Free Second Sight by Carly Fall Page A

been much of a dog person.”
    “Come here.”
    “What?”
    “Come over here.”
    She got up, her chair scraping back, and came to his side of the table, standing next to him. Heat radiated from her body, the smell of lilacs almost making him light-headed.
    “Give me your hand.”
    As he opened his palm, she placed her hand in his. He set it on top of Savannah’s head, and Ella stroked her.
    “She’s so soft,” she murmured.
    Savannah began to pant, and Ella laughed. “Her tongue is hanging out the side of her mouth, and her eyes are rolling in the back of her head while she looks at me.”
    He chuckled. “Now, you’ve made a friend for life.”
    The room grew quiet as they both petted Savannah, the only sound being her happy breathing.

Chapter 11
    Ella stared at Zach. It seemed odd to have someone in her office, and she tried to remember when she’d last shared the small space with someone.
    She couldn’t.
    How pathetic her life had become.
    The room only measured about ten by ten, and with Zach in there, it seemed even smaller. He stood tall, but thin and muscular; yet, his presence in the small area seemed to almost suck out all the air. The more time she spent with him, the more she realized he proved to be a force of nature—strong, incredibly clever, and devastatingly good-looking.
    Inhaling to try to clear her thoughts, she smelled his light cologne. The scent, something woody and natural, sent shivers traveling down her back.
    “So how are we going to do this?”
    She needed to get down to business, not think of Zach’s smell, looks, or intelligence.
    “Well, I think we’re looking for some type of function, a meeting or party with a list of wealthy people.”
    “How do you know that whoever he’s after is wealthy?”
    He shrugged. “I don’t, but considering he’s landing in Los Angeles and there are areas all around the city that hit the top one hundred richest lists, I’m making an educated hypothesis.”
    She nodded. It sounded far-fetched to her, but she didn’t have any ideas on what to go on, so she’d follow his lead.
    “Where do we find that list?”
    He sat down in the chair next to her. “How about if you just start with a general search? Parties, Beverly Hills. Meetings, Los Angeles. Fundraisers … political events. Just start somewhere.”
    “It kind of seems like a waste of time to me,” she murmured as she began typing.
    “It’s not. Rich people like everyone to know their business, especially when they’re going to be surrounded by people richer than them, and possibly more important. Big ego boost and all that.”
    After a few moments, she spoke. “Here’s an announcement of a Democratic fundraiser taking place at a producer’s house.”
    “What’s his name?”
    “Steve Gill.”
    Zach rubbed his hands together. “Excellent. Write it down please, Ella.”
    Thirty minutes of silence later, she spoke again. “Here’s a Republican fundraiser in Beverly Hills.”
    Zach threw his head back and laughed, a deep, throaty sound that sent shivers through her. She couldn’t help but smile.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “Their guest list will be locked up tighter than a virgin’s chastity belt. Very few in Hollywood will admit they’re conservative because they fear for their jobs.”
    She didn’t pay much attention to Hollywood, but guessed he must be right. She remembered seeing an article a few years back about six months after the presidential elections. An actress had come out in support of the more conservative candidate, and she couldn’t find work after that.
    “Mark it down, anyway, if you would, please.”
    After three hours, they had five potential events, three of which had been announced in the Los Angeles Times , including a black-tie affair thrown by a tech company that had developed a chip to slip into a blind person’s brain to help them see again. She didn’t think this particular occasion held much value to them, but the thought intrigued her and