In Too Deep by R.W. Shannon Page B

one that sounded beautiful. She scribbled the address for his office on a notepad. It was a brief walk from her condo and she was in need of stretching her legs.
    After finishing her sandwich, she changed into a T-shirt and capri pants. Fifteen minutes later, she was standing outside of his office building. It was a tall structure made of steel and glass. The name Callahan and Associates was etched on a silver plaque to the right of the door.
    She reached for the handle and gave it a tug. It was locked and since it was Saturday, she expected it to be. Still, she felt uneasy but couldn’t put her finger on why.
    Her phone rang. Blake. While she turned away from the door, she answered it.
    “Hey,” she said. “How was the trip?”
    “It sucked. I thought about you the whole time.”
    She smiled. “When will you be home?”
    “I am here. I’m at the office, but will be home later tonight.”
    Analeigh stopped in her tracks. “You’re at your law office?”
    “Yep. Why?”
    She turned and looked back at the building. “I’m standing outside.”
    There was a long pause on his end. Analeigh’s breath caught in her throat while she waited for him to answer her. He didn’t. Her hands trembled because she realized that he was lying to her.
    “I can wait,” she said. “We can grab a drink at the bar across the street.”
    “No. I’m beat. I might just call it a night.”
    “Well, why don’t you come down and say hello. I’d love to see you.”
    Her words were met with silence. She thought she heard some voices in the background. Maybe the rustling of clothing. If he wasn’t here, where the hell was he? Panic coursed through her. Was he with another woman?
    “Blake?”
    “Why are you at my office?” he asked in a salty tone.
    She swallowed, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “I stumbled on your website. I decided to check it out.”
    Another long pause. Then, “You don’t trust me.”
    “Not when you’re acting like this. Are you here or not?”
    “Turn around.”
    Analeigh looked behind her and felt her shoulders drop in relief. Blake was walking toward her. Now she couldn’t breathe for an entirely different reason. It was why tears welled in her eyes while she gazed at his tall, muscular frame covered by a tan polo shirt and jeans. His dark blond hair was slightly tousled as if he’d just run a hand through it. When he stopped in front of her, he lifted his brown sunglasses to reveal his deep green eyes. Just as she pulled her phone away from her ear and disconnected it, so did he. And when he swept her up in his arms to capture her mouth with a kiss, she knew that she wasn’t just falling in love with him. She was already there. He broke the kiss but held her in a tight hug
    “Hello,” he whispered into her ear.
    “Hey.”
    “This is a pleasant surprise.”
    “Is it? I was beginning to think otherwise.”
    He released her. “It’s not you. I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.”
    “Want to talk about it?”
    “We will soon. First, I need to make sure you get home safely.”
    Blake placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her toward home. Although she felt better now that he was physically beside her, Analeigh couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. If he was on the fifteenth floor of the building, how did he get down to her so fast? Why was he so strangely quiet now? She wanted to question him, but decided this wasn’t the time or place. Instead, she allowed herself to enjoy the feeling of his body next to hers. When they got to her condo, he walked her to her door. He took the keys from her and opened it.
    “Wait here,” he ordered.
    Analeigh frowned while she watched him search her apartment, room by room. He’d done this before, so she just told herself that because of D.C.’s high crime rate, he was just being cautious. When he returned there was a smile on his face. But, she could also see the weariness in his eyes. On his signal, she stepped inside