> I don’t even think she heard my answers because she was so busy jumping up and down and clapping.
“Hannah, stop. Calm down.” I finally came back to my senses. “Sit. There are actually a few things we need to talk about.”
I told her about what Leo had found and what it probably meant. The information that Clive had stolen had been sold to an outside partner, most likely a Chinese one, and they were burning the midnight oil trying to reverse-engineer my successful prototype.
She bit her lip. “Wow. This is just getting worse, isn’t it?”
“It’s not getting better,” I admitted. “Listen, in light of these recent developments, Gabe thinks it’s safer if I stay with him.”
Hannah laughed. “That sounds like a ploy, but I like it.”
I shrugged, trying to downplay it. “He also invited you to come stay at his place if you’d be more comfortable.”
She grinned at me. “No way. I have a feeling you two are loud.”
I blushed furiously. “We are not.” Well, Gabe wasn’t. If I remembered correctly, I’d screamed my head off last night.
Hannah was watching my face, so I cut off that train of thought quickly.
“So?” she asked. “Enough about the corporate espionage. Let’s talk about something good. What’s the deal with you and Gabe?”
I shook my head. “I have no idea.”
She cocked her head, looking thoughtful. “I knew he was going to be the right guy for you.”
“You knew no such thing,” I said immediately, which wasn’t the same thing as saying she was wrong.
She smiled slyly. “The lady doth protest too much.”
I groaned and put my head on my desk. “Stop.”
“Okay.” I could hear the grin in her voice. “But I’m totally going to buy new lingerie for you. I now have another reason to go shopping—win-win!” She patted my hair and pranced out.
Ugh. At least Hannah was shopping for lingerie and not wedding dresses. It was a small victory, but I’d take it for now. I kept my head on the desk for another minute, loving the cool feel of the wood against my face. It was like an oasis of calm in the desert of my anxiety.
My phone buzzed. I picked it up and read a text from Gabe. You were so busy fighting with me this morning that I forgot to tell you—last night was incredible. I can’t stop thinking about you.
I clutched my phone as if it were a precious metal or even better, an undiscovered periodic element.
I can’t stop thinking about you, either, I wrote back.
The beasts were already out of their cages, running wild. I might as well go for it.
Another text came through. I’m coming to get you at six. Have your damn clothes sent over or I’ll hold you captive and keep you naked for the rest of the week.
Even though I suddenly felt hot, I shivered. So much for calm.
Gabe maneuvered the Spyder through the downtown traffic. “I told you, I’m taking you to dinner.”
“Why?” If I had to leave Paragon, I only wanted to be at Gabe’s. For…very specific reasons.
He put his hand on my knee. “A couple of things. First, as soon as I get you home, I’m going to want you naked. I’ve been thinking about that tight little body of yours all day.”
I swallowed hard. I didn’t have an answer to that.
“We have things to discuss—important things. I also want to see if we’re being followed. It’ll be easier to ascertain that if we’re in a public place.”
“Great.” Now he was worried we were being followed?