the situation that now bound them together? Why was he even thinking that far ahead?
Because this woman got to me like no other woman has in forever. And the night with her was maybe the best sex of my life.
She was a pistol, that was for sure. And for certain a pain in the ass to protect. But the desire to be the one doing it slammed into him. Maybe it was time to get his head out of his ass and stop feeling sorry for himself. Maybe it was time to see if his hard-earned SEAL skills still worked. And maybe there was a reason why Zoe had walked into that bar and into his life.
But he’d have to be careful. Not crowd her. He wanted her invested in this as much as he was. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel he was crowding her emotionally. But damn! He really, really wanted her in his life. And he was going to find ways to let her know.
Chapter 5
Zoe sat in the back seat, looking out the window and enjoying the scenery. She’d been to Alex Rossi’s office before, following up on stories, and she loved this part of the drive, a winding two-lane highway with a mixture of tall ponderosa pines and vast grazing land stretching on both sides. She was glad for the gorgeous scenery because, despite their chat, there was still an air of tension vibrating around Sean. Maybe she could make him comfortable enough to share with her. Help him try to get past it.
Maybe in bed.
She immediately wiped that out of her mind. She’d have to get him to trust her first. Not only that, she’d noticed that as the day wore on he acquired a slight limp which he did his best to conceal. She was still turning her thoughts over in her mind when Hank rounded a curve and turned down a short gravel road. He came to a stop in the parking lot next to the one-story light-tan block building with a porch across the front.
Janet Cochran, Alex’s office manager, greeted them when they walked in, smiling at them. “Hey, Zoe. Hank. Nice to see you guys. Is Sheriff Rossi expecting you?”
“He is.” The voice came from the inner doorway.
“Hi, Hank.” Zoe smiled at him. She was always impressed with how much he looked the part of his job. He was tall, lean, broad-shouldered, dressed in the official khaki uniform of his office. A holster holding a gun rode on one hip, and a sheriff’s badge was pinned to his shirt.
“Thanks for seeing us, Alex.” Hank shook the man’s hand. “Meet my cousin, Sean Patterson.”
“Welcome to Montana, Sean. Nice to meet you. Hank tells me you’re a former SEAL. We should spend some time talking.”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Zoe could see Sean was a little out of his comfort zone, but he nodded and shook hands.
“And, of course, you know Zoe.”
“I do. Nice seeing you again, Zoe. Hank says you have a little problem. One that might not be so little.”
Zoe nodded. “Yes, one that came out of nowhere.”
“Well, not exactly nowhere,” Hank corrected. “It’s been brewing for a long time.”
Alex looked at her, one eyebrow lifted. “Is that right?”
“The situation’s from ten years ago,” Hank explained, “but she’s just recently kicked the can and turned over a pile of trouble.”
“Zoe? Trouble?” He grinned. “Imagine that.”
“In fact, someone broke into her apartment today and left this present for her.” He handed over the plastic bag with the fake dead body in it. “I figured you might be able to check this stuff over better than I could.”
“I don’t know, Hank. That’s some pretty sophisticated stuff you’ve got out there.”
“Maybe. But I also believe this needs to have a lawman’s fingerprints all over it. Just in case.”
Alex lifted an eyebrow but took the sack from him as a serious look washed over his face. “Okay. Come on in and let’s have the details. Janet? We’re taking the conference room. Keep everyone out and tell whoever needs me I’m busy.”
“As usual?” she teased. Then her face sobered. “It’s okay, guys. I’ve got it.”
Alex locked the bag in his office before opening the door to the conference room. Zoe noticed that when they sat at the table, Sean made sure to take a chair on one side of her. She realized with a start that just his presence next to her gave her a secure feeling. How had all this happened in less than