Page 119 of Shattered Silence Duet

“And what are you working on right now?” She points at the screen, where rows of numbers are displayed.

“Well, this is a smaller job I just took yesterday. Basically, this company asked me to look into their finances because they think they’re missing money but can’t figure out where it’s going. Everything matches in their books, but based on their quarterly earnings, they’re sure they’re missing twenty thousand dollars.”

“And you can do that?” Her eyes widen in amazement, making me smile. “How did you learn this stuff?”

“I always loved computers and video games as a kid. I was pretty lucky, having parents who indulged in my interests. I actually got my GED early by studying and writing the test when I was sixteen. I got a full ride scholarship to MIT and studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. My parents, they uh…” I pause to take a breath before continuing. “They died when I was at school. My dad had a heart attack and my mother passed from cancer two years later. She didn’t even tell me she was sick. But she left me a note.”

“Oh, Ben, I’m sorry. That must have been so hard for you!” she says, squeezing my hand with worry in her eyes.

I nod as I respond. “Yeah, it was hard. But they loved me and they knew I loved them. I wanted to make them proud, so I finished school. Top of my class, too,” I say with a proud smirk.

“Of course you were, you’re the smartest person I know! I bet your parents would be super proud of you, Ben. I know I would be, if you were mine.”

I glance at her, her choice of words making my heart leap in my chest. Did she mean that the way it sounded? Knowing it wasn’t time to push her yet, I change the subject. Pointing at the computer screen, I ask, “wanna help me?”

“I can?” she asks, her excitement making me chuckle.

I should let her relax, and not use her brain, but if I was in her position, I’d be feeling the same way, restless and bored out of my mind. So instead, I nod, then start showing her the patterns of deposits and withdrawals. We spend about an hour with me explaining what we’re looking at, what all the numbers mean, and the kind of discrepancies we could be searching for. I also give her a tutorial on how to use the computer and basic programs for documents and spreadsheets.

“You know,” I say, squinting at the screen as she scrolls through another bank record. “I bet you’ll be really good at thistype of thing, with your natural talent for math and your photographic memory. Why don’t you give it a go?”

I let her take the laptop so she can go through it at her own pace. She goes back and forth between a couple of screens, her focus narrowing in on something she sees. Suddenly, she points at the screen excitedly.

“There!”

I lean closer, squinting to read what she’s pointing at. “Twelve hundred and eighty-two dollars.”

“And here,” she says, showing me another entry.

“Eight hundred and seventy-two,” I read aloud. She starts copying all the numbers she’s finding into a new spreadsheet, her fingers flying over the keyboard. She really caught onto using a computer quickly.

“Each of these amounts is indicated as employee benefits. But employee benefits are actually included in the payroll line. Meaning…” She trails off, waiting for me to catch on.

“Meaning they’re double dipping! Holy shit, you figured it out! I just have to track down the account it’s going into, and we’ve got our thief!” I stare at her in amazement. “Princess, you’re amazing!”

I can’t stop myself from leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. She hesitates for only a moment before she relaxes into me. I cup her jaw as my tongue encourages her to open for me. She obeys my unspoken request beautifully, making me moan against her.

I’ve never felt such a connection kissing someone before. There is something about Mina that is all-encompassing, making me want to push her onto her back and take her right now.

Knowing I need to cool things down, I slowly pull back before placing one last kiss on her lips, then the tip of her nose.

“You really are amazing, you know that, right?” I ask as I push her hair back behind her ear.

I kiss the top of her head, grinning like a fool.

“You would have figured it out eventually,” she says, her voice sounding like she’s out of breath. It’s sexy as hell.

“Sure, but it might have taken me a week.”

“Really?” she asks, her smile growing as I nod.

“Yeah, honestly, I would have been working on it for days, for sure.”

We share a warm smile, and she asks, “does that mean you have more free time to spend with me now?”

I close the laptop and move it to the other side of the mattress. “Why? You want to spend more time with me, Princess?” My eyes roam up and down her body. We aren’t supposed to touch her until she’s fully healed, but she’s so tempting.

“Of course. I love spending time with you.” She reaches out and squeezes my hand.