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An alarm chimed simultaneously at both their consoles. Their gazes snapped to the status board.
“Oh, look,” Max muttered. “Russia wants to play today.”
“I’ll take it,” Ethan said, fingers already moving.
“Nah, let the old man have his fun. My wife and kids are out for the weekend.”
Ethan paused, glancing at Max. “I’ll get the next one.”
“Sure.” Max shrugged. “I’m gonna mess with your shit, too, once I send these guys packing. Just saying.”
Ethan chuckled. “Go for it. I’m going to make myself some breakfast. I’ll have my comms.”
“Afraid the old man is losing his touch?” Max teased, rapid-fire typing filling the channel as Ethan climbed the stairs.
Ethan laughed outright. “Not at all. He still punches like a heavyweight champ. A little system intrusion shouldn’t faze him.”
Max didn’t answer. He was busy keeping their systems locked down. Ethan paused at the top of the stairs, waiting for Thor, who bounded up to him. He scratched behind the dog’s ears before feeding him then letting him out into the backyard.
Coffee, breakfast, and maybe some dessert of a sexual nature with his woman afterward. He smirked at the thought.Hiswoman. Damn, that felt good to say.
CHAPTER14
Star stared out her bedroom window with a dreamy smile tugging at her lips. Last night had been incredible. Ethan was a fantastic lover—attentive, skilled, and so utterly focused on her pleasure it left her breathless. He’d put her needs before his own, balancing tenderness with an unmistakable protectiveness that had made her feel both cherished and safe.
The man’s muscles had muscles. He’d taken her to heights she’d never reached with anyone else. Every touch, every kiss, had sent her spiraling higher and higher until she’d shattered—oh, God, shattered in a way she’d never imagined possible. And the need to replicate that sensation had been beyond urgent. Unfortunately, she’d passed out from exhaustion.
Thank God Ethan had been up for the task in the middle of the night. Then once again exhausted, she’d fallen asleep in his arms, lulled by the steady rhythm of his breathing. But when she’d woken and found the bed empty, a flicker of disappointment had nudged her. Throwing on his T-shirt, she’d padded downstairs, following the faint hum of electronics.
His office took up the entire basement, and stepping into it had felt like walking into the future. Boxes of machinery lined the walls, cooling fans whirred, and blinking lights illuminated the dim space. But what had caught her attention was the massive wall of monitors—like something out of a high-tech thriller.
She wasn’t an expert, but even in her sleepy state, she’d recognized the sheer amount of money sitting in that room. Ethan wasn’t just good at security—he was a damn expert. That realization made her feel safer, especially after what had happened to Mrs. Harvey.
Mrs. Harvey.
Star shook her head, guilt twisting in her chest. She’d had coffee with the woman so many times. Why would anyone want to hurt her?
She chewed her bottom lip, but that wasn’t even the worst thing that had happened yesterday. Her mind drifted back to that horrifying moment on the sidewalk. Her skin still crawled remembering the face staring up at her. The violence, the sheer brutality of what had been done to that person was … unreal.
She’d read news articles, watched crime documentaries, but nothing—nothing—could compare to witnessing something like that firsthand. The image was burned into her mind, and even though she knew there was no reason to feel unsafe in her own home, the shiver that ran down her spine told a different story.
She blinked, realizing her dictation software was still running. With a sigh, she stopped it and scrolled back to see where she’d drifted off into her thoughts. That had happened two, maybe three, times that day. She allowed herself some grace. Last night with Ethan and the chaos of the day before had been a lot to process.
Yanking off her headphones, she powered down her computer. Clearly, she wasn’t going to get any quality work done that afternoon.
A scraping sound made her freeze.
Her breath hitched. She sat perfectly still, listening.
There it was again.
Grabbing her phone and, on instinct, a spackling knife from the nearby table, she tiptoed toward the hallway and carefully avoided the squeaky spots on the floor as she crept to the top of the staircase, peeking around the corner.
Relief flooded her. "Ethan! You scared me!" She let out a breath and jogged down the stairs. "What are you doing?"
Ethan, perched on top of a ladder, glanced down at her with a raised brow. "Have some time while my system runs a few algorithms, so I thought I’d set up your security system." She exhaled, hand over her chest, then realized she was still gripping the spackling knife. Before she could shove it behind her back, Ethan’s eyes narrowed. "Were you planning on spackling me to death?"
Star huffed and quickly hid the knife. "Not you. But you wouldn’t want to be a stranger sneaking into my house."