Page 196 of Modern Romance Collection December 2024 Books 5-8

She nodded.

He turned it over between his fingers. ‘I know what you’ve taken. My question is what you were planning on doing with it. Because we both know that you weren’t doing this for fun.’

Sydney breathed out shakily. For a moment she considered telling Tiger that it wasn’t her idea. That she had been hired by Harris Carver to do his dirty work. But, really, what would be the point of giving up his name? Carver would deny all knowledge of their meeting and she had no proof.

Except her word, and right now she was pretty sure that wouldn’t count for much.

Now it was her turn to shrug. ‘Actually, I was. It’s what people like me do,’ she lied. ‘We like the challenge and it’s kind of like a hobby, seeing if we can get into a system. And I can see why that might upset you.’

‘Is that an apology? Because you might need to work on it a little.’

‘You’re just sore because I beat your firewalls.’

He looked at her levelly. ‘I’m sore because you lied to me and because you tried to steal from me at the same time as taking a salary from me.’

In the past, with Noah, she was always having to defend herself against untrue accusations and at the time she had often thought it would be fairer if she had done the things he’d claimed. But now she discovered that it wasn’t a comfortable feeling being accused of something shehaddone, however justifiably.

She took a step forward, her hands balling by her sides. ‘I don’t steal.’

‘Is something getting lost in translation? Because typically stealing is when you take someone else’s property without permission.’ The sarcastic note in his voice was like a steel scraping against the flint of her temper and she felt a spark catch fire.

‘If you’d let me finish,’ she snapped. ‘What I was trying to say was that I don’t steal from people who don’t deserve it.’

‘Right, because you’re just a gender-flipped modern-day Robin Hood.’ He didn’t roll his eyes. There was no need. ‘You’re delusional.’

‘And you’re a hypocrite.’ She was practically shouting now, her voice shaking with an anger that was only partially aimed at Tiger but she let it roll through her. ‘You make me sick. You break the rules all the time.’

She felt the fury in her words bang into him and bounce away harmlessly because this man was not some soft-handed, Ivy League trust-fund baby. Tiger McIntyre had worked in the mines before he’d pushed his business into the big time. It was going to take more than a few insults to make him back off. Most likely it would take some very big sticks and stones. Boulders perhaps.

‘Rules, not laws. Nothing I do is illegal.’

She shook her head, her fury giving way to panic now, because she was running out of options, out of words. She could feel the trap closing around her.

‘Just because you haven’t been punished doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be. But you’re rich enough to bully and buy your way out of trouble.’

‘You don’t know anything about me,’ he said softly.

‘And you don’t know anything about me,’ she retorted.

‘I know you’re a hacker, and that you think that makes you different from other criminals, you know, the ones that rob stores and steal cars.’

‘I’ve never stolen anything. This is the first time I—’

He shook his head. ‘Even if that were true, what difference does it make? You’re still just a thief.’

Tiger watched her eyebrows lift into cool, delicate arcs.

‘Well, at least I don’t get my kicks from playing judge, jury and executioner.’

He didn’t know what he’d expected when he’d stalked back into his office with Sydney. Tears maybe. Possibly hysterics. The contents of her bag hurled in his face. But not this defiance, this bravado, this cat-and-mouse wordplay that was entirely irrelevant and extraneous, and yet for some reason he was enjoying it. Enjoying her and the feeling of having her right where he wanted her.

Not that she would admit to that.

Not yet, anyway.

‘You have quite a mouth on you, Ms Truitt,’ he said at last. ‘Lots of opinions. Lots of accusations. Just not much in the way of cold, hard facts. But I pay my taxes so I guess I can leave it to the police to find those out.’

Sydney stared at him, her face stilling as if his words had cast a spell over her. If he hadn’t been watching her covertly since lunchtime, he might not even have noticed the slight quiver to her body as if she was having to hold herself together not just metaphorically but literally.

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