AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4)

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AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4) Page 8

by Brenda Jackson


  She took a sip of her wine, and thought it tasted good. She looked at the bottle to file the brand name in her mind so she could find it elsewhere, then watched Logan take a sip, noticing how his lips covered the rim of the glass. It would have been nice to have had his lips cover hers that same way under the stars.

  Claire blinked. What the heck was going on with her? Did she need to pinch herself to resuscitate her senses? Especially the common sense she’d always been so proud of? Since drinking wine in front of the fireplace was her idea, she figured she needed to get a conversation going before she started drooling.

  “Did I tell you that I’m thinking about going on leave from the State Department?”

  Suddenly his head whipped around and dark eyes stared at her. “What? Are you serious?”

  She shrugged her shoulders. “Yes. There’s nothing definite in the works yet, but I’m giving it some serious consideration. It would just be for a while. Maybe a couple of years. A number of diplomats do it from time to time.”

  “Why would you? I thought you enjoyed your job.”

  “I know but it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot lately…especially over the past couple of weeks. That bombing did it for me. Losing my friends was hard. It still is hard. Living abroad is getting dangerous, even in areas considered safe.”

  She took a sip of her wine. “That doesn’t mean I won’t ever live or travel abroad, but I think it’s time I come home for a while. There’s a new program where I can take a leave of absence and teach at a university for a while, without losing any of my seniority or tenure status. I haven’t told Asia or my mom that I’m considering this. But several colleges have already offered me teaching positions.”

  “I think that’s wonderful, Claire.”

  “I haven’t definitely decided what I’m going to do, but right now, it is a consideration. There are times when I feel so sad, thinking about my friends.”

  “I understand. I remember losing my best friend when I was in medical school.”

  She lifted a brow. “You did? What happened?”

  He took another sip of his wine. “Car accident. He was returning to Harvard from spring break and was killed in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. There’s no doubt in my mind this world lost what would have been a gifted surgeon, that day. Charles Hughes was exceptional. He’d been my friend ever since high school. We’d both gone to Harvard and he’d been my roommate from day one. I took his death hard.” He glanced at her, when she said nothing. “So, I know how you feel.” Then he shook his head. “No, actually, I don’t really. I lost one friend. You lost four. Your pain has to be that much greater. I honestly can’t imagine.”

  “How did you handle it?”

  “I didn’t. I left school and went home to Gary. Home to Pop.” A small smile touched his lips. “You know, it doesn’t matter how old you are, when bad things happen, you automatically seek comfort from your parent. Pop was there for me. He helped a lot.”

  Claire couldn’t help agreeing with him. When the phone lines got unblocked and she’d been able to call out of Algiers, the first person she’d contacted had been her mother. And just like in the old days, she had cried a river of tears while Annie Fowler had listened and comforted her, although they’d been thousands of miles apart.

  “Did you stay away from school long?” she asked him.

  “Nearly an entire semester. Luckily for me, my professors understood. They were as shaken up by Charles’s death as I was. He was well-liked.”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute, and then added, “But I do understand the feelings of guilt you’re experiencing, Claire.”

  She studied him for a minute. “How can you?”

  He took another sip of his wine, then admitted, “Because I was supposed to have been in that car with Charles. He was the one with wheels so I pretty much depended on him whenever I needed to come home from Boston. But this particular time, even though I’d caught a ride with Charles home, I decided to catch a train back to school a couple of days early to get a head start on this project I was working on. That’s the only reason I wasn’t in that car with him.”

  Logan didn’t say anything for a moment. “It took a long time for me to understand and accept that I wasn’t meant to die in that car accident with Charles. Someone upstairs had different plans for my life. It was hard for me to accept that, but eventually I did. That’s why one of the first things I did, after setting up my medical practice, was to establish the Charles Hughes Medical Scholarship. So, in a way, his memory lives on. Besides, I know my buddy would have wanted me to enjoy life and not allow his death to destroy my happiness.”

  Claire finished off her wine. She appreciated Logan sharing his story with her. “Thanks for telling me that.”

  He met her gaze. “I didn’t know your friends, Claire, but I’m sure they would want the same thing for you.”

  They stared at each other for what seemed like endless moments, and then suddenly, he broke eye contact, mumbling something under his breath before standing. “I think we’ve had enough wine for tonight, especially if we plan on getting up early tomorrow,” he said, grabbing both their empty glasses and the wine bottle.

  “I can help you carry -”

  “No, I’ve got this. Go on to bed and I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Oh, okay,” she said, standing as well. “Good night.”

  As she walked off toward her bedroom, she knew that if she were to look back over her shoulder again, she would find him standing there, just like last time. Staring. Checking her out.

  Claire inwardly smiled at the thought of that. For some reason, the thought that Logan Montgomery was beginning to see her as more than a friend didn’t bother her so much anymore.

  9

  Logan heard his alarm go off and forced his eyes open. He glanced over at the illuminated clock on the nightstand. It was six in the morning. His alarm had interrupted the dream he’d been having…about Claire.

  He might not have kissed her last night, but he’d definitely devoured her mouth in his dream. They’d been standing under the twinkling stars, but this time, he didn’t give her a peck on the lips. This time, when she’d lifted her mouth and leaned into him, he’d covered her lips with his, taking what she offered with a greed that astounded him. Opening his mouth wide over hers, he’d absorbed her taste, devoured her lips, while breathing in every moan of pleasure she made.

  His tongue had tangled endlessly with hers, and the longer they’d kissed, the more she’d allowed her body to melt into his. He couldn’t stop kissing her. He just wanted to remain there, consuming her. He never wanted the moment to end. And there was no doubt in his mind that if the alarm clock hadn’t gone off, they would have eventually moved from kissing to something else.

  He eased up from the bed and stretched, ready to get up and start a new day with Claire. It was getting harder and harder to shield his interest but he’d expected that. Still, it was worth the risk. And now that he knew she was thinking about working in the States for a while, he had to stay focused on his goal.

  His phone rang. Since his siblings had their own ringtone, he knew just who his caller was. He clicked on. “What’s up, Lance?”

  “Leland’s got his first tooth coming in. Can you believe it?”

  Logan chuckled. “What I can’t believe is that you’d call me at six in the morning to tell me about it.”

  “It’s nine on our time zone. Besides, you’re an early riser. I’m going to take a picture and send it to you. Hold on.”

  Shaking his head, Logan clicked on the photograph when it came to his phone. All he could see were lips and gums. What did Lance do? Pry the kid’s mouth open to take a shot of the insides?

  “You see it?” Lance asked excitedly.

  “What I see is a lot of drool.”

  “Oh. Wait. Let me wipe his mouth.”

  Logan was about to tell him not to bother but then decided not to cheat his brother out of this proud daddy
moment. If anyone had ever told him that he and his youngest brother would have such a conversation, he would not have believed them. That just went to show that anything was possible.

  He heard another click and this time, he managed to spy what appeared to be a teeny-tiny shadow of a tooth, barely sprouting from the gum. “You see it?” Lance exclaimed proudly.

  “Yes, I see it. I guess it’s time to start serving him steaks.”

  “Not yet. But’s it’s exciting.”

  “Obviously.”

  “So how are things going with you and Claire? Did you read my book? It’s a bestseller by the way. It’s been number one on the New York Times list for six months.”

  Logan didn’t doubt that. “I browsed through it, but decided I wanted to handle things a different way.”

  “Oh? And what way is that?”

  “I’m not going to rush Claire into anything. I want her to get to know me, Lance. It’s important that she wants to be a part of my life as much as I want her in it.”

  “You’re too passive, Logan. I know Claire. If you give her too much time, she might overthink things. I had to take matters into my own hands when it came to Asia. Don’t forget, Claire is Asia’s sister. They think alike when it comes to certain things. You have to be aggressive in building a relationship with her. I suggest you take your time and read Chapter Five and then you’ll understand a bit better. In fact, if I were you -”

  “But you aren’t me, little brother. So, let me handle my business the way I see fit, please.”

  “Hey, it’s your life. I’m just glad you’ve finally decided to at least pursue her. It took you long enough.”

  Logan decided to change the subject. “Have you talked to Pop?” he asked.

  “Yes. He’s joining that woman for dinner today. I tried giving him pointers but he wasn’t terribly receptive. In fact, he reminded me he was the father and I was the son.”

  Logan chuckled. “I guess he felt that you needed to be told.”

  “I guess,” Lance said drily. “I’m going to let Carrie handle it. She’ll keep us informed about the situation. I’m going to call Lyle and Monique to tell them about Leland’s tooth. I’ll talk to you later.”

  When Lance clicked off the phone, Logan couldn’t help but study the photos again of a one-tooth Leland. He smiled. He hoped that one day he would be doing the same thing Lance was doing now. Waking up the family, just to show them his child’s first tooth.

  “OMG! This is simply awesome,” Claire said, standing beside Logan on the huge skywalk that overlooked the the western rim of the Grand Canyon. The sight before her was mind-blowing and she regretted waiting so long to see something so magnificent. She could just imagine all the millions of years’ worth of geological history you could see in the rock formations, brilliant in vivid colors of red, orange and brown. And from where they were standing, the Colorado River below, which helped form the canyon, appeared massive as it flowed through it.

  “It is beautiful, isn’t it?” Logan said with the same wonder in his voice.

  At first, she’d been skeptical about getting on the horseshoe shaped glass bridge that extended out seventy-feet and was ten-feet wide. It was definitely not for the faint-hearted, but Logan had taken her hand in his and just like last night, she had felt protected, safe and secure. And now, she was standing here beside him, seeing the canyon open up to her, surround her. She’d never felt more in awe.

  There had been about twenty of them who had left the lodge together that morning with a very informative tour guide named Sonnie Teal. Sonnie had kept things lively, pointing out historical landmarks along the way as they made the twenty-minute trek by bus. One of the tourist stops had been an authentic Native American Indian village.

  A couple they’d met at dinner last night was a part of the group and Claire was enjoying getting to know them better. Since the man, Cohen Carlson, was Chief of Surgery at a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida, he and Logan had a lot to talk about. His wife Dee, like Claire, had a degree in education and was a third-grade teacher. Logan had told Claire that Jacksonville was only three hours from Tampa. The couple had gotten married in June, and although Dr. Carlson had seen the canyon before, when he’d lived in Phoenix, it was all new to his wife Dee. For them, this was the second phase of a honeymoon of sorts.

  The couple would be flying out tomorrow, and after making a pit stop in Phoenix to visit friends and relatives there, they would head back to Florida. The Carlsons, Claire and Logan had promised to stay in touch.

  Even when Logan released Claire’s hand to take pictures, she clung to the tail of his shirt, refusing to lose contact with him. Sonnie had assured everyone the glass bridge was sturdy enough to hold the weight of 747 jet. Even if that was true, Claire wasn’t taking any chances. If the bridge got crowded, she was ready to be one of the first to step off.

  “Want to head back inside the gift shop?”

  She glanced around and saw why Logan had asked the question. Several more tour buses had arrived, and visitors were rushing toward the skywalk. Claire appreciate Logan’s suggestion, no matter how ridiculous it might have seemed, after what Sonnie had told them. Still, she didn’t want to be standing on this thing if Sonnie’s information was ever proven wrong.

  “Yes, I’m ready.”

  He took her hand in his again and they carefully moved off the skywalk and went into the gift shop which sold beautiful Native American Indian artifacts. They’d ended up purchasing souvenirs, not just for themselves but for family members, including the cutest little t-shirt for Leland, along with a pair of moccasins for his tiny feet.

  Claire was thoroughly enjoying her time with Logan. Again, she thanked him for asking her along. He made her promise not to thank him again, and she told him she would try, but he’d better not count on it.

  After lunch, they were ready to experience even more adventure. Claire was still wondering how on earth she’d let Logan talk her into going hiking. She was so out of shape, that he sometimes had to slow down for her to catch her breath.

  “Too bad you don’t live in Tampa. I’d take you to the gym with me at least four times a week.”

  Claire couldn’t help but chuckle. “You would try.”

  “I can be very convincing when I want to be, Claire.”

  She glanced over at him. “Like I said, Logan. You could try. I’ve never been one to get excited about physical fitness. That’s Asia’s gig. She gets up early every morning to jog around the island.”

  “If you don’t exercise, how do you stay in such great shape?”

  He thought she was in great shape? She figured her size gave him that impression. She was never into all the physical stuff Asia did, but they were the same dress size. “High metabolism, I guess. But I admit, being a health food freak probably helps. However, I do cheat when it comes to chocolate. That’s a weakness of mine.”

  “Hold up,” he said, and stopped walking beside her.

  She glanced over at him. “Why?”

  “It’s gotten hot as the dickens out here.”

  Claire hadn’t really noticed, but then, she hadn’t been hiking as hard as he was. He’d been exerting a lot of energy where she’d taken her time, not breaking a sweat. He would vigorously hike ahead of her on the trail, then return to hike with her. He was doing double the work, so it was no wonder he was hot.

  She couldn’t turn her head away from the sight of him peeling off his shirt. There was just something about a shirtless man with the Grand Canyon in the background that could stir a woman’s senses. “I’ll put it back on in a minute.”

  It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him not to do her any favors. She liked seeing him shirtless. He had such an awesome looking chest. Solid muscle. Massive biceps. Overall, he was an amazing specimen of masculinity.

  “Do you mind putting this in your tote bag for now?” he asked, handing his shirt to her.

  “Sure, no problem,” she said, not taking her eyes off him. Surely there had been o
ther women who’d realized that his body had been designed purely for female pleasure?

  “You ready?”

  She snatched her gaze off his chest to look into his face. “Ready for what?”

  “To finish our hike.”

  “Oh, yeah. Right.”

  He tried hanging back with her but his legs were too long and she really wasn’t trying to keep up. Like she’d told him, physical fitness didn’t appeal to her. Besides, with him walking ahead of her, she had the chance to appreciate his tush. It was tight, perfectly formed and charismatically shaped. And his jeans fit him like a second skin. As she walked, her attention was drawn to the trickle of sweat that was running down the center of his back.

  As if he felt the heat of her gaze on him, he looked over his shoulder. “You okay back there?”

  Why did he ask her that? Had he heard her moan? “I’m fine, but I have to admit, I didn’t take you for a tattoo kind of guy,” she said, switching her gaze to his back and the tattoo of an eagle that seemed to spread its wings from shoulder to shoulder. She wasn’t into tattoos, but had to admit that his was beautiful.

  “It was Lance’s idea. We were celebrating his thirtieth birthday and he wanted the three of us to do something we normally wouldn’t do.”

  “I like it. What’s the reason for the eagle?”

  “No reason. I’ve just always been into eagles. I love to see them soar.” He stopped, glancing around at the canyon surrounding them. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  That was an easy question to answer. “Definitely. What about you?”

  “I am, too. Thanks for coming with me.”

  She glanced over at him. “Had I not accepted your invitation, I’m sure another one of your lady friends would have.”

  He shrugged those powerful bare shoulders. “I don’t have many lady friends. I have lady associates.”

  “But you do date, right?”

  “On occasion. I’m mostly a homebody type who’s into reading, working out at the gym and watching late-night television shows. According to Lance, I’m a pretty boring guy.”

 

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