NEXT TO ME (A Love Happens Novel Book 1)

by Watters, Jodi

  Now that just sounded bad ass.

  And after having spent days thinking her situation forward and back, she decided to give it a try, calling to inquire about a possible bodyguard. It seemed like a cliche, not to mention a long shot that it would even work, but desperate times and all. A young sounding, charismatic man with a subtle midwestern accent and serious lady charm had answered the phone.

  “Scorpio. This is Grady, at your service.”

  Ali, taken aback by his unusual and somehow flirty greeting, and not knowing exactly how to say it, just put it on the table. “Hi. Umm, I’m looking for... Well, I guess some type of bodyguard service. Do you offer that?”

  “Yes, ma’am, we sure do. What type do you need?”

  What type did she need? Somebody mean and on steroids, preferably. And with a really big gun. The kind that used bullets hanging from a chain. “I’m not sure. What kind do you have?”

  He laughed softly at her response, making her think she’d probably said all of that out loud. “Are you attending an event and need private security to escort you?”

  “No, not that.”

  “Okay. Do you need a security detail to assess a possible threat level, provide regular spot checks and prepare an escape plan should a harassing situation arise?”

  “Yes. Maybe. Sort of.” Ali pretty well knew the threat level.

  “Ooh-kay, now we’re cooking. Maybe. Sort of.” There was a smile in his voice. “Do you need a team of experts stationed at entrances and exits to identify potential dangers and defend the perimeter? Uh, keep the riffraff out, so to speak? And if so, do you have a timeline in mind?”

  Ali took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the world. “Grady, I think what I’m actually looking for is one really good person. To watch and wait for one really bad person. Twenty-four, seven. For an indefinite amount of time.” The realization that she may never be rid of Danny weighed heavily in her tone. A bodyguard wasn’t going to keep him away. It would only anger him more. “And I’m not even sure if that’ll make him stop.”

  She swore she heard the loud thump of chair legs hitting the floor.

  “Ma’am, may I have your name, address and phone number, please?” His tone had gone from jovial to cautious, concerned. Grady was a sharp cookie. So was she, calling from a burner phone she’d picked up at a convenience store on the corner, the number untraceable.

  “Grady. I think you know I’m not going to give you that information unless you can guarantee your company can help me.” Which he could not, Ali knew.

  He paused for a second, but his voice remained confident. “We can help you. I just have to talk to the boss man. We usually only do short term watches, but in this case I’m positive we can work something out.”

  Short term watches. Shit. “Okay, then. Thanks, Grady.”

  Sensing she was ending the call, he quickly added, “Sam will figure this out for you, we just need to know what we’re up against. You can come in right away. He has meetings scheduled until late this afternoon, but he’ll cancel. Tell me your name and where you are. Please.”

  “Thank you, Grady. For your kindness.” Ali ended the call, cutting off his next sentence, and covered her face with her hands. Nobody was around to notice the moisture wetting her palms or the slight tremble in her shoulders and that was okay with her.

  Being invisible in a city of millions was exactly what she wanted.

  ***

  “Ali? Do you like the house? It’s magnificent, isn’t it? Now, I know the walls need a fresh coat of paint and the trim could use some oil, but I think it really suits you.”

  Donna’s voice was genuine. Or maybe it was just the commission talking.

  Either way, the beach house did feel right, even though it wasn’t what she originally wanted. There was a sense of calmness, of peace about it. Wear and tear showed in the scuffed wood floors and cracked plantation shutters, along with the weathered exterior paint worn thin from the salty air, but it was a house that despite years of neglect, had a lot of life still in it.

  Ali could relate.

  “I do like it, but I’m concerned about the neighborhood. Right on the beach seems a little too exposed. Too accessible.” Donna knew that security was a deal breaker for Ali and she’d been showing her only guard gated communities because of that. As far as she knew, it was simply because Ali was a single woman wanting to be pro-active.

  “Well, there is a gate at the entrance to the street, of course, but unfortunately it isn’t manned like some of the other communities we’ve looked at. The crime rate in this area is very low, though, as you can imagine in such an exclusive enclave of homes. And I’ve had my eye on this one for awhile, hoping to find the perfect buyer. I mentioned my little brother lives right next door, didn’t I?” Pushing open an entire wall of glass doors to let the scented ocean breeze in, she gestured to the house sitting not twenty feet away. Tightly spaced, the homes had open property only at the back, facing miles of white sand beach and blue water. “I love him, but he can be a menacing guy when he wants. Former Army Ranger, full of testosterone, actually likes going to the gym.” She rolled her eyes. “You know those Alpha types. There’s no need for a neighborhood watch with him around.” She hitched a finger over her shoulder, in the general direction of next door, as she wandered around the open main level, debating aloud whether a sectional would fit better than a sofa and loveseat.

  Ali’s wheels were turning the second she heard Army Ranger and she casually pimped Donna for more information. “That sounds impressive. What does he do now?”

  “He owns a security firm. Seems to do pretty well, although he grumbles about dealing with the celebutantes now and then. You know, the high maintenance ones famous for being famous. In my day all a sex tape got you was a grainy view of your artificial tan and a bad reputation.” She grinned, as if she had first hand experience, and continued her perusal of the large living room. “Women have always come easy for him, but thankfully Sam hates the vapid ones. Come look at this gorgeous chiseled travertine on the fireplace. It’s original to the house and was brought in from Italy. Now I know it’s wood burning and you prefer gas, but I think we could easily have it retro-fitted without too much demolition or cost. Wouldn’t that be perfect on a chilly winter night?”

  A security firm. Sam.

  “The fireplace is lovely. What’s the name of his company?”

  “Who? Sam’s?” At Ali’s nod, she said, “Scorpio Securities. They can install an updated system for you. The one currently in place may be adequate, but you’ll definitely want to have it inspected. It will lower your insurance premiums, too. The windows are all double pane and the kitchen and bathrooms recently remodeled. You can see that no expense was spared. And did I mention the stainless steel appliances are included?”

  “I’ll take it.”

  Donna’s eyes widened at Ali’s quick decision, but she reached for her tablet immediately, nearly tripping over herself to seal the deal. “Terrific! You’re gonna love this place, Ali. Now the asking price is a bit above the area comps, so in my opinion the property is overpriced. What do you think you want your starting offer to be?”

  “Full price. In cash.” Ali stepped out onto the porch, glancing not at the spectacular view of the water, but at the modern home next door before turning back to Donna. “But I need to be in immediately. The sooner, the better.”

  ***

  Sam Gleeson. Co-Owner and Domestic Operations Manager for Scorpio Securities, Inc. Age thirty-five. Graduated West Point. Former Army Ranger and Sniper in the 75th Regiment. Those were the bullet points highlighted in the biography on his company website. The only thing it didn’t say was overachieving bad ass with a fully functioning brain. Oh, and what was wrong with him. Because no man was as perfect in real life as this guy appeared to be on paper.

  By the time her offer on the house was accepted and Donna Gleeson Decker had called to give her the good news, Ali had hatched a completely unrealistic and ill-conceived
plan. But before she went any further, there were a few more answers she needed regarding the allusive and unknown Sam Gleeson.

  “I forgot to ask you about kids. Are there a lot of kids in the neighborhood?”

  Donna hesitated. “I’m not sure, Ali. I didn’t know that was an issue for you.”

  It hadn’t been. Until now. “I was just wondering if the neighbors had kids that might be running around, riding their bikes or skateboards. And is it more single people or married? You know, wife and two-point-five kids kind of thing?”

  Donna quickly replied, “I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”

  Her phone, still a burner, rang not ten minutes later.

  “I checked with Sam. He says he never sees kids running around. Dogs, though, so I hope that’s okay. They’re supposed to be on a leash, but you know how that goes.”

  “How about married couples?” Now she just sounded like an idiot, but Jesus, how many ways did she have to ask if he was attached or not?

  A clearly confused Donna said, “Well, I don’t think there’s much of a singles scene if that’s what you’re asking, but the gastro pubs along the boardwalk are conveniently located just a mile or so south on Oceanside Drive. Anyway, most people need two incomes to afford a house in that community so I’m guessing there are many couples. But then again maybe not, because you’re a single. Sam is a single. Are you getting cold feet, Ali? Do you want to look around some more? I can free up my entire afternoon for you. And there’s a nice condo over in Coronado that just came on the market today.”

  Sam is a single. Holy shit.

  “No, this is the one. I’ll see you at the closing.” Ending the call, Ali had spent the next hour going over everything in her mind.

  Scorpio Securities advertised that they could find people, anywhere in the world. Which meant that they could hide people, too, and Ali needed to hide. Just long enough so that once she was found, she would have a formidable deterrent in place. Because if there was one thing in this world she was certain of, it was that Danny would find her. It was just a matter of time.

  Her impulsive plan was as easy as it was hard.

  Get Sam Gleeson to like her. Get Sam Gleeson to sleep with her. Get Sam Gleeson to care about her, and therefore protect her. And wait for Danny to tip his hand.

  The best defense, as they said, was a good offense. And he was right next to her.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Sipping her steaming hot coffee, so loaded with fat free milk and Stevia it was the color of toast, Ali sat in her cushioned Adirondack patio chair and watched for him. She knew he’d come running by in the next five to seven minutes, heading back from his daily morning run. It was earlier in the week when, by pure accident, she’d noticed him from her bedroom window, the hour so early the sky was barely lit. He’d taken off running down the beach, his pace seeming cruel and unusual given it was the crack of dawn. Ali had watched him do the same thing everyday since, and she knew after approximately forty minutes—give or take a few—he would return, his face and shirt dotted with sweat but barely breathing heavy.

  She had waited for him before. Sitting in this exact spot on her back porch, an ivory cashmere throw covering her bare legs and guarding against the early morning chill. He never once approached her, although he knew she was there. He would jog past her house as he angled toward his own back patio, looking at his watch and wiping his face with the hem of his ratty t-shirt, unknowingly giving Ali a teasing flash of six pack abs and the slight swirling of dark hair tapering enticingly south, past the low riding waistband of his nylon jogging shorts. His only acknowledgment of her would be the slightly raised wave of his right hand, a cordial signal of his awareness of her, although Ali had never actually seen him turn his head in her direction.

  After blowing the best opportunity she’d had to make a face to face connection with him last night, she’d slept fitfully, calling herself all kinds of a coward and vowing to make up lost ground. It was her unexpected reaction to seeing him up close and in person that had her off kilter. Sure, it helped that he was attractive since it was her sole purpose to have a physical relationship with him, but the fact that he affected her to the point of distraction made this whole charade a ticking time bomb. Not to mention she’d been ignoring the voice in her head reminding her that she was about as far from a seductive temptress as a girl could be. Ali hadn’t been with a lot of men. Two, if she was counting. The first, a silly high school romance that fizzled when she left for college, had been all about teenage rebellion and finding out for herself what the popular girls were raving about in study hall. The second was Danny, a handsome trustfunder with a slick haircut and even slicker moves. A wolf in sheep’s clothing. Ali had been in love, and in too deep, before his true colors were exposed.

  The fact that she was bringing a perfectly innocent person into this hot mess with her wasn’t an easy pill to swallow. The guilt of it weighed heavy on her conscience and she had yet to say more than a dozen words to Sam. Her gut, while it had failed her miserably in the past, told her he was a decent guy. And clearly a stand-up citizen, having fought for his country for years, possibly compromising his own integrity and moral compass to do so. Ali knew what a sniper did and she didn’t need a first hand accounting to conjure up what a routine day in the life of one might be like. Tough things had to be done. She guessed it was messy and complicated, but the ends justified the means.

  And she was just desperate enough, and foolish enough, to believe her selfish actions were the same. Assuming that she could pull this off.

  The muted thumping of footsteps and the sound of screeching seagulls stirred Ali from her guilt-laden thoughts. Looking across the small expanse of sand, she saw Sam, right on time as he slowed his stride, and she sank an inch farther down in her chair. A flash of ridged muscles stretched tightly over tanned skin brought a purely feminine smile of appreciation to her face when he lifted the hem of his shirt to his forehead, as if on cue. It was a view she would’ve enjoyed even if she didn’t have an urgent desire to get into his pants. His faded, olive green t-shirt—sporting a barely visible Army logo, a large rifle and the words No need to run. You’ll only die tired—was wet with sweat and clinging to his skin. She gripped the large coffee mug with both hands and raised it to her mouth, watching him as he walked toward her back porch instead of his own.

  “Cute,” Ali said, gesturing toward him with her mug.

  “Thanks. You should see me clean.” He raised a dark brow. “Oh, you meant the shirt?” Mimicking her lopsided grin, he stopped just short of her porch steps. Sexy with a sense of humor? Lord help her. “How are you? No, let me guess,” he said, holding up his hand, “You’re fine, right?”

  Smiling because she couldn’t help it, Ali agreed. “As a matter of fact, I am fine.”

  He nodded, the corners of his mouth turned up. “Good to know. I’m fine, too, by the way. In case you were wondering.”

  “And Pete? Is he fine this morning, too?”

  He glanced over at his house, making a sarcastic sound. “Well, there’s a damn good chance he spent the last hour chewing the shit out of my furniture, so I’d say he’s probably happy as hell right now. If you ask him in about five minutes, you might get a different answer, though.” His joking tone confirmed it was an idle threat.

  “Poor Pete.” Ali made a sad face and sat forward in her chair. “Hey, do you want some coffee?” And then perhaps I could join you in the shower?

  Sam glanced at his watch and Ali noticed it was the most complicated looking one she’d ever seen. Like you could launch the space shuttle with it.

  “No time. I have a crazy schedule today and I’m already running late.” He let her down gently, but she wasn’t sure she heard regret in his voice.

  “Next time, then.” Her voice was casual, because getting shot down by a sweat soaked, stone cold fox at six in the morning was no big deal.

  “Yeah. Maybe.” He nodded as he lifted his hand in a wave, already a few steps cl
oser to his own house. “Have a good day, Ali.”

  Yeah, maybe? Ouch. What the hell did that even mean? “Have a good day, Sam.”

  Hearing the sound of his back door close, she released a loud sigh of frustration. Well, that went to hell in a hand basket quick. Now what? Maybe she should just go back to bed like any sane person at this God awful hour of the day and try to forget how badly she wanted to lick his neck. Or she could sit here freezing her ass off and wallow in her failed attempt at flirty banter. Yeah, maybe? Maybe he preferred redheads. Or petite brunettes. Or tall, statuesque types with fake boobs. Or men. Oh. My. God. The possibility that he could be gay had never occurred to her until now and it made her stomach plummet. She didn’t get that vibe from him, but Ali was certainly no expert on the matter. And wouldn’t that be just her lousy luck, too, not to mention a huge travesty to womankind in general. So, what the hell was she gonna—

  “Ali?” His voice startled her and she nearly spilled her cold coffee.

  Standing at his back door, Sam was bare-chested with his shirt hanging over the side of one shoulder. The bold, curving lines of an abstract tattoo covered the other shoulder, starting low on his muscular bicep and wrapping up and over his entire collarbone, tapering down toward his ripped pec muscle, ending near a small, perfectly shaped male nipple. Ali’s mouth watered.