Addison Fox - The Paris Assignment

Only Grandfather had a real sense of what he’d done.

“I know there’s a short list of individuals who have this type of skill. Does that mean I can rule out my staff?”

“Afraid not. In addition to creating a mess, anarchists have a rather sizeable affinity for mercenary jobs.”

He saw her agile mind click through the implications of a mercenary-for-hire and the hope that her trusted colleagues weren’t involved faded from her eyes. “So it just got more complicated. Not only are we looking for a responsible party, but we’re also looking for the money.”

“Yep.”

“Well, Mr. Steele. It looks like I stand convinced. Consider yourself hired.”

“Campbell.”

She nodded. “Campbell.”

“I understand your annual board meetings are in Paris this week. Any chance I can convince you to postpone them?”

“I’m not canceling them.”

“Postpone, not cancel. Just for a few weeks until we have a sense of what you’re really dealing with.”

“I won’t run in fear and I won’t change my plans. We’ve got serious business to discuss.”

Whatever fear he’d sensed in her gaze vanished at the implications she should pull back on her business. Campbell turned it over in his mind, again fascinated by just how sexy she was with this intriguing mix of beauty, brains and drive.

He’d always been attracted to strong women, having been raised around a group of females who could more than hold their own. He didn’t care for weak people—regardless of gender—but he’d never understood men who found strong women a threat.

Campbell had always believed a smart woman was more than worth his time and interest.

Besides, what fun was life without a little challenge?

“Since you won’t postpone them, it looks like you’ve got a travel buddy. It’s a good thing I’ve already got my tickets.”

“That’s not necessary. You can do the job from here. Computer issues aren’t location-specific.”

“You don’t want me along?”

“I don’t want to put you out.”

“A trip to the City of Lights is hardly being put out. Besides, the technology might not be location-specific, but your problem is centered with an individual. I’m not just digging into your computers, I’m digging into your team.”

“Campbell. These people aren’t just colleagues. They’re friends. I’ve known them for years. You can’t come in and start poking around. All of them are senior experts in their field and they’ll suss out an investigation in a heartbeat. If—and that’s a big if—one of them is responsible, he or she will be in the wind before you can blink.”

“Not if I beat them at their own game.”

He saw it the moment the words hit their mark, those lush brown eyes narrowing under the sleek arch of her eyebrows. “What are you suggesting?”

“The best hacks are a result of a whole lot of preplanning.”

“Social engineering the con. I’m familiar with it, Campbell. The mark is identified and a whole host of information is secured in advance before a single piece of technology is breached, like phishing scams for passwords.”

Once again, Campbell had to admire her agile mind and deep grasp of her business. He’d worked with some of the best and brightest and few had such an immediate and intuitive understanding of the things he rambled off when setting up an investigation.

Pulling his thoughts back to the problem at hand and off of Abby McBane’s perceptive gaze, he continued. “Let’s assume that’s happened. Our hacker has manipulated a password or a key piece of data out of someone.”

“Who? My staff knows they can’t share that information. Even if they were attempting to be malicious, their actions within this building are monitored. Anything they do with a piece of technology equipment from this company is monitored.”

“Just because someone’s monitored doesn’t mean your senior team had to give up the information. A lower-level person could have inadvertently allowed the break-in. That’s what we have to find.”

“I’ve got over twenty thousand employees. I realize we could likely narrow down a group of suspects, but the breach could be anywhere.”

“Which is why we’re going to social engineer a little con of our own.”

Confusion and curiosity combined in equal mix across Abby’s face. “And what do you propose?”

He wasn’t sure where the idea came from, but the moment the words were out, Campbell knew it was the exact right course of action. “You’re looking at your brand-new boyfriend.”

* * *

“No way. Absolutely not.”

“Come on, it’s the perfect cover.”

“It’s so not the perfect cover.” Abby stood to pace, unable to sit still any longer.

“Come on, Abby. As a cover, it’s ideal. People will grant a dewy-eyed couple, wrapped up in a fresh, brand-spanking-new haze of passion quite a bit of leeway.”

She came to a halt at his words. “We’re not brand-new or spanking.”

A light flush crept up her neck at the obvious gaffe, especially as a decidedly naughty twinkle lit up Campbell’s gorgeous blue gaze. “You know what I meant.”

“I think I do but maybe you can give me a few pointers.”

Abby crossed to her desk, eager to escape the sudden shot of sexual tension that gripped the room. Although her initial reaction to his idea was less than positive, his scheme actually had quite a bit of merit. Presenting a social front to her team would give Campbell the leeway to investigate behind a legitimate cover. Add on the idea of having an ally with her for the week of meetings in Paris—both with the board as well as with her key European management team—and she couldn’t quite shake the sense of relief that she wouldn’t be facing it all alone.

“Do you really think this will work?”

Campbell stood and crossed the room. Try as she might, she couldn’t keep her gaze from following the long lines of his body or the competence that sat on his shoulders. “It’s the cover we need to find who’s doing this to you. And it will give me access in a way no one will dispute.”

A light knock on the door broke the moment and Abby turned to see Stef opening the door and poking her head into the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt but you’ve got one more meeting this afternoon and your dress came for the benefit.” Stef held a garment bag high.

“Thanks. Mr. Steele is actually joining me for the benefit this evening. If you could give him the details.”

Her stalwart assistant simply nodded, as if Abby brought last-minute dates to every event. “I’ll have the details for you when you leave. I’ll just need your address, Mr. Steele, and we’ll get the car service rerouted to pick you up.”

Whatever surprise Campbell might have had was masked behind that ever-present smile that managed to be an intriguing mix of endearing and sexy as Stef turned on her heel and walked out.

As soon as the door closed, he added one raised eyebrow to the mix. “Your date this evening? I assume this means you’re fully on board?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then I’ve only got one question.”

“What’s that?”

Campbell moved up and took her hand in his. The moment his fingers brushed over her wrist her stomach cratered as heat flooded her entire body. “How did we meet, darling?”

* * *

Abby struggled to keep a hold on her emotions three hours later as her limo glided down Fifth Avenue toward Campbell’s home in the West Village. Her stomach had continued its weird gymnastics routine since that brief moment in her office when he’d held her hand and try as she might, she couldn’t get her emotions in check.

What was it about the man? He was attractive, certainly. And she was a healthy, single red-blooded woman who could appreciate a man with a strong intellect and a ready self-assurance that was confident without being overbearing.