LOGINStacyThe sharp ring of my phone nearly sent me out of the chair.I jolted upright, heart hammering, breath ragged. My head throbbed like a drumline was marching behind my eyes, and for a second, I couldn’t even place where I was.Kitchen.The table beneath my arms was sticky with sweat and condensation from a glass that had tipped on its side. Beside it, the bottle—whiskey. Nearly gone. A faint amber halo still swirled at the bottom like it was mocking me.I didn’t remember pouring the glass.Hell, I didn’t remember finishing the bottle.But there it was. Evidence of a night I’d spent trying to drink away panic. And failing.The phone buzzed again, closer now. I fumbled for it, still blinking the bleariness from my vision. I didn’t even look at the screen before answering. My mouth was dry, lips cracked.“Yeah?”A pause.
StacyThe call came in just after six. I was halfway through organizing a patient’s test results when Levi’s name flashed across my phone.The minute I saw his name, I knew something was wrong. He never called me during work hours—he texted. Sent check-ins. Confirmations. Quiet updates. Not calls.I answered instantly. “Talk.”“She’s gone.”The words hit me like a punch to the ribs.“What do you mean&mda
Beth“That was Levi,” I said, waving vaguely toward the door as it clicked shut. “He’s… uh, my bodyguard.”Rachel’s eyebrows shot up. “Your what now?”“Bodyguard,” I repeated, biting back a laugh at her expression. “Stacy hired him after Tommy totaled my car. He didn’t like the idea of me being without protection.”“Oh my God,” Rachel whispered, leaning in like I’d just confessed to harboring a mafia secret. “He’s your own personal Jason Statham?”“More like if Jason Statham shopped at REI and drank protein shakes with kale,” I said, grabbing my drink.“And you’re okay with that?”“Yeah. At first we were both kind of on edge. Levi was intense—always scanning rooftops and watching everyone who walked within a ten-foot radius of me. But lately&h
BethRachel knocked once before bursting into my office, two paper bags in her arms and a grin like she’d just won a game show.“Lunch delivery for the overworked goddess,” she sang.I looked up from my screen, blinking out of the spreadsheet coma I’d been in for the last four hours. “Oh my God. You brought food? Actual food? I was about to eat a cough drop and pretend it was a protein bar.”“I had a feeling.” She kicked the door shut behind her and dropped into the guest chair. “You’ve been dodging me for two weeks.
StacyShe held the mask out to me, eyes gleaming with challenge, desire, and something even more dangerous—trust.“Put it on,” she whispered.I took it from her slowly, the leather cool in my hand, still warm from where she’d touched it. As I brought it up toward my face, she added with a sly smile, “Let’s make this a full-blown roleplay fantasy.”Oh fuck.“Kinky,” I growled, pausing just before sliding the mask over my head. “I like it. What
BethStacy looked down at me as we stepped outside. “So… do you feel comfortable with Levi, or do we need to interview the next guy?”I glanced toward the car where Levi waited, arms crossed, casual but alert. “I think I like him so far,” I said honestly. “But, if I’m being real, I won’t really know until I’ve spent a little time around him. It’s not something I can rush.”Stacy nodded once, that steady, assessing expression on his face. “Fair enough.”We reached the curb and Levi pushed off the ca







