Megan stretched, opened her eyes, and glanced at the window. It was bright outside, but there must be a filter that blocked those heavy rays. She heard the door open and close her eyes to pretend to sleep. A moment later, she felt the mattress sag next to her hip. She shifted, but she felt Gabe's warm hand on her arm as he asked, "Megan, are you awake?"

"I am now." She smiled as she stretched her arms for the second time. "Is everything okay?"

He nodded. "Your brother..."

"What now?" she interrupted and sat up. Her heart beat a mile a minute and it felt like the air around her refused to go into her lungs. She reached out to hold Gabe's hand.

"He hacked your work email."

Suddenly she could breathe again.

At least he wasn't dead, but she pressed her lips together to not even whisper that out loud. Her brother needed to be stopped. She tilted her head and blinked, as she wasn't ready to think. "What?"

He sat at the edge of the bed. "I set up a trace for how he found us at the hospital. I assumed it was your phone, but did you get your work email delivered there?"

"Yeah." If Gabe could trace her phone to her email, all digitally, then she understood why data mattered and why his company was relevant in today's world. "But I was told to keep in touch with my boss through emails at all hours."

He scooted closer and she felt warmer from his nearness. "I have to call Morgan Enterprises and speak to the CEO but I wanted to let you know first."

He stood and she followed. He could see the huge T-shirt of his that she borrowed to sleep in last night. "Why?"

He reached out and traced the sleeve of her—well his—shirt. "My corporation charges a lot of money for Internet security and I'm going to have to use your name in my recommendations to them."

She lowered her face. This wasn't that exciting and she had no right to hope for a kiss. "Is that why you woke me up?"

He pressed his hand on her shoulder and she looked at him. "No, I wanted to see you."

"Now that sounds good." A huge grin grew on her face and she came closer.

His lips came close to hers and she closed her eyes. Then he lightly kissed her, and she felt safe. For a second, everything else didn't matter, but the feeling dissipated the moment his lips left hers and he stepped away. He stood with his feet pointed to the door, but turned his neck and gave her a small smile. "No, I don't think you understand. Get dressed. I want to talk to you."

"Okay." She gazed at his strong shoulders as he walked toward the bedroom door. She called out, "Let me get dressed."

At the door, he reached out into the hallway and moved a few plastic bags on the desk in his bedroom. She wondered where those bags came from for a moment because they were not there last night. Once he put them all down, he said, "I had my assistant drop off clothes for you. Please pick something new and meet me for breakfast."

"Really? Okay. Give me a minute." Whatever was in the bag, hopefully this fit better than the last outfit she bought online, and her eyes widened because she opened and stared at the first label. Valentino. Her hand trembled. This was not in her budget. Her heart sped up, but Gabe was already outside and she couldn’t protest the purchase.

She left the packages on the bed and went to clean herself. If she wore these, she could pretend to be in his world easier. She went out and selected white pants and a blue, flowy shirt that made her feel soft. If she had to, she'd dip into her savings account to pay Gabe back. Right now, she wondered if he thought she looked good. She opened the door and followed her nose that instantly smelled coffee and made her stomach grumble.

"I'm here."

Gabe returned to the kitchen and placed his hand on her back as he leaned forward and handed her a cup. "Megan, last night..."

"We don't have to talk about..." She licked her lips and focused on the coffee. It would taste heavenly.

He walked next to her while they made it to the kitchen nook table and he pulled out her chair. "We do though. I have something I want us to be clear on."

She sipped the coffee finally, and the taste made her forget where she was for a split second. The moment passed so she blinked and stared into those sexy, blue eyes of his and asked, "What?"

He reached out for her hands. She stared at his palms, put her coffee down and reached out for him. Then he traced her knuckles. "First, I want to let you know I'm running a background check on you."

His fingers made her skin pulsate with desire, even as her eyes widened. "What do you think you'll find?"

"Nothing except how much more I want to know about you." He kissed her hand. She felt branded. No one had ever kissed her hand before. It was only a moment she ever saw on television.

He let her hands go and she curled them around her glass at the same time she looked away. "Ask me anything."

"I haven't had a steady girlfriend since I returned home." Wow. Her heart beat faster in her chest while she thought that he was asking her.

She flipped her hair behind her ears as she tried to silence the thunder she felt inside. "You haven't?"

He scooted closer to her and she could sense her desire growing, which made no sense, except that she more than liked him. "Megan, I know we just met and that your brother wants to kill me, but I hope when this is all over you'll consider sticking around and just be with me when it's quiet."

Anything he wanted. She lowered her head and reached out for his hand. "Yes. I'll be your girlfriend."

"Good."

He was so close. In that white T-shirt of his, he was sexy and adorable. She leaned closer to kiss him, when his phone beeped out an alarm. She sat straighter but she clutched the table like it might help her. "Why is it going off now?"

"I don’t know. Let me check." He said and jumped out of his seat and reached for his laptop.

Right. The bell his phone and not on the wall so there was no fire. She uncurled her hand from the table and picked up her coffee cup. She poured more coffee for both of them cranked while he returned with his laptop and typed fast. She gave him a few minutes, and she finished her second cup fast. Thirty seconds later, she took the seat next to him.

"What's happening?" she asked as she curled closer to him.

He glanced at her and gave her leg a squeeze. "Give me a minute."

"Okay." She stared at the screen, but to her the words on the screen seemed gibberish. If he looked at her accounting files, he'd probably think the same, so she waited.

He typed fast and finished in a blink. "Someone is cyber-attacking Hawke Inc. I have to go to the office."

Her own job was how she paid her bills so she completely understood his rush to his job. "Ohh. Well should I go to work then?"

"No." He reached out, held her closer and kissed her forehead. "This is an old military maneuver where you hit both sides of the army at the same time to throw off the planks.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I have an emergency situation. I’d bet money that you're about to get an emergency that will separate us and it's better for both of us if we stick together like glue."

With Gabe, she'd have a shot at not spending her life alone, which was what she assumed her life was heading toward. She nodded and he let his hold on her lessen. She turned her chair toward the kitchen. "This is a lot of food we haven't touched."

He put his head on her shoulder and hugged her over the chair. "Does that mean you agree?"

She turned back toward him and nodded. Then she kissed his cheek. "As long as there is time for me to eat. I'm famished."

Before she could scoot her chair toward the table, Gabe shoved a laptop in front of her. "Okay, please check your email from this computer."

She narrowed her gaze while she rested her fingers on the keyboard. "Why?"

"I have a tracker on this that will reverse any worms you have."

With a deep breath, she logged on and found the email service. She clicked in, placed her hand on Gabe's thigh. "There is an email from Maddox."

"Read it but remember it will be news that will want to separate us."

She held her breath and read. Sis, I'm sorry about yesterday. I went to Mom's grave before I left town and someone had vandalized her headstone.

She felt an electric zap and fisted her hands. "My mother doesn't deserve to be part of this."

"Whatever happened, I can get it fixed."

Gabe and his money hasn’t given Maddox any right to do this. This was wrong, and Gabe should not have to fix what her brother had done, vandalizing their mother's eternal resting place. She scooted out of her seat. "That's not the point. Maddox shouldn't..."

"You can't control him." Gabe said as packed his laptop and fixed their chairs to face their breakfast that had been pushed aside.

If she went to work with him, she was dressed already. "After your work, we'll go to the graveyard?"

"Yes. Together."

"And I will talk to the caretakers on the phone."

"Good plan."

Her thoughts cleared. At least this way they would get everything in order and be together. Her stomach no longer rumbled for food. She pointed to the front door. "Better get going."

He arranged the plates in front of them. "Relax, you're with me now and you were hungry."

She let him guide her to sip her coffee without complaint. While he folded her napkin in her lap, she tugged at her ear. "Gabe, why me of all women?"

He winked at her. "Because you make me feel like I'm home."

Perfect answer. She picked up a piece of toast as she felt her face grow warmer. "I feel the same which is funny because my mother told me I was the strong one who could survive anything."

"We can both be strong, together."

For once, she had a partner and this was great. If only her brother didn't ruin her chances to be happy and fall in love because Gabe Hawke was amazing and the best man she'd ever met.