Me And Mr. I.T. (Kupid's Cove Book 2) (8 page)

“Do you have a better idea?”

“Do you have a plan to fix Katie’s broken heart when she finds out she’s been bamboozled?”

“Bamboozled? That’s some pretty strong language,” I teased and she stuck her tongue out at me. “I’m going to have to come clean, but not until after the event.”

She threw her hands up and let them fall back to the bed. “That’s almost a month away! You can’t let them think we’re married for a whole month.”

“Sure we can. Think about it. It’s the perfect amount of time to say we realized we aren’t good together and we’re parting ways.”

She flopped back on the bed, her feet still on the floor, but her hands above her head. “I can’t even tell you what’s going to happen when my mom and the Admiral find out.”

“The Admiral?” I asked confused.

“Yes, the Admiral. That’s what we call my father, since he’s an admiral in the Navy. It’s a term of endearment, kind of like honey bunches, but you’d know that, if you were actually dating me and not pretending!”

I leaned back on my hands against the squishy bed. “Do you want me to be dating you?”

She threw her arms over her face and groaned. “What I mean is, it’s usually wise to know a few things about the other person before you start throwing around wedding bands.”

I held hers up. “You’re the only one throwing wedding bands around. As for your parents, do you see them much?”

“I see them at least once a month. They’re on the base on Oahu. My mom flies over to do lunch and shopping with me all the time.”

I frowned deeply. I really hadn’t thought this out and now I was putting her in a jam. “Maybe you should call her and tell her you have a big assignment to take care of. Maybe meet her somewhere in Honolulu when we’re there, but keep her clear of here until after Katie’s party.”

She sat up and went to her fridge, pulling out all kinds of yummy looking food. “I guess I’ll have to, no thanks to you. What about your parents?” She pulled down two plates from the cupboard and two bowls.

“They’re dead,” I said, the words sounding harsher than I intended. The crash of the plate at my unexpected answer had her fumbling it before it hit the floor.

“Good gosh, I’m sorry, Maltrand,” she said, setting the plate back on the counter.

“It was a plane crash in the ocean on a stormy night. My brother lives in Honolulu, but that’s all the family I have left.”

She stopped the motion of the butter knife she was using to spread mayonnaise. “I’m sorry, that was insensitive of me.”

I shrugged. “They died a long time ago and I’ve moved on. I’m sure that’s why it didn’t cross my mind about your family. I’ll apologize right now for that, too. I’ve made a jumbled mess of things.”

She set the sandwiches at the small table and then went back for fruit salad and bowls. “Yes, you have.”

I watched her closely as she moved around in her own space. She seemed more relaxed now that she was here, even if I had made a mess of her life. As she walked toward me, I noticed her favoring her right leg. She always walked with a bit of a hitch, but this looked like an acute injury.

“Did you hurt yourself when you fell earlier?” I asked, pointing at her leg. I could have been blind and seen how quickly she stiffened her body, finished the walk to the table, and slid into her chair.

“No, why would you think that? I just fell. Geez, get over it, everyone does it.”

She jammed a bite of sandwich into her mouth and chewed, so I decided saying ‘not everyone’ wasn’t the wisest choice. I may be slow, but I do catch on quickly to topics people don’t want to discuss. I picked up my sandwich and checked it out.

“What the hell is this?” I asked inspecting the layers on the roll.

“It’s a sandwich with turkey, tomatoes, sprouts, avocado, and mayo,” she said, swigging down her Sprite.

“You’re not from around here, are you?” I joked and she looked up sharply.

“Are you accusing me of not being native?”

I raised one brow, as I was ready to take a bite of the sandwich. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”

“Well, for your information, not that I care what people think, but I was born and raised on Oahu.”

I laid my empty hand on her arm and felt her shudder under my touch. “Relax, Ellie. You should know that I joke around a lot, but only when I’m with someone I’m very comfortable around. I’m sorry if I offended you.”

She shrugged her shoulder. “I’m not offended. I’m just trying to figure out how to get us out of this mess. The whole thing is giving me heartburn.”

I removed my hand from her arm and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. When I swallowed, I met her eyes. “I’m impressed. This is quite an amazing whirlwind of flavors.”

“I had it once at a restaurant on the mainland when we went to California. It’s easy to recreate, so it became my favorite in college and now that I’m all grown up, I eat it when I’m stressed.”

“You’re stressed?” I asked, knowing the answer, but hoping she would expand on the reasons.

“Gee, do you think? Not only do I have a huge project looming for Gideon, I also have a party to pull off for Katie. Oh, and did I forget to mention I’m a newlywed, but I know nothing about my groom?” Her voice went up two octaves on the last word and it wasn’t so much a question as an angry statement.

“You aren’t actually married, you know that, right?”

She threw her hands up and pushed her plate away, leaning on the table with her fingers laced in front of her. “We have to stop this ruse now.”

I leaned back in my chair and sighed, shaking my head. “If I tell you something privately will you keep it that way?” She nodded, motioning with my hand to tell her. “I thought being married,” I explained using heavy air quotes around married, “was a good cover.”

“What are you, Mr. I.T. the secret agent guy?”

I had to hand it to her, she was sharp witted and had a wicked tongue, but she was beautiful. She made work fun, and I would give just about anything to see her having fun in her life. She was always so serious, and I couldn’t figure out why.

“Funny, but no.” I grinned, pushing my plate out of the way and copying her posture. “However, being a couple can only benefit us in Honolulu. Gideon didn’t tell you this, but someone is also stealing expensive technological trinkets.”

She leaned back in her chair in such a way it was obvious I had taken her completely off guard. “How do you steal equipment electronically?”

“That’s the other half of the picture. The technological thefts are only coming out of Honolulu.”

“Which is why you think the thief is in Honolulu,” she finished and I nodded. “Why didn’t Gideon tell me that part?”

“He was so caught up in the idea of the money thefts he forgot. He came to my office and I assured him I would fill you in.”

“Color me confused,” she sighed and I motioned for her to sit on the couch, which was a lot more comfortable than the wooden chair.

“I do all the ordering for both hotels, right?” I asked and she nodded. “I make an order after I’ve spoken to the tech guys in Honolulu to discuss any needs they may have. Then our distributor ships the orders in two separate shipments to the respective hotels. On the last three orders, there have been additions to the packing slip. Someone has gone in and changed the order, adding whatever it is they are trying to procure. We get the bill, but the actual piece of equipment disappears somewhere between the time it comes into the hotel and the time the invoice gets to us.”

“So it’s someone with the freight company?”

I held up my hands. “We really don’t know. It’s happened twice, and we’ve now instructed our distributor to verify every order with us a second time before filling it. They are also shipping everything to Kupid’s Arrow. They called this morning to verify an order for a Promethean board we never ordered. They couldn’t tell us who called, but whoever it was, they claimed to be me.”

“So you think the same person is stealing the money and the equipment by using your name.”

“Or a team of someones,” I agreed.

“Which is why Gideon tasked us with this new job and why you decided to make us a married couple,” she groaned, thunking her head on the back of the couch a couple of times.

“Yes, to the first, but the married couple bit wasn’t planned. Although after I thought about the idea a bit, it does make sense. If we go to Honolulu, stay in the same room, and pretend to be married, someone may let down their guard or leave a door open that we can walk through and catch them at their own game.”

She ran her hands through her ebony hair, soft if the flyaway tendrils were any indication. “I’m still not quite certain how I am much help in all this. I can barely run a computer.”

I laid a hand on her knee, surprised when she didn’t push it away. “Here’s the thing, I’m an IT guy, as you so often point out. That means I can find IP addresses, problem shoot just about any piece of AV equipment, keep servers running, code malware, and those types of things, but I don’t have the knowledge about social media that marketers do.”

“I’m not entirely sure it’s legal for me to snoop through employees’ social media pages. I know some employers do it, but ethically I think it crosses a line.”

I rubbed my hands on my pants. “I’m not talking about breaking through a firewall and stealing passwords and bank accounts, Ellie. If it’s a public account, then we can look at anything they have on their page. We’ll also be there in Honolulu to chat with the employees and spend time in public where the employees gather. We’ll accomplish it by pretending to be newlyweds.”

She stood and walked to where she dropped her purse earlier.

“What are you doing?” I asked, joining her near the counter.

“I’m calling Gideon. If what you say is true, then I need to know exactly what line I have to toe in order to stay on the right side of the law. You may not care, but it’s my hide that will pay for any illegally obtained information.”

I could feel my eyes round as she spoke and she laughed, almost in my face.

“What? Do you think my job consists of doing interviews and looking pretty? What I do is much more complicated than that and it takes hardly anything to break a law when you’re talking about someone else’s privacy.”

I put my hands on her upper arms and she tried to jump away, but the counter had her hemmed in.

“I never said I don’t respect your job, Ellie. I know it takes more than having a pretty face to be a marketer, which you have, but I know that’s not all you have. You’re incredibly smart and talented. I know it and Gideon knows it. We meant no disrespect to you or your job. Without you, we’re just an empty hotel. That said, things have spiraled out of control today. I can admit that.”

She looked down and away from my face. “So the marriage idea wasn’t planned?”

I lifted her chin back up with my finger and shook my head. “Absolutely not. That was me being me and jumping in without thinking things through. Admitting that is easy, what’s hard is going forward with the ruse.”

She looked up at me and I wanted to kiss her again. I traced her lips with my thumb, watching as her tongue darted out to lick her lips. It left a dewy shine to her already sparkly lip color.

“When you do that I want nothing more than to kiss you breathless,” I admitted, my mouth just inches away from hers. She never said a word, but her eyes went closed and I knew that was the go ahead to fulfill my desire. When our lips touched there was a current of expectation there that I didn’t feel last night. Who was this woman and why did she have me acting like a teenager again?

She moaned and put her hands up to my neck, sliding them into the hair at the nape. I pushed her against the edge of the counter gently with my hips and held her face with two hands, guiding her into the kiss that was going from zero to ten instantly. She tore her lips from mine and leaned her forehead on my chest. “I love and hate how you make me feel, all at the same time.”

I hugged her, my arms wrapped protectively around her back. “I can’t disagree.” I kissed the top of her head and then leaned over and picked up the ring from where I laid it after she threw it at me. “Will you be my wife for the next month? I promise to come clean to Gideon when he flies us out of here, and with everyone else once the party is over. Honestly, I really do think it would help us in Honolulu if we’re more than just associates, at least in the eyes of the people working there. If they see us as a couple on their honeymoon rather than two people snooping around their hotel, they might be more open with us and let something slip.”

She sighed and held out her left hand. I slid the ring on her finger and grinned. “With this ring, I thee wed.” I winked and she groaned, then laughed, which made part of my heart sigh unexpectedly with satisfaction.

Chapter Seven

Ellie

I held tight to the handle at the top of the helicopter door. I didn’t know what they called them in a helicopter, but I was just glad it was there. Gideon was landing the chopper on top of Orchid Reef Resort on the landing pad, and the wind was not cooperating.

“Not to worry, Ellie. It’s not that far down if we do crash,” he teased me through the headphones I was wearing. I heard Maltrand give a snort from the backseat and I stiffened my shoulders.

“I’m not afraid,” I insisted. “I’m trying not to be sick with all the rocking.”

“That’s the downside of a helicopter in Hawaii,” Gideon agreed as I felt the chopper touch the concrete base. He flipped a bunch of switches and took his headphones off. He busied himself with a bunch of other toggles while my partner-in-crime jumped out onto the concrete and stretched.

After we met in Gideon’s office and talked about the updated situation, we decided it was best to fly over to Honolulu tonight. There was weather coming in tomorrow that he wouldn’t be able to fly through without ending up in the ocean. If we didn’t let him leave immediately, he wouldn’t make it back there tonight either.

“You know how to reach me with questions or problems. Katie called and everything is prepared in our penthouse. The maids will come in and clean whenever you need them, otherwise, help yourself to anything you need. Good luck, Ellie. I hope you can find who is behind this before they bleed us dry.”

“I think you’re putting an awful lot of hope in a marketing director instead of the police.”

He smiled and patted my hand that lay on my leg. “As soon as you give me something to go on, I’ll bring in the police, but until I can point them in the right direction they could do more harm than good.”

I sighed. “I know, but it’s stressful to think about how much your business is riding on our success here.”

“I’m not stressed in the least. I have full confidence in you and Mally. This is the first time we’ve been alone, but I was wondering if you talked to Katie yet.”

I shook my head. “I had planned to, but then she showed up in my office and everything sort of went off course.”

I stopped talking because while Maltrand and I were waiting for Gideon earlier, we decided to let everyone think we were married. It was better than forcing him to pretend to Katie for the next month. That wasn’t fair to ask of him.

“I wouldn’t say a surprise wedding is off course,” he winked and I forced a cheery smile.

“She was so happy and her whole attitude was different, so I decided it was best not to bring it up.”

He ran a hand over his face and let it drop to his lap. “Would it be okay if I told her?”

“It’s not that big of a secret, Gideon. I don’t talk about it, but since you know, if you think it would help Katie then go ahead.”

He nodded and let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see how the appointment goes tomorrow. I’ll let you know if I tell her, okay?”

I nodded as a rapping on my window startled us both. I turned and Maltrand was making fake talking movements with his hand and motioning me out.

I laughed. “Guess I shouldn’t leave the new husband waiting.” I unbuckled the belt and the flash of my ring caught my eye again. I’m never going to get used to that, I thought. Ever.

“See ya around, kid,” Gideon said as my husband helped me down from the chopper.

Gideon waited to start the blades until we were in the stairwell to the penthouse. Maltrand had our loaded bags on the landing of the stairs and pointed down them.

“Come on, I’ll take you to the Penthouse and then come back for the rest of the bags. He tossed two of the heavy duffels over his shoulder, and I noted they were the two bags with the computer equipment inside them.

I picked up my suitcase, and his. “I’m not some southern belle who can’t lift a finger,” I said sarcastically. He shrugged as if to say ‘suit yourself’ and waited for me to go down the flight of stairs that led to a locked door. He swiped it open with the keycard Gideon gave us and pushed it open for me. He followed me into a short hallway that had another door at the end of it. Another swipe and we stood directly in the penthouse suite. He held the door for me and I went through, already in awe of the posh furniture it held.

“Wow,” I sighed, running my hand along the back of a small loveseat. The main room alone was as big as two of our apartments in Maui. The floor held mosaic wood tiles, the multicolored wood forming designs normally seen in grand ballrooms. The furniture was surprisingly modern, with a matching chair and ottoman to form a sitting area with the sofa and loveseat. I noticed on one side of the room sat a small computer desk and on the other side a long wet bar.

He set the bags down and went to the window. “If you think that’s wow, check this out.”

He pulled back the heavy drapes and the view of the setting sun over the Pacific was almost religious. I pressed my nose to the glass, watching as it faded toward the horizon, completely unaware of anything else as I said a traditional Hawaiian prayer.

“I see sunsets every day from home, but there’s something special about it when I see one in the big city. It reminds me of how far I’ve come since college. I went to school here; did you know that?”

I turned and found I was to chest-to-chest with him, his hands warm on my arms as they held me to keep me from tipping over. “No, I didn’t know that. What a beautiful place to go to college.”

I nodded my head slowly, trying to tear my eyes from his sexy five o’clock shadow. “It’s been a long day. I should unpack.” I stepped around him and picked up my bag, walking down the short hallway toward the bed and bath. “I’ll take the small bed, you can have the master,” I said, instinctively knowing he was following me and there was no need to yell.

“That might be a problem,” he said from behind me and I discovered why. There was only one bed in this whole place.

I spun around, trying not to fall over the way I had earlier this morning. “How can there only be one bed in this whole suite?”

He shrugged, “It’s a big bed.”

“It’s a big place! It needs more than one bed!”

“You said that already.” He was grinning and I was trying to keep from losing it on him.

I pushed past him and went back to the main room, picking up the courtesy phone. “I’m calling the front desk for a rollaway bed.” I punched zero for operator and he depressed the phone connection before they picked up.

“Ellie, we’re supposed to be married. How is it going to look if you call and ask for a rollaway bed?”

“It will look like this is a fake marriage, which it is!” I answered, remarkably close to losing my mind after such a long day.

He took the receiver from my hand and replaced it. “You can have the bed. I’ll sleep on the couch, but let’s try not to blow our cover on the first night we’re here.”

I sighed and threw my hands up. “All right, fine.” I turned and looked at the couch. I started shaking my head almost immediately. “You can’t sleep on that. It’s too short. Your feet will hang off the edge.”

He picked up a computer bag and set it on the elegant cherry wood secretary desk near the window. “Then my feet will hang off the edge. It’s my fault we’re in this farce of a marriage. I’ll make it my penance so you can quit punishing me with every breath.”

I sat on the edge of the couch, resting my hands in my lap. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been kind of a crab today. I’m worried about a friend and now I’m here instead of there. I need a hot shower, and a hot meal. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be able to deal with everything better.”

He sat next to me and rubbed my shoulder. I was glad he was on my left side so I didn’t have to jump up and run away. I wanted to stay next to him and let him keep rubbing my arm. It was nice to be in contact with another human being, even if it was Mr. I.T.

“I understand, Ellie. Is your friend okay?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I was supposed to talk to her today, but I didn’t get a chance.”

A look crossed his eyes and he flipped the hair off my shoulder before he dropped his hands. “It’s Katie, isn’t it?” I nodded and he leaned forward on his elbows. “You didn’t get to talk to her because I threw a monkey wrench in your plan. That’s what you and Gideon were whispering about in the chopper.”

Maybe if I didn’t agree or disagree he would let it go.

“I’ve noticed she’s been a little off lately.”

And maybe not.

I leaned back on the couch and shook my head a little. “I’m not sure how much Gideon wants me to say about the matter, Maltrand.”

He stood and held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up from the couch, pointing me in the direction of the master bedroom. “Why don’t you go take that hot shower while I order some room service? Let’s get our feet under us, some sleep, and a plan developed before we have to go around pretending to be Mr. and Mrs. Newlyweds tomorrow.”

“I’ll agree to that deal if room service has a juicy cheeseburger on their menu.”

“I would bet they do,” he laughed, handing me my bag again.

“With fries and pickles. Extra pickles,” I said over my shoulder.

“Oh, I like a girl who understands the importance of pickles.”

He winked at me and I turned away to hide my smile. The man could flirt, and if I wasn’t careful, my crush would end up morphing into love. I flipped the light on in the master bedroom and took in the lavish space. I saw all of Katie’s touches in this room. The beauty station near the window had a three-way mirror, and space for makeup and hair needs. The walls held photos framed in mismatched, art deco frames, that somehow all worked when hung on the wall crookedly and haphazardly. My eyes traveled to the bed, which looked heavenly. Too bad I wouldn’t get to sleep on it because I had to be nice and volunteer for the couch. I pushed my hand into the mattress and sighed. Why did I have to be nice?

I turned over onto my right side on the not so comfortable couch. I’ve always said the most expensive furniture is always the least comfortable and that theory was coming home to roost tonight. The clock on the DVD player read three a.m. and I audibly groaned, losing hope for any sleep at all. It was bad enough we had stayed up until almost midnight discussing our plan and laying out a timeline, but now I was going to have to play Mrs. Newlywed on no sleep.

My stomach was grumbling as it digested the juicy cheeseburger and extra pickles he had conjured up from room service, and while we ate, I walked him through some of the ins and outs of social media. I had the list of employee names Gideon had provided and it was my job to check their sites for anything that would seem out of place, or at least out of place for someone earning thirty thousand dollars a year. That aspect of the job wouldn’t take me long. It was the idea that I had to do it around all my other marketing work for the new business center, oh and pretending to be a new wife.

I groaned again and flopped onto my back. I must have told myself at least a hundred times not to fall any harder for him than I already had. He didn’t make it easy for a woman not to fall in lust with him. His quick wit, charm, good looks, and immediate ability to sense your discomfort drew me in, but it had to stop. I had to stop thinking about him or this was going to be the longest month of my life.

I ran my thumb across the inside of my ring finger where the smooth ring sat. Maybe if I didn’t have to wear this ring all day as a reminder that I was ‘Mrs. I.T.’, even if only for show, it would be easier. I didn’t know that much about him, but I knew dreaming about us being a couple after this month ended would leave me with a broken heart, and an extreme fear of romance novels.

I snorted with laughter and hushed myself, forgetting I wasn’t alone like I usually am every night.

“What’s so funny?” he asked from where he leaned on the doorway.

I groaned aloud. “Nothing, just thought of a joke someone told me. What are you doing up?”

“I feel guilty sleeping in there on that big bed when you’re flopping around out here like a fish.”

“I do not flop like a fish,” I said indignantly.

“You’re flopping like a big ole’ mackerel, honey bunches.”

“That’s because this couch feels like it cost about two grand.”

He laughed and came closer, stopping near the arm of the couch my head rested on. “What does the price of the couch have to do with anything?”