by J. Woods
Closing the office door behind her she found herself muttering under her breath. “God, Zoe, get it together. You are a confident, independent woman. You will not allow some asshole, even if it is Logan Savage, to run you around.” She took a deep breath and felt her wavering steel spine fall properly in its place. She swallowed her jitters, pushed her shoulders back and sat down regally into the chair behind her desk. Turning on her computer, she watched the black screen come to life.
“Zoe…” Zoe lifted her head to the hurried sound of Rachel’s voice from down the hall before Detective Ashbrook strode into her office with Logan Savage close behind. So he was telling the truth, she mused silently. “Zoe, Detective Alcott is here to see you.” Zoe bit back the grin that wanted to spread across her mouth at Rachel’s obvious exaggerated sarcasm.
“Thank you, Rachel.” Before she strode out of her office Zoe narrowed her eyes at Rachel’s silent appreciation of Logan Savage as she fanned herself, mouthing, “Oh. My. God!”
“Detective Ashbrook, nice to see you again. Please, have a seat.”
“Ms. Alcott, this is…”
“Mr. Savage,” Zoe interrupted him. “We’ve met.” It was Logan’s turn to raise his eyebrow before taking one of the seats in front of her desk. She didn’t get a chance to really look at him this morning with her vision clouded by absolute fear, but Zoe had to concede with Rachel’s assessment of Logan Savage. He was a very attractive man, possibly the most attractive man she had ever laid eyes on. He was the complete opposite of what she was usually drawn to. She liked guys in suits, well that was a lie she thought to herself. She liked guys in suits for a night, beyond that, the ones she went out with were mostly useless. They led with their money and that was always the last thing she cared about. But Logan Savage seemed to possess none of those qualities. He definitely wasn’t a suit in his jeans and long sleeved black cotton shirt. Even through the material Zoe had to appreciate the defined muscles that enhanced his rugged appearance. His dark hair was a little too long and his dark brown eyes were masked with what seemed to be an unapproachable barrier. And Zoe loved a dare. He was breathtaking. The Detective, seemingly unaware of the overheating of her body and the dampening of her panties, intruded on her completely inappropriate thoughts. “You have?”
“We have,” Logan answered. The Detective gave Logan a look that seemed to communicate a message Zoe wasn’t able to decipher before continuing.
“Zoe, I’ve recruited Logan Savage, of Savage Security, in on your case. As I explained to him, you need to have eyes on you until we catch this person. I have worked with Logan and his team on many of my cases and they are fully trained and equipped to handle this type of case. Besides, I need as many men and women as I can spare on this case.” Zoe nodded her head in understanding. “Logan and I met this morning to discuss what would be the best plan of action.”
“And what did you come up with?” Zoe leaned her elbows on the cool surface of her desk waiting to hear what had kept her up all night - how she was going to stay safe… and alive. “What I’m proposing is to have someone shadow you until we catch this guy.”
“Alright.” Zoe’s mind automatically turned toward apprehensive.
“Logan will be your shadow,” he confirmed. She turned her gaze to stare at the man who was taking up too much space in her large office. His eyes held amusement at the hesitancy in hers, daring her to contradict the detectives orders. She wanted to swallow against the unfamiliar pull she felt toward him; instead she turned back to the man in charge,
“So what does that mean?” She wondered however, at the dynamic between the two if the detective was indeed the one in charge. She had a feeling Logan didn’t answer to anybody but himself.
“It means Logan will accompany you to and from work, to whatever social events you have scheduled although if there are many coming up we will need to either reschedule or cancel. I will have officers outside of your apartment just like last night. You will have eyes on you at all times.”
“The only event that is mandatory on my schedule is a charity ball Friday night. Everything else I can clear.” She remembered she had a couple of dinners scheduled. One being a blind date she would have no sleepless nights over losing. Her mother was constantly trying to hook her up with ‘the man of her dreams’ who usually turned out to be a friend’s son who worshipped video games and hadn’t seen the light of day apart from the dim sunlight that streamed through his mother’s basement window. She hated saying no to her pleading which meant Zoe had to contend with one night, every few months, of excessive drinking and silent head nods, counting down the minutes until she could go home and tell her good natured parent that another one bit the dust.
“Wonderful. How do you feel about what we’ve just discussed?”
“Do I have a choice?” she asked cocking her head while batting her lashes accompanied by the fakest, sweetest smile she could muster. She hated this, hated being tied down and unable to do what she wanted, and she figured what she would hate the most was being shackled to Logan Savage who looked like he was no fun at all. Although, she thought, just maybe she could pull the fun out of him.
“Not really, no,” he told her shaking his head in seriousness, ignoring her teasing.
“Well, then it’s settled.”
“If and when you are contacted again, I expect to be notified immediately.” The detective looked between Zoe and Logan with authority as they both nodded their heads.
“And where will you be during the day?” Zoe asked Logan.
“Around.”
She wanted to roll her eyes, snap at his aloof response - she was now doubting her earlier notion of fun; this was going to be worse than she thought. She found his nonchalant shoulder shrug infuriatingly sexy. Damn him! Rachel stuck her head through the open doorway, “Zoe, your next appointment has arrived.”
“Thanks Rachel. Can you please see out Detective Ashbrook and Mr. Savage?”
“Of course. Gentlemen, follow me.”
“Thank you, Zoe.”
“Thank you, Detective.”
“Zoe.”
“Logan,” she countered in the same dark tone he had used. She watched Rachel take them down the hallway before they disappeared from her line of sight.
***
"Mr. Savage will be staying," Ashbrook informed Rachel.
"He is?" The detective nodded his head to confirm with an understanding smile. "Yes. Ms. Alcott is aware of the situation and knows how to contact me. Rachel, if you see anything out of the ordinary, here is my card, please. Call me right away."
"What do you mean out of the ordinary?"
Logan felt a pang of sympathy for the girl with the rise of confused worry in her voice.
"I mean anything. Ms. Alcott will inform you further when she gets the chance. Thank you for your time, have a great day."
Logan watched as Ashbrook walked out into the bright late morning sun.
"Can I get you anything?" He couldn't help but notice the blush that stained her cheeks when she spoke to him. She was cute with her blond pixie cut and large blue eyes, she had a great body and her shy personality was one that would normally pique his interest but he felt nothing beneath his jeans, especially not compared to the immediate stirring he felt at just the sight of Zoe Alcott. "No I'm fine, thank you. I'm going to look around. I'll be in and out. Just pretend I'm not here." He shot her a winning grin and watched the red on her cheeks deepen. Logan never had a problem getting a woman into his bed for a night or two, but suddenly the no strings attached was starting to feel… empty. Shaking his head at the train of his unusual thoughts he turned and strode away from the lovely Rachel and into the rest of the building. He was surprised and a little impressed with the Harbor Press offices. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't the pristine modern yet rough brick and beam space of the building. He walked past conference rooms and a large top of the line kitchen before turning back around only to watch Rachel escort a man in a fine tailore
d suit up the open staircase toward Zoe's office. He didn't understand the flash of uncontrolled possessive jealousy that struck him right in the gut. He’d never felt anything other than excitement toward a woman for what she could give him during a hot night between the sheets. It was this new, undefined pang that had him clenching his jaw at just a glimpse of the knowledge in the other man’s eyes. He wanted to know everything about the guy; his name, his occupation, where he lived. He told himself it was pure factual information needed for the job, needed to keep Zoe safe. But all he could picture was Zoe smiling for the man and falling for his charm the way she hadn't yet done for him, in fact, she had only looked at him with unimpressed disdain. It wasn’t the reaction he was used to getting from the fairer sex. He was used to the shy, flirtatious blush that Rachel displayed and his counter grin that almost always got him what he wanted. The only women in his life that remained unfazed by him were his sisters.
It didn't matter, she was a client, and he never got involved with a client. It was his number one rule, never mix business with pleasure. So why was something inside of him pushing him to do otherwise?
***
"Now are you going to tell me what's going on?" Zoe looked up to see a frustrated and worried Rachel standing in front of her with her hands on her hips. Blinking her eyes a couple times from staring at her computer screen and the revised marketing plan that she couldn't get quite right, she ran her fingers through her hair before starting.
"Sit down and I'll tell you everything." Rachel did as she was told; sitting in the same spot Logan Savage had occupied only a couple of hours earlier. Zoe could almost still smell his masculinity that filled her to a point of wanting she had never experienced before. God she was pathetic. She looked to Rachel who had an expectant look on her face. "I took the rest of the mail home last night that I wasn't able to get to yesterday, and when I started going through it I found one that wasn't a bill or didn't have any distinctive company name, so I opened it and it turned out to be some sicko sending me a threat." Zoe winced at the shriek that came from Rachel's throat. She didn't think she could make that sound if she tried.
"What! What kind of threat?"
"Not necessarily a death threat, but it said that I was his and that he was coming for me."
"Oh my god! Are you alright? What did you do?"
"I'm fine, I called the police right away and Detective Ashbrook came over straight away. He had a police car parked out front of my apartment all night and he came in today to discuss what the plan moving forward was going to be."
"And that is?"
"That he hired Logan Savage to basically be my shadow until they catch whoever sent me that note."
"You mean to tell me, that sexy piece of man meat is going to be following you around, all the time?"
"Yes, annoying isn't it?" She purposely ignored the meaning behind Rachel's question.
"Annoying? No darling, not annoying, not at all. And especially not when he looks like that! You said I could find you a man who wasn't a suit - well baby, he is most definitely not a suit. I choose him."
"No, no way. And besides, you didn't find him, Detective Ashbrook did." Why did she always have to dare her friend into something that always bit her in the ass? She wasn’t sure if she hated the idea or was intrigued by it. And Rachel wasn’t one to give up on a dare. She was much like Zoe in that way and when her mind was set on the target, in this case the suit-less Logan Savage, she wouldn’t let it go until she made sure Zoe acknowledged the challenge.
"Regardless," Rachel waved away, "What do you need me to do?"
"Nothing, just go about our usual days. You have nothing to worry about. The note didn't say anything about any other person, only me."
"It's not me I'm worried about, Zo."
"I can take care of myself." Zoe hoped Rachel heard the conviction in her voice because she couldn't.
"Yeah, I know, and if you can't, there is always the delectable Logan Savage who has been wandering around here all day."
"He's been here all day?" Zoe couldn't believe it, she had been so busy in meetings she hadn't left her office once, not even for lunch. Swiveling her chair to face the window she was surprised to see the dropping sun in the sky. She wasn't sure how she felt about Logan snooping around her offices; she told herself it was annoyance she was feeling.
"Yes, he has. Taking in every little detail I might add. I’m pretty sure nothing gets past those delectable muscles hiding underneath that shirt of his.” Zoe raised an eyebrow at her friend’s observation. But she knew her friend too well to know a trap when she heard one.
“Really? I didn’t notice underneath the layer of arrogant attitude.” She couldn’t stop her laughter at Rachel’s disbelieving snort.
“Right. I'm going to head out in a couple of minutes," she announced.
"I still have a bunch of stuff to get done here, probably going to be a late night for me."
Zoe smiled at the frown between Rachel's eyebrows. "Don't be too late."
"Yes mother, have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night , Zoe."
Chapter Four
Logan had watched the sun go down and now stood in the dark of the late evening. He checked his watch wondering where the hell Zoe Alcott was and what she was doing. He had watched every one of her employees leave at the end of the workday but Ms. Alcott still remained stowed away inside, the only light the warm glow from her office. Logan had had enough; he wanted to go home and heat up the left over chili his mom had sent him home with. She always sent him food, always telling him he wasn't eating enough. What she didn't know was that Logan was quite a good cook, but he wouldn't be the one spilling that secret as long as she continued to send him off with already made meals. He pushed off the side of the wall and through the front doors. He scowled at them being left unlocked; did people not have any sense for safety? Anyone could just walk in here and Zoe would have no idea. He growled at the thought of her being caught unaware and in danger because the proper precautions weren’t in place. As he climbed the stairs to her office , Logan could hear the faint sounds of music coming from behind the half closed door. As he reached the top step the music cut off with a tired feminine sigh. He silently pushed the door open and leaned against the frame watching her with her back turned to him as she put papers and her laptop into her large bag. "Zoe?" he asked into the silence. She yelped slapping a hand over her mouth as she spun around. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
"No, it's no problem. I'm sorry." He could feel his mouth twitch as she laughed at her embarrassment. Damn she was cute, and the faint blush that stained her high cheekbones only enhanced the allure.
"You're still here?"
"Of course I'm still here. Ashbrook told you I'm going to be your shadow, that means where you are, so am I."
"No, I realize that..." He watched the frown snap between her eyebrows and wondered what she was thinking.
Instead of asking her he led with another question, "Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
***
Zoe heard the vibrating in his pocket as she picked up her bag and moved around her desk. “Savage,” he answered the phone with a snap. Zoe wondered if that snap was permanent or just a dead weight he’d been carrying around for a while but entirely possible to get rid of. He listened to the other end on the line. “Yes, I’m here now.” He looked around her office, his eyes cold, distant... judgmental. She felt herself standing straighter, her defenses falling securely in place. “We’ll see - I haven’t encountered my first temper tantrum yet... yeah, I don’t doubt that.” Zoe’s eyes became wide as she stared at him with indignation.
“I’m right here!” she snarled. How dare he talk about her like that, and right in front of her!
He slowly tilted the phone away from his mouth, “I can see that.” The calm tone in his voice, his assessing eyes, the way he spoke as if it didn’t matter made Zoe’s blood boil. She distantly heard the muted laughter on the other en
d of the phone as he hung up and stared at her, waiting for what no doubt he thought would be that temper tantrum he was talking about. She stepped closer toward him as she invaded his space; his eyes remained infuriatingly distant as he remained silent.
“I don’t do temper tantrums, I also don’t take shit from assholes who think they are above me. I assure you, you’re not. And while I don’t think it’s necessary for you to be here, maybe, you could find it in yourself to show a little professionalism while we have to work together.” She walked past him, shutting off the lights as she went and down the stairs. She was almost shaking with anger. She was used to working with men who thought the same way Logan did, that she was just some weak female who didn’t know what she was doing or couldn’t handle herself - she always made sure she proved them wrong. At the same time her heels hit the last step she heard him call her name from above. His quick steps behind her just further spurned her need to get away from him, before she allowed the violence that was shaking in her fingers to reach out and slap him across his gorgeous and infuriating face.
“Zoe!” his large hand wrapped around her wrist effectively pulling her to a halt. She spun around, pulling away from his too warm grip, her chest heaving with the rage she felt running hot through her veins.
“What, Logan?” Just as he opened his mouth she barreled over him, “Listen, I deal with guys like you on an almost daily basis.”
“Guys like me?”
“Yes, guys like you - dicks.” They stood staring at each other, waiting to see who would break first. His face remained impassive, but she could almost hear the gears in his head turning. She waited for him to say something and when he didn’t she rolled her eyes and turned away from him, walking through the doors leading outside. “Your mother must be so proud,” she muttered shaking her head.
Gripping her door handle she yanked it open only to have his large hand splayed across her window pushing against her efforts. “My mother is proud,” he rumbled close to her ear. She felt shivers race through her, goosebumps spreading across her skin. “You’re right, I was a dick.” She refused to turn around; he was too close, the warmth of his overbearing masculinity slowly enveloping her like a blanket. She closed her eyes and quietly inhaled his scent as she swallowed over the sudden desire that was growing quickly within her. She opened her eyes remembering she was supposed to be angry. He was an asshole, she repeated to herself silently. “Apology accepted,” she grumbled between clenched teeth. This time he let her open her car door and slip inside, away from him. Refusing to watch him get into his truck, she backed out quickly and sped down the road to her apartment, knowing he was right on her tail.
