“You sure you don’t want a weekend guest?”
“Absolutely positively one hundred percent sure.” A smile twitched on her lips, and his heartbeat kicked up a notch. “I’m going to sit in the hot tub until my hands turn to prunes. I’m going to drink wine and do yoga and be totally peaceful. No one is going to ruin that for me, especially not you.”
“Message received.”
Despite his best effort to keep his mind on the business retreat, a thought skittered through his brain like a pebble skipping over a pond. Was she the bikini type, or would she wear something more sophisticated in the hot tub? Black or white? Or something colorful?
Would it have one of those string tie-ups that could be easily loosened with a single—
“I said is there anything else you need before I go?” She hoisted her bag over one shoulder and picked up a box of supplies with retreat neatly printed on the side in black marker.
“Nope, I just came in here to wind you up.”
She shook her head. “Now that’s the first honest thing you’ve said to me all day.”
“I said you had great pins,” he corrected as he held the door for her. “I stand by that.”
She muttered something under her breath as she walked past him, but he caught a rueful smile on her lips.
They had an odd relationship. But he’d take their strange mix of teasing and power struggles over not having her around any day. Addison was one of the few people who meant something to him.
Just remember that next time you get tempted to take a closer look at those pins, Dane. She’s off-limits. One slip does not make it okay to go back for seconds.
Her tinkling laughter carried through the open-plan office as she stopped to say goodbye to her team. One of the young guys in accounts took the box from her hands and could barely keep his tongue in his mouth as he escorted her to the elevators. Logan’s fists clenched instinctively.
Sure, he knew she was off-limits, but that didn’t mean he could stand the thought of someone else touching her. Having her. He was all too familiar with how good she felt, how her body reacted to the barest touch. She was sensitive in the best way possible, and he’d given in to her all too easily once.
“Never again,” he muttered under his breath, turning away from the sight of her and the young staff member before he said something he would regret. “She’s not yours.”
A few minutes later, Logan was knee-deep in work. Running Cobalt & Dane kept him busy, and Friday afternoons were no exception. Besides, Addison would have the team on a tight leash during the retreat next week, which meant he needed to be on top of things before finishing up for the weekend. He’d never quite understood the necessity of taking time off to discuss boring stuff like financials and recruiting strategy—surely that was a job for all those bean counters he’d hired at Addison’s request.
A knock at his office door pulled him out of his thoughts.
“Logan?” Rhys leaned in, a wary expression on his face. “You got a second?”
“Sure.” Logan motioned for him to enter. “What’s going on?”
“I’m concerned about an email we received. I took it to Addison and she asked me not to bother you because of the retreat next week, but...”
Logan frowned. “But?”
“Here.” Rhys slid a piece of paper across the table. “I think we need to be worried about this.”
Logan scanned the email, his fingers gripping the paper tighter and tighter as he read until it crumpled under the pressure. His instinct was to lash out, to curse Addison and Rhys for not bringing this to him right away. But this was his fault. He knew why Addison didn’t want him involved—and it wasn’t because of the retreat. It was because he’d put distance between them and now she was teaching him a lesson.
“Have there been any other emails like this?” he asked, smoothing the paper down flat on his desk.
“Not that we’ve seen. I’ve put a flag on this email address so I’ll know if he tries to contact anyone in the company from this point on.” Rhys bobbed his head. “Addison isn’t worried about this guy, but I don’t think we can ignore him.”
“You should have come to me first.” Logan raked a hand through his hair.
The vile words glared up at him from the paper, the threats waving at him like giant red flags. How could Addison have thought this was nothing?
Because she’d rather prove herself to be independent than come to you for help.
“It’s addressed to her, Logan. What would she have done if I took it you first?” He threw his hands up in the air. “I get that you two have this weird tug-of-war thing going on, but I’m sick of walking on eggshells around you two instead of doing my job.”
“If you see anything else like this come in, you come to me. Got it?” He banged his fist down on the desk. “I don’t care if the email says ‘top fucking secret, for Addison’s eyes only’ in big bold letters.”
Rhys sighed. “Fine. But you’ll have to back me up when she flips out.”
“If she’s alive and well enough to be shouting, then I’m happy.”
He’d promised Addison’s father—the man who’d been his boss and his mentor—that he would always look out for her. That he would keep her safe from this crazy, screwed-up world they lived in. Only once had he broken that vow. One night two years ago, when his willpower had failed him and he’d given in to the desire he’d managed to keep at bay for almost a decade.
“I’ve got my team looking into the sender’s details,” Rhys said. “But I’m not sure how much we’ll be able to turn up from a webmail account. People don’t usually use their real details, especially if they’re planning to send emails like this.”
“Just find out whatever you can.”
Rhys nodded. “You know she’s going to be all by herself this weekend, right?”
“No, she’s not.” Logan folded the printed email up small enough to fit in his pocket. “Addison is going to have a guest at the cottage, whether she likes it or not.”
2
ADDISON ROLLED HER shoulders as she settled in for the last leg of her journey. After driving for more than three hours, her muscles were desperate for a stretch, and she wanted something to eat that wasn’t birdseed masquerading as an energy bar. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be long until she reached her father’s cottage on Cayuga Lake. Then she could reheat the lasagna she’d prepared last night and crack open a bottle of wine. Her stomach grumbled at the thought of a hot meal.
“Just a little farther,” she said to her reflection in the rearview mirror. As if in response, her phone vibrated. “Again, Logan?”
He’d been calling every half hour or so since she’d made it through Newark. Despite ignoring him because her phone’s hands-free unit wasn’t hooked up, it had become clear he had a bee in his bonnet. That was Logan in a nutshell: dogged persistence.
Addison pulled over at a gas station and killed the engine so she could answer the phone. “Okay, crazy person. What’s going on?”
“Where are you?”
She pushed the door open and got out of the car. The air was balmy with summer warmth and she took the opportunity to get the blood flowing through her limbs. “I’m on my way to the cottage.”
“No, I mean specifically.” There was an urgency in his voice that made the hairs on her arms stand on end.
She told him the name of the gas station as she walked through its doors. Bright, harsh lighting made her squint and she was hit with a chilly blast of air-conditioning. If Logan was going to hold her up, she may as well grab a drink.
“What’s going on?” she asked as she opened the door to the refrigerator, stilling at the bellowing sound of a semi’s horn on the other end of the line. “Are you on the road?”
Silence.
“Logan Matthew Dane
, you better tell me what the hell is going on right now.” She grabbed a Diet Coke and marched to the cashier. The man behind the counter eyed her warily as she handed the money over to him with what must have been a murderous look in her eyes. “If you intend on ruining my relaxing weekend I swear to God—”
“I saw the email.”
She groaned. “Then tell Rhys he’s fired. I mean it, turn around right now and go fire him.”
“That might be difficult.”
Addison wedged the phone between her ear and her shoulder so she could open her drink. “Why would that be difficult?”
“I’m already on the interstate.”
Goddammit. “You’re coming to the cottage?”
She walked out of the gas station, shaking her head. If Logan showed up tonight she would send him straight back home. Or at the very least, to the nearest town. Spending the weekend alone with Logan Dane was not in her plans.
“I’ll be there shortly,” he said. “And don’t take it out on Rhys. He did the right thing.”
“So the right thing is not listening to his boss when she gives him a direct order?” She leaned against her car and tipped her drink up to her lips. “I know for damn sure you wouldn’t let anyone pull that shit on you.”
Another car had driven into the gas station, and the guy gave Addison a sleazy once-over as he filled the tank of his red truck. Grimacing, she turned away.
“That’s beside the point. In this case, we need to take precautions.” Logan sighed. “I realize this isn’t what you had planned for the weekend. But the cottage is huge. You won’t even know I’m there. Unless of course you think my presence is too strong for you to ignore...”
“Your ego is too strong for me to ignore.”
“Ahh, come on. I’m looking out for you, Addi. I promised your dad—”
“I remember what you promised him. But you’re all overreacting. There is no threat. That email was sent days ago, and if Rhys hadn’t found it we’d be none the wiser.” She screwed the cap back onto her drink. “And I would be about to enjoy a peaceful weekend without having you around to bug me.”
“I won’t apologize for being careful when it comes to your well-being.”
She wanted to ask why he thought her well-being was his business. Or his responsibility. But she already knew the answer to that. Two years ago, during her father’s final hospital visit—the cancer eating away at his frail body—he’d passed the baton for her protection over to Logan. It was bad enough that he’d chosen Logan to fill his shoes as the head of Cobalt & Dane, but he hadn’t even trusted her to take care of herself.
“Don’t go into the cottage until I get there,” he added. “Wait in your car and keep the doors locked. I’m not far behind you.”
Gritting her teeth, she ended the call and slid into the driver’s seat. This weekend was going to be a freaking nightmare.
On the bright side, at least now she could count on Logan being at the retreat on time. A wicked smile curved on her lips. If he wanted to play protector all weekend, then she’d give him something productive to do. He hated spreadsheets with a passion, so she’d hand him some of the biannual forecasts to read. That should keep him busy.
She turned the engine over and flicked on her headlights. The sun had dropped significantly since she’d arrived at the gas station. It would be pitch-black soon, and the cottage would be dark. Secluded.
What if Logan and Rhys were right? A shiver raced the length of her spine.
“There’s no stalker, just like there’s no bogeyman,” she reminded herself. “There’s no zombies, no killer llamas, no Freddy Krueger and no...whatever the hell that thing was in Donnie Darko.”
But the words didn’t comfort her. A tiny seed of fear had been planted by the email, and now it was flourishing under Logan’s paranoia. She tapped the lock button and with a click, all four doors secured her inside. Shaking her head, she cursed herself for letting Logan get to her.
As she pulled onto the empty road leading toward the cottage, her lights swept across the horizon. Tall trees rushed past her windows in a blur of deep green. Growing up, the cottage had been her happy place—a haven where she’d spent time with her father and did all the things his busy schedule ordinarily excluded. Like fishing, inspecting butterflies and making homemade pizza.
Lights flashed in her rearview mirror as a car drove up behind her, pulling her out of her memories. The high beams shone in her eyes, blurring her vision.
“Inconsiderate moron,” she grumbled under her breath as she adjusted the mirror to redirect the glare.
The car behind her was close. Too close. Like one sneeze away from a rear-ender close.
“What the hell?” Addison glanced at her speedometer and confirmed that she was indeed driving at the limit. “Give a girl some space, would you? Jerk.”
With one lane of traffic in each direction, she couldn’t pull over to let the impatient person pass. But no cars appeared to be coming the other way, so why didn’t they simply overtake her? She pressed the accelerator down to put some space between them, but the other driver ate up the distance in seconds. The vehicle looked high, maybe a truck of some kind. But the lights were so blindingly bright that she couldn’t make out any specific details like color or model.
“Go around,” she said, motioning with her hand for the driver to pass her.
She reached for her phone and hit redial on Logan’s number. If he wasn’t too far behind—as he’d said—then maybe he could get the plate number.
“Miss me already?” Logan’s voice sounded far away on her phone’s tiny speakers.
“Have you passed the gas station yet? There’s this idiot tailgating me and I’m hoping you can get his plates.” She pressed harder on the accelerator and glanced anxiously as the needle on the speedometer climbed higher. “He’s making me nervous.”
“I should be caught up to you soon, but I haven’t passed the gas station yet. Drive carefully, okay?”
At that moment the truck pulled out beside her. “All good, looks like he’s going to overtake me. About freaking time.” She sighed. “No need to—”
A loud crunch cut her off and her car swerved violently. The gut-wrenching sound of metal on metal filled her ears and she had to yank the steering wheel to right the car. Her head snapped to the side in time to see the other vehicle coming back for seconds. She screamed. But it didn’t make a lick of difference. Seconds later, her Audi hit dirt on the side of the road.
“Logan!” she cried out.
Another sickening crunch boomed and the car shook with impact. Then her headlights bounced around in front of her and she was flying over the gravel.
* * *
“ADDISON!” LOGAN YELLED through his phone, but the sound of squealing tires drowned him out. Her frightened scream cut into him. “Hang in there, Addi! I’m right behind you.”
Except he wasn’t. The road was dark and long and he wasn’t exactly sure how much distance was between them.
“Logan, please—” Addison’s terrified voice was cut short when the call died.
“Fuck!” he roared and planted his foot down on the accelerator.
The sides of the road weren’t well illuminated and he still hadn’t found the gas station. This was the usual route she took to the cottage—they’d driven it many times together. He was sure of it. But what if she’d gone another way tonight? What if she’d tried to find a shortcut or avoid the toll roads?
What if, what if, what if...
If something happened to her... God help him. He’d tear down every building in the state until he figured out who’d done this to her.
His car shot through the darkness, well over the limit. It didn’t matter; nothing mattered except finding her. He eased off the gas as he rounded a corner.
“Come on, come
on, come on,” he chanted.
His eyes scanned the next stretch of road. Then a faint glow grew in the distance. Signs displaying the price per gallon appeared as he approached and he checked the name. Yes, this was it. The gas station she’d mentioned earlier. She shouldn’t be too much farther along this road.
Pushing his car as hard as it would go, he reached for the glove compartment and flipped it open. His SIG P226 sat where he’d placed it earlier, the last resort he hoped never to need. But if anyone had brought harm to Addison, he wouldn’t hesitate to use it.
The gas station whizzed past and darkness stretched out before him. Flicking on his high beams, he scanned the side of the road on both sides. Nothing.
“Come on, dammit.” He slammed the steering wheel with the heel of his hand, tension tightening the muscles in his shoulders and arms. Making him ache. The blood drained from his knuckles, leaving them white.
His headlights brushed over the empty road and the trees. At a curve ahead, a glint of something red caught his attention. The dot grew bigger. A truck.
Easing off the accelerator, his eyes scanned the area and sure enough, a trail of skid marks exited the road not too far up. He frantically searched for Addison’s silver Audi, his heart in his mouth.
Her sporty little car wouldn’t have been able to stand up to this much bigger vehicle. What if she’d...?
“Stop that right fucking now,” he said to himself as he pulled over to the side of the road, a few feet behind the truck.
Freaking out wouldn’t help anyone. If there was one thing he’d learned in his years of dealing with dangerous situations, it was that you had to stay cool, calm and collected. In control. No matter what horrors you might see.
He forced down the wash of dark worries and killed the engine. His fingers wrapped around his gun. The cold, hard steel of his SIG reassured him, helped him to slip into work mode. He knew the grip, knew the weight, knew how it would behave. And he let the familiarity soothe him.
Taking a deep breath, he flipped the safety off.
The night air was still around him when he stepped out of his car, as though the weather sensed that something was about to go down. Not even a breeze whispered past. Moving quietly, he peered farther down the side of the road. That’s when he saw Addison’s car.
Mr. Dangerously Sexy Page 2