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S ara remained cold toward him.

Into the next day at the hotel, during the drive in the car to work, and now at the Velvet Lounge.

He opened the door, but she caught it from his hand and marched inside.

It almost hit him in the face, but he planted his hand to keep the door open and stepped inside after her.

Following her through the place, she went down a hallway and entered a code to a door. He had to hurry to make it inside the room before the door closed.

It was a large break room with a vending and coffee machine, a table, and lockers against one wall.

He shrugged out of his leather jacket and hung it on a peg on the wall.

Sara shoved her things into a locker and turned to march toward the door.

Taking a deep breath, Levi caught her arm in a gentle grip.

“Can you tell me why you’re mad at me?”

She glared at him and jerked her arm free.

Maybe he needed to start with something intimate, so he racked his brain. Their time together might do the trick. Although it might send her temper flaring if he mentioned their day at the beach or maybe hitting an outdoor festival, but he had to try.

“How about on your next day off, we hit the beach again?”

“No thanks,” she said frostily and yanked open the door.

He followed her out of the door and back into the hallway. She punched in the code to a door across from the break room and stepped inside. The room wasn’t as big as the break room, but it was still a good size, and he realized it was an office.

Sara lifted the ledgers from the edge of the desk and walked past him out of the room. She moved back into the lounge, and he was right on her heels. With an irritated look, she slid into one of the back booths.

Levi stood at the booth, but when she ignored him, he turned and walked to the bar.

The older man behind the bar gave him a shrewd look, gazing at the shoulder holster and weapon. The guy’s name tag said Jim.

“Hi, Jim, any chance I can get some of that coffee?”

“Sure can.” Jim poured a white chunky cup full and slid it on the counter. “What brings you here?” The man’s eyes slanted in Sara’s direction.

“I’m the bodyguard her parents hired.” Levi lifted the mug and took a grateful sip.

“They hear about the attack?” Jim said, and Levi nodded.

“Yeah.”

“I wasn’t here that night.” Regret colored the man’s voice. “It’s a sad world.”

“It is when that happens,” Levi agreed and carried his coffee over to the booth. He slid in and sat across from Sara, but she didn’t look up.

As the morning passed, the afternoon brought the working crowd from lunch and those who needed meetings. Several businessmen and women clustered in the lounge so thickly, Levi almost thought there was an event planned.

He hadn’t realized the place was so popular, but it was in the middle of San Francisco and did advertise to a higher clientele.

“I can go get us some lunch,” he offered when one o’clock came around and she showed no signs of slowing. In fact, Sara hadn’t moved except once to get a juice and a pastry from the break room.

She glanced up from her ledger and held her finger on one line, saving her place.

“Are you hungry?” he asked softly when she didn’t respond.

“Not really. Are you?” she asked and then clamped her mouth shut as if she’d done it by accident.

“I’m starving,” he said.

“They serve food here. Get whatever you want.” Sara waved a hand toward the bar.

“I’ll wait for you.”

She frowned at him for a moment and then relented. “Then get me a chicken salad.”

He grinned and slid hurriedly out of the booth. “I’ll be right back.”

She shook her head with a snort, but she was smiling, and he felt lighter when he reached the bar.

He gave his order to Jim and leaned against the back of the bar to get a look at the customers.

King walked into the main area from the hallway. The man must have entered via the back door. With a short nod, King made his way to the front entrance and stood just near the inside door. With a shoulder lean, King crossed his arms. Muscles ripped and bulged, and some of the man’s tattoos showed.

King was the epitome of a bouncer.

West, wearing black pants and a red shirt, came from the back room and waved at Jim.

“Where do you need me?”

“Working behind the bar,” Jim said. “That end.”

“Not serving tables?”

“Nope, the girls will handle that.”

Levi glanced around and found Mandy and another girl serving customers at their tables. The two women had arrived earlier together, and he’d found out from Sara that the other girl’s name was Shelly.

“That end?” West pointed with a smartass grin at Jim.

The older man squinted and kept drying the glasses that came out of the dishwasher.

West stepped behind the bar and tied a waist apron around his hips, and then gave Levi a brow waggle.

Levi smirked and turned around just in time to see Ana, Carla, and Nash make their way into the busy bar.

Holy hell. With all of them there, Levi wondered how long they could keep their cover.

King must have felt the same way because he shot Ana a scowl. But that seemed to be the man’s go-to expression when it came to the criminal defense attorney. When Ana ignored him, King glared at Nash.

Nash lifted his shoulders as if it wasn’t his decision and followed the two women.

Ana and Carla made directly for Sara’s table.

Well, damn it. There went his idea of conversation with Sara over lunch.

Over a week passed with no drama, and as Friday afternoon rolled around, it became common to see the new staff and Sara’s friends visit the lounge.

Kevin Wilson had welcomed Ana and Carla like old friends, and even now, while Levi was carrying a refill cup of coffee toward Sara’s booth, Kevin had stopped by and was talking to Ana.

“So, how long are you two in town?”

“For as long as it takes,” Ana said.

“You’re not stealing her from me, are you?” Kevin said with a whine.

“Yes,” Ana volleyed back decisively.

“I’m not going back yet,” Sara said, soothing Kevin, who beamed at her.

Levi wanted to punch the fucker in the face.

When he reached the table, he shouldered Kevin out of the way and slid into the booth.

Kevin glared at him.

There was zero friendliness between them whatsoever, and it had been that way since Monday. It all stemmed from Kevin putting up a fight about Sara needing a bodyguard.

“Why do you need him?” Kevin had growled.

“My parents sent him.”

“So? You don’t get along with your parents.”

“They’re worried about her,” Levi had cut in.

Kevin glared at him with rage. “I can protect her.”

“Yeah, and how’s that working out for her so far?” Levi said, reminding the man of her attack.

“Fuck yo—” Kevin bit off the angry words when Sara hissed.

“Stop it.”

Levi said nothing and took a slow sip of coffee, and Kevin had stalked off and into his office.

Looking at the guy now four days later, Levi sneered and ran his eyes up and down the clown.

Kevin gave him a death glare and stalked away.

“Let’s order some food,” Ana told Carla, and the two women left the booth where they’d taken up residence for most of the work week and walked to the bar.

“I wish you wouldn’t antagonize Kevin,” Sara snapped.

“Why? Feeling sorry for the criminal?” Levi said, making sure to keep his voice low.

“Screw you,” she hissed and clenched the pencil in her hand.

“You know you can use a laptop for that.” He gestured with his chin to the ledger.

“I do, but I can work it out better on paper.”

He smiled. “I’ve noticed.”

She tipped her chin as if, so what, and he took a sip of coffee.

“Besides, Kevin wants it handwritten. He says computers are easy to steal from.”

“I’ll bet.” Levi had tried over the past several days to get Sara to open up, but she was making it damned difficult.

He needed to change tactics. Instead of inviting her out or making a pass, which he had done on Tuesday and got slapped for it, he needed to gain a connection.

“I’ve got to go home soon,” he murmured, searching for anything to say.

She looked surprised. “I thought you didn’t get along with your family?”

He didn’t really want to talk about his family, but he had opened that door and she had responded.

“I don’t. Well, I didn’t. But my dad called last Tuesday.” Levi released a deep sigh. “He’s got cancer.”

“Oh no,” her sea-colored eyes filled with worry. “I’m so sorry.”

“He’s sixty-four, so we’re hoping he can put it in remission.” He studied the swirling surface of his coffee, so when she touched him, it was a complete shock.

Her hand closed over his forearm and squeezed it, and he glanced up and met her gaze.

“They are doing amazing things with medicine nowadays,” she said.

“I know.” His voice came out roughly. “I just wish that I hadn’t missed all that time with him.”

“You can’t think that way. You’ll have plenty of time with him.”

He tentatively ran his fingers over the top of her hand, and she didn’t pull away.

To him, that was progress.

And he would take every little bit he could.