annoyed, turning him down…well, then they’d all save face, he’d have his answer, and could head out to Arizona on the next flight.
Pleased with things so far, despite the slow progression, Matt headed down the sidewalk in the direction of his hotel. A quick blare of a car horn caused him to glance across the street. His eye caught someone standing on the opposite side of the busy road watching him. When recognition clicked, his heart froze and a flash of cold panic washed through him. He stopped, ignoring the grumblings of everyone around him as they bumped into him on the crowded sidewalk, and stared at Natalie. She gave him a small smile as a crowd swallowed her up. After the mob dissipated, an empty space faced him.
Matt’s head swiveled back and forth, but he didn’t spot her again, and he wondered if he’d imagined everything, if the girl only strongly resembled her. Another person collided with him and swore, spurring him into motion, and he made his feet move.
He’d been a little worried about the situation with Natalie, not really sure if he should pursue anything with anyone else until he was confident she would adhere to the restraining order, but he couldn’t put his life on hold because she wouldn’t accept they were no longer together. Things had been so quiet that he’d believed she’d finally gotten the message. He hoped she’d moved on, realizing there was no going back, which meant he could move on himself. But now he questioned his decision. If she was following him, in direct violation of the order, the last thing he wanted was to involve anyone else in his messed-up state of affairs.
Matt spotted his hotel up ahead. He needed to call his lawyer and discuss whether he should notify the authorities, especially since he lacked proof other than a vision he questioned the validity of. He didn’t believe the situation was volatile, only an annoyance, but he’d lay low for a couple of days before calling Shannon in order to make sure the coast was clear. His eyes were playing tricks on him, however. Natalie was back in Michigan and would have no knowledge of him traveling to Chicago. As far as she knew, he was home in Arizona where he normally was this time of year. There was no reason for him to believe otherwise.
Chapter 7
A few days later, Matt pulled his big body out of the tight confines of the backset of the cab and studied the building in front of him. Shannon lived in a high-rise not horribly far from the water and he had to guess each apartment sported a spectacular view. Rent must cost a pretty penny here—not that Shannon didn’t make a healthy salary. Associates at big law firms usually pulled in a solid paycheck in order to compensate for the long hours they put in as they climbed their way up to partner. His father had been one of them until he broke out on his own.
He nodded to the doorman who opened the door for him, and headed across the shiny black marble floors toward the elevators, appreciating the lavish lobby area with its dark wood paneling and strategically placed floral arrangements. Pressing the button for the forty-eighth floor, he rode up while trying to ease the nerves inching into his neck and shoulders. He wanted things to go well, but he was still drawing a blank on how to tell her the training story was lie and that he was actually here for her. Inspiration was not striking, so he was going to have to roll with the punches and see how things went throughout the night.
Stepping out of the elevator and onto the dark gray plush carpeted floor of the short hallway, Matt stopped outside Shannon’s door and knocked. He waited a few seconds before hearing the tip-tap of her heels and then the door swung open.
“Hi,” Shannon said, friendly enough, but she appeared a little frazzled, still dressed in her work suit.
“Hi,” he said and stepped in when she made room.
“I got home a bit later than expected,” she explained as she closed the door
Pleased with things so far, despite the slow progression, Matt headed down the sidewalk in the direction of his hotel. A quick blare of a car horn caused him to glance across the street. His eye caught someone standing on the opposite side of the busy road watching him. When recognition clicked, his heart froze and a flash of cold panic washed through him. He stopped, ignoring the grumblings of everyone around him as they bumped into him on the crowded sidewalk, and stared at Natalie. She gave him a small smile as a crowd swallowed her up. After the mob dissipated, an empty space faced him.
Matt’s head swiveled back and forth, but he didn’t spot her again, and he wondered if he’d imagined everything, if the girl only strongly resembled her. Another person collided with him and swore, spurring him into motion, and he made his feet move.
He’d been a little worried about the situation with Natalie, not really sure if he should pursue anything with anyone else until he was confident she would adhere to the restraining order, but he couldn’t put his life on hold because she wouldn’t accept they were no longer together. Things had been so quiet that he’d believed she’d finally gotten the message. He hoped she’d moved on, realizing there was no going back, which meant he could move on himself. But now he questioned his decision. If she was following him, in direct violation of the order, the last thing he wanted was to involve anyone else in his messed-up state of affairs.
Matt spotted his hotel up ahead. He needed to call his lawyer and discuss whether he should notify the authorities, especially since he lacked proof other than a vision he questioned the validity of. He didn’t believe the situation was volatile, only an annoyance, but he’d lay low for a couple of days before calling Shannon in order to make sure the coast was clear. His eyes were playing tricks on him, however. Natalie was back in Michigan and would have no knowledge of him traveling to Chicago. As far as she knew, he was home in Arizona where he normally was this time of year. There was no reason for him to believe otherwise.
Chapter 7
A few days later, Matt pulled his big body out of the tight confines of the backset of the cab and studied the building in front of him. Shannon lived in a high-rise not horribly far from the water and he had to guess each apartment sported a spectacular view. Rent must cost a pretty penny here—not that Shannon didn’t make a healthy salary. Associates at big law firms usually pulled in a solid paycheck in order to compensate for the long hours they put in as they climbed their way up to partner. His father had been one of them until he broke out on his own.
He nodded to the doorman who opened the door for him, and headed across the shiny black marble floors toward the elevators, appreciating the lavish lobby area with its dark wood paneling and strategically placed floral arrangements. Pressing the button for the forty-eighth floor, he rode up while trying to ease the nerves inching into his neck and shoulders. He wanted things to go well, but he was still drawing a blank on how to tell her the training story was lie and that he was actually here for her. Inspiration was not striking, so he was going to have to roll with the punches and see how things went throughout the night.
Stepping out of the elevator and onto the dark gray plush carpeted floor of the short hallway, Matt stopped outside Shannon’s door and knocked. He waited a few seconds before hearing the tip-tap of her heels and then the door swung open.
“Hi,” Shannon said, friendly enough, but she appeared a little frazzled, still dressed in her work suit.
“Hi,” he said and stepped in when she made room.
“I got home a bit later than expected,” she explained as she closed the door
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