“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I wouldn’t make any promises if I were you.”
A man entered the office and closed the door before offering his hand. “I’m Detective Liam Harker from the Chicago PD. I’m normally from Major Crimes.”
Zoe did a double take. “Did I kill someone I don’t know about?”
The man smiled, amused. He was tall and strong, but not bulky, more like an Olympic swimmer. His brown hair had strong reddish highlights, the same as she could detect in his five o’clock beard. His eyes seemed blue, but when he came forward, it seemed as if they shone silver. He brought a chair and sat beside the canine. To her surprise, he opened his hand and there was a piece of donut in it. Suspicious at first, the dog sniffed, but quickly chomped down the treat. One minute later, the detective gently brushed his fingers over the dog’s head. The poor pup let him, but it would need a bit more than that to restore his faith in men.
“I’m not here on official business, but as a friend. I just got a call from Gabrielle.”
At the name, Zoe gaped. “You know Gabrielle?”
“I met her last year and worked with her on occasion. She told me what was going on and asked me to help smooth things over if needed.”
Zoe wiggled her nose. “She must be pissed at me.”
The detective shook his head. “I believe it would take much more to upset her. She’s used to dealing with much more complicated situations.”
“And you were dispatched to save me and the dog?”
“You could say that. And to put you back on course with keeping an eye on my brother.”
And it clicked. The tall stature, the gray eyes, the handsome face with the familiar square jaw were tell-tale signs.
“How many are there of you?”
Liam shrugged. “We’re still up in the air on that. Now, I’ll make sure no charges are pressed against you.”
“Thank you. But what about the dog? I’m not letting that man put his hands on him again.”
“You can’t take him to Blackwood’s offices, Zoe.”
Lifting her chin, she would be damned if she’d leave the poor animal on the streets either. Liam Harker may be on her side, but he would have to learn that she had ideas of her own.
After a while and resigned that he wouldn’t be able to change her mind, the cop offered a solution. “If I promise to take care of him, personally, until we find him a home, would that be suitable?”
“A good home.”
Now a smile pulled at his lips. “You want a full background check, or do you trust my instincts on that?”
Adorably annoying man. “You want a slap on the back of your head or a simple and sincere thank you?”
He bit his lip, but Zoe knew he was highly amused. “I’ll take the thank you. From the state of your attacker, you have a mean punch.”
Zoe puffed. “Only my bag touched his face, after he kicked the dog. The rest he did to himself. There were lots of people that witnessed his acrobatic talents.”
He got to his feet. “Duly noted. I’ll take good care of your stray. And try not to get in any more trouble.”
Zoe smiled sweetly. “I’ll try my best, but ‘Trouble’ is my middle name.”
The detective grumbled something under his breath and took the leash. As she patted the dog one last time, she hurried outside. An hour late wasn’t so bad after all.Was it?
Rushing out, she foraged in her bag, trying to find her phone when she bumped into someone.
“Ms. Somersby.” The surprise of hearing Archer Blackwood’s voice made her jump and fall backward. Just as she thought her ass would hit the pavement, strong arms came around her, stopping her tumble. Pressed against Blackwood’s dark suit that covered a hard-muscled chest, Zoe was tempted to let her body relax and her hands wander. And that would have been the worst of ideas. “Can you stand on your own now, Ms. Somersby?”
The disdain in his voice felt like a cold shower and she pushed away from him. “There was no need to come and get me, sir, I was on my way to the office.”
