I’ve read articles stating it’s not unusual for brides-to-be to get cold feet, especially when marriage is going to involve a monumental change in their lives. And mine most certainly is. I’m upending my life and switching continents.
I move to the warming draw and pull out the plate of scrambled eggs and toast I prepared while he was in the shower. I slide it across the island to where Elijah is sitting, along with a steaming mug of coffee.
“This looks amazing,” Elijah says, looking up and smiling.
I drag my eyes away from his lips. “You’re welcome. I thought you might want something before we get started again.”
He looks a lot more relaxed. Now he’s washed some of the tension off.
“So, what’s the plan now?”
I take a seat next to him as he attacks the food with enthusiasm.
“We wait. Set the trap I’ve devised and wait for whoever is responsible to trigger it. Or we trigger it and see who pops up.”
I can’t keep the smugness out of my voice. This is my favourite part, bringing the bad guy to justice. This will be extra satisfying as they’ve gone after my friend. A bad move on their part.
“I promise, this person or persons will not get away with it.”
I’ve been in charge of several sting operations in the past. I know what I’m doing when it comes to catching Elijah’s mole. Not that I can tell Elijah that. But secrets have been in my life for as long as I can remember.
We finish up, and Elijah once again clears away the mess while I grab a quick shower.
Knowing he’s been in this room, stood naked where I’m now standing.
The air smells of his body wash and shampoo.
I pick up the towel he has folded on the wash basket next to the sink. Before I can stop myself, I raise it to my nose and inhale deeply.
No!
I throw it into the far corner before turning and resting my forehead against the cool glass of the shower.
It’s okay
If everything goes to plan tomorrow, you’ll be back on a plane and heading back to your new life. Elijah Frazer will be back in his box.
I shower before screwing my wet hair up into a messy bun and pulling on a fresh set of clothes. I give myself a quick once over in the mirror to ensure I don’t have mascara running down my face. I’m not redoing my makeup. Once Elijah is gone, I shall head to bed.
I find Elijah downstairs, scrolling through the code changes.
“I can’t believe you deciphered this,” he says, turning towards me.
My chest swells at his praise.
“Code and coding are my hyper-focus. You know that. I could sit for hours—experimenting with code. That’s why writing computer games is perfect for me. It’s the management, and organisational part of running a company that’s always been the hardest. But then I have an awesome team for that.”
Danika, who is my right-hand woman, has been a godsend. She ensures I don’t get lost in the cyber world and forget to eat or speak to clients. She’s my version of Gabriel’s Leah, only without the sex.
“Right, let’s do this.”
Elijah moves closer as I explain my plan. We go backwards and forwards as we come up with a solution that will work with his code and fit into company policy. We don’t want to trigger the wrong person.
For the next three hours, we work together to perfect it. I write, and he tests. The code I’m amending was changed before this release, so no one should be looking at it. It’s the recent changes, and they are harmless on their own. Layering is a clever method of attack.
When I’m done, we both sit back.
“Now you go into the office and act as if nothing is wrong,” I say, turning to Elijah, whose enormous frame has sunk into his chair.
