The large drops of rain turned into a light drizzle. Nikki looked up at the darkening sky. The storm brewing was going to be a big one, based on the size of the angry-looking clouds and the rumble of thunder in the distance.
“I don’t have one favorite childhood memory.” She probably came off as a person who never had fun.
“That’s okay, most can’t choose just one.” He held out his hand, letting the rain puddle in his palm.
“Or there are none to choose,” she mumbled.
“I’m sorry, what did you say?”
“I didn’t say anything. Look, can we not talk about me?”
“Sure, we don’t have to talk about you,” he replied.
Nikki felt the curls in her hair start to limp from the dampness. The thin summer top would become see-through if it got too wet, and the cotton crop pants would stick to her body, too. Why couldn’t she get up and leave like a normal person?
The brain finally took over when her common sense went on a break. “Well, I’m going. Thanks for sitting with me, Logan.”
“How are you getting home, Nikki?”
She sighed when she saw people leaving the convention center in droves. The event was over for the evening. Gayle had not texted her asking if she was okay, needed a ride, or anything. Besides, they were probably gone anyhow. “I’ll take the train. It’s only a short walk to the square.”
He shook his head. “No way. I’ll take you home. First, I have to go inside and make sure my sous chef cleared my area.”
“You don’t have to do that, Logan. I’m a big girl and know how to get home by myself.”
“I’m sure you do, but I’m not the type of guy that will let you go off alone at this hour. Don’t argue with me.”
He took her hand, leading her across the street, stopping to let cars go by. Nikki felt weird as they ran across the street and back into the convention center. She had written off Logan Sloan as an insensitive asshole, yet he was helping her when she needed it the most.
They went straight to Logan’s food station, which was cleaned except for a couple of boxes. “Are you participating the entire weekend?” she asked.
He nodded while reading a note attached to one of the boxes. “Ron will be here tomorrow. I have a wedding party to host at the restaurant.” He handed her a box. “Is this too heavy for ya?”
Nikki balanced the box in her arms. It was not heavy. “I can handle it.”
*****
The car moved slowly down Euclid Avenue until Logan found a place on the street to park. The rain didn’t seem to have an impact on Saturday night partygoers. The restaurants and bars were teeming with people as if it were a starlit night with a bright moon. Nikki began to feel a little guilty about the silent treatment when Logan was doing her a favor. After all, there were nights when she’d dreamed about the man, and they’d be so hot, she’d wake up with sweat drenching her entire body. Those types of dreams had not visited her in years.
The punishment had to stop; it wasn’t Logan’s fault that she wasn’t his type. In retrospect, he had not said anything racist or demeaning about her. She needed to suck it up and get over it. She only had to spend a thirty-minute car ride with Logan, so she might as well try to get through it with dignity and class.
In the recesses of her mind, she thought maybe they could be friends one day. Of course, the alcohol she’d consumed and her hormones had these crazy ideas circling in her head. In fact, she wished they would just shut up already.
“Are we taking the boxes to the restaurant?” She asked when he bypassed the back entrance of the restaurant to enter another door.
“No. I don’t want Ron to know I’m back. He’ll find a reason to have to leave, and I’ll get stuck running the restaurant tonight.”
He opened the door and motioned for her to go ahead of him. The hallway was dimly lit and quiet, considering the amount of music and noise that came from neighboring business and people outside. Nikki caught him sneaking a glance at her behind when she looked over her shoulder as she continued up the stairwell that was not wide enough for two to walk side-by-side; her legs began to tremble.
Logan got silent suddenly. He had something to say the whole time they were together on the bench, but now he was quiet. Was he upset that he had offered to chauffeur her home?
When they reached the landing to a door, Logan stood beside her. As he looked up into the light over the door, the beam hit his eyes, and Nikki could see gold flecks surrounding his pupils. She was mesmerized.
“I’m going to ask you to excuse the mess before I open the door,” Logan joked.
“Huh?” Nikki asked, returning to her senses.
“Never mind. Obviously, your mind is somewhere else,” Logan said, tension tightening his voice.
Her mind was going places where it shouldn’t. “I heard you. My place isn’t spotless, so I understand.”
She understood, until he opened the door and turned on the lights. The loft was enormous, and the décor was absolutely gorgeous. Nikki sat the box on a table and said, “This is really nice, Logan.”
Logan threw the keys into a bowl by the door. “Don’t stand there; make yourself comfortable. Turn on the TV while I change clothes real quick.”
She walked into the living room area. The large brown leather couch was soft when she sat down. There were two matching chairs but no end tables or lamps. Two Chloe Tiffany-style Victorian lamps provided light. But she bet he probably never used them. The eighty-inch flat-screen television would provide plenty of light, along with the large skylight and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Reaching for the remote on the large glass table, there was a beautiful wood carving. The bowl-shaped piece of wood was carved from a real tree and treated. She bet it served as a topic for many discussions.
Nikki cradled the remote in her hand and checked out the rest of the loft. A large arch divided the living room bedrooms. The kitchen was large and designed for a professional or a person who loved to cook. The stainless steel and high-quality appliances were pristine. It appeared to her that Logan was a neat freak. The layout of his place had a feng shui vibe.
She heard movement from the back room and hurried back to the couch. Clicking the remote, the television came on. Nikki's mouth dropped open. The crisp picture was unreal. She had a flat screen, but the picture was nothing like this.
Logan came from the back room and went into the kitchen. “I feel human now and ready for a drink and something to eat. I have beer and vodka. Pick your poison.” He grabbed a long-neck bottle of beer from the fridge, sat it on the island, and took a bottle of clear liquid from the cabinet.
She looked up and saw he had changed his shirt and put on a pair of basketball shorts. His hair was wet and slicked down. Had he taken a shower? “Um, neither,” she said and put the remote on the table. “I thought you were taking me home?”
He gave her a reassuring grin. “Yes, but I’m going to cook us dinner. Then we’ll watch a movie.”
She got off the couch and went into the kitchen to face him. “Whoa, that was not part of the deal, Logan. We are not on a date.”
“We are now.” He twisted the cap off the beer and took a swig. “Do you eat pork?”
This arrogant side of him was not cute. She wanted to go home, not break bread with him. “I don’t want pork, beef, or anything. I want to go home,” she demanded.
“Sugar, you need food whether you want it or not. I have an extensive library of movies, probably nothing you’d like, so pick one from the on-demand channel that suits your fancy.”
“You are holding me against my will, Logan. I demand you take me home.”
“Demand is such a strong word, and I’m not holding you against your will. The door is not blocked or locked.”
“You think I won’t walk out of here? I’m not scared to go outside by myself.”
“Hey, you seem very tough to me, but you won’t leave.”
Now she was irritated. Slamming a hand on her hip, Ni
kki said, “Was that supposed to be sarcasm or are you saying I’m a wimp in wolf’s clothing?”
Logan made a rolling motion with his hand. “That and other things.”
“What other things? You don’t know me, Logan.”
“Well, I know you're intrigued by me and that you find me attractive.”
“You are not only arrogant but conceited. I am not attracted to you,” she grumbled.
“Yes, you are. Call me crazy, but I kind of like that you're attracted to me. I bet you even wonder if I make women scream my name out loud.”
Her cheeks burned. The question did sit on the tip of her tongue. He was bold, so why shouldn’t she play the game with him? “Do you? Do you make them scream your name out loud?”
Logan raised an eyebrow. “Every. Single. Time.”
She swallowed and moved away from the island. “I’m leaving. This conversation is going places it really shouldn’t.”
“Okay. Text me when or if you get home. But I feel you’ll be back, Nikki. You won’t make it home on your own,” Logan replied. Nonchalantly, he took vegetables from the fridge and rinsed them off in the sink.
Nikki frowned, grabbed her purse, and stormed out of the apartment. She stepped outside and started to walk down the street. Just then, the skies opened up, and rain poured down on her, soaking her in a matter of seconds.
Agitated, she balled her fists and screamed. “Why me?”
Chapter Ten
Logan had sautéed the vegetables and put them aside while he prepared the pork cutlets. The buzzer by the door went off. He looked at his watch. “Five minutes. Less time than I thought,” he said. Wiping his hands, he ran down the steps to let Nikki in. To his surprise, the woman holding the large black umbrella was not Nikki but Summer.
He opened the door slowly. “Summer? What are you doing here?”
“Surprised to see me,” she said, grinning.
“Yes, I am… come in.” He leaned out the door, looking for Nikki.
“Something smells good. It looks like I came just in time for dinner.” Summer put the folded umbrella by the door and walked up the stairs.
Logan shook his head. If Nikki came back, how would he explain this? He walked into his apartment and saw Summer standing by the stove, lifting lids off the pots. Summer was the type of woman that he preferred, and he’d welcome her under different circumstances, but tonight was not the night.
He’d met Summer at the restaurant. When she asked for his number, he gave it to her. They flirted back and forth but had not hooked up due to his schedule. “Summer, why didn’t you call me?” He asked in a calm voice, considering he wasn’t. He didn’t like people just showing up on his doorstep.
“I wanted to surprise you, silly.” Her voice was as cheerful as her disposition. “My flight got in early, and instead of going home, I came to the restaurant. Your partner said you might be home, so I took a chance and here you are.” She took a spoon from the canister and dipped it into the saucepan with the pork cutlets. Lifting the spoon to her lips, she smacked them together. “This is delicious but needs a little salt.” She pinched some salt between her fingers and sprinkled it on the spoon. "Much better."
Logan drew in a deep breath. She had not washed her hands and compromised the entire batch of salt. The food was okay since the spoon she had used was clean.
“Why did you do that?” he asked, annoyed.
She walked over to the edge of the counter and leaned into Logan. Pouting her lips, she asked, “Why did I do what?”
He shook his head. “Summer, you should have called first. Usually, you text me when you’re in town.”
“If I’d done that, darling, it wouldn’t be a surprise.” She unbuttoned her blouse. “Do you forgive me?”
The sex would allow him to forgive her, but he couldn’t get the thought of Nikki, alone out in the pouring rain or sitting at the rapid station, out of his mind.
He moved away from her. “You have to go.”
“What?”
“I have company coming over in an hour,” he said, raising his brow in a manner she'd understand.
She quickly buttoned her blouse. “Oh my goodness, I never… you never mentioned… I’m gone.”
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he offered.
Summer raised her hand, stopping his advancement toward her. “No, don’t bother. I’m so sorry, Logan.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “How would you have known?”
She was out the door and halfway down the stairs when she shouted back at him. “I should have called like you said. Bye.”
Logan made sure Summer got to her car and watched her drive off. He hated lying to her but couldn’t risk Nikki returning and finding her there. He also had to prove to himself that he wasn’t as one-dimensional as Ron made him out to be. Nikki had said something earlier that he could not shake. Beneath her quiet exterior was more than a woman who loved computers; she was hurting, and he wanted to know what or who was causing her pain.
He had hardly made it back to the loft when the buzzer went off, followed by a loud banging on the door. “That has to be Nikki.”
Logan raced down the stairs, skipping the last two. His heart dropped when he opened the door, and Nikki stood before him, drenched. Her hair was wet and stringy; her blouse was so wet he could see her bra. Her feet were bare, and she held her sandals in her hand.
She looked at him with sad eyes and said, “You were right; I couldn’t make it home on my own. Will you please take me home?”
He drew her to him and held her tight. “I didn’t want to be right.”
Logan plated the food to take to the living room. Convincing Nikki to stay took some doing, but she finally agreed. Once he got her to change into dry clothes and throw hers in the wash, he finished making dinner.
He watched her curled on the couch, watching a movie and wearing one of his shirts. He had given her a blanket as extra coverage, but she must have gotten hot because her bare legs were on top of the blanket. She had a hell of a body, a true hourglass shape.
His mind took a deep turn to a dark place; he pictured her on top of him, his strong hands wrapped around her waist and then lowering to caress her fabulous, sculpted ass. He could almost feel the firmness as his mind tricked him to believe he was touching her. His hands moved lower to stroke the smooth skin of her legs.
His eyes drank her in as he walked over to the couch. Once again, Ron had been right. Nikki was African American, and now that didn’t matter to him. He wanted her because of the attraction. It was strong, and not only he possessed it; Nikki wanted him, too.
She sat up when he put the plates on the table. “Do you need me to help with anything?”
“No, I got it under control. What do you want to drink?” He had a bottle of wine chilling in an ice bucket by the couch but didn’t think she was up to consuming more alcohol. “I have a crisp white wine that will go perfectly with the pork.”
“Okay, but only a small glass for me,” she said, sounding tiny.
Nikki couldn’t stop looking at him, Logan noticed. She was damn near gaping at him. He worked out a lot, but not to the point he was the Hulk.
“Okay; a small glass it is.” He reached for the bottle of wine.
She cleared her throat and said, “I like your tattoo.” She pointed to the intricate design that included flowers.
“You’ve never seen my tattoo?”
“I have,” she started, but her voice was shaky. “I haven’t seen it this close.”
“Want to touch?”
She nodded and reached out a hand, as if mesmerized and lured in by some uncontrollable force. One fingertip made contact. She glanced up, and Logan drew in a breath as she trailed a finger up his arm to his shoulder.
Everything about her touch made him buzz. He wanted to grab her and do everything, but he let himself give in to the moment, to the way she seemed so drawn to the tattoo.
“The artwork is so clean, and the colors are brilliant.
Not faded like some tattoos that are in color.”
“The friend that did it is an artist. He’s a beast with a paint brush, too.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Do you have any tattoos?” he asked, hoping she had a heart tattoo on her breast that she’d be willing to show him.
She gave him a quick smile. “No. I’m not a fan of pain, and getting drawn on with needles is not something I would find pleasant.”
She traced her fingertip from his shoulder as if she were painting his skin. Her touch was as soft as a butterfly, but it was full of fire, and he liked it.
“We should eat before the food gets cold,” he suggested.
Nikki withdrew her hand from his arm. “I’m sorry if touching you made you uncomfortable.”
He chuckled. “Nah, that’s not what’s happening.” She tilted her head and looked at him. “Nikki, if you keep doing that, I’m going to kiss you,” he added.
She picked up the knife and fork and sliced through the pork. “Would that be bad if it happened, Logan?”
He looked at her as if she were the woman he’d been dying to kiss for years and was the only woman he’d ever wanted. She returned his gaze, and the flames of desire erupted between them.
She had parted her lips slightly, and her breathing had become uneven. He wanted to taste her lips, to roam his hands over her beautiful body. There was something about her; maybe it was her shy innocence, or maybe it was her attempt to show she could be a badass. Nevertheless, there was no time for analysis, because his head was turning cloudy with a need he hadn’t had in ages.
He wanted to do things to this woman. He wanted to make her feel the way a man wanted and craved a woman. She deserved that much from him, and he could give it to her now if she let him.
“You look like you want something from me,” he whispered. She didn’t answer. She just licked her lips once.
That was all he needed. He moved closer to her on the couch and brushed a strand of damp hair away from her neck. He watched her eyes close. He started with her neck, pressing his lips gently against her skin, and she moaned the moment he touched her.
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