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Thursday. Tech Conference, Kyoto, Japan.
Yvonne Krieger was going to be sick.
She and her brothers were about to meet very important people from their Krieger Asia offices. She couldn’t hurl now.
“Vee, you okay?” Her older brother Theodore leaned close.
God, did he always wear so much cologne or was this new? And why did she have to sit between Theodore and Douglas?
“Fine. I just need to be out of a car, plane or train for a little bit.” She pressed her hand to her stomach and tipped her head back as the town car slowed.
“Well, we’re almost there.” Theodore gave her knee a squeeze. “Supposedly we have a security detail that’s meeting us here.”
“Is that really necessary?” Yvonne lifted her too heavy head and frowned at her brother.
They were into virus protection software, for Christ’s sake. Not weapons or anything dangerous. Between the two of them they’d taken over many of the operations for their family company, Krieger, Inc. Their father had made the company a household name with the rise of the personal computer. Someone had to protect those precious machines from hacking and viruses.
“Hard to say.” Theodore frowned.
“It’s all bullshit.” Douglas, their younger brother, actually put his phone down to utter that statement.
The car eased to a stop out front of the hotel-convention center they would be living at for the next week. The conference hadn’t officially begun and wouldn’t until tomorrow, but they had plenty of business to see to before and after the main event.
Yvonne’s stomach gurgled.
“I need out.” She pushed at Theodore’s shoulder.
Her brother didn’t take the urgency to heart. He waited for the valet to open his door, gathered his briefcase then stood. Yvonne scooted out of the car, abandoning her purse and hoofed it inside, her heels clicking in double time as sweat broke out all over her body.
What was wrong with her?
She traveled all the time, weathered the worst conditions, ate the most miserable food and rarely ever got sick.
Yvonne spied the universal symbol for the toilets and darted into the ladies room. She dashed into a stall just as her stomach revolted. She clutched the porcelain god and heaved.
Great. As if she didn’t feel gross enough after thirty hours traveling.
It had to be all the trips. For the last eight weeks she’d done nothing but travel, shaking hands, smoothing out the wrinkles for a massive deal they’d just closed with the US government last week. She should have scheduled a doctor’s visit, especially after Vegas, but there hadn’t been time.
Now she was paying for it.
For several long moments she crouched on the floor, weariness weighing her down, and waited to see if her stomach was finished. She was fairly certain there wasn’t anything left inside her. Their meal options while traveling had left much to be desired. She’d been dreaming about a bubble bath and room service for half the flight.
Yvonne flushed the toilet and got to her feet, wobbling just a bit.
There was no way she could meet with the delegation from their Asia offices smelling of vomit and sweat. She’d need to change, a shower—all in about fifteen minutes.
It wasn’t happening.
Theodore would have to do this one solo. Truth was he probably wouldn’t notice her absence. He was the face everyone wanted to see. The next CEO of the family owned and operated Krieger Inc.
Yvonne leaned against the bathroom wall and unbuttoned the top button on her suit jacket.
This was not the way to start a conference.
“Ms. Krieger?” a woman called out.
“Yes?” Yvonne opened the stall door slowly.
Please don’t let it be one of our employees...
She was still paying penance for Vegas.
A woman wearing a pale blue pant suit with a white silken top stood in the middle of the marble and tile bathroom holding Yvonne’s purse. She was petite, spoke English as though it were her first language, of Asian descent—but not Japanese—and looking at Yvonne as though they should know each other.
“Hello, Ms. Krieger, I’m Melody Nguyen.”
“Nice to meet you.” Yvonne stepped past her and washed her hands, more for the cool feeling water than anything else at this point.
“I’m the client liaison for your security detail.”
“Oh.” Yvonne grabbed a paper towel and turned toward the woman.
So they really had security.
She’d read the risk analysis, but it hadn’t seemed more dire than usual. Apparently someone on the government side of their deal thought otherwise.
“I know you have a meeting in a few minutes.” Melody glanced at her watch. “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“I can take that.” Yvonne held out her hand for her purse. “As far as the meeting goes, unless you have a change of clothes on you, I think I need to bow out of that meet and greet.”
“Afraid not, but I do have these.” Melody produced what looked like miniature tooth brushes.
“You are an angel.” Yvonne accepted the offered toiletry and turned to the sink to at least take care of her breath.
Melody chuckled. “I’m going to go ensure your bags are taken to the suite. Here’s a room key. Our team is still setting up, but they will be out of your way shortly.” Melody placed a business card on the vanity. “This has my phone number as well as our Team Leader’s phone number. His name is Grant Anderson. Anything you need, just let us know.”
“Thank you.” Yvonne took the card and key then slid them in her pocket.
Melody left Yvonne in peace.
She turned her attention back to the toothbrush.
Theodore would handle the meeting, but he would mention it to Dad, who would then chastise Yvonne even more.
Douglas got away with everything.
Theodore could do no wrong.
But Yvonne? She lived under a microscope. She had to be ten times as good as her brothers to matter half as much.
No, that wasn’t true, but it felt like that.
What she needed was some peppermint tea to soothe her stomach then a shower. The bubble bath would have to wait until she’d put the finishing touches on their keynote address.
Yvonne finished up in the bathroom, outwardly no worse for wear. Unless someone smelled her.
She dug out a small bottle of body spray and spritzed a bit on herself. If she was going to wait in line for tea she had to think about the poor souls around her. The light, fruity fragrance would mask the worst of it until she showered.
Satisfied, she pushed out of the bathroom and into the lobby.
The lobby was busy, but not packed like it would be tomorrow. Marble gleamed. The metallic wallpaper made the whole space seem to glow. It really was a lovely hotel.
Yvonne crossed to the coffee bar, grateful for the short line. In a matter of moments she’d placed her order for the biggest tea they had.
“Kim?” a man said right next to her.
She side stepped the bar area and reached for her phone.
“Hey, Kim?” The same man placed his hand on her elbow.
Yvonne tipped her chin up, her gaze locking on forest green eyes.
The world faded away and for a moment she wasn’t standing in a hotel lobby. No, she was on her back, nestled against soft sheets, staring up into those eyes.
No.
Oh, no.
No way in hell was he here.
“Hey.” Nolan’s mouth spread into a grin. A grin she’d thought was sexy when she met him in Vegas. “It’s good to see you again.”
Right. He’d called her Kim all night and no amount of telling him he’d gotten her name wrong had stopped him. Then she hadn’t cared what he called her so long as he didn’t stop.
Yvonne’s cheeks heated at those memories. The few good ones mixed into all the horribly embarrassing others. She couldn’t very well be rude to the man, even after what he’d done to her.
“Nolan. Hello.” She held out her hand, using it to put space between them.
He glanced at her hand then her face. Did he expect a warmer greeting after shoving her out of his hotel room, missing one shoe, hickies on her neck and left to walk across a hotel by herself?
“Do you have a moment?” Nolan tilted his head to the side.
Did she want to give him the time of day?
No, not at all, but she really wanted that tea. She glanced at the barista then back at him. Deep down she was tempted to unleash all her anger about how he’d treated her, the mess he’d caused that she was still living through, but she wouldn’t make a public spectacle of herself.
“Fine. Yes.” She took two steps toward the wall and away from the busy crowd.
Nolan leaned in closer. She had to force herself to stand her ground instead of shrinking away. “Look, I’m sorry about having to leave like I did. When my job calls I have to go.”
He stared at her.
She stared at him.
That was it?
Her mind played back that morning in crystal clarity.
She’d gone to sleep after the third or fourth round of the best sex of her life only to be woken up by a naked man having a heated argument with her father. Her father on her phone. She’d yanked it away and immediately set to doing damage control.
After all, it was Douglas who woke up in random beds, not her.
She’d gotten a glimpse of herself in the mirror mid-conversation while trying to convince Dad she’d slipped out for a morning meeting. That was when she’d seen the first hickey on her collar bone.
Who did that?
No sooner had she gotten off the phone than he was on his, getting dressed and telling her to get out. Okay, he might have said it a little nicer, but she’d been panicking, hung-over for the first time in her life and he hadn’t cared one bit. That she’d left his room with only one shoe was more insult to injury.
And he was sorry for rushing out.
“I see.” On the inside Yvonne raged. He didn’t see a single problem with what had happened, did he?
“Was there something else?” His smile still dimmed.
“I guess not.” Yvonne wanted away from this man. She’d thought for one night to take a chance on a handsome, smooth talking stranger who made her laugh and she’d been wrong. He was just like her man whore of a little brother. Yvonne would not make the same mistake again.
“Nolan?”
He glanced at the barista and frowned. “One second.”
She took a deep, fortifying breath.
On top of feeling like shit she now had to go through this weekend knowing he was in attendance as well. That was just her luck. At least he didn’t know her real name. His confusion might work out in her favor if they could simply avoid each other for the duration of the event.
Nolan picked up two carriers of coffee then turned toward her once more.
“Obviously you have somewhere to be. Don’t let me keep you.” She smiled, because what she wanted to do was flip the coffee all over his too handsome face.
“What the fuck?” Nolan’s brow creased and his mouth turned down. “Did I miss something?”
“That speaking to you is the last thing I want to do? Yes.” Tears prickled the back of Yvonne’s eyes.
Why the hell was she about to cry?
This over the top reacting had to be a product of too little sleep.
Of course he didn’t take into consideration how his actions affected her. To this day her mother and father were still treating her like an errant child. Douglas loved bringing up her indiscretion. Theodore was the only one who didn’t hold it over her.
Nolan opened his mouth then closed it.
“Okay. Message received loud and clear.” He took a step back. “Hope you have a nice day, Kim.”
Yvonne turned from him and muttered, “My name’s not Kim, asshole.”
NOLAN THOMPSON WAS going to need the coffee gods to be on his side today.
What the actual fuck just happened?
He strode toward the elevator in a daze.
When he’d packed for this job, he’d expected boring. Playing bodyguard in Japan wasn’t a terrible way to spend a week. Then a familiar scent had tickled Nolan’s nose, bringing to mind long caramel hair, rumpled sheets and the sweetest moan he’d ever heard.
Kim.
She’d been standing right there.
She looked different all buttoned up in business attire with her hair twisted up off her shoulders and subdued make-up. Hell, if it hadn’t been for that scent that had haunted him for the last six weeks he might not have recognized her at all.
Man, that night.
There’d been something different about her. The sex. How they fit. It was like they belonged. Normally Nolan kept his relationships short. Traveling the way he did and his lifestyle didn’t lend to putting down roots. But she’d made him want to try, if only for the sex.
Too bad he hadn’t gotten her number. He’d been so pissed when he realized he didn’t have it. No amount of digging had yielded anything else about her. Ultimately, he’d had to give up finding his mystery woman in the sequin dress with vamp red lips.
If he could go back and be a little less of an ass trying to get out the door for an emergency job, he’d do it. But Grant had called and said those magic words, kids in danger, and Nolan had lost his shit. He’d made an ass out of himself in more ways than one. Clearly it was too much to hope that fate was giving him a shot at making things right with his mystery woman. She hated him. Because he’d had to go?
Well fuck that.
He couldn’t exactly tell her that lives were on the line—children—but he had no time for someone who wouldn’t hear him out. Everyone fucked up. What mattered was what came after.
Fan-fucking-tastic. Now he was in a piss poor mood and they were going to meet their new client shortly. Awesome.
The whole point in doing the coffee run was to get some air and let go of some stress. This was not the time to be distracted.
Nolan stepped onto the elevator along with other people and shut his eyes for a moment. He shouldn’t be this stressed. Dealing with difficult people was his strength. As the communication officer for the team it was his job to remain cool under pressure and relate important details. He couldn’t be distracted. He had to put Kim and his family out of mind.
The elevator reached his floor, and he got off. Thanks to the cameras their surveillance guy, Vaughn, had installed in the hall the door was open and waiting for him.
The full Lepta Team was in attendance and dressed to the nines in their suits for this job. No tactical greens here. Hell, they couldn’t even carry weapons due to Japanese gun laws. It made the job just that much more tricky.
“Good, you’re here.” Melody breezed across the room and accepted her coffee. “Theodore and Douglas Krieger are in a meeting, Yvonne Krieger is on her way up—we should stay out of her way—and luggage just arrived.”
“Melody or I will handle the family. You four be wallpaper.” Grant glanced around the room.
“With pleasure.” Nolan clapped Grant on the shoulder and grinned. It was the best news yet.
Nolan had a suspicion that Melody was going to earn her paycheck this week. Everything about this job was abnormal. Lepta Team didn’t do bodyguard work. Their whole purpose was rescue and retrieval for corporate clients. The only reason things had changed was because their point of contact for their government contract had requested a last minute team for this detail. So here they were.
“Need a hand?” Nolan paused by the desk where Vaughn had set up their surveillance.
“I’ve got it all under control,” he said slowly, fingers flying over the keys.
Nolan glanced at Riley who was focused on his phone. Nolan pitched his voice lower and asked, “Any word about your brother?”
Vaughn’s mouth screwed up, and he shook his head.
Damn.
Nolan had hoped for some good news. He knew what it was like to have a troublesome little brother. At least Vaughn’s was still alive.
“We’ve got incoming,” he announced and sipped his coffee.
Nolan grabbed the empty travel trays, chunked them in the garbage then retreated across the room toward the windows. After his little run-in downstairs he wasn’t keen on getting on anyone else’s bad side.
It was just a week. He could put up with a bunch of self-important corporate clients for that long.
The door to the suite beeped.
“Show time,” Nolan muttered and adjusted his tie. From now until Tuesday he was backdrop, better seen and not heard.
The door opened.
Kim strode in holding her cup and clutching her purse.
What the actual fuck?
Nolan frowned but kept his mouth shut.
Did she work for the Kriegers?
The door shut behind her.
“Yvonne, hello.” Melody crossed to Kim—Yvonne?—and lowered her voice to something Nolan couldn’t hear over the rush of blood past his ears. Realization slammed into him.
Oh fuck.
Kim with the best pussy he’d ever fucked wasn’t Kim at all. She was Yvonne. Yvonne Krieger. The client he was responsible for keeping safe.
He’d stuck his dick in the wrong girl that was for sure.
Melody turned and gestured to the rest of the room.
Nolan braced himself as Kim—no, Yvonne—began meeting the gaze of each man.
And then she looked at him.
Her lips compressed and her brows lifted, but she gave no other indication she knew recognized him.
She might have mentioned this downstairs. Or had she known then?
Talking day jobs and family hadn’t exactly been what either of them were interested in when they met.
“Vaughn, is Ms. Krieger’s room ready?” Melody asked.
“Yes, it is,” Vaughn replied.
“Right, then I’m going to freshen up for tonight. My brothers should be up shortly.” Yvonne glanced around the room. “Pleasure to meet all of you.”
She didn’t look at Nolan.
Yvonne breezed out of the main part of the suite and toward the bedrooms, disappearing out of sight.
Holy hell...
Nolan dug his phone out of his pocket. He had a bad feeling about this...
Grant had assigned each of them to a family member.
Yvonne was the name at the top of Nolan’s schedule.
Because of course that’s where the Team Leader would put him
Nolan stifled a groan and turned to stare out of the windows on the city while he mentally worked out this problem.
This assignment wasn’t going to work. Under normal circumstances he was the one Grant trusted with the female assets. Unlike some of the guys, Nolan didn’t cross the line with women he worked with. But he’d already fucked Yvonne. This wasn’t a typical job.
How would he explain this to Grant? Did he have to?
Nolan sipped his coffee.
It wasn’t unusual for clients like Yvonne to hook up with one of their guys. It also wasn’t against the rules. A lot of women liked the thrill of screwing their bodyguard. But Nolan had never liked mixing business with pleasure.
He hadn’t done anything wrong, and he could be inviting more problems if he volunteered his past relationship with Yvonne. The downside was that Nolan couldn’t ask to be reassigned without offering some kind of explanation.
The best thing to do would be to take this up with Yvonne. They could either agree to play nice or he could come up with a reason to get his schedule changed. But he had to do it now.
He had an idea...
Nolan turned toward Grant and thumbed down the hall where Yvonne had headed. “Hey, did we ask about where to put the crates?”
“Shoot, no we didn’t.” Grant scowled.
“I’ll ask.” Nolan circled the seating area.
Melody scowled. “I don’t think—”
“I’ll just take a second.” Nolan darted down the hall before Melody could tell him otherwise.
The smallest of the three rooms attached to the luxury side of the suite was closed off. Nolan glanced over his shoulder ensuring no one had followed him then knocked.
A shadow passed under the door.
He waited, watching the shadow.
Nolan didn’t play games with women. If he was attracted to a woman, he let them know. If things were over, he didn’t sugar coat it. Right now he wanted answers, but Yvonne was their asset. There were lines he couldn’t cross.
Finally the bedroom door opened.
Yvonne had unbuttoned her suit jacket and her shoes were gone. She still didn’t look like his girl, the one with the wild hair and kissable lips.
“What?” She let go of the door and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Did you know?”
“Know what?” She sighed and dropped her arms. “I’m very tired and I don’t feel well.”
He filed those details away for later.
“Did you know we’d be working together?” he asked.
“No.” She frowned as though that were the most absurd question she’d ever heard. She peered over his shoulder before leaning closer and whispering, “Nothing about this is normal or okay.”
“Right.” Nolan wanted to understand her, how the shy, sweet woman he’d seduced had turned into a cold, biting person. “I guess you didn’t want to tell me your real name back then?”
“What?” Her whisper rose in pitch and her scowl deepened. “I didn’t tell you my name was Kim. You misheard and wouldn’t be corrected. I told you at least five times my name was not Kim but you never heard me, so I let it go.”
“I—what?” He reached back for those memories, trying to recall such words. There had been a lot of alcohol that night and he’d been a man on a mission.
“I never told you my name was Kim.” Unlike downstairs, her reply to him was heated, unvarnished, true. He didn’t doubt a word she said.
“Shit.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. Now who was the ass? “I’m sorry.”
He’d called her by the wrong name and pushed her out first thing in the morning. Yeah, he could see how she might be upset at him.
“Anything else?” she asked.
“Yes, actually. I was assigned as your personal security detail. I wanted to know if that was going to be a problem so I could switch.” He’d figure out a reason why later.
Yvonne grew quiet and stared off behind him for a moment. “Is that going to cause a problem?”
“They’ll ask why and I’ll have to come up with a good enough reason if you’d prefer I didn’t tell the truth.”
She opened and closed her mouth, staring past him.
That was more like the woman he’d met. Touch of shyness, eager, a bit awkward, and all sexy.
Her gaze snapped to his, composed once more. “I would prefer if that were kept private, please. If the best way to make that happen is to continue to work together, well, we can put up with each other for a few days.”
How did he begin to marry the image of the woman he’d first met with this one? How were they the same person?
Nolan doubted she was going to share that information. It was too bad. They really had been good together.
“Okay. Good to know.” He braced his hand on the doorframe.
“Anything else?”
“Yeah, I was supposed to ask you where the crates should go?”
“Oh.” Yvonne’s nose wrinkled as though she smelled something distasteful. “Put it in Douglas’ room. That’s his pet project.”
He had the silly urge to reach out and tweak that very nose. He’d made her laugh before and right now he wanted to wipe that permanent frown off her face.
“Okay. That’ll be all, Ms. Krieger.” Nolan pushed off the door and took two steps away. “Have a nice afternoon.”
“Same to you.” The words rolled off her tongue as though they were second nature.
She wasn’t the party girl. Never had been. But he’d known that. She’d clearly been out of her element that night. This was Yvonne’s true form. The woman he’d met was an aberration and one he shouldn’t have allowed himself to get attached to.
Nolan returned to the main room of the suite. Everyone had gathered around the dining table. A few tablets were shared out and both Melody and Grant stood at one end of the table, ready to address them.
“Okay, I know everyone got the info email before, but just to reiterate why we’re here.” Grant glanced at Melody.
Were they finally getting along?
Hallelujah.
“We all know the Krieger family, the company jingle, right?” Melody glanced around the table.
“Who doesn’t?” Vaughn laughed then snapped out the catchy jingle.
“Alright, alright.” Grant held up his hands.
Melody picked up and kept going. “The Krieger company has expanded into more sophisticated forms of IT security under a different branch. All of your company issued devices use their software. Two weeks ago the US government signed a deal that now makes the Krieger’s the sole provider of security for every government issued computer, phone, tablet, and a lot of other devices. Since that deal was made public the Kriegers have received a number of threats from terror groups, criminals, you name it, they’re interested in the Krieger family.”
Nolan had heard about Krieger Inc. Everyone had. Back in the nineties with each free disc for AOL service you got a trial of Krieger protection. Hell, he remembered uninstalling one disc to use another. Most computers came with Krieger pre-installed.
He’d never known it was a family owned company.
What would it be like to grow up attached to such a major corporation?
The puzzle that made up Yvonne just got more complicated.
“We aren’t expecting a threat here, but since this is the first event after the deal was made and all of these threats came in, we need to keep an eye on our clients.” Melody glanced around the table. “Now, hotel security is escorting Theodore and Douglas Krieger up to us after they finish their meet and greet. From here on out they don’t go anywhere alone. Got it?”
This was going to be one hell of a long week.
FRIDAY. TECH CONFERENCE, Kyoto, Japan.
Lee presented his badge to the uniformed attendant at the door to the afternoon session. It was the only public opportunity to get eyes on all three Krieger heirs in one spot. As far as he could tell, all of them were being kept busy and out of the public eye. Hard to do given that their company was what everyone wanted to talk about right now.
Tonight the brother-sister duo were presenting a keynote covering how the company had gone from a household service provider to the go-to name in government IT security. He doubted the message would contain anything of true value. Probably some inspirational messages on high quality backgrounds along with a few fortune cookie bits of advice.
Lee cared about none of that.
What he needed was the opportunity to observe the three Kriegers. He needed to know them. Understand them. Only then would he have the tools to break them.
His mission was simple, watch and wait until the right time. Then he could grab them and squeeze them for every drop of intel for his client. It was a standard enough job that should go according to plan.
