Page 14 of Deadly Designs

She mentally smacked her forehead. “Oh, right.”Thinking about Johnny cooled her lust. Slightly. She told Christianabout seeing him outside the boutique and siccing the cop on him.“Oh, I took some pictures.” She scrolled to the photo files on herphone and showed them to him. “They aren’t great. I couldn’t get agood one of his face. He never looked directly into thecamera.”

Christian took the phone from her hand and studiedthem. “I don’t think they’re clean enough to get a hit on facialrecognition, but I’ll send them to my office anyway.”

His fingers flew over the keys as he forwarded thepictures 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 thecars?”

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 itin 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 youweren’t seen. Give me the description of your vehicle and stayhere. I’ll come back for you.”

#

Christian inhaled deeply as he stepped into thehallway and closed the door behind him. No, Aja Blue hadn’tactually clobbered him with a Louisville Slugger, but it sure ashell had felt that way when he’d spotted her again. Sweat beaded onhis forehead. The pheromones that had ping-ponged around the suitehad almost brought him to his knees. Leveled him.

Oh, he was in deep trouble here. He’d neverexperienced such an intense reaction to a woman before, not even inhigh school when hormones ran amok. He’d dated more than his fairshare over the years and even thought he’d been in love a time ortwo. But he’d never looked at a woman and felt his knees weaken tojelly and his heart slam against his ribcage. It was as if his eyescouldn’t drink her in fast enough. She was everything he rememberedand more. How the hell was he supposed to be impartial and treather like a client?

Christian firmed his jaw. He was a professionalworking for the most excellent company in the country. Handling hisraging libido wouldn’t be a problem. He’d pretend she didn’t affecthim in the least. The huge kink in that plan was that she’d been anactress and would probably see right through his façade.

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

Christian’s cell beeped with a text. He wasn’tsurprised by the message. The pictures Aja Blue had snapped of thestalker didn’t generate any hits on Tyler Redmond’s facialrecognition program. They weren’t clear enough. The man had done anexcellent job of avoiding showing too much skin.

When Christian approached the valet stand, a youngman dressed in a black-and-white outfit sat on a stool, his thumbsflying over his phone. He fumbled it before shoving it in a pocketand standing. Christian explained he needed to get something out ofthe vehicle and showed him the receipt. The kid directed him to thecovered lot where they parked cars.

Christian scanned the area as he approached AjaBlue’s SUV. People were coming and going from the hotel, but mostwere families with small children or tourists. He located her LandRover and accessed a program on his phone. He found the firsttracker beneath the rear bumper. The second was in the driver’sside wheel well. Dropping to the ground, he checked for anyincendiary devices, finding none.

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

He’d barely knocked on the door when Aja Blue whippedit open again, andwoosh—there went any thoughts he’d had inhis head. His brain was a complete blank. He couldn’t have recitedhis name if asked. She was so damn beautiful.

Apparently, she had the same reaction to him. Herplump pink lips were parted, and her pupils swallowed the blue ofher eyes as she stared back at him. He wasn’t sure if it was a goodthing that she shared the intense attraction. His ego said it was,but what little functioning brain cells he had argued it couldcomplicate things. Christian needed to be on his game to catch thisguy. He didn’t want her to get hurt.

A rough sound escaped his lips. He covered it byclearing his throat. “Pack your things. We need to go somewheresecure.”

“It’s safe here,” she argued. “I used an alias andpaid with cash.”

Gorgeous and intelligent—a lethal combination. “Smartmove. However, I found two bugs on your SUV.”

That snapped Aja Blue from her trance. “You foundwhat now?”

“Tracking devices. More than likely, whoever isfollowing you already knows you’re here.”

“That’s how he keeps finding me,” she griped. “Didyou destroy them?”

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