you don’t say that often.” I cupped water in my hand and tossed it at him.

He dove beneath the surface and powered toward me until his arms went around my waist. His face popped up inches from mine. “You’re right. If I had the chance, I’d let you swallow me whole.”

“You have the chance.” My words came out with a breathlessness that surprised me. I looped my legs around his waist and squeezed. “But I’m not going to drown just to give you head.”

“I’d never let you drown. And I want more than head.” He palmed my ass and slid a finger beneath the band of my bikini bottoms. “I want all of this.” He retreated. “After we talk.”

I let out an annoyed laugh. “You’re the only man I know who’d turn down sex for talking.”

“Trust me, it doesn’t happen often. But something is bothering you, and I won’t be able to focus on making you come if I’m worried about you.” He patted my ass and ran a hand around the back of my neck, forcing my head back to meet his eyes. “Talk to me.”

Where did I start so that I didn’t sound suspicious? I almost felt like I was using him for information, but he didn’t have to answer me. “I noticed something when I listened to the meeting with Mr. Adams.” Saying Dad’s name like that put a sour taste in my mouth but I kept going. “No one came right out and said anything, but it sounded like you were discussing stolen tech.”

“You got all that from our conversation?” He flicked water from the tips of his fingers and backstroked away from me. “And here I thought we were being subtle.”

“I had a class recently on contracts and technology getting passed around under illegal circumstances.” I fumbled for an answer that didn’t make it sound like I had insider knowledge. “The way you all talked, it reminded me of my professor. It made me wonder.”

Garrett moved to the edge of the pool and propped his elbows on the concrete. “What?”

I hesitated again but I’d gone this far. Might as well go all the way. “I wondered if Grady or any of your other rivals have experienced any theft? Do you buy tech from other companies or is it strictly an in-house production?” There. That sounded normal and not at all like I was mining for information, didn’t it?

“Afraid that’s confidential.” Garrett’s smile said he fully intended to shut down the conversation.

Well, hell. I should have let it go, but the stubborn part of me kept pushing. “It’s not uncommon for technology companies to suffer theft. My professor said he’d seen it happen multiple times throughout his teaching career. If one company is having trouble, there’s a good chance others are too.” I ran out of breath and stopped before I dug myself a deeper hole.

“We create all our own tech. No one else has mentioned a problem.” He shot a warning look in my direction. “That’s all I’m going to say.”

Shit. Dad was having the same problem. It was why I’d wanted to get hired at Grady in the first place. Dad thought Chase might have found a way to steal from him. Why didn’t they admit the truth to each other? I’d noticed the way they all hedged around it during the meeting. Were they ashamed? It made no sense. I opened my mouth, preparing to go all in, whether it got me fired or not. “But you’re experiencing theft at Grady.” I forced it out as a statement to test his reaction.

Garrett’s nostrils flared and he looked away from me. I waited him out. He didn’t have to answer me, but I couldn’t help thinking if I stayed quiet long enough, he’d tell me the truth. Finally, after I’d swam the length of the pool and come back up beside him, he gave a terse nod. “Whoever is taking from the company knows how to cover their tracks. Short of firing everyone and starting over from scratch, we have no idea how we’re going to find out who’s behind it.”

“That’s why Russell keeps reviewing security footage.” I’d suspected as much but bided my time to bring it up. “And you haven’t found anything?”

He tunneled a hand through his damp hair. “We thought we had the bastard a month ago, but it all fell through. Like I said, they know what they’re doing.”

“Do you want any help looking into it?” I kicked my legs to stay afloat and skimmed my hands over the top of the water. We were still alone, but I scanned the immediate vicinity just in case. “I’m new and a stranger, so you know I can’t be behind it. But I can poke around. No one will suspect me.”

“No.” Garrett pushed off from the wall and swam my way. “It’s a problem Chase, Russell, and I need to fix. Chase will have a heart attack if he knows you’ve figured it out. He’s trying to keep it quiet.”

“Then it makes sense other companies are too.” I pressed the issue one more time, even as Garrett slid his hands over my ribs and down to my hips. “No one wants to admit they’re not impervious to theft. Even a company with your security. There will always be someone out there smart enough to break through.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Garrett focused on me, taking me in with a slow perusal. “I didn’t know we were coming down here to talk business.”

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