Rich (Benson Security #5) - Janet Elizabeth Henderson Page 0,56

at his head. Of course, she missed and hit that ugly gnome instead. Her aim seriously sucked. But it was enough of a disturbance to get his attention. He came up out of the water like Neptune, muscles flexing as the droplets ran down his skin. For the love of all things haute couture, it was distracting.

“Hey, gorgeous, you’re awake.” His smile was wide and intimate and had her second-guessing her decision to talk to him before getting dressed for the day. “You coming in?” As he dragged his hands through the water, her eyes followed the movement. It was mesmerizing.

She shook her head. “No. Something’s just occurred to me. We need to check the cameras outside West Building.” The block that housed her mother’s lab. “Elle said there was a script running on the computer that enabled an automatic download to the Wi-Fi card reader periodically. Her theory was that the only time someone handled the reader was when they swapped out a full memory card for a fresh one.” She took a deep breath.

“Go on,” Harvard said, moving closer.

“What if the files stolen during the time we set the trap weren’t taken on schedule? What if someone was outside the building, using their phone to tell the card reader to copy files? To take advantage of the security issue. The reader has a range of twenty meters. It’s possible someone could have been close enough to the building to communicate with it.”

He nodded slowly. “And phones aren’t banned from the grounds, just the buildings.”

“Exactly.” She smiled at him. “We need to look at the security footage. Should I call Ryan and tell him to pull it?”

Harvard angled his head and smacked his ear, as though clearing water out of the opposite one. “Say that again,” he said. “I’m a bit clogged.”

“I said”—she leaned closer—“should I call Ryan or wait until we get to the office to talk to him?”

He shook his head and frowned. “Nope, still only getting bits. I’ll come closer.” He swam to the edge, until he was directly under her. “Sorry, tell me again.”

“I said—”

But nothing else came out, because he reached up, grabbed her, and tugged her into the pool. Rachel screamed until water filled her mouth. She kicked to the surface, wiping her face as she glared at him. “I am going to kill you for that.”

The lunatic laughed. “Aw, come on, Rachel, the situation was begging for it.”

“No. It wasn’t.” She started swimming toward the steps.

The pool was about seven feet deep, except for a wide ledge around the edges, where the glass ended. That ledge varied in height, making it possible to sit in some parts of the pool. But right now, she was in the middle, and she couldn’t touch the bottom.

As she passed Harvard, a strong arm wrapped around her waist from behind. “You’re cute when you’re all wet.” He nuzzled the spot where her neck met her shoulder. “What will it take to make you forgive me?”

“There is nothing you could do that would make me forgive you.” She wriggled against his hold, their legs moving gently in the water, keeping them afloat.

“Nothing?” he whispered against her ear, and her body melted a little.

“No. That was uncalled for and juvenile.”

“Maybe a little,” he conceded. “But I’m trying to teach you how to play.”

“What you’re doing is driving me crazy.”

“Again?” His teeth nipped at her earlobe, making her clutch his arm. “I know how to fix your crazy. Didn’t I help with it yesterday? When we got home from work and you told me that I was too perfect?”

“I don’t recall that conversation.” She remembered the kiss though, all too well. “It couldn’t have been very memorable.”

“Then, let me remind you.” Before she could even decide if she wanted to object, he turned her and pinned her against the side of the pool, where she was able to stand on the ledge. The water lapped at her body, sliding over it in a sinuous tease.

“I told you that I didn’t want to kiss you again,” she said, sounding a little breathless.

He cupped her cheek, turning somber. “I won’t ever take anything you don’t want to give.” Suddenly, she found their positions reversed, with Harvard leaning back against the side of the pool and her standing between his legs. The width of the ledge made it impossible not to be within touching distance. “If you want me,” he said in that dark, deep voice that made her shiver, “you can