“It’s a bit nerdy,” he said.
“No,” she laughed. “I don’t think so.”
Her face sparkled, and she seemed genuine. For a long moment, he couldn’t do anything but grin.
“When I was a kid, I wanted to be a marine biologist,” he explained.
“And why didn’t you?”
“As it turned out, that path was filled with more science than I cared to get into.”
“Hm. Imagine that.” She batted her eyelashes. They’d only been out for fifteen minutes, and already this felt like a date.
Which it wasn’t. He needed to keep reminding himself that.
A bartender arrived to mix cocktails at their table. Tumblers full of some sort of gin concoction, they raised their glasses in a cheers.
“Where are we going after this?” Terri asked after taking her first sip.
“Bored of this place already?”
“Not at all.” She laced her hands on the table and looked him square in the eye. “Just eager to see how much you can impress me, that’s all.”
“You’re going to keep me on my toes. I can see that already.”
She lifted a shoulder. Maybe. Maybe not.
“So. Chicago.” She took a long drink. “I’ve been thinking about the game plan once we get there.”
The abrupt conversation change sank his heart a little. It would have been nice to keep reality at bay a bit longer. Yet, at the core, he was a businessman.
“And what have you come up with?” He swirled the contents of his glass, his hands needing something to do.
“Not much. Sorry.” She shook her head. “I don’t know how I’m going to convince Charlie to leave you alone. I mean, I have nothing to do with his work. If I show interest in a case that I’m technically not supposed to know about, he’ll know something’s up. He’s not dumb. The only answer I can come up with is acting like we just happened to meet here and bond over both being from Chicago.”
Logan worked his jaw around. “Even that sounds suspicious, though.”
“Yeah. Exactly. It makes it look like you were watching me or something. Which…” She guffawed. “Is true.”
He dragged his thumb across his chin. There was no easy answer.
“How about we forget about it for tonight?” he proposed.
Terri raised her eyebrows, but she wasn’t the only one surprised. He couldn’t believe he’d just suggested that.
“Forget about it and do what instead?” she asked.
His chest expanded with a deep inhale. Oh, well. Might as well dive in head first.
“Have fun,” he said. “Enjoy ourselves. Remember? That’s why we’re out tonight. We’re making up for time lost on your vacation.”
“I didn’t have that much time left.”
“It’s a shame to waste even a day.”
“Yeah.” With her index finger, she traced the rim of her glass. “True. I did wait years for this.”
“Why did you want to come here? What about Vietnam drew you to it?”
“The fact that I knew nothing about it.”
“Really?” he asked on a laugh.
“Other than its war history with the US, no. With most of the places on my travel list, I had cliché reasons for wanting to go there. I wanted to find the best pizza in Italy. See the view from the Eiffel Tower. Stuff like that. Vietnam was… new. Not even arbitrary. Maybe coincidental.”
“Something drew you.”
“I dunno.” Her gaze settled on his. “I was studying a map planning my flights one day, and I looked at Ho Chi Minh City, and something in me was just like, there. I need to go there.”
“Sounds like it was meant to be.”
He was vaguely aware that it sounded again like he was flirting, but if that were the case, he didn’t mean for it to be so.
“Destiny?” Her face turned to take in the fish tank. Its bluish glow brought extra life to her eyes. “I’m not sure I believe in that. Do you?”
“What does believing in something matter? Either it exists or doesn’t. Because I can’t know for sure, there’s little point in even forming an opinion.”
“How practical of you.”
“All I know is what’s in front of me. We’re here.” He gestured around them. “Let’s make the best of it.”
“In that case…” She drained the rest of her drink and signaled for their bartender. “We’ll take your most expensive bottle of champagne.”
Logan chuckled. “That’s one way of enjoying the moment.”
“You said that you’d make up for my trip being cut short.” She tossed her head. “Plus, I might be a little bitter. You saved me last night, but not without…” She faltered, what had started as fun banter turned dark.
Logan set his hand on hers. “Hey. Fun tonight. Remember?”
She lifted her eyes to his face, his hand buzzing from the contact. He needed to pull away, but a magnetic force kept his touch right where it was.
“Yes,” she whispered.
With that, she withdrew her hand.
At least someone hadn’t lost their senses.
Chapter 7
Terri
The next morning, Terri buried her head in the cool pillow, not wanting to wake up. She’d had a bit too much to drink, and her temples throbbed from it.
After the bar with all of the fish tanks, they’d gone to an upscale restaurant where they’d enjoyed a traditional Vietnamese meal alongside another round of cocktails. By the end of the night, her head swam and she’d laughed so much her jaw hurt.
Rolling onto her back, she slowly blinked her eyes open and thought back to the last part of the night. Coming up in the elevator, she’d caught Logan staring at her out of the corner of her eye.
When she’d turned to face him, he hadn’t looked away immediately. Instead, he’d let the look linger for a second.
That one second had been long enough for her to see the fire in his gaze.
Now, in the early light of morning, she realized it had probably been due to the alcohol. He hadn’t made a move once they’d gotten into the penthouse, instead telling her a hurried goodnight.
Sighing, she sat up and rubbed her face. Yeah. That ballsy move ordering a bottle of champagne had been a bad idea. At least she hadn’t done anything too embarrassing.
That she could remember.
After hopping in the shower, she dressed in jeans and a cotton blouse and walked into the living room. An eerie silence filled the home.
Since Logan was probably in his office working, she went into the kitchen to rummage around for some breakfast. A note on the counter caught her eye.
Terri,
Meet me in front of the building at ten.
L.
She caught sight of the clock on the wall. Ten till ten. Good thing she hadn’t slept any longer.
Grabbing a banana from the fruit bowl, she backtracked into the bedroom for her sneakers, then left the penthouse. Possibilities swirled through her head. Did this have something to do with the trafficking ring? Or was this part of Logan’s promise to show her a good time?
Either way, she found her heart pattering in excitement as she rode the elevator downstairs. It was wrong to look forward to spending time with him this much.
She should have felt guilty. Logan was probably guilty of the insider training. If he wasn’t, Charlie wouldn’t be pursuing him.
Charlie…
Talk about feeling guilty. Here she was, gallivanting around, totally preparing to go behind her brother and best friend’s back.
But she had to do it. Logan had saved her life. What was this little favor? It wouldn’t hurt Charlie, and someday when she told her brother the full story, he’d understand.
Hopefully.
Shaking off thoughts of what would happen once she returned to Chicago, she stepped into the bright morning light. The street buzzed with activity, cars zooming around and vendors hawking their goods down the block. A motorcycle idled in front of the building, its
rider hidden beneath a leather jacket and helmet with a face shield.
Terri frowned, looking up and down the street. It was ten on the dot. Logan seemed way too type A to ever be late.
The man on the motorcycle honked his horn. Looking over to see what it was about, she caught the man removing his helmet.
It wasn’t any man, though. Logan sat on the bike, sunshine reflecting off his golden hair, grinning wide.
Butterflies. Instant butterflies.
She only hoped it didn’t show on her face.
“You need a ride anywhere?” he called.
She laughed and walked over to the curb. “You ride?”
“When I find the time.” He took a second helmet from the compartment under the seat and handed it to her. “So, where to?”
“Anywhere I want?” She slipped on the helmet and buckled its strap.
“As long as we can make it there on this.”
“Hm.” She thought long and hard about what she really, really wanted. “Take me to the best coffee in this city.”
“Your wish is my command. Hop on.”
It had been years since she’d ridden on a motorcycle. Since college, at least. Settling into the seat, she loosely wrapped her arms around Logan’s waist.
“You have to hold on,” he said. “Or you’ll fall right off.”
She gulped. Clinging to his tight abs certainly wouldn’t help nip her blooming crush in the bud.
But she wrapped her arms tighter around him anyway, the feel of his sculpted body making her suck in a sharp breath. If he noticed the impact he had on her, he didn’t show it. Without another word, they took off into traffic.
Logan drove a bit like she’d expected him to. He sped, passing every car or bike that he deemed too slow. Still, he obeyed traffic laws, and even though he was a bit more assertive than she liked, she had no doubt they’d get to their destination safely.
It felt nice to be moving, with the wind tickling her cheeks and the tires eating up the asphalt. The sense of freedom was similar to the one she’d had when she first started her trip. With each block they passed, worries faded away. Nothing but the exhilarating moment existed.
Too soon, the motorcycle came to a stop in front of a coffee shop. Terri slid off the leather seat, her legs made from jelly.
“Fun ride?” Logan asked, a smile dancing at the corner of his mouth.
For some reason, he seemed more playful today. At least he wasn’t holding any of the previous night’s flirtations against her.
“That was nice.” She took off her helmet. “It’s been a while.”
Inside the coffee shop, a burst of air-conditioning welcomed them. A handful of people sat at tables, chatting with friends or working on laptops while some piano music softly played in the background. In the middle of the bar, a barista greeted a customer in English.
“This place is awfully Western,” Terri said in a low voice. “Not that I’m complaining, but I thought you’d bring me to a spot a little more…”
“Old school? With a Saigon feel?”
She shrugged, which made Logan laugh.
“This is where all the hip, young people come,” he explained.
“Oh, then I definitely don’t belong here.”
“If you think that, you don’t see yourself the way I do. Ever had a cà phê sữa đá?”
“No,” she said.
“Most popular drink in Vietnam. Relax. I’ll grab us a couple.”
She took a seat at a table by the window and people watched while Logan fetched the coffee. It occurred to her that she ought to give Charlie a second call to check in. Though she wanted to hear his voice and find out how things were with him, she also wouldn’t have minded having to leave another voicemail.
Right then, thinking about talking directly while keeping so much hidden made her cringe.
“Here we are.” Logan appeared at the table with two glasses of creamy, iced coffee.
The sight of caffeine, which was exactly what her hungover-ridden body craved, made her salivate.
“You drink these a lot?” she asked.
“Occasionally. I’m more a black, hot coffee guy.”
“Of course you are.”
He leaned back in his chair and picked up his coffee. “Think you have me all figured out, don’t you?”
“Not at all. Only the basics.” She lifted her glass to her lips and took the first sip.
“Good?”
“Amazing. A bit sweeter than I like it, but still amazing.” She gulped down some more. “I might have drank a bit much last night.”
“Wasn’t that part of the point? We were letting loose and having fun.”
The way he’d looked at her in the elevator came to mind. The expression on his face said that he’d wanted to devour her.
Had that just been “having fun?” Did he really feel something for her, or was that the alcohol’s influence?
She wasn’t supposed to even be wondering. Logan was being a great host, showing her around the city and taking her out, but she couldn’t trust him.
Terri busied herself with drinking her coffee and looking for something else to bring up.
“Where would you like to go?” she asked.
“Hm.” He tapped a finger against his chin and looked thoughtfully out the window. “There is a place I’ve heard about, but I’ve never been there. I’m usually exclusively working when I’m here. Except for coffee breaks, of course.”
“Of course… I’m not keeping you from that, am I?”
“I can get to it later.”
“I’d ask you to tell me about the day-to-day life of a hedge fund manager, but—”
“It sounds boring?” he asked on a laugh.
“No. I just figured you wouldn’t want to talk about work while on a break from it.”
“It’s mostly phone calls. Research. Then more phone calls. Numbers. Fielding requests and complaints.”
“Huh. Are you sure you’re not a paralegal?”
He scrunched up his face. “Now that you mention it…”
“Stop,” Terri laughed. She took another drink of coffee and was surprised to find only ice cubes left.
“Ready to go?” Logan stood. Sometime during their banter, he’d drained his glass as well.
“Where to?”
“You asked me where I really want to go. I have a place in mind.”
“Okay. I don’t mind a little mystery. Let’s do this.”
They hopped back on the motorcycle. This time, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around his waist. Riding in such an intimate way didn’t feel as awkward as it had earlier.
Logan took them back along a busy street then down some side ones, cutting through the area like he knew it well. They emerged back onto a main street and rode onto a bridge. As they neared the middle part, he eased up on the gas.
“This is the big surprise?” she shouted over the motorcycle’s rumble. But then she caught sight of the view and closed her mouth.
Logan guided the motorcycle to the side of the bridge, where there was space for pedestrians. Past the railings, an impressive view of Ho Chi Minh City consumed the sky.
“Been here yet?” he asked as they climbed off the bike.
“No. I didn’t even know about it.”
She moved closer to the railing, drawn in by the gorgeous sight. Near them, other people walked and stopped to take in the view. Families with young children. Couples strolling hand-in-hand. With their own space to enjoy the setting, no one seemed to mind the six lanes of traffic between the walkways.
“It’s even better at night.” Logan propped his arms on the railing. “Or so I’ve heard.”
“I can imagine.”
They stood there quietly for a while, enjoying the moment. Though the day was warm and sunny, a nice breeze cooled off any sweat.
“Cityscapes are one of my favorite,” she said after a while.
“Yeah?”
She turned her back to the railing, pr
opping her elbows on it so she could take a look at the view on the other side.
“Yeah. Well, and great country views.”
“You like seeing what the world has to offer.”
“Yeah,” she laughed. “Exactly.”
A gust of wind hit them, making Terri’s hair thrash about her face. When the breeze died, clumps of hair hung to her damp skin. Still laughing, she pushed it away from her hair and eyes.
“Here. You missed a bit.” He reached over and tucked the hair behind her ear.
Their eyes locked, and his hand hovered next to her cheek.
“Thanks,” she whispered.
“You’re welcome.”
His hand didn’t move, and it was then that she noticed how close they were. One step and her legs would bump into his.
Logan’s throat rolled with a swallow, and his lips parted. Despite the traffic and people chattering around them, Terri could have sworn her heartbeat was the loudest thing on the bridge.
She shifted her weight closer, getting as near him as possible without moving her feet. His face drifted in her direction, those baby blues drinking her in.
She hadn’t imagined the signs. He was into her. And despite the reasons why she shouldn’t be, she was into him as well.
And he was about to kiss her.
“We should get back.”
She blinked. Had she heard him wrong?
Nope. All of a sudden, Logan wasn’t looking at her anymore. He’d turned his face away and was walking for the motorcycle.
Terri’s heart plummeted all the way to the other side of the earth. She stared after him in shock, trying to process what had just happened.
She hadn’t imagined the look in his eyes. So what gave?
Swallowing her pride, she stood up straight and followed Logan to the bike, where they wordlessly climbed on. This time, she had to stop herself from cringing when she put her arms around him.
What had just happened stung, but she was a big girl. She wouldn’t show it, and she would do everything possible to not worry about it.
That second task would be the hardest.
Chapter 8
Bidder - An Auctioned to the Billionaire Romance (Criminal Passions Book 2) Page 4