by Marie Kelly
Ross laughed. “Don’t be so dramatic. It is a fraction of the size”, his eyes full of fun, “But I hear it has a kickass spa.” Tara could only look back at him with disbelief. She had known Logan Callen was rich, but she had not realised just how rich, her eyes once more taking in the magnificent boat. Who was ever going to believe a man like that would date her?
Moving up the wide walkway, she would not have known she was stepping onto a boat, the deck area huge, Tara flashing Ross a large smile, “OK… So perhaps the shoes were not such a bad idea.”
They were greeted on the deck by a smiling valet. “Miss James!”, he exclaimed, his grin friendly as he turned his gaze to Ross, “And Mr Rosco?” After a confirming nod, the valet offered Ross a swipe card, “Your room sir.”
Tara’s brows furrowed slightly as no key was given to her, her voice unsure. “Do you have one for me?”
The valet shook his head as he looked quickly down at his list, “No Miss. I believe Mr Callen has your key.”
Before she could say any more, Ross handed the boy a tip, dragging her away, worry clear on her features as she hissed out. “What does that mean? Ross, he promised that I had my own room!”
Ross lifted his hand in appeasement. “If he said it…I am sure he meant it. Maybe he is just wanting it to ‘appear’ that you are together. I am sure he has your key himself.” Still not convinced, she took a glass of champagne from one of the many waiters who milled around the guests, unease bubbling in her belly.
Still full of uncertainty she jumped as Logan appeared before them. Smiling, he winked at her, greeting Ross like an old friend. He dragged the pair to meet with some film producers, Ross quickly engaged in conversation, as the men discussed roles they felt would be ideal for Sunny. Trying to seem interested, she looked up at Logan with a questioning lift of her eyebrow as he grabbed her hand, gently pulling her away before smiling, that smile full of fun, “You look like you needed rescuing. Let me get you another drink.”
She looked down at her glass, surprised that she had drained the contents already, giving a shaky smile and nod. He quickly retrieved a new glass for her, moving towards a less crowded part of the boat, Tara aware that he still held her hand. She tried not to think too much of it, telling herself that it was for the sake of the other guests, to maintain their ruse, however, she could not help but enjoy the way his warm hand enveloped her own.
Finally, he stopped, Logan leaning in closer to her. “We are about to cast off. I love this part – watching the lights of the city disappear in the distance as we move out… It really is amazing.”
Tara chuckled, her look rising to his. “You have a romantic side to you Mr Callen. Not such a hard-nosed exec after all are you?”
His appreciative return smile and nod filled her with warmth, as did the way he leant so close to her ear, his breath tickling the small hairs, “Promise not to tell anyone?”
She gave him a conspiratorial wink back. The boat moving could hardly be felt, Tara knowing that many of the guests were probably oblivious to it if the sound of laughter coming from the centre of the boat was to be believed.
Together in silence the two watched the disappearing lights, the darkness closing in on them somehow relaxing, as the lapping of the water against the hull became more discernable. It was a serene moment, Tara not aware as she gazed out, her head slightly angled, enjoying the tranquility. It was Logan who eventually broke the moment, his voice gentle. “You look stunning Sunny”, her eyes rising to meet his, a thankful smile on her lips.
Flicking a brief look down him, she could feel the tremor of awareness rip through her. While she had only ever seen him wearing a suit, tonight he – like every other male guest – was wearing a tux. The darkness of the material and the perfect cut accentuated his broad shoulders and slim hips. While Logan Callen spent a great deal of time behind a desk, she knew that he was no stranger to the inside of a gym. “You look great too”, she managed in a breathy voice, her eyes dropping so he would not see confusion in them. Why did Logan Callen make her feel like some swooning heroine in a Jane Austin novel? She was a nurse dammit.
The feel of his finger hooking under her chin, lifting it, was unexpected, her eyes widening in surprise, swallowing down the small lump in her throat seeing the way his eyes flared as he stared back at her. “You fascinate me”, he murmured softly. About to laugh at his choice of words, the sound was lost as his head dropped, his mouth once more covering hers. Once again she felt the instant jolt of heat slam into her, her hand flapping softly by her side before his kiss deepened, his tongue sliding along the seam of her lips. Opening to him, he surged forward, his arms snaking around her waist pulling her harder to him as her hand, with a will of its own, wound around his neck.
He tasted good – very good. Her small tongue sparred with his as they caressed, exploring the other. She heard his soft moan as he gently broke the connection. Tara swayed back towards him, wanting his lips back on hers, not caring who he was. Not caring how dangerous he could be for Susan. His soft laugh wafted over her, as his forehead dropped to hers. “Not here. Not now. We need to talk first.”
Tara whimpered softly, the thought of talking even less appealing than his stopping kissing her, as she nuzzled her cheek against his. “Talking is so overrated”, she whispered, a groan ripped from him, before he pulled in a hissed breath, taking a backward step from her.
“Talk first.” His voice was filled with barely-contained need.
Frowning, Tara was already feeling reality sweep back in, her body straightening as embarrassment swamped her, her own feet stepping back from him as she turned imploring eyes on him. “I… I’m so sorry”, her frown deepening as she fixed him with confused eyes, “Wait…you kissed me.”
Beside her Logan gave a huffed laugh, nodding, “Yeah. And to be honest Sunny… I sure as hell did not want to stop.” Looking around, she was sure none of the other guests had noticed what happened, her hand holding the champagne glass shaky as she took another drink.
“Logan…” His finger landed on her lip, her eyes wide as she stopped.
“No…I know that look. So let me say this. I know that we are ‘going through the motions’, for the press. But truth is Sunny I want more. From the moment we met I have wanted more and I think you feel the same way.”
Tara could only stare back, her eyes showing her indecision as she managed a weak, “It would just be a bad idea Logan.” His head shook emphatically; it was clear that he did not share her opinion.
“No. It really doesn’t have to be. I understand that you might be worried what would happen if we broke up… Which is why I want this to be an arrangement we both will be happy with.”
Her eyes flew open. “Arrangement?”, the word spoken with bewilderment as he reached into his jacket, pulling from within a folded-up document.
“It is a standard legal agreement between us just laying out some ground rules, so that neither of us gets hurt when things end.”
Disbelief filled Tara, as she plucked the document from his hand, opening it and reading the contents. She felt sick as it outlined an agreed settlement figure of a hundred thousand dollars for every month they were together, in which she agreed never to mention their relationship to the media, or bad-mouth him to the press. Folding it back up, she handed it to him, a simmering anger now growing within her, her eyes turning from warm to icy as she glared at him. “Wow. I do not think I have ever seen anything more disgusting.”
Logan frowned, his look genuinely baffled. “This is a standard agreement Sunny. It just makes sense – you know it.”
Squaring her shoulders, she turned her body away from him, leaning into the rail, looking ahead so he would not see the hurt in her eyes. This was not her world, a shiver running through her as she thanked God that it was not. Would Susan have contemplated such an arrangement? Her intuition told her that her sister would not want to be a ‘kept woman’.
“I think that it is best that we keep this arrangement plat
onic”, she managed to bite out, hearing his sharp intake of breath.
“Are you kidding me? Don’t tell me you were not every bit as into that kiss as I was.”
Once more Tara wanted to kick herself before she pulled herself together, managing to keep her expression blank. “I appreciate your interest Mr Callen, and I will do my part for the cameras… But I have no desire to be purchased.”
Beside her Logan groaned, his hand moving to cover hers which was rested on the rail. “Sunny…”, he began, his voice gentler.
However, she stiffened as a memory pushed into her mind, her head turning to him, horror in her eyes. “Is this why I wasn’t given a room key?”, accusation blazing from her eyes as she pulled her hand back. “Was I supposed to just share your room? Your bed? Did you assume that I was going to fall into your arms thankfully like a good girl? Oh my God. I am so stupid. I thought you were an honourable man.”
Logan growled as anger tinged his voice. “Of course you have your own room. It just happens to be next door to mine. Rita organised everything and felt it would be better if it appeared that you didn’t need a key that was all. I didn’t just ‘assume’ you would fall into bed with me.”
She raked him with a look full of contempt. “Really?…so you just happened to have that on you, did you?”, her hand pointing to the piece of paper he still held in his hand. Stepping away she glowered at him, hissing in a voice full of passionate anger, “Just stay away from me Logan. I will stand beside you for photos but other than that… Just stay the hell away from me.” Starting to move away from him she paused, “And make sure you give Ross my key or I will be staying with him tonight.” With that she strode off, her head held proudly. How dare he? Did he really think that little of her or was this behaviour the norm in tinseltown? With a distasteful curl of her lips she wished she was back home. She hated this place.
Reaching Ross, he gave her a huge grin, the smile dropping from his lips seeing her expression. “You OK Sunny?”, he asked, his voice full of genuine concern.
Tara bit back the words, not wanting to tell him what just happened, pulling a weak smile to her mouth. “Yeah… Sure. Just a little seasick I think.”
Immediately Ross was all sympathy and comforting support. Grimacing, he plucked the wine from her fingers, disappearing into the crowd before returning a few moments later with bottled water. “Here. Stick to this. It will make you feel better.” Tara once more felt real respect for Ross. He truly was a caring person, her look flicking to where Logan still stood, his countenance staring out to sea. It was good to know that there were such people left.
For the rest of the night, she mingled with the other guests. There were about seventy other people, all staying on the boat for the weekend, which made it easier for her to avoid Logan. For his part, he too seemed to have decided to give her a wide berth, Ross producing her key within an hour of their heated discussion. At least Logan seemed prepared to respect her wishes.
As the night drew to an end, the guests all began to disappear down into the belly of the boat. His words that her room was next to his haunted her for much of the night. She finally decided that it would be best to be safely tucked up in bed before he came down, not wanting to have an awkward meeting in the corridor.
Ross insisted on seeing her to her room, Tara surprised that it was spacious in size with a moderately-sized yet luxuriously decorated en suite. Grinning at him she shook her head. “This is nothing like the cabin I had when I went on a Mediterranean cruise last year”, his head nodding in agreement as he too admired the tastefully laid-out space. Grinning at her, he wished her a good night, the two organising a time and place to meet the following morning.
Finally alone, she explored the cabin. It was big enough to have a queen size bed and dresser along with a sofa. The walk-in closet was a decent size, but she frowned wondering where the extra door led to. It was locked from the other side, Tara nibbling her lip as she frowned. Logan had told her his room was next door. Could this be a connecting one? She jumped as a small tap came from the other side, almost as if in answer to her thoughts, her heart hammering in her chest. For a second she considered ignoring it, before she rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. He must know she was inside.
Clearing her throat, she stood beside it, her voice thankfully coming out stronger than she felt. “Who is it?”
“It’s Logan”, the answer floated to her, her stomach dropping at confirmation of her biggest fear. There was a door between their rooms, and he had the key.
“What do you want?”, she bit back coldly, hearing the sigh from him as he seemed to be struggling with what to say.
“Sunny. Can I talk to you?”, adding quickly as she did not answer, “Just talk. I promise.”
Closing her eyes momentarily, she finally huffed out, “Just for a moment”, realising that it would not be wise to ruin her sister’s career by being antagonistic to the boss. She heard the key being turned, the door opening as he filled the frame.
Behind him she could glimpse his suite, and it was a suite – not just a room. It must have been three times the size of hers, her eyes widening with the opulence of the space. Bringing her eyes back to him she crossed her arms over her chest, her lips pursed as she faced him. “You want to talk… Talk.”
Watching her warily he ran his hand through his thick hair, his eyes unsure, before stepping back, indicating the large sitting area. “Could we sit down?” He moved to sit on the comfortable sofa. Tara hesitated, before sighing and following him. To not sit would be petulant, she determined to hold her dignity. Taking an armchair across from him she watched him closely.
“Sunny. I’m sorry”, his apology caught her by surprise, the stiffness in her body lessening. “It truly was not my intention to insult you, and I know that you were insulted.”
Tara nodded, “Yeah. I was”, her almost inaudible reply causing his lips to twitch apologetically as his eyes held hers, true remorse shining from them.
“I know it is not much of an excuse… but I find that these days women want to be with me for what I can give them, and given my position in the production company, my wealth and being single, it seemed prudent to take precautions. I had some damaging kiss-and-tell stories when I was younger, and it just seemed easier if both myself and the woman I was with went into things with clear expectations.” He breathed out a deep sigh. “I would never want to upset or insult you and I am sorry.”
Sympathy washed over Tara, pushing away her anger as the coldness seeped from her expression. “That is so sad”, her words bringing a surprised look to his.
“Sad?”, he questioned as she nodded.
“Where I come from, people do things the old-fashioned way. They spend time together, talk, go for walks… Catch a movie. Get to know each other. And if they get along, then they move things to the next level. But your way… Well it seems like you completely avoid EVER getting to know the person, you just seem to have found a way to scratch an itch”, her eyes softening with pity. “It must be so lonely.”
Logan was speechless. When had anybody felt pity for him? He had everything, he was the envy of everybody he knew. He had money and power – everything. However, for the first time it hit him. She had hit the nail right on the head. He was lonely. Everybody wanted something from him, or went out of their way to ensure they did not cross him, but Sunny was different, his eyes dropping from her as he frowned in confusion. Had he deliberately gone out of his way to ensure nobody ever got close?
Across from him, she sat forward slightly, her tense crossed arms now relaxed as she spoke gently to him. “Logan. You seem like a really nice person”, a light laugh leaving her, “And I would be lying if I said you were not a great kisser, but anything else between us would be a terrible idea. I am really not the kind of woman who can be involved in the kind of relationship you are looking for, and you need to protect your empire. So why don’t we stick to Rita’s plan, and just be friends?”
He scowled thoughtfully, h
is look once more returning to hers. “Friends? Do you think that is all we are?”
Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, “No. We both know we are attracted to each other… But it is just a bad idea. I will be going on location in a couple of months, and like you said you have to think about your company.” Her tongue slid nervously along her top lip. “It just seems best if we remain friends.”
Logan pondered her words for several seconds before speaking slowly. “What if we were to try it your way. Just spend time together like friends, go out and get to know each other? No strings, no expectations. See where it goes from there?”
Tara held down the small groan, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. In a few weeks she would be gone. Susan would be back in her rightful place and she would be back at her nurse’s station. Was she playing with fire keeping Logan Callen so close? She could see the earnest look in his eyes as he waited for her response. He was offering her friendship, with no further expectations. Would that be so bad?
Finally a large smile lit her plush mouth as she nodded. “I think that would be… nice.”
A large grin filled his features also as he stood, his arm outstretched. “In that case Miss James, let’s shake on friendship.” Giggling, she took his hand, the sound dropping from her lips as they touched. Instantly she felt the shock of desire zing through her. What had she done?
Pulling her hand back she too rose, turning quickly to hide her unease, her voice overly bright. “OK friend. Then I had better get some beauty sleep”, her feet moving to the door.
She heard him follow her, he too seeming quiet. Turning, she gave him a thankful grin. “I am glad we sorted this out Logan.”
His head nodded in agreement before he opened the door for her, bending slightly as he pulled out the key. Handing it to her he smiled knowingly, “I think that you should keep this… And you could not look anything but beautiful”, her smile widening as she nodded.