Logan closed the laptop and rolled his shoulders back. He hadn’t found anything more than the police. The IP address pinged back to an area where there were too many public sources to define where the emails had originated.

Weslee had been on her phone for the past hour, working out marketing details for the contract with Total Works Gym and Spa. Trenton Williams had agreed to allow Ground Zero into several of his flagship gyms to test the market.

At least Logan didn’t need to worry about Trenton putting the moves on Weslee. She had asked her assistant to oversee the implementation, which meant she didn’t need to have any more face-to-face meetings with the guy. However, it also meant that she wasn’t coming out to California either.

She glanced over at him and mouthed, “One minute.” Then gave him a smile that made him want to cross the floor, toss her phone on the couch, and press her against the wall for another round of kissing. Inez was an awfully loose chaperone. Logan knew that when Jon returned from his conference the kissing would have to be toned way down.

Getting to his feet, he stretched and walked over to look out the large picture window that almost took up the whole wall. From the third level of the house, he could easily see over the dunes, giving him a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean. Rolling waves crashed onto the shore, darkening the sand as the water stretched further with each wave.

“Sorry that took so long,” Weslee said, coming up behind him and slipping her arms around his middle. “Want to go for a walk?” she asked, pressing her cheek against his back.

The second she touched him his pulse went from a nice steady rhythm all the way to full throttle. “Yeah.” He covered her hands with his, knowing his feelings for Weslee had gone full throttle too. He had fallen in love with her, and it wasn’t just all about the physical chemistry between them. It wasn’t that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, or how sweet she was, or how generous she was with her money. It was all of that combined and something so much deeper he couldn’t put words to it.

Robbie had been the catalyst Logan needed to make him see what was right in front of him. After going through her email and social media messages, the guy wasn’t Weslee’s only admirer. Dallin Morrison had also been messaging her, asking if he could take her out to dinner the next time he was near the East Coast. All Weslee had to do was give him the green light and the politician would be here on the next flight out.

Logan turned around so Weslee was in his arms. He didn’t want to let this woman go. Ever. He couldn’t guarantee nothing would happen to him or to her. No amount of strength or skills could ward off a terminal illness, but he also knew she was worth the risk.

“I could get used to this,” he said, tightening his hold on her.

“Me too.” She tipped her face up and studied him for a long moment, her beautiful eyes filled with love for him. The words I love you were on the tip of his tongue. It was so obvious that she shared his feelings. If she told him she loved him could he say it back? He’d never uttered those three little words to another woman besides his mother.

“If you keep looking at me like that, Miss Campbell, I’ll be forced to take action.”

Her lips parted in a sweet but very sexy smile that lured him in like a kid in a candy store. “That’s what I’m counting on, soldier.”

Grinning, Logan bent his head and covered her mouth with his. He was unprepared for the shockwave of emotions that rocketed through him the second their lips touched. Somehow acknowledging the depth of his feelings for her had become an accelerant, like throwing gasoline onto a fire. It consumed him as he kissed her deeply, tasting her and breathing her in.

“We better go for that walk,” Logan said, forcing himself to end the kiss. Miss Inez had gone to help her neighbor prepare for the gathering that evening, so he and Weslee were completely alone. It was far too tempting to push for something more. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand, “before I do something your nanny will not approve of.”

They walked hand in hand down the private boardwalk that took them across the dunes and down to the beach.

“You didn’t find anything on my computer, did you?” she asked.

“Nope.” He intertwined their fingers together and looked at her. “Guess I’m not a hotshot computer geek after all.” He almost pressed her about her password again, which she’d changed before he could unlock the door of the bedroom she’d run into with her computer. He also hadn’t found anything incriminating in her files. He would get that password out of her, eventually.

“Guess you’re not,” she said with a laugh, slipping off her shoes before they left the boardwalk.

It was an overcast day with a light breeze. Weslee shivered when her bare feet hit the sand, and he saw goosebumps on her arms. “Do you want to go back and get a jacket?”

“No,” she said, snuggling in close to him. “Not when I have you to keep me warm.”

Chuckling, Logan let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Better?” he asked in a rough voice. Shoot. He was so gone on this girl. He was going to be eating crow when his team found out. Especially Jace, who liked to refer to someone who falls in love as a single person dying.

“Much,” she said, leaning her head against his bicep.

He scanned the area before they set off on their walk. Logan saw very few people out. Just a woman walking her dog and further down the beach there was a group of kids playing volleyball. The ocean roared as a large wave rolled in and crashed onto the shoreline. “Which way?” he asked.

“Let’s go this way,” she said, pointing in the direction of the Whitaker’s house. “I’d like to see if the Rowlings are here visiting.” She went on to explain how she’d mentored the two Rowling girls the year before, teaching them all about archery. She wanted to make sure they were signed up for the fundraising tournament in a few weeks.

Logan remained vigilant as they passed by the next-door neighbor’s property. Although he didn’t see Robbie or any other family members, he sensed they were being watched. He wished he could’ve pinned Robbie as the stalker, but given the frequent communication between him and Weslee and his open admiration and persistence in getting her to go out with him, he doubted the guy would also send her anonymous messages that would drive her away.

“Are you ever going to teach me to shoot an arrow?” he asked as they approached the Rowling’s beach house. He’d found some of her archery equipment stored in the garage when he’d explored the house this morning. In the game room, her dad had also dedicated one of the walls in honor of all the awards she’d won over the years, including the bow and arrows she’d used to win her first championship. She was good, and he’d like to see her in action.

“I would love to,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “But we better pick a day that isn’t so windy or you’ll never come close to hitting a bullseye.”

“Is that a challenge?”

“If it is it wouldn’t be a fair one,” she said with amusement.

Logan came to a stop so he could look at her. “You’re talking smack with the wrong guy.”

“I’m not talking smack. I’m just letting you know that I’m good and I can almost guarantee I would win.”

“Want to bet on it?” he asked.

“What are the stakes?”

He considered her for a moment. A kiss would’ve been his first choice, but since she liked kissing him as much as he liked kissing her it would be a moot point. “You have to tell me what the password was.”

“And what do I get when I win?”

“When?” he asked with a low chuckle. “Your trash-talk is only making me more determined.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his neck. “So, what’s my prize?”

A diamond ring? was the first thought that entered Logan’s mind. Shoot, the once crazy thought didn’t sound as crazy anymore, which made him want to put on the brakes. But gazing into those eyes of hers was like a runaway truck coming down a hill, gaining momentum with each passing second. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. He wasn’t even sure an emergency truck ramp would help.

“What do you want it to be?” he asked, slipping his hands to her lower back so he could pull her closer.

Now it was her turn to consider him. Logan got lost in pools of blue, knowing that whatever she asked of him he’d want to give her. “I need time to think about it,” she finally said in a soft voice.

As he lowered his head, she rose up to meet his mouth. He kissed her, long and slow, wondering how he had ever lived without her. The kiss came to an end when her cell phone pinged several times in a row. “You better see if that’s Miss Inez before she comes looking for us.”

She sighed heavily. “I suppose you’re right.” She gave him a peck on the lips before releasing her hold to pull her phone from her back pocket. She swiped the screen and all the color drained from her face.

“What is it?” Logan asked moving so he could see the screen. He swore and took the phone from her. “Now he’s crossed a line,” he said between clenched teeth.

The picture of him and Weslee dancing at the charity ball had been edited so that a red X was painted over Logan’s face. The accompanying messages had been sent in one word increments, and they were not directed at Weslee. They were meant for Logan.

Leave. Her. Alone. Or. You’re. A. Dead. Man.

Feeling like he had a sniper’s bead on him, he cursed himself for leaving his gun back at the house. Worse, Weslee was just as visible as he was. “Let’s get back to the house,” he said, not knowing if he should get in front of her or behind her to lessen her exposure. “You up for a run?” he finally settled on, taking her hand and pulling her along with him before she could make a reply.

Whoever took this picture had been at the ball, and because he’d been too busy moving in a for a kiss, he had missed him. Maybe he wasn’t the best man to protect Weslee after all. At the very least, he needed backup for the archery tournament.

He knew Kate was on another detail that week, but he wasn’t sure about Jace or any of the other members of his team. Once he notified Detective O’Brien about the escalated threat, he would send out a text to the guys to see who might be available.

“What do we tell Inez?” Weslee panted as they hurried across the boardwalk.

“Everything,” Logan said, not sure if the same held true for Jon. He wouldn’t be able to do anything more if he were here. Still, he’d ask for Weslee and Inez’s input before he talked to him. “She needs to be alert.”

“Okay.” Then Weslee stumbled and cried out in pain. Logan hadn’t let her put her shoes on and now her big toe was bleeding from where she’d stubbed it.

“Sorry,” he said, sweeping her up into his arms. “This isn’t going to be comfortable.” He carried her over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry so he didn’t lose any momentum.

Once they were safely inside, he located a first-aid kit and doctored Weslee’s toe. She was very quiet the entire time. When he finished, she took his hand and curled her fingers tightly around it.

“I saw that same picture on Instagram while I was on the phone today. Someone tagged me in it, so I know the post is recent.”

Logan pressed the home button to bring up the screen of apps. He didn’t want Weslee to dwell on the photo of him or the threatening message. “Will you please find it for me?” he asked, noting her trembling fingers as she nodded her head and took the phone.

“Here you go,” she said, handing him back the phone.

“Do you know this person?” he asked, reading over the innocuous caption. @ShopTillYouDrop had noted what a cute couple they made and then asked where Weslee Campbell shopped for her date. Weslee had over two hundred thousand followers, so weeding through the thousands of comments would take time. He’d send it to AJ, his white-collared IT guy he’d brought in as a partner for his cybersecurity company.

He looked over some of the other posts she’d been tagged in. One of them was a shot of her in front of one of the cancer research children’s hospitals here in San Diego. Logan recognized the dress. It was the same white dress she’d had on that day he’d run into her on the beach. He tapped on the picture and scrolled to the bottom of the comments to find the date stamped, which coincided with the day he’d first met Weslee. The caption by @CancerSurvivor was as innocent as Weslee was in all of this. “I want to grow up to be just like this amazing woman…thanks to her I’ll get that chance.”

“Do you know this person?” he asked, showing Weslee the picture.

She studied it for a moment. “I recognize her name, but don’t know her personally.” She leaned in close, her hair brushing against Logan’s forearm. “That picture was posted a few hours before I met you…ran into you on the beach.”

“I know.” He let out a frustrated breath. Maybe her stalker hadn’t been to California that day after all? If the guy was a regular follower then he would’ve seen this picture. The news didn’t comfort him because it was going to take a lot of time trying to find someone who consistently followed every post Weslee was tagged in.

After sending a message to AJ and Detective O’Brien, Logan sent out an SOS to his team. “I need someone to cover my six in a couple of weeks…any takers?”

The replies came in one by one. If they could swing it, his guys would gladly provide backup. Now he just had to find out who wanted him dead.