Read Online Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It by Lucy Monroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lucy Monroe
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we've got some loose-tongued engineers who share info with their buddies from college over a beer after hours."
"Yeah, and when those buddies just happen to work for rival firms, our secrets get leaked to the press. It could happen that way, I suppose."Sandy laid her utensils out neatly and put her paper napkin in her lap, almost covering the short black skirt she wore. "But haven't you noticed how many times this past year we've had confidential information leaked to the press, or our competition has beaten us by less than a day in announcing similar technology advances?"
Veronica realized her friend was serious. "You really think Kline Technology has some sort of corporate spy in its midst?"
"It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened in our industry. Computers and their peripheral technology are a hotbed for that sort of game playing. Someone could make a lot more money selling secrets than their nine-to-five salary."
Chills of cold dread crawled up Veronica's legs and into her spine.
A corporate spy at Kline Tech? She didn't want to believe it could be true, butSandy 's words couldn't be denied. There had been a lot of information leaks over the past six months… since Veronica had come to work for the company, in fact.
Having worked at CIS for so long, she knew firsthand how easily information could be obtained by those who knew how to go about getting it, men like Alex Trahern and Marcus Danvers. She had never stopped to think that the wealth of information on Kline Tech's products might have an internal source… a leak.
She and Sandy ate in silence for several seconds while Veronica tried to comprehend the significance of her company's setbacks in the past few months and what it might mean to her newfound security.
From the contemplative expression onSandy 's beautiful face, Veronica thought the blonde might be doing the same thing. Only she undoubtedly wasn't plagued with the worry that she could be accused of the crime because of past actions.
Marcus's blackmail threat took on more sinister tones, and, for the first time, she contemplated running. Perhaps coming back to thePacific Northwest had been every bit as stupid as letting herself fall in love with Marcus in the first place.
She took a small sip of her iced tea, wanting desperately to calm her own nerves.
"Is there room at the table for one more?"
At the sound of Marcus's voice, she inhaled and swallowed wrong, throwing herself into a cough-ing fit as her lungs refused the tea. Marcus dropped his lunch on the table and started slapping her back with strong, firm strokes until she stopped imitating three-pack-a-day smoker after hiking to the summit ofMount Rainier .
"Take deep breaths, honey." Marcus had stopped patting her back, but instead of moving away, he stood there and rubbed gentle circles between her shoulder blades. "You need to relax."
Relax? She was supposed to relax when he was touching her and talking to her in that tender voice she hadn't heard since the last time they had been to bed together?
"Are you all right?"Sandy 's concerned voice cut through Veronica's thoughts.
She stiffened, pulling forward, to let Marcus know he could stop rubbing her back, and instantly regretted the action when he did. Darn. She needed to get a grip.
"I'm fine. I just swallowed wrong."
Not that they required the explanation. It had to be pretty obvious what had happened.
From the thoughtful look in Sandy's eyes, Veronica knew that the other woman was speculating aboutwhy she'd lost her ability to control her basic drinking skills rather than what exactly had gone wrong. Feeling heat creep up her neck, she attempted to ignore Marcus's legs so close to her own now that he had taken a seat at their small table.
She consciously ignored the look of interest onSandy 's face as well.
"I arranged for your office space this morning. I can show you your
"Yeah, and when those buddies just happen to work for rival firms, our secrets get leaked to the press. It could happen that way, I suppose."Sandy laid her utensils out neatly and put her paper napkin in her lap, almost covering the short black skirt she wore. "But haven't you noticed how many times this past year we've had confidential information leaked to the press, or our competition has beaten us by less than a day in announcing similar technology advances?"
Veronica realized her friend was serious. "You really think Kline Technology has some sort of corporate spy in its midst?"
"It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened in our industry. Computers and their peripheral technology are a hotbed for that sort of game playing. Someone could make a lot more money selling secrets than their nine-to-five salary."
Chills of cold dread crawled up Veronica's legs and into her spine.
A corporate spy at Kline Tech? She didn't want to believe it could be true, butSandy 's words couldn't be denied. There had been a lot of information leaks over the past six months… since Veronica had come to work for the company, in fact.
Having worked at CIS for so long, she knew firsthand how easily information could be obtained by those who knew how to go about getting it, men like Alex Trahern and Marcus Danvers. She had never stopped to think that the wealth of information on Kline Tech's products might have an internal source… a leak.
She and Sandy ate in silence for several seconds while Veronica tried to comprehend the significance of her company's setbacks in the past few months and what it might mean to her newfound security.
From the contemplative expression onSandy 's beautiful face, Veronica thought the blonde might be doing the same thing. Only she undoubtedly wasn't plagued with the worry that she could be accused of the crime because of past actions.
Marcus's blackmail threat took on more sinister tones, and, for the first time, she contemplated running. Perhaps coming back to thePacific Northwest had been every bit as stupid as letting herself fall in love with Marcus in the first place.
She took a small sip of her iced tea, wanting desperately to calm her own nerves.
"Is there room at the table for one more?"
At the sound of Marcus's voice, she inhaled and swallowed wrong, throwing herself into a cough-ing fit as her lungs refused the tea. Marcus dropped his lunch on the table and started slapping her back with strong, firm strokes until she stopped imitating three-pack-a-day smoker after hiking to the summit ofMount Rainier .
"Take deep breaths, honey." Marcus had stopped patting her back, but instead of moving away, he stood there and rubbed gentle circles between her shoulder blades. "You need to relax."
Relax? She was supposed to relax when he was touching her and talking to her in that tender voice she hadn't heard since the last time they had been to bed together?
"Are you all right?"Sandy 's concerned voice cut through Veronica's thoughts.
She stiffened, pulling forward, to let Marcus know he could stop rubbing her back, and instantly regretted the action when he did. Darn. She needed to get a grip.
"I'm fine. I just swallowed wrong."
Not that they required the explanation. It had to be pretty obvious what had happened.
From the thoughtful look in Sandy's eyes, Veronica knew that the other woman was speculating aboutwhy she'd lost her ability to control her basic drinking skills rather than what exactly had gone wrong. Feeling heat creep up her neck, she attempted to ignore Marcus's legs so close to her own now that he had taken a seat at their small table.
She consciously ignored the look of interest onSandy 's face as well.
"I arranged for your office space this morning. I can show you your
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