CHAPTER TWO
Why did he have to be so godamn attractive?
Lara gasped for breath, astonished to find herself in a gloomy alley pressed up against a brick wall by her target.
When he left, she bolted after him, despite Harry’s warnings. She’d meant to call out after Hackerboy before he disappeared completely, catch up to him and proposition him for work. Somehow he’d got the better of her.
Strong hands wrapped around her shoulders, pinning her in place.
Enveloped in leather-clad masculinity, her heart raced. When she lifted her chin to meet his stare, her legs went weak under her.
“What is it you’re looking for, little kitten?”
“Kitten?” she retorted, annoyed.
He grinned. It made him even more attractive, How was that even possible?
“Lost little kitten has wandered into the dark alley where the tomcats prowl.” His voice was deep and gravely with a distinct accent.
“I didn’t wander, you grabbed me.” Damn, this wasn’t going right. She was supposed to be in charge of this situation, casually approaching him with an enticing offer. The fact he wasn’t what she expected at all threw her.
She’d envisaged some teenager clued to gameboy or keyboard wearing a non-descript hoodie. She hated that she even had the clichéd picture in her head though, because one thing she didn’t like was generalizations. It was a pet hate, and yet she couldn’t deny she’d had an image of a hacker in her head and this guy wasn’t it. He wore black jeans and a sexy black leather jacket—soft leather, strokeable. Beneath it was a pristine white T-shirt. His hair was neatly cut close to his head on the sides and thick, lush and longish on top, black as night—and also strokeable.
When the diner owner pointed him out from behind the counter, she doubted it was him, but her cousin Harry—who’d insisted on accompanying her on this dubious mission—assured her this was the guy who went by the handle Welshdragon. Not a hoodie or Gameboy in sight. She was confronted with a sexy, sophisticated looking guy who clearly was aware she was looking at him. She steeled herself. It was so important she held her nerve and saw her plan through. Time was short and she didn’t have enough of it to source another target.
“Lara, are you okay?” It was Harry and he was at the end of the alley, peering in.
“Lara,” Hackerboy repeated. “I like it.” He stroked her cheek.
She shivered under his touch, blinked. “I’m fine, Harry. Wait by the car.”
She didn’t take her eyes off Hackerboy.
He smiled.
Harry still loomed. “You sure?”
Hackerboy flashed him a warning glance. “You heard the lady, Harry.”
Harry hesitated. “I’ll be just around the corner “
Lara gave an exasperated sigh. Harry’s shadow moved away.
“Alone at last,” Hackerboy whispered, in an intimate manner, studying her intently. “I would ask why you need a bodyguard, but if you do, he doesn’t look as if he’s up to the task.”
Wow, he’d been studying them both in the diner. She knew he’d caught her looking, but he’d also cottoned onto the fact she was with Harry. Inside a few minutes he’d figured it all out. Almost. “He’s just concerned.”
“Brother?”
“No. Colleague.”
Of course he was sharp, he had to be.
Moving, he rested his hands on the wall either side of her head. It meant he’d caged her in. Her body responded acutely, revelling in his presence, revelling in the sheer masculinity surrounding her. She hadn’t accounted for this. Questioning her own lack of action, she stared him in the eye challengingly.
With a soft laugh, he looked her up and down. “What are you, a cop?”
Lara relaxed, immensely. It was such a game changer, she gave a soft laugh. “No. If I was, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I’d have a badge in your face and you’d be the one with your back to the wall.”
He frowned. It made him look even more intense. “So why were you watching me?”
That accent, he really was Welsh, just as suggested by his net handle. His deep, gruff voice insinuated itself inside her like an intimate song, seductively calling on hidden parts of her. Focus. More importantly, he thought she was police. That was really interesting. If she offered him money and protection of a sort, he should bite. “I want to offer you an opportunity.”
She gave him her best wining smile.
“Whatever it is, I want to say yes already.” He stroked his thumb along the underside of her jaw, setting her nerve endings alight.
Her legs went wobbly, the brush of his fingertips on her skin taking the strength from them. His other hand moved closer to her side. He was almost touching her and it thrilled her.
Get a grip, she told herself. “Back off buddy I can’t think straight.”
All he did was grin. “You’re in my alleyway, I call terms in here.”
His alleyway? She rolled her eyes at him.
He shrugged, his green eyes locking with hers while he waited expectantly.
Why did he have to be so sexy and full-on? Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. “I wanted to ask, are you the hacker who goes by the name Welshdragon?” Her mouth went dry and her voice trembled as she said his cyber handle aloud.
His expression turned serious. “Who wants to know? If you’re not police, then what?”
She tossed back her hair, sure, now she’d started. “Consider me a client looking to employ you for a short contract.”
He shook his head. “I don’t hack anymore, that’s over.”
“It’s not hacking, as such.” She paused.
She’d practiced this speech in her mind so many times but it kept slipping away. His fault. How could she think straight when he was so drop-dead sexy? Masculine. And close. Touchable.
“‘As such.’ Right.” He looked disappointed, but still eyed her up and down as if trying to figure her out.
“Not illegal, I mean.”
He frowned. “How in the hell did you even find me?”
“I bribed the guy behind the counter to point out anyone who used to hang out with Sean Rattigan here.”
“How do you know about Sean?”
“Promise me you won’t take off when I tell you?”
“I can’t think of anything you might say that’ll make me take off, not while I can look at you, Kitten.”
He really was flirting with her, blatantly. It felt good, but she steeled herself for a very different reaction. “You might take that back.”
“Go on. Hit me with it.”
“Eighteen months ago my father paid a cyber crime expert two hundred thousand pounds to find you and your buddies.”
Frowning, he tensed. “Your father owns Compton Finance?”
She nodded.
He drew away and looked at her as if she were insane. He was bound to mistrust her. Her father’s company was the place he and his buddies had hacked into on several occasions eighteen months ago. The very same organization who’d put one of them behind bars.
His expression showed his amazement. “You seriously think I’ll work for you?”
“Why not? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Yeah, sure, a pretty honey trap and a straight-to-jail card. No way.” Inside a heartbeat he strode away.
Cursing silently Lara gathered herself, hauling away from the wall. She couldn’t lose the opportunity, not now, not after investing so much effort in setting up this project. “Wait, please! Hear me out?”
He paused, glanced back over his shoulder.
The way he looked at her—she felt stripped bare in a glance. It was incredibly arousing.
Brooding. Leather clad, unpredictable. Everything about him should have warned her off. Instead, it made her yearn to know more, to find out what it would be like to spend time with him, to get to know him.
Praying she wouldn’t regret it, she stepped after him.