Read an Excerpt
Rules Of Engagement
By Carla Cassidy Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.
Copyright © 2004 Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.
All right reserved. ISBN: 0-373-19702-0
Chapter One
Nate Leeman stood at his office window and watched as big, fat snowflakes drifted lazily down from an overcast sky. It always surprised him when somebody mentioned how beautiful Boston could be in January.
As far as Nate was concerned, snow meant only one thing ... longer commutes to and from the office.
Many a wintry night he had camped out at work rather than fight traffic and inclement conditions. Of course most nights he'd just as soon be here as at home.
Here, was his office at Wintersoft, Inc. As Senior Vice President of Technology, he commanded a large office outfitted with a wet bar he'd never used, an ornate armoire containing a television, stereo and DVD player he'd never touched and a sofa sleeper he'd never unfolded.
All he cared about sat on his enormous desk - his state-of-the-art computer and supporting equipment. The computer and its programs and files weren't just his work; they were his life and, despite all the security precautions, somebody had violated it.
Now his computer wasn't alone on his big desk. A second monitor and keyboard sat next to his and the sight of it only served to heighten the irritation that had been with him since the moment he'd awakened that morning.
A knock sounded on his office door. "Come in," he called and turned away from the window.
Emily Winters, Senior Vice President of Global Sales and the boss's daughter, entered and immediately sat on the burgundy sofa opposite Nate's desk. "The forecast is for two to four inches by midnight."
"What time does her plane arrive?" he asked. Kathryn Sanderson was a private investigator specializing in tech crimes and a part of his past he'd just as soon never encounter again.
Emily looked at her watch. "In an hour."
"Then there shouldn't be any problems," he replied. He hoped his personal feelings about the subject didn't color his words or tone. As far as he was concerned he wouldn't care if bad weather kept Kathryn's plane circling Logan International Airport for days.
He didn't want her here. He didn't need her help.
Unfortunately, he wasn't the boss. Emily's father, Lloyd, was and it had been his and Emily's idea to hire outside help. It had been sheer serendipity that they had chosen a woman - the only woman with whom he'd shared a tumultuous history.
"I've booked her a room at the Brisbain so she'll be close to the office." Emily tucked a strand of her shoulder-length brown hair behind an ear, her blue eyes troubled as she gazed at him.
"We've got to get to the bottom of this, Nate. We've got too much time and too much money tied up in the Utopia program for it to be tampered with and leaked to our competitors."
"Trust me, I'm as upset about this as you are," he replied.
She stood and smoothed the skirt of the sapphire dress that perfectly matched the hue of her eyes. "Father and I are confident that you and Kathryn will be able to get to the source of the security breach. You're two of the best in the business." She headed for the door. "I'll send her in as soon as she arrives so you can put your heads together and find the hack who's creating our problems." With these words she left the office.
Nate sank down at his desk, a frown tugging his features. It wasn't just some hapless hack who had managed to breach the main computer and break into the Utopia program and personnel files. It had been somebody with considerable computer savvy.
From his bottom desk drawer he withdrew two magazines. Both were computer tech periodicals and each had an article on Kathryn Sanderson ... aka Tiger Tech. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, in the past five years Kathryn had made a name for herself in catching computer criminals. She'd not only worked for big business but had also consulted with several police departments as well.
Accompanying one of the articles was a small photo. Although the picture was a little bit fuzzy, it depicted a young woman with a slender face, large eyes and short auburn hair.
The picture didn't do her justice. The way he remembered, her face was slender but always animated with an abundance of confidence, laughter and life. There was no way a photo could capture the exact color of her hazel eyes for they were always changing - sometimes blue, sometimes green, and always sparkling.
And that short auburn hair was shot through with sun-kissed highlights that glistened and shone, adding a multitude of dimension to the color of auburn.
He slammed the magazine shut and stuffed it back into his bottom drawer. He'd told her goodbye five years ago and had assumed he'd never see her again. He didn't want to see her again. She'd been the one risk he'd taken in his life ... the one and only gamble he'd been willing to take. He didn't take risks anymore - the outcome was far too painful.
He frowned and rolled his shoulders to release some of the tension that had taken root in a spot in the center of his shoulder blades.
All he needed was a little more time and he could figure out, on his own, where the breach in the program was coming from.
He punched up his computer, all set to get to work. Maybe he could have the problem solved before Tiger Tech even got off her plane. Then she could just climb on the next flight back to California.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Rules Of Engagement by Carla Cassidy Copyright © 2004 by Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.. Excerpted by permission.
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