“So what you’re telling me is you’re kind of a hacker?”

“No. No. I was kind of a hacker. But that is long behind me. I’m a nice, respectable girl now. As soon as I get my doctorate, my life is going to start really rolling.”

“So what did you do?”

She shrugged. “Moved some stuff around. Infiltrated a few…” she sighed, “…government organizations.”

Conall raised his eyebrows. He couldn’t help himself.

“But,” she quickly added, “I never stole anything.”

“Is that why you didn’t do any hard time?”

“Well, that and my age. Thankfully, they expunged my record when I turned eighteen. But let me tell you, no computer for three years. To somebody like me that is hard time.

“But you know,” she continued. “It was always about the hack. It was about proving we could do it. It was always about that. Not money or stealing anything from anybody.” She shook her head. “But those days are over for me. No more hacking. In fact, no activity that can get me arrested.”

“That’s always a good plan.”

She smiled then and he immediately got hard. It amazed him really. Almost like she’d stroked him. She had both her legs on one of side of him, so he took one and pulled it over so that her legs boxed him in.

“Having fun with my legs there, Viking?”

“Yup.”

He stroked her legs and stared at her. She looked away once and then, after a deep breath, looked back at him. He ran his fingers lightly along her calves and across her knees. He could hear her breathing change. Hear her heart beating faster.

“Conall?”

“Miki?”

“Don’t get any ideas. As it is, I’m still pissed.”

“Anger can be quite the aphrodisiac.”

She laughed. “Men are so pathetic. They will come up with any bullshit to get laid.”

“Do you want me to stop?” He massaged the muscles in her calves.

“What if I do?”

Conall stopped and pulled his hands away. “Then I stop.”

Miki rubbed her neck and stared up at the ceiling. She tried to look unaffected, but he wasn’t buying it for a second. Especially when she said, “I didn’t say you had to stop. I just asked what would happen if I did ask you to.”

“So do you want me to start again?”

Miki shrugged in response.

“That’s not an answer, Mik.”

She locked eyes with him. “Don’t try and bulldoze me, Viking.”

“I wouldn’t dare.”

He leaned forward in his chair and ran his hand on the inside of her thigh. “How about you tell me if you want me to stop.”

“I bet you’re praying I temporarily lose my powers of speech.”

“Onlyfor a few hours.”

She smiled again and shook her head. When she smiled her whole face lit up and he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“God, Miki. You’re so beautiful.”

That seemed to surprise her. “Okay.”

He stroked his hand up her thigh and inside her baggie shorts; he felt gooseflesh break out over her soft skin. “Don’t you believe me?” His hand played along the very edge of her panties. Lace. Yum.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. But it’s all perception, isn’t it? One man’s beauty is another man’s coyote ugly. I mean, it’s all about society’s views and—”

“Miki?”

“Yeah?”

“Stop thinking.”

“That’s a cute idea and all, but I don’t think I’m actually capable of…of…oh God.” Her hands gripped the arms of her chair as his fingers slid past her panties and his middle finger slid inside of her.

“You were saying?”

Miki tried to stay in control. Tried to keep her wits about her. But with his finger slowly stroking in and out and his eyes never leaving her face, that started to become a freakin’ impossibility. “What?” He’d asked her something and for the life of her she couldn’t remember what. Her with the fuckin’ photographic memory.

“You were just giving me your theory on beauty and society. Thought you could finish that thesis for me.”

“Um…yeah. Sure.” Okay, Kendrick. Focus. Focus. You can do this. He’s just testing you. Oh, my God in heaven, that feels so freakin’ good! “You see, it has a lot to do with…um…”

“A lot to do with…what?”

“Well, society and…uh…people…” She closed her eyes. “They are raised to…um…see…” She gripped the arms of the chair harder and wondered if she might just rip the fucking things off.

“See what?” He slid another finger inside of her and let his thumb brush her clit.

She almost came out of her chair with that. Instead she let her head fall back. Her breath coming out in short, hard gasps. “Uh…”

“Miki?”

Okay. He won. She couldn’t think of one goddamn thing at the moment. Nothing but him and that big talented hand of his. Unable to stop herself, she moaned out, “Oh God, Conall.”

She got the feeling that was what he’d been waiting for. Conall slid off his chair and kneeled in front of her. Leaning forward, he brought his mouth to her breast and sucked on it through her T-shirt. She gasped and wrapped one of her hands in his thick hair, pushing him forward so he could get a better grip on her nipple. And she had been right. His hair did feel like silk against her skin.