Chapter 8
Chapter Eight
Did he expect her to say yes?
Um…no. No, he did not. Not his precious, rule-following Charlotte.
The CIA operative who was so dedicated to her job that she had not just saved his life once.
Nope. She’d gone above and beyond and done the big deed twice.
She’d literally saved his ass twice, and there was something insanely sexy about a woman who kicked ass and took names and literally saved his ass.
He would love to fuck her on the desk. Or against the wall. Or in the big, king-size bed that waited in his suite. But even as Charlotte’s lush lips parted, he knew she’d say…
“No.” Her hand rose to push against his chest. “You are not going to play with me.”
“I would never.” He was as offended as he sounded. Playing with her was not on his agenda.
Her long lashes fluttered. “Come on. You play with everyone, Logan. We’re all like pieces on a chessboard for you. You move everyone around where you want us to be.”
His thumb brushed along her chin. He loved that pointed little chin. “Chess bores me. I’m more a poker guy, haven’t you noticed?”
“You cheat at poker.”
“Shh.” His index finger rose and pressed softly to her lips. “Those kinds of accusations are dangerous.”
He felt the lick of her tongue against his finger.
He was the one to suck in a sharp breath. “That’s dangerous, too.”
She jerked back. Only there was nowhere for her to go. He had her trapped between his body and the door.
“You’re dangerous,” she accused.
“I’ve been told that before.” For years and years and years.
“Morris is dead.”
Yes, he supposed they did need to circle back to that jerk.
“I will be searching his phone.” He might have acquired it before the ambulance had arrived.
Another fast, sleight of hand bit. He’d given the phone over to Evans because his VP of Security was very good at searching tech.
“We’ll check his texts and emails. Morris is a greedy punk but he isn’t usually such a dumbass.
” This part bothered him. When people acted out of character, he took notice.
Mostly because something usually caused an individual to change behavior.
Something or someone. “I gave him the opportunity to leave town. He should have left. Coming after me that way—it’s just not usually his style.
” Morris never liked to be the one who got his hands dirty. He let others do the grunt work.
“Maybe he was just really pissed off at you.”
“Or maybe someone pushed him into taking those shots. I cut off Morris’s cash flow. He would have needed someone to finance him, stat.”
Another flutter of her long lashes. “Wait a second, are you telling me that you think someone just paid Morris to kill you?”
“Didn’t say it exactly but, yes, it’s a possibility.
One I’ll explore later.” One he’d already given Evans orders to explore.
“Right now, we both need to rest. Don’t know about you, but I don’t function at my best when I haven’t gotten my beauty sleep.
” He could feel the crash coming. “Apparently, we’re not fucking here and now, so let’s go up to my suite, shall we? ” He backed up and offered her his arm.
A pretty gallant move, or so he thought.
But she didn’t take his arm. “We can pretend to fuck.”
He gave a deliberate gasp. “That is not nearly as enjoyable.”
Her lips almost twitched. Almost, but she straightened them out. “So I’ve heard.”
Okay, hold on. There was something about that response… “Just how much fucking experience do you have?”
A quick inhale. No other response. Interesting.
“Let me clarify.” Logan watched her very, very closely. “When I say ‘fucking experience’…I literally mean how much experience with fucking do you have?”
“I’m not asking for a fucking resume from you.”
Laughter slid from him. She should be more careful. He was starting to like her. No, I am past the starting point. She saved my life twice. Twice. Now I’m just straight up fascinated by her. “I’ll give you one,” he offered. “A fucking resume, that is. If you give me yours in return.”
“I am not telling you about my former lovers.”
He considered the matter. “Probably for the best. Just thinking about them enrages me.”
“Why?” She seemed legitimately confused.
Hadn’t he already covered the why with her before? But he could explain again. “Because I am possessive where you’re concerned. You’re my PA.”
“And yet you were willing to bet me tonight.” A sniff.
“Ah, still sore over that, are you? I’ll repeat, there is no world where I will lose you.”
“But you don’t want me in your life. You don’t want to work with the CIA.
You were adamant that you didn’t want me pushing into your world.
How am I supposed to suddenly believe that you’ve changed your mind?
That you want me close? When you put me up as stakes in that game, I thought that was your way of getting rid of me. ”
His hands fisted. It was either fist them or reach out and pull her into his arms and having her in his arms would just lead to way too much temptation.
She just said we aren’t fucking.
So…bad idea. Taking her into his arms was a bad idea. “Let me be clear.”
“That would be lovely.” Her chin notched up the tiniest bit.
“I will not trade you. I will not lose you. I will not ever give you to someone else.”
A nod.
“I will take down any sonofabitch who so much as bruises your skin.” Maybe he should have stopped talking. Whoops. Too late now. “If someone tries to take you from me, I will take everything that person has. I will leave him with nothing.”
“Is…is that why you took the villa? And the casino?”
That was just the start.
But…
Why am I reacting this way? “I’m a bad enemy to have,” he finally said.
“Pierre and Ares are well aware of that fact. They knew that truth before they even sat down at the table with me. They knew, and they still asked for you. Those bastards deserved to lose. They deserved to have the things they valued stripped from them. They deserved it because you don’t take what belongs to me. ”
She bit her lower lip.
“I’m going to bed, Charlotte.” Flat. “And you’re coming with me.”
“Logan—”
“I told my lawyer you were moving in as my bodyguard. You can pretend to be my bodyguard or you can pretend to be my lover. Either way, you will be in my suite when I crash in bed.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you close.” No, more than that.
“I want you where I can see you. Morris intended to kill you. Like I said, he’s not usually the type to get his hands dirty.
So I’m concerned the order to attack me and the order to attack you might have come from someone else.
Until I know more, you should stay close. ” You will stay close.
“Okay.”
That was it? No more protests?
“We’ll pretend to be lovers,” she added in a rush. “I’m sure your friend Freya will already be spreading that story, anyway. I guess I could be your lover-slash-bodyguard.”
“Freya is not my friend. Don’t make that mistake.”
“But you acted as if you liked her.”
“She’s dangerous. Most of the people in my world are.” He unfisted his hands. Once more, he offered his arm to her.
This time, her fingers curled around it.
“Stay near me when we head to the elevator,” he told her. “Everyone will be watching, even if they are acting like they aren’t.”
When he took her out of his office, he was far too aware of the people on the floor of the casino.
His place ran twenty-four, seven, so there were still patrons playing the slots.
Trying their luck at the tables. Waitresses bustled around, the cleaning staff vacuumed and tidied, and security personnel stood at attention.
Logan and Charlotte strode past a blackjack table. The man there barely slanted them a glance as he tapped the table with his index finger, indicating another hit.
But Logan leaned close to Charlotte. His lips brushed her ear. Deliberately so. “Your partner is about to lose a hundred bucks,” he warned. “He should have held at seventeen. Even amateurs know that. When you’ve got a hard seventeen, you don’t take a hit.”
Sure enough, the dealer flipped over a face card. Busted.
Charlotte’s body tensed briefly.
Logan eased his head away from her. Right before they entered the elevator, Logan glanced back. The man at the table—tall, wide shoulders, dressed in khakis and a polo—turned his head toward the elevator.
Logan winked at him.
The doors closed.
“Who were you winking at?” Charlotte asked.
“Your partner. I thought about kissing you dramatically in front of him but decided that’s bad form.”
“What partner?”
“Oh, darling, really, do not insult me. I spotted the guy in London. I know you worked with him back then. A careful phone call to the right individual even gave me his name. Jamar. It’s good that you have him close, keeping a watch on you, but tell me, are the rumors true?
Will he be leaving after this case? And, if so, then who will be keeping an eye on your sweet ass once he’s gone? ”
“You…I…”
The elevator rose.
“How did you get that intel?” Charlotte demanded and those words were confirmation.
“Ah, so it was dead-on target. Don’t worry. I’ll help you find an appropriate partner. Someone you can trust.” He’d vet the individual personally.
“Right now, you are my partner.”
“And you can trust me. I won’t let you down.” Did she understand that those words were a vow? “I swear to keep a very, very close eye on that sweet ass of yours.”
“Logan.”
“Yes?”
“I need you to be serious for like, five minutes. Can you do that for me?”
“I can. But will I?” He exhaled. A long, heavy exhale.
“Only if I must.” Honestly, sometimes, he got tired of the careless mask that he had to wear so often.
Right then, his head throbbed incessantly.
Adrenaline had his blood boiling. And lust for her still beat in his veins.
“Fine. Being serious. You have five minutes.” The elevator was nearly at the top floor.
“And since we’re being serious, who is the target that you’re after? ”
Her eyes widened.