You can be the hunter, or you can be the hunted ― LISA GARDENER

Teddy winked and went to sit at one of the two desks. Ensuring that he had returned to his work and not paying any extra attention to her, she quickly scanned the shelves for what she wanted. Rifling through papers from seven years before she finally found the project file.

Opening it, she found that most of the file was redacted and completely useless. Impatient at not having found anything new and feeling suspicious as to why a normal project file was redacted so heavily, she made her way towards Teddy's desk. Deciding to use the young guy's attraction to her advantage she sought to gain information about how to get the original unedited version.

"Find what you were looking for?" He questioned as she approached his desk.

Ignoring him she replied, "Teddy, I'm so impressed by the way you run such an efficient operation almost all by yourself. The Gods that Be should appreciate all your hard work. It can't be easy working in such isolation. Don't you have any extra help?" She breathed the question raising her eyebrows seductively while leaning against his desk next to the chair.

"Oh no, it's just a job. My associates a-are on break. But s-since, I have installed... my own sub-filing system that makes accessing the-" He was flustered.

Like reeling a fish on a hook.

"I'm sure everyone is grateful for all the important work that you do," She glanced at him from below her lashes.

Teddy blushed and stared at her with infatuation like he was actually buying into what she was selling. Not one to let any opportunity slide, she leaned a little forward, making promises with her eyes that she had no intention of keeping.

"So how is all the confidential information tracked from routine paperwork? Is the system built to analyze prioritized information or you go through everything yourself?"

He puffed up his chest and answered importantly, "I log in all the incoming data sent here. But whatever the content sent down is filed away as is. I don't have the time or the energy to sit and manually go through everything. For example, confidential paperwork for certain projects and deals are handled by the project manager or his superior."

Now that it was all business his confidence was back in spades.

Someone right might just appreciate his geekiness if only he spoke to all women like that.

Just as she had suspected the Theta file was heavily redacted. Either, because the Government project to build a telecom network for the military was even more top secret than she'd imagined or someone was instituting a cover-up for something else entirely.

At the highest levels.

Banishing the thought that Alex may be involved in it as well, she bid a flirtatious goodbye to Teddy and went up to her floor successfully dodging her guard dogs.

The following week she tried to discreetly question Claire and Katherine about the Project as they worked so closely with Alex. Both of them reiterated the company line of the project being shelved due to cost-effectiveness. But her instincts screamed at her that they were not telling the truth. She recalled the look of haunted fear that had come over Claire's eyes the minute she'd asked about the failed Project. Cat had seen that look in her own mirror too many times to count and was hard-pressed to ask her about it. Making up some excuse Claire had quickly left after that, but Cat was left with even more questions than answers.

She had noticed Jason keeping an eye on her and following her around. Cat had been annoyed at Alex for leaving her with his guard dog. She was so done with his overprotective male bullshit. Since she'd met Jason, he'd always been tight-lipped about his background and relationship with Alex. So, she'd given up asking any specifics so as not to arouse any suspicion.

"Do you like working for Ale-Mr. Knight, Jason?"

"Yes."

"Well, he can be a hard person to work with. What do you do normally if he's out of town?"

"He pays me to be discreet, Ms. Banning."

"Of course."

"But you must have family and friends that you go home to."

"I have a little sister at home."

"What about your parents?"

"There's no one else. Mr. Knight asked me to look after you while he was gone."

"So? Is he to dictate who I talk to now?" She asked petulantly.

"I know what you're trying to do, Ms. Banning and my first loyalty is and always will be to Mr. Knight no matter how much you try to push me for answers. If he wants you to know something he will tell you himself."

After that, she didn't see much point in badgering him for answers. After he dropped her off, she felt out of sorts and found herself daydreaming about that inappropriate, unwanted and much demented... kiss at the most inconvenient times.

Like the next day, when Nate had been relating some funny incident about his subordinates, she'd suddenly spaced out and imagined Alex striding out of his office and crushing his smooth lips and gorgeous body against her. It was completely unrelated to the fact that they had happened to be standing outside his office and she'd been staring at his door. The memory had made Cat so aroused that she'd blushed and trembled like a leaf prompting Nate to ask if he needed to take her to the medical floor of the office building.

Cat decided that she wasn't going to let him distract her like that. She had to get some information about this mysterious Project and report about it. Her life literally depended on it.

As she made her way into work on Monday she thought once again about hacking directly into the company's mainframe by getting help. But it was risky and she didn't want the wrong people to be alerted. So she tabled the idea and was sitting at her desk for once concentrating on the actual work she was supposed to do instead of finding out the details of Project Theta. Sucking on a pen in her mouth, she reviewed the employee files and didn't notice Alex standing in the doorway.