Chapter One-
Christian's POV
I am sitting in my 20th floor office listening to my head of IT explain the latest cyber threat he's discovered. I hate to admit it, but this one scares me. He thinks he's quarantined the threat and was able to do so before my company secrets were compromised, but he can't be sure yet. He's having a hard time tracing the origin on the original hack, but he suspects it came from inside the company walls.
"As I was saying sir, I've managed to quarantine the worm. However, I'm having a hard time tracing the origin. I believe it was from inside Grey House. I need to build a program to trace it back and harden our firewalls. I need someone outside this building to help me. I can't do this alone and I don't trust anyone else till I know where this came from." Barney was an older man, but he was a genius when it came to computers. If he can't do it, who can.
"Barney, you've been with me since the beginning. You were the go to genius. Are you telling me you can't do this alone because it's too large a job to get done in a reasonable time frame, or because you don't know how to do it?" I'm leaning back in my chair now with my left foot crossed over my right knee. Now I'm really scared.
"Sir, it's a bit out of my element. I've only seen code like this a few times, but I've never seen this signature. The program we need built needs to be precise. It needs something that I can't do. You need to bring in someone who created the original code this was spun off of. It's a mutated hack that was created for the government a couple years ago. You need to bring in the Blacksmith Sir." Barney was hesitant in his response but was sure that Mr. Grey would see what needed to be done.
"You want me to bring in a hacker known as the Blacksmith and give him free reign in my company systems. No way Barney. There has got to be another way. I don't need some snot nosed pimply faced teenager running wild and planting backdoors in all my servers." Christian was adamant no one else be brought in. He didn't need this getting out and others trying to do it again.
"With all due respect Sir, You need to let me bring the Blacksmith in. The Blacksmith is not a bad guy hacker. Strictly on the up and up. Finished high school early and was accepted early admission to Harvard and MIT at the age of 16. Instead stayed local and graduated top the class at u-Dub. Has a non-ending contract with the government, working classified projects. Is known online for creating genius code and being one of the greatest engineers in their fields. I need this brain. The Blacksmith can do this. Just let me make that call and I'll get a meeting set up for tomorrow." Barney was pleading now. He seemed desperate, but he knows he's got me by the balls here.
"Alright Barney. Call Welch so he can run the back ground check. I want a meeting tomorrow morning at 9:30. If I get screwed over I will hold you personally responsible for whatever your friend does. If he so much as even tries to look somewhere he shouldn't you're fired."
"Understood Sir. I'll let Andrea know when I confirm the meeting." Barney stands up and walks out.
I watch him leave through the double doors. I wish I could breathe a sigh of relief once he's out of my sight, but I can't. I'm on edge and I need a release soon. It's been 8 months since my last submissive. I know Elena has tried to set me up a few times with new potential subs. I don't know what it is, but every time interview one, I can't follow through. Maybe I'm losing my desire to whip little brunette girls, or maybe Elena is the problem. Whatever it is, if I don't figure something out soon, I'm going to kill Batiste with my kick boxing sessions.
Ana's POV
"Kate, I have been on 13 failed blind dates set up by you in the last 23 months. 5 of those dates were double dates with whatever loser you were sleeping with at the moment. I don't want another one." I am begging Kate to let me off the hook. I was joking when I agreed on Sunday. She caught me in the middle of a weak moment wishing I could be a little normal.
"Come on Steele, this guy is a hunk. He just made junior partner at his law firm and was gifted membership to the exclusive Mile high club and gifted a company car with driving service for the month. What's the worst that could happen? You get free dinner and wine out of the deal. You can always leave him at the door." Kate is like a dog with a bone for this guy, maybe she should date him instead.
"Fine I'll go tonight, but if I text you Code X, you get me out of there immediately. Got it?" Code X was our phrase from college when things got sketchy or uncomfortable. Our alarm to send in the rescue team so to speak.
"You won't regret it Ana. I'll come by this afternoon and help curl your hair and pick out an outfit for you. Heaven knows I can't trust you to dress yourself. The Mile High Club is exclusive and where everyone wants to be seen. Hell, I've never even been there. You have to promise to call me with all the details. Be sure and shave, everywhere. You never know who might see you in your underwear so be a good girl and put on the skimpiest and laciest lingerie you own."
"Got it Kate. I've got to go my phone is beeping on the other line." I didn't wait for her reply before clicking over without looking at the caller id. "Go for Steele."
"Blacksmith, longtime no talk. I hear your Dad got a new promotion." Barney Michaels's smile could be heard through the phone.
"Daddy is the new Field Command Officer at the NCIS Tacoma office. I'm proud of him, but he's not too happy about it. He thinks he only got the promotion because he's the Blacksmith's father. "
"That sounds like Colonel Steele." Barney laughed picturing Raymond Steele standing at attention while wearing his civilian uniform and telling someone to shove their promotion up their ass.
"I assume you're calling in an official capacity if you're calling me Blacksmith. What do you need Barney?"
"Right to the point as ever Ana. I taught you almost everything you know. But it seems my protégé has surpassed me. My employer's company was hacked. Looks like a worm was planted from the inside but I can't isolate the source. I've quarantined to prevent any more damage. However, I've seen the code and it's a mutated version of your Screaming Eagle Code. I need you inside to locate the source and patch the hole. We also need you special engineer skills to create a program to prevent anything like this from ever happening again."
Shit, Screaming Eagle is one of my most difficult and top secret codes, created specifically for the FBI and NSA to infiltrate overseas companies funding terrorist groups. Any number of elite hackers could have copied my code, but only a few could mutate it to be effective. This is not good.
"What's the company Barney? I need details, the more the better. This won't be easy and it won't be quick. It could take weeks maybe even a couple months to build the program. You'll have to help me, and you'll have to keep me out of sight from the rest of your tech heads, especially if you've referred to me as Blacksmith to anyone."
"Only to the boss, the CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings. Although I think he's expecting to see a Teenage boy or nerdy Virginal Man walk into his office tomorrow morning. You'll have to sign an NDA before hell do more than shake your hand. Our security is already running your background check. Don't be alarmed when you're hacks alert you to something deeper. Welch is good and he'll look for anything and everything down to your bank balance in high school. But he won't see you're the Blacksmith. Be here at 9." With that Barney hangs up.
Roger seemed like a nice enough guy when he knocked on her door. He greeted me with a half dozen red roses when I opened the door and offered his arm when he escorted me to the car. He held my chair out for me when we got to their table. That was where the gentlemanly behavior stopped though. He ordered for me, without asking if I was allergic to anything or preferred to not eat meat. Luckily I was a red meat loving nerd. He was chauvinistic, and kept referring to me as little woman. He downplayed my company, Blade Programming, and seemed to be offended by the fact that I graduated high school two years early and chose to stay close to home and attend U-Dub instead of accepting my early admissions scholarships from Harvard or MIT. He's nursing his third scotch when he ordered a bottle of wine and proceeded to try and touch my thigh throughout the meal. I'm going to stab his hand with my fork if he tried to raise my dress again. And if he tells me how much money he's going to make in the next year at his law firm, I'm going to rip his tongue out. I can't wait for this date to end.
I was so happy I didn't wear the sexy emerald dress Kate wanted me to wear. Instead I'm in a maxi dress, with a Navy Boat neck top and three quarter sleeves, and a camel colored bottom. Now, the idiot is finishing the last of our wine. I've not had a full glass and I'm ready to leave. Roger's no different than the rest of the Frat boys I met in college who didn't like the fact that I was smarter than them. He's no longer sober and I'm thankful for the car service. I had to swat away his hands numerous times in the elevator down to the valet. This man has a thing for asses. Maybe I should tell him I train in kick boxing and my dad was a Marine Commander. Maybe he'll keep his hands to himself then. Then again maybe not. I'm thinking of my excuse to avoid a night cap when he tries to push me against the wall and press his alcohol drenched lips to mine. He reeks of booze and my dress is too long to kick him the way I was trained. I'm about to use a self-defense move Daddy taught me when he's suddenly on the ground in front of me.
"Are you alright miss?" I look into the gray eyes of a copper haired Adonis. Letting out a gasp, I clutch my right arm over my heart. He apparently saw how unsteady I was while staring into his eyes. He's grabbed me by my elbows. "Do you need me to call someone?" His touch is electric.
"Um…" I've never been at a loss for words. I don't know what to do. "He was my ride. I need to call my friend to come pick me up or call a cab."
"Do you live nearby? I can have my driver take you home. I was just leaving the restaurant upstairs. I saw you up there. You didn't look to be enjoying yourself. Please let me take you home. I can only assume he's the member here and I can turn in his name and have him removed. I'm Christian by the way"
My Adonis has a name. "Christian, I'm Anastasia. Please don't go through any trouble for me. I don't think I'll ever see him again, and you're correct this isn't my club and doubt I'll ever be back so no worries. But I will take the ride thank you. I just need to text my friend so she knows who to lead the police to when I end up dead tomorrow." Oh god, why did I say that? I can't quite staring at his eyes. There's something there calling me to him and I just don't want him to leave me.
"No worries Anastasia. It's a lovely name. Come, let's get you home." We climb into the back seat. I tell his driver, I think he said his name was Taylor, the address to my apartment in the Pike Place Market district. Christian has let go of my hand since he got in the car behind me. He tracing circles on my wrist with his thumb and I take the moment to admire him and really look at him in his suit. He's wearing a blue three piece tweed suit, with a solid navy blue tie and white dress shirt. He's sporting a neat and trimmed beard and I have a strong desire to feel it rubbing against my bare skin.
"Let me walk you to the door Anastasia." Christian slides out of the car when we arrive at my apartment building. He offers me his hand which I take. Riding the elevator is brutal. I know he can feel the energy crackling around us. I have to bite my lip to keep from saying something embarrassing. "Please don't bite that lip" I instantly release it. I quickly dash out of the elevator when we reach my floor.
"Thank you for the ride Christian. I don't think I've ever been rescued by a knight in shining armor before." I offer him my hand as soon as I unlock the door, not opening it just yet.
"The pleasure was all mine Anastasia" He purred in my ear. I started to pull away and look at him just as his lips land on my own. I feel like I've been zapped by lightening. His lips are soft yet firm. It's a slow kiss and when he reaches his arm around me I gasp allowing him access to my tongue. Oh my god I've never been kissed like this before. It's not the kiss of desperation. It's gentle yet passionate, and all too short before he pulls away. "Goodnight Anastasia."
I watch him walk away in a bit of a daze before I enter my apartment a bit confused. If he was going to kiss me and found me attractive, why didn't he ask me out or for my phone number at least? I'll have to ask Kate in the morning and she'll never let me live this down. Oh well, I have an early morning. I've got info I need to review on GEH before I get there and Barney wants to see me before we see his boss.
Christian's POV
I berate myself the whole way down to her lobby. Those were the most luscious lips I ever tasted and I need to taste them again and again. Her chestnut hair and ivory skin reminds me of Snow White. The palest blue eyes I've ever seen. Those eyes will surely haunt me until I have her tied to my bed and under my control. Yes she'll make a perfect submissive.
I quickly send of texts to Welch and Andrea. I need her to send flowers and breakfast to Anastasia in the morning. Shit, I didn't get her last name. All I've got is her first name and address. I don't even know what she really does for work, she just said she had to be up early to meet with someone about a new project she was starting in the morning. That should be enough information for Welch to run a back ground check. Just the standard should do, don't need to know every dark secret since she's not working for me.
I drank a glass of water after my shower before climbing in bed and dreaming of pale pink lips around my cock, and ice blue eyes staring at me with her hands tied behind her back while I fuck her mouth. For the first time in months I have no nightmares.