by Andre, Bella
“Nope. Mom was an only child. My father had taken off years before and wouldn’t have helped anyway.”
“What happened?”
“She died there. I was at school. I went to visit her in the afternoon, and her bed was already occupied by someone else. They never even called the school. They just let me find out when I got there. Told me it was some kind of mix up and they were truly sorry.” He shook his head as if to clear the memory. “Anyway, the place was a horror. I decided I’d make a safe home for people with no money to go. Like a private institution, but with no pressure of funding. It’s a combination of assisted living and nursing homes. I found the biggest problem were couples that needed to be split up. One needed more care than the other. This way I can offer both.”
She blinked. “Logan, did you build this?”
“Yes. This is what I couldn’t do for my mother when she was around. But every time I see a person here smile or thank me or I meet one of their families, it’s all worth it.”
Sudden tears burned behind her eyelids. “You didn’t name it after yourself?”
He shrugged. “I hate that stuff. I don’t want to be a picture on the wall as founder, and my mother wouldn’t want that either. I want to be involved with every person here.” He looked disgusted with himself. “Oh, hell, now I sound like a wimp. Just like Jim said.”
She laughed and lowered her forehead to their clasped hands. One tear ran down her cheek and splashed against his wrist. His fingers tightened around hers. “You make me crazy, Logan Grant,” she muttered. “Before you know it, we’re going to discover behind that Type A personality lies a streak of sensitivity.”
“Don’t let the rumor get around.” She raised her head and smiled. He smiled back. “Want a complete tour?”
“I’d love it.”
“Just watch out when I introduce you to Mr. Baxter. He likes to pinch ladies’ backsides.”
“That’s okay. Men deserve a thrill now and then.”
“Not that much of a thrill. One look at your butt, and he’ll drop dead of a heart attack.”
She laughed. “Thanks.”
He leaned down and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. One finger trailed down her cheek. “Thanks for giving me a shot.”
Electricity crackled between them. Sexual awareness sizzled, taking her breath away. He sensed the connection and dropped his hand to allow her the space. Chandler fought for composure, fought the need to hurl herself into his arms and let him take her for another ride of pure pleasure. She regained control, then nodded.
Logan grinned as if he knew her thoughts. Then he led her outside.
Chapter 8
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Why are you—”
“I tried to—”
They both stopped at once and laughed together. Logan moved further into the conference room. Chandler shifted her feet. Her eyes roved over his figure, and she knew a silly grin was tugging at her lips. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, haunted by erotic images dancing behind her closed eyelids that kept her from sleeping. Now, with him standing before her, she felt like a teenager seeing her boyfriend after a night of heavy necking. “What were you going to say?” She fought the impulse to pull his head toward her for a long, passionate kiss.
His gaze focused on her mouth. “No, I interrupted you. Ladies first.”
The musky scent of his aftershave drifted in the air and teased her senses. “Why are you here so early? I thought you had a big meeting.”
He took a step forward and reached out to grasp a stray tendril of hair. Slowly, he wrapped the silky strand around his finger. “The meeting was rescheduled. I can’t make class tonight.”
She fought to keep the disappointment from showing and nodded her head. “Oh, sure, I understand.”
He released the lock of hair and trailed his fingers down the line of her jaw toward the wildly beating pulse at her neck. “I tried to call you this morning but I got your voice mail.”
“I had an early class. I didn’t sleep well, so I decided I might as well get up and do some work.” The moment the lack of sleep admission left her lips, Chandler felt heat rush to her cheeks. Logan pounced.
“Didn’t sleep?” He gave a lazy smile. “Any particular reason?”
She cursed his sexy good looks and his damn confidence. Yesterday had been perfect. They played a rousing poker game, ate lunch with the residents, and took a stroll around the lake. He showed her a different side to his personality--softness--and when the day ended, he walked her to the car with a polite kiss good-bye.
His eyes told her he wanted to strip her naked and make love to her right there in the parking lot. His body told her he remembered every intimate detail and would claim her soon—when the time was right. Somehow, his polite kiss only made her fire burn hotter.
She wondered how many “mornings-after” he had gone through in his life. Was he used to putting a woman at ease and setting her up for the next time? Was it all just a bunch of bedroom games after all? He was way out of her league. Women probably threw themselves at him on a daily basis, all of them sexually experienced and quite capable of clever repartee after an encounter.
“No particular reason.” She tried to look unconcerned by the hand gliding down her throat to hover at the top of her breasts. Already, her body began to melt under his touch. Her nipples thrust toward the material of her sweat suit in bold demand. “I got caught up in an old movie. It ended after midnight.”
He laughed. “Liar,” he taunted. “You were up all night imagining what it would have been like if I had stripped you naked and dragged you to bed.” He leaned over. His warm breath rushed over her lips. “You wondered what it would be like if I thrust deeply inside your body, over and over, until you were part of me.”
Chandler trembled. She wanted everything he described. “Yes,” she said, halfway terrified of the intense feelings she had.
Satisfaction carved out his features. He cupped her face with his hands and lowered his mouth. “Then kiss me. Let me show you how much I want the same thing.”
His lips covered hers. He sipped from her mouth lovingly, and slid his tongue between her lips to touch hers, imitating the merging their bodies would do. With a low moan, she opened and invited him in, shaken by the sweetness of the kiss.
He pulled away and smiled down at her. “Can we have dinner after my meeting?” he asked.
“I can’t. I’m meeting Harry for dinner.”
“Cancel.”
She sighed at his dark scowl. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to let you bully me. I told you Harry is a friend and nothing more. He needs to talk, and I can’t let him down.”
He studied the stubborn tilt to her chin. “Is he gay?”
“No!”
“Girlfriend? Wife?”
“No.”
“Then I don’t trust him. He wants to be more than your friend. I know how men work.”
She took a deep breath. “Most of the conversation tonight will center around the woman he’s had a crush on for months. He hasn’t been able to g et up the nerve to ask her out yet.”
“Who is she?”
She tried to keep the smile from her voice. “Her name is Rachael. She’s a legal assistant who works for McKenzie & Tetenbaum. Harry’s had a crush on her since she started, but he’s afraid she isn’t interested.”
He digested that, his face stony. “I still don’t like it.”
“I’m going. You’re going to have to trust me.”
For a while he didn’t speak. Then he reached for her. He dragged her against him and kissed her with a combination of frustration and hunger. Chandler surrendered, recognizing his need to assert control over the situation.
Breathless, she waited for his response when the embrace ended. A shutter dropped over his face. His hands clenched into tight fists. Knowing he had no choice but to accept her decision, Chandler waited for him to adm
it his uneasy feelings but concede defeat.
“I’ll call you tonight at nine thirty. That should give you two plenty of time to catch up and return home.” His tone held a firm warning. “Be waiting for my call or accept the consequences.” He turned and strode out of the room and left her gaping at his back. By the time she recovered her power of speech, he was gone.
So much for compromise.
Cursing fluently under her breath, she stomped over to the easel and dragged it to the front of the room to set up her display of nutritional charts. The man was impossible. As soon as she started to think he could learn to be fair and open-minded in a relationship, he pulled a stunt like this. Demanding she be available for his call? Caveman tactics that should be extinct. He actually thought every woman he met would meekly accept the ground rules he threw out, grateful for the honor of being involved with the mighty Logan Grant.
Well, this yoga teacher would show him a lesson or two.
“Chandler?”
She shook off her thoughts and turned at the sound of a voice in the doorway. Jim Chrisetta hovered in the entrance of the conference room, a tall, lanky figure with dark hair and serious brown eyes. He always seemed to be the most somber in the group, taking her instructions as intensely as he did his financial sheets. They had spoken a few times, and she’d been impressed with the responsibility he felt toward his wife and daughter. But Chandler knew responsibility sometimes became a drain on one’s own energy and left a person vulnerable to the stresses of life. She only hoped Logan recognized the sensitivity in Jim and saved his job.
With a bright smile, she waved him in. “Come on over, I was just setting up for class. Boy, do you have an exciting night ahead. By the time you leave, you’ll know everything about the fat contained in food, the benefits of vegetables, and how to discipline yourself not to have that second piece of chocolate cake.”
He smiled back and took a tentative step toward her. “I wondered if you had a minute to talk. I know I’m early, and I don’t want to take time away from your preparation.”
She dropped the charts on the table and walked over. “Don’t be silly, I have this stuff memorized.” She studied him for a few moments, noticing the slight droop to his shoulders and the deep worry in his eyes. She dropped down on the mat and eased herself into Lotus position. “Come and sit down. Relax for a few minutes.”
He looked down at his business suit and then at her. He seemed to think it over, wondering if he dare wrinkle his freshly pressed slacks. Then with one determined motion he sat down on the mat. Chandler bit her lip at the satisfied look on his face from the tiny act of rebellion. “What’s up?”
“I’m going to be fired.”
She managed to keep her expression neutral. Had Logan spoken with him already? Were rumors floating around? She kept her tone calm and even. “What makes you say that, Jimmy?”
“I don’t know if you’re familiar with the deal Logan’s working on with Thomas Weatherall. Tommy has a pretty healthy investment business, and the merger between them is friendly. We won’t have to set up new management, so Tommy will remain on top with Logan overseeing the whole project. Anyway, Tommy gave us an important tip about a small computer company called Vicomdata that he wanted to acquire. Saw great potential in the creative staff. Vicomdata wanted nothing to do with a merger and wanted to remain independent. Logan was able to finagle placing one of his people into the company to get information about a specific loan. Once confirmation was received, Logan would be able to buy the loan out and force the company’s hand.”
“He used a corporate spy?”
He looked uncomfortable with the term but nodded. “Yeah. We all got a confidential email regarding the status, and were warned not to leak any information. Well, the guy at Vicomdata used to work with me, and is actually a friend. Name is Charlie. Rumor must have gotten to someone over there—God knows how, and one night I got a call.”
He shook his head in disgust. “I was working overtime to catch up on some paperwork. I had at least three deadlines due by morning, and was still getting my feet wet on the job, so needless to say I wasn’t thinking too clearly. I spoke with a manager at Vicomdata who pretended to know Charlie well, and basically got me to confirm that he’s one of Logan’s employees. It happened so fast I didn’t even realize I had slipped up. The next morning, Charlie was fired from Vicomdata and back here without the information. Needless to say, Logan wasn’t too pleased. We lost the edge on the deal and a large future profit.”
Chandler let the story sift through her mind. “Do you like your new position in management?”
He shrugged. “It’s okay. I enjoyed my old job better. I’m not crazy about telling people what to do and always calling the shots. But when Logan offered me a management opportunity I realized it was more money and prestige. This is the first promotion I ever got. My wife was really proud.”
She smiled. “When someone offers you a promotion it confirms you’re doing a good job.”
“Exactly.”
“But if your reward is to be locked into a position that makes you unhappy, do you think it’s worth it?”
He frowned. “I don’t know. I never thought about it. A promotion is supposed to be for the better.”
“Yes, that’s the idea. But sometimes a person doesn’t realize a simple raise would have done just as nicely.”
Jimmy nodded. “That’s what I wanted. But I couldn’t let Logan down. He was trying to help me.”
“How do you know you’ll be fired?”
“Logan will have no choice. Tommy was mad as hell for the screw up, so he’ll probably order me fired. Logan wants the merger so he’ll have to listen. And my old job is already filled, which leaves me out.”
Chandler almost winced at the correct assumption. She searched for a way out of the mess he was in. She couldn’t promise he wouldn’t be fired, no matter how much she wished she could. She needed to show him he’d be able to handle the situation.
“Okay, so you made a mistake. You were caught off-guard, and this manager used your friendship with Charlie to get information. Quite unethical in my eyes, but I know business is business.”
His shoulders sagged. “Yeah.”
“Do you really think you should be fired because of one screw up in the last—”
“Four years.”
“Four years?” she continued.
“It was a big mistake. I probably deserve it.”
She thought about his remark. “Be honest with me. You’re a person who worries a lot, right?”
He grinned sheepishly. “That’s what my wife says. Yeah, I like to make sure all my responsibilities are taken care of.”
“When you get up in the morning, what thought is always in the back of your mind? What is your greatest fear, the thing you worry about on a daily basis?”
“Well, I guess that would be what just happened. Or what’s going to happen. Being fired.”
“Exactly. What scares you the most about being fired?”
He looked puzzled by the question. “I’m afraid of not being able to support my family. Being called a failure. Feeling like a failure.”
“Do you feel like a failure?”
“No. I messed up, but I don’t think that negates the last four years of doing well.”
“Exactly.” She leaned forward. “Do you realize you’re finally free? Your worst fear is about to be confirmed. You’re going to get fired. And you’re still okay with yourself. They can’t take away your own inner core. You can get another job. You can follow a dream you’ve always had. You can march into Logan’s office, free of your fear, and tell him why he’ll be making the biggest mistake of his life if he fires you. From now on, any job you have won’t have a hold on you. Your wife and baby are what's most important. Now you’ll be able to give them more of yourself, because your work won’t be holding all the cards.”
Jimmy stared down at the mat. She held her breath and hoped he understood what she said. She wanted him t
o be free of all the fear and stress he held close to his heart. If he realized there was a whole world out there, losing a job shouldn’t destroy his self-respect. In fact, it could open up a new realm of possibilities. If he could only see…
Jimmy looked up. He smiled. Her heart lifted at the look on his face. He understood. The deep lines of worry that normally creased his brow disappeared. A determined glint shone in his serious brown eyes. She’d gotten through to him.
She smiled back. “Okay?”
Jimmy nodded. “Okay.” He got up from the mat, swiping at the wrinkles in his slacks, straightening his jacket and tie. “You know, Logan is usually a fair guy. He’d probably give me a good referral. Or I could even go back to school. I always wanted to finish up my Masters degree.”
“Anything is possible.” She watched him walk to the door, his shoulders set in a determined line. “Jimmy?”
“Yeah?”
“Do me a favor. Don’t forget about the deep breathing I taught you. Always focus. Never take life too seriously. And I promise to send you copies of the nutritional charts in the mail.”
He laughed. “Thanks. My biggest screw-up was not listening to you in the first place. If I’d just taken a couple of deep breaths to calm down, I probably wouldn’t have slipped. Next time I won’t make that mistake.”
She watched him walk out the door. After a few moments she eased herself up from the mat. There was no way she would let Jimmy lose his job without a fight.
She needed to think of a plan.
“Mr. Grant?”
Logan swiveled around in his leather chair. A tall man with silver hair stood in the doorway dressed impeccably in a black suit and red silk tie. Green eyes stared back at Logan with an openly assessing gaze. The man’s shoes were polished to perfection, and a gleaming diamond Rolex flashed from his wrist. Everything about the man shimmered with raw energy.
For a moment Logan felt thrown by the striking resemblance Alexander Santell bore to his daughter. Logan carefully screened his expression to attain an element of blandness. Santell was a powerful adversary if crossed, and until Logan knew what game the man was playing it would be wise not to show any other thoughts that crossed his mind.