“I’m Zeke, but my friends call me Coop.  I know you don’t know me, but I promise you can trust me.  I was walking to the bathroom and I heard him…and, shit…” he trails off, running his hands through his thick, blond hair.  “I’m not going to hurt you, but I would like to help if you’ll let me.”

I can’t stop the tears if I wanted to.  Silently, I nod, still not trusting myself to speak.  Then I hastily throw my clothes on, open the safe, and shovel all the cash I have into my duffel bag.  There’s nothing else here I need.

“Come on.  Let’s get you out of here.”  He reaches out, my savior, and takes me out of my hell.

I don’t look back once.

**

Coop takes me back to his hotel, helps me get cleaned up, and offers me some clean clothes that don’t smell like an ashtray.  He only leaves me long enough to get some bandages to clean up the cuts on my back.  I’m not sure what it is about him that has me trusting him instantly.  Maybe it’s because, as far as options go, he’s my best one.  For all I know, he’s some crazy serial killer and I’m playing right into his hands.

The whole time he dabs alcohol on my back, I don’t utter a word.  Not until he tells me that I won’t ever have to go back there.  I sharply turn my head and look right into his eyes before laughing.

“I have no where else to go.  I have to go back.”

He shakes his head and smiles.  “Nah.  I’ve got your back now.  Chin up, buttercup.  We’re a team now.”

**

True to his word, Coop became almost like a brother to me.  He took me in and helped me get stronger.  He had to go out to California, where he worked for a security company, but he made sure I was taken care of.  They stayed busy and he hated leaving me alone, always worried that something would happen.

Six months after the momentous day he saved me from Shawn, he finally introduced me to Axel Reid, the owner of Corps Security, where Coop worked.  Axel was apprehensive about hiring me since I was so young, but their company was growing so quickly, and college education or not, I’m now gratefully employed as a secretary for Corps Security.

For once, things are starting to look up.  I have a great friend and a caring boss, and I wasn’t scared.  I’ve mapped out my five-year plan, and I’m finally allowing myself to dream.  All of those dreams explode in my face when I finally come face to face with him.

“Uh…can I help you?”  I ask the man standing in front of my desk.

“Name.”

“Excuse me?”

His face remains expressionless.  His dark eyes don’t travel down to my chest like I’ve been used to over the years, but he keeps me tapped in his gaze.  My body becomes more and more paralyzed with each passing second that I look at this man.

“Your name,” he repeats.

“You want my name?” I stupidly reply.

One dark brow cocks without losing his stoic mask and he just waits.  My cheeks heat and I have to fight my body’s reaction to this man in front of me.

“Em…Emersyn.  Emmy.  I mean, I’m Emmy,” I whisper.

He nods and then walks past my desk and down the hall.

It takes me a second to clear the unexpected fog of lust that is taking over my body.  I jump up from my seat so quickly that it rolls into the wall behind me before I run after the tall, dark, stranger.

“Wait!” I yell.

He stops but doesn’t turn.

“You can’t just walk in here,” I gasp at his back.

“It’s fine, Emmy.  That’s Locke.  He’s our technical specialist.  He’s just been out of town.”  Beck says softly behind me.

I turn to gape at Beck, my mouth opening and closing like a guppy.

He just shakes his head and looks to where Locke is still standing with his back to us.  “It’s cool, Em.  Just go on back to the front, okay?”  He offers me a sad smile and turns to walk over to Locke.

I give him another glance, noticing how tense his body is strung.  His hands are clenched in a firm fist and his shoulders are pulled tight.

I head back to the front, thinking about Locke.  He’s so intense.  My body was on fire just from his eyes.  He spoke three words to me and I’m already hooked.

It wasn’t love at first sight, but I’m drawn to him.  Even now, with him down the hall from me, I can feel my skin tingle with the memory of his black eyes holding my own.