“Feeling better, man?” Trent perched on the bathroom counter, watching Logan work through his misery.
“Oh, hey. I didn’t hear you come in.” He walked the scouring pad to the kitchen sink and put the Ajax in the cabinet.
“Of course you didn’t.” Trent followed him through the house as he cleaned up his mess. “You were pretty focused on that shower. You get it scrubbed clean?”
“Yeah. I’m good now.” He knew it wasn’t the cleaning Trent was talking about as he shuffled to the living room and plopped onto the couch.
“So, she ran out on you, huh?”
“Yeah.” He raked his hand through his hair. “Can’t say I blame her, though. I was an animal.”
“You okay? I mean, I’ve never seen this happen over a girl.” Trent gestured to the bathroom.
“I don’t know what happened. I took her upstairs to talk, you know? We kept getting interrupted down there, but as soon as I had her alone…” He took a deep breath and shuddered as he recalled his evening with Allison. “It was mutual, though. She was just as into it as I was. I don’t know how far it would’ve gone if you hadn’t called.”
Trent chuckled. “Sorry about that.”
“No. No, it’s good. I just… I can’t get her out of my head. She’s not into all the money and the façade. She’s real. It was just me and her, and she didn’t have any motives. Nothing going on in her head about getting my money or marrying me to get my money. There was…nothing. She’s good. And she scares the hell out of me.”
“Oh, man. You’ve got it bad. When are you going to see her again?”
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. I don’t even know her last name. And I doubt she’ll call me after the way I acted.”
“I don’t know.” Trent shrugged. “Sounds like she acted that way too. Did you get any other info on her?”
“She said she works at an antique store downtown. We didn’t do much talking.”
“Well, there you go. There’s what? Three, maybe four antique stores downtown? It shouldn’t take you long to find her. You could do it on your lunch break tomorrow. And if that doesn’t work, you can always look up her Realtor friend.”
“Now, that’s just creepy.”
“Or romantic.” He shrugged. “Some chicks dig that stuff. You never know.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“I can’t believe I did that. What was I thinking?” Allison leaned against the counter in Lucia’s Antique Shop, sipping her nonfat latte. She confided in Lucia like she was her own mother, and this morning, Tina was there for the gossip too.
“You were thinking about your hot little hands on his sizzling body. What else?” Tina smiled and put her arm around her shoulders.
“Ugh. I’m such a slut.” She slouched into her friend’s embrace.
“Hardly. So, when are you going to see him again?”
“I’m not.” Allison straightened her spine. “I’m not going to call him, and I didn’t give him my number. He doesn’t even know my last name. Not that he’d try to find me if he did.”
“Boy, you two really didn’t talk much last night, did you?”
She shivered at the way his rock-hard muscles had felt beneath his shirt. The warmth of his hands against her skin. His smell. His taste. It was a night she wouldn’t soon forget.
“No, we didn’t do much talking. And anyway, I’ve told you a hundred times, I don’t want to get involved with him. He’s not my type.”
“Really, Allie? Because he seems like exactly your type to me. Did you know his Mercedes is a hybrid? And I looked in his pantry at the party the other night. The guy’s got color-coded recycling bins for stuff I never even knew could be recycled.”
“Why were you looking in his pantry?”
“I sold him the house. I figure that gives me the right to nose around. You know, see what he’s done with the place.”
“Uh-huh.”
“And he’s got this home office with all these plaques and certificates all over the walls. They’re all from charities and stuff that he’s donated to. Stuff that never made it in the paper. The guy just gives for the sake of giving. Don’t tell me he’s not your type. He is so your type.”
“Jeez, Tina. What were you doing in his office?”
A sly smile curved her lips as she glanced at Lucia and then at Allison. “You remember the tight butt in the Armani suit?” She raised her eyebrows a few times for emphasis.
Allison’s jaw dropped. “Tina! Eww. You did it in Logan’s office?”
“Oh, no. We just messed around a little. We didn’t do it till we got back to his place.”
“You whore!”
“Nah. Whores get paid. I just do it for fun.”
“Oh, you’re awful, Tina.”
“That’s why you love me. But seriously, I can’t find a single thing wrong with the guy. What’s the problem?”
She sighed and toyed with a lamp shade, unable to look her friend in the eyes. “You know what the problem is.”
“Oh, Allie. He’s not your dad. He’s not going to kill himself. I doubt suicide has ever even crossed Logan’s mind. You need to let go of your fears. Live your life. I love you, but it’s been three years. Stop punishing yourself for your father’s mistakes.”
Allison sighed. That was exactly what she was doing—punishing herself. But she couldn’t let go of that sense of abandonment. Both her parents abandoned her. Her father by taking his own life and her mother by not telling her about the cancer. Allison could have helped her, but she didn’t let her. Not soon enough. A sharp twinge of guilt still stabbed at her heart because of that, and she didn’t know how to let it go.
“You’re right.”
Tina pulled Allison into her arms. “Just think about it, okay? Logan wants you to call him, and it won’t hurt you to have a little fun. I have to go show a house, but I have my cell if you need me.”
“Thanks.” She watched her friend leave the shop, and then she turned to Lucia. “You’ve been awfully quite today. What do you think?”
Lucia smiled as she walked to Allison and put her arm around her. “I think Tina is right. How do you expect to be a therapist, when you can’t bury your own demons? Look, Allison, he is a beautiful man. He is what he is, and he is not your father. Give him a chance.”
She took a deep breath and blew it out. “I can’t. I just…can’t. I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Don’t you have some pieces for me to work on? I need to do some work. Get my mind off of things.”
“Okay. I have some items going to auction tomorrow. Let’s go have a look at those, yes?” Lucia paused and searched Allison’s eyes. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“I’m ready. What do you have for me?”
* * *
Logan sat behind his massive desk in his downtown office perusing the stack of proposals in front of him. As an investor, he acted as a silent partner in promising start-up businesses. It was time to find a new investment, but this morning, his thoughts drifted far away from business. He couldn’t get Allison out of his head. He could still taste her. The feel of her smooth, soft skin still lingered on his fingers, and he wanted more.
Shit. He needed to forget about her. Allison wasn’t the type of girl he could just sleep with and walk away from. He wanted more from her. He wanted to be more for her. But he couldn’t. Not unless he wanted her to throw herself out of a window. The only way he knew to keep that from happening was to never get involved with a woman. He sighed and pushed the stack of papers across his desk as Trent walked through the door.
“Hey. What’s up?”
Trent closed the door and sat in a high-backed leather chair across from his desk. “Not much. What did the ghost busters say when you met them this morning?”
He shuffled to the front of his desk and sat on the corner of it. “They said they need to come back tonight. They’re going to review the evidence they got, but they think they need another night in the place.”
“Hmm…they ask for more money?”
“No. They seem legit. Apparently, the girl in the group—Lindsay was her name, I think. She was the only one who made contact with anything, and they said it was pretty hostile. Whatever it is.”
“So, you’ve got a ghost.”
“Looks like it. They want to spend another night. See if they can figure out what it wants. Try to get it to leave me alone.”
“You crashing at my place again?”
“Yeah. And thanks for keeping a lid on all this shit…I didn’t think I believed in ghosts, but after what I’ve been through in that place…Well, I do now.”
“I hear you, man. It’s hard to deny it when it’s happening in your own home.” Trent scratched the back of his head and glanced at the door. “So, you uh…talk to Allison yet?”
“No. But the ball’s in her court. She’s got my number.”
“Since when is Logan Mitchell content to sit back and let someone else lead?” Trent pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket and offered it to him. “I did a little research for you this morning. There are only three antique stores in the downtown area.”
“Shit, Trent.” Logan shook his head and snatched the paper from his hand.
“The closest one’s on West Fort, and there’s another on Shelby and one on Bagley.”
Logan looked at his friend. Should he thank him or curse him?
“You like her?”
“Yeah. But, you know I can’t—”
“You don’t have to marry her, man. Just have some fun. You deserve it.” He stood and put his hand on his shoulder. “Go find her.”
Logan took a deep breath and nodded. Trent was right. He didn’t have to marry her. It didn’t have to go any further than he wanted it to. He could just take her out to lunch. Set things straight, so she didn’t think he was an asshole. That’s what he’d do.
Before he could talk himself out of it, he strode out the door to the elevator and glanced at the list of stores. Might as well start with the closest one. But he drove past the first shop. Without thinking about it, he pulled up in front of the shop on Shelby and parked on the curb. Allison was there. He could feel it.
He sat in the car for a few minutes, taking deep breaths and trying to calm himself. He wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say, and his palms were slick with sweat as his heart pounded in his chest. Why the hell was he so nervous? He never had trouble with women, and that’s all Allison was, right? Just a woman.
He chuckled at himself. He knew damn good and well Allison was more than just a woman, and if he thought about it anymore, he’d turn his car around and get the hell out of there. He took one more deep breath, killed the engine, and headed into the shop.
The door chimed when he walked in, and a stocky Italian woman greeted him. “Hello, I’m Lucia. How can I help you?” She had a warm smile and a look of satisfied recognition in her eyes.
“Just browsing.” He pretended to examine an ornate coat rack. He needed to get himself together and just ask for her. She was there; he could feel her energy in the air.
Lucia’s smile widened. “Well, if you don’t find what you’re looking for out here, there’s something beautiful in the back that might catch your eye.”
Damn it. He might as well fess up and admit the real reason he was there. “Actually, I’m looking for Allison. Is she here?”
“Allison Gray?”
“Uh…”
“Wait here.” Lucia turned and hurried through a set of double doors in the back of the shop. A moment later, Allison appeared through the same pair of doors.
“Logan.” Her eyes widened, her soft lips parting in surprise.
Christ. She was just as beautiful as he remembered. Her silky hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, and a few wispy pieces framed the delicate features of her face. She wore gray slacks and a tight pink sweater that emphasized her feminine curves. It took all of his control to fight the urge to take her in his arms and kiss those inviting crimson lips that he remembered so well.
“Hi, Allison.”
“Hi.”
He took a few steps toward her, needing to close the space between them. “Are you busy?”
Her tongue slipped out to moisten her lips, and his knees went weak. Did she realize how sexy she was?
“I, uh…Yeah. I was doing some work in the back. Lucia’s got some pieces going to auction tomorrow, and I was helping her get them ready.”
“Oh.” His heart sank. He shouldn’t have expected anything more from her. After the way he’d acted last night, he deserved her rejection.
“Actually, Allison,” Lucia said, “I think we’re finished for now. Why don’t you two go have lunch?” She smiled and winked at Logan.
“Would you, Allison? Have lunch with me?” He took another tentative step toward her.
“Oh…I…I really need to get this done.”
“Nonsense.” Lucia pushed Allison toward the door. “You have to eat. Go.”
“I guess lunch wouldn’t hurt.” Allison glared at the woman.
“Thanks, Lucia. I won’t keep her long.”
“Keep her as long as you want her,” Lucia called as they walked out the door.
Stopping on the sidewalk, her turned to her. “Where do you want to go?”
“There’s a good little Chinese place a block from here. We could walk there.”
“Okay. I love Chinese.” Nervous energy clouded around her, but he didn’t sense any hostility in her emotions, which was a good thing. At least she didn’t hate him. They walked side by side with their hands in their pockets and their eyes trained forward.
Why was he having such a hard time talking to her? He needed to say something. Anything. He sucked in a breath to speak, but she beat him to it.
“Logan, how did you find me?” She glanced at him, then shifted her gaze ahead of her.
“There aren’t that many antique stores downtown, so I knew you had to work at one of them.” He tried to reach out and read her emotions, hoping she wouldn’t find his persistence disturbing.
She furrowed her brow. “And you went to every one of them looking for me?”
“No, I got lucky. This is first place I looked. Is that weird?”
A tiny grin curved her lips. “I think it’s kind of sweet.” She raised her gaze to his, and soothing warmth spread through his body like a soft blanket hugging his soul.
Shit, he was in trouble.
“Oh, here we are,” she said.
He held the door for her and followed her into the small restaurant to a cozy table in the back corner of the room.
“What’s good here?” He flipped through the menu and tried to keep his leg from bouncing incessantly under the table.
“I like the chicken and broccoli over white rice. It’s amazing.”
“That sounds good.” He waited for her to tell the server her order before making his own request. “I’d like the chicken and broccoli as well, but with the rice on the side, please. And is there any way you could put the broccoli on the side too?” The server nodded and went back to kitchen.
“Don’t like your food to touch?”
“No.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Listen. About last night…I’m really sorry. I didn’t take you up there to take advantage of you.” He strummed his fingers on the tablecloth, and she put her hand on top of his. Whether it was to still his nervous movements or because she actually wanted to touch him, he wasn’t sure. But that simple gesture unleashed a swarm of butterflies in his stomach.
“Logan, you didn’t take advantage of me. I’m just as much to blame for that as you are. Don’t feel bad.”
He took a deep breath and caught her hand before she could pull away. “Thank you.”
She smiled and slipped from his grasp.
“How long have you worked with Lucia? She seems nice.”
“She’s amazing. I’ve been there about two years. What about you? You just moved to Detroit recently, didn’t you?”
<
br /> “I’ve been here about six months.”
“And you’ve already made quite a name for yourself.” The arch of her eyebrow told him she wasn’t at all impressed with his social status.
“I guess.” He shrugged. “I just want to live my life. Help as many people as I can and be happy. I’m not trying to make a name for myself.”
Her smile crinkled the corners of her eyes like only a true smile could do. In the crowded restaurant, he couldn’t distinguish Allison’s mood from everyone else’s. But something about her demeanor shifted. As she held his gaze, he could almost feel the gears turning in her mind.
He shifted in his chair. “What?”
“It’s nothing.” She bit her bottom lip as if unsure about what she was about to say. “You’re a lot different than I expected you to be.”
“In a good way or a bad way?”
“Good. Definitely good.”
The server brought their food, and he waited for her to take the first bite. The way her lips parted and wrapped around the fork as she slowly slid it out of her mouth sent blood rushing to his groin. Christ, she was sexy. Just watching her eat got him worked up.
He forced himself to tear his gaze away and focus on his own food. A piece of broccoli had fallen onto the chicken, and that wouldn’t do. Using his fork, he carefully slid it back into place. Since he’d already touched the broccoli, he had to start there. He ate each piece, chewing and swallowing before his fork touched the next bite. Then he moved on to the chicken.
Allison stirred up her food, mixing the rice, broccoli, and chicken together into each bite. He watched her, envious of the casual manner in which she ate. If only life could be that simple.
“You should try mixing the rice in with the chicken,” she suggested. “The sauce helps take away the blandness.”
To Catch a Spirit (Spirit Chasers Book 1) Page 7