Ethan nodded. “That’s why I’m here. I need to talk to Sadie.”
“Good idea.”
“Tell Samantha hello for me,” Val said.
“Will do,” said Nick.
They passed by the conference room with its long mahogany table and black leather chairs. Beneath the staircase, Val noticed a big black gun safe, probably de rigueur for a successful security firm.
They climbed the stairs to the second floor, then headed down a corridor with doors off each side, stopped in front of an open doorway where a handsome blond man sat behind his desk.
The office was large, with a nice window looking out over the street. The room was furnished in the same black-and-chrome motif as downstairs, with a butter-soft black leather sofa against one wall. A little girl’s pink plush rabbit sat at one end, carefully positioned as if the animal were there for a visit.
“Ian, this is Valerie Hartman. Val, this is my cousin, Ian. He’s also my boss.”
Ian stood up from behind his desk, tall, athletic, nicely dressed in tan slacks and a yellow Oxford shirt. He walked around to greet her. “A pleasure to meet you, Val.”
“You too, Ian.” They briefly shook hands. She glanced over at the rabbit. “Ethan mentioned you were married. Do you have children?”
His friendly smile widened. “I have a beautiful little four-year-old girl.”
“She and Hannah must be great friends.”
Ian’s smile slipped. “I’m sure they will be, once Ethan gets things worked out.”
A noise sounded in the doorway before she had a chance to respond. Because she had no idea what to say, she was grateful for the interruption.
“Hey, bro. Good to see you.” A tall, lanky, amazingly good-looking man with sun-streaked brown hair and incredible blue eyes sauntered into the office. “This your lady?”
Ethan’s lady? Was she? And why didn’t she correct the impression before it was too late?
“Luke, this is Valerie Hartman. Val, my brother, Luke.”
Those brilliant blue eyes assessed her. “Nice meeting you, Val.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “My brother’s always had good taste in women. He’s definitely outclassed himself this time.”
“Thank you . . . I think. I understand you work here, too.”
“More or less.” At first glance, Luke seemed far more laid-back than his brother. But there was something about him . . . Perhaps it was the same core of steel she recognized in Ethan.
“It’s a family business,” Ian said. “Though Luke tends to be a bit of a wanderer.”
Luke grinned and a sexy dimple dug into his left cheek. In a different way, he was every bit as hot as his older brother. “Wandering’s kind of a job requirement. I’m a bounty hunter.”
“Wow.” The word slipped out before she could stop it. “That sounds . . .”Dangerous as all bloody hell.“Umm . . . exciting.”
Built more like Dirk than Ethan, he shrugged a pair of lean, hard-muscled shoulders. “Money’s good, if you know what you’re doing.”
“I can imagine.”
She felt Ethan’s hand at her waist. She wondered if it was meant as a subtle message. “Come on. Sadie’s waiting.”
They left the office and headed farther down the hall, into a room with an oversized desk and triple computer screens. The fifty-year-old computer wiz Ethan had talked about, Sadie Gunderson, had very curly platinum-blond hair with dark roots that matched her dark eyebrows. She was a big woman with more than her share of wrinkles and a serious look on her face.
She glanced away from the monitor and looked up at Ethan. “So . . . more dead bodies, I hear. You seem to be collecting them lately.”
“Two since we left. One in Dallas, one in Atlanta. Unfortunately, the one in Atlanta didn’t die soon enough.” He tipped his head toward Val. “Sadie, this is Valerie Hartman.”
“Valentine,” the woman said. “You’re one of the models. I’m sorry about your friend.”
