Just remembering how she had woken up with her body wrapped around his like Christmas paper, a smile on her face and a sense of wonder in her heart, was enough to make her break out in hives.
Last night hadn’t been about love or commitment, it had been about lust and letting off steam, and she wouldn’t make the mistake of thinking otherwise. And no doubt Logan wouldn’t want her working for him after last night either. In fact, he’d probably be relieved to receive her resignation because it would all be neat and tidy. The way they both liked things.
‘Working already.’ His voice behind her sounded cool, remote. ‘I’m not that hard a taskmaster, am I?’
Snapping the lid closed on her laptop, Cassidy gave a guilty start.
‘It’s not really work, it’s—’ She groaned softly when the printer started up on the bench space, drawing his attention. Before she could react Logan had crossed the room in three long strides and retrieved her letter. Scanning the page, he lifted his blue eyes to hers, his gaze glittering with an unnamed emotion that made her shiver.
‘I have to say this appears to be an extreme case of morning-after regret,’ he said, his voice lethally soft.
She smiled as if nothing was out of the ordinary when all she could think about was how his mouth had felt, exploring her body. ‘It’s not regret.’ It was a simple case of self-preservation. ‘I know my resignation might be a surprise, and this was certainly not the way I planned to tell you, but... I think it’s for the best.’
‘Do you?’ He came to a stop in front of her and dropped the letter on the table. ‘Exactly how did you plan to tell me?’
Shifting on her seat, she felt a pleasurable sensation pulse through her lower body, a reminder of everything they had done the night before. ‘I hadn’t got that far. I was still working it out. But I had already decided to resign before the ball.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you’ll be living in Arrantino permanently and my life is in New York.’
‘You could easily relocate. It’s not like you have anything tying you to New York other than your sister.’
‘Gee, thanks for pointing that out.’
‘You know what I meant.’ He ran a hand through his hair, reminding her of how thick and soft it had felt under her fingers. ‘If you’re worried about not seeing your family I’ll happily provide you with regular trips home to visit them.’
‘That’s very kind of you but—’
‘But this has nothing to do with logistics, does it?’
Frustrated that he wouldn’t just accept her resignation at face value, Cassidy let out a controlled breath. ‘I’ve seen you naked. You’ve seen me naked.’ Probably not the best thing to say, given the way his eyes darkened. ‘You have to admit that last night makes it impossible for us to work together.’
There was also the small situation of him having to marry and her having to be nice to a woman who would be sleeping with him every night. Something she would find too confronting for words.
‘I don’t admit anything of the sort. Sex, no matter how good, doesn’t have to ruin our professional relationship. We’re both mature adults who gave in to a moment of temptation. As long as we keep emotion out of the equation, things can go back to the way they were.’
The smile he gave her was gentle, almost tender, as if she were a small child needing to be placated.
Cassidy didn’t know what made her feel worse. The fact that he could so easily dismiss what had happened between them, or the fact that she couldn’t. Last night she hadn’t cared that she worked for him, or that there was no chance of a future for them together, or that he would never want more from her than sex. She hadn’t considered that she might already like him a little too much, or what would happen afterwards. All she’d thought about was the way he had made her feel. Beautiful. Wanted. Sensual.
Now she felt bereft. And she knew herself well enough to know that she would one day want more from him. So much more, and she would not let herself fall for another man who wouldn’t want her back.
Determined that this time she would hold her line with Logan, she pushed her glasses closer to her face and huffed out a breath. ‘I’m happy to keep emotion out of the equation,’ she said, resolutely ignoring the pang in her chest that said that last night had been unforgettable. ‘But I’m still resigning.’
Logan’s scowl deepened, his whole demeanour one of outrage. He paced away from her, his broad shoulders rigid. ‘You’re being stubborn.’
Cassidy’s eyebrow rose as if to say pot...kettle and his scowl deepened.
‘We make a great team. I’ve never had an assistant I’ve worked so well with before.’
Cassidy didn’t disagree with him, but knowing that her professional prowess was her most important attribute to him hurt, even though it shouldn’t.
‘We just need to compartmentalise what happened last night,’ Logan decreed. ‘Something you assured me you were extremely good at during your job interview.’
‘I thought I was good at it too.’ It was now very clear to her that she could strike that off her superpowers list. Or perhaps it was more that her ability, along with her intelligence, seemed to diminish to zero whenever he touched her.
‘Then do it now. Better yet, come to lunch with me.’
‘Lunch?’ She blinked, struggling to get her head around his sudden change in topic.
‘I promised Leo I would meet Elly today.’
She narrowed her eyes. ‘I don’t know that I should be there. I don’t think it’s—’
‘Appropriate?’ His mouth turned into a grim line. ‘Probably not. But it will allow me to prove to you that we can resume a normal relationship. At the moment you’re using emotion to dictate your decision and that’s always a mistake.’
Cassidy frowned. ‘On the contrary, I’m using logic and the knowledge that when men and women become intimate it complicates things.’
‘That doesn’t have to be the case if both parties are mature adults.’
‘Then why have you never slept with one of your EAs before? Because I’m pretty sure there were some offers on the table.’
Logan’s nostrils flared, his gaze drifting to the sofa behind her. She had the distinct feeling that he was contemplating lifting her onto it and having his way with her again. The fact that she wanted that to happen so badly only convinced her that she had made the right call. She couldn’t work with him. If there was one thing Cassidy knew from a childhood full of instability it was when to cut and run. Her mother had been the first person to reject her and she had been watching people walk away from her ever since. Something most of them did with startling ease. Something Logan would eventually do as well.
‘If you must know, I’ve never been tempted before.’
Rather than feel flattered by his soft words, a lump formed in her throat because it didn’t matter how tempted he had been the night before, he still only wanted her in his life as an employee. And he would never want more than that from her because not only did she not have the right pedigree to suit his new station in life, she didn’t have a pedigree at all.
She swallowed heavily, ignoring the fact that even scowling and dominant he made her feel dizzy with lust. ‘I won’t change my mind about this,’ she declared with stubborn emphasis. ‘I’m not as practised as you are in being able to move on from sex. And besides that, I want to work for someone who is less demanding than you are.’
Logan made a scoffing sound. ‘You’d be bored within an hour.’
Probably, but she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him. It would only fortify his position. ‘Believe what you want.’
‘Dammit, Cassidy...’ He stalked to the windows that overlooked rich, rolling green hills. ‘Whether you admit it or not, your resignation is rash. This is all just a matter of self-control and discipline. We make a great team. Come with me
to lunch and, if at the end of the day, you’re not convinced that we can work together then I’ll not only accept your resignation, I’ll have Ben fly you back to New York tonight.’
Cassidy gnawed on the inside of her lip. Perhaps she should go with him if for no other reason than to prove him wrong. And, really, what was the harm? She knew she wouldn’t change her mind about working for him in the future.
‘This isn’t a good idea,’ she declared, questioning her sanity as he moved back to stop in front of her.
‘Duly noted.’ He adjusted her glasses on her nose as if he couldn’t help himself. ‘Dress is casual.’
Cassidy stared dubiously at the small red moped in the underground garage. ‘We’re taking that?’
Logan gave her a sexy grin. ‘Not enough speed for you, mi amor?’
‘It’s not that.’ She wondered what it was he was calling her and then decided that she didn’t want to know. ‘I’m just surprised that you would choose to ride one.’
‘That’s the whole point.’ He swung his leg over the small contraption and balanced it between his long legs, managing to retain every ounce of his masculinity in the process. ‘Sometimes, when we were younger, Leo and I would take off for a break from palace life and no one was any the wiser.’
‘And security was okay with that?’ She took the shiny silver helmet he proffered. ‘They’re okay with it now?’
‘No, but they work for me. Which means they have no choice.’ He grinned at her when she shook her head. ‘They also know that I’m only going half an hour out of the city and I’ve already cleared where we’re going. If something goes wrong they can be there in five minutes by helicopter. But who is going to be looking for the new King of Arrantino today, especially on one of these? Most people will assume I’m still in bed.’
At the mention of bed Cassidy’s cheeks heated and she stuck her helmet on her head, accepting that he was probably right. She was accepting a lot from him lately. First the gown, then the casual outfit she had pulled from one of the designer bags in her room. And even though she intended to pay him back every cent for anything that she wore, she still cautioned herself to be careful. This wasn’t a courtship by any stretch of the imagination. He wasn’t in love with her, he was merely working to get the outcome he desired—which was for her to remain as his EA.
Forcing herself to not focus on the negatives and to just enjoy herself, she slung her leg over the back of the bike. Logan kicked up the stand and they zoomed out of the garage towards the rear entrance reserved for deliveries and staff.
Five minutes later they were weaving in and out of traffic and heading for the hills.
Finally dragging her eyes away from his broad back, she scanned the lush countryside rich with vineyards and orange groves.
In what felt like way too little time they pulled up outside a small house nestled behind a brick fence.
‘Your brother has been staying here?’
‘No. Elly lives here.’ He took their helmets and slung them over the handlebars. ‘Leo has been staying in a rented apartment close by. Since no one has been able to identify the woman in the photographs, her privacy has been preserved.’
‘Something I’m sure she’s more than happy about.’
‘We will see.’
She heard the hard edge that entered his tone and placed her hand on his arm. ‘You said that Elly is an archaeologist. Is there anything else I should know?’
‘She’s a single mother.’
‘Oh, that’s hard. Do you know what happened to her husband?’
‘No idea. She probably dumped him for a bigger fish.’
Cassidy frowned. ‘That’s terribly cynical. What makes you say that? Is it because of your father?’
‘No. It’s because of Leo’s first wife. Anastasia was a shark with red lipstick. She wanted the power and privilege that comes with being a queen but not the everyday acts of service the role requires. When she got bored she searched for entertainment elsewhere.’
‘Ah.’ Cassidy remembered the stylish blonde from the time she had visited Logan’s New York office. A shark with red lipstick was a fitting description; the woman’s blue eyes had never been still, always sizing things up. Especially Logan. At the time Cassidy had thought that her reaction had been that of any other woman in Logan’s presence, but apparently all those sexy little smiles had been a tad more targeted than that. Which was even more appalling considering she had been married to his brother at the time. ‘That would have made it uncomfortable for you whenever you and Leo got together.’
‘Extremely. I tried to warn him about her but he wouldn’t listen and over time she succeeded in driving a wedge between us. I don’t want that to happen again.’
‘It doesn’t mean that it will, though.’
‘No. But it doesn’t mean that it won’t either.’
Completely understanding why Logan was preparing himself for the worst, and why he would want to protect his brother so much after having watched him battle leukaemia, Cassidy followed him as he pushed open the squeaky metal gate.
As soon as she stepped into the garden and spied the sunflower-yellow front door, Cassidy knew that Elly wouldn’t be the kind of person Logan imagined her to be.
No polished sophisticate who had money as their number one goal would have such a happy front door, or a garden grown wild with lavender and poppies, neither would she have the well-worn gardening shoes placed haphazardly beside the front door that signified that she wasn’t afraid to get her hands dirty.
‘I know you’re anticipating the worst, but Leo comes across as a smart guy,’ she offered, hoping to reassure him as she stopped beside him on the veranda. ‘I’m sure he knows what he’s doing.’
‘Marrying Anastasia goes against that theory. And they say that love is blind. Today I plan to make sure he hasn’t made a second mistake before this relationship goes any further.’
Cassidy swallowed at the laser-like intensity behind Logan’s blue eyes, seriously glad that she wasn’t the one in the firing line. ‘And if you decide she’s not good for him?’
‘This time I’ll make sure he listens.’
‘Just...’ Cassidy waved her hands between them wondering if he would welcome her counsel.
‘What?’ he bit out with barely concealed impatience. ‘You’ve never been backward in giving me your opinion before.’
Actually, she had, but that had usually been to do with the women he’d dated and she’d determinedly told herself it was none of her business.
‘Just watch the, you know, juggernaut face, it’s very intimidating.’
Both exasperated and fascinated by his EA, who apparently was determined that she was not going to be his EA for much longer, Logan found himself tense up as he waited for the door to be opened.
He wanted this to work out for his brother and he hoped Leo was right about Elly because Anastasia had made him miserable, and as far as Logan was concerned, Leo had suffered enough in his life. On top of that, these past few days had shown him how much he had missed his brother’s friendship and he didn’t want to lose it again so soon.
Being back home, he had come to appreciate how unfulfilled his life in New York had been, driven by making deals and moving from one success to another without really taking the time to celebrate any of it.
He glanced at Cassidy as she bent to stroke the fur of a giant ginger cat. The large feline wove between her ankles, rubbing its scent on her and purring with delight at the attention.
He knew how it felt. Right now he wanted to ditch lunch, bundle Cassidy up, stick her on the back of the moped and haul her off to the closest bedroom.
Usually after he’d spent the night with a woman he was unaffected by whether he saw her again or not, but the thought of not seeing Cassidy, of not touching her, made his gut tighten with an emotion that felt peculiarly like dread.
>
But he was going to have to push that aside if he was serious about fulfilling his promise and proving that with a little self-control and discipline they could easily get their relationship back on track.
Looking at her now, her gorgeous curves encased in denim and a purple gypsy blouse that he was almost certain was concealing a black bra, he wasn’t at all confident that he could—or that he even wanted to.
‘Hello! Welcome!’
A petite dark-haired woman and the mouth-watering aroma of homemade bread and tomato sauce greeted them. Elly’s brown eyes were open and friendly and she was dressed as casually as he and Cassidy were. Score one for Elly, he thought, and then caught the cynical thought before it could progress any further. Possibly he was still a little jaded from his past, and possibly he did need to let that go and move on at some point.
‘It’s so nice to meet you both.’
Cassidy greeted the other woman with a natural exuberance he just didn’t have, kissing her warmly on both cheeks. This in turn seemed to relax Elly and Logan masked his scowl and tried to play nice.
Fortunately Leo came up behind the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.
‘Right on time,’ he said, easing the rising tension between them all with grace and aplomb.
It was a trait he was going to have to cultivate in his new role, Logan thought grimly.
And then a small ray of sunshine stepped out from behind Leo’s legs with large unwavering eyes in a small fey face surrounded by clouds of dark hair.
‘I’m Skylar,’ she said, sticking out her hand for him to shake. ‘I’m six years old. Are you Leo’s brother?’
‘Yes.’ He found his throat had closed over and had to clear it before he could go on. Leo had sent him a text explaining that Skylar had no idea that they were from the royal family and would he mind playing along with that. Having wondered if that had been a ploy of his new girlfriend’s, Logan felt a wave of shame flood him.
Crowning His Unlikely Princess (Mills & Boon Modern) Page 13