Page 8 of Todd
He held her gaze and cupped her cheek. “I’ll leave if you want me to, but I have nowhere I need to be. Nowhere I’d rather be than right here with you.”
“Okay,” she wheezed as the intensity of his gaze stole her breath. “You can stay as long as you want.”
“I never asked if you were staying in town or just passing through.”
Licking her lips again, she said, “I hope to stay. My plans are a little tenuous right now, but I hope to be here for a long time.”
Now his lips curved, and the smile eased past her defenses. “Good.”
When he’d disposed of the condom, he came back with two more. Lifting her brows, she laughed. Her mirth soon ended when she discovered that not only did he have stamina, but he’d tapped into hers as well. The next time was harder and faster, eliciting fireworks that sparked behind her eyelids, causing her body to sizzle with electricity.
As sleep finally claimed her, surrounded by warmth and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, Sadie allowed herself to wonder if maybe, just maybe, she’d found something in Montana that was even more valuable than a fresh start. Perhaps she’d found her home.
5
Sadie followed the GPS directions down the lane, her rental SUV’s tires crunching softly on the gravel road as anticipation and anxiety battled for dominance in her chest. Her stomach churned with nerves she hadn’t experienced since her original CIA recruitment. Even then, they’d approached her while she was still in the military, making the transition feel more like a natural progression than a desperate leap into the unknown.
She stifled a yawn that reminded her of the precious few hours of sleep she’d managed after she and Todd had finally gone to sleep, still tangled in each other. Despite the exhaustion, her body still hummed with the afterglow of their night together. Her muscles relaxed in ways she’d forgotten were possible, her skin was still sensitized from his touch, and her heart was lighter than it had been in months.
Waking to an empty bed hadn’t been ideal, but the hastily scrawled note on hotel stationery had salvaged her mood. Todd’s chicken-scratch handwriting, clearly rushed but still legible, had left his phone number along with an apology for having to leave early for work, and that he wanted to see her again. No hearts or flowery declarations, but by leaving his phone number with thenote, he indicated that they certainly weren’t a one-and-done. She’d tucked the note into her purse with a smile.
She was already planning to call him after the interview and suggest they test the structural integrity of her hotel bed one more time before she had to check out. If she got the job, she’d have to figure out what to tell him, but when she saw the gate in the distance, anxiety about the interview flooded her again.
The security checkpoint ahead forced her to compartmentalize, pushing thoughts of naked limbs and whispered endearments into a mental lockbox. The guard who approached her vehicle moved with the unmistakable straight spine and alert eyes of a former military man. He verified her identity on his tablet with professional efficiency before waving her through, giving precise directions to the outer office building.
As she drove deeper into the compound, the landscape took her breath away. A large house nestled against the base of snowcapped mountains. A hangar in the distance confirmed Logan Bishop’s reputation as a pilot, as well as a businessman. She was not surprised to see that he kept his own birds.
Closer to her destination, a low-slung wooden building came into view just as two men emerged from it. One headed toward the hangar with purposeful strides while the other climbed into a dusty Jeep. The easy camaraderie in their brief exchange spoke of a tight-knit team, exactly the kind of work environment she’d hoped to find. She was used to working in a male-dominated environment and knew she could hold her own.
She parked outside the smaller building, alighted from her vehicle, and took a steadying breath. She knocked on the wooden door before entering at the called invitation.
Logan Bishop commanded attention the moment she stepped inside. Tall and powerfully built, with dark hair and penetrating hazel eyes that seemed to catalog everything abouther in seconds, he moved forward with the confident grace of someone accustomed to leadership. When he extended his hand, she clasped it firmly.
“Sadie Hargrove, sir. It’s an honor to meet you.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly. “Honor? That’s an interesting word choice, Ms. Hargrove. I’m not sure what I’ve done to merit that greeting.”
She maintained eye contact, letting her respect show clearly. “I’ve served alongside some of the best operators in the world, Mr. Bishop. Some I’ve respected more than others. But what you’re building here is something to be genuinely proud of. I’d hoped to be considered by either Mr. Hanover or Mr. Dyer for their operations.” She kept her tone professional, not wanting to sound like she was name-dropping, though she had indeed spoken with both founders of the original LSI and the West Coast branches.
“What prevented that from happening?”
The question hit exactly where she’d expected it would. She inhaled slowly, feeling the familiar ache expand in her chest. “When I left the agency last year, my mother needed my full attention and care. Now that I’m available for placement, Mr. Dyer suggested you might be willing to interview me.”
Logan nodded with understanding and gestured toward the chair across from his utilitarian desk. As she settled into the seat, she felt an unexpected sense of calm wash over her despite the high stakes. She wanted this position with every fiber of her being, but she also recognized that the decision rested entirely with the man now studying her from behind his desk. Either her qualifications and personality would mesh with his vision, or they wouldn’t.
He consulted the tablet in front of him, and she knew he wasn’t a man who wasted his, or anyone else’s, time.She wouldn’t have made it this far if he weren’t genuinely considering her as a viable candidate.
When he looked up again, his expression had softened slightly. “I’m sorry for your loss. My grandfather died of cancer. It’s a bastard of a disease that steals something from the survivors as well as the victims.”
The acknowledgment sent a sharp blade of pain through her chest, but she nodded her appreciation for his understanding.
“I’ve already reviewed your background extensively,” he continued. “Your computer software engineering and cybersecurity credentials are impressive and well-documented.”
For the next several minutes, they discussed her military service and CIA operations in terms that danced around classified details while still conveying the scope and significance of her experience. Logan’s questions were probing but respectful, and she could feel him evaluating not just her technical skills but also her character and resilience.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair and fixed her with that penetrating stare. “Can you hack living and working here? Montana can be unforgiving.”
For the first time since entering his office, she allowed her gaze to drift toward the window. The view of the mountains rising like ancient guardians in the background stole her breath. The dense forests filled their lower slopes, and endless plains stretched toward horizons.
