Josh stared at Logan for several long seconds. The poor kid was probably intimidated by him.
“Hi, Josh,” Logan said, giving the boy a kind smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Thank you, sir,” Josh said, giving Logan a limp handshake. He pulled his hand away quickly and looked at Robbie. “I gotta go, Dad.”
“Don’t drive like I would,” Robbie joked. “Especially if you’re taking the Jag.”
Josh rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I wouldn’t want to turn out like you.”
The scathing remark surprised Weslee, but Robbie just laughed and called his son another name for a smart mouth. Then, shoving his hands in his pockets, he turned to Weslee and let out a dramatic sigh. “Any chance your boyfriend will let you go for a drive with me to see my new house?”
“I don’t need his permission,” Weslee said before Logan could respond. She could see he didn’t find Robbie’s sense of humor very funny and was very close to causing him bodily harm. A spark of hope lit Robbie’s eyes, which she didn’t take seriously. This was all a game to him. “But I’m afraid the answer is no. Logan and I have plans today and then we’ll see you tonight.”
“You know where to find me if you change your mind, sugar.” He winked at her and gave Logan a salute as he breezed past him. “Y’all have a good day now.”
Weslee quickly closed the front door just in case Logan decided to go after Robbie. She turned around to find him watching her, a hint of a smile playing at his mouth.
“Don’t you dare say one word,” she said, shaking her finger at him like Inez always did.
“Not even one?” His smile grew, carving the dimple in his cheek. “I mean, seriously, you can’t expect me not to ask questions.”
“Fine, you can ask, but I don’t have to answer any of them.” She marched past him and wasn’t surprised when he followed right behind her. Her laptop lay on top of the small desk next to the French doors that led to the lower back deck and pool. She picked it up and faced him. “I told you I don’t have a crush on him anymore.”
“I have no idea why you had one on him in the first place,” he said with a snort. “Something tells me Robbie Whitaker hasn’t changed all that much over the years.”
“You’re right. He hasn’t changed, but I have.” She lifted one shoulder up in a shrug. “I have no desire to become Robbie’s next conquest or his fifth wife.”
Logan considered her for a long moment. “Good.” He nodded his chin toward her computer. “So, are you going to tell me your password?”
It took her a second to adjust to the abrupt subject change. “No,” she said, hugging it closer, “but I’ll log in for you”
“What if I need access to it when you’re not available, like say when you’re taking a shower?”
“Then you can break down my door,” she said dryly.
That made him laugh again. “Come on, why won’t you tell me?” he asked, walking toward her. “Jon said you’ve never kept it a secret before.”
“You’re not Jon.”
He stood in front of her and gave her another sexy smile. “No, I’m your boyfriend.”
“Yeah, about that,” she said, trying to ignore the way he made her heart race with nothing more than a smile. “Why did you tell Robbie you were my boyfriend? He’s not my stalker.”
One of his eyebrows rose up. “Maybe not the stalker we’re looking for, but he’s definitely on the prowl.”
“So then why did you tell him we’re together?” The question was out before she thought about the repercussions. Logan might be attracted to her, and he’d acted very much like a jealous boyfriend, but it didn’t mean he wanted any of this to be real or that he wanted something more.
All traces of humor left his face as he reached out and removed the laptop from her hands, placing it on the desk. Then he looked at her with a simmering gaze that made her feel like she could hardly breathe.
“I want to kiss you again.” His statement didn’t hold a single note of teasing. “I guess I’m asking if that’s something you want too?”
Weslee’s knees turned to jelly, her head spinning with yet another change in the conversation. She gripped the edge of the desk to keep upright while she tried to formulate an answer. It was yes, of course. She desperately wanted him to kiss her. Knowing there was a chance her voice wouldn’t work, she simply nodded her head.
Heat flared in his eyes, his lips lifting into that sexy smirk he could trademark and make millions on. Every cell in her body awakened as he slid his fingers along her neck to cup her face with his hands. Trembling with anticipation, her eyelids fluttered closed as he lowered his mouth to hers and touched her lips softly, lingering for only a moment. The kiss ended far too soon and she made a small whimper of protest when he broke the connection.
Still, he hadn’t moved away and held her face gently in his hands. She opened her eyes to find him gazing at her with tenderness and an intense look that sent a low hum buzzing through her veins. She didn’t want this kiss to end like their first kiss had. Deciding now was not the time to play demure, Weslee rose up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
Her bold move lit a fire between them. Logan threaded his fingers into her hair and took the lead, kissing her with a hunger that ignited a sweet swirl of desire in her. Delicious warmth spread through her, making her stomach feel bottomless and her brain fuzzy. Nothing had ever felt this amazing, and she never wanted him to stop.
“Oh, my goodness,” Inez said with a gasp. “It’s about time y’all decided to stop acting like idiots.” Logan smiled against Weslee’s mouth before he pulled away from her. They both turned to see Inez wipe the corner of her eyes. “I’m just gonna give y’all a few more minutes alone.”
When she disappeared, Logan looked down at Weslee and grinned. “Your nanny is the strangest chaperone. She laughs when I bust down the door while you’re taking a shower. Praises me for kissing you and then gives me permission to keep on kissing you.”
“What are you waiting for, then?” she asked, hoping Inez gave them at least another ten minutes.
The air rushed from her lungs at the smoldering look he gave before his mouth descended on hers in another searing kiss. His hand slipped into her hair again, and she leaned into him, fitting against him perfectly. Needing to be closer, she wrapped her arms around his waist as Logan kissed her thoroughly.
After several minutes, he slowed the kisses down. When he pressed one last lingering kiss on her mouth, she edged back to catch her breath and looked into his stormy eyes. “Wow,” she said. “You’re very good at that.”
He gave her a crooked smile and ran his thumb under her bottom lip. “I don’t think I’ll make a very good boyfriend, Weslee.”
Her heart nearly stopped beating at the serious tone of his voice. “Why do you say that?” she asked, struggling to keep up with his thought process.
His thumb moved to caress her cheek. “Because I haven’t been a good one in the past.”
She hated thinking of him having another girlfriend. Thinking of him kissing another woman like he’d just kissed her and gazing at her with so much tenderness it made her chest ache. “Okay.” She drew in a shaky breath and backed away from him so he no longer touched her. If he planned on rejecting her, then she needed distance from him in order to think straight. “So, now what?”
A puzzled expression crossed his face, and he reached out to wrap a firm arm around her waist, pulling her back to him. “So, now we decide if you’re willing to give me a chance to improve my record as a boyfriend.”
Relief swept through her like a category three hurricane. “I think I can do that.”
“Yeah?” He applied gentle pressure to her back, drawing her closer.
“Yes,” she said, unable to come up with a witty comeback. The need for another kiss had short-circuited her brain. Arching into him, she slid her arms around his neck and pressed a lingering kiss to his mouth.
“So, about that password…” Logan said a
few minutes later.
The fuzzy effects from his kisses vanished as quickly as he changed topics. “I’ll give it to you,” she said, stepping out of his embrace to grab the laptop. “Just as soon as I change it.” Laughing, she took off down the hall in a dead run.
For once she’d succeeded in throwing Logan off balance. She made it to one of the bedrooms and had the door locked by the time he chased after her.
Chapter 12
Logan closed the laptop and rolled his shoulders back. He hadn’t found anything more than the police. The IP address pinged back to an area where there were too many public sources to define where the emails had originated.
Weslee had been on her phone for the past hour, working out marketing details for the contract with Total Works Gym and Spa. Trenton Williams had agreed to allow Ground Zero into several of his flagship gyms to test the market.
At least Logan didn’t need to worry about Trenton putting the moves on Weslee. She had asked her assistant to oversee the implementation, which meant she didn’t need to have any more face-to-face meetings with the guy. However, it also meant that she wasn’t coming out to California either.
She glanced over at him and mouthed, “One minute.” Then gave him a smile that made him want to cross the floor, toss her phone on the couch, and press her against the wall for another round of kissing. Inez was an awfully loose chaperone. Logan knew that when Jon returned from his conference the kissing would have to be toned way down.
Getting to his feet, he stretched and walked over to look out the large picture window that almost took up the whole wall. From the third level of the house, he could easily see over the dunes, giving him a magnificent view of the Atlantic Ocean. Rolling waves crashed onto the shore, darkening the sand as the water stretched further with each wave.
“Sorry that took so long,” Weslee said, coming up behind him and slipping her arms around his middle. “Want to go for a walk?” she asked, pressing her cheek against his back.
The second she touched him his pulse went from a nice steady rhythm all the way to full throttle. “Yeah.” He covered her hands with his, knowing his feelings for Weslee had gone full throttle too. He had fallen in love with her, and it wasn’t just all about the physical chemistry between them. It wasn’t that she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, or how sweet she was, or how generous she was with her money. It was all of that combined and something so much deeper he couldn’t put words to it.
Robbie had been the catalyst Logan needed to make him see what was right in front of him. After going through her email and social media messages, the guy wasn’t Weslee’s only admirer. Dallin Morrison had also been messaging her, asking if he could take her out to dinner the next time he was near the East Coast. All Weslee had to do was give him the green light and the politician would be here on the next flight out.
Logan turned around so Weslee was in his arms. He didn’t want to let this woman go. Ever. He couldn’t guarantee nothing would happen to him or to her. No amount of strength or skills could ward off a terminal illness, but he also knew she was worth the risk.
“I could get used to this,” he said, tightening his hold on her.
“Me too.” She tipped her face up and studied him for a long moment, her beautiful eyes filled with love for him. The words I love you were on the tip of his tongue. It was so obvious that she shared his feelings. If she told him she loved him could he say it back? He’d never uttered those three little words to another woman besides his mother.
“If you keep looking at me like that, Miss Campbell, I’ll be forced to take action.”
Her lips parted in a sweet but very sexy smile that lured him in like a kid in a candy store. “That’s what I’m counting on, soldier.”
Grinning, Logan bent his head and covered her mouth with his. He was unprepared for the shockwave of emotions that rocketed through him the second their lips touched. Somehow acknowledging the depth of his feelings for her had become an accelerant, like throwing gasoline onto a fire. It consumed him as he kissed her deeply, tasting her and breathing her in.
“We better go for that walk,” Logan said, forcing himself to end the kiss. Miss Inez had gone to help her neighbor prepare for the gathering that evening, so he and Weslee were completely alone. It was far too tempting to push for something more. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand, “before I do something your nanny will not approve of.”
They walked hand in hand down the private boardwalk that took them across the dunes and down to the beach.
“You didn’t find anything on my computer, did you?” she asked.
“Nope.” He intertwined their fingers together and looked at her. “Guess I’m not a hotshot computer geek after all.” He almost pressed her about her password again, which she’d changed before he could unlock the door of the bedroom she’d run into with her computer. He also hadn’t found anything incriminating in her files. He would get that password out of her, eventually.
“Guess you’re not,” she said with a laugh, slipping off her shoes before they left the boardwalk.
It was an overcast day with a light breeze. Weslee shivered when her bare feet hit the sand, and he saw goosebumps on her arms. “Do you want to go back and get a jacket?”
“No,” she said, snuggling in close to him. “Not when I have you to keep me warm.”
Chuckling, Logan let go of her hand so he could wrap his arm around her shoulders. “Better?” he asked in a rough voice. Shoot. He was so gone on this girl. He was going to be eating crow when his team found out. Especially Jace, who liked to refer to someone who falls in love as a single person dying.
“Much,” she said, leaning her head against his bicep.
He scanned the area before they set off on their walk. Logan saw very few people out. Just a woman walking her dog and further down the beach there was a group of kids playing volleyball. The ocean roared as a large wave rolled in and crashed onto the shoreline. “Which way?” he asked.
“Let’s go this way,” she said, pointing in the direction of the Whitaker’s house. “I’d like to see if the Rowlings are here visiting.” She went on to explain how she’d mentored the two Rowling girls the year before, teaching them all about archery. She wanted to make sure they were signed up for the fundraising tournament in a few weeks.
Logan remained vigilant as they passed by the next-door neighbor’s property. Although he didn’t see Robbie or any other family members, he sensed they were being watched. He wished he could’ve pinned Robbie as the stalker, but given the frequent communication between him and Weslee and his open admiration and persistence in getting her to go out with him, he doubted the guy would also send her anonymous messages that would drive her away.
“Are you ever going to teach me to shoot an arrow?” he asked as they approached the Rowling’s beach house. He’d found some of her archery equipment stored in the garage when he’d explored the house this morning. In the game room, her dad had also dedicated one of the walls in honor of all the awards she’d won over the years, including the bow and arrows she’d used to win her first championship. She was good, and he’d like to see her in action.
“I would love to,” she said, giving his hand a squeeze. “But we better pick a day that isn’t so windy or you’ll never come close to hitting a bullseye.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“If it is it wouldn’t be a fair one,” she said with amusement.
Logan came to a stop so he could look at her. “You’re talking smack with the wrong guy.”
“I’m not talking smack. I’m just letting you know that I’m good and I can almost guarantee I would win.”
“Want to bet on it?” he asked.
“What are the stakes?”
He considered her for a moment. A kiss would’ve been his first choice, but since she liked kissing him as much as he liked kissing her it would be a moot point. “You have to tell me what the password was.”
“And what do I get whe
n I win?”
“When?” he asked with a low chuckle. “Your trash-talk is only making me more determined.”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She slipped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with the hair at his neck. “So, what’s my prize?”
A diamond ring? was the first thought that entered Logan’s mind. Shoot, the once crazy thought didn’t sound as crazy anymore, which made him want to put on the brakes. But gazing into those eyes of hers was like a runaway truck coming down a hill, gaining momentum with each passing second. He couldn’t stop even if he wanted to. He wasn’t even sure an emergency truck ramp would help.
“What do you want it to be?” he asked, slipping his hands to her lower back so he could pull her closer.
Now it was her turn to consider him. Logan got lost in pools of blue, knowing that whatever she asked of him he’d want to give her. “I need time to think about it,” she finally said in a soft voice.
As he lowered his head, she rose up to meet his mouth. He kissed her, long and slow, wondering how he had ever lived without her. The kiss came to an end when her cell phone pinged several times in a row. “You better see if that’s Miss Inez before she comes looking for us.”
She sighed heavily. “I suppose you’re right.” She gave him a peck on the lips before releasing her hold to pull her phone from her back pocket. She swiped the screen and all the color drained from her face.
“What is it?” Logan asked moving so he could see the screen. He swore and took the phone from her. “Now he’s crossed a line,” he said between clenched teeth.
The picture of him and Weslee dancing at the charity ball had been edited so that a red X was painted over Logan’s face. The accompanying messages had been sent in one word increments, and they were not directed at Weslee. They were meant for Logan.
Leave. Her. Alone. Or. You’re. A. Dead. Man.
Feeling like he had a sniper’s bead on him, he cursed himself for leaving his gun back at the house. Worse, Weslee was just as visible as he was. “Let’s get back to the house,” he said, not knowing if he should get in front of her or behind her to lessen her exposure. “You up for a run?” he finally settled on, taking her hand and pulling her along with him before she could make a reply.
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