Chapter 1
Tate
“Damn, it’s hot.” After installing the forensic lab computers, I came out and set my supplies down on the lobby desk. I still had to grab a few more items before starting the next station, but the damn heat had started to fry my brain. I needed a drink, and I needed it now. I walked into the office kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge. I guzzled it down in one long drink before tossing it into the recycling bin. Then, I headed back into the main reception area to see the owner approaching.
Sean Cavanaugh was a very cool but inexperienced boss. “Hey, how are you hanging in there?” He took his bandana and wiped his brow. As Texas men, we were pretty damn used to the heat, but when the central air went out, the work didn’t stop. The technician should be here in the next hour or so, hopefully. We were in the process of setting up the company for its opening, but there was a lot to get done before the other employees started. Hell, he had interviews for the next week at least.
“I’ll manage. I need to keep the server room cool, but the door’s sealed shut so we have a little more time before it’s an issue.”
As a fellow former police officer, we understood each other, and it made my interview for the position easy. I knew that failing to make a lifetime career in the force could make you ache to prove yourself. I’d help Sean get there, and hopefully find the satisfaction and retribution I’d been searching for as well.
He wiped the sweat off his brow that had built up again. “I have to go pick up some more drinks. It’s fucking hot as hell in here. I’m glad I took Macy home. This shit is only going to get worse as the day goes on.” Macy and Sean met less than half a year ago, and they were married with a baby on the way.
I nodded. “Smart move.” I cupped the back of my neck, rolling and massaging it. A headache worked its way up the base of my skull, and this heat didn’t make it better. It was early September in Texas. The temps hovered near the records all week, and the meteorologists predicted at least another ten days of it before we caught a break.
We had coffee this morning, but that shit was hot. It was already a damn sweaty job to physically set up the computers. Luckily, advancements in technology made them a lot lighter. The time spent huddling under desks and arranging the wires made it tedious. I loved working with computers, but with the excessive sweat coating my shirt, my mood shifted into dickhead mode. It helped that there wasn’t anyone else here to be nosy or in my way.
“I need you to do me a favor.”
“Okay.”
“I messaged the woman coming in for the HR/Accounting interview that I’m not going to be available today. She hasn’t responded yet. If she shows up, can you let her know what the situation is?”
“Sure,” I answered distractedly, wiping the sweat from my own heated head. He was nearly out of the door when I added, “Oh, shit. Before you head out, we could use some extra fans as well.”
As I said that, his phone rang and from the ring tone, I assumed it was Macy. “Shit, yeah. Of course. I’ll see what I can get,” he muttered distractedly. “It’s Macy.” His voice quivered as he answered. “What’s wrong, baby?” He walked out of the door without another word to me, so I assumed it wasn’t a big deal.
I hoped everything was okay with her, and I sure as hell hoped he didn’t forget what I asked for.
I went back to work because the sooner I got out, the sooner I would get into my air-conditioned pickup. With four other computers to install before uploading all the software required for each job onto them, I had my day booked. As much as it sucked today, it was better than sitting in my office at the Houston PD working for bureaucrats who would rather demote me than protect me. Making the switch had been an easy decision, and so far I didn’t regret it. A year ago, a case I testified in led to a crazy stalker out for revenge. It took a bullet in my side for him to be caught. The force didn’t provide the proper safety measures on my behalf, so I wanted out.
A loud beeping tore through the quiet of the empty office, and that noise could only be one thing—the server room. “Son of a bitch,” I grumbled, wiping my bandana over my face. The central air had given out as soon as we stepped into the building. Sean requested an emergency HVAC visit, but because it was Texas, most were booked up. They should be arriving any minute—at least, they better be.
I dropped my tools onto the floor where I was working in the lobby under the receptionist desk. I needed the damn air on before the servers overheated. Technology hated the heat as much as I did. I loved everything about Texas except when it got like today: unbearably hot. If the servers fried, Sean would be out a lot of money, and I’d be out of a job.
Just as I pulled my head from underneath the desk, I spotted a pair of legs in a tight skirt walking toward me. As my eyes worked their way up, I felt the sweat drip down my face in double time. Who the hell was she?
I stood up, brushing my hands onto my jeans that suddenly felt tighter, constricting around my shaft and taking me by surprise. Luckily the desk stood between us, hiding my embarrassing reaction. For some reason, I couldn’t stop staring at her or even speak. Maybe it was the fact that all the blood rushed from my brain and flooded southward. My circuits were going haywire.
Instead of being civil, I cataloged every inch of her person to my memory. From head to toe, she was perfection. Her eyes were a bright cornflower blue and her lips plump. Her long blonde hair shined from the sunlight beaming through the front window. Her tight suit hugged every inch of her curves, accentuating them in a way that was criminal. A rush of jealousy came over me. Did she know how good she looked? Like sin in a prim package, waiting to be unleashed. Thoughts of dragging her to me, sliding my hands through her silky hair, only made me hotter. I ached to lick the bead of sweat sliding down her pulse on her neck.
She was the first to say something, interrupting my fantasies. “Excuse me. I’m looking for Sean Cavanaugh. Are you him?” No, but I wish I was. Fuck me. Why was she asking about Sean?
Shaking my head, I found my words. “No. Sorry. He’s not here at the moment.” An irrational hatred came over me when she mentioned Sean’s name. He was happily married, and yet I wanted to deck him like he’d done something wrong.
She gasped, dropped her head down, and then quickly lifted it back up, masking her disappointment. Her emotions hidden, she said, “I’m supposed to have an interview with him.”
Ah. I’d forgotten about that completely the second I’d taken one glance at her. “Yes, he said someone might come in. He left a message on your phone that we had some setbacks and he’s out trying to get everything back to normal.”
“Oh, no. My phone was on silent.” She pulled out a Galaxy S8 and checked it. “Shit. AC’s out? That explains why I’m suddenly sweating.” She brushed her long blonde hair off her shoulder, and I knew it wasn’t the lack of central air that had me burning up. One glance at her, and I felt my pulse ratchet up one hundred-fold. I wanted her, even though it could cost me my job.
“Damn it. I don’t know how long I can wait. I’m not from around here. I have another interview booked tomorrow in Houston.” She scanned her phone again, checking her schedule, I presumed.