“How’s the new game coming?” Marcel’s excitement revealed his anticipation. “Will it be finished for the holiday release?”

“You aren’t going to believe it. I came up with another scene and added it last night. I sent it to the team to test. Find out if they like it. I’d like an unbiased opinion. I’m going to give it to Tyler at the benefit at the end of the month.”

“Sounds good.” Marcel hesitated, then added, “We can’t wait for you to get back. The phones are ringing off the hook with customers requesting bids.”

“Soon. How many of the calls are worthy of a proposal from us?”

“You’ll have to ask Abby. I’ll get started on the Knox Project and call you when I’m done.”

“Sounds good. Remember, find the back door and win the prize.” She couldn’t help the smile he couldn’t see, but she hoped he heard it in her voice.

“For that kind of money, I’ll find it.” Marcel’s cocky tone only made her smile more. “Once I do, I’ll document everything.”

She hung up and fully focused on Luke’s warm hand still holding hers. It felt good, right, so she linked her fingers with his. “Sorry. Working long-distance has been . . . trying. My staff gets antsy when they can’t actually see me coding. They constantly wonder how much progress I’ve made. There’s always a deadline looming.”

“I had no idea you’re so involved in doing the actual work. I assumed you just oversaw management—but you’re hands-on in a way most CEOs are not. You work your ass off for your staff and clients.”

She didn’t know what to say. It was all true. So she simply shrugged it off.

One side of Luke’s mouth drew back in a half frown. “Can he break your encryption?”

“No,” she said emphatically, then backed off even if she did believe it. “At least, he better not. He’s the best hacker there is. I hired him after the FBI arrested him for hacking into a very secure bank, emptying out several accounts, and returning the money to the many seniors an unscrupulous crook swindled out of their life savings, including his grandparents.”

“A modern-day Robin Hood.”

“Yeah, well, it was still a crime and the FBI gave him an ultimatum to either go to jail or work for them. He does the work they want, but prefers working for me.”

“So, I guess you don’t have to worry about paying him the twenty-five grand.”

“Oh no. He’ll find the back door. I made sure of that.”

Luke cocked his head. “I don’t get it. Why do you want him to find it?”

“I’ll see just how well my program works. If he finds the back door really fast, then I need to make some adjustments. If he’s got to work for it, then I’ve done my job.”

“How long will it take him to find it?”

“Probably two days if he really attacks the problem. Once he finds it, I’ll put in the remaining safeguards to block it. It’s just a test to see how secure the program is. In this case, the program has to be better than anything out there.” She rolled her shoulders, easing the tension in them and her neck. “The Knox Project has been kicking my ass, but I’ve finally made some headway. I should finish it on time and under budget.”