Fyre & Revenge
Page 15
“I’d really like you to Rae, I don’t want to be away from you. In case I wake up again and can’t remember anything at all.”
* * *
This was nuts. This was not only nuts, it was dangerous. She needed her head checked for agreeing, Rae berated herself silently as she sat behind the steering wheel in the plush car Logan had rented, heading towards the capital.
London. She must be mad! What if they ran into his real wife? Rae wasn’t an idiot, she knew time was running out on her little charade. Before long the house of cards she’d built was going to come crashing down, burying her under it.
What on earth had she been thinking? This was such a stupid idea to begin with. She kept her eyes firmly on the road ahead of her, trying her best to ignore the tall, lean form lounging in the passenger seat. She was trapped now, trapped by a web of her own lies and for the life of her, she didn’t know how to get out of the mess she’d gotten herself into.
There was something about the monotony of a motorway journey that allowed her to think, really think, about things. Rae nibbled her lip, wondering what on earth to do. What if they got there and his wife was waiting for him? His real, loving wife. She winced as her teeth broke the skin a little and stopped nibbling her lip, laving the small cut with her tongue.
‘Loving’ was probably pushing it a little. Whoever she was, she hadn’t bothered to ring Logan or try and contact him in anyway, even though he’d rung into the office to inform them of the accident. But if he’d said he was with his wife, they wouldn’t ring her, would they?
Rae shook her head, her head pounding with the onset of a headache as the thoughts whirled around in her head. One thing was for certain, she couldn’t just admit her lies. Logan would be devastated…
* * *
She was getting quieter, tension radiating from her slender figure the nearer they got to their destination. Logan had been pretending to nap in the passenger seat since they’d left, his head resting back against the headrest and his eyes closed. Well, almost closed. Every so often he’d crack his eyelids apart a little and take a look to see how Rae was doing.
She was a very competent driver, he had to give her that. Most women he knew drove small cars and would have a fit at driving something this big and powerful. But Rae hadn’t murmured or made a complaint, sliding behind the steering wheel and starting to familiarise herself with the controls without a word. He liked that about her, the no nonsense attitude. It reminded him of Zette, his friend JJ’s wife. A woman Logan had had a passing fancy for until JJ had sorted his act out and told the woman he loved her.
Since meeting Rae, Logan hadn’t thought about Zette, or any of the women he’d been dating, which surprised him. It was rare for one woman to hold his attention so completely. And it was more than the sex. Logan had a high sex drive and although he treated all his mistresses with the utmost respect, he had to admit that he struggled to remember some of them after a while. All much the same as they paraded through his bed. But Rae was different. He’d remember her for sure. But was it because of the game she was playing, or something else? He shook his head, not really wanting to think too much on that one. He didn’t do deep and meaningful.
Clearing his throat he sat up as though he’d woken up, and looked around. “Sorry about that, I must have dropped off. Always happens to me in a car no matter how I try and fight it.”
Rae smiled, sliding him a sideways glance. “It’s okay, I’m used to it. My dad used to do the same thing. I was just going to leave you to sleep until we got there. Well, unless we’d been stopped or something. I am insured for this thing aren’t I?” A worried note crept into her voice. She hadn’t checked before they’d set off and it had been playing on her mind since. Especially with the high numbers of police patrol cars which had been on the road.
“Oh yeah, I meant to tell you… The office needs a copy of your license to add you to the company insurance. The insurance company put you on without it, but we do need to prove you are who you say you are at some point.”
Rae’s stomach lurched. There was just one problem with that. She wasn’t who she said she was. “Err, I changed to my maiden name a while back, will that cause a problem?” she asked lightly. Too lightly, damn it. Even she could hear the slight crack in her voice as she answered.
“You did? It shouldn’t but I’d better let them know in the morning. What name are you using…” he trailed off, then admitted. “I’m afraid I don’t remember your maiden name honey.”
“It’s Borne.”
“Borne, Borne. Yeah, that does seem familiar. Kind of… Makes me think of a man though. Oh fuck it.” He slammed his head back against the seat. “I’ll be bloody glad when I can remember things properly, this is so damn frustrating!”
“Don’t push it, it’ll come back in its own time.” Rae reached out to pat his arm. In fact, don’t push it at all, she wanted to say.
She had to tell him. If he was remembering his first impression of Ray Borne as a man then his memory wasn’t far from returning, and when that happened she was sunk. She was under no impressions about what would happen when Logan realised the truth. Either way she looked at it, she was going to lose her house. But maybe if she said something now, with him being romantically inclined, he might go easy on her.
She gathered her courage and opened her mouth. “Loga—”
“Hey, I didn’t tell you, did I? I had a little chat with Estelle at the office. She’s my PA, I have a PA, can you believe that?” Logan said suddenly, cutting her off. He was beginning to be able to read her, the little tells she had when she was uncomfortable. Like now. He had the feeling she was about to come clean again and he couldn’t allow that. He was having far too much fun with this game. It was the most fun he’d had with a member of the opposite sex for years. Well, that didn’t involve getting naked anyway.
She shook her head, lapsing into silence again to gnaw at her lip. He’d have to kiss that better later…
“Oh, it’s a good one. She’s quite a nice girl… Young I think, eager. Anyway, she was telling me about one of our material suppliers. The guy was pulling a fast one with the plumbing supplies we ordered. We’d paid for a certain line of goods but he’d substituted them with a similar, cheaper alternative. It wasn’t until a customer asked why the design was different that the switch was picked up.” He sighed as he shook his head.
“One thing I cannot abide is liars, people who set out deliberately to deceive. Should be strung up as far as I’m concerned…”
Chapter Seven
It was worse than she’d thought. Rae stood in front of the huge wardrobes in ‘their’ bedroom and looked in dismay at the contents. Not only did Logan have a wife, but the woman was at least a size smaller than Rae and a tart to boot.
She flicked through the rails, a fluffy white robe swaddling her from neck to mid calf, trying to find something to wear. Since the conversation in the car with Logan she’d been silent, hoping for some sort of divine intervention or the answer to her current predicament to pop into her head. No luck so far, and now she had to contend with this.
“A leopard skin mini dress?” she murmured in disbelief as she pulled a dress from the rail. Yeah, animal print had been all the rage this season, but in tasteful little accents. Not all over bloody animal fur. Wrinkling her nose she put it back, flicking through to try and find something that she could squeeze into. Preferably something that didn’t make her look like a hooker out to make a quick buck.
Ten minutes later she stood in front of the full length mirror in the corner of the room, surveying herself with a critical eye. Okay, so the black skirt was this side of too short, but at least it didn’t threaten to ride up and flash her panties to every Tom, Dick and Harry. Teamed with a purple satin shirt and a pair of knee high boots covering part of her legs, she didn’t look too bad…
The top button of the shirt popped, revealing more of her cleavage. Rae sighed. Okay, it would be better if it didn’t look as though she’d
been poured into her shirt. Wriggling a little, she tried to use her bra to flatten her bust a bit then refastened the button. She checked in the mirror again. And made the mistake of breathing.
The button popped open.
Rae gritted her teeth. She’d have to ask Logan if he had a sewing kit. A couple of stitches would sort the problem and save her dignity. She left it for now. There was only her and Logan in the apartment, and he’d already seen everything she had.
Leaning forwards she checked her eye makeup in the mirror and started to reapply her lip gloss. Her hands shook, but she managed to slick the gloss on without too much trouble. It was clear; just a little sparkle for her full lips, so any little mistakes wouldn’t show up.
They were going out for a meal but even though Logan had told her which restaurant, Rae couldn’t remember for the life of her. Dropping the gloss into her hand bag, she zipped it up and checked the vanity for anything else she might need to take with her. Then, with no further excuse to linger and avoid Logan, she headed out to join him in the main room.
* * *
Logan stood by the floor to ceiling picture windows, whisky glass in hand, as he waited for Rae. He took a long swallow, his pale eyes sharp as he studied the glorious view. He hadn’t looked at it, really looked at it, for months. Rae’s gasp of delight as they’d walked in earlier, one quickly smothered as she recalled she was supposed to have been here before, had made him look again.
Rolling his shoulders in his expensive suit, Logan breathed a sigh of relief. This was more him, not waxed jackets and jeans on a beach. He was a corporate shark, lethal when it came to legalities and the fine nitty-gritty of a contract. He’d lost count of the opponents he’d tied in knots at the negotiation table, walking away with what he wanted and leaving them wondering what had hit them. That they couldn’t afford to lose those negotiations never crossed his mind. It was business, what he did.
His fingers tightened around the nearly empty glass, tapping it against his thigh. Somehow he knew Rae would see things differently.
“So, how do I look?” The voice from behind him took him by surprise and Logan turned. His mouth opened, his jaw damn near hitting the floor. He closed it again quickly and gave her an assessing look.
She’d done the best with what she had and, if he was honest, she’d pulled it off well. When he’d rang his PA earlier to tell her he wanted the spare closets in his apartment filled with women’s clothing and fripperies, he’d specified two things. Tarty, and a size smaller than Rae’s.
Bless her soul, Estelle hadn’t batted an eyelid at the request. As he looked Rae up and down he reminded himself to give Estelle a raise for this. He’d checked the closets earlier whilst Rae was in the shower, smiling at what was in there and wondering if she’d brazen it out or fold her hand.
He’d only known her a couple of days but even so, he knew it would take some balls for her to flaunt herself in the clothing Estelle had picked out. It all depended how much she wanted to keep that little house of hers and how far she was prepared to go.
But she hadn’t folded and, somehow, she’d turned tarty into classy. The almost too tight shirt and short skirt gave her a naughty secretary look, but teamed with boots. Her messy pleat and smoky eyes screamed ‘take me to bed.’ Logan’s body leapt to instant attention, something possessive inside him demanding he just hustle her back into the bedroom and take his time stripping the seductive outfit from her body. He ignored the temptation and checked his watch.
“You look fantastic but if we don’t hurry up, we’ll be late.” He put his glass down on the sideboard and walked over to her. Without a word he slid his hand into the nape of her neck and pulled her to him for a brief but thorough kiss. She opened instantly for him. Oh yeah, he had her. Hook, line and sinker. Now to just reel her in…
* * *
Despite Rae’s nerves, the meal went well. Once she let herself forget the precarious situation she was in the conversation flowed easily, Logan more charming than she’d ever seen him. Somewhere in the middle of it all she paused, realising again he really was a nice man. She’d thought he was a right bastard, ready to rip him limb from limb when he’d turned up on her doorstep the other day. Could she have been wrong? She watched him as he poured her another glass of wine, smiling as their eyes locked over the glass.
“You look very serious there.” His blue eyes reflected the warmth of the candles set in the middle of the table. They’d been seated in a small alcove at the back of the main room, a spot Rae easily picked out as the best in an exclusive restaurant. So exclusive they had bouncers on the door turning away people without a reservation. And there were no prices on the menu, which said far more about the place than the expensive décor or the fine crystal and china.
“Can you… Can we afford this Logan?” She whispered under cover of the dessert menu. Her eyes twinkled with amusement, an amusement covering a very real worry. “Because if we end up doing the dishes, I am so not letting you forget it, you know!”
He laughed, the rich sound of his amusement surrounding them and making several diners glance their way. “Sweetheart, seriously. Don’t worry about it. I might not remember the last couple of years but I’m afraid you’ve been labouring under a misapprehension about me. I’m not a property developer.”
Rae frowned.
“Of course you are, you have your card in your wallet and I have a le—” She cut herself off quickly; he didn’t need to know about that letter. Thank God she’d caught him before he’d done more than look at the logo.
He shook his head, an enigmatic little smile curving his lips. He had sensual lips, not too full but not thin either, just… perfect. And the things he did with them! Rae shivered, dragging her mind back to the present as he spoke.
“I do have a card but the property development is just a hobby. I’m a lawyer Rae, a good one.”
Logan watched her as the news of his occupation and what it implied for their situation registered and sank in. Panic showed plainly for a moment before she got herself under control and she lifted a shoulder in a casual gesture.
“You always told me you were a property developer,” she replied, applying herself to the dessert which arrived at that moment, and avoided his gaze.
Oh, well recovered, good girl. Logan smothered his smile, delight and challenge filling him as their game took another step along its intricate dance. She’d actually given herself away, but managed to pull it back. Bizarrely, even though she was trying to play him, he was proud of her… Proud of the quick responses and the quicker wits required to keep up with him. If he found those in a paralegal or a legal secretary, he’d move heaven and earth to get her working for him. It took a special sort of skill to do what he did. Even though she was new at the game, with coaching she could even give him a run for his money. The perfect partner, the perfect challenge.
Logan shifted in his seat. Even the thought was arousing. He’d found few men with the capability to match him, and far fewer women. The ones he did know were either married or complete ball-busters he wouldn’t want to get in a lip lock with, much less get into bed. But Rae was all soft curves and sharp wits. He smiled. The game was afoot and hell was it fun…
“I know.” He didn’t offer an explanation. The waiter hovered at his elbow so Logan requested the bill. Rae cast him a quick, sharp look but didn’t say anything when he turned back to her.
“You look beautiful.” He slid his hand out, covering hers on the table. “I still don’t understand how on earth I managed to capture your heart. How did we meet?” He tilted his head curiously, his expression open and honest. He was a good actor—it was necessary in his line of work—and he was interested to see what tale she’d spin him. Before he took her home and screwed her senseless of course.
“I thought we were talking about the future, about trying again?” she prompted, neatly diverting him. He was still smiling about that as she climbed into the taxi ahead of him a little later.
* * *
“You…” he whispered against her lips, sliding his hand up under her skirt. “… are gorgeous. I can’t wait to get you home and strip these off you.”
“Logan… the driver.” Rae protested as his hand slid higher, trying to struggle up in the seat and push it away. He was stronger though, ignoring her, his fingertips flirting with the lace of her thong under her skirt.
“Shhh, it’ll be fine.” His voice was quiet in her ear as he moved his hand long enough to flick his coat over their laps. His warm hand returned to her thigh, pushing her skirt up as he stroked his fingers over the dampened lace between her thighs.
Rae flushed, sure the driver knew exactly what was going on. But he kept his eyes on the road ahead, not as much as a flicker towards the mirror into the back compartment.
“You’re hot and wet already.” Logan’s hand cupped her mound, massaging through the damp fabric. She was. There was something about him, the low level flirting, the occasional intense looks he sent her, that fired her blood and had her hot and ready for him.
His fingers dipped under the lace, into wet heat and Rae shuddered. She tilted her head to allow him better access. His lips wandered across her jaw and down the throat she bared for him as he urged her thighs further apart. His clever fingers moved and spread wet heat over needy flesh.
Then he found her clit, circling the tiny bud of flesh, soft brushes of his fingers followed by harder pressure, driving her arousal higher. Gasping, she turned into his kiss, their tongues duelling as she spread her thighs a little wider, desperate for his touch and the release it would bring.