by Robin Kaye
“It’s not?”
“My boss is Logan Blaise. Ring a bell?”
“Not really. Care to fill me in?”
“Logan Blaise was, until earlier this evening, engaged to Payton Billingsly.”
“The Payton Billingsly?”
“See why I’m freaking out?”
“Oh, man. You’re kidding me. You got caught canoodling with Payton’s fiancé?”
“Ex-fiancé.”
“What the hell is Payton’s fiancé doing in…where the hell are you, anyway?”
“Red Hook, Brooklyn.”
“Red Hook? Seriously?”
“Yes. Red Hook is really changing. The community has banded together to clean up the streets and revitalize the neighborhood. It’s becoming known as a place for great restaurants and art galleries. It’s still a little gritty, and believe me, Payton was not pleased when she found out where Logan came from, but you’re missing the point here.”
“And that is?”
“Kelly, I got caught by the owner of my restaurant making out with his son—my temporary boss. Shit, he could be my permanent boss now that he and Payton are disengaged. When he dumped her, he lost his job and his home too.”
“I just googled Logan Blaise. My God, the man is gorgeous.”
“Kelly—”
“So, how was it?”
“What?”
“The make-out session, of course. Man, is Payton ever going to be pissed when she finds out Logan dumped her for you.”
“He didn’t dump Payton for me. He dumped her for a lot of other reasons I can’t get into, but it had nothing to do with me.”
“Are you sure about that? He certainly wasted no time sticking his tongue down your throat, did he?”
“He didn’t come after me, if that’s what you’re asking. We ran into each other—literally.”
“It’s sure going to be interesting to see how Payton spins this one. You know they were planning a New Year’s Eve wedding, don’t you?”
“I read the article in Food & Wine.”
“What happens if she tells your family?”
“She doesn’t even know I’m here. She has nothing to tell them.”
“How did you pull that off?”
“I hid.”
“I guess all those years we played hide-and-seek came in handy after all. Speaking of which, your brothers are worried about you. They told your mother that you’re on vacation. She’s been keeping the office up and running, but she thinks you’re coming back. Paddy’s been calling me on a daily basis. He didn’t even do that when we were together. He’s beginning to sound desperate, which I have to say is enjoyable.”
“I’m sorry he’s bothering you. What have you told him?”
“That I had no idea where you were, which, until now, was the truth. So, back to your dilemma. What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to tell Logan it was a mistake.”
“Are you nuts? What? Did he have a teeny weenie or something?”
“No.”
“So you checked out his size?”
“Has anyone ever told you you’re evil?”
“Yes. Where did you run into Logan Blaise?”
“I went to the restaurant for a chocolate fix and ran into him when I walked through the doors to get to the front. I went in search of whipped cream; he slammed into me and smashed double-chocolate fudge cake all over my chest.”
“Sounds kinky.”
“It was. He licked the chocolate fudge off my chest and then his father interrupted us. I wanted to die.”
“Wow.”
“It was horrible. And you know what the worst part is?”
“Getting caught?”
“Besides that. The worst part is I never even got my chocolate fix. Not only am I jones’n’ for chocolate—”
“You’re jones’n’ for Logan Blaise.”
“Big-time.” She threw herself back onto the fluffy pillows on the bed. “And now I have to tell him it was all a big mistake and hope he’ll pretend it never happened.”
“Good luck with that. I give it three days tops.”
“Your support is overwhelming.”
“I support you, but let’s face it: Logan Blaise is like a Bugatti and you have the keys. You’re not gonna be happy until you take that boy out for a spin. It’s been forever since anyone has made you want to even put him in first gear, and from what you said, you came in close contact with Logan’s instruments.”
“That’s it—no more Top Gear for you. You’re cut off, young lady.”
“No way. It’s my favorite show. The British one. What can I say? I have a real thing for Jeremy Clarkson.”
“He’s married.”
“And on another continent—therefore he’s safe to dream about. That’s the way I want my men—completely out of reach.”
“I take it things didn’t go well with Ted?”
“It went fine until I found out he’s as married as Jeremy.”
“Damn, are all men pigs?”
“I don’t know; you tell me. If I had a single man who looked like Logan Blaise licking chocolate off of me, I certainly wouldn’t tell him it was a mistake.”
“I need this job.”
“You also need to get laid. And it isn’t as if things like this never work out.”
“When do they work out, Kelly? Name one person who dated her boss and it didn’t turn ugly.” She waited a moment—Kelly didn’t say anything. “See, I have to tell him it was a mistake. I have no choice.”
“Fine. At least I know what to get you for Christmas.”
“What’s that?”
“A pound of Godiva and a vibrator—a large one from the looks of Logan Blaise. Sweet dreams, Skye.”
CHAPTER 8
Logan’s alarm rang and he groaned and smashed his hand against the phone. His head was ready to split in two. Damn, he should know better than to drink tequila. When he pried his eyes open, he found D.O.G. and Nicki staring at him.
“D.O.G.’s gotta go, and I can’t walk him alone.”
His mouth felt as if an army had tromped through it and left cotton in its wake. “Okay, give me a minute and I’ll get up. Do me a favor, Nicki. Press the brew button on the coffeemaker, will ya?”
“I already did.” She pointed to a cup on his bedside table.
“Thanks, kiddo.” He sat up and took a sip of the brew. Maybe after another five cups he’d feel as if he might live. He sat farther up, glad that he’d started wearing sleep pants to bed.
“Logan?” Nicki stood with her arm around D.O.G.’s neck, and her sneakered foot digging into the worn carpet of his bedroom. “What’s gonna happen when you marry Payton?”
He ran his hand through his hair, which was standing straight up from the feel of it. Shit, even his hair hurt. He didn’t know what the hell to say to her. Still, she looked at him with those big brown eyes full of worry; he had to say something. He patted the edge of the bed and D.O.G. took it as an invitation to jump up. Logan narrowly missed being unmanned by the eighty-pound puppy.
Nicki wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic. She leaned her hip against the mattress, her hand holding D.O.G.’s paw. “Nicki, Payton and I had a long talk last night and decided that we really didn’t want to get married.”
Her eyes got wide and she sucked in a deep breath. “Did she dump you because of me? I don’t think she liked me and Pop very much.”
“First of all, she didn’t dump me, and secondly, it had absolutely nothing to do with you. It was about us—Payton and me. We realized we were making a mistake. When you marry someone, you have to love them a whole lot, and we just didn’t love each other enough.”
“Did she cry when you told her?”
He shook his head—a big mistake. “No.”
“Did you stay and make sure she was okay?”
He shook his head again. Evidently, he was a slow learner. He probably should have stayed with Payton a little while, but damn, he’d been so pissed at wha
t she’d said, he didn’t give a shit if she cried. He tried to dredge up some remorse.…Nope, it wasn’t happening. “No, I didn’t stay.”
“What if she was really upset? She’s here all alone. You should call her, Logan. You should make sure she’s okay.”
He was stunned. All through dinner, Payton had acted as if Nicki didn’t exist and now Nicki was worried about her. She was one hell of a kid. “I’ll call Payton later and make sure she’s okay, but if she’s anything like me, she’s relieved it’s over.”
“I don’t know. Wendy said you’re quite a catch.”
He wasn’t going to touch that one. “Nicki, getting engaged to Payton was a mistake. I just didn’t see it until I came home. Storm and Bree love each other enough to get married and stay married. Payton and I didn’t love each other that way. It wasn’t anyone’s fault—you can’t make yourself love someone no matter how hard you try.”
Nicki nodded and looked way older than her ten years. “I know.”
“How do you know?”
“I tried to love some of my mom’s boyfriends when I was little. It didn’t work either.” She shrugged her little shoulders. “They didn’t want me around.”
“That’s not a problem anymore. You love Pop, and Storm, and Bree—”
Nicki nodded. “And D.O.G., Ms. Patrice and Mr. Francis, and you.”
He let out a relieved breath. “That’s good, because I love you too, Nicki.” He wrapped her in a big hug. “And I’ll always want you around.”
“You promise? Even if I do something bad?”
“Even then. No matter what.”
D.O.G. whined as if he didn’t like being left out.
Logan patted the big dog’s head. “You too, boy. Now both of you get outta here so I can throw on some clothes and take this monster for a walk. Nicki, you finish getting ready for school. When I get back, I’ll fix you a quick breakfast.”
“Okay. Come on, D.O.G., let’s go put my books in my backpack.”
Logan watched her bounce out of his room before getting out of bed. He threw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The weather was getting cooler, which reminded him that he needed to take Nicki out and buy her some heavier clothes. Maybe Skye would help him out on that front—that is, if she was still speaking to him after last night’s fiasco.
He could ask Patrice or Rocki for help—and Lord knew he needed help. He had no idea how to buy little girls’ clothes, but he had a feeling that shopping with Patrice or Rocki would be a fate worse than death. Skye seemed like a woman who shopped because it was a necessity—not a vocation. For Patrice and Rocki shopping was a religious experience—heck, it was a calling. Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine. No, he’d do just about anything to avoid shopping with them. He’d beg Skye if necessary.
He took care of business, brushed his teeth, and then slogged his way to the kitchen to fill a to-go cup with more coffee.
Nicki and D.O.G. waited by the door. “I’m all ready for school, so I have time to go with you guys on your walk, okay?”
“Sure.” He checked his watch and snapped the leash on the dog’s collar. “Let’s go.”
Nicki skipped down the steps wearing her backpack. He wasn’t sure why she brought her backpack, but it wasn’t worth asking. It was all he could do to get down the steps in one piece with D.O.G. tugging like a one-dog sled team. Logan opened the door for the three of them and headed toward the park. He took a sip of hot coffee just as they turned the corner.
D.O.G. lunged.
Coffee spilled.
Logan sidestepped Nicki to avoid knocking her over and ran right into Skye and Pepperoni. “D.O.G., down.”
The big mutt had his paws on Skye’s shoulders, while Pepperoni jumped all over D.O.G. and Nicki.
Logan grabbed D.O.G.’s collar and pulled him to the ground. “Sorry.” Skye looked completely edible…again. She wore another pair of sweats and a baseball cap with her hair pulled through the back. He remembered how soft her skin was, the way her hair felt like silk slipping through his fingers, and the taste of her. He remembered everything. “We have to stop running into each other like this.”
Skye’s face flamed. “It isn’t as if I planned it.”
“Hey, I’m not complaining. I imagine it’s much more fun wearing chocolate than hot coffee, though. Want a taste?” If Skye’s face was red before, it was crimson now.
Nicki picked up Pepperoni and gave her a hug. “Hey, Skye, can you come to the dog park with us? If we stop at the bagel shop for breakfast, we’ll have a whole half hour to play and then you can walk me to school. I have my backpack with me. It’ll be fun.”
Skye didn’t look thrilled with the idea. “Sure, Nicki.”
He winked at Skye. “You don’t mind hanging around with us for a while, do you, Skye?”
Skye completely ignored him and kept her eyes on Nicki. “I’d love to hang out with you and D.O.G.”
Ouch, that stung.
Nicki bounced up and down like he supposed little girls did when they got excited. “Good. Can I walk Pepperoni? She pulls, but not hard.”
Skye nodded and handed her the leash. “Make sure you put your hand through the loop so we don’t lose her if you should drop the leash.”
“No problem.” Nicki grabbed Skye’s hand like she’d done it a thousand times before, and tugged her toward the park. “Come on, Skye. Wait till you see the tricks I’m teaching D.O.G. I taught him to jump over the benches.”
“Hmm…” Skye quirked her eyebrow. “Maybe encouraging D.O.G. to jump isn’t the best thing.”
Nicki laughed, something she didn’t do often enough. Her pigtails bounced in time with her steps. “Maybe not, but it sure is fun watching him fly.”
Logan and D.O.G. hung back, letting the girls set the pace and chat. When they arrived at the dog park, he held the gate for them, and then let D.O.G. off the leash.
The dog flew and Nicki and Pepperoni ran after him. “Watch us, Skye!”
Logan stopped beside Skye. She still hadn’t looked at him. He knew he should say something, but what? I had a great time last night until Pop showed up. No, he didn’t think that would go over well. He didn’t want to apologize, because that would be a lie, and he didn’t lie. “I was worried about you last night. You took off so fast, I didn’t get a chance to—”
“What?” She finally looked at him and he almost wished she hadn’t. Until that moment he still had some hope that they could get past this. Sure, it had been embarrassing, but it wasn’t the end of the world.
“Hell, I don’t know, Skye. I’m sorry Pop showed up.”
“I’m not. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was a mistake. Let’s just forget it ever happened.”
“Not likely.”
Her face flushed and her mouth tightened. He was waiting for her to snarl. She tugged the sleeve of his sweatshirt. “You have to.”
“No, I don’t. I had a great time and so did you. I spent the rest of the night remembering it over and over again.”
She blew out a breath of exasperation and he couldn’t help but chuckle. She was sexy as hell when she was pissed. “Well, stop.”
“Make me. I can’t wait for a repeat performance, but next time we’ll do it behind locked doors. I’m not normally an exhibitionist.”
Skye’s mouth opened, closed; then she sputtered.
He had to laugh. He couldn’t help it. She was so hot, if he didn’t laugh, he’d have to kiss her, and she looked mad enough to bite. Not that he would mind.
“Logan, damn it. Don’t you dare laugh at me.”
“I’ll stop just as soon as you stop talking nonsense. ‘Forget it ever happened.’ You gotta admit that’s funny as hell.” He stepped closer so she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. “If Nicki wasn’t here with us, I’d drag you behind the bushes and show you just how much I remember. Then I’d spend the rest of the morning reminding you of how good it felt. I’d tell you how great you taste, and all the things I plan t
o do with you.”
“Logan Blaise, listen to me.”
“Sure, sugar.”
“Sugar? That sounds weird coming from a Brooklyn bad boy. What are you trying to do? Channel your inner Mark Twain?”
“No, but the nickname suits.”
“I can’t do this.”
He grinned even bigger. God, he hadn’t had this much fun fighting in…well, ever. “You sure had no problem doing it last night. You did great.”
“It will never happen again.”
“And why’s that?”
“Because I won’t fool around with my boss.”
He tugged on her ponytail. He couldn’t resist; he had to touch her. “I’m glad to hear it. I don’t think Pop’s heart is strong enough to handle the likes of you. Besides, you’re young enough to be his daughter.”
“Logan.” She crossed her arms, which only highlighted her perfect breasts.
“Yeah, sugar?”
“Would you stop calling me that?”
“Why? You taste like sugar, and Lord knows, I have a hell of a sweet tooth.”
“You need to stop this. I can’t…we can’t—”
“Sure we can. Hell, we did. And if Pop hadn’t interrupted, we’d have done a hell of a lot more.”
“I don’t sleep with people I work with.”
“Skye. I’m working here temporarily. Pop’s your boss—”
“Yes, and he caught me making out at the bar with you. God, he probably thinks I’m trying to sleep my way to the top.”
“Sugar, you’re already at the top. If anyone’s taking the heat for last night, it’s me. Pop’s worried about you.”
“He’s not the only one.”
Logan was just about to ask what she meant by that when she tugged on his shirt again.
“Look, it was fine, but it’s over. It takes two to tango, and I just flushed my dance card.”
“It was fine?” Hell, that was possibly the hottest make-out session he’d ever had. It was a damn sight better than fine.
“Yes, it was nice, but it’s over.”
“Nice? Fine? Sugar, them’s fightin’ words. You don’t tell a man who licked chocolate frosting and whipped cream off your hot little body that it was fine and nice.”