In Zach's Arms (Once a Marine, Always a Marine Book 1) by Kori David Page A

leaving the alarm disarmed. How is that going to protect you? And no house is impenetrable. The windows can be broken. The doors kicked in.”
    Her eyes were wide as she stared at him and Zach realized that he’d been yelling. He took a deep breath to calm down.
    “Look. All I’m saying is that, until this asshole is under arrest, it would be safer if we stayed together.”
    She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know I’m being difficult. I know it’s irrational, but–”
    “But you can’t stand being told what to do. Especially by a man. By me.”
    She shook her head. “But I know I need to go, that I need to listen. It’s just hard. Can you try and understand?”
    Zach loved her, but her capitulation made him suspicious. And damn it, he had a meeting with Jesse that he couldn’t get out of. He didn’t want that detective in his home. He’d call the man and give him the address to the shop in town. He could talk to Beth at the café across the street. He’d give her the space she thought she needed.
    “I’ll try if you will. Go get ready, we’re leaving for town in ten minutes.”
    Beth nodded and, because he couldn’t stop himself, he leaned forward and took her lips with his before she turned and went back into the bedroom. He needed her like he needed air and he’d be damned if her own stubbornness would get in the way of his protecting her.
    He had a phone call to make. Beth might think he was compromising, but there was no way in hell he was leaving her alone with Detective Wolfe. And he had some friends that worked for his company from time to time who were almost as lethal as he and Jesse were.
    Someone would be close to her the entire time. And neither one of them would ever know.

    Zach made her crazy.
    She was trying to cope. And sometimes being stubborn was the only thing that kept her from curling into a ball of pathetic weeping mush. She’d worked hard on her independence after her tyrannical father died, and she wasn’t giving that up for Zach or anyone else.
    Detective Wolfe was leaning against his white Crown Victoria when they arrived in town.
    “He certainly made good time,” Zach muttered.
    “He’s just doing his job.”
    “If he was doing his job, he would have caught this scumbag already.”
    Beth stopped herself from rolling her eyes. “Stop being snarly and go to your meeting. I’m going across the street to the café you suggested with Wolfe. I’ll stay inside and have him escort me back when we’re through.”
    She got out, holding the plastic bag containing the package and her undies. Zach was right behind her as she handed the bag over to Wolfe.
    “Thanks for coming,” she said.
    Taking the bag from her, he slipped it into the trunk of his car and retrieved a brown folder full of papers. She assumed they were the ones she was to sign.
    “Just making sure all the paperwork is in place for when we catch this guy,” he replied.
    Zach grunted quietly before turning Elizabeth in his arms. “Stay in the café with the cop. You’re safer in a crowd. Do not go anywhere alone.”
    “What about the ladies room?” she sassed.
    “Hold it until you get back to this office.”
    She smiled and tried to reassure her big man by giving him a quick peck on the lips. Zach stopped glaring at Wolfe long enough to give her a hug.
    “Take care of her, Wolfe.”
    The Detective nodded, “I will.”
    Done with the macho posturing, Elizabeth shook her head, turned and strode across the street toward the little café that Zach said had the best croissants in Flagstaff. She didn’t stop until she was at the counter ordering a chocolate-filled croissant and a hot chocolate. It was shaping up to be one of those days where chocolate plus more chocolate was the only fix.
    Looking around, Elizabeth spied an empty spot and headed toward it. The man in the next booth looked up as she approached and nodded before going back to reading his paper. He was tall and lean, and when he’d looked