Chad nodded but kept his voice even. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, Sam. It’s more likely your work here is what this person was after when they bugged you. Could be someone’s trying to get access to info on Sutton through you. They know you sit in on a lot of Jack’s meetings and you have access to a lot of sensitive information. They also wouldn’t think you’d realize your things had been moved in a locker, whereas Jack or Andrew or I would be expected to be more on guard about stuff like that. People who don’t know you wouldn’t expect that you’d spot something out of place so quickly, so they might have thought you were an easy target to bug.”
Logan watched carefully and Sam’s face seemed to ease as she took in the logic of what Chad was saying.
“I’ll head home with you and be sure nothing’s been planted at your house, Sam,” Logan said. “Do you have a security system at your home?”
Sam shook her head no. She should have one. Logan knew she’d been making a lot of money with her new game. He was surprised she didn’t live in a mansion somewhere at this point, but that just wasn’t like her. That was evidenced by the fact she hadn’t quit her job. She sure as hell didn’t need to work at Sutton for the money.
Hell, he’d seen action figures and backpacks based on Tangled Legacy at the store the other day. When they were selling merchandise based on your game, it meant you’d officially hit it big. She should have a security system and then some at this point.
“Okay. We can get one put in place quickly enough. Give me a day to get things lined up with Zach and we’ll get you set up with security,” Logan said.
Sam nodded but the look on her face told him she was battling nerves on the inside. The urge to wrap his arms around her and pull her in close swept through him. He gritted his teeth as they walked out, shoving away thoughts of being her hero.
The drive to her house was going to take all the nerve he had in him right now. He wasn’t in any shape to be anyone else’s hero, when he couldn’t even keep his own shit together. Couldn’t even drive from point A to point B without having to force the bile down in his throat.
Chapter 7
Sam put her key in the lock, but Logan startled her when he closed his hand over hers.
“Let me go first. Just in case.” He smiled at her but the smile was cold. He wasn’t focused on her right now. He was in military mode. Or what she assumed was military mode. He seemed more like a machine at the moment, and Sam wondered if this was normal after his ride home. If it had to do with any PTSI symptoms when he was driving or if it was because he was in protection mode for her.
He never told her as much, but she knew driving was hard for him. He arrived at the office far too early and left far too late. She had read about the trouble veterans could have with sitting in traffic or even just being at a red light, and she was fairly sure he was having those types of issues. But, he’d stayed right behind her for the ten-minute drive to her town house. She had to wonder what it had taken him, emotionally, to persevere.
Maybe he’d slipped into soldier mode because of the threat, or what they all assumed was a threat, to her. Maybe this was just his protective mode.
If this was how he functioned when threatened, she couldn’t imagine how hard it had been on him to live like this for years, through deployments overseas and who knows how many missions with his team. What would it take to shut down your feelings and function with such pure, calculated precision and drive?
She moved over as Logan entered the small space that her front door opened into. The town house was three levels, with the front door opening into a hallway in the basement level. There was a garage to the left and a staircase to the right. Between them was a short hallway that led to a finished room that still stood empty. Sam had never decided what to do with the room and only used it to get to the utility room that housed the hot water heater.
Logan quickly checked the garage and back room, looking into the utility room as well, before returning to Sam and starting up the stairs that led to the second level of the house. This level featured a sunken living room with a fireplace and framed images of characters from Tangled Legacy, her online game, hanging against one wall.
A case mounted on another wall held collectable figures from Tangled Legacy. Sliding glass doors led to a small patio and a common grass area.
Another three-step staircase to their left led to a dining room that looked out over the living room, broken up only by a half wall and the added height. Logan would easily be able to see anyone in these rooms without having to enter them because of the open concept.
He turned left, moving through the dining room to the kitchen and Sam waited while he checked in there. She was fascinated with how he moved, his feet silent, his body always placed to maximize her safety and provide cover for himself and her.
She’d thought about Chad’s explanation that this was simply someone seeking information about her work at Sutton and she thought he was right. It made sense.
And because of that, she didn’t truly believe anyone would be in her town house. She allowed herself to fantasize about all the other things Logan’s body could do as she watched him move with ease through her rooms.
He wasn’t just in shape; he was a machine. He’d released the top two buttons on his shirt during the drive here and she could see the tanned skin below his neck tempting her with all kinds of illicit thoughts.
Sam actually felt saliva build in her mouth at the thought of reaching her tongue out and trailing it down his neck, while she undid a few more buttons to expose his chest.
Then he was silently making his way up the next staircase to the final level of the town house and Sam’s mind flashed to her bedroom. She quickly catalogued the room in her mind. Three skirts, two pair of pants, five shirts, and three bras hung throughout the room. The remnants of her morning frenzy as she dressed.
Well, it could be worse. At least the clothes were all piled on her bed and chair and she’d put her shoes back in the rack in her closet before she walked out the door. And there were no panties hanging around. That was something.
She followed along behind him, hanging back on the stairs to watch. Logan swept her bedroom and bathroom, even going so far as to open the door to the crawl space in the bathroom, and then the guestroom while she waited on the staircase landing. When he finished, he returned to her, his eyes looking slightly more relaxed. A little more like the man she knew.
And, of course, her eyes found their way back to the vein that ran down the side of his neck, disappearing beneath his shirt. Oh, how she wanted to follow it down, stripping back the fabric to see what lay beneath it.
Sam swallowed hard as Logan moved toward her, his body predatory. He bent in close to whisper in her ear and Sam bit her cheeks to keep from gasping.
Or launching herself into his arms. Launching was a very distinct possibility. The heat of his breath tickled over her skin, teasing and taunting her.
“Offer me a drink, Sam,” Logan whispered, but her brain had a hard time processing what he meant.
She pulled back and looked at him. His grin was wide and amusement now colored his eyes.
The soldier was gone. Teasing, playful Logan was back in place.
He ran his hands up her arms, sending chills—the good kind—through her body before pulling her in close again. Mouth at her ear—and this time she’d swear he intentionally let his mouth touch the curve of her ear ever so slightly, sending shivers through her—he whispered his instruction again.