Read an Excerpt
Chapter 5
Sawyer’s house was a total surprise. Because he was such an alpha type of man, Chloe thought he’d have a simple home, with sports memorabilia on the walls and a big-screen TV as the focal point in the room. But his home was very nicely designed and decorated, a warm living space.
Located in the west end of Las Vegas, his two-story redbrick house didn’t display any extravagance. She did notice, however, how clean and uncluttered everything was. From top to bottom, she couldn’t find a speck of dust anywhere.
After using the bathroom, she found Sawyer in the living room. “I thought you might like this,” he said with a smile, offering her a glass of wine.
She accepted the drink. “Thanks. I sure do.”
As she took an appreciative sip, she scanned the room’s open layout. The back of the house had a chef’s kitchen, with black marble countertops surrounded by cherrywood cabinets. The dining room was furnished in dark wood, and black leather couches flanked by glass end tables decorated the living room.
“You’re killing me here,” said Sawyer, voice dry. “Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
Chloe swallowed the wine and turned to him. He rested a hip against the couch, arms crossed over his thick chest and brow furrowed. “I cannot get over how nice your house is.”
His eyes creased at the corners. “You thought I’d live like a pig?”
“No, of course not.” She waved him off. “I’m just impressed.”
He reached down and grabbed his beer off the end table. “Don’t be too impressed. I have a cleaning service that comes biweekly. And Ash decorated the place.” He moved to the couch, taking his cell phone from his pocket and placing it on the coffee table. “When I bought the house a while back, I gave her my credit card and a spending limit and told her to have fun.”
Chloe noted the teal afghan draped across the recliner by the bay window, which should’ve been a dead giveaway of a woman’s touch. Most men didn’t care about throw blankets. Keeping her wineglass tight in her hand, she went and sat on the love seat opposite him. “Is that what Ash does for a living?”
He swallowed the beer in his mouth and nodded. “She’s been an interior designer for a couple of years.” At Chloe’s obvious bafflement, he chuckled. “Why does that shock you?”
“Her house was”—she half shrugged—“not designed.”
“She hasn’t lived there long.” He rested his ankles on the ottoman, crossing one over the other. “But you also didn’t see her bedroom. That’s the one room she has decorated.” He smiled, love for his sister evident in his eyes.
Chloe noticed the metal artwork on the walls, with splashes of teal to brighten up the masculine space. “I am so going to hire her when she’s feeling better.” Her house could use someone who knew how to put colors together.
“I’m sure she’d love to. You two will hit it off.”
Chloe sipped her wine. “Why do you say that?”
“Because she’s a lot like you.”
“In what way?”
“You’re both darn good at your jobs, committed in a way most people aren’t.” His stare held hers, intense and honest. “She’s sweet, funny, kind, and caring—just like you.”
Chloe took a sip of her wine as she considered his words. Sawyer knew how to dish out thoughtful compliments.
“Are you trying to flatter me?”
“If being honest is flattering you, then yes.”
The heat in his voice sent butterflies flitting around in her belly. The passionate look he gave her had her clenching her thighs. To neutralize the sudden rush of tingles within her, she placed her wineglass on the coffee table and reached for her phone. No calls. No texts. “Nothing from Shane yet.”
Sawyer chuckled. “In a hurry to get out of here?”
“Aren’t you?” She lifted her head, seeing the heat in his eyes. “We should be out finding Travis. I’m not very good at sitting around and waiting.”
His laugh turned a bit deeper, throatier. “Now that is something I can agree to.” He finished off his beer in one big gulp and rose. “I stayed at the hospital last night with Ash and left from there to go see you at the office. Would you mind if I had a shower?”
“Nope, go for it.” Chloe’s cheeks warmed.
Sawyer naked? Oh, Jesus!
A small smile graced his face as he grabbed the TV remote off the coffee table and clicked the TV on. He handed her the controller. “Feel free to watch anything you’d like. I’ll be quick.”
The burn of passion lingered in the air as he left the living room and headed up the staircase. She blew out a long breath, curled her legs underneath her, and began flicking through TV stations for something mindless. The moment she reached a soap opera she used to watch in her teens, Sawyer’s cellphone rang on the coffee table.
Leaning forward, she glanced at the screen. Captain. Since she heard the shower going, she ignored the call and continued to surf the channels. A short while later his phone rang again. This time the caller ID showed Dmitri. She remembered Porter mentioning a Dmitri before, but she’d never met him, or Aidan or Kyler, either, though she knew they also were Porter’s buddies.
When the ringing stopped, the call probably going to voicemail, Chloe leaned back into the couch. She’d just settled in to watch the show when the phone rang again, the caller ID now showing Mom. Worry formed in Chloe’s gut. Three people called in less than five minutes. Maybe something had happened with Ashlyn. Even better, perhaps they caught Travis.
She heard the water stop running through the pipes, indicating that Sawyer turned off the shower. Concerned about Ashlyn, she grabbed his phone and moved toward the staircase. “Sawyer?”
Not receiving a response, she began to climb the stairs. Once at the top, she discovered two bedrooms to the right and a master bedroom to the left, with a small loft area that held his computer. “Sawyer?”
“In here.” His voice carried from the master bedroom.
She walked along the hallway and went into the bedroom. Black bedroom furniture nestled against walls painted dark gray. A door on the left was slightly ajar, and she could see steam clouding the mirror of the en suite bathroom. She said to an empty room, “You got three phone calls in a short amount of time. I thought it might be important, so I—” The door beside the bathroom opened, and Chloe’s heart skipped a couple of beats.
Sawyer exited the walk-in closet wearing a pair of jeans, with a towel hanging around his shoulders. “Really?”
Chloe heard herself saying without even thinking about it. “You can’t be serious.”
He stopped dead, surprise flickering in his eyes. “What?”
“You come out looking like that?” She roamed every inch of his body. From his thick neck and strong shoulders to the valley of his abdominal muscles and even that sexy vee at his waist, he looked good half naked. Damn good.
“Is there something wrong with my body?”
The annoyance in his voice made her snap her head up. The irritation in his eyes matched what she’d heard in his voice. “You, Sawyer Quinn, do not play fair.”
