Chapter 15 #2
“What’s his job?” I fold my arms and narrow my eyes.
Logan frowns. “No idea.”
“So how do you know what he can afford?”
“I…” His frown deepens, and he looks at the door Tink and his teammates just went through. “I don’t,” he admits and drops his head. “My apologies. I’ll make sure he finds your website.”
“Good.” And now I don’t know where to put my frustration, so I stand here awkwardly until I remember what we said to each other before Tink took the conversation back.
“Uh, if you don’t mind me bringing some stuff to your apartment, I’m going to need it for some meal prep in the morning. If it’s still okay that I use your—”
“Wouldn’t have offered my place if I minded you being there, Sav.” There’s that nickname again. Did the team rub off on him, or is this just Logan getting cozier?
What am I supposed to do if it’s the latter?
“Why do they call you The Hero?” I ask warily.
His expression hardens. “Not sure. I was only starting to realize they do.”
“That’s the name you get when you think you need to be a one-man-band,” Moxie says, coming up to the table.
He pats Logan on the back and gives me a broad smile.
“This was great, Savannah. I haven’t seen my team that happy since our championship win last year.
Who’d have thought some good food would boost morale? ”
“I thought,” Cole says as he gets to his feet. “That’s why I hired her. And don’t forget that you and Callahan were the ones pushing for this.” He holds his hand out for me to shake and smiles. “Great first impression, Savannah. I’m looking forward to what you bring to the table tomorrow.”
I need to respond, but I’m stuck on the fact that Logan helped get me this job. Directly. Why didn’t he tell me that? “Thank you, sir,” I squeak after a moment. “Uh, Cole.”
“Sir,” Moxie repeats with a snorted laugh. “Big step up from Rihanna, eh?”
“Can it, Malcolm,” Cole growls, and the two of them shove each other out the door, followed by a longsuffering Mel.
Logan’s lips twitch with a smile as he watches them go, and I am suddenly far too aware that we are very much alone now. It’s getting late, and I need to get some solid sleep so I have the energy to keep up with my contracts, but Logan doesn’t seem any more interested in leaving than I am.
“You earned yourself some admirers tonight,” he says, then adds something under his breath that sounds a lot like, “Can’t say I enjoyed that.”
I should pretend I didn’t hear it. Or tell myself that he said something completely different. But Logan apparently convinced Cole to hire me for his rugby team, and it’s impossible not to read into that. He did that before I told him about Lola’s event.
“What can I do to help you clean up?” Logan asks. “Put me to work.”
I pick up the tray of food and head for the kitchen while I process the new information. “You don’t have to help, Logan. You’ve already done so much as it is, and it’s not like I’ve held up my end of the deal.”
He slides in front of me, blocking my path and taking hold of the tray before it collides with his stomach. “We’re way past the deal, Savannah.”
Blinking at him, I try to understand the intensity in his gaze.
“What does that mean? You haven’t been able to talk to your mom yet.
” Which, honestly, is relieving. I’ve kind of connected our friendship to his goal to get face-to-face with Lola, and it feels like whatever this is between us will be gone as soon as he gets his answers.
I don’t like that.
Logan sees something in my face and tilts his head to the side. “It means I want to change the nature of this relationship of ours.”
“Relationship?” There are multiple meanings to that word, but I get stuck on the more romantic connotation, though standing in the middle of a sweat-scented hallway with a crusty tray of tamales isn’t all that swoony.
Better if I nip that one in the bud. “You reluctantly hired me to make meals for you so you could use me to get to a woman who doesn’t want to talk to you. ”
Logan huffs out a sharp exhale. “That’s how it started, yeah.”
“And now you want to change things because…?”
“Because you don’t need anything from me anymore, and I don’t like that you have no reason to keep me around.”
He…he wants to stick around? “You still need me to get you a chance to talk to Lola,” I say, though that’s not remotely what I want to talk about. I should ask him if he’s still going back to Australia when the season ends. How long will he be here?
Logan’s lips quirk up on one side. “You gave me a chance, Sav.”
“You haven’t—”
“It’s not your fault I was a fool on Friday.
You did your part, and I took the easy way out.
Like an idiot.” He gives me a self-deprecating grin that somehow makes him more attractive than he already was.
My poor heart is threatening to thump right out of my chest, and I don’t know how much longer I can fight the pull I feel toward him.
Logan chuckles. “It’s getting easier to see why you don’t like me. ”
If only that were true. “There’s a chance you’ve grown on me,” I admit.
“Have I?” He shifts closer, his smile changing to something brighter, but the tamale tray is still in his way, so he can only get so close. I’ve never hated a tray more, but it’s the only thing standing between me and inevitable heartbreak. “How much?”
Rolling my eyes, I tug the tray from his hands and step around him to walk the last little bit to the kitchen, hoping that puts some distance between us.
Stay strong, Savannah. I can’t let myself get distracted by his charm when I’m so close to finally getting some traction. “Easy on the ego, Hero.”
He’s hot on my heels. “Are you telling me you like me more than you did on Friday?”
Yes. “I like your kitchen.”
Snagging the tray from my hands, he dumps the three tamales in the trash and sets the tray on the counter in one quick movement, turning to face me. “I’m well aware you’re fond of my kitchen, love. We’re talking about me.”
“Aren’t we always?”
“Cheeky, aren’t you?”
I laugh. “That shouldn’t come as a surprise, Logan.”
“Oh, it doesn’t.” He moves closer and backs me against the counter, boxing me in.
Heat rises from my belly to my face, but I do my best to stay cool as I peer up at him. What’s his play here? He said he wanted to change the nature of our relationship, but I need to know what he means by that.
Asking for honesty is a lot harder than feigning insults, and the words stick in my throat for a second. Even when I manage to force them out, they barely carry any sound with them. “You want me to need you?”
He nods slowly. “Apparently.”
“You’re not sure?”
“Love, a week ago I was practically blaming you for the inevitable end of my rugby career.” His hands press against the countertop on either side of me, bringing him close enough that his body heat soaks into me.
“I have no clue what’s happening here aside from the fact that I avoided Lola because talking to her meant I wouldn’t have a solid reason to keep talking to you. ”
Heavens to Betsy, those are fighting words, and they mirror my thoughts exactly. My voice comes out strained as I ask, “Really?”
His throat bobs. “Really. And you should know that I hated every minute of watching you smile at the lads today, but I’m not going to ask you not to do it tomorrow because I don’t have that right.”
How pathetic does it make me if I really want him to ask me that?
Pathetic enough that the independent feminist in me roars to life, bringing my hand up to press against Logan’s chest, ready to push him away.
“Smart man,” I tell him, though I’m not sure why my inner feminist decided to speak in a husky tone.
“You don’t have that right. But were you actually jealous? ”
As his head dips closer to mine, his voice slips into a low rumble. “I’m not answering that.”
My face flames with warmth. He was jealous. “Now you know how I feel every time you cuddle up with Beef.” What?
To no one’s surprise, that catches Logan off guard, and he cocks his head. “You’re…jealous of your cat?”
The heat in my face doubles. “No! I was saying I’m jealous of you because I want Beef to cuddle with me.” At least, I think that’s what I was saying. But now that Logan’s said it, I can’t get the idea of cuddling with this large, muscly man out of my head. It sounds nice.
More than nice.
In fact, there are a lot of things I’d enjoy doing with him.
Logan’s gaze sharpens as his eyes trail over the features of my face.
His hands slide from the counter to my hips, his fingers warming my skin through my clothes, and I think I might straight-up combust as my body overheats.
“You keep telling yourself that, love,” he murmurs and moves in closer, until his lips are only inches from mine.
Yeah, I’m really starting to like the idea of doing all sorts of things with Logan Callahan.
I still don’t know how long he’ll stay in California, and I barely have time to keep my business afloat, let alone date.
But I’ve been on my own for so long, and this cocky man somehow makes me feel like I matter as much as he does.
Maybe a few months with Logan will be worth the risk of heartache. Maybe I’ll be strong enough to let him go at the end. Maybe I don’t care what happens and just want a moment to pretend I can have everything.
Terrified and exhilarated, I rise up on my toes and close my eyes, ignoring every warning bell in my mind as Logan’s hands tighten on my hips and I get so close that I feel his breath on my lips, warm and sweet.
I can’t resist anymore.
“Ahem.”