Chloe’s heart clenched. She didn’t know Sawyer personally, but she sensed his sadness and frustration. Seeing him upset bothered her. “Are you worried that Travis will come after your sister again?”
Sawyer nodded. “It’d be stupid of me not to worry about that.”
A heavy silence settled in as they absorbed the weight of that statement, understanding the danger Sawyer’s sister was in. Porter broke the silence: “You don’t need to hire me, Sawyer. Of course I’ll help you. That isn’t even a question.”
“Thank you,” Sawyer said, relief evident in his voice. Then he added, “But I wondered if Chloe could handle the case.”
She gulped, her heart fluttering at the intensity visible in his eyes. What this guy possessed that other men didn’t, she didn’t know, but it certainly spoke to her. He made her so damn hot with one look. “I can have someone handle my current cases.” She slid her glance to Porter. “If that’s what you want to do.”
Porter regarded Sawyer with a curious edge. “Why Chloe?”
“I thought having Chloe there might comfort Ashlyn. I imagine she’ll be more comfortable talking to a woman who is closer to her age than me and you, Porter.”
Porter blinked and rose from his chair. “All right.” To Chloe he said, “Give me the files you’re working on and I’ll take them on.”
Chloe hesitated, feeling her face go red. Jesus H. Christ, she’d be working with Sawyer up close and personal? For how long? Will we be alone? She hadn’t been able to control her thoughts about him over the last month, and he hadn’t even been there.
When both Sawyer’s and Porter’s brows rose at her silence, she gathered the open files on her desk and handed them to Porter. The slight curve of Sawyer’s mouth sent her heart racing. Her fantasy man sat right there in front of her.
Dear God.
She powered off her computer, rose from her seat, and pushed her chair back under the desk. “Where do you want to start?”
Sawyer stood with her, all man and muscle. “At the hospital with Ashlyn.”
Jelly legs and all, Chloe came around her desk and said to Porter, “If the files don’t make sense, call me, okay?”
“I’m sure the files are fine.” Porter turned into his office to start getting acquainted with her clients. “Please keep me updated on Marks.”
“Will do,” Chloe replied. She knew her files were in top-notch condition. Porter had trained her to document everything.
Doing her best not to notice Sawyer’s fantastic backside, she followed him out of the building. Her focus slid upward to his gray T-shirt, and she noticed how tightly the fabric hugged his body. She couldn’t stop herself from admiring his forearms and noticing a black dragon tattoo.
Porter had the same one. How odd. A sign of friendship, maybe?
Next her attention fell to Sawyer’s hands—large, but the type that would make a woman feel safe. Thinking it over, Chloe couldn’t find one unattractive thing about Sawyer. Nothing at all.
He had to have a flaw. Everyone did. But she was having trouble finding his.
The hot, dry Vegas sun beat down on Chloe’s shoulders as Sawyer stopped at a black pickup truck. He opened the passenger door for her and smiled. “Thank you for helping me, Chloe.”
She grinned in return. “No problem. I’ll help you find Travis.”
“I know you will. You’re damn good at your job, which is why I came to you.” He shut her door, then walked around to the driver’s side.
An odd sense of pride filled her as she settled into her seat and reached for her seatbelt. She’d worked hard to be respected in her job, and dammit, it felt good to be recognized.
Once he’d joined her inside the truck, he started the engine, then said, “I must admit, this wasn’t how I expected to see you again.”
She froze before clicking her seatbelt. “You expected to see me again?”
“You blush whenever I look at you.” He exaggerated that point by glancing her way with a sly grin, igniting her pinkish cheeks. “You can barely sit in your seat when I do. And your eyes do this sexy smoldering thing when you stare at me—almost if you’re imagining touching me.” He chuckled, low and smooth as silk. “Damn right I planned to see you again.”
You have been single for one day, her head screamed at her.
One brow arched at her silence—a move that seemed far more arrogant and confident than anything she’d seen Porter pull off. “Nothing to say in response?” he said at last.
Sawyer might have been the reason she ended things with Josh. But she couldn’t dive right into another relationship, not this soon. One day she’d open herself up—literally—to Sawyer, but today was not that day. Besides, she had a job to do. “What hospital is your sister at?”