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Chapter One
Kady Dresco had just kicked so a presentation As she’d spoken, she’d literally seen the officers’ enthusiasm for her proposals as they’d sat forward in their seats, asked s and satisfied with her answers Though she was totally squeeing and fist-pu on the inside, she contained her exciteathered her presentation materials, and stood at the head of the conference table
“Thank you for the opportunity to present today,” Kady said, her heart thuainst her breastbone, especially as a crash of thunder punctuated her words Rain drulanced around the long table, roup of ar someone to head up the creation and installation of special co facility in the middle of the Nevada desert The roo and the entire base, was brand-new and still under construction, which hy the only decor were the A on tall poles in one corner
“Very i froed sleeve of the older man’s coest coest ne former military Colton Brooks, her brother Tyler’s best friend But Kady had innovation and sheer coding genius on her side, and right now, she was looking forward to a little good-natured gloating when she saw him
“Thank you,” Kady said, forcing herthe deal She shook the colonel’s hand and aze “I’d be happy to write up a contract for your review tonight if we have an agreement, sir Do we?”
For a split second, surprise widened his eyes and lifted his eyebrows, then he smiled and squeezed her hand a little harder “I like your attitude We’ll move as fast as we can on this decision and be in touch soon You can count on that”
Kady sood-byes to the two majors, one captain, and one second lieutenant in the roo, she followed the colonel out of the conference rooh ould eventually be the suite of offices housing the base’s top brass, to a reception area where her competition sat
Two men who couldn’t be more different in every way
Albert Beckstein, a round little man eated even when it was cool and who always took potshots ai her feel like she couldn’t possibly know as much about coest hack of 1991 and eed on the other side of a prison sentence to build a career in computer security That she’d been a toddler then only et, as far as Beckstein was concerned Not that Kady cared what the little weasel of a ht, especially since they both knew she’d hacked past two of his security systeht out from under him just last year
No Albert Beckstein was good in his own by-the-book way, but he wasn’t her true competition
Her gaze swung to the wall of here Colton Brooks stood staring out at the driving rain Before this trip, she hadn’t laid eyes on hione home for the holidays six months before Every time she saw him, the pure masculine appeal of the man sucker punched her anew, as if while separated her mind blocked out the memory of hieous when he wasn’t talking So gorgeous she could al man on the planet The navy suit jacket emphasized the breadth of his shoulders and his still-tri frouy was fit, the suit did nothing to reveal just how damn ripped he was But she’d seen and felt it with her own eyes and hands, and no et it
As he turned, she caught the square cut of his strong jaw and the muscle there that always ticked when he was irritated with her, as he must’ve been now And then those intense brown eyes were on her, evaluating and surveying her like he could read her thoughts and coo…
Not going there, Kady Ever again Right
In addition to all that, the guy wasn’t just pretty to look at He was a decorated war hero and one of the best minds in their field
Just, you know, not as good as her She smiled to herself as she drank him in, from dark-brown hair to black dress shoes Yep, he was all that and a bag of chips Man, how she’d love to eat hiers clean
“Finally done?” Colton asked, arching a brow
Kady sh their presentations and ignoring Colton had the bonus of being one of the best ways to goad him, and turned to the colonel “Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you and your staff It was a very engaging conversation, and I look forward to working with you” She shook the ave her a s irritation she could al off the other two men
“I’ll be in touch,” Colonel Jepsen said “Gentleave the men a nod and retreated into the office suite Thunder ruh to reflect off the wall in front of Kady
“How’d it go, Barbie?” Beckstein said as he hoisted himself from his seat and lifted an ancient briefcase into his beefy palm
Kady tsked “Al,” she said using the nickna? Barbie was blond and would’ve been at least five nine At five three and with black hair, I’m much more of a…Catwoman” She walked up to him and could nearly look hirimaced and pointed to a crumb stuck to his tie He batted it aith a deep frown “Yes, so feel free to call me Selina, if you can’t remember Kady I’d be happy to be nareat thief,” she said with a pause she knew he’d understand since he’d accused her of that very thing last year, “and a great crihter”
Colton’s stifled snicker behind herdown Beckstein all the sweeter, especially as the little man’s face turned beet red Not everyone in her field was the outright arrogant, sexist asshole Beckstein was, but she’d gotten used to dealing with men who didn’t take her seriously in professional situations Turned out being a young, petite woman mattered more to some people than the fact that she could write complex code half asleep and with one arm tied behind her back That was part of the reason she needed to win this contract It was exactly the feather in the cap of her portfolio that would garner her the respect—and the promotion—she deserved in her firm
“Now,” she said, turning to the ot her first bra Crushed As in, in the past Not anymore Nope “Do you want to call the transport driver or should I?” Because the facility was new, a few ht town, and required special clearances to enter, a driver had been assigned to shuttle them from the airport nearly ninety ain after all their presentations were complete The three of them represented the finalist companies in what she understood had been a quite competitive request for proposals
“No need,” he said,the chunky black military watch he wore Hoatch could be so damn sexy, Kady didn’t know But the simple movement—from the flick of his wrist that hiked up his suit coat to the way the muscle on his forearm popped—was pure masculine poetry in motion Bastard “He’s been here for nearly half an hour We’ve all been waiting” Colton’s eyebrow arched again as he retrieved his laptop case from a chair
Kady suppressed an eye roll “Oh, well Why didn’t you say so? Co Colton’s gaze bore into her back “And don’t blaer I can’t help it if they were totally engaged by my plans”
“Sure they weren’t asking questions because you’d talked over their heads and left them confused?” Beckstein asked from behind her
Kady scoffed and tossed a glance over her shoulder “You knoell as I do that I’ complicated concepts into co if it makes you feel better”
No response Exactly She smiled at Beckstein’s silence
Walking right beside her, Colton was like a big, gorgeous, broodingdown at her in that intense and penetrating way he had The heat of a flush crawled up her neck “What?” she asked, hating that he didn’t even have to say anything to get under her skin