Chapter Three

Aja Blue punched the off button and stared at the phone in her hand. She couldn't believe Christian was coming to Virginia. She'd called him on a whim, thinking she could ask for his advice. Instead, he was dropping everything to get to her. Aja Blue's heart skipped a beat.

Wow, she was excited to see him again. She needed to know if the feelings she'd experienced after their brief encounter were still there.

Horror struck as she realized what she currently looked like. She had just been on a plane and driven straight to the office. She needed a shower and a change of clothes but couldn't go home. Thankfully, she had her luggage and the necessities to clean up. She'd bathe at Jay's apartment. Aja Blue had planned to stop by his place anyway since she hadn't been able to reach him on the phone.

A sensation of unease washed over her. She hadn't spoken to Jay since she'd left for Arizona a week ago. When she'd called the office, Sara Lea told her Jay had texted that he was taking time off for personal reasons. Aja Blue figured he was hiding from the cops. She'd hoped he was working on the Sinclair project while he was away, but if he'd needed to be by himself, that was fine too. There was plenty of time to finish the pool house design.

Aja Blue thought about the wrinkled clothes in her suitcase and decided to hit her favorite boutique. Before she started her car, she called the office.

"Aja Blue Designs. How may I help you?"

"Sara Lea, it's Aja Blue."

"Hey, boss. Are you still in Arizona?"

"No. I'm back but won't be in until tomorrow. How are things there?"

"Good. Quiet."

"Is there anything pressing I need to take care of right now?"

"No. We've got everything handled."

"Great. Is Jay there?"

"No. He's still out."

Aja Blue's brows bunched. She thought he'd be back by now. "Have you heard from him?"

"Not since he took off last week."

"Okay. Call or text if anything comes up. If you hear from Jay, tell him to call me immediately."

"Will do."

Aja Blue checked her surroundings before driving out of the parking lot. She didn't spot anyone following her, so she headed to the boutique. Once inside, she browsed the selections, deciding on a floral sundress. She even found a cute pair of matching sandals. And, oops, that bottle of lovely-smelling perfume practically fell into her shopping basket with minimal provocation. So did the dangly earrings that perfectly complimented her new outfit.

Aja Blue thanked the owner after she packed her purchases in a fashionable black and white striped bag with the shop's logo. She slid her sunglasses on as she exited the store and came to an abrupt stop.

"Hey, watch where you're going, lady."

She muttered an apology to the teenager on a skateboard who almost ran her over. Aja Blue stared in disbelief as Johnny Cash peered into the window of her SUV. How the heck had he found her here?

Ducking behind a parked car, she almost hit the alarm button on her key fob to scare him away, but something caught her eye instead. She hurried down the block. "Excuse me, officer. I think that man over there has been breaking into cars."

"Where?"

She pointed to Johnny, who was still cupping his hands around his face trying to look through her tinted windows.

"Stay here, ma'am," the cop ordered with an accompanying hand gesture. He spoke into a microphone clipped to his shoulder and gripped his weapon before checking for traffic and crossing the street. Aja Blue ignored his command and inched closer.

Johnny's head jerked up when the cop ordered him to step away from the vehicle, and his hands shot into the air. Aja Blue felt not the least bit sorry as the cop pointed his gun at Johnny and motioned for him to back up against his police cruiser. She almost let out a maniacal laugh as the cop frisked him. She used the distraction to jump into her SUV and motor away. Thankfully, Johnny and the cop were behind her, so she didn't have to pass him and see his expression. She was sure he was irate.

Aja Blue's hands shook as she flipped on her blinker and turned down the road to Jay's apartment. Her eyes flew to the rear-view mirror every few seconds, looking for suspicious cars behind her. Johnny would likely be occupied for a while, but that didn't mean he was doing this alone. He might have a sidekick. If he did, they weren't following her, but she was no expert on clandestine operations.

Using her onboard voice command, Aja Blue instructed it to contact Jay, and the call instantly kicked to voicemail, as it had every time she'd tried reaching him since she'd landed in Virginia. The niggling worry that had hovered since she hadn't been able to get in touch with him blossomed into a full-blown panic. She understood the need for time away, but he was uncontactable.

Aja Blue parked in a visitor's space at his apartment complex. Jay's building, located six blocks from the beach, had seen better days. Jay liked it because he could walk to restaurants and bars, and the rent was reasonable. That was because it resembled a World War II bunker with no frills or noticeable curb appeal.

A woman in a ratty blue housecoat watered a small garden as Aja Blue approached the building. The steps to the three-story, drab gray walk-up could use a coat of paint or two, not to mention a new handrail. Aja Blue paid Jay enough that he could find a better place to rent, but he'd been on his own for a while, and frugality was second nature to him.

Jay's parents had died when he was an infant, so he'd spent his entire childhood and teens in foster care. In all the homes he'd been sent to, the other kids had bullied him relentlessly. He'd been mocked, beaten, and ridiculed. He'd admitted it to her one night after too many margaritas. Instead of going home, he'd spend his time in the library, concentrating on school. His outstanding grades had earned him a complete ride to college. Jay had graduated with honors, despite having had several jobs all four years.

Jay's work ethic had been one of the first things that made him stand out from other candidates when she'd advertised for an assistant. Sometimes, her days were long, and she needed someone who didn't mind putting in the hours. Jay had ticked every box on her list.

That was another reason his disappearing act was so troubling. He'd taken off for a long weekend before but always checked in and had never been entirely incommunicado. Had the threatening notes driven him underground?

Aja Blue knocked on his door and tried to peer into the window, but the curtain was pulled. When there was no answer, she tried again. Still nothing. She lifted the rainbow welcome mat, hoping he'd left a copy of a key there, but no such luck. Aja Blue trailed her fingers above the door, inside the mailbox, and around the black iron sconce, to no avail.

She thought about checking with his neighbor downstairs, but Jay had nothing to do with the woman, a raging homophobe who believed Jay was diseased. She'd said that to his face. It had made Aja Blue want to go down there and punch her dentures down her throat, but she'd restrained herself.

She turned and looked over the parking lot. Jay's silver Camry wasn't in his designated spot. Where was he?

A siren wailed in the distance, and a seagull swooped for a leftover French fry as Aja Blue made her way down the steps to her SUV. A breeze kicked up, bringing with it the tangy scent of salt air and grilled meat from a nearby restaurant.

Where was she supposed to go now? She'd told Christian she would be at her assistant's apartment. Aja Blue still needed to shower and change clothes, so she drove to a hotel with valet parking and handed her keys to the attendant. It would be in a secure garage so that Johnny Cash wouldn't see it—she hoped.

A porter piled her suitcase and shopping bags on a trolley. He followed her to the check-in desk, where she requested a room. She almost gave her real name, but having watched many detective shows on television and starring in more than one in her brief career, she announced herself as Thelma Jo Portnoy and paid with cash. She wasn't sure of Johnny's connections but didn't plan on taking any chances. Thankfully, she'd stopped at an ATM earlier to replenish her wallet.

With a keycard in hand, she located her room and waited while the porter placed her suitcase and bags in the closet. She thanked him and handed him a tip. With a nod of his head, he left. After ensuring the door was locked and bolted, she undressed and stepped under the hot spray of water. The hotel provided luxury body wash and shampoo, so she used them. It felt good, and she lingered, ensuring the stench from being locked in the fuselage for hours was gone.

Once finished, she dried her hair, applied lotion, brushed her teeth, and donned the sundress. A touch of mascara and lip-gloss, a spritz of the new perfume, and she was ready to face Christian Zamora again.

Dang, there went that zing that shot through her whenever she thought of him. It was electrifying and terrifying at the same time. She didn't know the man, but something in his DNA spoke to hers. Needing a distraction, she turned on the television and found a sitcom rerun.

#

Christian slid his phone into his pocket and turned to see several of his coworkers headed his way. Calls of "congrats," "way to go, Z," and "you rock, Zamora" filled the air. As much as he wanted to bask in his victory, and he totally did, as bragging rights were coveted, he needed to get gone as soon as possible.

"Hey, where are you going?" Presley called out.

"Sorry, I have to leave."

Christian took off for a run to the offices. He needed to talk to his bosses, Luke Colton and Logan Bradley, and get the okay to take a few days off. He wasn't sure what awaited him when he landed in Virginia, but something was up. Aja Blue had been genuinely terrified that someone was stalking her in Arizona, and he'd detected the same fear when he spoke to her a few minutes ago.

"Hey, Z, wait up."

He turned to see Kayne Serruto and Jalen Ellis, two of his best friends, jogging his way. "Sorry, guys, I'm in a hurry."

"Christian, talk to us," said Kayne as he came up beside him. "What's up?"

"Cliff Notes version: I met a woman in Sedona."

"Z, you dog!" Jalen hooted.

Kayne thumped his shoulder. "You've been holding out on us."

"Not like that, jackass." Well, kinda like that. "She's being stalked."

"Oh gosh, sorry, man," Jalen said. "Didn't mean to be insensitive. Can we help?"

"I don't know yet. I'm headed there now to find out what's going on."

"Sedona?" Kayne asked.

"No, she lives on the East Coast. Norfolk area."

"I spent time there with the Teams," Kayne said. He'd been a Navy SEAL. "Let us know, and we'll be there to assist."

"Will do. Thanks, guys."

From what Christian had learned of Luke and Logan during his time with CObrA Securities, they were beyond fair and immensely understanding. He respected the hell out of both and counted himself lucky to work for them. The meeting was a quick one, with them giving him the go-ahead to find out what was happening and to use company resources as needed. That, he hadn't expected. Their generosity blew his mind.

Christian stopped by BeBe Hale's office to ask if she could arrange a flight and then hit the supply department, headed by BeBe's husband, Tank. Christian gathered all the equipment he might need. Due to flight restrictions, most would have to be packed into a suitcase he would have to check instead of carrying on.

It had been just over five hours since Aja Blue called when Christian slid behind the wheel of the rental SUV BeBe had secured for him. He dialed Aja Blue's number.

"Christian?"

"Yeah. Did I wake you?"

"Oh, uh, no. I was simply resting my eyes."

Christian chuckled. A fancy way of saying yes, he had woken her up. "Give me the address of your assistant's apartment, and I'll be there shortly."

"There's been a change of plans."

"Oh?"

"I can't get in touch with him. I'm staying at a hotel. Oh, and there was another incident. I'll tell you about it when you get here."

Aja Blue rattled off the name of the hotel and room number. Christian would wait to do anything until he heard about what happened earlier, but they wouldn't stay there. Whoever was following her might be able to track her. Before he started the vehicle, he sent BeBe a text.

Traffic was heavy as Christian drove from the airport in Norfolk to the resort in Virginia Beach where Aja Blue was staying. He bypassed the valet and parked in the lot adjacent to the hotel. Taking his luggage to the room made no sense since they would bunk elsewhere for the night.

Aja Blue was on the twentieth floor, so he stepped inside the elevator and pushed the button. When the doors opened, he turned to the right and found her room. She whipped the door open on the second knock and slammed a baseball bat into his gut.

#

Christian ran his big hands down her sides, causing goosebumps to erupt along the flight path. Aja Blue shimmied closer, plastering her body to his, reveling in the feeling of his steely muscles. Her head tilted back, waiting for his lips to touch hers. She craved the firm, demanding press of his mouth. His head lowered, and her ears buzzed . . . no, wait.

Aja Blue gasped and shot up from the bed. She'd fallen asleep! One glance showed that her new dress was a wrinkled mess, and her hair was undoubtedly a wild, tangled rat's nest. Christain's name popped on her phone screen. She slid the button and answered the call. When he asked if he'd woken her, she lied—she had no idea why. It wasn't a sin to fall asleep.

He was on the way, so she scrambled to the bathroom to freshen up. A comb tamed her hair into submission, and a swipe of lip gloss added color to her face. There was nothing she could do about the bags, so she ignored them.

Butterflies took flight in her tummy, and she placed a hand over her stomach. Why was she so nervous? He was just a man. Granted, she'd never met one more gorgeous or sexy than him. Still, she should be able to control her hormones.

When she found herself pacing restlessly, she dropped to the bed and picked up the remote to flip through the channels. Her scattered brain wouldn't let her concentrate, so she picked an old rerun that required little to no focus. When a knock sounded, she practically leaped off the bed and hurried to the door to whip it open.

There was no way she had remembered him correctly. He couldn't be as tall as her memory provided. As muscular. Handsome. But she'd been right. He was so much more in every way. Aja Blue felt her head spin and her heart race. How could one man affect her so much?

They stood staring at each other. She wasn't sure she was breathing. Him, either. The ding of the elevator jarred them out of a trance.

"Thank you for coming." Was that her voice, all husky and deep?

"What . . . oh, right." He shook his beautiful blond head and stepped inside the room.

Aja Blue's heart, already racing, took off in a cheetah-like gallop. Though the suite was roomy, it seemed too small with him inside. The king-sized bed with the fluffy pillows beckoned her. She wanted to roll around on the mattress with him.

"Aja Blue?"

"Hum?"

"I asked what happened today."

"I don't know. What?"

"You said something about an incident."

She mentally smacked her forehead. "Oh, right." Thinking about Johnny cooled her lust. Slightly. She told Christian about seeing him outside the boutique and siccing the cop on him. "Oh, I took some pictures." She scrolled to the photo files on her phone and showed them to him. "They aren't great. I couldn't get a good one of his face. He never looked directly into the camera."

Christian took the phone from her hand and studied them. "I don't think they're clean enough to get a hit on facial recognition, but I'll send them to my office anyway."

His fingers flew over the keys as he forwarded the pictures to his cell.

"I don't know how he keeps finding me."

"Where is your vehicle now?"

"I left it with the valet."

"I need to check it out. Any idea where they park the cars?"

She shook her head. "I've never stayed here before. Sorry."

"No problem. I'll need the receipt."

Aja Blue fished it from her phone case and waved it in the air. "Let's go."

"Hold on a second."

She turned with a raised brow.

"I'll talk to the attendant. It would be best if you weren't seen. Give me the description of your vehicle and stay here. I'll come back for you."

#

Christian inhaled deeply as he stepped into the hallway and closed the door behind him. No, Aja Blue hadn't actually clobbered him with a Louisville Slugger, but it sure as hell had felt that way when he'd spotted her again. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The pheromones that had ping-ponged around the suite had almost brought him to his knees. Leveled him.

Oh, he was in deep trouble here. He'd never experienced such an intense reaction to a woman before, not even in high school when hormones ran amok. He'd dated more than his fair share over the years and even thought he'd been in love a time or two. But he'd never looked at a woman and felt his knees weaken to jelly and his heart slam against his ribcage. It was as if his eyes couldn't drink her in fast enough. She was everything he remembered and more. How the hell was he supposed to be impartial and treat her like a client?

Christian firmed his jaw. He was a professional working for the most excellent company in the country. Handling his raging libido wouldn't be a problem. He'd pretend she didn't affect him in the least. The huge kink in that plan was that she'd been an actress and would probably see right through his fa?ade.

He shook his head, unwilling to focus on that. Keeping her safe was his priority. Christian bypassed the elevator and took the stairs to the lobby. He needed to work off the lust coursing through his veins.

Christian's cell beeped with a text. He wasn't surprised by the message. The pictures Aja Blue had snapped of the stalker didn't generate any hits on Tyler Redmond's facial recognition program. They weren't clear enough. The man had done an excellent job of avoiding showing too much skin.

When Christian approached the valet stand, a young man dressed in a black-and-white outfit sat on a stool, his thumbs flying over his phone. He fumbled it before shoving it in a pocket and standing. Christian explained he needed to get something out of the vehicle and showed him the receipt. The kid directed him to the covered lot where they parked cars.

Christian scanned the area as he approached Aja Blue's SUV. People were coming and going from the hotel, but most were families with small children or tourists. He located her Land Rover and accessed a program on his phone. He found the first tracker beneath the rear bumper. The second was in the driver's side wheel well. Dropping to the ground, he checked for any incendiary devices, finding none.

Christian snapped pictures of the bugs and sent them to the office. He thought about removing them, but he might be able to catch whoever was following Aja Blue if he left them in place and monitored the activity. It was a risk, but the chances of them knowing where she was in the hotel were slim. Plus, he planned on whisking her away as soon as possible.

He'd barely knocked on the door when Aja Blue whipped it open again, and woosh—there went any thoughts he'd had in his head. His brain was a complete blank. He couldn't have recited his name if asked. She was so damn beautiful.

Apparently, she had the same reaction to him. Her plump pink lips were parted, and her pupils swallowed the blue of her eyes as she stared back at him. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing that she shared the intense attraction. His ego said it was, but what little functioning brain cells he had argued it could complicate things. Christian needed to be on his game to catch this guy. He didn't want her to get hurt.

A rough sound escaped his lips. He covered it by clearing his throat. "Pack your things. We need to go somewhere secure."

"It's safe here," she argued. "I used an alias and paid with cash."

Gorgeous and intelligent—a lethal combination. "Smart move. However, I found two bugs on your SUV."

That snapped Aja Blue from her trance. "You found what now?"

"Tracking devices. More than likely, whoever is following you already knows you're here."

"That's how he keeps finding me," she griped. "Did you destroy them?"

"No. I have a better idea." He explained his plan, and she nodded her head.

"That might work, but we shouldn't do it today. He's probably busy with the cops."

"We'll try it tomorrow. My office secured us a place for tonight."

"I'd love to go by my condo and get some things. I haven't been there since I returned home from Arizona."

"We'll head there now."