Chapter Ten #2
Logan flung a few dollars on the table and took her elbow when she rose.
“Maybe next Wednesday or Thursday?” he asked.
She felt his touch to her toes. “Sounds fine with me.”
She’d make sure nothing came up to interfere.
Weaving their way through the tables and the thinning lunch crowd, they moved to the exit and into the hot afternoon sunshine.
“Where did you park?” he asked.
“Over there.”
She waved her hand in the direction of the Mustang.
Rays of brassy sunlight bounced off the buildings; the air still and dry. Emma hoped her sister had left some sunglasses in the car, it was almost too bright to see. When they reached the convertible, Logan hesitated a moment, slowly releasing her arm and turning her to face him.
“Busy Saturday night?” Logan asked.
“No.”
Truth to tell, she didn’t ever have to be busy if Logan wanted to spend some time with her. Was he going to ask her out for a date? Anticipation bubbled up.
“I’ve been invited to a barbecue. I can bring a date, want to go?”
She smiled and nodded, surprised at the giddy excitement that she felt at the casual invitation.
“Phil Mott is throwing it. He and a couple of other guys share a big house in the San Fernando Valley. It’ll take a while to get there, but should be a good party.
Most of the office is going, and everyone’s bringing at least one other person, from a different line of work. So there’ll be plenty of variety.”
“In other words, I don’t have to worry about you all talking shop over my head,” she said, delighted at the invitation. He must want to spend some time with her to invite her.
“Right. But there may be plenty of studio people, so don’t you start talking shop,” he teased.
His hard palms cupped her cheeks, his thumb brushing over the soft skin.
“Cupcake, you make me wish I didn’t have to go back to the office.”
His husky voice sent shivers of pleasure coursing through her. Knowing she wasn’t the type to inspire silly names, she was touched more than she wanted to admit that he teasingly called her that.
Slowly he lowered his face to kiss her gently.
His lips were warm and firm. He tilted her head slightly to better deepen the kiss, tracing her lips with the tip of his tongue, skimming the soft inner skin of her lower lip when she opened for him.
With exquisite slowness, he explored her lips, then plunged into the sweet heat.
The sun’s brightness faded, a kaleidoscope of colors exploded behind her lids as she savored the sensations his kiss conveyed. She reached to embrace him, but he pulled back, gazing at her with a question in his eyes.
“Are you wearing some new perfume?” he asked, his hands releasing her, dropping to his sides.
“No, no perfume at all,” she said.
She didn’t want the kiss to end, she wanted it to go on forever.
“I don’t get it,” he murmured.
“What?”
“Yesterday I thought it was because I was so tired.”
“What was?”
“Wanting you.”
Her heart skipped a beat, raced. Heat licked through her.
“I wish I could figure out just what game you’re playing,” he said.
“I’m not playing any game.” Except being her sister.
Oh, oh, she should tell him.
“I had one relationship with a beautiful society woman and got burned. I won’t go there again,” he said sharply.
Beautiful? Her?
“I’m not beautiful, it’s the clothes,” she said.
No one had ever called her beautiful. David said she looked nice. Some of her dates in college had said she looked pretty. But beautiful?
He smiled sardonically, his eyes dancing in cynical amusement.
“It’s not the clothes, you are probably even more beautiful out of them. Shall I tell you a hundred times a day how beautiful you are?”
She blushed then looked away before she made a total idiot of herself.
“I’ve got to go.”
Logan stepped back and watched as Lily drove away.
She looked exactly like he’d seen her a dozen times before.
Yet there was something different. Almost an air of innocence surrounding her.
She’d seemed genuinely puzzled at her father’s behavior.
He was sure she’d mentioned Damien’s propensity for egotism before. She’d laughed about it.
The biggest mystery, however, was his strong attraction.
Why did she appeal to him in ways he couldn’t even define?
Some of the brashness and cocky sass he expected was missing.
Poking fun at others didn’t seem to be the norm these last two days.
Nor being the center of attention. She’d practically ignored the waves in the restaurant when she’d walked in.
Was it all a ploy to capture his interest or was there more to his sexy neighbor than he’d yet discovered?
Turning, he headed for his own car. He’d been hurt once by a fascinating woman, hadn’t he learned anything? This was some trickery Lily was up to, changing tactics, probably just to challenge his assertion he wasn’t interested. Some women couldn’t stand an indifferent man.
Crystal had been that way. Once their marriage lost the early glow, she’d tried to reaffirm her own attractiveness by buying new clothes, constantly making a play for anything in pants, asserting her right to her own pleasure before all else—including their marriage vows.
He wasn’t going to fall for that again.
Dodging heavy traffic, Logan drove back to the building that housed his small company.
He had plenty of time to think and his thoughts kept returning to Lily.
Acting or not, she proved to be an intriguing woman.
Maybe she was tired of the pretense. Maybe she was finally allowing the real woman to show through.
And getting involved didn’t mean marriage.
He slammed on his brakes, narrowly missing the car ahead of him. Where had that wild idea come from? Once lodged, he couldn’t shake it. She knew the score. Hadn’t one of her friends last night repeated her own vow to be an old lady before she ever considered marriage again?
And there would be no worry about the money. She was loaded if her life-style gave any indication.
He’d never noticed the same man hanging around, so she appeared fancy-free.
Why not turn that fancy toward himself? If her intent was to gain his interest, she’d succeeded.
He’d pursue her. A few kisses, some shared nights.
Nothing permanent, nothing to catch the emotions, just enjoyment of each other’s company.