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I smiled, enjoying how easily he showed his affection, even in a public situation like this. On the way to his office, he introduced me to a few people and explained what they did. Everyone was very friendly, but I didn’t miss the curious glances, raised eyebrows, and the faint hint of whispering after we walked away. Apparently Foster didn’t bring women he was dating on tours very often. Good.
When we reached his office, he made quick introductions between me and his assistant, Lindy, who burst into a grin when he called me his girlfriend. Foster gave her a quelling look and Lindy tucked her lips inward, her eyes still smiling.
Foster ushered me past her desk and opened the door to his expansive office. Before closing the door, he called back over his shoulder, “Lindy, hold my calls for a while.”
“Yes, sir,” she chirped. “I’m on it!”
I crossed my arms, cocking my head. “So she gets to call you sir, too. I see how it is.”
He laughed and pulled me into his embrace. “They all do. Even Herb in accounts payable. Jealous?”
“Wildly,” I said, tipping my head back and looking to the heavens.
“Well, your patients get to bite and lick you. So I have my own jealousy to deal with.”
I leaned back in his hold, eyeing him. “Oh, you bite, do you?”
“On occasion.” He snapped his teeth together with a growl, then chuckled when I yelped in surprise. “But I’ve had my shots, I promise.”
“Good to know.”
“Now come on, I have something I want to give you.” He released me and pulled out the chair in front of his desk for me. I sat down, as he went around his desk and grabbed a small box from his drawer. He came back around to my side and perched on the edge of the desk.
“Now, Foster,” I teased. “I think it’s a little too early for a proposal. I mean, I know I’m spectacular in bed, but . . .”
“Hush, smartass,” he said, bumping my leg with his foot.
“Yes, sir.”
“So I know you heard about the symbol of a collar in your class and how serious being collared is. It’s like getting married.”
I nodded, my gaze darting down to the box with a small pinch of panic. He wasn’t going to collar me, right?
“We’re not ready for that step yet, but I wanted to give you something to mark our commitment to being together like this.” He opened the box. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet with a small Celtic knot charm on it.
I reached out and touched the links. “It’s beautiful.”
“We make these here. It’s a Home Safe anklet.”
I tucked my hand back into my lap, looking up at him. “What does it do?”
“In the charm is a small transmitter. If someone goes missing, it can either be activated by the victim or remotely activated by whoever is looking for them. It will send out a signal to help find them—like a remote GPS. This is how we’ve saved a lot of those people on that wall out there.” He lifted it from the box and handed it to me. “I would love for you to wear it. As a symbol. But also as an added safety device. I’d feel better knowing you had one.”
I stared at the anklet, guarded now and growing more and more uneasy by the minute. “It tracks someone. Will track me.”
“It’s not like—”
“God,” I said on a bitter laugh. “My father would’ve paid a fortune for this when I was a teenager. Instead of going through my cell phone records and having neighbors report in on me, he could’ve just sat at his computer and tracked my every move. How convenient!”
Foster frowned. “It’s not meant to be used that way. It can only be activated in emergencies. If it’s a false alarm, the customer has to call in and have it reset. Each only gets two resets before the person has to buy a new one.”
But my mind was already chasing the line of thought like a dog racing after a mailman. A customer would have to buy a new one but not Foster. It was his product, his company. He could probably activate or reset one whenever the hell he wanted. “You really lack that much trust in me?”
“Cela,” he said patiently. “This is not about me not trusting you. I care about you and want you safe. The chances of anything ever happening are slim, but I’d sleep better knowing that you had an added layer of protection.”
“Oh,” I said. “Well, let’s make sure you sleep better. Doesn’t matter if I have to wear some device like I’m on house arrest. What if I’m late one day or want to go somewhere and don’t tell you? You could just hit a button and poof! know all my business? Or better yet. You could add in a feature like a dog’s shock collar. If I stray too far, you can just deliver a little jolt.”
“Forget it,” he said, pushing up from the desk and tossing the empty box on top of it. “You’re right. This is about trust. You not trusting that I’m doing this with good intentions and not to fucking stalk you. I’m not like your father.”
