"I didn't want to," Lacie admitted. She wrinkled her nose at the other receptionist. "Gloria made me."
Gloria smacked her gum and rolled her eyes. "I thought the same thing as you, Allison. We called the shop. They said there was no mistake. The guy who ordered them paid cash and demanded anonymity."
Lacie looked at them curiously. "Ana … What?"
Gloria gave a world-weary sigh. "He wanted to remain nameless. Said something about them being a memento of sorts, I guess."
The edgy feeling returned with greater force, and this time, Allison couldn't shake the shadow creeping over her. She looked over her shoulder. The lobby was bright and clean and filled with normal looking people. She exhaled with agitation, at herself and the worry stabbing her gut. "That's all he said? A memento. Nothing about memories … or an anniversary?"
"Nope. Nothing." Gloria popped her gum again, bored with the interrogation. She went back to answering calls.
Lacie wore a far-away look. "Aren't romantic mysteries the best?" She swayed dreamily. "I've always imagined I had a secret admirer out there. He'd see me at the grocery store, or the coffee shop, or I walk past him on the street everyday at lunch hour. I always take the same route, just in case." Her eyes gleamed. "It could happen, you know."
By contrast, Allison had trained herself to never walk the same route twice. Never park in the same place. Not even use the same door when she entered and left a building.
Lacie rambled on. "He's desperately in love with me, but I'm so far out of his league he hasn't found the courage yet to talk to me, or ask me to marry him."
Gloria stabbed the mute button. "Yeah, right, keep dreaming."
"I will," Lacie retorted.
Allison admitted a truth. "Obsession is not as romantic as it sounds, believe me."
"Neither is a stalker," Gloria muttered. "You want to answer your phone already, Cinderella?"
Allison cut in. "Lacie, have you seen Logan around?"
The girl snapped her fingers. "That's right! I was supposed to tell you he's waiting out front."
Allison swallowed her frustration. "Thanks."
"No problem," Lacie chirped. She picked up the blinking phone line. "Thanks for calling Stone Security. How may I direct your call?"
Racing out the door, Allison wove through the pedestrian-packed sidewalk. She barreled through ankle-deep slush and nearly ran into Logan.
Gripping her elbows to steady her, he demanded, "Where have you been?"
"Waiting for you."
He glowered. "Didn't Lacie page you?"
"No, but I'm here now. Let's go." She glanced around. "Where's your Escalade?"
"We're taking a different mode of transportation." He gestured to the glistening black limousine. Without waiting for the driver, he opened the door. "Ladies first."
"Good grief, Logan. Are you serious? A limo?"
"We're about to be late. Get in."
She scooted across the warm leather bench seat. "Why the extravagance?"
He shut the door and brushed snowflakes off his trench coat. "I don't know what's involved. If you needed to take the rest of the day to relax, I'd have the limo drop you off at home. Then I'd go back to work, since I've got six blueprints to approve and a stack of agreements on my desk to sign."
The gesture was thoughtful, but unnecessary. "I'm sure it's not a big deal. Just a routine exam."
He arched an eyebrow. "Nothing is routine when it comes to my kid." He patted her thigh. "Just taking precautions."
As they sped away, Logan glanced out the window as buildings zipped past. He sat forward, elbows on his knees. The toe of one shoe drummed impatiently. His thumbs tapped together in an anxious rhythm.
"Logan, are you nervous?"
"No way." He sat back, ran a hand through his hair. He looked at the floor, then at her. "Okay, maybe."
Her heart warmed. Her big, brave bodyguard-the King of the Security Mountain-was worried about a tiny being barely the size of a pea. She smiled reassuringly. "It'll be fine."
Thirty minutes later, she was naked on her back with a scant cloth over her, knees splayed under the flimsy paper gown, bare feet wedged into stirrups. "We need to go over your past history," the doctor stated. As if they were discussing the weather or Starbuck's latest coffee creation.
Right as Dr. Murray inserted the metal speculum and cranked it wide, Logan breezed into the room.
Allison clenched. "Oh! My gosh." Her hands fisted. "Logan, what are you doing?"
"The nurse said I could be here for the exam."
She sent a steely look to Dr. Murray. The doc smiled benignly at Logan and nodded.