Page 70 of The Hacker
“Too involved, but you’re a hard woman to say no to.” His lips curved into a sly smile. “Good thing that most of the time I don’t want to.”
She relaxed into his chest again, seeking the sense of security he gave her. “Just stand here with me for a minute.”
“I’d stand here all night with you if I could.” He stroked a hand over her hair with a ghost of a laugh. “Well, maybe I’d talk you into taking it horizontal.”
“Talk away. You know I love your accent.” She snuggled in closer to him while he began to glide his hands up and down her back.
After a little while, she hummed a sound of contentment and tilted her head back to ask him what was in the metal cases. But there was such sorrow etched on his face that she couldn’t get the words out. She started to ask him what was wrong but he smiled with an obvious effort. It had been a private moment he didn’t mean to share with her. She wondered if it had to do with his mother’s death. So she kept her question generic. “Are you okay?”
“Now that I know you’re safe, I am.” He kissed her on the forehead. “I need to set up my equipment. Then we’ll talk about what Chad said to you.”
It hurt that she had shared a devastating event her life, but he didn’t trust her with his sadness. Though now was not the time to push for revelations. She stepped out of his embrace. “I figured you didn’t have pajamas in those briefcases.”
He laughed, picked up the cases, and carried them to her kitchen counter. She realized he was dressed entirely in black from head to toe: jacket, T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. And he looked really good in it, the width of his shoulders and length of his legs accentuated by the dark hue. “Were you lurking in the shadows while you waited for me?”
“What?” He had shucked off his jacket and was focused on unlocking the cases. He glanced down at his clothes. “Oh, right. Actually, Tully’s guy got me into your building through a basement window.” He met her gaze. “But don’t worry. After I was in, he fixed the lock. In fact, he’s going to come back tomorrow to reinforce the security down there. It could be better.”
Dawn slid onto a counter stool beside where Leland stood. “Okay, what is all this?”
He pointed to one case, which held something that looked like a laptop with a massively reinforced shell. “Most people who see this have to sign a nondisclosure agreement. It’s something I helped develop for the government.” He pressed a switch, and the screen came to life, showing the interior of a car from the point of view of the driver. She could see the steering wheel, the dashboard, and windshield, as well as a tree-lined street lit by overhead lights. “Tully’s wearing a bulletproof vest with a video cam embedded in it. What you’re seeing is his current position in Cofferwood.”
“He’s wearing a bulletproof vest?” Her nerves tightened again.
“Just as a precaution. Tully always plays it smart.” Leland flipped open the second case, which held a more normal-looking laptop. “This is for monitoring the data traffic.”
When the display booted up on that one, it was filled with gobbledygook, as far as she could tell. “Any change in the node?” she asked.
“Still going strong. I assume your customers continue to complain about their phones.”
“Most of them turn off the data when they’re at the gym. Vicky promised to make an announcement when the problem is fixed.”
“Which leads me to believe that Tully is right. They’re going to move the node soon.” Leland began typing, his face and shoulders taut with concentration.
“You’re really sexy when you work on the computer,” Dawn said.
His fingers stilled on the keyboard and he turned his head to look at her, the light of the screen flashing on his glasses as he gave her a long, slow smile. “I don’t believe anyone has ever said that to me before.”
“I guess I have a nerd fetish.” She grinned. “Don’t let it go to your head.”
He laughed full out. “Myheadhas already felt the effects of your presence.” His expression abruptly became serious as his gaze traveled over her face. “In the midst of all this”—he swept his hand through the air over the laptops—“you make me smile. Thank you for that gift.”
Delight and something deeper, something she couldn’t quite bring herself to find a name for, fizzed through her. She’d given this incredible man a gift. It was a gift she didn’t take for granted herself because she’d struggled to learn how to smile again. Maybe that’s why she could help Leland do the same thing.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to distract you,” she said. “Go back to catching the bad guys.”
He planted a quick, hard kiss on her mouth. “You inspire me to work harder. The sooner I catch them, the sooner I can concentrate on you.”
“As a personal trainer, I use every tool I have to motivate my clients.”
“Consider me highly motivated,” he said, going back to his keyboarding. “Tully, can you hear me?”
“Ten four, good buddy, you’re humming in my ear like a mosquito at a blood bank.” Tully’s voice issued from the heavy-duty laptop’s speaker.
“Could you dispense with the CB radio slang? Dawn won’t have a clue what you’re talking about. I’m not sure I will either,” Leland said, but the corners of his lips twitched. “What’s the latest news on Chad’s whereabouts?”
“Evening, Dawn,” Tully’s voice said.
“Hi, Tully.” She felt a little reticent with him, given his law enforcement background and extra years of experience, but she decided gratitude was always welcome. “Thanks for sending your guardians. Knowing they were there made me feel better when Chad insisted on walking me home.”
