The Price Of Secrecy (3 page)

Could
he sound any more suggestive if he tried? He finally released her hand.
“Unfortunately I have to get back. I have a meeting.”

“Of—of
course. I’ll see you Monday.”

“Monday
it is.” Dominic turned around and went back inside before he said fuck it all
to the meetings and interviews, and instead went back to Angela’s place with
her. He was actually sweating, and he hoped no one took a close look at his
crotch. His dick was rock hard and throbbing now.
Shit.
This was going to make for a very long day.

Chapter
Three

Angela
missed her stop on the tram because she’d been daydreaming about fucking
Dominic. She had to walk an extra ten minutes to backtrack, and nearly got run
over by the tram going in the opposite direction because she was too close the
tracks and didn’t notice until the conductor blew his horn.

The
tram connected various neighborhoods in CentralWest and ran on electricity.
Some cities didn’t have them and instead people used scooters, but Angela liked
being able to hop on it at any stop and be on the other side of town in just
over an hour. Plus it was free. Not that she’d need to worry about money now.
The job ad had included the starting salary, and it was far more than she had
ever hoped to make in her chosen field.

She
had a job, and it was perfect for her, but that wasn’t what had her walking
along, ignoring everything around her. Her new boss was the most drop-dead
gorgeous man she’d ever seen, and she knew he found her attractive. It had been
written all over his face, and in the comments he’d made.

You can’t go there.

Angela
kicked at a loose piece of cobblestone as she neared her apartment building. It
was true. She didn’t dare do anything about her lust. It was too risky, but how
the hell was she supposed to control it? The man was seriously sexy in a
dangerous, edgy way. She’d be working closely with him, which meant there was
no way to avoid being with him all day.

She
sat down on one of the benches in the courtyard of her complex and stared at
the fake sky. Had this been a huge mistake? This was her dream job. The one
she’d fantasized about all through school. It was tailor-made for her, and
she’d be an idiot not to take it.

She’d
been serving coffee in the local Internet café for years, begging the universe
for an opportunity like this. If she turned it down, she would never find
another position like it. Not in this city, and she couldn’t move, even if she
could afford to.

No.
This was the job she’d waited for, and it was hers now. She’d just have to deal
with Mr. Perfect and tamp down her horniness, the same way she’d been doing
most of her adult life.

She
was in her apartment when her phone chirped with an incoming text. Thinking it
was Lesli, her BFF, wanting to know how the interview had gone, she unlocked
the screen without looking at the ID and nearly dropped her phone. The text was
from Dominic.

Looking forward to Monday, although
it’s too far away. HR is on the fifth floor and they’ll be expecting you at
8:30. You already know how we dress. No need to bring office supplies but you
may bring personal items for your desk. HR will walk you through completion of
your paperwork and provide you with access badges, and then will escort you to
your new department. The department’s administrative assistant, Trish Bowling,
will orient you to your laptop and our system, plus help you with anything else
you need to start work that afternoon. I will meet you in the department at
11:30 to take you to lunch, and then I’ve cleared the afternoon so we can get
started. Call or text if you need me for anything else before Monday. Dominic.

Lunch?
He was taking her to lunch and then spending the entire afternoon with her?

Looking forward to Monday, although
it’s too far away.

He’d
actually written that. She looked again just to be sure.

Fuck. Shit.
She couldn’t do this. No freaking
way could she do
this.
She didn’t have that kind of
willpower. The man was too damn hot.

It
took her fifteen minutes to compose a return text that didn’t make her sound
like a giggling schoolgirl. Even after she sent it, she wanted to edit it.
Finally, Angela placed her phone in a drawer and walked into the spare bedroom.

She’d
set it up as a workout room even though the complex had a fitness center,
because she didn’t like to
workout
in front of
others. It was time to put on some music and kick-box her way into oblivion. Or
at least into forgetting Dominic’s sexy dark eyes, or how that suit had looked
on him.

****

Angela
woke Thursday morning and thought she’d slept through her alarm. Then she
remembered she’d quit her job yesterday afternoon and didn’t have to work in
the Internet café ever again. So what was that damn noise?

She
finally remembered about her phone. Opening the nightstand drawer, she pulled
it out to find no fewer than twenty text messages from Lesli, the latest one a
few seconds ago.
Shit.
She’d totally
forgotten about letting her best friend know she’d landed the job.

Angela
called her. “Sorry. My phone was in a drawer. It’s a long story.”

“Finally.
I almost stopped by your place instead of going to work to make sure you
weren’t dead.”

“I
have so much to tell you.”

“Did
you get the damn job or not?”

“Yes.
I start Monday.”

“Excellent!
We’ll go out tonight and celebrate. Then you can spill your guts.”

“It’s
a deal.”

“Gotta
run. Later.”

Angela
spent the rest of the day vacillating between thinking about Dominic, and
catching up on all the things she’d neglected the past few years, including
reading for pleasure instead of for a class. She felt lazy but content curled
up in her favorite chair with a novel, sipping lemonade and snacking on
crackers and peanut butter.

By
the evening she was restless and more than ready to have a girls’ night out
with Lesli. She and Lesli had met in high school, had attended the same
university together before being forced underground, and had then attended the
university in town.

Lesli
had graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising four years ago and worked
as a buyer for the only haute couture clothing designer in CentralWest. It was
a cushy job that paid her enough to afford to treat Angela to dinner and drinks
once or twice a month. But tonight, finally, Angela was paying.

Lesli
protested. “But you haven’t started your new job yet.”

They
had managed to grab their favorite table at The Red Dog Saloon, and Angela had
ordered them a pitcher of margaritas and a plate of beer cheese dip and
tortilla chips. The hell with eating well tonight. This was a celebration,
after all.

“I’m
fine. In less than one week I’ll be making more money than you do.”

“Good,
because you owe me like three years’ worth of nights out.”

They
clinked water glasses and toasted Angela’s new job. Lesli leaned close. “All
right. Why was your phone in a drawer?”

Angela
took another sip of water. She glanced around but didn’t see anyone she
recognized. Still, if someone who worked for him overheard her … but she didn’t
want to be paranoid this evening. She wanted to enjoy her time with her best
friend. As long as she was careful what she said, it wouldn’t matter who
overheard her. “You’ve heard of Dominic Greco, of course.”

“Who
hasn’t? So did you interview with him, or with an underling?”

“With
the man himself.”

“Wow.
What’s he like?”

“Fucking
gorgeous.”

“No
shit. I can see that in the photos online. But what is he like to talk to?”

Their
drinks and appetizer arrived, so they opened their menus and ordered dinner.
Then once their server was gone, Lesli asked again what Dominic was like in
person.

“He’s
polite, observant, and he needs to shave closer.”

“Mmmm
… I love a man with a shadow.”

“I
know, right? I couldn’t stop staring at it.”

“So
that’s it? His politeness and his face? That’s why you stuck your phone in a
drawer and let me think you’d been kidnapped or something?”

“He’s
also a flirt, and he sat way too close to me.”

“Angela,
you’re fucking gorgeous. Of course he sat way too close to you. I’m sure every
boy since second grade has been sitting way too close to you. Were you
intimidated by him?”

“Not
really. Just confused.”

Lesli
looked at her like she’d just said the sky was pea green. “Why? I mean so what
if you fuck him? I’ll bet he fools around with his employees all the time. He’s
forty-one years old, you never see him photographed twice with the same woman,
and when you do his face is always in profile. He’s not married, and he’s
straight. That makes him a player. He’ll seduce you, you’ll have a short but
very hot affair with him, and then you can tell me all about it in graphic
detail because the way I’m going, I’ll be fifty before I get laid again.”

Angela
laughed as they raised their glasses and drank a toast. “Right. Like I have sex
so often.”

“You’ll
have plenty of it soon with your hottie new boss. Did he ask you out?”

Yes.
Sort of. If you count lunch as a date.
“I’ll be working closely
with him for a while. I’m the first person on the new team, and the department
head is still doing his old job as well. So for now, Dominic is going to get me
started.”

“
Dominic
, is it? He has you calling him
by his first name already?”

“They
all do that.”

“So
when did you say you start?”

“Monday.”
Angela decided not to tell Lesli she and Dominic were having lunch and then
spending the afternoon working together. Besides, nothing was going to happen.
It couldn’t. She’d never let anyone get too close, and she certainly couldn’t
let Dominic do so. If he dug any deeper than he already had into her family, he
might discover the truth. She could never let that happen.

Angela
would never forget the US Marshals coming to their home one Wednesday
afternoon. She’d just started her homework and her mother had been on the
phone, crying. Angela hadn’t asked why. Her mother cried a lot back in those
days, and Angela knew it had to do with the activities her father and two
uncles were involved in, but her mother had never volunteered any information.
Angela had understood even back then it was for her own protection.

The
Marshals had told them each to pack two bags and that the rest of their things
would be shipped once they were settled in their new city. She’d never cried so
hard in her life, but not because she was afraid. She hadn’t wanted to leave
her school or her friends in Chicago.

“Where
did you go just now?”

Lesli’s
voice snapped her back to the present.

“Dreaming
about him already. You’re toast.”

She
smiled, letting her friend draw the wrong conclusion. No one but Angela’s
mother knew about her past. No one, and she had to keep it that way. There were
people out there who would kill her if they were found, not to mention it would
put her friend in danger as well. She couldn’t let that happen.

Not
even for dark eyes and a face that she could stare at for days and never grow
tired of looking at it. Not even for that.

Chapter
Four

Dominic
had done a background check on Angela before he interviewed her, but Sunday
night he went over it again, just because. He hadn’t stopped thinking about her
since leaving her outside his building Wednesday morning. Several times a day
he’d picked up his phone, ready to text her or email her, but there was really
no legitimate reason to do either.

She
had a pristine and boring past, but that was all right. He didn’t need any
further drama in his life. He’d spent a great deal of time and money burying
the events of his own past that he never wanted anyone to find, so if someone
were to search him online, they’d see nothing but pristine and boring as well.

And
that was exactly what nagged at him now about Angela’s online presence. It was
almost too impeccable. Too generic. Then again, some people lived perfectly
ordinary lives and weren’t hiding from crime families.

She’d
attended school in San Francisco, raised by a single mother who apparently had
not listed her father’s name on her birth certificate. She had a social
security number, no arrest records, and had begun a bachelor of science in
business with an IT concentration at Golden Gate University. She’d transferred
to the same program at CentralWest University at the age of twenty, had earned
her undergrad degree, and had then earned a master of science in their information
technology management program.

She
lived on Sagebrush Lane in the Desert Springs apartment complex, and had worked
at Painted Dragon Internet Café, two blocks from home, for the past six years.
Her mother still lived on Palm Tree Way in a modest three bedroom home, and
worked downtown as a medical biller and coder in the CentralWest Health Center.

Marilyn
Teresa Davidson’s past was as bland as her daughter’s. Everything was in its
place. Why did that bother him so much? Especially now that he’d hired Angela
and she was starting in the morning? If he’d had concerns, the time to address
them had passed.

He
rose and poured himself another glass of fine Kentucky bourbon. It was hard to
come by these days, but with enough money and patience, you could procure
anything. Or rather, a team of highly skilled and absolutely insane
professionals could procure anything.

It
was still possible to go up to the surface and poke around in places, but you
had to be quick to find a shelter when the unpredictable storms rose up, and
you had to go up there knowing you might die. That’s why only the chosen few
with enough cash had things like Kentucky bourbon and antique artifacts.

He
glanced around his penthouse apartment. Most of the things in it had been
salvaged in time before he moved underground, only because he’d done so months
ahead of almost everyone else. As soon as The Madeline Project had been
compromised, Dominic hadn’t waited for the storms to start. He knew they were
all fucked, and he knew the only way to survive until they could take back
control of the program or shut it down was to live underground.

Dominic
loved his home as much as he loved running his company, but he led a lonely
life despite the work and the material possessions. To allow anyone to get too
close meant opening himself up to exposure, and that meant someone could get
too close to the truth and his past.

It
had happened once, and only by sheer luck had he outwitted the Trapani family
and thrown them so far off course they were now looking for him underneath
Eurasia. If he hadn’t changed his hairstyle when he walked away eighteen years
earlier, or kept his picture from being shown online for the next ten years,
and still made sure he was only seen in profile, they might have found him and
his new name.

He
might not get that lucky again. Next time, he might end up dead, and then his
entire company would be at risk. His own life was his own life, and he didn’t
want to lose it, but that wasn’t the only thing that kept him from doing
anything to expose his past. He employed over ten thousand people. They
depended on him for security and protection, and he wasn’t going to let even
one of them down.

Not
even for all that dark, curly hair and big brown eyes the color of a chocolate
bar.

But
oh, how he’d love a taste. Just one.

Dominic
returned to his laptop, drained his glass of bourbon, and laughed softly.
Right.
As if having her one time would
be enough and he could simply stop after that.

He
studied the online information again. No pictures. Not one. No prom picture, no
graduation pictures from high school or college, and no family or candid photos
posted anywhere that he could find. Not even an online newspaper announcement
from her hometown. Odd. Disturbing.
Familiar.

That
was the kind of thing you came across when someone in one of the families was
trying to hide, or was in witness protection. Granted, there could be a
reasonable explanation each time. In her high school yearbook it said “Absent
due to illness on picture day” underneath where her photo should be. She also wasn’t
the only one without a high school picture in the yearbook. Same thing in
college. So that would explain it. Quite a coincidence, but still a plausible
reason.

But
it bugged him now, and he wasn’t a person who let things go when they bothered
him. He had always trusted his gut. So the question then became why? If she or
her mother were hiding, from whom were they hiding, and for what reason? She
was skilled enough to have manufactured a past for herself and her mother, and
that could also be the reason he hadn’t found any photos, but again, why? What
was she trying to conceal?

Why
was he asking these questions now, instead of two weeks ago when he’d taken one
look at that project and emailed her to set up an interview? He was desperate
to get this team built, that’s why. She had stood out among the applicants, so
he’d gotten sloppy. Sloppy led to mistakes, and mistakes were dangerous, but it
was too late now. He’d have to stick close to her and watch her. Not a problem,
unless he couldn’t keep his fucking hormones out of the picture.

****

Angela
was half an hour early Monday morning because she was so damn excited she
simply couldn’t sit in her apartment and wait any longer. She had to wait in
the HR lobby for fifteen minutes before someone showed up, and then they didn’t
call her back until almost 8:45.

After
she finished the paperwork online and had her access badges, one of the HR assistants
took her up to the department where Merrick waved to her from his temporary
office. “Trish is already in your new office. I’ll stop by in a bit and make
sure you’re all set up.”

“Thank
you.”

Merrick
eyed her new suit as she walked past, and Angela hoped Dominic appreciated the
way she looked in it as much as Merrick obviously did. Affordable business
clothing was difficult to find, but Lesli had used her employee discount and
bought three new suits for Angela. She promised to pay her back as soon as
possible, but Angela knew that Lesli wasn’t keeping score. Still, these damn
things had been expensive, even with the discount.

She’d
worn the red one today because it was a power color, it was the latest design,
and it set off her dark hair and eyes. She’d pinned up her hair but left
tendrils hanging near her face and on the back of her neck. That also had been
Lesli’s idea. Her jewelry was understated and gold, although none of it was
real, but who would know that?

The
shoes were dark, but they matched her purse, so that was acceptable. She looked
as chic and professional as any woman she spotted inside the building today,
and the result was that she felt confident and ready to tackle her new role.

Trish
Bowling was a chipper person, and Angela liked her immediately. She got Angela
set up on the company’s system within minutes, and went over every page of the
Intranet with her. She made her sure her email program worked, and had even
added key contacts to it for her ahead of time. “I have administrative access
to everyone’s systems, as do Merrick and Dominic.”

“That’s
a good idea. Thanks for all your help.”

“That’s
what I’m here for. And since you and Merrick are the department right now, I
don’t have much to do yet.”

“When
do you think Dominic will hire more people?”

“He’s
very picky. If rumors are true, and in this building they usually are, he’s
already interviewed close to fifty people and has only hired four. One is you,
and he’s hired one other woman and two men. The others are moving from another
city or have to give notice at their current jobs, so they won’t start for two
weeks.”

“I
worked at the Painted Dragon Internet Café. People come and go so quickly there
that they didn’t even care I simply quit Wednesday afternoon.”

Trish
gave her a knowing smile. “Dominic hasn’t stopped talking about you since your
interview. He said if he could find a dozen just like you, he’d have the dream
team in place.”

A
shiver ran down her spine. “I’m flattered.”

“Well,
you must have really impressed him. He isn’t the kind of man who hands out
compliments easily. I’ve worked for him in public relations for ten years, and
I can count the number of times I’ve seen him this enthusiastic about a new
hire.”

Trish
stood. “We don’t have our own storeroom yet, so we’re using the one two floors
down. Let me take you there so you can get supplies and set up your desk.”

About
an hour later, Angela was still rearranging everything in her desk drawers when
she looked up and saw a smiling Dominic watching her. Was he part cat? “Hi there.
I didn’t even hear you come in.”

“I’m
sneaky like that.”

He
looked and smelled incredible. Today’s choice was a charcoal-colored suit and a
mint green tie. It should have looked ridiculous, but on him it was perfect.
“I’ll have to remember that.”

“Are
you all set up? I ran into Trish, who said you’re eager to begin work.”

“I
am. Thanks.”

“Let’s
go and have some lunch first. We can talk about everything besides work, and
then we’ll get started on saving the planet, one name at a time.”

She
smiled and rose, started to walk away from her desk, and then remembered her
purse in her desk drawer. “Do you want us to lock our desks when we leave them?
Trish said in some departments they do.”

“That’s
up to you. Just make sure your laptop is on the password screen so no one else
can access it.”

They
walked past Merrick’s office, and Dominic smiled at her. “You look very pretty
today. That suit looks great on you.”

“Thank
you.” She felt heat rise to her face, but that had as much to do with the
unexpected compliment as the fact he’d waited to say something within earshot
of Merrick. Had he done that on purpose? Judging from the look on Merrick’s
face, he had. Was he marking his territory, or was there a history there?
Either way, she had no desire to be a pawn in his game.

“Where
are we going?” she asked, hoping if she changed the subject he’d behave like
the gentleman she knew was in there.

“It’s
a place right around the corner.
Cibo
Delizioso
.”

“Delicious
Food.”

He
gave her an odd look, and her stomach contracted, but not from hunger. She had
grown up speaking both Italian and American English, and she still spoke
Italian with her mother so she didn’t lose the language. But she needed to keep
that a secret, obviously. “I had an Italian roommate in college.”

He
nodded, but didn’t look convinced.
Fuck.
If she was going to work this closely with him, she’d need to be careful not to
slip up like that.

The
elevator was crowded, and so she was hyper aware of being pushed up against him
as they rode down to the lobby. She inhaled his scent, woodsy and expensive,
wondering what it would be like to lie next to him naked, that smell mixed with
their sweat and the unmistakable aroma of sex. This was already difficult. She
was in so much trouble here.

“Have
you been there?” he asked.

“The
restaurant? You’re kidding, right?
It’s
crazy
expensive. No, I haven’t.”

He
smiled down at her, and this close it sent shivers along her spine. She was
reluctant to pull away her gaze, but she finally did. When they reached the
lobby, he shocked the hell out of her by holding out his arm. “In that case,
allow me to introduce you to the fabulous world of my favorite restaurant.”

She
took his arm and tried to ignore the curious looks as they got off elevator and
walked through the lobby. He was a charmer and a flirt, but she wasn’t sure she
agreed with Lesli’s assessment that he was a player. Just because he’d dated
more than one woman didn’t make him a jerk. He was forty-one years old. It
would be odd if he hadn’t dated more than one woman. Still, she wasn’t about to
discuss his dating life. She couldn’t get involved with him. It was too risky.

So why are you holding onto his arm
like he’s your lover?

Why
indeed? It felt so damn good to walk down the street with him. It had been a
long time since she’d gone out on a date, let alone had a meal in such a nice
place. He was handsome, easy to be with, and so far he hadn’t given off a
creepy vibe. She was going to enjoy this lunch and then she’d take it one day
at a time.