Claiming Sarah (Ace Security #5)(33)

She could hear him breathing hard, and wasn’t sure if it was because he was still headed for his car or if he was trying to control his obvious frustration and anger on her behalf.

Sarah knew Cole had been frustrated the last time he’d talked to Logan, when the other man had reported that Ace Security had yet to find anything in Owen’s background that led them to believe he was dangerous or otherwise unstable. He had dropped out of school when he was sixteen, had worked at several fast-food restaurants over the years, and was currently a forty-four-year-old recluse . . . but that was about it. He didn’t have a criminal record, and when Alexis had hacked into the juvenile records at the police station, she hadn’t found anything on him there either.

“This shit has to stop,” Cole said. “I’m calling Logan after I hang up with you to tell him about the latest gift and note, and see what he’s been able to dig up. There has to be something more we can find on this guy. He has to be somewhere. He’s not a wizard; he can’t just conjure himself up on your doorstep, then disappear again.”

His comment had Sarah trying to stifle a chuckle. It was bad timing, but the thought of Owen wearing a wizard’s pointy hat and robe was funny.

“God, I love that sound, even if I have no idea what you’re laughing about,” Cole said after a moment. “And I also have no idea how in the world you can find anything humorous right about now.”

“I can either laugh or cry. And Mike always told me the best thing to do when you feel shitty is to find the bright side of the situation.”

“There’s a bright side to this asshole harassing you?” Cole asked.

Sarah sat on the edge of her mattress, then fell backward and stared at the ceiling above her head. The phone was still on speaker, and she held it close to her mouth as she said, “Yeah.”

“What?”

“You.”

Cole didn’t respond, so Sarah tried to explain.

“If Owen hadn’t started his campaign of gifts for whatever reason, I wouldn’t have emailed Logan. And if I hadn’t emailed Logan, he wouldn’t have referred me to Rock Hard Gym’s self-defense classes. And I wouldn’t have met you.”

“Damn, angel,” Cole said softly. “But I disagree.”

“With what?” she asked, confused.

“I would’ve found you without that ass scaring you half to death. Somehow, someway. I have to believe that. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. Never found myself thinking about her nonstop. Wondering how her day was going. If she was thinking about me. How she was feeling. If she was happy, sad, worried, hungry, or any of a hundred other emotions. We would’ve found each other, angel. I know it.”

It was one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to her. “I’ve thought about you too.”

“Good. You get something to eat tonight?”

Sarah’s eyes went to the clock. After a full twelve-hour shift, the accident making her get home later than normal, talking with Cole, and dealing with her latest gift, she realized she was exhausted. “No. But I’m not hungry,” she tacked on quickly, knowing he’d insist on her getting up and getting something. “Besides, I finished off the rest of Francesca’s leftovers for lunch today. I swear, if I ate that way all the time, Owen wouldn’t be able to drag me off anywhere because I’d be too heavy.”

“First, you’re dating a guy who owns a gym. Which means you have free access to work out whenever you want. Second, when we progress a little further in our relationship, I can guarantee you a great workout anytime you want, which doesn’t include going to the gym at all, if you know what I mean. And third, I don’t give a shit how much you weigh. I just want you to be happy. And if that means eating Francesca’s food every day for the rest of your life, and you gaining a million pounds, so be it.”

Sarah rolled over on her side and squeezed her thighs together. She was still stuck back on number two and barely heard the rest of what he’d said.

“Text me tomorrow,” he ordered gently.

“But when I leave here, I’m going straight to the gym, and I’ll see you there,” Sarah reminded him.

“Don’t care. Hearing from you has been the highlight of my days the last week and a half. Text me when you get up. When you’re sad from going through your dads’ stuff. When you stop to eat lunch. When you leave to head down here.”

“I thought you were going to be busy?” Sarah asked.

“I’ll never be too busy for you. Just text. Okay?”

“Okay,” she agreed without hesitation. She’d never complain about Cole wanting to hear from her, because the alternative was that he didn’t give a shit.

“Sleep well,” he said softly.

“I will. I’m exhausted.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye, Cole.”

“Bye, angel.”

Sarah clicked off the phone and rolled back over so she was once again looking up at the ceiling. She stayed that way for a while, then sat up and headed for the bathroom. She changed and brushed her teeth, then climbed back into her bed. Leaning over, she grabbed her vibrator from the drawer in her nightstand. She hoped it still worked, as it had been a while since she’d been in the mood to use it.