by Jill Sanders
It wouldn’t be hard to find out that they’d gone to school together. After all, she had told him she’d been born and raised in Golden, just as he had been.
Maybe he was playing her? She felt her spine grow stiff and thought about her promise to Kristen and the list tucked away in her purse.
As they pulled up to the office building, she remembered a particular item on the list that she could easily get away with and smiled.
“I’ve got to make a personal run. I hope it’s okay if I drop you off here.” She nodded toward the side of the building.
“Sure, no problem.” He got out quickly, and she felt a wave of excitement rush through her. She clenched her back teeth to keep from making a sound as he exited her Jeep.
Watching him walk up to the side of the building and open the outer doors was the most fun she’d had in a long time. Then she waved at him as he walked right into his first payback.
Logan glanced over his shoulder as the Jeep sped out of the parking lot. He was having a hard time narrowing down exactly what he found appealing about Amy. Maybe it was the sexy way that not a single hair was out of place on her head. She had a body that would stop any man’s heart, but there was something else behind those light eyes of hers that caused him to want to dig deeper.
He wanted to see exactly what it would take for her to cut loose. How she would look after a night in his bed. He was so deep in thought, it took him a moment to realize that the inner door wasn’t opening right away. He tried the door handle again and this time tugged a little harder. Nothing. Turning back to the outer door, he stopped and stared in amazement. There wasn’t a door handle on the inside of the outside door. Running his hands over the smooth surface, he looked around for a keypad or a scanner.
He knew that the building maintained a high level of security, since he’d been given a badge yesterday. But there was no way he was gaining admittance through either door.
He was trapped.
Turning back around, he tried the other door one more time. It didn’t even budge. Pulling out his cell phone, he frowned when he noticed he didn’t have a signal. Walking around the small space, he tried every angle with his phone. Still no signal.
Tucking his phone back in his pocket, he started pounding on the door. He knew exactly why he was locked in the stairway and thought it was just too good an opportunity to pass up acting like he didn’t know what was going on.
CHAPTER THREE
Amy felt a little relieved when she walked into her office and saw Logan at his desk. She knew that he’d probably spent only a few minutes in the small space before someone rescued him.
But even knowing that it had only been a short time, she’d at least paid him back for locking her in a broom closet in grade school. To this day, she still had problems with confined spaces because of that incident. She still asked herself why she had ever believed him that there was a cat locked in the janitor’s closet in the first place.
She smiled when he glanced her way. “Got a call from the Lufts while I was out,” she said.
“Oh?” He turned his chair toward her. “Did they make an offer?”
Her smile dropped just a little. “Not yet, but I’m sure it’s coming.”
His smile grew and he leaned back in the chair as he crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ll see about that.”
“I have another showing in half an hour.” She set a folder down on her desk and started organizing paperwork, removing the file on the Lufts and adding the two files she would need for her next showings. “Two of them actually, but this time they are in town.”
“By the way, I wouldn’t use the side entrance anymore. At least not until they have the door fixed.”
She glanced up at him, her eyebrows going up in question. She was sure he could see her heart beating from across the room as she waited for his next words.
“I was told the lock is jammed on the inner door. I wouldn’t want you to get stuck like I did.”
She hated that she couldn’t read his thoughts. Was he hinting that he knew she’d sent him into the trap on purpose? He must know.
She nodded, because she didn’t think she could contain the lie if she opened her mouth and spoke.
“Now, if you give me the addresses on the listings, I’ll do my research.”
She sat down behind her desk, making sure to swallow the confession that was on the tip of her tongue.
What had made her think that she could do something like this and get away with it? she asked herself as she rattled off the addresses of the two listings to him.
For the most part, he didn’t even look fazed from the whole ordeal. She’d been anxious the entire last half hour thinking of him locked in the small space, and here he was sitting in the office like nothing had even happened.
Maybe that, too, was part of his plan. To throw her off. She wished she was better at games, but she’d never been able to keep a poker face very well.
She’d tried to play an April Fool’s trick on Kristen once but had given up when she couldn’t stop giggling before actually pulling the prank. She was surprised that she hadn’t given herself up to Logan yet. But since he didn’t even act like being locked in the stairway was a big deal, she kept telling herself that she could maintain her secret for a little while longer.
Over the next few minutes, she found it harder and harder to concentrate on her job. Even when she was on the phone with a client, all she could think about was Logan sitting a few feet away. He was slowly driving her mad.
It just wasn’t fair. She could hear him clicking away on his computer like he didn’t have a care in the world. She desperately wished she could call Kristen and tell her everything, but doubted she’d be able to sneak a few minutes alone to call her best friend until after work.
She glanced over to the corner and stared at the back of Logan’s head for a moment. He’d changed a lot since the last time she’d seen him. Just before he’d moved away, he’d finally grown taller than her. At that point, her height had been something he had stopped making fun of her for. Sure, she could have poked fun at him for being a short kid for years, but she never seemed to have the right words. Nor had she wanted to stoop to his level.
Out of all the torture he’d subjected her to, none of it had hurt as badly as when he’d made fun of her parents getting a divorce. That’s why it had thrown her off earlier that day when he’d acted like he cared when she’d told him about her parents’ divorce. His kindness had thrown her for a loop.
After all, the divorce had been his favorite fuel for her ridicule besides her height. Maybe he really didn’t know who she was?
“Ready to head out to our next appointment?” he said, breaking her thoughts. She was a little shocked to see him standing in front of her desk and realized she’d been staring at her computer screen blankly for a while.
She gathered up her things while trying to get Logan Miller out of her mind.
Over the next few days, she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the man. Not only was he constantly sitting in her office, he seemed to cause the whole left side of her body to heat just knowing he was over in the corner.
Her office had never felt so cramped before. She kept trying to avoid being there, but her work almost always demanded it.
The list that Kristen and she had made burned in her mind. She’d found a few other opportunities to pay him back. Every time she would hesitate, but he would say or do something that justified her next act of revenge.
One day, he cornered her in the break room.
“I hear you’ve got a new listing in Genesee.”
“Yes.” She sipped the fresh cup of coffee she’d just poured. When he continued to move closer to her, she backed up until her butt hit the countertop. Frowning, she wondered why he still affected her that way.
“Mind if I tag along?” He reached behind her and took a mug from the cupboard, then poured himself a cup of coffee. His body continued to block her in the small corner of t
he break room.
“Sure.” She wished he would take a step back. She was about to tell him that he’d better ride with her in her Jeep, since she knew the roads to the older property were terrible, but then he’d leaned a little closer to her, still trapping her against the countertop. She quickly glanced up and saw that his smile had grown. Her eyes traveled from his lips to his eyes and she could see a flash of mischief in them that she remembered all too well.
Instantly, a scene from her childhood played in her mind.
She’d gone out to her driveway and had plans to ride her new bike to meet Kristen at the park. But her bike was gone. She’d rushed in the house crying that it had been stolen. Her mother had insisted that maybe it would show up and that if it didn’t, she would call the police the next day.
Since she hadn’t wanted to disappoint Kristen, she’d walked all the way to the park. When she’d gotten there, she’d seen Logan riding her new bike through mud puddles with all his buddies laughing and egging him on.
When she’d marched over to him, he’d claimed he’d just “borrowed” her bike and he would have returned it. At that point, it was completely caked with mud and the back tire was flat.
Straightening her shoulders now, she returned from her memories and said, “You’ll have to drive yourself. I need to run a personal errand after and won’t be back to the office for a few hours.”
He nodded and leaned his hip on the counter next to her.
She sidestepped around him and escaped into her office while chuckling. This was going to be a whole lot more fun than she’d first thought.
Logan stared up at the hill and sighed. Why hadn’t he thought to trade in his small sedan for an SUV? Better yet, he should get an old Jeep like Amy’s.
The past evening’s rain had caused the dirt road to become so muddy he guessed that even a four-wheel drive would have had issues.
Working in Cherry Creek, he’d never had the need for four-wheel drive. Every house he’d shown had been in a perfectly manicured neighborhood.
He supposed his little BMW could handle the trek up the hill, and since he was already running a few minutes late, he decided it would be worth a try.
His car made it halfway up the bumpy hill, then hit a patch of mud that was too deep for his smaller tires. Shaking his head in disgust, he felt his frustration grow as his back tires started spinning aimlessly.
Stepping out of his car, he groaned as his perfectly clean shoes sank in a deep puddle of mud. He supposed he deserved this, in the whole scheme of life. After all, he did use to be a hellion as a child. He understood now why she’d been so giddy when he’d agreed to drive himself.
Looking back up the hill, he decided to leave his car where it was and hike the rest of the way.
Maybe Amy would take mercy on him and help him get his car unstuck on the way out.
By the time he made it to the older house near the top of the hill, he’d removed his jacket and had sweat dripping down his back. He watched as Amy and an older man stepped out onto the front porch. He frowned when he saw that the man’s hand was around her waist.
“Hey,” he called out and they both looked toward him. Amy’s smile fell away as he walked closer. The man dropped his arm from around her waist. The man looked familiar, but he couldn’t place why or from where he would have known him. “Sorry I’m late. My car decided to stay behind.” He chuckled. The long muddy walk had done him some good, cooling his frustration down.
“A drive like that requires four-wheel drive, son,” the older man said with a shake of his head. “Bought this beauty last year.” He walked over and tapped on the hood of a new SUV. “Nothing slows her down. Course”—he looked down at Logan’s shoes—“city boy like you shouldn’t be traipsing around in the mountains anyhow.”
Logan laughed. “On that point, I think we both agree. Looks like I’ll need to trade mine in and get something like this.” He tilted his head and looked at the impressive piece of machinery that sat before them. “What kind of mileage does she get?”
The old man smiled and slapped him on the back and began talking to him about cars.
Logan chanced a glance at Amy and noticed that she hadn’t moved from her spot on the porch. Her frown had increased and she’d even crossed her arms over those pretty breasts of hers. He could tell she wasn’t too pleased that he’d made nice with the client. So, he decided to add a little more wood to the fire.
“Nice piece of property.” He looked off toward the small cabin and the surrounding land. “I bet it’s nice and peaceful up here during the winter.”
“Yeah, I just don’t care too much for the price tag attached to it.” He scratched his full beard.
Logan’s eyebrows shot up in question. “Where’s the nearest neighbor?” He looked around, making a point of it.
“Not far enough, if you ask me.”
“I bet it’s about the only place on the hill that can say that.” Then he thought of another tactic. “It’s a shame how builders are flooding the area, popping up new neighborhoods left and right.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m selling my place. Damn new construction of twelve houses just down the street from me.”
“Amy, weren’t you telling me that this place backed the Golden Gate Canyon State Park?” Logan turned toward her.
Amy glanced up at him from her paperwork and nodded slowly. “Yes, one of the largest sections of it, actually.”
“Course, it takes a lot to get a permit to build on State Park land.” He crossed his arms over his chest and felt a wave of satisfaction when he saw the man start to open to the idea. “Even then, they don’t allow too many in.”
“There is that.” The man’s eyes lit up. “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to make an offer, now would it?” he asked Amy, and Logan watched as a smile flooded her face.
“No, Sam, it wouldn’t. Why don’t you come back inside and I’ll write it up?”
The older man held out his hand. “Sam Lancaster.”
“Sam, Logan Miller.”
“Good to meet you, Logan. I own a couple car dealerships down in Denver.” He reached into his pocket and handed Logan a business card. Logan did a double take as he glanced at it. He knew the dealership well. Then he realized why the man’s face had looked so familiar to him. Everyone who lived in Denver knew who the man standing in front of him was.
“When you get ready to trade up, swing by and tell my boys I sent you. They’ll give you the family discount.” He winked at him and turned to walk into the house.
Amy opened the door for Sam, then for a brief moment, she glared at Logan. He just kept smiling at her and held the card like it was a medal.
CHAPTER FOUR
It took Amy’s Jeep only a few minutes to tug his car out of the muck. She waited as his BMW slid the rest of the way down the hill. When he was back on solid road, he waved to Amy and instantly headed toward Sam Lancaster’s nearest dealership after making a call to his uncle and telling him he had to take the rest of the day off.
By nightfall, he was driving into his uncle’s driveway in a new all-wheel-drive Audi Q7. This car was made for the mountains. Now, he was more than confident that he would never get stuck in the mud or the snow again.
The next morning when he drove up to work, Amy was just getting out of her Jeep and he parked in the spot next to hers.
“Well?” He stepped out and leaned on the side of his new ride. “What do you think?”
She chuckled. “Don’t you think you went a little overboard?”
“You can never go overboard when it comes to power.” He held up his key and locked his new machine.
He could tell she was trying not to laugh at him. She looked like she wanted to say something to him, but instead she just followed him toward the front doors.
He rushed to open the doors for her and enjoyed watching the way her hips swayed in the tight skirt she was wearing. When she entered her office, she removed her jacket, and for a moment, he couldn’t blink or t
ake his eyes off her. The white button-up blouse was sheer, leaving very little to the imagination. Her long hair was tied up in a loose bun with wisps falling around her face. Gold earrings dangled, catching the light from the open window, almost blinding him.
“You . . .” he cleared his throat, “. . . look very nice today.”
Her smile was slow in coming. “Thanks, we have a big meeting in downtown Golden about one of the old Coors buildings.”
He nodded, not really paying too much attention to what she was saying. His eyes just kept running over her body as she sat down behind her desk. Finally, her words sank through his haze of lust.
“Right, the McCormack Group.”
She glanced up at him, her chin raised. She looked at him like he was slow and he cursed himself for not being able to pay attention.
“Yes, around eleven.” It came out as a whisper, and he felt himself almost shiver at the sexy sound.
“I’ll be there.” Then he remembered his promise to his uncle that morning. “I’ll meet you there; I have to help my uncle with a few things first.”
“Do you have directions?” Her eyes were locked on his.
He frowned. “Isn’t the meeting at the building in question?” He watched her nervously play with her watch and bracelets.
Her earrings danced in the sunlight as she shook her head slowly. “No, it’s at McCormack Group’s main office.” She jotted down an address and handed him the paper.
He took it and shoved it into his pocket, not wanting to break eye contact with her.
“I’ll see you there,” he said. Just then her phone rang, pulling him out of the trance he’d been in.
As she answered it, he turned to go find his uncle.
Amy watched Logan leave her office and tried to concentrate on the client talking to her on the phone. Her hands had been quivering throughout their entire conversation. She’d fiddled with her watch and bracelet just to keep them busy. Even her handwriting had been bad when she’d scribbled the wrong address down on her notepad. She sighed and answered her client’s questions and was thankful she hadn’t had to pay very much attention to the call.