Commanded (2 page)

She watched his every move, noting how tense his body language seemed underneath the
casual weekend outfit of gray T-shirt and plaid shirt. Suddenly it became clear that
she and Josh had the same doubts. “Is it that? Or do you not want to marry me?”

His chin jerked up, eyes pained. “You know I love you, Chloe.”

“I know you do. And you know I love you, too.”

Their fingers tangled together, and the heavy silence stretched out, speaking of so
much while saying nothing at all. She supposed she could ignore the giant elephant
in the room and continue to live her life with Josh. They shared a strong love, but
passion didn’t exist in their lives. She could count on one hand how many times they’d
had sex in the last year—and whenever they did that particular deed, it began with
an alcohol-fueled night. That sort of life seemed unfair to both of them.

Don’t we deserve passion?

He tightened his fingers around hers and she shut her eyes, willing herself strength.
At last she reopened them, finding his warm gaze on her. “I’m happy with you. I’m
comfortable. But sometimes I wonder if we’re staying together because it
is
comfortable and it’s what we’ve always known.”

He paused. Then said, “I feel the same way.”

“You do?”

A couple of young girls passed by their table, laughing. Josh waited until their laughter
faded away before continuing, “It seems too easy.”

“Too comfortable. Like best friends?”

He gave a small nod.

Chloe smiled in return. She was grateful that Josh understood where her heart lay.
When Sawyer had entered her life, even for a brief moment, things ignited in her body—passion,
lust, and intensity. Her entire soul had stood up and taken notice of Sawyer in a
way she’d never noticed any man.

Yet…she trusted Josh. That was something special, too. She’d lost her virginity to
him when they were sixteen years old. They’d stuck together for more than ten years.
But after meeting Sawyer, she felt like she could have
more
.

Josh ran his thumb across Chloe’s hand, pulling her into the present. “Have you met
someone else?”

“No.” She didn’t even know Sawyer. Not really. But that night he’d changed something
in her, making her wonder what else she’d been missing by choosing the safe path.
“There is no one else.”
But I’m hoping there will be
—though she didn’t say that. “I don’t want life to be too easy. I want to take chances.
We should want more for ourselves, don’t you think?”

Josh watched her for a long moment before he nodded. “Yeah, I do. But I want you to
know that I haven’t met anyone else, either. I’ve never cheated or anything—”

“I know you haven’t. But you’ve been curious…?”

“I’ve sometimes wondered why I haven’t wanted to get married.” A strand of his dark
hair fell over his brow, and he brushed it away. “But I guess it became confusing,
because I do love you. I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”

Relief settled deeply in her chest. Not because their relationship was coming to a
close, but because Josh understood what she was feeling. “Let me guess—you wondered
if I would be better in your life as a friend than your wife?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, hanging his head.

“That’s okay, Josh.” She squeezed his hand, forcing him to look at her. “I feel the
same way. The more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized I wasn’t ready to
get married, either.”

Josh reached for her other hand, holding both of hers in his. “So, are we, I don’t
know, breaking up?”

“No.” Tears welled in her eyes, and they filled his, too. “I don’t ever want to break
up with you.”

He frowned.

Chloe added with a smile, “We’re deciding we’re better off as friends. I need you
in my life, Josh. I can’t have it any other way.”

She meant every word. Yet she also longed to experience the part of herself that Sawyer
had awakened, a part of her soul that seemed foreign, as if it belonged to a perfect
stranger—a man she’d met who’d disappeared quickly from her life. Still, his effect
remained like a desire she couldn’t escape. With one look, he’d offered emotions,
sensations that she couldn’t ignore. The promise in his shadowy eyes had dared her
to go after something
more.

Josh gave her his boyish smile. “You’ll always have me. Promise.”

“You, girl, have an iron stomach.”

Chloe glanced up from the file on her modern glass desk and spotted her boss, Porter
Marshall, entering the small office. Marshall Investigations was located in the old
part of Las Vegas on Fremont Street, and had become famous in its own right for solid
investigations. Chloe felt proud to be a part of it.

As far as bosses went, Porter was a hot one. He had a body on him that deserved a
double take. He was much taller than Chloe’s five foot four, and he had an enigmatic
presence that any woman would notice. The man exuded confidence, and with his chiseled
features and stunning light hazel eyes, he was a looker.

Porter passed by the four empty desks in the room. The sun shining through the five
large windows along the far wall highlighted the blond in his hair. One desk belonged
to his assistant, who had a doctor’s appointment this morning. The three other desks
belonged to the other private investigators that worked for Porter.

Chloe grinned. “I can’t help that you drink girly coffee.”

An easy smile grazed Porter’s square face as he dropped into the chair in front of
her desk. He was dressed in his typical workwear, a button-down shirt and jeans, and
his sandy hair was styled in the usual way. His eyes beamed amusement at her. “Putting
sugar in my coffee makes it girly?” He offered her the cup from Starbucks.

She took a big, long sip, embracing the kick of the strong espresso before answering,
“Didn’t your father ever teach you that black coffee puts hair on your chest?”

His brows arched arrogantly, in classic Porter style. “What if I don’t want hair on
my chest?”

“Keep drinking your girly coffee and you’ll get your wish.” She smiled.

He barked a laugh, shaking his head at her. “What’s on the agenda for this sunny Monday
morning, smart-ass?”

She placed her mug next to her keyboard and pulled closer the file that she’d been
looking over for the past fifteen minutes. “I figured I’d better start on this infidelity
case we got last week.” She tapped the picture of Shawn Torres, CEO of a high-tech
company in Las Vegas, who had a taste for younger women. “I’ve met with Shawn’s wife,
Melissa Torres, twice now. I’ve got all I need to from her.”

Chloe gathered Mr. Torres’s work schedule and work address, plus his car description
and license plate number. Now she needed to hunt him and catch him with his pants
down—literally. “I’ll go out today and snoop around at his company. Maybe there’s
a spot outside where I can hang around and not be noticed. Who knows, he might be
up to no good on his lunch hour.”

Porter nodded. “That’s a good place to start.” He slid a glance around the office
before frowning at Chloe. “Has everyone already gone out hunting?”

“Guess so.” She took another sip of her coffee and shrugged. “I got in after nine
o’clock and found the office empty.”

“You got in
after
nine o’clock?” Amusement creased his potent eyes, softening them a tad. “Aren’t you
supposed to be here right at nine?”

“Okay, fine. I meant to say, I showed up
at
nine o’clock sharp.”

His mouth twitched. “I should fire you for insolence.”

She snorted, louder than necessary. “Coming from the guy who breezed his lazy ass
through the door after ten.” Which had become typical for Porter over the last month.
He’d changed the office hours, which had been eight to four, to nine to five, but
he left for the day at four-thirty. He also didn’t show up until before noon most
days.

Chloe figured that Porter’s new girlfriend, Kenzie, had something to do with the switch
in his hours. Chloe didn’t mind. Porter had found love, and Kenzie rocked as a girlfriend,
always putting Porter in his place with her snarky comments. Plus, more often than
not, Chloe got to go home early, too. For all those reasons Chloe owed Kenzie a big
thank-you.

Porter’s lips spread into a wide grin. “Nope, I don’t need to be reminded. I’m the
boss, and I’m allowed to be late.”

Chloe pondered possible comebacks but decided that he had a point. “Fine. You sign
my paycheck, so you win. My treat for coffee next time.”

“Deal.” He winked.

Chloe laughed with him, knowing that as far as bosses went, she couldn’t find a better
one. Porter had believed in her enough to mentor her when she’d first joined the company,
after graduating from the criminal justice program at the University of Nevada. She
excelled as a PI because of this man.

The relationship between them was easy and light. She thought Porter would have made
a great friend, but their relationship was strictly professional. Even so, she got
a big-brother vibe from him—he seemed to feel protective around her.

Two more sips of coffee had her sitting up a little straighter. She closed the file
on her desk and rose from her chair. “Guess I should get going—”

The front door opened, and Chloe stopped breathing.

She sank back into her chair, instant butterflies whipping in her belly. As Porter
stood up and turned toward the door, Chloe couldn’t look away from the guy who stood
there, who had the air of a military man, with his shaved head and thick, muscular
body. Standing a good two heads taller than her, Sawyer possessed the type of physique
that screamed
I can protect you.
His intense gold-flecked hazel eyes locked onto hers, heating her blood.

“Now that’s a face I didn’t expect to see this morning,” said Porter. “What brings
you by?”

“I need to hire you.” Sawyer shut the door closed behind him. “Can we talk?”

“Of course.” Porter waved toward his office.

Sawyer’s smoky eyes zeroed in on Chloe again. “Chloe might be able to help, too.”

Help? With what?

She held her breath, controlling the racing of her heartbeat. He moved toward her
desk, and goose bumps prickled her flesh. She swore she could feel every move he made.
His potent presence electrified the air. When her fingers tightened around the edge
of her desk, Sawyer’s attention fell there—he’d clearly noticed her white knuckles.

To avoid his inspection, she dropped her hands to her lap and cleared her throat.
“What’s going on?”

Porter returned to his seat in front of Chloe’s desk. Sawyer lowered himself into
the other chair next to him. Chloe pushed away from her desk a little, putting distance
between herself and all that power. Porter and Sawyer had a similar type of intensity,
but Sawyer’s was more palpable. The two men together made the air thick, leaving Chloe
breathless.

“I need you to find someone for me,” said Sawyer.

Chloe noted a darkness in his eyes that she didn’t remember having seen the last time
they’d met. That had been more than a month ago, when Kenzie needed a shady businessman
investigated because he’d threatened her.

Before she could ask Sawyer the next obvious question, Porter beat her to it. “Who?”

Sawyer ran his hands over his face to clear the exhaustion emanating off him. “My
little sister’s boyfriend, Travis Marks.”

Chloe twined her fingers in her lap, fighting the deep need to touch him and somehow
ease his strain. “Why?”

Sawyer frowned. “He beat up my baby sister, Ashlyn, Saturday night.”

“Shit,” Porter snarled. “Is she okay?”

“I suppose she will be,” Sawyer said. “It won’t be a fast recovery, though. He did
a fucking number on her.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that,” Porter said.

Chloe attempted not to notice how Sawyer’s biceps flexed and bulged. She knew her
reaction was inappropriate, considering the subject they were discussing. Yet her
fingers twitched to explore all of him. “The police haven’t apprehended Travis?”

“No.” Irritation tightened the corners of Sawyer’s eyes. “He’s gone into hiding. Just
before I showed up here, Kyler told me that they’re running around in circles trying
to find him. Yes, they have an APB out on him, but that isn’t getting them anywhere.
We need to find more leads. And I know the police don’t have the resources you do
at tracking someone down.”

Porter gave a firm nod. “We can dig deeper.”

“Have they gotten any information at all?” Chloe asked, grabbing a piece of paper
to take notes.

“Nothing useful,” Sawyer said. “If Travis is staying with family or friends, they’re
doing their best to protect him. Kyler told me that two search warrants were issued
for his parents’ and his sister’s houses, but Travis wasn’t at either location. And
his family says they don’t know where he is.”

Porter asked, “You don’t believe them?”

“Of course I don’t,” Sawyer snapped. “They’re protecting the fucker.”

Chloe’s heart clenched. She didn’t know Sawyer personally, but she sensed his sadness
and frustration. Seeing him upset bothered her. “Are you worried that Travis will
come after your sister again?”

Sawyer nodded. “It’d be stupid of me not to worry about that.”

A heavy silence settled in as they absorbed the weight of that statement, understanding
the danger Sawyer’s sister was in. Porter broke the silence: “You don’t need to hire
me, Sawyer. Of course I’ll help you. That isn’t even a question.”

“Thank you,” Sawyer said, relief evident in his voice. Then he added, “But I wondered
if Chloe could handle the case.”

She gulped, her heart fluttering at the intensity visible in his eyes. What this guy
possessed that other men didn’t, she didn’t know, but it certainly spoke to her. He
made her so damn hot with one look. “I can have someone handle my current cases.”
She slid her glance to Porter. “If that’s what you want to do.”

Porter regarded Sawyer with a curious edge. “Why Chloe?”

“I thought having Chloe there might comfort Ashlyn. I imagine she’ll be more comfortable
talking to a woman who is closer to her age than me and you, Porter.”

Porter blinked and rose from his chair. “All right.” To Chloe he said, “Give me the
files you’re working on and I’ll take them on.”

Chloe hesitated, feeling her face go red. Jesus H. Christ, she’d be working with Sawyer
up close and personal?
For how long? Will we be alone?
She hadn’t been able to control her thoughts about him over the last month, and he
hadn’t even been there.

When both Sawyer’s and Porter’s brows rose at her silence, she gathered the open files
on her desk and handed them to Porter. The slight curve of Sawyer’s mouth sent her
heart racing. Her fantasy man sat right there in front of her.

Dear God.

She powered off her computer, rose from her seat, and pushed her chair back under
the desk. “Where do you want to start?”

Sawyer stood with her, all man and muscle. “At the hospital with Ashlyn.”

Jelly legs and all, Chloe came around her desk and said to Porter, “If the files don’t
make sense, call me, okay?”

“I’m sure the files are fine.” Porter turned into his office to start getting acquainted
with her clients. “Please keep me updated on Marks.”

“Will do,” Chloe replied. She knew her files were in top-notch condition. Porter had
trained her to document everything.

Doing her best not to notice Sawyer’s fantastic backside, she followed him out of
the building. Her focus slid upward to his gray T-shirt, and she noticed how tightly
the fabric hugged his body. She couldn’t stop herself from admiring his forearms and
noticing a black dragon tattoo.

Porter had the same one.
How odd. A sign of friendship, maybe?

Next her attention fell to Sawyer’s hands—large, but the type that would make a woman
feel safe. Thinking it over, Chloe couldn’t find one unattractive thing about Sawyer.
Nothing at all.

He had to have a flaw. Everyone did. But she was having trouble finding his.

The hot, dry Vegas sun beat down on Chloe’s shoulders as Sawyer stopped at a black
pickup truck. He opened the passenger door for her and smiled. “Thank you for helping
me, Chloe.”

She grinned in return. “No problem. I’ll help you find Travis.”

“I know you will. You’re damn good at your job, which is why I came to you.” He shut
her door, then walked around to the driver’s side.

An odd sense of pride filled her as she settled into her seat and reached for her
seatbelt. She’d worked hard to be respected in her job, and dammit, it felt good to
be recognized.

Once he’d joined her inside the truck, he started the engine, then said, “I must admit,
this wasn’t how I expected to see you again.”

She froze before clicking her seatbelt. “You expected to see me again?”

“You blush whenever I look at you.” He exaggerated that point by glancing her way
with a sly grin, igniting her pinkish cheeks. “You can barely sit in your seat when
I do. And your eyes do this sexy smoldering thing when you stare at me—almost if you’re
imagining touching me.” He chuckled, low and smooth as silk. “Damn right I planned
to see you again.”

You have been single for one day,
her head screamed at her.

One brow arched at her silence—a move that seemed far more arrogant and confident
than anything she’d seen Porter pull off. “Nothing to say in response?” he said at
last.

Sawyer might have been the reason she ended things with Josh. But she couldn’t dive
right into another relationship, not this soon. One day she’d open herself up—literally—to
Sawyer, but today was not that day. Besides, she had a job to do. “What hospital is
your sister at?”

His laugh sounded easy. “Ah, is that boyfriend of yours still in my way?”

“No.”

His eyes widened in surprise. “No?”

“No, I mean…” She clicked her seatbelt on. “We broke up, but—”

“Good. I’m glad to hear that particular obstacle is gone.” He put the truck into reverse
with a shrewd grin. “As to your question, my sister is at Sunrise Hospital.”

Chloe frowned and couldn’t help but comment, “Most people aren’t so happy when two
people break up.”

“You and I, Chloe, aren’t most people.” He backed out of the spot before addressing
her again with—was it passion? Possessiveness? Hunger? “Of course I’m thrilled you’re
single. The only thing keeping me from you is no longer a concern.”