Fair Game Inc (2010) by Stephanie Bedwell-Grime Read Free Book Online Page A

bankruptcy, Grayson wouldnAEt have had the resources to hire extra help. Dark eyes haunted her, last night and all day. He hadnAEt looked annoyed to see her. He looked ... relieved.
    Amber thrust him from her mind. Since their ill-fated meeting several weeks ago, Grayson Charles had been occupying far too much of her thoughts.
    Apartment 4 was pulling into the parking lot of an industrial complex. Amber followed a discreet distance behind. He parked in front of a rambling building. A green sign above was the only thing distinguishing it from the other squat buildings in the industrial complex. Gardner Information Services. Amber eased her car closer, keeping one hand on the camera.
    oGoing to work early tonight, arenAEt we, Apartment 4?o Amber said as he disappeared inside.
    Taking the camera, she closed her car door quietly, and crept toward the rear of the building. Most of the workers had left for the day, emptying a multitude of dark offices. Down toward the end of the building, lights were still on in a couple of offices. Bending low out of sight of the windows, Amber ran along the side of the building.
    The first illuminated room turned out to be the lunchroom. A couple of industrial tables, a battered fridge and a microwave made up its furnishings. Amber slid around the corner. Peering up over the windowsill, she peeked through the vertical blinds.
    oBingo.o
    Sure enough, Mr. Information Highway Surfer was at his terminal. But he wasnAEt alone. Pressed intimately between him and his workstation was an attractive brunette in a business suit.
    oSheAEs his coworker.o A perfect scheme. One stayed late, one came in early. Their coworkers probably pitied them clocking all that overtime.
    oWell, partyAEs over, Apartment 4.o Amber inched up to the window. A tiny space between the vertical blinds offered her all the clearance she needed. Pressing the lens against the window, she captured their passionate kiss with the rest of the roll of film.
    The kiss ended. Amber dropped out of sight. As if she sensed something, the brunette looked through the half-closed blinds. Plastering herself against the side of the building, Amber rounded the corner and froze.
    oI knew it was you!o Out of the shadows a man walked toward her. Right across the view of the open windows, jeopardizing her surveillance with every step.
    Tendrils of greasy hair stood out from his head at odd angles, illuminated by the slanting light of the late afternoon sun. Squinting against the glare, he looked like Mr. McGoo behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses. His threadbare suit looked like heAEd slept in it. And he probably had. Dapper would never be a word used to describe James Heck, Amber reflected.
    Dragging in a breath, she forced her heart to resume beating. oWhat are you doing here, James?o she hissed, her body still pasted against the wall. Dearly she hoped James followed her example to get out of plain sight.
    Her hopes went unanswered as Heck leaned against the building, supporting himself nonchalantly with one arm. oI came to see who got the job over me.o
    Amber felt her stomach tighten as her body readied itself for the coming confrontation.
    oDidnAEt know you were bidding on it,o she said noncommittally.
    oYou should have.o Heck had a frown that made him look like a petulant child. A very large, slimy kind of petulant child. oI am the only competition in town.o
    Amber felt the edges of her patience fraying. Long hours spent in a hot car, plus an evening at Barlow & Charles to look forward to put her in a bad mood to start. oMy client didnAEt mention that she was considering other offers,o she snapped.
    oShe didnAEt mention you to me, either.o Heck kicked at a tuft of grass, and Amber could tell he was taking the loss of work really hard. oLed me to believe I had the job,o he continued, still taking out his frustrations on the hapless turf. oPut in quite a few hours on the preliminaries.o
    oDonAEt you just hate it when that happens?o Looking for a way out