“Yeah, I’ve been working at it all day.” I chewed on my thumbnail and glanced back at Mina, who was digging through all my clothing items and tossing some aside into a definite ‘no’ pile by her expression—finally something that wasn’t that pleasant smile. I turned my regard back to Wolfe. “I started thinking about how you broke through my firewalls so swiftly. Honestly, after I reviewed what you’d done, it was like an artist painting a masterpiece. So I decided to retrace your steps and create a counter attack.”
I could give respect when it was deserved.
Wolfe Cooper hadn’t lied. He was really the best in the world with technology, even on the darker side. The wolf-man knew what to do and how to work it.
It was more than a little hot.
Suddenly, he squinted at the screen. “You have an error in here. Do you mind if I fix it?”
The hell I did! I walked on bare feet quickly to his side and bent next to him, my eyes on the hologram. I griped, “Show me where you think this error is.”
His long, strong fingers zoomed the view. Wolf pointed to the coding on the seventeenth line, six digits in. His tone was soft and patient as he explained, “If you do this here, it will nullify the entire firewall you’re trying to protect. If you want to cut into it like a butcher, you can simply remove it, and it would still work—albeit, a little slower. But if you slide it down three rows, then it’ll do exactly what you want it to, but much more smoothly and with finesse.”
My jaw was hanging open in shock, staring at my significant flaw right there in front of me. “Damn it. I reviewed that line ten times.”
Wolfe bumped his shoulder against mine softly. “I’m sure you would have seen it after more sleep. You said you worked on it all day.”
I grunted in embarrassment but still mumbled, “See anything else I did wrong?”
“Let’s see.” He waved his hand in front of the hologram, adjusting it to the correct size to view the full code, then turned silent as he studied it.
I turned my head just the slightest bit and peeked at him from the corner of my eye. His golden gaze was following each line methodically and intelligently, pausing every once in a while, teetering his head back and forth, before continuing on. I cleared my throat softly and moved my own gaze back to the screen, waiting for him to finish his study.
I knew what line he was at when he chuckled softly.
He whispered, “That’s fucking cruel, Noelle.”
I shrugged my left shoulder, and it rubbed lightly against his. “I never said I didn’t play dirty.”
Wolfe’s snicker died off, his eyes already moving again.
Eventually, he turned his face toward mine, scanning my profile. “You learned on the streets, didn’t you?”
I tilted my head and met his gaze dead on. “It shows that much?”
“In some of it, yes. There’s a rugged beauty in it, a fighter who doesn’t pull any punches. But it’s intertwined with brilliance and refinement. You’re quite talented.” His golden eyes sparkled on mine, a light I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen before there. “Not as talented as me, but you’re not bad.”
I blinked. The wolf-man was flirting with me.
“Keep talking like that and I might forget for the night that you almost killed me.” My chin quivered in humor as he instantly frowned. I lowered my voice so only he could hear my next words. “Or you could kiss me. I’d probably forget for a little while then.”
That sparkle instantly returned to his stunning eyes, his pupils dilating in need, and he whispered just as quietly, “Maybe after the birthday party when there isn’t a mother hen pretending she isn’t watching our every move.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “A kiss. Not a fuck.”
He tipped his head farther, our foreheads almost touching. “I’m a private man. I don’t do public displays of affection, even around my closest friends.”
“Interesting.” I allowed my gaze to land on his lush lips. They were ripe to take a nip of. “Later tonight then.”
I bumped his forehead with mine, a simple touch before I straightened and headed in Mina’s direction. “Find anything for me that’s appropriate?”
Mina was good. It didn’t show at all that she had been eavesdropping on us. She held up a pair of jeans and a simple blouse that hung off the shoulder. Mina and Wolfe were also wearing jeans right now. “It’s casual tonight. Just friends.”
I took the clothes from her, and asked, “You never said. What’s the pizza girl’s name? I should probably know that before attending her birthday party.”
Mina snickered behind a delicate hand. “Good point. You’ll have to excuse my earlier fumble. Her name is Elara.”
