Page 19 of Stripping Bare
Thirty minutes, four customer service reps, and a manager later, she’d heard the party line five times. DataFort denied all knowledge of their database and records being compromised. But that didn’t mean it hadn’t occurred. If she found out they were covering up that type of mistake, she would not only be changing record-keeping providers, but she’d be filing a complaint with the Department of Health and HumanServices.
For now, the best she could do was change her account password to something complicated and cryptic. To memorize it, she repeated it aloudtwice.
That done, it was time to figure out who was blackmailing people and hurting them with their own secrets. And if DataFort wasn’t willing to give her information, then she’d have to go to someone who could out-hack anyone sheknew.
Good morning, JonahSteele.
The morning chillfelt good against Jonah’s bare chest as he hurtled down the trail on his mountain bike. The trip up had been a sweaty bitch, but he loved summiting the ridge that overlooked the twenty thousand acres he’d bought to help save hishometown.
From up there, he could see the Steele Ridge Training Academy, built from the former sports complex, and Tupelo Hill, his mom’s farmhouse. His oldest brother’s cabin was tucked deeper into the forest and was shielded fromview.
When Jonah cleared the last of the trees, his new house was sitting there like the glass-and-wood castle Reid accused it of being. Winter clouds reflected in the windows, and the cedars and hollies seemed to wrap the structure in their embrace. The house he’d designed and helped build, possibly to the annoyance of his general contractor, was pretty damn stunning. And it was the most constructive thing he’d done for himself since moving backhere.
He’d been so hot to move out of his mom’s place, have his own space. Hisprivacy.
Yeah, what he’d needed it for, he wasn’t completely sure, because he hadn’t done much entertaining of the female varietylately.
Jonah took a slug from his water bottle, trying to wash away last night’s taste of Tessa’s mouth. But in comparison to the sweetness of her lips, the well water wasbitter.
If that little scene outside the bar wasn’t absolute proof he shouldn’t be within a thousand miles of Tessa, he didn’t know whatwas.
What the holyfuckwas she thinking, moving back toAsheville?
Last night, he’d been too stunned, pissed off, and turned-on to ask her why she’d moved cross-country.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling the stubble that he hadn’t had the motivation to deal with this morning. Not after flopping like a hooked trout in his bed all night, thoughts of Tessa plaguinghim.
Maybe that was better than sleeping, though, because too often she slipped her way into his dreams. Dreams that were sometimes full of sweet kisses and tender touches. Others that were full of sweaty sex and dirty talk. Those dreams that left him feeling disgusted with himself in themorning.
They’d started not long after she came on at Steele Trap, when he’d realized he was attracted to her, had feelings for her that had nothing to do with thepast.
As he lifted his bottle to his mouth again, he caught a blur of movement on the gravel road that wound its way from the county road through theproperty.
A sporty silver Beemer. Apparently Tessa hadn’t tortured him enough lastnight.
She got out of the car and walked toward his front door. She had a leather tote on her shoulder, and her dark curly hair was pulled up in what on another woman would be a haphazard ponytail, but on Tessa the hairstyle made Jonah think of carefree, breathless sex. Her deep pink blazer didn’t come down far enough to disguise the way her gray pants cradled her thighs andass.
And her ass was a Louvre-worthy work ofart.
One side of his mouth quirked up at the thought. Somehow, he didn’t think Tessa would appreciate him picturing her butt hanging on a museum wall. But it was exactly the kind of weirdo thought that kept him sane during the times when he felt anythingbut.
Stop ogling her ass and act like she doesn’t affect you. Doesn’t arouse the hell out ofyou.
But shedid.
It didn’t seem to matter how far apart he and Tessa were. He wanted her, which always made him feel like a complete piece ofshit.
After the night they had sex in his office, he’d been so desperate to rid himself of the feeling that he’d seen a hypnotist. Maybe they worked for other people, but after the session Jonah still hadn’t been able to control his thoughts of Tessa and the guilt that came with them. In fact, the only thing he’d come away from the session with was an unreasonable hunger for friedchicken.
He’d eaten buckets of the stuff for weeksafterward.
Now a part of him wanted to let her ring his doorbell, realize he wasn’t inside the house, and drive away. But hewouldn’t.
His heart thumping, feeling as if it was about to jump up his throat and cut off his air, he mounted his bike and peddled toward his house. He skidded to a stop a few feet from where Tessa was stroking his cedardoorjamb.
The sight of her slender fingers playing along the trim shot through him with the power of afireball.
She’s touching your house, dude, not yourdick.
