by Krista Lakes
Tyler's brows pinched together slightly. He hated talking to strangers. “Okay.”
I hurried across the lobby, fairly sure that he wasn't going to talk to the concierge. Tyler was incredibly shy. He had trouble answering the door for pizza, let alone talking to the hotel concierge. My sigh echoed off the marble surfaces in the bathroom. I quickly finished and washed my hands, prepping the mental speech to convince the concierge to help us find a place for Spock.
When I came out of the bathroom, I didn't see Tyler or Spock in the lobby. Glancing outside, I didn’t see them there either, but the wind was picking up. I wondered if the storm was swinging further South than expected.
“Are you looking for Tyler and his dog?” the concierge asked, coming up behind me. I turned quickly to see a petite woman of Asian heritage smiling at me. She wore the resort’s dark blue uniform and I recognized her as the usual person behind the concierge desk.
“Yes, I am, actually,” I replied. “Where are they?”
“Tyler is getting the dog comfortable in one of the storage areas. We aren't using it right now and it's out of the storm,” she explained. “I can show you to them, if you'll follow me.”
She motioned behind the main desk toward a door I hadn't noticed before. She opened it and I stepped into a well-lit cement hallway.
“Where does this go?” I asked, glancing around as she continued on.. There were other corridors connecting to the main one, each junction marked with a map. It smelled like rain and wet cement the further in we went.
“All over the resort. This one connects the main building with the laundry facilities and storage. There are other tunnels that connect the kitchens, restaurants, and other maintenance buildings. They were all built specifically to adjoin everything in case of a hurricane, but we use them to move things around without having to bother guests.” She turned at a yellow marker. “Here we are.”
She opened a door revealing a concrete storage area. Tyler was busy making a bed out of towels while Spock sniffed anxiously at the corners of the room.
“Thank you,” I said to the concierge, stepping inside.
“Hi, Keiko,” Tyler greeted the concierge. “Thank you again for the towels. I'll go see the chef for some food for Spock next.”
“You are most welcome,” Keiko said with a smile. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
I shook my head, staring at Tyler. Aliens must have switched out the scared, shy kid with one who was able to talk to adults. I had never seen this side of him.
“No, thank you,” Tyler replied. Keiko nodded and carefully closed the door behind her as she left.
“This looks like it will be a good place for Spock to stay,” I said, petting lounging dog on his head. Tyler put the finishing touches on what was going to be Spock's bed before standing up.
“I think it will work. I'd like to have him in the hotel room with me, but I don't think Mom's ready for that yet.” He glanced around the room. “I'm not sure Spock likes it, but it's way better than outside.”
“How about we bring Spock back some food after lunch and see how he’s doing in here,” I offered. Tyler nodded.
“Do you mind if I talk to the chef first and meet you there? Keiko said the kitchen might have some plastic bowls I can use for water and food.” Spock put his head under Tyler's hand, and Tyler rubbed his ears automatically. I could hear the wind outside even through the thick concrete.
I blinked twice in surprise. This was the second time he was going to stand up for the dog and get over his shyness around strangers. “Um, sure. That's fine by me. Do you want me to come with you to talk to the chef?”
“No, that's okay. I got it,” he told me. He smiled and went to the door. “You be good, Spock. I'll be back in a little bit with lunch.”
Spock tried to follow, and we had to slam the door shut in order to keep him in the room alone. Spock cried softly at the door, begging us to come back and rescue him.
“You think he'll be okay?” Tyler asked, glancing back at the door as we walked down the hallway. “He sounded scared.”
I smiled and hugged him around the shoulders. “He'll be fine. We'll make lunch fast.”
He nodded, and we hurried down the hallway. Maddy wasn't going to like the idea of a dog, but if Spock was getting Tyler over his shyness and insecurities, she was going to warm up to the idea of a pet quickly. If this was what Spock was able to do for Tyler's confidence after just a day, I couldn't wait to see what he would do for him after a week, a month, even a year. Maddy was just going to have to deal with it.
***
I came out of the shower with my hair wrapped in a towel and my body nestled in a fluffy hotel robe. It felt good to be clean. I had helped Tyler carry water and food to Spock and tried to help Tyler brush the sand out of Spock's fur after lunch. I was fairly certain that the dog was still half sand. Now that it was approaching dinner time, Tyler was probably back in the storage room with Spock. Maddy had been less than thrilled about it all, but she was excited to see the changes it was bringing about in Tyler.
I glanced at my watch. It was only a couple minutes after six, so I still had plenty of time to get ready for my date with Logan. I grabbed my makeup bag and stood in front of the mirror.
No, I told myself. Not a date. I did not want to get romantically involved with him again. He had a body that made my insides heat and quiver, but the fact that he had burned me so badly before still stung. I wasn't about to let him get close enough to hurt me again.
Then why are you going to dinner? I frowned and noticed little lines popping up on my face. Logan Hayes had betrayed me once before. He had almost ruined everything I had been trying to build and didn't even have the decency to call me himself to do it.
Even so, he was good for Tyler. The past couple of days, Logan had gotten more conversation and smiles out of him than I had seen in weeks. For whatever reason, Tyler trusted him. And so far, he hadn't betrayed that trust.
I set the brush down hard on the bathroom counter. I really had no idea what I was doing when it came to Logan.
“I'll just cancel,” I said out-loud to the mirror. “I shouldn't have dinner with the competition anyway.”
Yet, I kept putting on my makeup and didn't pick up the phone to call and cancel. Part of me, probably the part of me that enjoyed seeing him walk in his board shorts, wanted to go to dinner with him. If I ignored the past, the man was a catch. Billionaire, gorgeous, and apparently good with kids and dogs. It was just the way he had used me two years ago that burned.
The TV buzzed with an important update in the other room. I had forgotten to turn it off when I got in the shower.
“The National Hurricane Center has officially upgraded Tropical Storm Hannah to a Category 1 hurricane.” A pretty forecaster stood in front of a map with a large swirl of clouds spinning across the ocean. “The storm is expected to skirt the edge of Antigua and surrounding islands, but as always, residents are encouraged to take precautions. These storms can shift direction or increase in power at any time.”
The wind rattled the boards over my window as if to accentuate her words. The resort staff had been busy all day preparing everything for the oncoming storm. All the windows had boards, and even the sliding glass doors had been protected. It looked as though the staff were getting ready for a Category 5 rather than a storm that was supposed to bypass us, but I would rather they be over-prepared than surprised.
I looked back to the mirror to find I had finished my makeup without realizing it. What was I doing? I should know better than to even go to dinner with him. I had been down this road before. I slid my earrings on, thinking about the past and the last time I had gone out with Logan Hayes.
Chapter 12
Two years ago
After our meeting earlier today, I couldn't stop thinking about Logan. The warm caramel swirls of his eyes. That one golden curl that I wanted to sweep off his forehead. That smile that made me purr like a cat in sunshine. Just thinki
ng about him had me flustered in the best way. There was a connection between the two of us that wasn't just strictly business. At least, I really, really hoped there was.
Especially because I had already picked out a backless black dress to wear out tonight.
My phone buzzed, and I held my breath as I looked at the caller ID. It was a number I didn't recognize. Please, please, please...
“Hello?” I sounded far more breathless than I had intended.
“Olivia?” It was Logan. A little shiver of anticipation went down my spine. I liked the way my name sounded in his rich, masculine voice.
“This is she,” I replied, trying to sound like I didn't recognize the voice. I didn't want to appear too eager.
“Hi, it's Logan. From earlier today,” he said with a small laugh. He sounded almost nervous, which made the butterflies in my stomach far more hopeful than they had any right to be. “Would you still be interested in getting a drink with me tonight?”
“I'd love to,” I said, grinning into the phone. I was imagining his reciprocal smile on the other side of the line. “Where would you like to meet?”
“Have you ever been to de Luxe? I have a standing reservation there we can use,” he asked. My jaw dropped a little. It was only the most exclusive, expensive and infamous club in Chicago.
“No,” I answered. “But I know where it is.”
“Would you be able to meet me there in half an hour? Just tell the bouncer you're meeting me and you won't have to wait in line,” he said, as if walking into de Luxe was something normal.
“I can do that.” I was bouncing up and down on the couch and trying very hard to keep my voice steady. “I'll see you there.”
“Great!” He sounded excited as well. “See you soon!”
I hung up the phone, stared at it for a moment and then let out a whoop that made the neighbor's dog start barking. I was going to go to de Luxe with Logan Hayes!
Twenty-five minutes later, I was stepping out of a cab in front of the most exclusive club in the city. The line to get in wound around the block, but I walked past them all to get to the front door. A big man with sunglasses, even though it was almost dark out, stood guard over the entrance. I swallowed hard and went up to him, hoping I was giving off an aura of importance. The people in line stared at me, and I could hear whispers as I approached.
“Excuse me,” I said, putting as much confidence in my voice as I could muster. “I'm Olivia Statler. I'm here to meet Mr. Logan Hayes.”
When the man didn't move a muscle, I nearly took a step back. Maybe he wasn't here yet, or I had gotten the address wrong.
The big guard slowly looked down at the guest list, and his face immediately softened as he read it. “Right this way, Ms. Statler.” He moved to the side and lowered the red velvet rope to let me in. I heard at least two gasps from the line as I bypassed everyone in it. The man had a warm smile that changed him from incredibly intimidating to teddy bear for the two seconds he let me see it.
I stepped into the entryway and could see the main room. It was romantically lit, with silver couches and glowing tables. Music thrummed through the building, and the dance floor was already alive with dancers.
“Ms. Statler?” A woman in a flattering silver dress suit tapped my shoulder and motioned me to follow her. She took me up a flight of stairs, past an even bigger security guard, and into the VIP lounge. Logan was waiting for me at a table overlooking the dance floor. He stood as soon as he saw me, a grin nearly splitting his face in two.
“You look spectacular,” he said appreciatively, his eyes traversing my figure at least twice. I blushed, but I didn't mind that he was looking. In fact, I rather liked the idea that he was.
“Thanks.” I sat down at the table and looked him over. “You look pretty spectacular yourself.”
He beamed and shrugged as if it were nothing. He had changed into a black suit and smoothed his hair back. The overall effect was one of rugged sophistication, and it looked damn good on him.
“I took the liberty of ordering a bottle of champagne. Do you like Dom Perignon?” He pulled out a bottle from an ice bucket sitting on the table that I hadn’t noticed.
“I've never had it,” I said, shaking my head.
“Then, now is a perfect time to try something new.” He handed me a glass and poured out the golden liquid. I took a careful sip, and the bubbles tickled my nose. “What do you think?”
“Honestly?” I set my glass down on the table and looked at it. “I hate to say this, but it just tastes like plain old champagne to me. I don't taste anything special about it. I guess I'm a terrible champagne drinker.”
Logan laughed, making me feel completely at ease. “It took me a long time to taste the difference, but half the fun is just ordering it and watching peoples' reactions.”
I took another sip to steady my nerves. I was having a hard time not staring at him. “Have you spoken with your father yet?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I have a meeting with him tomorrow. I'm very hopeful about it, though. Your idea is perfect for Travel, Inc. I'm really looking forward to getting to work with you.”
“Me too,” I replied, feeling a blush warming my cheeks. I wanted to do more than just work with him. I looked up at him, and the look on his face said he wanted more too. The fact that we were out for drinks before he spoke to his father implied that this wasn't a business meeting. The butterflies in my stomach danced for joy, and I took another sip of champagne to quiet them.
“So,” he said, clearing his throat. “You said you've never been here before? Not on a date or anything?”
“I've been so busy getting my business started that I haven't had time to go on dates,” I explained. I paused to take another sip of champagne and looked up coyly from my drink. “If you're trying to find out, I'm not currently seeing anyone.”
Logan coughed a little on his drink, blushing slightly. He patted his chest and cleared his throat. “That's good to know,” he said with a smirk. “I'm glad to know I didn't get dressed up for nothing.”
Now it was my turn to blush. There was a silence for a moment as our eyes remained locked. “So?” I asked.
“So, what?” he asked back.
“So... are you currently seeing anyone?”
He laughed and my heart fluttered. “Ms. Statler, you haven't done your research very well.”
My jaw dropped a little bit. “I could say the same about you! Besides, I only looked up your company, not you. I thought that was the most polite way about doing things.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe I already knew that you weren't seeing anyone.”
I laughed as I rolled my eyes, then I looked back at him. His look was a little too serious. I lifted my eyebrows, as if to ask the question again.
“Yes, Olivia, I'm single,” he said with a smile. He looked at the curtain over the balcony at the dance floor. “And now that that business is out of the way, here's a question I couldn't find the answer to. Do you dance?”
I glanced down at the dance floor. People were dancing and gyrating below us. Everyone was having a great time. “Oh, no. No way.”
He laughed. “What's the matter? Didn't have fun in college?”
I laughed and threw back the rest of my glass of champagne. When I put the glass down, I said, “I had plenty of fun in college. This just wasn't my scene.”
“What about now?” he asked.
“Now?”
“Do you have fun now?”
I laughed again. “Sometimes it seems like all I do is work. But, yes, I have fun.”
“Okay, then let's have some fun.” He stood, holding his hand out for me. I smiled and accepted it, letting him lead the way as I slowly walked behind him in my heels. He moved with a smooth confidence that I enjoyed watching. Even after he got us past the curtain to the VIP room, the crowd seemed to part for him as he walked toward the stairs.
Both of us were getting glances from the entire floor, and I knew exactly why. W
e were a sexy couple, even if we weren't technically together. I wasn't used to the attention, but I enjoyed their looks.
We slowly descended the stairs and Logan continued to lead me toward the dance floor. I was actually getting pretty nervous by the time we finally made our way past the last table and onto the raised floor. He didn't stop there, though, he kept going, straight toward the center of the dance floor, melting into the crowd.
When he got to his destination, he turned to me. His eyes gave me a quick once-over, a hungry glance, before he leaned in and put his hands on my hips. Immediately, I could feel them gripping me through the soft fabric of my dress.
My hips began to sway as he guided me through the motions, keeping in perfect time with the tempo. I never considered myself to be a good dancer, but it was easy with Logan. My body responded to his, finding the rhythm of the music as it thrummed through me. I could help but look down at his hips moving, wondering what they'd look like without those fantastic pants on top of them, thrusting to the beat of the music. The thought shocked me a little bit, so I looked back into his eyes. They were still looking at me with that hungry look.
I didn't look away. I looked right back at him, putting my hand over his shoulder and drawing him in closer to me. We seemed to be matched in perfect time for a moment. Even when the song changed, he didn't seem to miss a beat, just changing his tempo as we continued to dance.
It was a perfect moment. Too perfect, it seemed. An exotic looking woman in a tight dress danced over near us. She ignored me as she put her hands in her hair and began to dance up against Logan, showing him just how interested she was. My mouth dropped as I looked at her, and she gave me a quick look like she had already decided that she didn't care what I thought. She was absolutely supermodel gorgeous and she was going after Logan like a lioness. She didn't even consider me a threat.
Logan surprised me. Normally I would expect a man to react, positively or negatively. I expected him to turn and either begin to dance with her or tell her that he wasn't interested. However, his eyes never left my body. His hands never left my sides. He completely ignored her, acting like she didn't exist. Even when she leaned in and whispered something in his ear, he never reacted. He was fixated on me.