Burn for Me

by Lea Coll

  “Fine. I’m getting ready to punch him. The important thing is that I’m clearly winning this fight.” I handed the phone back to Emma.

  “The alleged fight. It’s not real, counselor,” Emma said.

  I stuck my tongue out at her because I was feeling really mature. “The cartoon is cute, but how does the situation rate a news article?”

  “Oh, the column is supposed to be my funny comments on everyday events. Kids from the college mainly read it. I usually get a lot of comments online when I post things about jobs. They’re curious about the job market.”

  “Are you writing a follow-up article?”

  “Maybe, if people seem interested.” She winked at me in the rearview mirror. “It was a slow news week.”

  There was shady stuff going on at work, but broadcasting it in the newspaper was not going to go over great at Gunner. I wondered why Sadie was depicted in the audience. I’d assume Luke thought the competition was solely between Logan and me, but I wasn’t positive that was the case. Sadie kept a low profile, but something told me not to discount her yet.

  “I DON’T WANT ANYONE TALKING to the press. Not about a case, what goes on at this firm, nothing.” Richard slammed the printed article on the table at his emergency firm meeting first thing Monday morning.

  I jumped guiltily at the sound. Stella was my friend and most likely got this information from me. I hadn’t done anything wrong, but I didn’t think Richard would feel the same way. I wish Stella had given me a heads up; I would have tried to talk her out of posting it.

  Then he leaned his hands on the conference table. “I don’t know who it was, but I will find out. Someone leaked this.”

  Logan cocked his head at me. I knew what he was thinking. Even though nothing in the article was false, if Richard found out I knew Stella, I could be in trouble. The underlying facts didn’t make the firm look good, which was Richard’s primary concern lately.

  “I expect everyone at the fundraiser dinner on Saturday. Get back to work.”

  Logan raised his eyebrow at me, so I followed him into his office. “What was that about?” Logan asked me as I closed the door and sat down.

  “Stella wrote the article, but she didn’t interview me or anything. Everything in there is common knowledge.” I could be fired because I was the obvious source of the article. Not that I was hiding anything. If I’d raised my hand during the meeting, what would I have said? Hey, Stella’s my friend; therefore, I’m responsible. I didn’t even know if that was true.

  The article was accurate, but I knew Richard wouldn’t see it that way. He could make an example of me. Sometimes Stella didn’t think through things before she acted.

  Logan pulled up the article on his computer, zoomed in, and shifted the computer so I could see it. “This is hot.”

  “Huh?” I got up and walked around the desk to see the screen better.

  He maneuvered his chair, so I stood between his legs, his arm went around me to zoom in on the cartoon, and all I could think about was his proximity, the heat of his body, the smell of his aftershave, and how, if I sat down, I’d be in his lap.

  I shifted forward so I could focus. My character wore silky looking boxing shorts, a fitted tank, which exaggerated my cleavage, and had long hair falling in ringlets down my back. My hands were covered in boxing gloves and my face determined.

  “You’re hot.”

  I bit my lip. No one had ever called me hot before. “My cartoon character’s hot? Luke was pretty liberal with the cleavage.”

  “I think he was spot on,” Logan said his voice low.

  “Really?” I cleared my throat. Between the proximity to him and talking about my fake character’s boobs, I was getting hot.

  He spun in his chair as I walked toward his door, putting his desk between us again. “I like it. I like real Ashley too.” His eyes challenged me to refute him.

  “Hey! What did you guys think—” Sadie asked. “Did I interrupt anything?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. Just discussing the staff meeting.” Glad for the interruption, I edged toward the door.

  “That’s what I wanted to ask you about. What do you think?” she said.

  “It’s bullshit if you ask me,” Logan said. “Everything written in that article was accurate. Richard’s just worried about the firm’s reputation.”

  “Everyone knows, whether it’s in the paper or not. Small town gossip and all that,” I said.

  “Now that the other firms know what’s going on, maybe they will pursue us. We’ll have other options besides Gunner,” Sadie said.

  “Are you sending out resumes?” I kept checking the Daily Record for job openings, but no luck yet. I’d even emailed my old boss to inquire about my old job, and so far, he hadn’t gotten approval to fill the position. And I wasn’t sure he would.

  “One of the partners at Taylor, Boone & Geist invited me to happy hour. I think it’s to feel me out.” She shrugged. “Anyway, back to work.”

  I panicked. I didn’t have a connection at any of the firms here. Why were they pursuing Sadie? I didn’t like looking for a job when I’d just started this one. It didn’t look professional, even with everything going on here.

  After she was gone, Logan asked, “Why don’t we go to the fundraiser together?”

  I licked my suddenly dry lips. He’d been clear. He’d said he was pursuing me and that he wouldn’t give up. It would be a date. I didn’t normally take risks, but I wanted to see where this could go more than anything.

  “Look, we’re both going to the same place. It makes sense to carpool.”

  I’d thought it was a date, but his statement made it sound more like a convenience. Disappointed, I said, “Okay.”

  “Okay?” A genuine smile covered Logan’s face. “I’ll pick you up at six.”

  SAMANTHA HELPED ME PUT ON my emerald green sequined dress without messing up my hair and make-up. “This color is beautiful on you.” She spun me so I could see in the full-length mirror.

  “Wow.” Samantha had pulled half of my hair back in a bun and the rest hung in ringlets. The color of the dress made my eyes pop. What would Logan think when he saw me?

  “You look stunning.” Emma scrutinized me from the bed.

  I turned to see the back of the dress in the mirror, which had a deep plunge in the back, exposing my toned back.

  “All of those planks and burpees are paying off, huh?” Emma asked.

  “It’s a nice perk, but it’s a lot of work,” I said, satisfied with how I looked. Logan loved my ass in leggings, but this backless dress should make a bigger impact.

  “Logan will be blown away,” Stella said.

  “He’s used to beautiful women.” I wanted to downplay this thing between Logan and me with my friends. Just in case it didn’t go well.

  “He asked you on a date?” Emma asked

  “He said it was convenient for us to drive together and I hate driving in heels.” I pointed at the black strappy shoes with the narrow heel. “If one of us gets the partner-track position, we can’t be in a relationship.” So nothing could come of this.

  Stella rubbed her hands together. “I can’t wait to see Logan’s reaction to you.”

  I glanced at my alarm clock. “Speaking of which, he’s due any minute. Out, out, out,”

  I opened the door and they filed out. “Good luck tonight. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Stella said, giving me an air hug. “Don’t want to mess you up.”

  “Hey, Logan,” Stella greeted as she turned to leave.

  I looked up in surprise. He was a few minutes early. I heard the girls call out goodbyes but it was background noise as I took in Logan in a tux.

  Oh my God. My mouth was dry all of a sudden and my heart raced as he slowly took in my appearance from the top of my head to my bare feet. He was so handsome it hurt to look at him. I turned to look for my shoes and swore I heard him groan as he took in the deep plunge in the back of my dress.

  “Are you trying to
kill me with that dress?”

  I smiled, pleased with his reaction to my backless dress.

  His voice closer, he asked, “What are you looking for?”

  “A stick to fight your fans off with tonight.” I gestured back at him. “This whole thing you have going on should be illegal.”

  He smiled and I closed my eyes when I saw the dimples. I was pretty sure my panties melted off.

  He stepped into my space, his hands spanning my waist and my very bare back. It was intimate and possessive. He slowly turned me until my front faced his. My breath caught as I tilted my head back to look at him.

  “This was the best idea I’ve ever had.”

  “Oh?” I was struck dumb, being this close to him. I got a faint whiff of cologne and I unconsciously swayed closer to him.

  His fingers tightened on my back, pulling me closer to him until I felt every hard inch of him from chest to knee, including his semi-hard cock.

  He lowered his head and alarm bells went off in my head, but I couldn’t look away from his lips. I wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him; screw the consequences. I licked my lips in anticipation right before his mouth crashed down on mine, stealing my breath.

  It was everything I’d imagined. My lips immediately opened for him and his tongue tangled with mine. His hands traveled up my back and I arched into him. My hands gripped the lapel of his jacket, which was scratchy under my fingers. Cupping my head, he tilted me to the angle he wanted. Wanting to get closer, I went up on tiptoes, my hands traveling to play with the hair on his neck, my breasts pressed against him. He deepened the kiss in response.

  He groaned, pulling away too soon. “We should get going.”

  I nodded. “Right. Let me fix my lip gloss. Then we can get out of here.” I hurried back to my bathroom a little unsteadily, feeling his eyes on me the whole time. I took a few deep breaths in the bathroom as I stared at myself in the mirror. My lips were swollen and my hair mussed. I couldn’t believe that had just happened. I looked thoroughly kissed and it felt so good. I reapplied my lip gloss and straightened my hair. When I walked back out, he was looking at the photographs on my shelves.

  “Those are just pictures of my family,” I said from behind him.

  He slowly turned, his eyes slowly perusing me from my head to my toes. “You look beautiful. I don’t think I got a chance to tell you earlier.”

  My lips twitched into a smile. “Yeah, you were a little busy.” Devouring me—claiming me. For one night, I could pretend that he was real, that this was real. In the back of my mind, I knew it was stupid—relationships in the office were forbidden—for one night I’d live the fantasy. I’d never felt more beautiful, but it was more than that—I felt sexy and hot with Logan. It was the heat in his eyes, the firmness of his touch. He wanted me in a way no other man ever had and I wanted to continue what we’d just started.

  “Are you ready to go?” His eyes told me he didn’t want to leave my apartment, but I nodded because our appearance was mandatory at this event. It wouldn’t be a hardship to show up on his arm, but I couldn’t forget that any relationship between the two of us was forbidden if one us got the partner job.

  “Let me throw on my shoes.” I sat down on the couch to try and strap myself into the stilettos when I heard Logan swear softly. That’s when I noticed that sitting down caused the slit in the leg of the dress to open up more, baring my leg to my upper thigh. I looked up to see his eyes darken with lust.

  His voice sounded strangled when he finally spoke. “Do you need help?”

  “Yes, please,” I said quietly. I knew I was tempting him, but I couldn’t help myself. Just the thought of his hands on my bare leg while he tried to put on my shoe was making it difficult to breathe.

  He crouched in front of me, picked up my stiletto, and placed my foot on his hard thigh. His other hand cupped my calf and I felt his touch up my leg to my core. Then his hand continued higher, behind the crease of my knee, to my thigh, my breath coming in short pants.

  “Logan,” I pleaded breathlessly. I wasn’t sure if I was asking him to stop or begging him to continue. My body wanted more. My muscles were tightly strung, waiting on his next move.

  “Don’t say my name like that. You don’t know what the sound of my name on your lips does to me.”

  His whole body tensed as he gripped the back of my thigh. The fact that I affected him like this only turned me on more. I silently directed his hand to move higher, to my inner thigh. His proximity, his scent, and the feel of his hand on my bare leg were electrifying.

  “Please.” I wanted to say don’t stop. I slowly settled back on the couch, widening my legs more, tilting my pelvis in silent invitation.

  “Please, what? Ashley? What do you want?”

  His words reminded me of the dream I had the other morning. “I want you.” Had I just said that out loud? This was so not me, but suddenly I wanted to be spontaneous. I would have given anything for both of his hands on my inner thighs, spreading me open for him.

  “I want you so bad, but we need to go to this charity dinner.” His hand slowly traveled down my leg to my foot but I still felt heat on my thigh from his touch. I heard the regret in his voice.We’d gotten lost in the moment, but nothing could happen between us right now.

  Thoughts raced through my head. Did I want him to stop? If we dated and one of us got the partner position we’d have to end it because of the office policy against partners dating subordinates. Could I date him for a few weeks and then walk away?

  Before I knew it, he’d strapped my stilettos on, and was standing. He held out a hand for me, which I took. I met his eyes, noting that they were still full of desire for me.

  “Let’s go before I take you back to your bedroom.” Then he leaned in closer and said into my ear, “but I’d leave the shoes on.”

  Yes, please. Everything he just said.

  But all I could do was nod in agreement. I didn’t trust my voice to come out strong at that moment. I was still on the couch with him, his hand on my leg, me begging for more.

  Right before we walked out the door, he stopped me with a hand on my back. “I promise you. We’re not done.”

  My body cried out for more, but my practical side wanted to analyze every reason this wouldn’t work. The biggest one being work. Would I choose a guy over my career? Up until the last few weeks I would have said no. Now I wasn’t so sure.

  WALKING INTO CHESTERTOWN’S YACHT CLUB on Logan’s arm felt surreal. Scanning the room, I saw Richard’s eyes narrow on me, checking me out. It felt different than when Logan had noticed me earlier in my apartment.

  “Are you okay?” Logan asked, following my eyes to find Richard standing across the room.

  “Yeah.” I turned toward Logan, so I didn’t see Richard staring at me, and Logan placed a hand on my back, pulling me in closer to him, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

  Emma rushed up to my side. “Holy shit, you guys. I got goosebumps on my arms when you made your entrance. You look like celebrities.” Then she stepped back from me to take in my dress. “This dress looks amazing on you.”

  I waved her off. “You just saw the dress when you helped me get ready, remember?”

  “Yeah, but this is the whole effect with hair, make-up, and shoes.” She looked at Logan. “The arm candy.”

  Logan said under his breath, so only I could hear, “Tell me about it.”

  I was so grateful Emma was here with Luke. I wanted to talk to her about what happened with Logan in my apartment.

  “Can I get a picture of you two tonight?” Stella asked, a briefcase hanging from her shoulder and a photographer next to her. “I already got Mr. Sheriff and his date. You two are front-page-star material.”

  “Yeah, okay, Stella.”

  “We’re going to find our table,” Emma said, putting her hand on Luke’s arm.

  I nodded as Stella maneuvered us in front of the banner for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

  Logan took the opport
unity to pull me tightly into his side and I looked up at him in surprise when I heard the click of a camera.

  “That’s great—just a few more. Don’t forget to smile,” the photographer said.

  She lowered her camera. “Those dimples—”

  Logan squeezed me tighter at her words. “Don’t get a big head,” I muttered to him, feeling a little territorial. I didn’t want the photographer or anyone else looking at him or commenting on his looks. It was ridiculous because he was only mine for the night even if I wanted more.

  “Okay, I’m done here,” she said, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I hate pictures,” I told Logan.

  “I do too, but something tells me I’m going to want a copy of those.”

  He winked down at me and then I heard Richard’s voice, “So glad you two could make it.” He was standing close to me, startling me. I hadn’t noticed him approach.

  “It was mandatory,” Logan said.

  Ignoring Logan’s comment, Richard said, “You look beautiful tonight, Ashley.” As Richard’s eyes took me in, I stepped back from him until I bumped into Logan, and his arm wrapped around my waist steadying me.

  Richard’s eyes shifted to Logan’s arm around my waist. “Are you two together?”

  Panicking because we weren’t supposed to be dating, I said, “Actually—”

  “We drove together. No point in driving separately, right?” Logan asked.

  I gave him a smile, relieved he’d answered appropriately. “Right.”

  “That’s good. You don’t have time for relationships working at our firm,” he said. “I need to talk to James King. Logan, why don’t you come with me? You know him better than I do.”

  When Logan looked to me for approval, I said, “Go ahead. I’ll be fine.”

  “Hang out with Emma. I’ll find you after.”

  “Sure.” He was certainly acting like a concerned date even though he couldn’t admit it in front of Richard.

  “Save me a dance, gorgeous.” He walked away without waiting for a response, but I felt my face flush at his nickname for me. He used to tease me with pet names, but this time it felt genuine and I loved it.