Донна Хилл – Tender Loving Passion: Temptation and Lies (страница 15)

He looked at her. When he and Renee had been together he’d seen Michelle several times. She’d always been with a guy, so he hadn’t paid much attention to her. Now he did. She was a good-looking woman. Not necessarily a showstopper, but there was something appealing and sexy in her open expression, engaging smile and inviting eyes.

She wore her hair natural in short spirals that took years off her age—middle to late thirties—and her skin looked soft and supple to the touch, with a body that you wouldn’t toss out of bed.

“Something like that,” he finally said, responding to her question. He took a swallow of the icy-cold beer. “How many nights do you work here?”

“Just two and every other weekend. Helps keep the bills at bay.” Her gaze drifted over him. “I get off at ten.” She turned and walked a few paces away to serve a customer. She tossed Steven a last look.

Steven looked up the overhead clock above the bar. Ten. He could keep himself occupied until then. Maybe a diversion was just the thing he needed to get his head right. He sipped his beer and relaxed to the music.

* * *

Mia had her laptop open on the bed. She’d connected it to her PDA and logged in using the TLC access codes. Within minutes a string of programs opened. She keyed in the necessary information and soon she was inside Michael’s office computer.

She did a cursory search of his files and didn’t find anything that struck her as out of place, which could mean that there was nothing for her to find or that she would have to open each and every file.

However, after considering her options she thought that if Michael was involved in the escort business, he would minimize any trail from his office. More than likely anything incriminating would be on his home computer or gathered from her phone taps. But if he was using company funds to pay people, there might be something in these files.

She took a second look at a folder labeled Accounts and opened it. At least one hundred files filled the screen. She groaned and began looking at them. The majority of them were businesses, many of which she was familiar with, at least by name. Others were for individuals. As she took one last look, a file marked Log caught her attention. She clicked on the file and a message opened requesting a password. Her heart thumped.

Password. During her training, Jasmine, the head IT person at TLC, had been very clear about passwords. If you weren’t certain that you knew it like your own name, do not try to access the information. If the file is somehow encrypted, then whoever did it would know if attempts had been made to hack into the file. In cases like that, Jasmine was to be contacted.

Maybe it was nothing, Mia tried to convince herself as she stared at the flashing request for a password. She was probably jumping the gun. Most likely this file was no more than an employee list, or his personal banking information.

What if it wasn’t? Was she trying to blow it off because she really believed it was nothing or because she wanted to believe it was nothing?

Reluctantly, she picked up her cell phone and dialed TLC headquarters. An automated service answered.

“Welcome to Tender Loving Care beauty products for today’s woman. Please enter your ID number now.”

Mia pressed in her ID.

“Thank you. If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now. To order supplies, press 1; to schedule training, press 2; technical support, press 3. If this is an emergency, please enter your emergency code.”

Mia pressed “3.”

“Jasmine speaking.”

“Hey, Jazz. I have something that I need you to look at. It’s encrypted and needs a password.”

Jasmine laughed. “Piece of cake. Send me the file.”

“Actually I can’t. I’m in the subject’s computer remotely.”

“Go head, girl! Okay. I’m going to take over your computer. Give me your IP address.”

Mia did as instructed and seconds later she watched her cursor move around the screen, open and close files and type in strings of code. For an instant the screen went black. When it came back on, Mia was looking at some sort of client list with payment schedules and amounts. All the names were women.

Mia began to feel ill.

“I’m going to take a screenshot of this and e-mail it to you, close the file and then I’ll release your computer back to you,” Jasmine was saying through the cell phone’s speaker. “Got everything you need?”

“Yes, thanks,” she said absently.

“Well, good night.”

“Night.” Mia disconnected the call.

Moments later her computer beeped, indicating a new arrival. She clicked on her in-box and saw the e-mail from Jasmine. She forwarded the e-mail to her office account. She’d print it out there.

Little by little she shut everything down, trying to put a positive spin on what she’d seen.

After putting everything away, she realized how late it had gotten. It was nearing midnight and Steven had yet to return. The fact that he wasn’t home was bad enough, but what was more damning was that she hadn’t noticed until now.

* * *

Steven waited for Michelle to finish her shift. Good sense dictated that he should simply get up and leave. But old habits kicked in and he hung around. He needed some positive reinforcement and his gut instinct told him that Michelle would be more than willing to do just that.

“Finally,” she breathed, coming up to the table where he’d been relaxing for the past hour.

Steven glanced up from his drink. He pushed up from the seat. “I know it’s late, but have you eaten?”

“I’m starved.”

“Come on. There’s a great place about three blocks from here. If we hurry we can catch the kitchen before it closes.”

“Lead the way.”

They walked out into the brisk evening air.

“Getting cold,” Michelle said, pulling her short jacket tighter around her. She slipped her arm through the crook of Steven’s and moved closer to him.

“We can take my car if you want.”

“No. The air will do me good. I’ve been cooped up in there for four hours.” She walked next to him quietly for about a block. “So tell me what’s been going on with you.”

A half smile moved across his mouth. “Business has been great. We’ve expanded some of our developments out to D.C.—”

“That’s not what I mean,” she said, cutting him off.

He glanced at her.

“I could run an Internet search on you if I wanted to know about your business life.”

He chuckled.

“Men don’t usually come into a bar alone unless they’re looking to meet someone or they have something heavy on their minds. What’s your story?”

“Is this the counseling bartender talking?” he teased, avoiding the question.

“No. Just someone who’s interested in knowing why a brother like you is out alone at a bar in the middle of the week.”

“Maybe I needed a change of scenery.”

Michelle stopped walking. Steven stopped short and faced her.

“What?”

Michelle glanced downward then looked him in the eyes. “I want to be honest with you and I hope you’ll be honest with me. I like you. I always did, from back when you were dating Renee. But I would never move on my friend’s man.” She drew in a long breath. “But Renee is married. I’m not seeing anyone and you’re out alone.”

When he looked at her and took in what she was saying, what she was offering, he had a sudden, sick sensation of guilt. What the hell was he doing? He wasn’t that guy anymore. He wasn’t on the prowl. He didn’t want to retreat to the days when he called all women “sweetheart” because he didn’t care or couldn’t remember their name.

Had this been a year ago, he probably would have taken Michelle up on her offer.

“Look. It’s only dinner with an old acquaintance. Nothing more. If I gave you that impression then I’m sorry.”

She pressed her lips together and smiled. “Now that we’re on the same page, let’s go before the kitchen closes.”

Chapter 11

Mia wasn’t sure if she should pretend to be asleep when she heard the key in the door or if she should let him know that she was up and was concerned about where he’d been. She peeked at the digital clock. It was nearly 2:00 a.m.

The bedroom door opened. Steven moved quietly around the room, taking off his clothes before going into the master bathroom.

Moments later, Mia heard the shower water running. She stared up at the ceiling. She tried to regulate her breathing and slow down the beating of her heart. This was a new place that she and Steven had entered. Since they’d been together, they’d never been out for most of the night separately. They’d never walked out on each other with friction hovering between them.

She knew part of it was her fault—the secret she was carrying around with her about her conflicting feelings about Michael, and her TLC assignment. She had to get a handle on it before things got worse between them.

The bathroom door opened. For a moment, Steven stood in the lighted doorway before turning off the light.