Page 82 of The Honeymoon Hack

We broke apart, both breathing hard. Will stepped back but kept a hand on my waist, playing the part of the interrupted husband.

Ronnie’s perpetual scowl softened into a chuckle as he pushed his crash cart closer. He pointed at me. “You’re in trouble.”

My stomach dropped, but Will’s thumb stroked reassuringly across my back. Had Ronnie seen me with the KVM out? Had he heard me close it?

I straightened my glasses, which had gotten twisted in the kiss.Try playing dumb for once.“I am?”

“Claire was expecting you back fifteen minutes ago.”

Relief flooded through me so suddenly that I almost sagged against the rack door. I bit my lip and looked up at Will, who seemed far too calm about all this.

“She was some pissed when I showed up. Accused me of spying on her.” Ronnie stopped his cart in front of us and shookhis head, clearly amused. “She finished her update and stormed back to The Bridge.”

Will let go of me. “Sorry, Ronnie.”

“Our shift’s pretty much over,” Ronnie said to Will. “You may as well head out now.” He winked. “But in the future, no funny business in the server room. Brie’s a co-worker in here, no matter what.”

Thank god.

Will abruptly doubled over, clutching his stomach with both hands. His face contorted in apparent pain.

Ronnie chuckled again. “The burrito wasn’t just a ploy to sneak off with your wife?”

Will straightened enough to shake his head, then hurried off, one hand still pressed to his abdomen.

Ronnie continued past me with his cart. “Not much sexier than that, is there?”

Grumpy Ronnie was amused by us sneaking around for a romantic rendezvous? At least, this one time. That was fortunate. Claire wouldn’t find it as amusing that I abandoned her to fool around with my husband during work hours, but it was probably as good an excuse as any.

Time to face the music.

Chapter 32

Will

I stoodoutside the data center security checkpoint at exactly eight p.m., watching employees stream through as their shifts ended. The adrenaline had faded from my mad dash to get the cameras back online within the maintenance window, but my brain was still racing.

How many times had I already told myself no one would suspect anything? It had only been a half-hour, but the contingency plan continued cycling in my brain:If anyone noticed the brief outage, you’ll confess you disconnected the feeds to make out with your wife. Ronnie will back you up.

I couldn’t shake the image of pressing Brie against the server rack. The hunger in her kiss, the way she’d hooked her leg around mine. For a moment, it hadn’t felt like cover at all. It had felt like?—

Focus, Will. One crisis at a time.

I pulled out my phone and texted her on the Mnemis app:Where are you?

As if summoned by my message, Brie appeared around the corner from The Bridge corridor. She moved with a new confidence, which I barely recognized in her.

She tapped her badge at the security exit and joined me.

I took her hand and leaned close, whispering in her ear. “We need to go back to our room before we eat. I need to talk to you.” I pulled back slightly, maintaining the intimate proximity. “Smile like I just whispered something sexy to my new wife—it’ll go with our cover of making out in the server room.”

A small giggle escaped her, and she managed a convincing smile for anyone watching.

I hurried her through the corridors toward the Reef. Once inside our room, I spun her to face me. “What did Claire say?”

“She wasn’t even in The Bridge when I got back.” A frustrated frown crossed her face. “I was relieved I didn’t have to make excuses, but apparently no one’s seen her since she left the Atlantic server area.”

“That’s odd,” I said, unease prickling at me. “Ronnie said she was furious. Where would she go?”