“Ma’am.” The voice was louder this time, more strident as a neatly suited, thirty-something woman jumped up from her chair.

Five feet.

“You can’t go-”

Emma clamped her hand around the elongated, ornate gold door handle.

“-in there.”

Emma swung the door wide open.

Four men in dark suits, sitting at a round, mahogany meeting table, turned sharply to stare at her. Two were gray-haired, with bushy eyebrows and accusatory squints that told her she’d made a terrible blunder. The third was a younger, blond man. His sparkling blue eyes and restrained grin told her he welcomed the interruption.

The fourth man shot to his feet, pushing a leather chair backward with the motion. Dark-haired, dark-eyed and broad-shouldered, his stance told her he was more than ready to take on her and anybody else who breached his privacy.

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Garrison,” came the secretary’s breathless voice from behind Emma. “I tried-”

“Not your fault, Simone.” The man’s slate-gray gaze never left Emma. “Can I help you with something?”

Emma’s grip tightened on her shoulder bag. Everyone else in the room faded to mist as her anger returned in force. She focused on Alex Garrison. “Did you think there was the slightest chance I’d let you get away with it?”

Simone gasped.

“As you can see.” Alex’s jaw clenched over the steel-threaded words. “We’re in the middle of a meeting.”

“I don’t care if you’re-”

“If you’d like to make an appointment.”

“I would not.”

“Then I’ll have to ask you to leave.”

“Do you know who I am?”

“No.”

“Liar.”

“I’ll call security,” said Simone.

Alex raised his eyebrows, gazing blandly back at Emma. She realized with a jolt that he really didn’t know who she was. How was that possible? Katie was the public face of McKinley Inns, sure. But…