Page 66 of Seducer

“What a great combination.”

She laughed and rushed to her desk, handing me a flyer. While I grabbed it from her hand, all I was thinking about was getting a leg up on the competition. If I discovered anything, maybe I’d figure out a way of getting an invitation, and all my worries would be chucked out the window.

I was a devious girl. Why not? I’d just be conveniently working late. Nothing more.

The prize was worth the effort.

As long as I didn’t run into my boss, I’d be fine.

Right?

CHAPTER 17

Sara

Someone was watching me.

Just like before.

I was certain of it. There was no chance I was imagining it. There were too many lingering clues, too many times I’d felt a little creepy.

My mysterious intruder was staring at me from the shadows. Following. Waiting.

Or maybe I’d had one too many masked man fantasies. Or maybe the thought of playing Dark Nights was invading my conscience.

I could feel his presence, a moment of electricity startling my senses. I slunk back into the shadows myself, scanning the main room. There were a few lights left on in cubicles, but all the overhead lights had been shut off.

I waited where I was for a full five minutes, counting what was left of my faculties. They were fading quickly if this scheme was any indication. With no strange sounds, I assumed my mind and ears had been playing tricks on me. Get in. Get out. That was the best thing for me to do right now.

My skin crawled with every step I took, goosebumps forming on every inch of naked skin. I’d done some foolish things in my life, but breaking into a man’s office took the cake and then some. The most ridiculous thing was that I’d been forced to hang around after work for hours waiting for everyone to leave.

The company’s information was proprietary, enemies wishing they could find an opportunity to steal any scrap of design ideas or information. As this was the corporate headquarters, security was tight, but thankfully, not nearly as much as the production facility. It took an act of God to be able to obtain access to that building.

However, keycards were used when entering the building. Fortunately, there was no requirement to swipe my card when leaving. That was the only reason I was risking my job and my freedom for some crazy thought. Why did I even care so much about the Obsidian Society and the game? For all I knew, the powers that be weren’t planning on instigating a game this year.

Or what everyone thought was the truth was bullshit.

But here I was acting as if I was some expert sleuth. After pretending I’d left and lying low in other parts of the building until the majority of employees had left, I’d remained hiding under my desk while I’d fought nerves from believing people were lurking in the shadows. It was ridiculous really the way my mind could conjure up twisted scenarios. That often led to bouts of anxiety. There was no one in the building. I hadn’t heard acopy machine or voices for almost an hour and a half. What I needed to be careful of was the cleaning crew. At some point they’d show up. If they did, I’d be screwed.

I took a series of deep breaths, forcing myself to crawl from under my desk. As I stood, I listened for any sounds. The quiet was eerie, keeping the edge I’d felt sky high. If I left right now, I could still say I’d just been finishing a project. At least that would mostly be true. I’d been tasked to work on a presentation that I’d finished hours before, although I’d been given until noon the next day.

No one needed to be the wiser.

I wrung my hands, still debating running for the door. No. I was here. I would simply take a peek in the man’s office and see what I could find. I would either find the door locked or not. And I would either find his credenza files inaccessible or not. I wasn’t about to pick a lock.

Or so I hoped.

The creepy-crawlies remained as I headed toward the stairs, stopping every few feet and turning in a full circle. If I was correct and someone was watching me, the police could arrive at any minute. Wouldn’t my brother get a kick out of his big sister who’d just admonished him about being arrested?

I hurried up the sweeping set of stairs to the executive floor, moving quickly to Zach’s corner office. I sucked in and held my breath when I reached the door. Fate would guide me on this insane task.

When the handle turned, I almost groaned. I might have some dark and dangerous fantasies, but I was no criminal. Still, Ifound myself planting one foot in front of the other and walking inside.

The moon was full, the bright glow streaming in through the windows, but the powerful man had also left a light on. I glanced around the impressive room before hurrying toward his desk. Not one of the drawers appeared to have a lock on them. I could see why as soon as I opened the three drawers. There was nothing but typical office stuff from highlighters to pens, a notepad, and a tray with paperclips and rubber bands.

I didn’t bother with his massive computer system. I wasn’t foolish enough to think he didn’t have everything password protected. Also, there was a complete lockdown on information. That could mean a full-blown security system, which would notify the police. That wasn’t anything I was willing to risk.

Disappointed with finding nothing, I headed to his credenza, noticing two of the three drawers were locked. The top drawer held nothing but files that didn’t seem to have much importance. I stared at the other two, contemplating using the letter opener I’d seen in his desk to try to pick the lock.

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