“And I want them to stay that way.”
“What if you worked from home?” suggested Alex.
“And what if it takes the cops a while to find Patterson?” Dana argued. “I can’t be at home the whole time. I have meetings and business lunches to attend.”
“Then work from my home,” he countered. “I can give you all the space you need.”
Dana glanced at Phil. Alex knew she was uncomfortable about advertising their relationship, but the ship had already sailed on that one.
“No.” She shook her head. “Thank you, but I don’t want to uproot my life and my work.”
This woman was driving him nuts. She’d been pale and jittery when he’d arrived, and had fallen into his arms the moment he’d been shown to her office.
He’d been fighting a major case of the jitters himself. As soon as her text had appeared on his phone, glowing at him in the semidarkness as he viewed a PowerPoint presentation in the Vice offices, his heart had bottomed out. The very idea that someone would harass Dana made his gut turn over. He’d raced out of the meeting, to everyone’s astonishment, stopping only to leave a quick message with his assistant. He hadn’t bothered to page his driver, Pierre, and had run into the executive parking lot, preferring to drive himself. It was amazing he’d arrived in one piece.
Patterson had gone too far. It was one thing to stalk Alex, but if he thought he could stalk Dana, he had another think coming.
So why was she pushing back on this? He’d explained everything that the dirt bag had done so far.
“Okay.” Alex calmed his racing pulse. “How’s this? You work from home.Yourhome. I’ll keep you company. We’ll keep a couple of my security guys outside your condo, just in case. You’ll have my fleet of drivers at your disposal, to take you to any meetings you need to attend.”
She hesitated, clearly tempted, but when she opened her mouth, Alex knew it was to object.
He turned to Dana’s manager. “Phil, could you give us a minute?”
Phil nodded and left her office.
Alex grabbed Dana’s hands. “I’m trying hard to stay calm here. So, in my calmest voice, I’m telling you these are your options. I know what you’re thinking. I have no right to tell you what to do.”
She huffed.
“But I’m telling you anyway because the thought of anyone hurting you scares the shit out of me.”
“Alex.”
“If you insist on working, you either work from my home or I work from yours. Either way, you’re stuck with me.”
“I know you’re worried.”
“You’re right. I am. Patterson found a way into your office. I’m not letting you out of my sight, Dana.”
He’d been lax with Shannon.
He wouldn’t make the same mistake again.
She stroked the skin at the edge of his splint. “What happened to taking things as they come and not rushing our relationship?”
“Shit happens. We adapt.” Cupping her cheek, he drew her in for a kiss. “I’m sure the cops will find Patterson right away. In the meantime, humor me, okay? Just with this one thing.”
“Okay.” She smiled. “But you stay in my condo.”
His shoulders relaxed and he pretended to grimace. “Your place, huh? I saw your hall closet. Not veryfeng shui. We need to talk about that.”
She punched him in his good left arm.
Chapter Sixteen
Alex moved his things in late that afternoon. A few of his things, anyway. Dana couldn’t help grinning when he walked into her condo with only his laptop bag, a small piece of luggage, and a garment bag that held a few suits. Of course, he lived right down the street. If he needed anything else, he could literally walk to Vice or send his driver.
