A Perfect Fit (30 page)

“How tall are you, exactly?” Sage asked as she leaned back
against the door, studying him.

“Six-four.”

 Making her feel even shorter than she had before at only five-three.
“And you’re a body builder?”

“Former Navy SEAL, actually.” A unhurried smile spread on
his face, transforming it completely. “Staying in shape is part of the job.”

“Of course.” Her dad would never settle for less than the
best. Taking a deep breath, she offered him her hand. “Maybe we should start over
again. I’m Sage Parker.”

His hand dwarfed hers, surrounding it in hard warmth. “Joel
Watts, I’m here to keep you safe.”

For the first time in months, she thought she might be able
to relax again.

Joel was relieved when Sage seemed smart enough to check in
with her father, and then relaxed with him—at least a little. He glanced at the
comfortable-looking treatment chair and then back at Sage. “Aren’t you supposed
to be like a masseur or something? Can you do massage on one of those?” It seemed
like an odd configuration for massage.

Sage chuckled. “I don’t do that kind of massage. I
specialize in reflexology.” He must have looked as clueless as he felt because her
lips quirked and she brushed back her unruly brown curls. “I focus on whole-body
wellness through the feet.”

 That had him looking down at her feet. She wore hemp
sandals, had her toe nails painted in bright pink, and wore silver toe rings.
He’d had no clue feet could be so sexy, but they fit the package from her pixie
proportions, to her wild brown curls and haunting gypsy eyes. “If you say so.”
Time to focus back on the reason he was there. “Though your dad had wanted me
to stay incognito for a while longer, I decided it would be best if I spoke
with you, especially after you spotted me. Again.” She always seemed to know
when he was nearby, like a sixth sense. He could usually blend into the
background when he tried—especially in a crowd that size—so he was intrigued.

“I know there’s a stalker,” he continued. “I know you’ve
been receiving notes and emails, but without all of the information you can
give me, the chances of me catching him are minimal. The police reports only
held a few details. What do you know about him—or her; it could be a woman.” He
thought it unlikely, but didn’t want to overlook the possibility.

“Not much, but I’ve kept all of his notes to me. And since
most of them are signed by ‘your future husband,’ it’s unlikely the stalker is
a woman.” Sage folded her arms over her chest and kept her distance from him in
the small room. “So how did my dad find out about it, anyway? I haven’t
mentioned it to him.”

“The police report, though how he unearthed it, I’m not sure.”

She checked her watch, something he noticed she did often,
though he’d been following her for several days and she didn’t seem to run
late. “I only have ten minutes until my next appointment, and I have the
feeling you’re going to have more questions than I have time to answer right
now.”

Joel smiled. “I’d say that was a safe bet. How about if I meet
you after you get off work? We’ll eat, and I can interrogate you properly.”

Sage smiled back, making something turn over in his chest. “I
know just the place.”

~*~

 Sage watched the dismay cover Joel’s face as he got a look
at the offerings at her favorite restaurant—a vegetarian deli a couple of
blocks from the spa where she worked. Though she didn’t adhere blindly to her
vegan upraising, she preferred a whole-foods approach to eating and rarely ate
meat. Joel apparently had a different idea of what constituted a real meal.

She ordered a salad, he chose an egg salad sandwich—the only
thing in the deli that qualified as meat in any form, and they found a table in
the corner. She noticed he studied the room before sitting down, and took a
seat with his back to the wall so he looked out over the deli. His eyes tracked
the room and flicked back to the door every time it opened. She felt herself
relax, knowing he was watching out for her. “So you’re a former SEAL? How long
did you do that?” she asked.

“I was in the Navy for twelve years, a SEAL for ten.” He
lifted the edge of his rye bread and looked at the egg filling, and though his
expression was doubtful, he gamely lifted the sandwich for a bite.

“That’s quite a while. Why’d you quit?” Sage speared a tomato
and popped it into her mouth, studying his face. She felt better about Joel,
knowing her father had sent him—her dad was no fool and would have checked his
background extensively—but there was still something dark and dangerous about
him. It would be a mistake to underestimate him.

“I got injured on a mission, messed up my ACL. I’ve been
through surgery, and I’m doing great, but I’ll never be at a hundred percent
again.” His face was calm, expressionless, but his dark brown eyes revealed his
regret.

“You miss it.” She didn’t know much about SEALs except that
they were the navy elite with advanced combat skills. She wondered if his
experiences had made him dangerous, or if the inner predator had always existed
and the training had merely enhanced it.

“Yeah, I miss it.” He took a sip of his water and turned the
conversation back to her. “So tell me about this stalker.”

She washed down her salad with a drink of her tea and
plunged ahead. “It started in January. At first it was just emails, then I
started getting letters to my home, and deliveries of gifts to home and work.
They’re coming more regularly now. He seems to think we have a relationship
already, but I have no idea who it is.” The thought made her shiver with
revulsion.

When Joel’s eyes switched from cool to frigid, she was glad
he was on her side.

Though writing is a solitary endeavor, I could never publish
a novel without the help of many friends along the way. Thank you to Danyelle
Ferguson, Rachelle Christensen, Maria Hoagland, Tamara Hart Heiner, Christine Bryant,
Debbie Davis and Rebecca Blevins for taking the time to give me feedback on the
editing and the story.

The internet is an awesome resource for a writer, allowing
me to find information about typical weather for my fictional city, hot air
ballooning and finding the perfect hotel management textbook to fill in the
blanks with information my college days of working in a hotel didn’t teach me.
Big kudos to everyone who posts such useful information online. Seriously, you make
my life so much easier!

A big, gigantic thanks to my husband who created my cover,
does web work for me, reads a final time for punctuation corrections, and is
just there for me all of the time. He is my staunchest cheerleader and best
friend. I love you, Bill!

Heather Tullis has been reading romance for as long as she
can remember and has been publishing in the genre since 2009. When she’s not
dreaming up new stories to write, she runs with the local volunteer ambulance,
enjoys gardening, playing with her chickens, geese and ducks, cake decorating
and working with her husband in their small business. 

Learn more about her at her website at
http://heathertullis.blogspot.com/
or her Facebook fan page
http://www.facebook.com/HeatherTullisBooks
.