Exclusive Access (11 page)

Chapter
Eleven

Julianne
giggled as Kane lifted her into his arms and carried her up the stairs. “How
can you do this? I’m not a lightweight.”

“
You’re insane, woman. There’s nothing heavy about
you.”

“
Right.”

“
Call yourself fat again and I’ll spank you until you
can’t walk.”

“
I didn’t call myself fat.”

“
You implied it.”

“
You’re not human.”

He
placed her on her feet and opened the doors to his bedroom. “That’s our secret.
Each of the Weathermen. We’re actually aliens who came down here to save the
planet.”

“
Now
that
I
believe. May I quote you on that in my stories?”

Kane
laughed, and the sound washed over her like warm water. He took her hand and
led her into his bathroom, where he turned on the shower. He kissed her rough
and hard, and her pussy was now so wet that Kane amazed her all over again.
Hadn’t he been up most of the night doing research? How did he have this much
energy?

“
Time to get naked.” Kane removed her clothes in a
rush, but she found it so damn sexy that shivers ran up and down her body. He
gave her no time at all to even try to remove his. Within seconds they were
both nude, and he’d placed his glasses on the bathroom counter. “That’s
better.”

He
took her hand and led her under the water. The shower was large enough to
accommodate half of the people she worked with, and featured three jets. A
curved entrance to the area that the jets reached negated the need for a shower
curtain, and a large window across the top let in plenty of light.

“
This is nice.”

“
I enjoy it.” He kissed her again, but this time it was
slow and lazy. She melted into his embrace as the water cascaded over their
bodies. Julianne mentally pushed away her concerns over Isabelle, Olivia, and
Rob. She’d think about it later. Right now, it was time to become one with Kane
again. The man was seriously sexy, and he had a wonderful streak of humor. He
was intelligent and romantic, and he obviously cared deeply for his company and
for the state of the planet. What was not to like?

When
he finally released her mouth, she was putty in his hands. He smiled at her,
and then he reached toward a shelf and plucked a bottle of shampoo off it. He
squeezed some into his palms and told her to turn around and close her eyes. “I
won’t leave you alone. I’m right here.”

She
did as he asked, and then moaned softly as he lathered her hair. His touch was
soft and sensual. Shivers ran down her spine as he first washed her hair, and
then rinsed it. “Now the rest of you. Stay where you are, but lean against the
wall with your arms over your head.”

Julianne
couldn’t have disobeyed that voice if she’d wanted to. She heard him squeeze
what she assumed was shower gel out of bottle, and then a woodsy scent filled
the air. Kane washed her entire body with his fingertips, paying attention to
every square inch of skin. She moaned and writhed against his touch, marveling
at how much self-control he had.

By
the time he finished, she was ready to fall to her knees and beg him to fuck
her. Instead, he turned her around and kissed her again. “Your turn, gorgeous.”

Julianne
wasn’t sure she could stay standing right now, let alone wash him. A sensation
of slipping down the drain with the water coursed through her. No one had ever
done such an erotic thing with her. She took the shower gel bottle and poured
some into her palms, and then asked him if he intended to turn toward the wall
like she’d done.

“
No. I want to watch your beautiful face.”

Oh my!
“Kane, you make me feel like a
goddess.”

He
ran a hand through her wet hair. “You are. A copper-haired goddess. Your hair
shines like the sun I remember from the surface, and your eyes remind me of the
ocean in the Caribbean. Have you ever seen it?”

“
No. I’ve only seen the Atlantic, and that was from
Boston.”

“
I was born in Augusta, Maine, so I know what you mean.
Up there it looks cold and gray, but in the Caribbean the water is blue and
lush.”

“
It sounds beautiful.” She washed him as he’d done to
her, but it was impossible to keep from teasing his dick and his balls when she
got there. He was rock hard, and all she could think about was having him
inside her again. She didn’t have the same willpower he did.

“
That feels incredible,” he said, his voice hard as
though he were barely hanging on.

“
You feel incredible. I need you inside me again.”

“
The water is getting cold. Let’s continue this
somewhere else.” He kissed her like he might never do it again, and she wrapped
her arms around him as tightly as possible. When he released her mouth, he
turned off the water and led her out of the shower. Plucking a thick towel off
a shelf, he dried her body, holding her gaze for most of it. Julianne was out
of her mind with desire, but it was also fun to let him deny her this way.

“
Your turn.” He handed her a dry towel, and she forced
herself to move as slowly as he had, even though it was killing her. When she
was done, he lifted her up again and sat her on top of the bathroom counter,
then pulled a stool over. Grinning, he bent his head and grasped her hips,
pulling her toward him until her pussy was in his face.

Julianne
cried out loudly as he clamped down on her clit, sucking hard while he slid two
fingers into her wetness. The orgasm that had been building during the sexiest
shower she’d ever taken crashed over her, sending contractions out to her
fingers and toes.

He
didn’t stop there. Kane continued to tease her with his teeth, tongue, and
fingers, until she pulled his hair and begged him to stop. “I can’t … no more …
please…”

He
lifted his head and grinned at her in a way that melted her heart. “You don’t
like it?”

“
Oh
fuck!
Of
course I like it. I’m just—you’re not mortal.”

Kane
licked her thighs. “Can I help it if you taste so damn good I can’t stop?”

Julianne
giggled. “Let’s trade places.”

He
shook his head. “Nope. Not today. I’m enjoying forcing you to give up control
to me.”

Those
words sent her arousal to crazy heights. “How can you hold off so long?”

“
I’m magical.” He stood and pulled her to a sitting
position, then held her for long moments while he stroked her back. When he
released the embrace, he helped her off the counter, but then pushed the stool
out of the way and turned her around to face the counter. “Bend over.”

“
Ok, Kane … please…”

He
licked her neck. “Please, what? What do you want, baby?”

“
I want to give you a blowjob.”

“
I don’t want a blowjob right now.” He bent her over,
and she cried in surprise and lust. “I want to fuck you.”

Julianne
gripped the edge of the counter as Kane slid his cock into her pussy from
behind. He’d moved her hips far enough away from the edge so only her chest and
arms rested on the counter. There wasn’t much leverage, but she imagined he
wanted it that way. It was so damn raw and animalistic that another climax was
on the way.

He
slammed into her like a runaway train, and all she could do was moan continuously
and hold on. When he finally came, it was rough and hard, but she loved every
second of it. Her own orgasm was swift but powerful, and she shook her head as
spots danced before her eyes. If she’d known five years ago that this was the
essence of Kane, she’d never have left it at those incredibly hot forty-seven
minutes in his office.

Kane
withdrew, and she watched him wince as he did. His gaze met hers in the mirror.
“Did I hurt you, baby?”

“
No. Are you okay?”

“
Yes. I am now.” He turned her around and pulled her
close for a hot kiss. Where the hell did he get this kind of energy? “That was
perfect.”

“
All of this is perfect.”

“
I agree.” He stroked her hair and back. “I wish you
lived here with me.”

Slow down there, cowboy!
“Maybe one day.”

He
made a soft noise that was close to a groan, but not a sexy one. More like
painful. “Is that a definite ‘no’ then?”

She
pulled out of his embrace. “Kane, let’s get to know each other a bit first,
okay?”

His
grin sent jolts of electricity to her groin. This guy was going to wear her
out. “I’d say we know each other pretty damn well by now.”

“
Physically, yes, but sex is only the surface stuff.”

“
We’ve done more than have sex. I took you to a hockey
game.”

She
laughed. “Which neither of us watched.”

“
I watched the last ten minutes.”

“
I didn’t.”

“
Well, we made breakfast together.”

“
You made breakfast. I merely ate it with you.”

“
I showed you what I found on Isabelle.”

She
shook her head, grinning. “You’re right. It’s official. We’re a couple now.”

He
kissed her. “Okay. Then we’ll do couple things. What would you like to do
together? A movie? Dinner? Walk along the fake beach?”

If
she hadn’t known he was teasing her, and if she hadn’t been terribly flattered
that he wanted her here with him all the time, his flippant comments might have
made her angry. Julianne knew he wasn’t trying to be cruel or dismissive. He
was too adorable with the way he took everything down to the most basic level.
It made sense to him, so that was that. Then again, he was a financial genius.
She imagined he was used to thinking in pragmatic terms.

“
How about giving me a chance to return to my apartment
and pick up a few things, and then I’ll stay here with you over the weekend and
write the stories? Patti would love it if I showed up Monday morning with two
for her to look over.”

The
delighted look on his face tugged at her heart. “Really? You’ll stay here and
work? All weekend?”

“
Absolutely. It appears you don’t do much else but
work, so I might as well keep you company.”

“
I slept for a couple of hours early this morning.”

“
I didn’t know that.”

“
I do more than work, you know.” He kissed her again,
longer this time. “I have sex. Lots and lots of sex.” He frowned slightly. “Or,
at least I do now. I didn’t before you showed up in my office Monday.”

She
laughed again and pulled him close. “I could get used to you, Kane Bannerman.”

“
I hope you do.” His voice, so soft yet serious, sent
shivers down her spine. What was she doing here, with him? Was this real, or
would it fall apart once the truth about whatever the hell Isabelle had gotten
herself mixed up in came out?

Even
worse, once her stories were written, would that be the end of it? Was hot sex
and one short-term common goal enough to hold a relationship together? Was that
even what Kane wanted—a relationship—or was she merely the flavor of the month?
Julianne had no clue what was going to happen, but she knew she had at least
the rest of the weekend with this man, and she was determined to enjoy it.

Chapter
Twelve

Julianne
returned to her apartment and packed a bag with enough clothes and personal
items to stay two weeks at Kane’s place if she chose to. She grabbed her tablet
and back-up data discs, and then enjoyed the fake outdoors as she strolled
leisurely back to Kane’s apartment. Before she’d left, he’d called his father,
and then once he’d finished with the call, he had warned Julianne that the man
would likely show up later that afternoon.

“
Should I be worried?” She’d never met the man but knew
him by reputation. Daniel Bannerman was a legend, but was also well known as a
tyrant.

“
No, but you might want to make yourself scarce while
he’s here. He’s likely to ask you too many personal questions.”

Recalling
that earlier conversation didn’t dampen her spirits as she made her way across
town, bags slung over her right shoulder. She wasn’t afraid of people, and
she’d done nothing to incur Daniel’s wrath. Well … except for that pesky
article five years ago, but maybe he’d forgotten about it by now. His son had
forgiven her, so that was all that mattered.

Kane
had given her the building codes so she could let herself back in, and
apparently he’d already informed the front desk staff about her, because they
barely gave her a glance as she strolled past them. She used the elevator he
told her to, punched in yet one more code, and then she was on her way to the
top floor. She could get used to this.

Julianne
helped Kane make them sandwiches for lunch, and then she took hers, plus a
large glass of fresh lemonade, into a small but bright office he showed her. “I
never use this. It’s here in case any of my friends visit and need a space to
work.”

She
glanced around, smiling. “I love it. It’s perfect.”

“
Good. Then I’ll leave you to it. Text or email me if
you need anything.”

She
laughed. “You’re in the same apartment. I’ll come and find you.”

He
gave her a sheepish grin. “Sorry. Force of habit.”

Julianne
put her arms around Kane’s waist, wishing they both didn’t have so much work to
do. Every inch of her body was still sore, but she didn’t care. She wanted him
again. “Don’t apologize. That’s part of your charm.”

“
Oh? Have I gone from being cute to charming now?”

“
Definitely.”

Kane
kissed her, but it was interrupted when his phone buzzed. Frowning, he took his
arms from around her and glanced at the caller ID. “My father is downstairs
already.”

“
In that case, I’ll lock myself in here and wait for
you to tell me it’s safe to come out again.”

He
rolled his eyes. “You have no idea how close to the truth that likely is.” He
gave her another quick kiss. “See you later, beautiful.”

****

Kane
really wished he didn’t have to seek his father’s advice, but he knew it
couldn’t be avoided. Not for something this important. He hadn’t expected him
to insist on coming over today. Why couldn’t this wait until Monday, when
Julianne wouldn’t be so close?

Daniel
didn’t shake his son’s hand, but Kane wasn’t surprised by that. He rarely did.
Kane frowned at his father’s appearance. “You look tired. Are you ill?”

“
Physically, no.”

What
the hell did that mean? During the ride up to his apartment, Kane avoided
making eye contact with his father. He’d find out soon enough what had the man
so pissed off. Once they were inside, he showed his father directly to his
office, and asked if he needed anything to eat or drink.

“
I’m here to find out what has you so bothered about
this woman.”

“
All right.” Kane had the websites ready, so he sat
next to his father and laid everything out for him. “I don’t want to fire her
yet. I think we should watch her for a while and see if she tips her hand, or
leads us either to where Rob is hiding, or to other potential hackers.”

Daniel
frowned. “Hiding? How can he be hiding if you know where he lives?”

“
Hiding online. I can’t go busting into his house.”

“
No, but you can call the DA in
NorthCentral
and present a case for prosecution.”

Kane
shook his head. “We do that and we tip
our
hand. We’ll drive all of them even further underground.”

“
Do any of you have help from a figure in authority
yet?”

“
Barclay has a friend in Homeland Cyber Security. They
know what we’re trying to do, and they’re ready to help us. Since this crosses
cities, it’s under their jurisdiction if any prosecution will take place.”

“
If
?”

“
When.”

Daniel
clicked around for a while, saying nothing. Finally he pinched the bridge of
his nose. “All right. I agree with not firing her yet, but don’t wait too long.
If she isn’t part of this, cut her loose. She violated company policy.”

“
Thank you.”

“
Now tell me how you discovered this about an
administrative assistant.”

Fuck.
Here it comes
. “A reporter approached me about doing a story.
Isabelle was her source.”

Daniel
raised his brows. “A reported named her source?”

“
I had to insist she do it in order to give her the
story.”

“
What kind of a story?”

“
Two of them, actually. One on the curriculum at the
university that teaches part of our systems model, and the other is on the
funding for the new above ground shelters.”

Daniel
narrowed his eyes and searched Kane’s face. Kane tried to remain calm, but
inside he knew he was screwed. He should have fired Isabelle. Anything she
might know wasn’t worth this shit. “Why would she need a source for such
stories?”

“
Isabelle does have that graduate degree in IT from
NorthEast
University.” It wasn’t a lie, but neither was it
the entire truth of why she’d been Julianne’s source.

Daniel
nodded. “Which brings us back to why you suspect her of being a plant.”

“
Exactly.” Kane was about to breathe a sigh of relief,
but then realized from the look on his father’s face, he wasn’t quite done yet.

“
Which news site does this reporter work for?”

“
UTU
.”

“
What’s the reporter’s name?”

“
You don’t know her.” Yes, he did, but not as someone
who worked for
UTU
.

Daniel
made a sound of disgust and glared at his son. “You’ve never been able to look
someone in the eyes and lie.”

As if that’s a skill I want.
Kane said nothing. There was no
point in speaking right now. He’d gotten away with omitting one part of the
truth, but he hadn’t avoided the elephant in the room. He only hoped Julianne
didn’t choose this particular moment to seek him out.

“
You need to stop making a habit of this or you’ll ruin
the company.”

Kane
stopped himself from sighing. “Which habit is that?”

“
Don’t play coy with me. You need to stop fucking women
who use you for information.”

Low blow.
“That isn’t what’s going on here.”

Daniel’s
eyes gleamed with malice. “Really? Are you going to look me in the eyes and
deny that the same reporter who nearly ruined you five years ago is the one who
used this AA as a source?”

“
Nope. Not going to lie about that. She’s one and the
same.” How had his father known? Was he that transparent, or had it simply been
a best guess? Then again, Agnes could have gone to him and told him that
Julianne had shown up on Monday, or someone might have seen them at the arena
last night.

“
Now you’re just being a jackass.”

And you’re not?
“She’s no longer with
The Whole Truth
.”

Daniel’s
laugh was caustic. “Oh come on.
UTU
hired
Julianne Wallis? I don’t believe it.”

Kane
clicked until he’d brought up Patti’s contact information on the screen. “Call
her editor. She’ll confirm it. She’ll also confirm the two stories she’s given
Julianne the green light on.”

“
I don’t give a shit if Julianne Wallis is writing
about the storm drains outside this building. Are you out of your damn mind?”

Kane
clenched his fists, but kept his arms pinned to his sides. “Not yet.”

“
Are you or are you not fucking her?”

“
That is none of your damn business.”

“
I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.” Daniel ran a hand over his
face. “You may hold the controlling shares of this company, but you still have
a Board to answer to.”

“
I’m well aware of that, but I wasn’t aware that the
Board had any right to tell me who I can or can’t make love to.”

“
Don’t be flippant with me, Kane.”

Kane
stood. “I’m not going to discuss Julianne with you. She’s not a threat to this
company, but Isabelle potentially is. I’ll keep her on for now and watch her.
If she doesn’t prove to be of any use to us in locating Rob Marin online, or in
locating any additional hackers, I’ll fire her for violating company policy.”

Daniel
didn’t move.

“
Is there anything else we need to discuss, Father?”

Finally
he stood. “Not today.” Kane watched him walk out of the office and toward the
foyer. He turned before leaving the apartment. “Watch yourself with Julianne.
If I hear one whisper that I don’t like, I’ll go straight to the Board.”

Kane
resisted the urge to tell his father to go to hell. “And tell them what? That
you don’t like my current girlfriend?”

Daniel
left without another word.

Kane
leaned against the wall, grateful once more than Julianne was safely tucked
away in an office on the other side of the apartment, and would never have to
know about this conversation.

He
also knew that he’d never live down the mistake he’d made seventeen years ago.
Never. His father looked on those forty-seven minutes with Julianne five years
ago, and the resultant aftermath, as no different from what had happened with
Ellen.

Kane
didn’t agree, and he never would. The two weren’t connected, and Julianne
wasn’t the same person she’d been then.
He
wasn’t the same person he’d been then, but his father would never see that.