We grinned at each other. “We’re crazy, you know that?” I said.
She nodded. “I thought you liked crazy.”
I leaned down closer to her. “I like you.” I kissed her, but not before I noticed a flash of surprise in her eyes. I wondered how long it would take before she believed me when I said I was interested in her.
We quickly put our clothes back together.
“So, you’re okay with me seeing Marcus to find out if he’s behind all this.”
I frowned. “I don’t recall saying that.”
She stepped up to me and cupped my dick. “Just remember, you don’t have anything to worry about.” Then with that flirty, don’t-challenge-me smile, she walked out of the conference room.
Andi wasn’t an easy woman to like, but I supposed I wasn’t an easy man either. Perhaps that’s why we seemed to work in a strange way.
I made sure I wasn’t
disheveled and headed out of the room finding Andi and Phil in the lounge.
“I ordered for us,” Phil said, offering me a container of food.
I wasn’t that hungry, but Andi was there and as it turned out, I was finding it harder and harder to stay away from her.
She and Phil were chatting away, and I realized how relaxed and free she seemed. She had an easy demeanor with him. I wasn’t jealous of Phil, but neither did I feel good about how easily the two of them connected. When I was with her, she was guarded and ready for the next comeback. I couldn’t blame her for that. Our relationship was built on the way we’d banter and snipe at each other. But what I wouldn’t do to be able to have an easy conversation about nothing. To be able to laugh and joke easily the way she was with Phil. To have that brilliantly bright smile aimed at me.
When Andi finished her lunch, she tossed her trash and said she had some emails to catch up on. I hoped to hell it didn’t include one to Chen about a date.
When she left the room, I asked Phil, “What’s your opinion of Chen?”
“He’s never done anything to make me question his intentions,” Phil said tentatively.
“But?” I prodded.
Phil shrugged, putting his napkin in his food container and closing it up. “He’s ambitious. There’s a slickness to him. I suppose it’s possible he’d hack us, but I can’t find a reason why? What would his motive be? He’s rich, but he didn’t get that way by sabotaging his partners.”
He had a point. “Would he have any reason to seek revenge?”
Phil frowned. “Revenge? For what?”
“I don’t know. Andi saw him and they talked about motive and revenge was one of the reasons he gave. That and greed.”
“Greed makes sense. Revenge not so much. Strong Incorporated does business on the up and up. We negotiated a fair contract. More than fair, if you ask me.”
I nodded in agreement.
“I’ve pulled up email records that included attachments for you to review. I wonder, though, if maybe we need to cast a wider net?”
I pushed my lunch away and leaned my forearms on the table. “What do you mean?”
“We get documents from the main office quite a bit. Carter in particular has sent a great deal of financial documents. Andi has sent us documents as well.”
“You’re thinking the malware was sent to the main office and we sent it to you?” That was plausible but I hoped to fuck that wasn’t what happened. I’d been sure all systems were safe in the main office.
“I don’t know. Many of the emails for review are from the main office, which is why I’m thinking of it.”
I shook my head. “I’ve kept those systems clean.” Maybe if I said it, I’d believe it.
He leaned closer as if he didn’t want anyone to hear me. “Then maybe you need to consider someone is on the inside helping our Hong Kong hacker out.”