Mr. Dangerously Sexy

by Stefanie London

  “The ladies love it.” Aiden raked a hand through his messy dark curls. “Well, one lady loves it.”

  “Speaking of crazy hair, how is Quinn?”

  Aiden lost his joker smile and he twisted the near-empty beer bottle between his hands. “I’m going to ask her to marry me.”

  The news hit Logan like a punch to the sternum. “Why the hell would you do that?”

  “Because I’m not stupid enough to hide my feelings from her.” He shrugged. “She’s it for me, Logan. I’m tapping out of the single life.”

  “I don’t even know what to say.”

  Aiden chuckled and drained the rest of his beer. “How about ‘congratulations,’ like a normal person would say?”

  Logan’s eyes were fixed on the distance. Green land spread out for miles around them, the sun growing heavy in the distance. Sometimes he wondered what it would be like to pack up and leave the city behind. It was all too easy to imagine sitting here, drink in hand, with Addison curled up beside him. Her head resting on his shoulder.

  You’re not allowed to want that. Cobalt & Dane is your life, your purpose. You owe Daniel all that and more.

  “I’ll congratulate you when she says yes,” Logan said with a smirk that belied the confusing swirl of thoughts in his head. “People turn down proposals all the time.”

  Even a playful swipe couldn’t remove the smile from Aiden’s face. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  For a moment Logan envied his friend. But that life wasn’t for him. Logan wouldn’t be a husband or a dad. He couldn’t, not when he was well aware how cruel the world could be. When he knew that grief could crush a man’s dreams. Aiden hadn’t experienced those things in his life—sure, he’d lost part of his hearing while working for the FBI. But he had a family who loved him, a woman who made him grin like an idiot. Fate hadn’t stolen anything from him yet, so he didn’t understand how devastating it was to lose someone you cared about.

  That’s why Logan needed to keep a firm hand on his life, stay in control. Minimize variables and change.

  “Is something going on or are you just practicing your resting bitch face?” Aiden nudged him on the shoulder.

  “Nah, I’m just ready to head home.” He pushed up from the bench and drained his beer in one long gulp. “I imagine you’re ready to get back to your future wife.”

  “Don’t say anything, all right? I want to keep it on the down low.”

  “Man, the day you catch me talking about weddings will be the day you’re obligated as my best friend to shoot me in the head.”

  “Duly noted.”

  They abandoned the late-afternoon sun in favor of the cottage’s cool, airy kitchen. Addison was sitting on the island bench, her feet swinging back and forth as she chatted with Owen. The heels of her shoes knocked against the wood.

  “Probably about time that we get this show on the road,” Logan said, tossing his empty beer bottle into the recycling bin.

  “Owen’s offered to drive me home,” Addison said, her cool gaze revealing nothing. Her long blond hair had come out of her ponytail and she wore the hair elastic around her wrist just like she’d done as a teenager. “He said he was heading back to the office to grab something anyway.”

  Logan’s primal instincts roared at him. He had to stop himself from telling Owen to back the fuck away, because that was exactly what Addison had complained about the night they arrived at the cottage. And really, he couldn’t claim that he didn’t trust Owen. The guy was one of his best consultants, a hard worker with far more intelligence than his joker tendencies implied.

  “I appreciate it.” She smiled and touched Owen’s shoulder, all the while keeping her eyes on Logan. “I can’t believe the car decided to break down all the way out here. So inconvenient.”

  “It’s no problem.” Owen patted her hand.

  Logan’s jaw twitched and he drew a breath.

  It’s just a lift. And you don’t have the right to tell her who to ride with. Besides, it’s not like Owen would make a move.

  Or would he? An image of them flashed into Logan’s mind, Owen’s hand sliding up Addison’s bare leg and catching the hem of her dress, pushing the fabric up. No fucking way.

  He cleared his throat. “Actually, Addi, I was hoping we could go through one of those reports before we left. But I don’t want to hold the whole team back.”

  Aiden raised a brow and looked at him like he’d lost his marbles.

  “Which report?” she asked with a frown.

  Crap. If only he could remember any of the damn spreadsheets that she’d made him look through the last couple of days. “The uhh...cost benchmarking analysis...report.”

  She cocked her head, her glossy lips pursed. “I’m not sure which one you mean.”

  Damn her, she wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. “The one with the...competitor analysis.”

  “That was just a draft. Surely we don’t need to get into that right now. I’ll have Renee schedule a time for us to catch up tomorrow.”

  By this stage the rest of the team had slunk away, sensing the mounting tension between him and Addison. They were known to argue on occasion—each of them as stubborn and fiery as the other. If only his team understood what fueled the fire.

  “You’re always complaining that I never take any interest in this sort of stuff and now you’re saying it can wait?” Guilt streaked through him when her shoulders relaxed and a sheepish smile tugged at her lips.

  “You’re right, I’m glad you’re taking an interest in my stuff for once. I’ll tell Owen not to wait.”

  Could he be any more of a bastard? Not likely.

  He watched as she headed over to Owen, her body language so much more relaxed than when she stood with him. The tension had eased out of her lips and she smiled readily. Maybe it would be better if she ended up with someone like Owen, someone who would make her laugh. Someone who would make her life easier.

  “If you want to grab a drink later tonight, let me know.” Aiden slung his carryall over one shoulder. “That’s if you’re not too busy going over this report that doesn’t exist.”

  It was Aiden’s way of asking if everything was okay. “I won’t interrupt your time with Quinn. She’ll have my hide if I drag you out after you just got home.”

  “True. But the offer still stands.” Aiden slapped him on the back and then waved to the team.

  As the rest of the team filtered out, Addison bade them all individual goodbyes. She was amazing with their employees—firm and yet caring, a true leader who was able to inspire and educate. The problem was that only her own team was as passionate about the numbers side of things. The bean counters and HR folks—or the “fun police” as he’d called them on a number of occasions.

  As Owen left, Addison squeezed his arm. They looked good together with their matching blond hair and wide smiles. His gut wrenched. The thought of Addison being with anyone else made him want to hurl.

  “So,” she said, picking up her laptop from the couch. “You wanted to go over the competitor analysis?”

  She padded over to him, barefoot. Her heels lay in a heap by the door and her blue floral dress swished around her knees. The fabric clung to her curves, outlining her breasts and hips in a way that was subtle and yet insanely sexy. He wanted to tear her clothes off with his teeth.

  Think of a question about the report.

  “Uh, yeah.” He rubbed at the back of his neck. “So, what was your overall conclusion about our competitive position?”

  She rattled off her answer but he immediately zoned out. Right now, his brain was clogged with too many questions. Who was after Addison and why? What did she really expect from him? And what the hell had she meant by her statement that things would change?

  “Logan?” Addison waved a hand in
front of his face. “I asked if that all made sense.”

  “Uh yeah, that’s great.” He nodded and her expression darkened by the second. “So what did you mean before when you said things would change and that you might not always be around?”

  “I thought we were supposed to be talking about the report.” She planted a hand on her hip. “That’s why you asked me to stay back.”

  “And we just discussed it. Now I want to discuss this.”

  “It was nothing,” she said, turning away from him. She slipped on her shoes and concentrated on the fiddly little straps. “Just a throwaway comment.”

  “You don’t do throwaway comments, Addi. I know that for damn sure.”

  She was hiding something from him. The more he thought about what she’d said, the more he suspected that it wasn’t simply a product of the accident. Something deeper was going on.

  “I was frustrated and tired and...scared.” For a second all her confidence and bravado slipped away, and she looked totally vulnerable. “It’s a true statement, sure. Things always change—but I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “I am.” She nodded. “Now you can answer a question for me. Why did you really ask me to stay back? Because it sure as hell wasn’t for me to repeat the exact same thing I told you earlier today.”

  “Yeah, about that...” He rubbed his neck again. There was no sense in lying to her now—she’d see right through him. “I wanted to be the one to take you home.”

  “Logan Matthew Dane, you...” she spluttered. “Are unbelievable.”

  “I would have thought me doing that was very believable.”

  She huffed and snapped her laptop shut. “You’re also totally unapologetic, and I don’t know which is worse. What the hell would be wrong with Owen giving me a lift?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “To be my taxi driver?” She shook her head and stormed over to where her packed bags sat in a neat pile. As she bent over to stash her laptop away, he caught a flash of blue lace.

  God help him. “No, to check your apartment out and make sure it’s secure.”

  “Since when were you going to check my apartment out?”

  “Well, obviously I would do that. You’ve had a threat on your life, Addi. We need to check everything.”

  “And Owen couldn’t have done that? You’re always telling me how he’s your best consultant and we certainly pay him accordingly. Yet he’s not up to the task of checking a few locks all of a sudden?”

  Well, damn. What was he supposed to say to that without validating every complaint she’d voiced the other night?

  “You didn’t want anyone else to know what happened. And besides, I want to do it myself.”

  Yeah, great. That’ll go down like a lead balloon.

  She shook her head. “Don’t feed me this crap about you wanting to do a security check yourself. I’m fully aware of what you’re worried about, and, frankly, it’s a little insulting. Even if he was bold enough to make a move, I wouldn’t have let him.”

  Had he been that transparent? He must be losing his touch.

  “Do you think I would sleep with you and then jump straight into bed with him?” she continued, her eyes flashing. “Out of the two of us, I’m not the one with that track record.”

  It wasn’t possible for him to regret the past any more than he did right now. He’d treated her badly. Reprehensibly.

  “Let me drive you home and I’ll quickly check out the apartment. Then I’ll be out of your hair.” He picked up her bags and carried them out to the car.

  He might be pushy and overprotective, but he was still her partner. Her friend. And he wasn’t going to risk her safety until they knew more about who’d targeted her...and what she meant about things changing.

  6

  ADDISON SPENT THE duration of the ride home stewing in silence. Her life was a mess. A big, hot, crazy mess. How could she have been so stupid as to let something slip about her not always being around?

  She was usually better at controlling her emotions. Now that Logan had gotten a whiff of her secret, he wouldn’t let it go. He was a dog with a bone whenever he thought she was hiding something.

  Logan was getting into her head and that was not a place he should be. They’d been at the cottage for five days and still she couldn’t evict the memories of the night they’d had sex from her mind. The memories swirled, gathering steam and distracting her in quiet moments. Like in the dark when she’d lain still, trying desperately to fall asleep.

  An aching hunger had gnawed at her, urging her to slip out of her room and into his bed. If it wasn’t for the fact that her team was in the cottage with her, she might have.

  But Logan was bad news. Bad news for her head and bad news for her heart. What had happened with Owen was a case in point. It was as if his need for control flared up the second there was a whiff of competition. It was a drug for him—he had to win. The whole thing was laughable. Owen was a flirt, sure. And gorgeous to boot. But he wasn’t interested in her like that; they were friends. Nothing more.

  “Are you going to give me the silent treatment the whole way home?” Logan asked.

  They’d made it to Manhattan as the sun set. The city was a glittering disco ball around them, and Addison instantly felt safer. There were no deserted roads, and the sheer volume of people comforted her. It was home. She pressed her palm to the passenger window as they wove through the streets.

  “I’ll take that silence as a yes,” he grumbled. “Hate me all you want, that’s fine. But I’m still going to be here.”

  She turned to him, ready to retort, but she didn’t have the energy. It was hard to stay mad at someone like Logan. You might not always agree with his behavior—and she certainly didn’t—but he lived by a code. So at least he was consistently annoying.

  The street lights flickered over his profile, etching shadows along his face. They carved out his cheekbones, the harsh angle of his jaw and his straight, perfect nose. Stubble darkened his skin and she had to fight the urge to reach out and touch it.

  “You’re always here. Like a grumpy shadow.” She folded her arms across her chest and snuggled further down into the seat. “Like an antisocial guardian angel.”

  “Whatever works,” he said drily. “Are you going to give me a hard time about checking out your apartment?”

  “No.” Her lips curved into a sly smile. “Because you’re going to order me dinner as well.”

  “Am I?”

  “It’s part of the security service. The ‘protection and pizza’ package.”

  There was a lull in conversation as they got closer to her place. By the time they’d parked the car and entered her building, Addison was feeling more tired than annoyed. All she wanted was to curl up in bed and bury herself beneath the covers, pretending that she had her life under control.

  The night security guard sat behind the concierge desk and Addison waved as they walked past. The man tipped his head in greeting.

  “So what exactly are you going to look for upstairs?” she asked as they arrived at the elevators.

  “I’ll make sure no one has tampered with the locks. It might be worth taking a quick look at your computer as well. I’ll have to check in with Rhys, but I’ve been thinking that if this guy tried to email you at work, he might have tried your personal email, too.”

  Shit. Her inbox had plenty of evidence that she was planning to move away from Cobalt & Dane, including a conversation with a real estate agent about a potential office space. How on earth was she going to be able to hide that from him?

  After what she’d let slip earlier, she’d have to tread carefully. Logan had a nose for secrets.

  “Is that necessary tonight?” She feigned a yawn. “The retreat really took the win
d out of me. I just want to go to bed.”

  “I thought you wanted pizza?”

  The elevator arrived and he motioned for her to enter ahead of him. A woman with a huge stroller took up most of the space and Addison squeezed herself into the corner to make room for Logan. With his big shoulders and her luggage, there was little room to breathe. As the elevator whooshed upward, she tried not to let herself be intoxicated by his scent. He never wore aftershave, yet he always managed to smell like wood and fresh air.

  The elevator stopped and Logan moved to let the mother out. He brushed against Addison, his hand skimming the bare skin of her thigh. Goose bumps rippled across her body, and suddenly she was very much awake. She still wanted to be curled up in bed, but sleep was the last thing on her mind.

  “Was that a yes or no on the pizza?” he asked as the doors slid shut, leaving them alone.

  “Yes. I’m suddenly quite hungry.” Seems she hadn’t gotten him out of her system.

  The air crackled like a fire, heaving with tension. She ran her palms down her dress, trying to slow the beating of her heart. But his magnetic energy was affecting her. Deeply.

  “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  His eyes were blackened. “Like you would not believe.”

  She hadn’t realized they’d drifted closer to each other until the ping of the elevator broke them apart. He juggled the bags and walked into the hallway ahead of her. There was a tightness to his shoulders, a rigidity to his movement. It was clear Logan was also still fighting the attraction between them.

  “Addison!” A voice interrupted them as they reached her door. Addison turned to see Mrs. Hollings from down the hall hurrying over. “Wait a second.”

  Addison stifled a groan. She didn’t want to deal with this right now. The old lady was sweet, but a total busybody. “Yes, Mrs. Hollings?”

  “I’m sorry to interrupt your...” Her birdlike eyes darted to Logan. “Date?”

  “You remember Logan Dane, my business partner? He used to work for my father.” She forced a smile. “What can we do for you?”