When Spalding’s phone rang he ignored it and they continued to discuss the latest sound bites and agendas of the foreign delegates she knew. A few minutes later, Sam burst into the office and she had to assume the people trailing behind him belonged to Spalding’s cyber team. “Answer your phone,” he snapped at Spalding. “He’s in the States,” he added. “I’ll show you.”

  Sam took her hand and pulled her from the chair. “You’re gonna love this.” Clearly expecting the others to follow, he hurried out of the office. He was practically vibrating with excitement as he led her down the hall and into a stairwell. “You okay?” he asked in a whisper.

  She nodded.

  Sam pushed through a swinging door into a hallway with zero aesthetics beyond the glossy cream paint on the concrete block walls. He stopped short at the secure door at the end of the hall, waiting impatiently for Spalding to put a card to the panel and unlock the door.

  The big square room had several stations similar to Sam’s office at home and along one wall, monitors were set up for video conferencing. She had the feeling Sam’s equipment and skill would still outdistance Spalding’s team.

  Sam reminded her of a kid bursting with pride over a perfect report card as he gave her a crash course on the program they were using to find the hacker. “He wants us to believe he’s in the Philippines.”

  “My team found his code signature in use in Amsterdam.”

  “Both sites are bogus.” Sam signaled another member of the cyber team. “Bring it up.”

  As the graphics filled the largest screen, Sam explained the origination of several attempts on the State Department software. “I don’t believe any of these locations are legit. It gives us a starting point. I can work with this and pick up his trail.”

  “You did this in less than an hour?” Spalding squinted at the colors crisscrossing the world map.

  “You have a great team,” Sam said. “They pick up quick.”

  Madison clamped her lips together, smothering a giggle at his casual, unintentional arrogance.

  “I don’t see anything stateside.”

  Sam nodded to the man at the keyboard. “The sites used overseas are known cells for kids like this one. We can build on it,” he repeated.

  Madison caught Sam’s eye. “Are we done?”

  “No.” Spalding answered, although she’d spoken to Sam. “Not until I have a suspect identified and under control. I’ll be requesting your pay history this afternoon.”

  “I already did that,” Sam said, oblivious of Spalding’s glare. “If he’s in the State Department system, the hacker won’t be able to resist pushing his luck for a look at your accounts. He’ll want to tinker in there if only to give his tips more weight. We can use that for insight into tactics and motive.” He checked his cell phone again and scowled. “I can use this. I need to get to my place. I’ve called my driver.”

  “Go work your magic,” Spalding said. “Just be on time for cocktails tonight.”

  “We’ll be there,” Madison said.

  Sam nearly hauled her out of the lab, then the building, his eyes on his phone the entire way. Hopefully she hadn’t promised something she couldn’t deliver. If she couldn’t drag him away from his computers, she’d sneak out and handle the cocktail party on her own.

  His attention didn’t waver when the black sedan pulled up at the curb. As soon as they were in the car, she said to Jake, “To the condo, please.”

  “You got it, Mrs. B.”

  She wanted to laugh at the nickname the driver had given her, but instead she gave Sam’s tough shoulder a shake. “What are you doing?”

  “We have the programs running,” he said. “Museum and now the bank.” He pushed his glasses to his forehead and rubbed his eyes. “It’s not fast enough.” He swore.

  “Sam, what haven’t you told me?”

  He turned the phone and shuffled the information displayed, enlarging it until a spreadsheet filled the screen. He leaned close so she could see it too. “I can show you more when we get home, but I think this line is a countdown operation.”

  “To what?” she asked.

  “Nothing good,” he replied. “If I’m reading this right, the first deadline coincided with the reception and the second with the disturbance at your apartment.”

  An icy chill dripped down her spine and she shivered. “There’s no reason to target me.”

  “That’s what’s happened.” He looked up from the phone and met her gaze. “You’re being set up. You, the office or the country. I can’t be sure which, can’t make a plan without more information.”

  “I’m scared,” she admitted. For herself, her office and her country and for him.

  He tossed the phone to the opposite seat and took her hand in his. “Me too.”

  “You are?” The raw honesty in his voice shocked her. “Scared of what?”

  “Letting you down.” He glanced at the boarded-up lobby door as they passed the front of his building. “I won’t lie, this kid is good.”

  “You’re better,” she said with a quiet conviction. This wasn’t the confidence of an infatuated girl coursing through her. It was the utter certainty of a woman who knew how amazing and lucky she was to have him on her side. She did all she could to let him see that radiating from her, to feel how much she believed in him.

  “Maddie...” His brown eyes flashed with unspoken emotion.

  The car bumped as Jake pulled into the garage and then they were around the corner, up the ramp and stopped at the elevator.

  “All clear?” Sam asked.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “That’s your cue, genius.” Madison kissed him lightly on the lips. “Let’s get to work.”

  Whatever he’d been about to say, the moment had passed. She told herself she was relieved. She didn’t want to know what he’d been about to say, wasn’t sure she could cope with any more revelations or limitations just now.

  For now, it was enough to love him. She knew she couldn’t survive in a one-sided relationship long-term, but for now, she could manage. He liked her, that was obvious and they were great in bed, she thought with an inward smile. Loving him would make the show more convincing for anyone watching tonight, tomorrow or however long it took them to find the hacker.

  Chapter Twelve

  In his private computer lab, Sam worked through the afternoon. He’d called in reinforcements in the form of Rush and an extra-large sausage and black olive pizza. Together they’d isolated the countdown, though they weren’t much closer to making an identification or finding the accurate location of the hacker.

  After she’d gotten past the shock and awe of his lab, Madison had set herself up at another computer, creating a digital reconstruction of the investigation board in Spalding’s office. Occasionally Sam heard her muttering or making notes; for the most part he blocked her out. Realizing that he could ignore her bothered him. On the one hand he was grateful that she wasn’t distracting him and on the other hand he wondered what was wrong with him.

  “Your building is all perfect and pretty again,” Rush teased, pointing out an email with a picture of the completed repairs downstairs.

  “Thanks for handling that,” he said. “This guy isn’t over twenty,” he added, pushing his glasses up and rubbing at his tired eyes. “Well, I think the hacker is male. Either way, not over twenty. Can’t be.”

  “I’ll keep at it,” Rush said. “You need to go upstairs and get dressed. Madison left half an hour ago.”

  “She did?” Sam swiveled around on the stool, more than a little unnerved he hadn’t heard her leave.

  “Go on and have fun.”

  “Fun.” Cocktails with strangers while someone was playing a dangerous game didn’t sound like fun. “Fun,” he repeated as it dawned on him. He sat back down at the keyboard and typed in new parameters. “Behaviors. Fun. Follow these stops.” He pulled up the map from the FBI. “He’s been to these places.”

  “You got it.”

  “I have to tell her.” Sam jumped back from the work counter and bolted for the stairs, ignoring Rush’s laughter. “Madison will know what that means.”

  He stormed through the stair access door of the condo, calling her name. “Madison!” He turned for his office and bedroom to find her. “Madison?”

  “Right here,” she replied in that serene voice that smoothed over all his rough edges.

  She was behind him, emerging from the guest room side of the condo. He did a double take, realizing he’d expected her to be in his room. Later, he told himself. They had a hacker to find. Then he saw the dress, the same dress as last night and his mind fixated on the idea of the lingerie she wore underneath. He cleared his throat. “Need any help with that zipper?”

  She blushed. “Not yet.” She tipped her head to put on her earring. The long spill of cool, sparkling silver caught his eye. “Lucy.” She answered the question he hadn’t yet asked. “The car will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “I know. He’s young,” he blurted.

  “You’ve thought so from the start.”

  Sam checked the wall clock and moved toward his bedroom. “Come on. I’ll explain while I change clothes.”

  He stripped off his shirt on the way and had his jeans halfway down his hips when he caught her leaning in the doorway, her green eyes hot, her teeth buried in her lip. “Like the view?”

  “Absolutely,” she admitted in her unflappable way.

  “You’re in diplomat mode,” he stated, stripping off his boxers and reaching to turn on the shower. In the mirror, he caught the sheer longing on her face when she thought he wasn’t looking.

  “I am.” Her voice halted. “You were saying the hacker is young?”

  He knew it wouldn’t take much to get her out of the dress and into the shower with him, but that would wreck the schedule. He and Rush had discovered a countdown in place for this evening.

  He turned the water to cold and cleaned up in record time. Toweling off, he walked her through the bouncing IP address locations and the creative code language and behaviors Sam had found unique to one person shadowing the hacker group. “I think he’s been to the places he’s using to bounce the signal.”

  “A globetrotting teenager.”

  “Isn’t that common in your circles?” He pulled out a dark suit and dressed quickly, the task more challenging as his body responded so readily to the passion simmering in her gaze as she watched.

  “Yes.” Her eyebrows dipped and her lips pursed in thought. “Doesn’t that give us a bigger pool of suspects?”

  “Only if you know them all,” he teased. “Rush and I used to be thrill-seeking teenagers, without the global access.” He buttoned the dress shirt, tucked it into his slacks. “We put out a few things we hope will catch his attention.” He found his cuff links. “Do I have to wear a tie?”

  “Yes.” She walked into his closet and pulled one from the organizer. Looping it over his head, she proceeded to tie it for him.

  His mind spun out visions of making love to her right here, in the closet. Man, he had it bad. “That’s a lot more enjoyable when you do it.”

  A sexy grin played at the corner of her lips. “Just wait until I take it off later.”

  He kissed her, long and deep, reveling in the way she kissed him back with those lush lips and her whole body pressed close. If he was lucky, all the words that kept jamming up in his head and throat would be clear to her in his actions. “Later it is,” he agreed, resting his forehead against hers.

  * * *

  Consulate General of Vietnam, 8:40 p.m.

  NORMALLY TWO MINUTES of cocktails and polite chatter would have Sam running for his noise-canceling headphones and a computer. Circulating and socializing with Madison on his arm was a completely different experience. Her warm and gracious manners put him at ease rather than on edge. The pride in her voice when she introduced him made him believe they’d married for love.

  “You make this easy,” he said quietly as she made another graceful exit from a conversation.

  “Years of practice,” she reminded him. “Do you need a break to check the phone?”

  “No,” he replied. It was true. “Rush knows what to do.” He waited out another brief conversation. “You’re pondering the hacker’s ID, aren’t you?”

  “Among other things.” She took a sip of her wine. “Spalding insisted we attend and I can’t figure out why. No one seems troubled to see me. There hasn’t been so much as an awkward pause in conversation. Even Mr. and Mrs. Liu are having a good time.” She nodded to them across the room.

  “Is anyone you expected to see missing?”

  “No,” she replied, smiling.

  “Any party crashers?” he queried.

  “Not one.”

  He could tell she was frustrated, though it didn’t show at all on her face. “Well, maybe he wanted me to fully appreciate your skill with small talk.” He marveled at her ability to make him feel included. He’d always been an outsider at these things. She introduced him to another couple, chatted and moved on again. “If Rush gets wind of this, you’re likely to get a job offer,” he said.

  “Oh?” She paused in her scan of the room to peer up at him.

  He winked. “Definitely. He’d give you a high-powered title along the lines of ‘Certified Sam Handler.’” When she giggled he felt as if he’d slayed a dragon. “I wish there was dancing tonight.”

  Her lips parted. “You’re kidding.”

  He angled his body closer, just enough to block her view of the room. “I’m not.” Holding her hand, he ran his thumb over the wedding set. “I want to hold you, Madison. Forever.”

  “Sam, I can’t. Not here.”

  I can’t. The blatant plea in her eyes startled him. Silenced him. “Let’s get some air,” he suggested, unable to keep the stiffness out of his voice.

  “Please.”

  On the terrace, with the breeze ruffling her golden hair, he resisted the temptation to try and voice his thoughts more eloquently. “When will we have done enough mingling to satisfy Spalding?” he asked with forced brightness.

  “Fifteen minutes, maybe?”

  She wouldn’t meet his gaze and he knew it was because he’d pushed her. Wrong place, wrong time, he scolded himself. His phone hummed in his pocket and since they were alone on this corner of the terrace, he checked the display. “Rush is making progress.” He showed her the current screenshot.

  She snatched the phone from his hand, scrolling up and down the limited information on the display. “I know who it is.”

  “You do? Who?”

  Inside the ballroom, the fire alarm sounded and the sprinklers came on. Guests in dripping finery ran for the terrace and exits as security teams scrambled. “The countdown,” he muttered, shaking his head. “Brat.”

  “Now I’m positive.” She tucked his phone back into his pocket and patted his chest. “Let’s get you home so you can catch him.”

  Home. He’d wanted it to be her home too. I can’t. The words cut deep. “Just a minute.” He pulled out his phone and within seconds, the sprinklers were off, the alarm silenced. “There.”

  “Do I want to know how you did that?”

  He shook his head.

  “Oh, Sam.” She reached up and touched his cheek, her eyes swimming with tears. “I love you,” she whispered. She tugged on his tie, smiling as she brought his lips close enough to kiss.

  Dumbfounded, he couldn’t summon a response.

  Her diplomatic mask fell back into place. With her hand at his elbow, she turned him to the growing crowd on the terrace. With her signature composure and his assistance, they calmed the guests and guided everyone inside to safety.

  Whatever theory Spalding was testing by insisting she be here, Sam was sure she’d passed it with flying colors.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Monday, 3:15 p.m.

  Madison hated the waiting. She trusted Sam with every detail of the plan, but sitting here in the depths of the Gray Box corporate headquarters with nothing to do was making her more nervous than necessary.

  The hacker had taken the irresistible bait Sam and the FBI cyber team had trickled out. Everyone affected by the antics from the State Department to the consulates had quietly been brought up to speed in a face-to-face meeting with Spalding. Spokesmen from each consulate delivered precisely scripted responses that the media were circulating per the usual. Unless the hacker had a wire on Spalding, he had no idea they were onto him.

  Still, the waiting for the location and enough proof to make an arrest was driving her batty. They’d been so busy since last night, carefully verifying the prime suspect’s travels and correspondence without tipping him off, that they hadn’t spoken at all about what she’d told Sam on the terrace. She’d said she loved him and he had stared at her, the proverbial deer caught in headlights.

  Should she say it again? Try to explain how she could love him and yet not be able to stay with him?

  “Take a seat,” Sam said, startling her out of the internal debate.

  He’d been demonstrating remarkable awareness of her since she wiggled that toe two nights ago and invited him to make love to her. Invited? Ha. Begged was more accurate, particularly last night. A nervous giggle bubbled out of her at the memories.

  His desk chair squeaked a little as he swiveled around, stood up. “Come here.”

  She did, hoping he had worked kissing her senseless into the afternoon schedule. She needed the distraction. His hands light on her shoulders, he did kiss her. Quick and brisk, it wasn’t nearly enough. “Sam.”