Part Three: Lethal DesignShannon McRae looked over her shoulder as she made her way through the parking lot at Maddux Video Designs. Well past eight o'clock, darkness already shrouded the night. She wished Maddux didn't insist its employees park in the back lot, away from the lights and traffic on the busy street where they were located. It increased the feeling of vulnerability, one she'd dealt with a lot of late. She hadn't meant to work so late, but she continued to be confounded by something in her latest project, and her stubbornness kept her from giving up. Finally, though, battling a headache and a stiff back, she shut down her computer, setting the security on it until the next day.Under normal circumstances working late didn't bother her. She sometimes even worked until midnight. She'd been doing a lot of that with this project for Infinity because it had her baffled. On the face of it, this latest assignment looked simple enough. Craig Loeffler, president of a financial s

"I didn't expect to see you for a while yet. I thought you were all wrapped up in some big project."Athena stirred sweetener into her coffee and blew on its steaming surface, studying her friend over the rim of the cup. Under normal circumstances, even for a casual meeting like this, she knew Shannon made sure she was pulled together, neat jeans and a tailored blouse, thick blonde hair in its French twist, makeup in place. A habit she never seemed to break. Except today, when she had just thrown on an oversized T-shirt and jean shorts, hiding the curves so many women envied. No makeup. Hair scraped back in a utilitarian ponytail. Worry lines bracketed her eyes and mouth and deep shadows sat beneath her hazel eyes. All of this created a high degree of concern in Athena. She'd never seen her friend this scattered, a definite sign something was wrong here.Shannon took a careful sip of her latte. "I am. I'm on a deadline, and you know how I get."Athena hadn't seen Shannon for a few w

"I have just the agent for you," Grey assured Shannon. "He won't even look at you as a woman. I promise.""No?" Shannon had a brief flash of manic hysteria. Not look at her as a woman? "Is there something wrong with him?""Not at all. He's just the consummate professional. Polite, alert, ready for anything."Athena nodded. "He served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. If I tell you it burned out much of his soul, I know you'll understand. He's been through some very tough times, a lot of which he continues to deal with, and he's still isolating himself from people on a social level. We have no idea how dangerous this person we're dealing with here is. Or persons, for that matter. If I were in your situation, Owen Cormier is the one I would want watching my back. Also my front and every area around me."Shannon felt a stab of sympathy for the man she hadn't even met yet. She had to wonder if he was anything like—Stow it. He's gone and you'll never see him again. Time to move alo

Owen stared at the woman, remembering every inch of her small yet curvy body. The jeans and oversized sweatshirt she wore couldn't hide the lush dips and swells he remembered. Her mane of blonde hair he remembered tumbling around her shoulders and brushing his chest and abdomen she now had pulled back into a severe ponytail. Her eyes were still the same shade of iridescent green, so amazing they dominated her face. Her skin he'd missed every inch of held the translucent quality of a pearl, and, even without lipstick, her mouth called for attention.He felt as if he'd been poleaxed, his breath trapped in his lungs but his cock threatening to break out of his fly. Emotions he had long thought dead and buried tried to claw their way up from oblivion.Damn it all, anyway. How could he take a job when the client had given him the best night of his life and she'd be better off without him? Right now, he wanted to throw her on his bed and ravish her for hours then lock them both away against

"No." He nearly spat the word. "But it doesn't mean I don't want to strip you naked and fuck you every way possible. You…touched me in a way no one else ever has. If I let you get close, I'd destroy you."Shock immobilized her. Had she heard him right?He lifted his hands and slid them away. She felt the loss of contact at once and wanted to grab onto him, so stunned she could barely breathe or move. Did he say what she just thought? Holy shit!"We need to discuss my conversation with Grey. I'll take that water now." One corner of his mouth twitched in a hint of a grin. "Unless, of course, you plan to use it as a weapon."Shannon looked at her hand and realized she was clutching the bottle in a death grip."Oh. Sorry." She thrust it at him. He walked into the living room and dropped into the big armchair, the one across from the fireplace.Just like that? As if he hadn't dropped a small bomb between them?She hoped when she handed the water to him he didn't notice the slight t