Page 15 of Sweet and Salty

And now that Iknowher without any secret, mysterious restrictions? I only like her that much more.

I’d known she was smart the second I met her, but after watching her work and sharing so many amazing conversations with her, I know she’s absolutely brilliant. Her mind is amultifaceted thing, capable of offering advice and priceless council to the people who seek out her help.

And she genuinely loves helping people. The way she dedicates herself to her job, always improving her skill set is evidence enough of that.

That night on the roof, I’d been palpably attracted to her, the physical chemistry between us undeniable. And after that, with our back-and-forth texting, I fell for her personality, her sharp wit, and her sweet view of the world. Add that brilliant mind of hers on top of it all? She’s a trifecta of perfection.

I linger near the entryway to the building—my guard post at this time of day. Any second now, she’ll come walking through her office door, ready for me to walk her to her car. I always love the sight of her after a long day of work, her eyes shining in a beautiful combination of exhaustion and satisfaction of a job well done. And the sight of her—no matter if she’s dressed in heels and a skirt or comfortable sneakers and slacks—always takes my breath away.

“Just fed Gregory,” she says as she rounds the corner. “I’m pretty sure he missed you, but he wouldn’t admit it.”

I laugh. “Pretty sure that cat hates me, but he’ll warm up to me eventually. He almost let me pet him this morning.”

Zoe smiles at that, eying me where I stand stoically near the door. “You still opposed to me getting you a stool or a chair?” she asks, looking downright fuckable in a pair of tight black pants and a flowy white top.

“Yes, I am,” I answer, holding the door open for her. I stand behind her as she locks up. “I've told you countless times I'm not going to sit at the door like some bouncer collecting fees at a club.”

“I can't help it,” she says, walking toward her car parked next to mine in the lot—thankfully free of any letters. “I’d get bored standing there all day.”

“One, I don't stand there all day,” I answer. “While you're with clients, I do perimeter sweeps, check in with my contact who is trying to hunt down our subject, and then I study this case. And two,” I continue. “There's nothing boring about what I've been hired to do. And I promise you, it doesn't bother me to stand for long periods of time.”

“Okay, okay,” she says. “I get it. No chairs.” She lingers near her driver-side door, tilting her head as she looks up at me. “Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.”

“A friend of mine owns the best restaurant in Sweet Water. It's not far away. Do you want to eat dinner with me?”

“You want to have dinner together?” I ask, wanting to ensure I’m not dreaming the invitation up. I’ve only been trying to get her to have dinner with me for what feels like forever.

She chuckles softly, then shrugs. “Is that against the rules? I want to get you to know you a little better,” she says. “Better than I already know you.” Her eyes flare wide, the most beautiful flush dusting her cheeks. “I mean…better than the way I've gotten to know you through text.” She clenches her eyes shut, shaking her head before she looks at me again. “You’re basically stuck with me for the next six months, so maybe we can get to know each other for real?”

I smile down at her. Watching her get so flustered is absolutely adorable. “So this is a date?”

“I...maybe? I don't know.” She blows out a breath. “All Idoknow is…I enjoyed talking with you through text. I enjoyed talking to you in person that night. I want to get to know you better, now that there's no masks and no phones between us. I want to know more. Is that a bad thing?”

Warmth spreads through my chest, a confusing sensation cropping up there. “It's not a bad thing at all,” I answer. “Maybe a surprising thing. I'm used to people giving me a wide berth asopposed to trying to get closer.” I clear my throat. “I'd love to eat with you.”

“Great, you can follow me.” She dips into her car, and I hurry into mine, following her out of the parking lot.

She leads us to a quaint little restaurant I heard a lot about when I looked into Sweet Water—the small town mostly known for housing the NHL team, the Carolina Reapers. Which is funny, because I assumed celebrity athletes would want to be in the big city, but I can definitely see the appeal of small-town life.

The pace is slower here, and as Zoe leads me into the restaurant, she’s greeted by a pretty blonde woman in a chef's jacket who looks to be in the middle of an argument with a guy with black hair and almost as many tattoos as myself, though their little tiff seems playful enough.

“Zoe!” A dark-haired waitress wraps her in a hug before showing us to a little booth in the back of the restaurant. “It's been ages since you've been in.”

“Sorry, Anne, I’ve been slammed. I’ve missed you too,” Zoe says, then nods in the direction of a police officer drinking coffee at the bar. “How are you and Jim?”

“Happy, healthy, and sexy,” Anne answers with a grin, pulling a pad and pen out of her apron. “What can I get you two?” She pointedly looks at me then back to Zoe with questioning eyes.

Zoe laughs at her friend, and nods to me. “This is Owen,” she says. “The person my father hired as my security detail.”

“Oh! We've heard all about you,” Anne says to me. “Thanks so much for taking care of Zoe here. If I could get my hands on the piece of shit stalking her, I think you'd be out of a job. But even Jim can't track him down.”

I raise my brows at her forwardness, and nod with respect. “Glad to know that Zoe has plenty of eyes looking out for her.”

And that’s the damn truth. The more people we have on the lookout for this guy, the quicker we'll find him and put an end to it.

Not that Iwantto go back to taking random assignments and running the club an hour away from here, not being able to see Zoe every day. The reason behind my ability to see her every day needed to end, but I didn’t want our time together to end as well. I need to sort that shit out quick.

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