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“I’m not asking you to back out. I’m asking who might have the information, so I can ascertain the threat.”
The lift doors pinged open but Max didn’t step into them. “Threat?”
“You’re being stalked, remember?”
Her heart twisted uncomfortably for a wholly different reason now. “I’m – I have no reason to think he’s ever been – to an event.” She swallowed, hating how nervous she sounded! “This isn’t something just anyone can walk into off the street. It’s really exclusive. There’s no way he’ll be there.”
“So you know for certain that your stalker isn’t a member of your inner circle? Or a member of the staff of someone in your inner circle?”
Her lips parted and then, the hand at the base of her spine took her breath away, as he guided her forwards, into the lifts. It was a pragmatic touch, his hand dropped away as soon as they were inside, but that didn’t stop the lightning bolts exploding just beneath her skin. Desire quivered in the pit of her stomach.
“This individual has gained access to the foyer of your home, the interior of your car. It seems likely they will be there tonight.”
Fear – a familiar emotion she had sought to conquer time and again – spread like water over rocks. She stared straight ahead, refusing to give into it, refusing to allow it to dominate her.
“Well then, I guess it’s a good thing you’ll be shadowing me.”
“I guess so.”
The lift began to drop, smooth and fast. The rush of adrenaline was familiar to Max. She enjoyed it for a moment – the evidence she had triumphed over her old fear of heights – then turned to face him. “So how exactly would you protect me?”
“In what circumstance?”
“Any.”
“It depends on the situation.”
“You’re what, a black belt in karate or something?”
“I’m trained in martial arts, yes.”
“Of course you are.” She kept her voice light, almost sarcastic sounding, because she needed to disguise the rush of heat pooling between her legs. Just the idea of him shirtless, performing martial arts moves, made her knees wobbly.
He wasn’t amused, if the set of his square jaw was anything to go by. She wasn’t intimidated though, mostly just curious. “Do you carry a gun?”
His eyes swung to hers, lancing her with the directness of his stare. His lips were a solid line and her eyes dropped to them without her consent, flooding her body with an awareness she didn’t want.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
The lift continued to plummet down, nearing the bottom.
His fingers caught at his shirt, removing it from his pants to expose not only a small handgun and a discreet holder inside his pants, but also several inches of midriff, tanned and taut, rippling with, as she’d guessed, muscles. Her mouth went dry and her lungs refused to cooperate.
“Is that legal?”
“I’m licensed to carry a firearm here.”
“Oh.” She spun away, her cheeks stinging with heat. What the hell was wrong with her? Max squared her shoulders and strode out of the lift, but a second later, his hand curled around her wrist, pulling her back. “Stay close to me.”
It was a security matter, nothing more, but they were close now, toe to toe, and her heart couldn’t handle it. She swallowed hard, hoping she didn’t look as flustered as she felt, but her nerve endings were going haywire.
“This is a secure garage.”
She heard how stupid that sounded, given what had happened to her car the day before in another supposedly secure garage.
“You’re my responsibility.”
