A slow smile curled across his face. “Ah, not as good at compartmentalizing as you’d like me to believe, Ms. Lockwood?”
She straightened, trying to ignore the memory of his deep voice telling her that he fantasized about bending her over his desk. The desk right beside her.
“This isn’t happening, Knightley. We have a mission. We have to find L’Orage before he destroys your company and so many lives.”
Bennett looked away and muttered a curse.
“Hello?” Hex’s voice came from the laptop. “Please tell me you banged the billionaire.” The hacker grinned on the screen.
Hadley closed her eyes and fought the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose.
“Oops.” Hex sounded unrepentant. “He’s right there, isn’t he?”
Bennett circled the desk. “Hello, Hex.”
“Hi. Sorry.”
“There’s been no banging yet,” Bennett said. “I’m working on it.”
Hadley glared at him.
Hex clapped her hands together. “Oh, man. I need to get out of the office more and find a billionaire for myself.”
“The bug?” Hadley asked between clenched teeth. “And there’ll be no banging, because I’m going to strangle Knightley. No one will ever find the body.”
Hex looked like she was trying not to laugh.
Bennett winked. “I get giddy when she flirts like this.”
Now Hex burst out laughing.
“If you two are done?” Hadley said.
“Right. The bug and built-in tracker are live. We’ll see where she goes. It does transmit some audio, but you need to be close to pick it up.”
Hadley pressed a hand to the desk. “Acknowledged. Where is she now?”
“Her home in Chelsea. I’ll keep an eye on her, and look for any unusual movements. If anything comes up, I’ll contact you.”
There was a knock on the office door. Maudie pushed it open and scowled at them. “You two are due in conference room one for a meeting.”
Hadley flashed a smile. “We’re on our way, Maudie. Thank you.”
Bennett’s assistant sniffed and closed the door.
“Thanks, Hex,” Hadley said.
The hacker gave them a jaunty salute, and ended the call.
“Let’s get to the meeting.” She met Bennett’s gaze. “From here on out, we’re professionals. No touching, no kissing. We have a bad guy to catch.”
“If you insist, Ms. Lockwood.”
His quick grin and agreement annoyed her, but she also didn’t trust it one little bit.
She knew the motto of the SAS was “Who dares wins,” and she knew that Bennett Knightley never gave up.
CHAPTERSIX