Logan merely stared at her as if she were crazy.
Which, of course, just made her angrier.
“You!”
He opened his mouth, then shut it close.
“…me.”
“You!”
With a sigh – as if dismissing her – he went back to his papers. “It’s late. You should go home.”
Furiously, Alex strode in his direction, planting her palms at his desk and rattling his papers. Frowning at the mess, Logan slowly stood up.
“Is there a problem?” he asked, tone reflecting a tiny spark of annoyance.
Good. Wanting more, Alex went right around the desk, stomping towards him and finger pointing. “You kissed me!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“You kissed me twice. Twice! And you then say you don’t need me to complicate your life! You are an ass!”
He stared at her coolly. “If that’s what this is about—”
“An arrogant, stuffy ass!”
His eyes narrowed. “Keep going.”
“Did you actually think I like being kissed by you? Twice?”
“You responded. Twice.”
“Not of my own accord,” she insisted.
He stepped closer. “I didn’t hear any protest. You moaned.”
Glaring, she stood toe to toe with him and stuck her nose in the air. “You started this.”
“And I ended it.”
“You don’t get to end it. I get to end it.”
“What are you talking about, Alex?”
A whisper away. She didn’t back down. “I’m going to kiss you now. Then I’m going to end it.”
He almost lurched away, but she had him trapped at his desk, peering up at him with determination in her eyes.
“That’s a bad idea,” he muttered, irritation apparent.
“Ass.”
“Idiot.”
His eyes flicked to her lips before he jerked them back to her face. Something hot flashed in his eyes before he banked it down.
“I won’t kiss you back.”
“Fine.”
“Bad idea, Alex.”
“Shut up, Logan.”
Standing on tiptoe, body vibrating with something she couldn’t understand, Alex did the only thing she could think of. She grabbed Logan’s dress shirt and tie, making sure to wrinkle them before pulling him down and fusing her mouth to his.
Instant heat. Instant fire. Instant everything.
He responded without preamble, opening his mouth and allowing her to breathe him in – an addicting scent of pine and man. His tongue searched for hers, and she anticipated the clash, anticipated the singe that it brought her from head to toe. She let it last, let herself feel everything before finally finding the will to break it.
“I’m stopping now,” she said, pulling away slightly.
“Fine,” he rasped, pulling her closer.
“I’m ending it,” she insisted.
“Okay.” He kissed his neck, cruising his tongue on her throat.
“Stop. Stop that.” Her voice trembled.
“Do you – want me to?”
“Yes.”
“Yes what?”
“I don’t know.”
“Okay.”
“Damn you.”
And then she jumped him.
It said a lot about a man when he could catch a woman who weighed more than the usual with no effort on his end. Logan caught her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, his hands flexing over her butt for a second before staying still – as if he was still holding himself back. Invisible steel.
She didn’t want him to hold himself back.
With a soft moan, Alex molded her body closer, and felt him distinctly jolt as he made a sharp sound in her mouth. The invisible steel turned to wood as he sucked on her lower lip, then deliberately broke the kiss off.
“What are you—”
She arched against him. “Touch me, Logan.”
The wood snapped, his eyes blurring in lust. His control slipped as he gave one final groan, before backing her against the desk, sending papers flying everywhere. Her arousal flew up the roof at the gesture, at his lack of control. Logan, out of control. What a delicious thought.
Then she couldn’t think anymore as his hands moved.
Up on her shoulder, sliding a strap down as he licked at her skin and molded a breast in his hand. Her nipple hardened at his hot touch, and her moan echoed in the empty office. Hands on skirt, sliding them up and touching thighs. Down on her legs, drawing them around him and squeezing her butt. Then he was the one molding her closer, letting her feel his hard erection through his slacks. Her toes curled.
She wanted more. More.
Her hands removed his tie, unbuttoned his wrinkled shirt, slid along his chest and back. She felt his stomach contract, felt her excitement grow as it contracted deeper as she unbuttoned him slacks, got his zipper down. His mouth went to her breast, pulling against it through her shirt –other hand moving fast, fast, going inside her shirt, inside her bra, thumb rubbing her nipple until it ached for no one but him.
More.
Her hand, down, down. Wrapping around him and feeling the velvet length, the hardness. Hardness for her. Feeling his groan as he wrenched his mouth away from her breast and kissed her senseless, as he shuddered to fight for control again, even while his hand slid her skirt higher.
He stopped.
“I – not here. I need to treat you properly,” he said through clenched teeth. “My home, or yours. God, Alex.”
Alex gazed up at him, watching his eyes burn for her. Deliberately, she stroked his cock and felt his resolve crumbling. Then she closed her eyes, licked his ear and whispered.
“You can treat me properly later.”
And then she was easing her thong aside and easing him in, and there was no resistance after.
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
Logan couldn’t concentrate on his work.
The pages didn’t make sense, the words swimming over and around like they were taunting him. His calculator was useless, because he kept getting the numbers wrong as his mind flashed over last night.
Urgency turned to tenderness as he took his time easing in, watching her gray eyes darken, then blur. Watching her mouth open into an oh, her teeth biting her lower lip as she tried to stifle a moan – a moan he caught in his mouth, over and over again.
Thrust after thrust, she clung to him and touched him everywhere. Thrust after thrust, he let himself lose control, let himself feel her all over, drank in her delicious little sounds with his kisses as she came in shocked pleasure. He gave her a few minutes to come down from her high before thrusting again, from slow to fast, losing control completely as she whispered his name and made him forget everything else.
That second time, they came together in a frenzy, with all their clothes still on.
Jack was being exasperatingly loud as he pulled up a chair and discussed all his grand plans, obviously deliberately baiting Lucy to join in on the conversation. Lucy pointedly ignored him as she typed and typed and typed like it was her mission to do so.
Another incorrect calculation as Logan visualized Alex’s butt sitting on his calculator, bouncing up and down as he plunged in and out. He cursed under his breath.
“You really, really need to get laid, West,” Jack suggested.
“Shut it, Jack,” Logan replied shortly, but without heat.
Jack grinned, standing up and whistling as he went over to walk towards Alex’s desk. The familiarity of his movements had Logan narrowing his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Jack touched her stuff, curiously eyeing the fan letters and her artworks. “Checking.”
“For?”
The movie star grinned. “Incriminating stuff.”
“Stop caressing her stuff.”
“Caressing?”
“Touching.”
“Stuffy.”
“Pervert.”
>
Jack raised a brow, shaking his head. “Laid, man. That’s what you need.”
Noises were coming out of Lucy’s throat as she glared at her computer screen.
“You too,” Jack muttered under his breath, flicking her a glance before ignoring her again.
Ignoring them both, Logan tried to focus.
---
The door clicked open softly, but it might have been a time bomb as Logan’s head whipped up, and his focus shifted from his work to her.
Alex caught her breath at the sight of him, her nerves tingling. Trying to act normal, she smiled.
“Hi.”
He held her gaze quietly.
“Hey.”
His voice was the same, but she remembered it groaning her name last night while he was inside her, big and hard and driving in powerful strokes.
Her mouth went dry.
“She’s late,” Jack droned cheerfully, sitting at her chair without concern.
Alex never let her stare waver from Logan, whose gaze flicked to her lips for a split of a second before returning back to her face. “Yes. You’re late.”
Same tone he used when he said I’d like to take you to dinner last night.
Same tone when he said I’d like to take you home after and touch you everywhere.
Her insides shivered.
“I – of course. Late.”
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face before he looked back down and punched numbers.
Same hands he used when he set her clothes to rights last night, and kissed her skin slowly before he did.
Brain fried, Alex could only walk to her desk, careful not to wobble and ignoring everyone completely.
Yep. Time to work.
---
Logan finally got the calculations correct. He called Alex and Jack for a short meeting, printing out the final details and giving them to Lucy before turning back to the two major players of the project. Well, two of four.
“This is gonna be hard work. For all of us.”
Jack shrugged. “Nothing new for me. Love the job.”
Alex nodded.
“We need to make it perfect. For Sam and Alex. For the movie.”
Jack shrugged again, cheerfully declaring that perfection was his name.
Alex’s eyes softened at the mention of her brother. Then she smiled, a brilliant glow that made her eyes sparkle and had Logan a bit lost.
“Let’s do this,” she said, taking his hand under the table and squeezing it.
Oh, he was so lost.
---
After the meeting, Jack whistled again, sauntering past Logan.
“Bastard. Looks like you did get laid.”
Logan had no proper denial to that.
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
It took more than a month to get the script going, courtesy of a team of writers that Jack hired at his expense (nothing but the best, he’d said) – another extra month with the back and forth editing, until Sam and Alex finally approved the most current one and things went rolling. Jack became busy with the shooting, and Alex sometimes accompanied him, but mostly it was Lucy doing the accompanying (much to her chagrin) – which left Jack and Alex alone in the office with the paperwork.
With no time to date, except that one time – which Jack cheerfully interrupted as he had emergency work needing their immediate input.
Bas. Tard.
At the end of the second month, Sam arrived back in town.
---
Alex had accomplished a lot after her breakup with Nick, and there was only one thing left to do. She stood outside the news station building, waiting. Her hands fidgeted at her sweater and she tried to keep them still, but they fidgeted again when her thoughts turned wayward, out of her control.
Rena appeared outside first, shuffling in a pretty green dress and palm on a noticeable bump on her tummy. Already confirmed by Sam that it wasn’t his, Alex could only look at it with curiosity, and nothing else. Apparently, it wasn’t Nick’s, either. The blond girl didn’t spot her, but got in a car with a male driver she didn’t recognize.
Her new fiancé, last they’d heard.
After a few minutes, Nick came out of the building.
Alex stared at him as he walked with confidence, his brown hair glinting in the sunlight and his broad chest filling in his clothes wonderfully. He grinned at a co-employee, and she expected the sight to slice her heart all over again.
But there was no slice.
He looked up and spotted her, and the grin disappeared as his steps faltered. Something passed in his gaze, a combination of hope and hurt, and it made her almost want to leave. But she straightened her shoulders and met that gaze head-on, reminding herself it was time to get it over with.
“Alessandra.”
A deep breath.
“Hi, Nick.”
He stepped forward until she was only inches away.
“Alex. I…I wasn’t expecting you.”
His voice was the same, very much the same. But it wasn’t the voice that made her heart leap anymore.
“I burned your stuff,” she blurted out. The words made her wince, and Nick stared at her for a few seconds before he grinned his charming grin.
“I didn’t expect any less, Alessandra.” A pause, then, “Christ, I’ve missed you.”
Alex looked down at her feet, then peeked back up at him. His grin slowly dwindled, replaced by a serious expression as he opened his mouth again.
“I want to explain—”
She held up her hand. “I came to say goodbye.”
“And you won’t hear my explanation?”
“There’s no need to explain me witnessing you and Rena in your bed, Nick.”
His mouth turned grim, but he didn’t look angry. Instead, he regarded her with what might have been sadness and quiet appraisal.
“You look happy,” he finally said.
“I am happy.”
“Good for Jack.”
Alex didn’t bother to correct him, because the tabloid was relentless, anyway. Instead, she said, “I hope you’ll be happy, too.”
There was silence for a long time, before Nick finally replied.
“I really am sorry, Alessandra.”
Alex regarded him thoughtfully. “Me, too.”
She was sorry, but also ready to move forward. She’d loved him like a moth loved fire, too intense and too bright for her to see anything else. Dangerous. It was time to let that go, before it hurt her further.
When they finally parted ways, Alex took a clean, fresh breath.
She was free.
---
Tammy and Sam were catching up in a café shop when Alex dropped by.
“Sam?”
“Hi, sis.”
“I want you to grant me a week’s vacation.”
“Sure, no problem. I can handle things for a while.”
“I also want you to grant Logan a vacation.”
There was a pause, as Sam gave her a puzzled stare. The puzzled stare changed as comprehension dawned, and he narrowed his blue eyes at the implication.
Tammy scoffed.
“Oh, lay off that look, Sam. They’re perfect for each other.”
Sam turned his accusing stare at Tammy. “You knew?”
“Didn’t, actually. But you should see them together. The sparks are outrageous.”
Alex stared at her friend in surprise.
“And Lucy gossips,” Tammy admitted, somewhat gleefully. “She said the way you guys fight, you might as well jump each other with all the heat coming off.”
Sam cringed, taking a sip of his coffee. “God, Tam. Too much information.”
“Yeah, well. Lucy’s talkative. Probably trying to distract me from pestering her about her kiss with Jack.”
Sam choked on his drink. “Lucy and…Jack?”
“Uh-huh. Jack kissed Lucy, months ago. She slapped him. He used Alex to make her jealous but it didn’t work. I think he’s trying to seduce her now.”
Tammy wiggled her eyebrows. “Would you like us to couple up, too?”
Alex couldn’t help but laugh at Sam’s expression. With a dismissive wave, the bubbly girl with orange hair (this time) waved her hand at Alex.
“Oh, you go. I’ll handle the marketing while you’re gone. It’s production week – Logan’s not needed.” A wink, then, “You can tell me all about it after. Every juicy detail.”
“Jesus, Tammy.”
Alex left the café with a very big grin on her face
---
She began unbuttoning the buttons of her dress with a soft gleam in her eyes that had Logan hardening in his pants before he could stop himself.
“What are you doing?”
Alex shook her sandals off, letting them fall on the carpet. Slowly, she walked towards him.
“Alex?”
“What do you think, Logan?” she teased.
There was only so much a man fascinated with a certain woman could do when said woman was letting him see the peeks of her lacy bra, the peeks of her breasts. Mouth going dry, Logan rubbed at it with his hand.
“I thought you wanted some wine,” he rasped as her hands slid up his collar, tangling with his hair.
“Later,” she murmured.
Then she urged his mouth down and he found he couldn’t refuse.
---
Their first sexual tryst at her new apartment was filled with urgency and tenderness, a trait that Alex was finding more and more appealing from the man she was getting to know on a very personal level. Two months of waiting, and here he was, being very patient with her.
Her heart fell a little bit, out of her own accord.
Their second turned fast, as he lifted her from the bed and straight towards her spare room, where her paints were – apparently, where he fantasized taking her for some time now.
He eased her on the table and her paints scattered everywhere.
“My paints! Logan, our budget—”
“I’ll pay for all of them,” he growled, kissing her over and over.
Mister accountant, paying for all of them. The world was definitely turning.
Best Friends To Lovers Romance Series: Complete Series Boxed Set Romance Page 29