by A. C. Arthur
“It’s just coffee, Cheyna. You don’t have to overthink everything,” Boyd told her.
She tucked a strand of hair that had fallen free of the loose bun she wore today, back behind her ear as she looked up at the very tall, slim guy.
“I’m not overthinking anything. I’m just telling you what I told you six months ago. If we can’t work together that’s a shame, but I’ll adjust accordingly.”
There was that cool and collected tone Logan both liked and hated about her. He was a believer that there was a time and a place for everything. For Cheyna, however, that tone she’d just used seemed to be her regular, at all times, regardless of the circumstances. Even though, Logan could easily admit he was glad to hear her using it with Boyd who was apparently asking her out on a coffee date.
“You love coffee. With lots of cream and sugar I recall. What’s wrong with us sharing a cup?” Boyd persisted.
“We went on two dates, Boyd. Then we decided—”
“You decided,” Boyd interrupted.
Cheyna ignored his comment. “Whatever. We were to remain cordial to protect our working relationship. I like your work and I am proud to recommend you to all of my clients, especially for weddings. But that’s all there is ever going to be between us, Boyd. No coffee and no anything else.”
Her tone seemed final. The stark silence that filled the space once she finished speaking confirmed that. If Boyd asked her again, Logan was prepared to step forward and say something. He wasn’t going to put his hands on the guy or threaten him in any way, even though a very primal and protective part of him had already formed during this exchange. No, Logan’s plan was to simply interrupt to give Boyd one last chance at saving his pride. That wasn’t necessary as Boyd took a step back from Cheyna and finished packing his bag.
“You’re a hard woman, Cheyna. Beautiful and definitely holding tight to a fiery hot passion, but still hard.” He chuckled as he said that and to Logan’s surprise Cheyna laughed too.
“Whatever works,” she was saying before she looked around Boyd to see Logan standing there.
“Oh hey, Logan. What did you think of the shoot?” she asked.
Logan took that as his cue to officially enter their conversation. He closed the short distance between them and came to stand beside Cheyna. She was wearing black pants that molded against her long shapely legs and a purple sweater that looked as soft as he recalled her skin was. Her low cut boots had a high enough heel so that she was almost taller than him. The thought of her looking down on him as she stood naked wearing only those heels, was sexier than Logan realized.
“It was fantastic. I’m sure there are going to be some great shots we can both use. Boyd, you seem to have a good feel for these shoots.” Logan figured he’d bring the guy into the conversation to keep Logan’s mind off jumping Cheyna right at this second.
He’d thought he’d been doing a pretty good job of holding his attraction to her tight to his chest. Of course he’d told her about it, but Logan wasn’t in the habit of panting after any woman. He never had to in the past.
Boyd shrugged. “I’ve always loved weddings. So much so I’ll probably want to take the pictures at my own wedding one day.”
“Oh, is that day coming up soon?” Logan wanted this guy married off sooner rather than later so he could stay the hell away from Cheyna.
“Nah,” Boyd replied as he zipped his larger duffle bag and lifted it up onto his shoulder. “Not any day soon. But you know, eventually. Everybody’s looking for that happy ever after. At least mostly everybody.”
The last was clearly aimed at Cheyna.
“Do you need help to your car?” Logan offered as he felt Cheyna stiffen beside him.
Boyd shook his head. “Nope. I got this. I’ll have first proofs to you no later than close of business tomorrow, Cheyna.”
“That works, Boyd. Thanks for all your help on such short notice,” she said.
“No problem. It’s always a pleasure working with you.”
“Likewise.”
Logan felt like the odd man out for a few seconds as they exchanged pleasantries. He also felt like the lion that needed to stake his claim. That was his train of thought when Boyd finally walked away and stepped onto the elevator that would take him downstairs and out of the building.
“I think that went well,” Cheyna said the moment they were alone.
“Uh huh, it went real well,” Logan said and then turned to her.
He had one arm going around her waist, the other grasping the back of her head as he pulled her to him in the next second.
“I’m gonna need that kiss now, Cheyna. You’ve got about three seconds to stop me if you really don’t want this.”
She opened her mouth but no words came.
“Three. Two—”
“Yes,” she whispered a second before his lips touched hers.
Cheyna wanted to kiss Logan.
She’d thought about it non-stop since Thursday night when he’d so simply told her he wanted to kiss her.
She’d dreamed about it at night while she slept. Daydreamed about it while sitting at her desk on Friday and while working the Brentwood party on Saturday. It had been all Cheyna could think about after swaying in Logan’s arms to a Diana Ross song.
How insane was that?
This morning when she’d awakened Cheyna had decided it was absolutely insane and that she needed to put a stop to it once and for all. Kissing Logan was not a smart business move and business was all Cheyna could afford to think about. It was the only thing keeping her from being destitute and alone the way she’d felt her entire childhood. She was determined not to let that happen again.
Now, here she was, hours later, with her arms wrapped around his neck in a desperate embrace. Her tongue tangled with his while her heart thumped wildly against her chest. It was as if she’d never kissed a man before, this deep and burning need to taste more of him searing her senses. His fingers were in her hair, pulling it free from the pins she’d inserted this morning.
When her hair was free he began moving them across the room. To where Cheyna had no idea. She was barely aware of her feet moving as her mind was so concentrated on matching each thrust and twist of his tongue against hers. Her head tilted one way, his another. They broke slightly to take gulps of air before going in again because neither of them could get enough.
Cheyna gasped as her back slammed against a wall. Her eyes opened wide when his hand slipped between them and he tugged at the button of her pants.
“Cameras,” she panted. “There are cameras all over the gallery.”
Logan did not stop. “They can’t track inside these alcoves. I was talking to Sam in between shots and he mentioned that was the only downside to this security system. It bothered him so he was trying to figure out a way around it.”
While he talked, Logan was figuring out how to push her pants and panties down to her knees. Cheyna shook her head in an attempt to clear it of the passionate thoughts slamming against her brain. This was crazy. They had to leave. This could not happen, especially not here.
“The gallery is going to open in an hour. Staff will be coming in soon.” She started to say but Logan’s mouth was quickly covering hers again.
She sank like a novice swimmer in the sea, drowning in the scent of his cologne and the enigmatic taste of him. It was her hands that moved frantically now, pushing the black vest Logan wore over a denim shirt, down his arms until it hit the floor. His hands pushed under her sweater to rub along the bare skin of her torso while she fumbled with the buttons of his shirt.
Cheyna wanted to feel his skin against her own. His hands on her were not enough, she needed to touch him too. So when the shirt was open and she could pull his t-shirt from his pants, her hands moved up along his muscled abs. The touch had her shivering and yearning for more.
“I want you,” he groaned and leaned in to swipe his tongue over her earlobe.
Cheyna’s head fell back as she moaned.
There was no use denying it. She’d tried and it hadn’t worked, now it was time for another solution.
Just do it.
Her mind roared with those three words and for the life of her Cheyna could not come up with an adequate rebuttal.
“Not like this. Not rushed. Not in hiding.”
Logan was talking and it seemed like what he was saying was negative. But his hands continued to move. He pulled them away from her to fumble around in his back pockets. When she realized he was grabbing his wallet and pulling out a condom packet, Cheyna hurriedly undid his belt and the button of his dark colored jeans. She pushed the jeans and his boxers past his hips and licked her lips as she wrapped a hand around the erection that sprang forth in glee.
“Just this one time.” It was as much a message to him as to herself.
She’d never done anything like this before and she would never again. But if she didn’t feel him inside of her in the next few seconds she was quite sure she would explode.
“Next time,” Logan said before pushing her hand away from his length and sliding the latex protection over it.
No. There wasn’t going to be a next time. Cheyna did not say the words. She couldn’t say anything at the moment because Logan was pushing her pants all the way down to her ankles. He yanked off one of her boots and pulled one leg of her panties and pants off so that her leg was free to wrap around his waist. He looked at her then, his deep brown eyes even darker than before, his lips parted as his breath came in matching pants with hers.
“This has to be fast and now. I’ll apologize ahead of time.”
His words were lost as Cheyna went in for the kiss. His body was warm as he pushed between her legs. She lifted her hips, angling herself to receive him as quickly as possible. But she was not prepared.
Logan was thick and long as he thrust deeply into her. She gasped and her head fell back against the wall. He held onto her tightly, but his body immediately went still.
“Do you want me to stop?”
Cheyna shook her head. “No.”
He moved slowly at first, pulling partially out of her before thrusting deep once more. Cheyna matched his movement until they grew to a fevered pitch, the sound of their bodies slapping together to echo in the enclosed area.
“Look at me, Cheyna.” His voice was rough and strained. “Look at me.”
She did. Opening her eyes to stare directly into his. Damn he was fine. Even moreso as his lips parted and his teeth bared down with each pump into her. His eyes were filled with heat and desire that made Cheyna tremble in his arms. The look took her breath away while his thrusts in an out of her pulled and tugged until her release finally broke free.
“Good,” he mumbled. “So damn, good.”
Something else Cheyna could not deny. This was good. It was damn fabulous. But it was not over. She lifted her other leg and clasped it around his waist, pressing into his every pump, working his length until he was the one gasping and cursing as minutes later his release ripped free. Logan’s moan was guttural and would have been much louder had he not buried his face in the crook of Cheyna’s neck.
They stood that way for what seemed like endless moments. Until the alarm Cheyna had set to remind her that they needed to wrap up the photo shoot before the gallery opened, blared throughout the space.
Cheyna pushed at Logan’s chest. He eased back, letting her legs down slowly. She hastily pushed the one leg back into her underwear and pants. She pushed her foot into her boot and lifted her hands to smooth her hair. Logan had turned away from her, to take care of his business she suspected. She used the opportunity to slip past him and walk the few feet across the room to where they’d been standing before. A small table had been set up there to hold Boyd’s materials as well as anything else Cheyna had needed. Sarah and Evan had packed up their binders and the other snacks and paraphernalia they’d accumulated in the last couple of hours. Before she’d left, Monica had instructed Cheyna to leave the table because someone from the gallery staff would take it away. That left nothing for Cheyna to do.
She stood at the table for what seemed like endless moments staring down at her phone as if she were checking messages. But she wasn’t. She was waiting to say what needed to be said in this most uncomfortable situation.
“You don’t have to worry.” He spoke from behind her. “I’m pretty sure that even when we came out of the alcove we were in the camera’s blind spot. I guess that’s not such a big deal since there’s no overly valuable displays on this floor, just the yearly family photo and New York cityscapes.”
Cheyna looked up from her phone. “This area is used mainly for event gatherings which is why there’s so much open space.”
Her leather jacket was hanging on the back of the chair on the other side of the table. Cheyna moved in that direction to retrieve it. Logan surprised her by coming from behind and picking up the jacket. He held it up so that she could ease each arm inside and then stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.
“We didn’t do anything wrong.” His tone was quiet and soothing.
“I know. That doesn’t mean we should do it again.”
“That should be open for discussion.”
He came around to stand in front of her. “Let’s get some breakfast and talk about our options.”
“Let’s not.” Her retort was quick and a bit on the icy side. Cheyna took a slow, deep breath and released it. “I don’t want to talk about it just now. I don’t want to consider how many times we’ll do it. I just…I’d rather be alone for a while.”
She needed space. The thirty-five feet stretch of this floor and sixteen foot high ceilings, was not enough space for her. Cheyna felt oddly claustrophobic at the moment. If she weren’t bound by the last constraints of professionalism, she probably would have bolted to the elevators the moment she was free from that alcove. But despite what had just happened between them, Cheyna and Logan still had a few more weeks to work together. Seven to be exact. And in the days ahead she was certain they would be spending more time together, in close proximity and in rooms filled with people. There was no getting around it and there was no backing out of this job. She would have to figure out how to make it as seamless as possible. She’d thought she’d already done that, but then this happened. This…whatever it had been. A lapse in judgement. A heat of the moment act. A quick fix. Whatever it was, she’d done it with her eyes wide open. Now, she’d have to see if there was possibly a way to undo it.
“I’m not trying to be coy or difficult.” His silence made her feel as if she needed to keep talking. “I’m only attempting to figure this out. To work through what’s going on between us in a responsible fashion.”
“Because you’ve never been attracted to a man before? Or because you’ve never had sex in an art gallery before?”
“The latter,” she replied with a frown at his sarcastic tone. “Look, you may be used to having women anytime and anyway you want them. But this is not the ordinary for me.”
“You don’t normally give in to your sexual desires?”
He was definitely an arrogant one. Cheyna suspected women loved that about him as it added to his air of confidence and divine good looks.
“On the contrary,” she told him as she stood a little straighter and kept eye contact. “I have no problem acting on my desires…whatever they may be. I’m not at all sexually repressed nor am I in the habit of regretting anything that I do. However, I don’t mix business with pleasure. Not in the workspace or out of it with men I’m doing business with.”
If her plan had been to surprise him by those admissions, Cheyna was sadly disappointed. Logan hadn’t looked the least bit surprised or impressed. Instead, he pressed her further.
“But you did with Boyd? Did you pose for nude photos for him? Is that why he’s so adamant about getting you back?”
Cheyna stepped closer to him, her fists clenched at her sides. “How dare you suggest such a
thing?”
When he only arched a brow, Cheyna tried valiantly not to swear.
The elevator had just dinged, signaling that someone else was in the building and calling for the elevator to visit another floor. The gallery was going to open soon and despite what Logan said about the cameras, she did not want to be found up here alone with him.
“Boyd and I went to dinner twice. We were not working on any events together at the time, even though we’d met during a party I planned at City Hall. There’s no need for him to try to get me back because I’ve never belonged to any man. And I never will. Now, I’m leaving Logan. I have work to do.”
Cheyna looked around the table and found her bag on the floor beneath it. She grabbed it and pushed it onto her shoulder. Logan looked as if he might actually insist on them having breakfast. Cheyna certainly hoped not. She really did want to be alone.
“I’ll walk you to your car.”
Cheyna decided not to argue that, it was an unnecessary battle to fight. Logan walked in silence beside her and stood as they waited for the elevator. Once they were on the garage level of the building and walked down the few rows to where she’d parked her car, he spoke again.
“Being with a man is not like being owned by a man.”
When she opened her mouth to respond, he simply held up a hand to stop her.
“Take all the time you need to think about this. I’m fairly certain time won’t make it go away. But as you’re not in the habit of being kept, I’m not in the habit of begging to stick around. I’ll be in touch regarding the campaign. Have a good day, Cheyna.”
She watched him walk away. The slow swagger of a man who knew what he wanted and how to get it. His scent still circled around her, while her lips tingled after being so thoroughly kissed. Her legs were wobbly, so she leaned back against the driver’s side of her car. What she’d said had been true, Cheyna had never belonged to a man and she never wanted to. She’d had sex before and she’d desired men before, but nothing like what had just happened to her in that museum had ever occurred before. Her thighs had never trembled at the thought of opening wide for him again and she’d never felt the burning need for a round two as urgently as she had at this very moment.