by Gina Wilkins
Alexis tossed her bag onto the table in the room, which had been tidied and turned down during the hours they were gone. It had been a long day, she thought, replaying everything they’d seen and done during their adventures. Yet it had seemed to pass all too quickly, in some ways.
The room seemed particularly quiet after the busy day and the noisy club. She pushed a hand through her hair and turned to look at Logan, who’d fallen quiet again. “Who’d have thought I’d actually run into someone I know all the way on the other side of the country?” she asked wryly.
He shrugged and began to empty his pockets onto a nightstand. “Small world. I’d think that’s especially true of the theater world.”
“I guess. I don’t see many of that crowd in Virginia, but I’ve been too busy with my business during the past couple of years to spend time at the theater.”
He nodded. “I don’t see many associates from my old software design days in Tennessee, either. Some of them could have ended up here in Seattle, considering how many tech companies are located here, but I’m not interested in reconnecting with any of them.”
“Oh, I feel the same way,” she assured him. “Isabella and I weren’t really friends, simply acquaintances and occasional cast mates. We ran in the same crowd, but we didn’t have much in common otherwise.”
“Who’s the Paloma she mentioned?”
She sank onto one side of the bed to remove her shoes. “Paloma Villarreal is my best friend from my Peabody days. We went to New York together. She stayed there, and she loves it. She’s very talented, makes a good living in the cast of a long-running musical and has had a few other offers she’s considering.”
“Sounds like you miss her.”
“I do,” she admitted. “We talk often, but that’s not quite the same as spending time together.”
“So will you go back?” Sitting on the other side of the bed with his back to her, he kicked off his shoes. “To New York, I mean.”
“To visit? Yes, probably, though I’m not sure when I’ll have the time. To live? No.”
She glanced over her shoulder to see him unstrapping his watch, which he then laid on the nightstand with the former contents of his pocket. For a moment, she was taken aback by how domestic the scene had become. She was more accustomed to Logan sweeping her into his arms, tumbling her onto the bed as soon as they were alone together. Was familiarity already breeding—well, not contempt, perhaps, but nonchalance? She’d known the passion wouldn’t last, but she hadn’t thought a day and a half of a joint vacation would dampen it so quickly.
Setting her glasses on the nightstand, she stood and started to walk toward the dresser to pull out her nightclothes. Before she’d made it halfway across the room, she was suddenly whirled around and lifted against him. His mouth was on hers, his hands sweeping her body. And the passion that she’d thought had dampened was suddenly ignited again, flaring through her so swiftly, so unexpectedly, that she felt the heat on her skin. One moment she was standing on her feet, the next she was lying on her back on the bed with Logan looming over her. She reached up to tug him down into the flames with her.
They had tonight, tomorrow, then one last night of this retreat to go. She’d be a fool not to make the most of it while it lasted.
* * *
She came awake slowly, reluctantly. She was so content and comfortable, snuggled into a soft bed, a warm shoulder. Keeping her eyes closed for a little longer, she focused on sounds—a soft rain against the window, a steady heartbeat beneath her ear. She moved her hand slightly and her fingers brushed against sleek, taut skin over firm, defined muscles. A strong arm wrapped around her, and a long leg tangled with hers. Maybe if she kept her eyes closed, she could make this perfect moment last just a while longer.
Logan brushed his lips against her forehead. “Playing possum?”
She nestled more deeply into him. “Mmm. Savoring.”
“Thought you wanted to do museums this morning.”
“Mmm-hmm. Maybe later.”
He shifted beneath her. “Not that I’m complaining, because this is really nice. But if you want to keep sleeping, you’d better scoot over to your side of the bed.”
She shifted her raised knee a bit and her eyebrow rose when it brushed against an increasingly hard ridge. “Again?”
“What can I say? You feel damn good.”
Giving in to the inevitable, she opened her eyes. Seeing him lying on the pillow next to her, with his dark hair tumbling in his gleaming eyes, a shadow of morning beard on his strong jaw and a faint smile playing on his firm lips, made waking up worth the effort. “Anyone ever tell you that you’re a gorgeous man?”
It wasn’t often that she was able to fluster him, and it always amused her when she did. He blinked a few times, cleared his throat as if trying to decide how to respond to that, then grimaced lightly. “Uh, no. But thanks, I guess?”
She laughed and lifted her head to kiss his rough chin. “You’re just so pretty.”
“Yeah, okay. That’s enough.”
She touched the tip of her tongue to the corner of his mouth. “Bee-you-tee-ful.”
Laughing now, he moved swiftly to flip her beneath him, looming over her. “You’re just trying to get into trouble this morning, aren’t you?”
She blinked innocently. “By telling you how handsome you are?”
He nipped her lower lip. “By trying to embarrass me.”
Slipping a hand into the back of his hair, she drew his mouth down to hers and spoke against it. “I like teasing you,” she admitted.
He kissed her lingeringly before murmuring, “Yeah, I got that.”
“Besides,” she added, sliding her arms around his bare shoulders, “it was all completely true.”
He growled and took her mouth again, effectively silencing her.
It was some time later before they finally, regretfully, left the bed. Logan had confessed that he’d have been quite content to stay there all day, but he needed a shower and a shave. And food, he’d added, causing her to tease him again about his healthy appetites.
He shaved while she showered, then she dried her hair and put on a little makeup when he took his turn in the shower. They shared both bed and bath very naturally considering that this was the first weekend they’d spent together, she mused, putting away her mascara. She couldn’t help remembering that moment last night when she’d worried that they were getting a little too comfortable together. She wasn’t quite ready for the electricity between them to fizzle, as it always did with time, at least in her experience and observation. Maybe she’d be ready to let it go soon, but she wanted to hold on to it for just a little longer.
Seeing him emerge from the bathroom wearing only a pair of jeans, his hair damp and his chest gleaming from the hot shower, she swallowed hard. Okay, so maybe the magic was still there for now. She could still appreciate the jolt she felt when she saw him like this. To be honest, she couldn’t imagine ever not responding to seeing him like this.
He tugged a black T-shirt over his head. “So—museums, huh?”
Looking out the glass door, she saw that the rain had stopped and the clouds were lightening from charcoal to pale gray. The weather app on her phone informed her that the rain had stopped for the day, with partly cloudy skies and sixty-degree temperatures predicted for the afternoon. She was glad their last day in Seattle would be nice, weatherwise. She smiled as she reached for her bag and jacket. “No schedules today. Let’s just go out and have a good time.”
“Sounds good to me.” He strapped on his watch, slid his wallet into his back pocket and shrugged into his own jacket. “But would you mind very much if we start with breakfast?”
She laughed. “Okay, we’ll do that first. And I’ll try not to run into anyone who recognizes me today.”
Logan opened the door and motioned her out ahea
d of him. “That was unexpected.”
“To say the least.” She shook her head as they walked toward the elevator. “We come 2,700 miles to have a little time to ourselves, thinking there’s no risk of being seen by anyone we know, and I hear my name in a club. Who’d have thought it?”
He chuckled and punched the call button. “It’s not like we’re fugitives hiding out from the law. I mean, even running into someone from back home who knows both of us wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. It would be majorly weird, but hardly tragic.”
“Don’t even joke about that,” she said, stepping into the elevator. “At least Isabella didn’t know who you are, and because I very rudely didn’t bother to introduce you, she doesn’t have a name to share even if she should mention to any mutual acquaintances that she ran into me here. Not that she will, probably. Bella’s kind of a ditz.”
Leaning against the wall of the elevator, Logan studied her with a quirked eyebrow. “I wasn’t really joking. About it not being the worst thing that could happen, I mean.”
Maybe he was trying to reassure her that he wasn’t upset that she’d been recognized. She doubted very much that he was implying that they should date openly back at home. Though she didn’t want to analyze it right now, she found herself fighting near-panic at the very idea of making their relationship public. It would make it all seem so much more...complicated. Because she didn’t want to spoil their last day here, she pushed the nerves away, deciding to focus only on the here and now. “What do you want for breakfast?”
“Food.” He stood back and let her precede him out of the elevator into the hotel lobby.
Laughing softly, she headed for the exit doors with Logan close behind her.
* * *
“What a beautiful neighborhood.”
Later that afternoon, Alexis turned in a slow circle to take in the scenery of Green Lake Park and the surrounding area. Obviously a popular place for locals, the almost-three-mile path around the glittering lake was crowded even on this cool, cloudy Saturday afternoon with walkers, runners, bikers, skateboarders, dog walkers, baby strollers. The paved path was divided into “wheels” and “feet” lanes, while a somewhat longer, higher trail seemed to attract more serious runners and power walkers. Teenagers sat on grassy hills, gossiping and listening to music, while birds and squirrels were active in the hundreds of trees that made up the natural park. Ducks and geese floated across the water and Alexis was pretty sure she spotted a bald eagle on the other side of the lake.
“If I were to move to Seattle, I think I’d want to live right there,” she said, smiling as she pointed to a pretty Craftsman-style house sitting on a hill overlooking the park. “I’d walk around the lake every day, rain or shine, just to watch the wildlife and the parade of people.”
His hands in his pockets, Logan studied her with a slight frown. “You thinking about moving?”
“No, I love Virginia. I just always like to imagine what it would be like to live in various places I visit.”
He followed her gaze to the rows of houses lining the busy streets circling the park. “I’ve only lived in Tennessee and Virginia. I guess I haven’t had what you’d call an exciting life. It’s been a good one, though.”
A young woman trying to control a barely leash-trained dog staggered toward them, both hands on the leash as her pet bounded over to them. Little more than an oversize puppy, the yellow Labrador retriever wriggled and panted, eager to explore and play. Perhaps recognizing a dog lover, he sniffed Logan’s hand, his whole backside wagging in greeting. Logan laughed and rubbed the dog’s ears. “Well, hey, there.”
“I’m sorry,” the young woman said. “He’s still learning leash etiquette.”
“No problem,” Logan assured her. “Nice dog.”
“Thanks. I just got him a few weeks ago. He’s a handful.”
The dog had already moved to Alexis, who petted him a couple of times before his owner dragged him away, somewhat futilely ordering him to “heel.”
“This really is a doggy town,” Alexis commented, counting at least half a dozen from where they stood. “You think any cat people live in Seattle?”
Logan shrugged. “Probably. Just not many people walk their cats.”
As if to prove him wrong, an older man in jogging clothes and serious walking shoes strode briskly past them, accompanied by a black-and-white cat trotting beside him in a harness leash.
Alexis and Logan shared a look, then broke out laughing. She loved laughing with him.
They had just decided to leave the park and walk across the street for coffee when a frightened cry caught their attention. “Charlotte, stop! Come back right now!”
Alexis turned to see a streak of blue dash past her, headed straight for the water. Before she could even process what she’d seen, Logan was in motion. Throwing himself forward, he scooped the shrieking toddler into his arms just as she appeared ready to throw herself into the lake. Logan stumbled a bit and for a moment, Alexis was certain he was going in, as well. He steadied himself almost immediately, and she released the breath she’d caught.
The little girl squirmed and kicked in Logan’s firm grip. “Wanna swim!” she bellowed. “Down!”
A woman in trendy running clothes and neon-pink athletic shoes rushed toward them, waving her hands frantically. “Ohmygosh, thank you so much! She just leaped out of her stroller and got away before I could stop her.”
She motioned toward the expensive running stroller she’d abandoned on the path behind her. “I’ve just been having so much trouble keeping her in the stroller ever since she figured out how to unbuckle the strap. I looked away just a minute to chat with someone I recognized, and she took off.”
“Wanna swim!” the unruly child insisted again, still struggling.
Holding her beneath her armpits, Logan held the toddler at arm’s length toward her mother. “You should find a way to reinforce those buckles or to tie her in so she can’t get out,” he suggested with typical bluntness.
The woman sighed gustily. “I know. It’s just that she’s so advanced for her age, and very curious. I’ll explain to her that she can’t swim in this cold weather. I’m sure she’ll understand when we’ve talked.”
She took the child away from him and turned to walk away, while Charlotte continued to vociferously demand to be set free.
Alexis looked up at Logan with wide eyes. “You saved that little girl’s life!”
Looking embarrassed by the hyperbole, he motioned briefly toward the spectators who’d gawked at them during the incident but now turned and returned to their walking, jogging, biking or skating.
“I doubt that I actually saved her life. She’d have been wet but someone still would have gotten to her.”
“I thought what you did was amazing,” she assured him.
He chuckled with little humor. “Now I really need that coffee.”
“I’ll buy.”
She noticed as they headed for the closest coffee shop that he was limping somewhat more noticeably than usual. She waited until they were seated with their coffees—black for him, a flavored latte for her—before asking, “Did you hurt your leg when you jumped for the little girl?”
He dropped his hand quickly, as if he hadn’t been aware he’d been massaging his left knee. “Nah. Twisted it a little. It’s okay.”
“You said you broke it playing sports?”
He took a long, careful sip of his coffee and she got the distinct impression that he was delaying his answer. “Yeah. Long time ago.” He changed the subject quickly, now sounding a little weary from their day of walking and sightseeing, but still game to keep her entertained. “So, what else do you want to do on our last day in Seattle?”
Cradling her coffee cup in her hands, she smiled at him. “I would like to have another nice dinner, and then I
’d like to go back to our room and sit on our balcony with a bottle of good wine and admire the lights on the water. After that—well, I’m sure we’ll think of something to do.”
She could almost see the relief in his eyes. “Have I ever mentioned that I like the way your mind works?”
“And I thought you just wanted my body.”
His lips curved upward. “That, too.”
Pleased that she’d made him smile again, she finished her latte quickly.
* * *
“Are you sure all those gift shop purchases are going to fit in your bags?” Logan teased Sunday morning, watching as Alexis carefully tucked two large packages of MarketSpice cinnamon-orange tea bags in the suitcase she would check at the gate. She’d tasted the tea at Pike Place Market and had been unable to resist taking some home with her. She figured that every time she drank a cup of the strong, fragrant brew, she would be mentally transported back to these lovely days with Logan.
“I didn’t buy that much,” she said, folding a beautiful scarf she’d found downtown around a pretty coffee mug she’d bought at the art museum. The mug was wrapped in Bubble Wrap and sealed in a cardboard box, but she wanted it to have plenty of protection. The little ceramic Space Needle replica fit nicely into a shoe, which she figured would keep it safe. She was wearing the dangling earrings she’d bought from an artist in a booth at the market, so she didn’t have to bother packing them.
She looked up to find Logan grinning at her, and she wrinkled her nose. “Okay, I’m a sucker for souvenirs. You don’t want to take anything home as a memento of your visit here?”
He tapped his temple with one finger. “I’ve got it all stored up here. Won’t forget a minute of it.”
She stifled a sigh. It really had been a magical weekend. Fun days, and delicious nights. She wouldn’t forget any of it, either—with or without the souvenirs.
He glanced at his watch. “Have you got everything? It’s almost time to head downstairs.”
“You’re sure you want to go to the airport at the same time I do? You’ll be sitting there more than three hours until your flight leaves.” His plane was scheduled to leave nearly two hours after hers, but he’d said he might as well head to the airport at the same time she did. He had no interest in hanging around downtown by himself for a couple hours.