by Soraya Lane
“I can’t believe you’re still in Australia.” Unbelievable. Almost two days later and he’d been sure he’d never hear from her again, especially when she’d never answered her door when he’d known she was in her room that next morning.
“You’re still here, in Sydney, right? I mean, I thought you might have already left for the Outback.”
“I leave tomorrow,” he told her. “I’ll head to you now, if that’s okay with you?”
“Sure. Meet me in an hour at my hotel. I’ll be in the café, and I’m wearing a short brown wig.”
Logan said goodbye, zipped his phone into his pocket and tapped his thigh as a signal to Ranger. It would take him at least fifteen minutes to run home if he sprinted, but given that he was about to cut his workout short, he wasn’t complaining. Ranger bounded along beside him and Logan tried not to overthink the phone call he’d just received.
He wasn’t going to even bring up what had happened between them unless she did, and he was most definitely not going to offer to help her or take her out again. She had a bunch of professionals at the ready if she needed them, and he was done with the army and with working any kind of security, at least for now. From next week onward, he was just Logan Murdoch, civilian. He was going to spend time on the land, forget about the future for a while, and figure stuff out.
Or at least that was the plan.
He blanked everything out of his mind, focusing only on the soles of his shoes as they thumped down on the pavement. Logan concentrated on each inhale and exhale of breath, the pull and release of his muscles, his dog matching his pace as he ran directly at heel.
Exercise was how he kept in control, how he stayed focused, and it was the only constant he’d had in his life for a very long time. Candace might have rattled him, but he was going to stay in control and not let anyone distract him. And that included her.
*
Candace’s legs were so fidgety she was fighting the urge to get up and start to pace. But then that would have only drawn attention to herself, and the whole point of sitting quietly and wearing her brunette disguise was so no one even thought to glance twice at her.
She still didn’t know exactly what she was going to say to Logan, but starting off by thanking him for being so honest with her about her management team, and then apologizing for disappearing on him, was probably a good starting point. The guy had been nothing but nice to her, and he deserved an explanation about what had happened between them, and for how right he’d been about Billy. He’d set her on the right path and he deserved to know.
“Candace?”
She turned when a deep, low voice said her name. Heat flooded her body when she saw Logan, standing with his hands jammed into his jean pockets. There had never been any doubting that he was incredibly sexy, but seeing him in the flesh again brought back a certain amount of memories that she’d been trying to repress. Namely his mouth, his rock-hard abs, his...
Candace jumped up and kissed Logan on the cheek, stamping out those thoughts. “Hey.”
“Wow, you look...” He hesitated. “Different.”
“I don’t know if I’m fooling the hotel staff, but so far no one has bothered me,” she admitted. “It won’t last long, but I’m planning on checking out first thing tomorrow.”
Logan went to sit down, then stopped. “You want a coffee?”
Candace glanced at her empty cup. “Another chai latte would be great.”
She watched as he crossed the room to order, rather than waiting for someone to come and serve them, before sitting down across from her. It was all old-fashioned decadence here, and big, strong Logan looked the completed opposite of the hushed-toned men in suits walking past. He looked relaxed in his jeans and shirt like only a confident, strong man could, and she liked that he had such a strong identity of who he was—or at least that’s the impression he gave.
“Logan, I want to apologize for just leaving in the middle of the night. It wasn’t something I’ve ever done before, and you deserved better.”
She struggled to read his expression, but he didn’t look angry.
“I’m not going to lie. I was looking forward to waking up to you beside me,” he said, staring into her eyes and not giving her one chance to look away. “But I get it. You saw the photos and you freaked.”
Candace took a slow, deep breath. So he thought she’d seen the pics on her phone and run. That she could live with. If he’d thought she was stone cold and happy to just bed him and then leave? Not something she’d have been able to swallow very easily.
“I’m just sorry that I dragged you into all this. You were just trying to be nice to me and...”
“Stop,” he said, reaching for her hand then hesitating, like he’d acted before realizing what he was doing. “We had a great evening together and it didn’t end quite as planned. We’re both grownups and we never made any promises to one another. Right?”
So in other words he didn’t care? Candace pushed aside the feelings of hurt, the emotion clogging her throat. This was why she wasn’t a one-night stand regular, because she couldn’t handle the blunt truth of a man being honest with her.
“Logan, I wanted to thank you for being honest with me,” she started, reminding herself of the real reason she’d wanted to see him. “You were more honest with me than anyone has been in a long while, even though you hardly even knew me.”
He raised an eyebrow. “This sounds serious.”
She nodded, waiting for their coffees to be placed in front of them before continuing. “I fired my manager and pretty much everyone else I’ve been working with, and I’m going to take some time off before rehiring anyone. Just be me for a while.”
He sat back, gaze fixed on her. “What changed? Why now, after all this time?”
Candace tried to relax, but with Logan staring at her she was finding it hard enough just to focus on breathing and saying what she’d rehearsed in her mind.
“I’ve used losing my mom as an excuse for too long now, and it wasn’t until you read the situation for what it was that I realized I’d been putting things off for too long. I’m sick and tired of letting people make decisions for me, and you were right about everything. I’ve been spooked about those letters for so long that it was starting to consume me, and it was my manager all along.” She blew out a deep breath. “All I’ve ever wanted to do, all my life, is just sing. But now that Mom’s not here to cover my back for me, I need to step up and take more control of everything, rather than just burying my head in the sand.”
He reached for his coffee cup and took a sip of the steaming black liquid. “For the record, I’m not one of those people who’d ever use you, and I will never talk to anyone about what happened between us. Or about the whole manager situation for that matter.”
Candace couldn’t help it—suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she was reaching for a napkin to blot them away.
“Candace?”
Logan was suddenly at her side, moving to the chair next to hers, his arm around her.
“Candace, please don’t cry.”
She shook her head and blinked the tears away, refusing to turn into an emotional mess.
“I’m sorry, it’s just I’m not used to...” Her voice trailed off. “You. The way you are with me.”
Logan kept his arm around her, and when she turned to him she could see confusion in his expression.
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
Candace looked up at the bright lights above, wishing she knew how to tell him what she meant.
“I’m not used to a straight talker, and I’m sure as heck not used to being with someone who doesn’t have an ulterior motive. Who won’t sell me out to the press.” She shrugged. “I’m just so tired of watching my back and not knowing who to trust, especially after what I’ve been through the past few weeks. I’ve been scared for so long, looking over my shoulder all the time, and it was just a ploy to create more press about me. Press that I didn’t even want.”
They were
silent, just sitting there, Logan not saying anything in response for what felt like an eternity.
“Candace, I’m heading out with a couple of friends tonight. Why don’t you join us?”
She knew she must have looked wide-eyed, but she could hardly believe what she was hearing.
“You mean to say you’d actually go out in public with me again? After what happened last time?”
Now it was Logan shrugging. “Look, it’s no big deal. You can even wear your wig if you like. We’ll just be heading to a bar for a few drinks, nothing too exciting, and I doubt we’ll even be noticed if we’re careful.”
Logan dropped his arm and moved back around to his seat, his coffee cup in his hand again.
“You’re sure your friends won’t mind?”
“Brett has been my best mate for years, and I’ve known his wife almost as long. We’re just hanging out for some drinks before I leave tomorrow. Catching up for a few hours.”
Candace stared into her latte, wishing she’d been brave enough to just say yes from the start.
“If you’re sure...”
*
Logan had no idea where that had come from. Why had he even asked her? The plan had been to see her, listen to what she had to say, then walk away. What happened to her not being his problem? To her not being part of his life? To not letting anyone too close?
“I’m sure,” he heard himself say. “It’ll be fun.”
The words were just falling out of his mouth now like he had absolutely zero control over the link between his brain and his vocal cords, and that definitely wasn’t something he was used to. He usually found it harder to talk than not.
“If anyone recognizes me or it becomes awkward, I’ll just leave.”
“Candace, it’ll be fine. Want to meet me there or should I swing past and collect you?”
“If you wouldn’t mind coming to get me?”
Her voice was low, a shyness there that made his protective instincts flare up, and told him exactly why he’d asked her. He liked her, sure, was beyond attracted to her, but he was also able to sense the vulnerability that for some reason she wasn’t great at hiding around him. Anyone who saw her on stage or in public would think she was full of confidence, but he’d already seen firsthand that there was a lot more to Candace than met the eye.
“I’ll pick you up at eight,” he said.
Logan rose, unable to take his eyes off her. Even with a pair of crazy-high heels on she was still short beside him, and part of him just wanted to tell her to grab her things and come with him now so he could look after her. But he didn’t. Because he had things to arrange for the morning, paperwork to deal with, and because he did not want to get involved.
Spending the night with a woman he’d never expected to see again had been one thing, but he knew he wasn’t ready for anything else. There wasn’t enough room in his mind or his heart to worry about another human being, to give what someone like Candace deserved. And besides, it wasn’t like she’d indicated that she wanted anything else, either.
They could have another fun night together, and then they’d say goodbye for real.
“Thanks, Logan,” Candace said, suddenly reaching out for him, her palm soft against his forearm as she stopped him from walking away. “After everything, just, thanks.”
She didn’t let go of him straightaway, and they stared at one another, not moving. Logan clenched his jaw as memories of their night together came flooding back to him—her hands on his skin, her body against his as he’d traced every part of her with his mouth and fingers. This girl.... God! She was under his skin and no matter what he tried to tell himself, being this close to her made it impossible not to want her.
“I’ll see you tonight,” he said, clearing his throat when he heard how husky his voice sounded.
“See you tonight,” she repeated, slowly releasing him and taking a step back.
Logan gave her one last look, hesitated one second too long. Before he could even think through what he was doing, he’d closed the distance between them again, wrapping his arm around her so he could put his hand flat to the small of her back, lips closing over hers. It was a hungry kiss that he hadn’t even known he’d been waiting to plant on her mouth, and she didn’t disappoint. Candace kissed him back like she was as hungry for contact as he was, before raising her hand and placing it on his chest to push him back slightly.
“The purpose of the wig was to not draw attention to myself,” she whispered, eyes dancing as she stared up at him.
Logan chuckled, shaking his head. What had Candace done to him? So much for being the guy Brett called Mr. No Emotion. He’d gone years without having any issues of self-control around the opposite sex, and now he was behaving like a deprived addict.
“I’ll try to be on my best behavior tonight,” Logan muttered.
Candace stroked his face, gently, like she was touching something fragile. She didn’t, couldn’t, know it, but that was exactly what he was. No one else saw it—everyone treated him based on his physical appearance and based on the rank he held—when inside he knew he was as vulnerable, if not more so, than anyone else. He just hoped she couldn’t see too much of who he was, because he was certain the darkness of his thoughts, his memories, would send her running.
“I’ll see you at eight,” he said.
Logan backed away and turned, walking in a straight line toward the lobby and the front doors. This time he made it to his car, unlocking the vehicle and jumping behind the wheel. Ranger nudged him, dancing from paw to paw in excitement at not being left alone for too long.
“Don’t ask,” Logan muttered, giving the dog’s head a scratch.
What he should have been concerned about was how much he was starting to treat Ranger like a pet instead of an elite military dog, and how easily they’d fallen into bad habits since they’d been home. Instead he was thinking about a blonde who’d looked just as sexy as a brunette, and who was starting to drive him crazy.
He picked up his phone and dialed Brett, hitting speaker and putting his phone on his lap.
“All set for tonight?” Brett said as he answered.
Logan fought the urge to thump his head on the steering wheel. Instead he yanked on his seat belt and started driving, needing to be distracted.
“There’s been a slight change of plan,” he told Brett.
“Don’t even think about it. Jamie will kill you if you cancel.”
“I’m not cancelling. I’m, ah, bringing someone.”
Logan waited for the laughter, but all he heard was silence.
“Anyone I know?”
“Look, I need you guys to just not make a fuss. Just treat her like any other girl I might have met and brought along for a drink.”
“Except you’ve never brought a girl along before,” Brett said with a laugh. “In fact, I don’t know when I last heard the words Logan and date uttered in the same sentence.”
“I’m warning you...” Logan told him, knowing he could trust his best mate but going all stupid and protective over Candace anyway.
“No need. It’ll be fun. Want to just meet us there?”
“Yeah, I’ll see you there.”
Logan hung up and let his head fall back against the rest. Asking Candace out had been crazy, but the fact he was heading out with Brett and Jamie would mean there was no pressure, that everything would be fine. So long as he didn’t end up taking her back to his place again, it would just be a night out with friends.
Ranger whined and Logan took his eyes off the road for a split second to glare at him.
“I know, I know, but it’s only one night.”
His dog ignored him and stared out the window, and Logan tried to think about going back home to the Outback instead of what the night was going to be like. Because he couldn’t convince his dog, and he couldn’t convince himself that seeing Candace for a few hours over a drink was ever going to be enough. Or that he’d be able to hold back and not end up trying to make somethi
ng happen between them again.
Weakness wasn’t something he’d ever struggled with before. He’d had to fight a lot of other emotions, deal with loss and a lot of crap over the years, but no one could ever have accused him of being weak. Until a gorgeous, sexy country singer had walked into his life and turned everything he’d ever known, ever felt, up on its head.
Next thing he knew he’d be playing her music and singing along to her songs like a lovesick puppy.
*
Candace had a pile of rejected clothes strewn across the bed. After trying almost everything on, she’d settled on a pair of skinny jeans, a T-shirt with sequined sleeves and a pair of super-high stilettos. Logan was insanely tall and while she liked the fact that his size made her feel protected, she didn’t like only reaching his shoulder if her shoes weren’t high enough.
She fluffed her hair, tousling her curls, and applied one final brush of lip gloss. Candace was about to reach for her purse when her phone beeped. She grabbed it and scrolled through her emails, smiling when she read the first new message.
Candace Evans spotted getting cozy with mystery man in L.A.? Source sees her being rushed through customs and into the arms of another stranger.
She blew out a sigh of relief and flicked her phone to silent before jamming it into her purse. Her tip-off had worked, which meant no one would be expecting her to still be in Australia, and definitely not at a local bar hanging out with some regular people. She just had to hope that enough gossip sites passed around the message.
Candace left the light on in her room and turned the message on the door to Do Not Disturb, then headed for the elevator. Her heart was pounding, nerves making her hands damp. The anticipation of seeing Logan again was putting her more on edge than she ever was just before a concert. It was crazy, and she hadn’t been like this around a guy for a very long time, but something about the sexy soldier-turned-bodyguard had her stomach doing cartwheels.
She’d promised herself that she wouldn’t ever fall for a man again, that she was better off being single, but while that might have been easy before, it didn’t seem quite so straightforward now. Because Logan had shown her that not all men were jerks, and no matter how hard she wanted to resist him, her willpower had failed her from the moment she’d agreed to go out with him the first time.