Chapter 1

Parker

Thursday 6.37 pm

If I wasn’t already convinced the guy had both money and some serious overcompensation going on, one look at the enormous glass structure before me, and I’d know.

The building is basically a phallic symbol. Three hundred feet of curved glass, and mirrors like some modern-day version of a tower.

Only instead of a moat, he’s got a top of the line security gate, preventing any unwelcome visitors.

I check my watch and curse as I see I’m late. Not a good start. Mentally slapping myself, I roll up to the parking garage and lean out the window. “Parker Novak to see Mr. Rodrigues.”

A clipped female voice comes through the speaker. “You’re late.”

I wince and smooth a wrinkle in my dress pants. “Apologies. There was an accident on South.”

I tap my finger on the wheel, expecting to be shown the door before I even stepped foot it in, but the barrier raises allowing me entry.

I ease my Jeep into the near-empty parking structure and follow the signs to one of the guest parking spots.

My nerves increase as I see the scope of security in the building, but I have no time to consider any of that as I pull up to the park closest to the elevator.

When I’m sure I have all the information I need to present a good first impression, I jump out of the vehicle and make my way to the elevator.

I’m about to press the up button when the doors open, and a petite, and extremely surly-looking blonde is near glaring at me. “Mr. Novak. Come with me.”

I nod slowly, unsure if I should extend my hand, but it’s obvious she’s in no mood for pleasantries, so I just step inside the wood-paneled elevator.

She hits the third floor and looks me over as we start to ascend. “You’re in luck. I’ll be fast-tracking you. We have an opening, and we need it filled immediately.”

My pulse quickens. But I have to careful. So, I meet her appraisal with my own. “You’re head of security here?”

She eyes me coolly but nods. “I am. I’m responsible for interviewing all staff before they can speak with Carlos.”

Good. Because that means she’s also met every single person who worked for the billionaire I’m hoping to be employed by.

The elevator dings quietly, and the doors open to a white-walled corridor. She steps out and finally decides to introduce herself. “I’m Amaya Hastings. Carlos is busy with a project, but he’ll call you himself from a secure line with the details of your trial.”

She wasn’t joking about fast-tracking. I didn’t expect to have a trial. An interview maybe, but the speed of it makes me uneasy, as does something else she said. “Secure line?”

She nods as she opens the door to a small office. “We take security very seriously. You wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t already run a thorough background check on you.”

She takes a seat behind the desk and gestures for me to sit. “Your credentials are impressive. And a former Navy SEAL will be a welcome addition to the team, but my question for you is can you be discrete?”

A warning sounds in my stomach, but I nod slowly. “When it’s called for.”

Her eyes narrow slightly. “If you plan to work for Carlos, it will always be called for.”

She pushes a contract across the desk. “This is a non-disclosure agreement. The sooner you sign, the sooner you can start your trial period.”

I frown at the contract and slide it closer so I can skim read it. A non-disclosure isn’t unusual for a security detail, especially for a billionaire; what is unusual is the way it’s worded to include both Carlos himself and a woman.

“Who’s Laurie Fletcher?” I ask.

She leans forward, and there’s a warning in her voice that’s impossible to miss. “Sign the document Mr. Novak. And you’ll find out everything you need to know.”

I swallow hard and stare at the contract. “And all employees sign one of these?”

It’s a stupid question, but I’m stalling, hoping I can find another way rather than locking myself in for the entire month.

Amaya looks at me like I’m a moron. “Yes. That is for the initial thirty-day period. If you meet Carlos’ expectations, you’ll be given another to sign,” she says tersely.

Rather than annoy her further I read the terms again, and when I’m sure they aren’t outlandish, I reach for the pen.

I stare at the spot my name should go, stomach sending me signals this could end badly, but with no other choice, I scrawl my signature on the bottom.

Amaya nods slowly, and I’m sure I catch something resembling sympathy on her face. “Carlos will call you this evening with your instructions. Once you’ve completed the first part of your trial, he’ll meet with you himself,” she says.

I force a smile and wish I felt a little more pleased I got what I came here for.

If I’m wrong, I just got a month-long trial with an employer who offers more money and more benefits than the government ever did.

If I’m right, I might have the answers I’ve been searching for.

But as Amaya walks me back along the corridor, I get the sensation of being watched.

I glance up and sure enough find several cameras along the ceiling. Amaya catches me looking. “All cameras in the building from the penthouse to the garage feed to Carlos’ office.”

The idea that there’s a guy in his office somewhere watching everyone in the building is more than a little unnerving.

We reach the elevator and Amaya hands me a temporary pass. “This will get you through the entry gate and into the elevator. Until you have been here twelve months, you’ll only have access to this floor.”

My eyebrows raise but at the look on her face, and the handshake she’s offering, I quash any questions I have.

I shake her hand, pleased I at least have some place to start now.

But as I see the red blinking light of the camera watching on, I have the craziest feeling; I just made a deal with the devil.

***

Laurie

5.13 am Friday

I wake, covered in sweat, heart pounding in my chest as the fragments of a dream still swim through me.

My hair is plastered to my forehead, nightgown stuck to my damp skin, and my throat devoid of all moisture.

Two months and two hundred miles away, and still I feel everything as if it were happening right now.

I take a gulp of breath, ice running down my back as I throw back the covers and swing my legs over the side of the bed.

Questions pummel into me. Questions I can’t find the answer to. Even away from Carlos.

It takes me a few minutes to calm myself as memory after memory slams into me with the force of a hammer.

I’m crying, shaking, looking at the brand-new laptop Carlos gave me.

My credit card debt, my student loan has all been paid.

Nausea fills me when I realize last night in Carlos’ private office was only the beginning.

I run to my bathroom, retching as I finally see what I’ve been trying to deny for a year.

I’m trapped.

My hands are trembling when I finally make it to the stove in the tiny kitchen and switch on the gas.

Stomach too knotted to eat, I lean on the counter and try to calm my raging heart down a few beats.

I take a seat on the front porch and release a sigh after I take a sip of my coffee.

A sunrise is bathing the lookout in golden hues of warmth that radiates through my body.

Out past the edge of the cliff, there’s nothing but mile upon mile of Douglas Firs and Spruce.

I inhale deeply, trying to enjoy the solitude, the peace, and the glorious lack of walls that were ever-present until I came here.

Like I do every morning, I sit with my legs stretched out and my back pressed into the rough wood of the lookout hut.

As forecasted, the clouds are rolling in, and it’s cooler than usual, hinting at the downpour that will arrive in the next few hours.

I make a mental note to check the temperature and gauges. If it does rain, I’ll have even less to do to fill my days.

I’ll still have to monitor, but the fire risk will be at a low if rain dampens the entire area.

I lean my head back and drink my coffee as the sun slowly rises over the tops of the trees.

For the last two months, the only contact I’ve had with another human being is the disjointed voice at the other end of the radio.

Twice a day, I check in with Carla, set up in the firehouse, and we have a sparse exchange as I tell her the weather conditions and the wind direction.

And as far as I’m concerned, the less contact with anyone in the firehouse, the better.

The last thing I need is company. Even if I am feeling isolated and in need of human contact, it’s more than dangerous.

Contact means connection. And neither would serve me in my current situation.

I roll my shoulders back and set my coffee cup down on the porch. With a groan at how stiff my spine is, I get to my feet and head back inside to dress for the day.

As the watery sun splashes inside the hut, I dress and pull on my dusty hiking boots.

I lace them taut, grab my binoculars, my backpack, and check I have enough time to take my morning walk.

With only the sound of birds chirping, I make my way down the mountainside, as I relish the silence and solitude.

I know what most people would say to the offer to come live here for three months, the wilderness, the isolation and the lack of cell coverage would be enough to deter ninety percent of the population.

But for me, this is what freedom looks like.

And there isn’t anywhere I’d rather be than right here on top of a mountain.

I trek until I reach a jagged stone large enough for me to sit on, and perch atop it so I can catch my breath.

If the rain does come, this might be the last time I get to hike for a few days. It‘s not worth the risk of injury when no one will notice I’ve been missing for a few hours.

I pull out my canteen, take a swig, and check the time before jumping back down again.

By the time I reach the lookout, rain clouds have gathered and I’m puffing with my growling stomach reminding me I need breakfast.

My keys are in my hands and I‘m about to unlock the door when I catch movement that makes me freeze.

I frown, and take a step back, squinting as a vehicle rolls over the gravel at the top of the track.

I know it won’t be Carlos. He’d never come here himself.

But it doesn’t stop the fear from snaking its way down my spine as a Jeep with tinted windows comes to a stop. I hold my breath, hands carrying a slight tremble as I watch the door open.

For a moment I think I made a mistake and Carlos has come for me himself. But while the man climbing out of the Jeep is a similar build, Carlos would never dress the way the man is in combat fatigues, boots, and a shirt that fits snug against his torso.

He slowly pulls the sunglasses off his face and stalks towards me, unsmiling, his caramel eyes locked on me like I’m a target.

It’s obvious he’s military, I’d know that swagger, that gait anywhere. I mentally brace myself and grip the keys a little tighter in my hand.

My voice comes out a little shaky, from disuse, from nerves. “You’re trespassing. Unless you’re with the US Fire Service, please leave.”

His lip curls slightly, and he comes to a halt just out of touching distance. “I’m Parker. Carlos hired me to bring you home.”

All my muscles tense. I should have seen this coming. I should have known he wouldn’t let me spend the entire summer here.

I was here on borrowed time. It was just a reprieve. And I’d been so happy, I’d almost forgotten.

But regardless of whether he’s sent a man here or not, I refuse to leave before my three months is up.

So far, he isn’t threatening me, but if he works for Carlos, it’s only a matter of time.

I plant my feet, cross my arms and glare at him. “I’m not ready to leave.”

He cocks his head, forehead creasing as he looks at the hut. “Then we have a problem.”

My eyebrow rises as he folds his own arms across his chest. There’s the slightest teasing smirk that makes my blood boil.

He thinks this is a game? Either he doesn’t know anything about Carlos, or he’s an idiot.

“I can’t leave. Carlos gave me a job to do,” I say.

He drops his arms to his sides. “He wants you to go back.”

I hide my fear and try to keep my voice even. “I was supposed to be here for the entire summer.”

He shrugs. “I don’t know what to tell you. Carlos sent me to bring you back to him then I’m to replace you up here.”

That was not what I expected to hear. It takes me a few seconds to recover, but he uses that time to step onto the porch.

He presses his face to the glass and cups his hands. “So, we do have a problem. The lookout isn’t big enough for both of us.”

He spins around, and this time the smirk becomes a smile. “I’ll drive you back to him and be back here before first check-in at ten am.”

He’s serious? He’s actually going to stay here for the rest of the summer, doing my job, in my lookout?

I’m so pissed off, so annoyed Carlos found me, and that’s he’s taken away my freedom, I say the first thing that comes to mind.

“Tell Carlos he can go to hell. And you can join him.”

His eyebrow rises, but he doesn’t say a word when I push past him and shove the key in the lock.

I slam the door in his face, and lock it again, leaving him on the other side of it.

My heart is thrashing in my chest as I hear his boots crunch on the gravel outside.

I stupidly cross my fingers and hope he’ll just get back in his vehicle and disappear.

But when the lockout radio crackles to life two hours early, I know whatever freedom I had out here, is officially over.

***

Parker

Friday 8.02am

So much for an easy start to my job trial.

I’m still a little perturbed my job amounts to nothing more than convincing a woman to leave her post and to stay in a hut for the remainder of the summer.

It wasn’t what I had in mind. I’d hoped to be able to get to know the man in question. And to meet the rest of the security team.

Carlos was quick to warn me Laurie was unbalanced, impulsive and irrational.

I should have known the woman in question would be trouble.

But I didn’t expect her to be a beautiful kind of trouble.

With her sun-kissed skin, full lips, long thick hair and curves that are just begging to be explored, I can see why Carlos wanted her back.

But with her frosty attitude, and possible instability she’s going to be more than a challenge.

I check my watch, and head back to my vehicle, kicking myself for being so damn stupid.

The second I got the bizarre call to come out here, I knew something was off.

A woman doesn’t spend the entire summer in complete isolation unless she has reason to.

I grab my duffel out of the front seat and toss it on the hood of my vehicle.

I lean my hip against the hood as I try to think about my next move. I could drive back down the track and get hold of Carlos, tell him Laurie is being as stubborn as he said she’d be.

I’m not sure why Carlos needs her back before Monday, but it’s the perfect opportunity to find out more about Carlos from someone I suspect might not like him.

And when I come back, I’ll have a way inside.

I look around at the vast expanse of trees, and fill my lungs with the cool, clean air, nothing like the smog of the city.

I watch the grey clouds rolling across the sky, smell the scent of moisture in the air and know the forecast will be correct.

And while I can think of worse places to be while I figure things out, I’d rather not piss off the person who hired me and his head of security.

Trouble is, I’m not sure I can convince Laurie of anything if she’s not going to talk to me.

I stare at the wall of the hut, trying to decide how best to get her to open the door, when rain starts to fall, forcing me to move.

I drop my bag on the porch and bang my fist on the door. “I can and will pick this lock. But I’d rather be civilized about it.”

I don’t expect her to open, so I have to take a step backward as she appears with a frown on her face. “Pick the lock?”

I nod, and make sure I keep my posture relaxed. “One of my many skills.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, but her shoulders droop a little. “Carla contacted me. She said I can leave whenever I want.”

I scan the tiny hut but she pre-empts me with a question I can’t answer. “Why didn’t Amaya come?”

I cock my head at her as I try to figure out what she’s hinting at.

I lean against the wall and frown at her. “Maybe she was busy?”

She snorts a laugh. “I doubt that’s the reason she’s not here.”

I shrug. “Well, I am here. And I have all weekend to talk you around. I’m confident in my ability to do that.”

Her face tightens. “And talking is all you’ll do to me?”

I can only guess at what she’s inferring. But I don’t like the way her body is tensing like she’s preparing for the worst.

For the dumbest reason I can’t explain, I want to reassure her, so I step back and raise my hands in the air. “I told Carlos I’d try to talk you around and then stay in your place. If I can’t get you to leave, I aim to keep up at least half of that agreement.”

Her eyes widen then narrow in a heartbeat. “This lookout isn’t big enough for us both.”

I nod slowly. “That’s what I’m saying. One of us has to leave, and before Monday morning rolls around, I’ll do everything I can to make sure it’s you.”

She holds my stare and her chins rises in a silent challenge.

Her chest starts to rise and fall making it impossible not to notice her incredible tits straining against the fabric of her shirt.

My eyes linger far too long when she drags a hand through her hair and licks her lip. “If you’re going to be here, we should set some ground rules.”

She looks around the tiny hut and her eyes land on the bed. “You can sleep in your vehicle.”

My lip curls as I shake my head. “Nope. Sorry. I have a bad back.”

Instead of reluctantly agreeing like I planned, she just presses her lips together and shakes her head.

She backs up a step and moves towards the coffee pot on the stove. “Fine.”

I hide my surprise as she spoons coffee into the pot, and ties her hair back, ignoring me completely.

Well, shit.

If she’s going to keep calling my bluff like that, this weekend is going to be even more interesting than I thought.