Hacking Mr. CEO by Anna Hackett

7

Nice to Officially Meet You

Remi

Emotions churned inside me—despair and worry leading the way.

Oh, and I was holding hands with a billionaire.

I couldn’t make myself let go. He was so big, solid.

He made me feel safe.

His dark gaze was on mine. “I’ll pay you twice as much to help me catch The Shadow,” he said.

I blinked. “Say what?”

“You string him along while working behind the scenes with me to catch him. I’ll give you two million dollars, your foster mother can get her surgery, and I’ll also put a security guy in front of your home. Don’t worry. It’ll be someone discreet. No one will know why he’s there.”

I just stared at Maverick, my throat tight.

“Remi? Angel?” He squeezed my hand.

“Um… No one’s ever really swooped in to help me with things. Usually I hustle, work hard, take care of things myself.” I cleared my throat. “Give me a second.”

He got a look on his face that I couldn’t quite interpret.

“It’s going to be all right,” he said.

I really, really want to believe that. “Okay, big guy, you have a deal.”

He arched a brow. “I have a name.”

“Mr. Tech Billionaire CEO?”

He gave me a grumpy look.

“Maverick,” I said.

His lips twitched. He shook my hand. “Nice to officially meet you, Remi.”

His hand was big and strong like the rest of him. And I imagined it touching other parts of me.

I snatched my hand back, nabbed a fry, and shoved it in my mouth. I had no business imagining any sort of fantasies with this man.

“So, where do we start?” I asked.

“Get in touch with The Shadow. Tell him you’ll do the job, but play reluctant.”

“That should be easy enough.”

“Tomorrow, come to my office.” He cocked his head. “Think you can try a reverse hack?”

“Try to hack him?” I pondered. “Maybe. I can embed something in an email.”

Maverick smiled and it lit up his rugged face. “I like the way you think.”

“Dude, don’t do that.”

“What?” He looked confused.

“Smile. You’re hot enough as it is, and smiling makes it so much—” I waved a hand.

“You think I’m hot?”

“Oh, come on.”

He shrugged. “My friend Liam gets voted the best-looking billionaire bachelor. And Zane gets the sexiest.”

“Pfft. Sure, Liam Kensington is pretty, and Zane has that tall, dark, and handsome thing going on, but some women like their men rugged, muscular, a little rough.”

Maverick leaned forward. “Really? Is that what you like?”

Danger. Danger. “Ah, so, back to the task at hand.”

He looked amused. “Right. Come to my office tomorrow. I think you know where it is,” he said dryly.

I smiled. “I totally rocked my electrician coveralls.”

“Can you get there without being noticed?”

“You think The Shadow is watching me?” I fought a shiver.

“Could be.”

“Yes, I can get there. I was a champion at sneaking out to arcades as a teen.”

“Good. I’ll need you to show me the messages you have from this guy, and we’ll find a way to track this asshole down.”

I fiddled with my soda cup. “This could be dangerous.”

“Yes. That’s why he needs to be stopped. He’ll keep hiring hackers until they get the Calix Project, and then the security of our nation is at risk.”

I bit my lip and nodded.

He was looking at my mouth again. Heat spread through me.

Two teens approached, both of them wearing baggy jeans and hoodies.

“Hey, man, are you Maverick Rivera?”

Mav shook his head. “Nope, but I get that a lot. Gets me good tables at restaurants.”

The kids’ shoulders drooped. “Figured Rivera wouldn’t be at Dave and Busters.” They shuffled off.

I shook my head. “You aren’t the friendliest guy, are you, Maverick?”

“So my friends tell me.” He rose. “You have a way home?”

“Yes, it’s called the subway. It’s an underground train that the unwashed masses use for a couple of bucks a ride.”

“Funny. I’ll see you tomorrow, Remi.”

I nodded. Strangely, I didn’t want him to go. “Tomorrow.”

I watched him stride off. Okay, I watched his ass as he strode off.

The man was all kinds of fine.

I took the subway home—my mind churning about the situation, and the fact that I was working with a billionaire.

I shook my head. It had been a crazy few days.

Hoofing it down the street, I turned into our street. Speaking of all kinds of fine. A tall guy was carrying a box into the place across the street. His worn jeans and flannel shirt did nothing to hide his muscled bod. He had dark-brown hair with the hint of a curl, and scruff across his jaw.

Old Mrs. Hansen had been trying to rent the upstairs apartment for ages. I crossed over to the auto shop and pulled out my keys.

When I glanced back, the man was looking at me. When he noticed me watching him, he lifted his chin and walked inside.

The hairs on the back of my neck rose.

Oh, God. Something was off. The guy was too watchful.

My stomach clutched. What if he worked for The Shadow? Was he watching us? What if he snatched one of the kids?

Panicking, I raced up the stairs to my loft. I paced, horrible scenarios playing over and over in my head.

I yanked out my phone and hit the button.

I’d saved Maverick’s number as Big Guy.

“Remi?”

“Maverick.” I dragged in a breath. “There’s a guy here.”

“Where?” His voice was sharp.

“I just got home. There’s a guy moving in across the street. A big guy. I saw him watching me.”

“Don’t worry, he’s mine.”

“What?”

“There’s nothing to worry about. He’s one of mine. Boone Hendrix. I hired him to watch your family.”

The air rushed out of me. “You organized that fast.”

“It’s easy to do when you have the resources.”

“Oh, that’s right, you’re filthy rich.”

“Most people don’t tend to forget that.”

She didn’t, but she noticed the sexy, stubbled jaw, the muscled body, and the grumpy attitude, first.

“Luckily Boone was in the city, available, and he’s very good at his job.”

“Okay, well, thanks. I’d better get some sleep. I have to report for duty tomorrow.”

“I never asked if it would cause trouble with your work.”

“No. I make my own hours and work from home.”

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow, angel.”

My stomach flip-flopped at the pet name. “Tomorrow.”

I ended the call and set the phone down.

I took a quick shower and slipped into my pajamas. But as soon as I lay in bed, I felt wired.

Okay, that wasn’t exactly the truth. I felt turned on.

I thought of Mav. His big hands holding the controls as he played the games. I leaned over and opened the bedside-table drawer, and pulled out my vibrator.

A few minutes later, when I came, I cried out Maverick’s name.

* * *

Mav

Maverick was as hard as a rock.

Fuck.

He’d dreamed about Remi. He scrunched the pillow under his head. His bedroom was shadowed, the blinds blocking the morning light, and he shoved the sheet down off his hot body. His cock was swollen and throbbing.

He dreamed of Remi’s hands on him, her bright nails scratching his skin. That sassy mouth of hers taking his cock.

He groaned and fisted his erection. He pumped.

Then, he imagined that sweet, curvy body against his.

Hey, big guy.He could almost hear her faint laugh. Like she knew a joke that she wasn’t sharing.

He stroked harder. “Take me,” he growled.

She would. She was petite, but she’d be all energy and enthusiasm. Whether she was sucking him, or taking his cock.

“Fuck.” He gave a hard tug and his body locked. Pleasure was like a hard punch and he spilled on his gut with a tortured groan.

He dropped back, panting.

Damn, if the fantasy of her was this hot…

But first, they had to deal with The Shadow.

Once his pulse had leveled off a little, Mav pushed off the bed and headed to shower and dress. He was meeting Liam and Zane for breakfast, then he’d hit the office and clear as much work as he could before Remi arrived.

He looked at himself in the bedroom mirror.

Shit, he was smiling.

His phone vibrated, letting him know he had a text message.

Big guy, I’m wearing a disguise to your office. No one will know it’s me.

He tapped in a reply.

Not those ugly coveralls again.

No. Not even you will recognize me.

Angel, I notice you the second you’re in the vicinity.

Aw, a compliment. You flirting with me?

Shit. He wasn’t a man to play games. He liked to get to the point and keep things simple.

Yes.

He stared at the dots on the screen, waiting for her reply.

Big guy, billionaires don’t flirt with Brooklyn hackers.

I don’t actually flirt. Ever.

So, I’m special, then?

He was starting to think she might be.

I seem to want to flirt with you.

Rivera, we have a dangerous job ahead of us. You need to focus.

I’m good at multitasking.

Men say that, but they totally aren’t.

He shook his head. So much sass.

See you at the office. Don’t be late.

She sent him the emoji face with its tongue poking out.

When he walked into Balthazar, a French restaurant near his penthouse, Liam and Zane were already there.

“Good morning.” He sat and looked at the waitress. “Coffee. Black.”

He picked up the menu and glanced up to see his friends staring at him. “What?”

“Well, yesterday you were tense and broody as hell, and radiating contained rage,” Zane said.

Liam sipped the frothy, sweet coffee he loved. “I thought we might have to bail you out of jail, especially when you didn’t return my texts last night to check up on you.”

“I was busy,” Mav said.

“And here you are, looking…relaxed.” Zane leaned back in his chair. “Did you find the hacker?”

Mav had no desire to drag his friends into this mess. They’d both just been through bad situations and both had women to protect now. They’d found some happy and he wasn’t going to mess that up.

“I made some progress.”

The waitress returned, and he ordered Eggs Benedict.

“You didn’t even notice our lovely waitress offering you a better view of her neckline,” Zane said.

Mav frowned. “What?”

Liam shook his head and smiled.

Mav’s phone pinged. He lifted it.

Hey, our deal better include you buying me lunch.

I need to be fueled to concentrate properly.

Mav swallowed a snort.

I’ll buy you lunch.

Nothing messy. Not with what I’m wearing today.

Now all Mav could think about was what she could be wearing.

See you soon, big guy.

He turned the phone over, looking forward to seeing her.

“Okay, now he’s smiling.” Zane looked incredulous. “What is going on, Mav?”

“Spill it, Rivera,” Liam said.

“I’m not smiling.” He drank his coffee. “I have…an interesting project that I’m working, that’s all.”

Neither of his friends looked convinced.

Mav deflected all questions, hurried through his breakfast, and escaped to his office.

Bridget was already at her desk. She was a thirty-two-year-old, icily elegant blonde, with glasses perched on the end of her nose. She had a frosty demeanor he liked. She kept the wolves—aka anyone who annoyed him—at bay, and ran his schedule with frightening precision.

“I lightened your schedule, but you promised to go through the urgent emails.” She looked disgruntled.

He held up a hand. “I’m doing it now.”

“You keep asking for miracles, Maverick, and I’ll need a raise. Or a holiday home in Bora Bora.”

Straight to the point, his assistant. “I’m also expecting a woman. Send her in when she arrives.”

Bridget cocked her head. “A woman? What’s her name?”

“Her name doesn’t matter.” Mav walked into his office. He shrugged off his jacket and got to work.

Ugh, emails were one of those necessary evils. He plowed through as many as he could, as quickly as possible.

It was highly likely his blunt replies would make someone cry.

Bridget brought him another black coffee, and he grunted his thanks.

He took a look at some prelim plans from the electric-car division. Made some notes. But at the back of his mind, he was thinking about The Shadow.

Who the hell was he? Mav swiveled in his chair, staring out the window, but not really seeing the view.

If this guy wanted the Calix Project, he wasn’t good. At best, he was a corporate spy, out to undermine and steal from Rivera Tech.

At worst…

Mav didn’t want to think about the worst.

Whoever this fucker was, Mav would find him, and stop the guy.

The intercom on his desk phone chimed.

“Maverick?” Bridget’s crisp voice.

“Yes?”

“There’s a Ms. Angel here to see you.”

Finally. “Send her in.”

A moment later the door opened, and Mav’s jaw dropped.

She sailed in, wearing a white dress that hugged her curves with loving affection. A white, faux-fur coat hung off her shoulders, and a black belt circled her tiny waist, accenting her hips and breasts.

She wore her hair up, with a few wisps around her face, and flawless makeup, and giant, designer shades, perched on her nose.

She cocked a hip.

“Good morning, Mr. Billionaire. Ready to track down a bad guy?”