The Last Straw Read Free

overheard.”
    “He did seem to come out of nowhere. Sorry.”
    Jared nodded and studied the waiter’s retreating back until the man was out of view, then looked back to her. “I’m the one who’s sorry, Ally. I owe you an explanation.”
    “You don’t owe me anything about the past. I don’t care. But now there’s obviously a huge security threat at NST and I need to know what’s going on.” She could have just asked Chapman. She hadn’t fooled herself into believing she really needed to meet Jared in person. But had she fooled Jared? His lips were curved in his mystery smile. No, she hadn’t fooled Jared either.
    “Chapman suspects someone in the company is stealing their IP.”
    Her stomach dropped. Companies in Silicon Valley lived or died by intellectual property. This was a lot more important than not seeming weak to Jared. “If he’s concerned, why wouldn’t he come to me?” Had the suspect been one of the employees she’d cleared? “And why the FBI?”
    “Stew is a friend of mine and he thinks the information’s going to a foreign country.”
    A friend? So that’s what brought him to her office. What were the chances? “Why didn’t he involve me?” Her voice pitched higher. “Am I a suspect?”
    “No, of course not. We’re narrowing the possibilities. We know it’s not you, but we wanted to keep it quiet. And quite frankly I didn’t know the hired background-checker was you .”
    She forced a tight smile. “Where are you from?” Might as well get back to the personal side of things since her professional life was not looking too good.
    “New Jersey.”
    “So, that’s the same.”
    “Yes. I was undercover in New York as well.”
    An image of his naked back under her covers flashed. This had been a bad idea. Being this close to him recalled far too many sensual memories. “I figured you were working undercover. Okay, I know all I need for now. The rest I’ll get from Chapman.” She stood.
    “I’ve regretted leaving you every day.” There was an ache in his voice. His Adam’s apple worked and he glanced away. When his gaze returned to meet hers, his dark eyes were wide and honest. “Stay.”
    Her heart leapt, but she clamped down on the false hope. “Good line. Does it ever work?”
    “Give me another chance, Ally.” She pulled her hand away, but he caught it. “Even though I don’t deserve it.”
    “Jared, if that’s even your name—”
    “It is.”
    “There’s no way I’m going out with you again. You must think I’m a fool if you think it’s even worth asking me.” She withdrew her hand.
    “I have a lot of explaining to do,” Jared said. His eyes were still on her hand. Something about his hand, lying abandoned on the table, made her heart squeeze.
    “Wouldn’t you like to hear the whole story?”
    He’d hit another weak point. One didn’t get to be a PI without a lot of curiosity.
    “Okay.”
    “Sit.”
    She sank back onto the bench and ran her palms over her skirt. Underneath her skirt, she wore a garter belt.
    “Thank you,” Jared said. “What are you smiling about?”
    “Nothing.”
    The waiter checked on them and Jared ordered appetizers. “Sound okay with you?”
    She nodded.
    “I was working undercover when we met,” Jared said, looking her straight in the eye. “A new assignment came up and I had to leave. Since you and I hadn’t made much progress, I figured I’d let it go. I’m sorry. Not just for you but for me. And that’s not a line.”
    His words knifed her heart. “Hadn’t made much progress? Oh, never mind. Of course you’re right. Where did you go next?”
    He frowned and shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded. I don’t have a way with words. Anyway, I went to Atlanta next.”
    Her Coke was gone. She chewed some ice. Ice trailing over her naked breasts. Her face heated and the ice lodged in her wind pipe.
    “You okay?”
    She coughed again, nodded and waved. When she could breathe, she said, “And now