Page 24 of Billionaire in Disguise

“Mr. Dobbs is an excellent employee.”

“Does Knight Technology have two men named Dobbs?”

Dominick tightened his fingers, loosened them when the delicate phone began to crack. How could Carlyle think Dobbs was competent, when he’d created a hostile work environment to rival a prison? Yet the problem was not limited to the Ft. Lauderdale office. Something far more devious lurked.

And Carlyle knew more than he was letting on.

He was going to find out what, in the few minutes he had before dinner. It had been an enjoyable day, too enjoyable, if such a thing were possible. They had visited a park, enjoying a picnic, biking and even a ride on a paddleboat. He’d enjoyed spending time with Adrianna to an extent he wouldn’t explore, as well as her family. Lunch had been grand, and now they were relaxing after their showers.

“Don’t worry.” Carlyle regained his attention, his voice turning soothing. “Employees take advantage of employers all the time.”

Unease intensified to outright suspicion, yet he would show none of it, at least not yet. “You are most likely correct.”

“Of course, I am,” Carlyle purred. “Why don’t you take that European tour we discussed? I’ve taken the liberty of reserving your tickets for next month.”

A hundred alarms blared a hundred warnings. This was not the first time Carlyle overstepped his role. Yet Dominick kept his voice neutral. “I haven’t decided on my schedule yet.”

“Of course.” The words held an unmistakable edge, curt, clipped and just on the wrong side of rude. Before he could respond, the phone clicked dead.

His suspicions increased a thousandfold.

“How did you do it?”

Dominick shot up his head. Adrianna was standing in the doorway, her lips a tight slash, her eyebrows knitted together. When had she arrived, and more importantly, what had she heard? He forced himself to remain calm as she padded into the room, her sneakers silent on the thick carpeting. “Do what?” The words emerged low, husky andguilty.

She stared, as responses flashed:

How did he fool everyone?

How did he deceive them?

How did he think he would get away with it?

Her gaze never wavered. “Fix the computer. You may pretend it was nothing, yet it was extraordinary.”

Relief flared. She must not have heard him. “It’s no big deal. I spend a lot of time troubleshooting IT problems.”

She slowly encircled him. “I asked half a dozen people about that laptop, including a college professor. Everyone thought it was hopeless. Yet you managed to repair it in under an hour.” She eyed him as if trying to discern some sort of puzzle. “I should ask for your autograph.”

He choked out a laugh. What would she say if she knew he signed autographs regularly? “I was lucky enough to stumble onto the answer.”

“Fixing six broken computers has nothing to do with luck.”

No, it didn’t.They were the same skills that allowed him to build a company worth billions, forging the cutting edge of computer science. The same attributes that made him a global leader in the field. And if he didn’t do something, she was going to figure that out right here in her brother’s childhood room. “You’re right.”

She halted. “I am?”

“I have a secret.”

Her smile faded, replaced by sobriety, curiosity andsuspicion. “Yes?”

“The truth is…” He breathed deeply. “I am actually the owner of… a magic wand.”

“Oh you!” She reached out, tapped his chest. He grasped her hand, and suddenly all thoughts of circuits and chips and hard drives dissipated. It should have been cool in the air-conditioned room, yet it felt as hot as a South Florida scorcher. She leaned in, her fingers splaying against his chest, as he brought her closer… and closer… and closer.

“Children, it’s time for dinner!”

Adrianna exhaled, leaned back. And the world turned cold. “I hope you don’t mind her calling us children.”

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