Kissing Her Enemy

by Coleen Kwan

  “Have we reached Compromise, East Texas?” Logan asked with a wink on Tuesday afternoon when they were cleaning up the site.

  Amber laughed, tickled that he’d remembered their earlier exchange. “I think so. It’s not as bad as I imagined.”

  She wondered why they’d barely argued over this one. Was it because they were over their misconceptions of each other? Or was it because this was the last playhouse they would build together? Their temporary truce was coming to an end, and soon they’d have to return to being adversaries.

  She felt a little depressed and not in the best of moods when the mayor arrived with Ryan Claybourne and the reporter from The Gazette.

  To Amber’s surprise, Ryan made a point of drawing her aside while the mayor chatted with Logan.

  “I just wanted to say thank you for everything you’ve done,” Ryan said, looking sincere. “I really appreciate it.”

  “It was my pleasure. I enjoyed it more than I expected.”

  “It can’t have been easy, taking time off from your hardware store.” He hesitated a moment. “Or working with Logan, given that he wants to buy your store.”

  Amber looked at Logan, admiring how his low-cut jeans clung to his lean hips. “Oh, I can handle Logan, no problem.”

  “Glad to hear it.”

  She squinted at Ryan, trying to make out if there was a deeper meaning behind his words. Had Logan told his buddy they were sleeping together? Was that why Ryan had that slightly goofy look?

  “You trying to tell me something?”

  He gave a sheepish laugh. “Only that it’s great having you on board. Logan’s the best, but you’re one of the few people who can rattle his cage, and it’s good. Reminds him he’s human.”

  “Oh, he’s definitely human. He’s got about forty dollars in the swear jar.”

  Ryan snickered. “And you?”

  “About the same,” she admitted with a grin. “We’re going to use it to buy a few books for the kids.”

  “That’s great!”

  They posed for photos, the mayor taking center stage in all of them. Judging by the way Mayor Horowitz was talking, anyone might have assumed he’d personally built the playhouse himself. Amber didn’t care if he grabbed the limelight as long as the planning committee knew what she’d done.

  But the mayor barely spoke to her; he was too busy with Logan, pulling him into conversation with Ryan.

  “That’s the old boys’ club for you,” Imelda muttered drily as she scrolled through the photos on her camera.

  Amber frowned at the three men. Logan looked so at ease with them. He belonged in their clique, and she didn’t.

  “Hey, I hear that you might lose your business if Logan Wright’s home improvement center gets the go-ahead,” Imelda said.

  “Yes, but it’s not a done deal yet. He still has to get planning permission, and I’m not going to make that easy for him.”

  Imelda tilted her head. “Good for you, but if I were you, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.”

  “Why not? I’m representing my neighbors, and I think we have a good case. I’m drawing up a report detailing all our objections. The planning committee will have to take us into consideration.”

  “Sure, but what about all the extra jobs it’ll generate? And the lower prices and more choices? Plus, the big garden center. My mom’s looking forward to all the new seedlings and plants she’ll be able to get right here in town.”

  Amber chewed on her lip. Those were all valid positives for Logan’s project, but she wasn’t going to admit that to the reporter. “In the final cost-benefit analysis, I’m convinced our town would be better off without the mega center.”

  The reporter’s expression grew shrewd. “I smell a good story here, but I gotta be honest with you. I don’t like your chances. The Wrights poured a lot of money into the mayor’s recent election.”

  “But the mayor’s not on the planning committee.”

  “True, but he was on it before he became mayor, and he’s tight with Jed Winston, the current committee chair. He can deny it to the moon, but he has influence over them. You can bet your bottom dollar that Logan feels comfortable the decision will go his way. Look at him. Doesn’t he look confident? ’Course he does.”

  A chill ran down Amber’s spine. Imelda was right. Logan did look supremely confident, cocky even, as he chewed the fat with the other two men. Why hadn’t he told her about his family donating to the mayor’s campaign? Maybe he thought she already knew. Maybe she should have, but the election had happened in the midst of her mom receiving treatment, and, to put it mildly, she’d been distracted.

  Now, she felt like a dope, and it was no one’s fault but her own. Her weakness for Logan had distracted her from reality; she saw that now. She couldn’t blame him. She didn’t think he’d deliberately set out to seduce her in order to turn her focus elsewhere, but that was the upshot. These past weeks she’d been living in a fool’s paradise, blinded by physical lust. No more. She had to wipe the stardust from her eyes and see the harsh reality before her. She was losing popular opinion to Logan. He had the mayor backing him, and of course, his friend Ryan wouldn’t hesitate to sing his praises. If she didn’t do something drastic, she’d lose.

  “I’m not giving up without a fight,” she said, more to herself than the reporter.

  “What are you planning to do?”

  “I don’t know yet, but I’m not going to roll over and let the Wrights walk all over me.”

  Imelda’s face was avid with interest. “I could help you, you know. Our readers love a good David and Goliath struggle. I might be able to get you front-page headlines.”

  Amber chewed on her lower lip. She needed help, but newspapers were prone to exaggeration and misinformation; she’d hate to unintentionally smear Logan or any members of his family.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I’ll have to think about it,” she said.

  Imelda shrugged. “Suit yourself. You know where to find me.” She sauntered off to take a few more pictures.

  The mayor and Ryan were already departing.

  As Logan walked up to her, and her stomach fluttered in response, she tried hard to ignore the effect he had on her. In the past week, she’d allowed herself to be swept away by desire, but now she had to be more circumspect.

  “A drink to celebrate?” he said, lips curling into a confident smile.

  He was so sure of himself, so sure of her. She inhaled to brace herself. “Can I take a rain check? I need to get back to the store.”

  “Okay.” He glanced over his shoulder before adding, “My place, eight o’clock tonight?”

  His words sent longing shafting through her, but she had to remain strong. “I’m sorry, I’m meeting someone tonight.”

  A line settled on his brow. “Everything okay?”

  No, everything was not okay, and she was starting to feel sick. “Yeah, sure,” she said, trying to sound breezy.

  He didn’t say anything for a while, just studied her with his penetrating gaze. “We should talk soon.”

  That sounded ominous. Was he going to bring up purchasing her store again? Increase his offer because he knew it was also her home? She wouldn’t take charity from anyone, and especially not from Logan.

  “Yeah, sure,” she repeated.

  She hesitated, then picked up her empty cooler and began to walk to her truck. To her consternation, Logan walked with her.

  “You know,” he said casually as she opened the driver’s seat, “just because the playhouses are finished doesn’t mean this is the end for us.”

  She tossed the cooler into her truck before turning back to him. “But we’ve been living in a fantasy land, haven’t we? The sex is good, but we’re still on opposite sides, and nothing’s going to change that.”

  “Doesn’t that depend on how good the sex is?”

  The corners of his eyes crinkled in a way that always melted her insides. She tried to fight it and suddenly felt confused and vulnerable. Why couldn’t
she come up with a snappy reply? Why couldn’t she treat him like all the other men she’d dated and dropped?

  His large hand wrapped around hers, his touch troubling her even further.

  “Why don’t we go with the flow,” he said, his voice soft and persuasive, “and see where it takes us?”

  She had never been content to simply go with the flow. If she had, she’d still be living in that trailer park with her mom. She should put an end to this right now, before anyone got hurt. Logan was her enemy. She had to do everything she could to prevent his mega center, which meant she had to stop sleeping with him. But as she stared into Logan’s deep green eyes, her body betrayed her. The hunger to feel his body against hers was as sharp as ever. She needed the physical release. And she had never lied to him; they both knew what was at stake, what each intended to do. She could still share his bed, as long as she didn’t share her heart.

  “Okay.” She nodded, capitulating to the inevitable. “Go with the flow.”

  He rubbed his thumb against her palm, a gesture that, over the past week, had become an erotic signal to her body. Heat flooded her veins, catching her off guard, whetting her desire.

  “Good,” Logan murmured.

  As she watched him walk away, doubt crept up. Logan was always so sure of himself, and he had the backing of influential people. Could she win against him, or was she kidding herself thinking she had a chance of standing up to him and everything his family represented?

  …

  “Oh, Amber, I didn’t know. How horrible for you.” Hannah paused, the spoon of stewed apple forgotten midway to her daughter, who sat patiently in her high chair.

  Amber had just finished telling her best friend about the mayor’s campaign, the Wrights’ generous donation, and how it spelled doom for her hardware store. It felt good to unburden herself to a sympathetic audience. She leaned back in the chair, one of Hannah’s talented husband’s handcrafted pieces. Derek was something of a minor celebrity, and his furniture was highly sought after by the rich and famous, but he was perfectly content living here in Pine Falls with Hannah and their baby daughter.

  Little Amelia banged her spoon to get her mother’s attention. “Oh, sorry, darling,” Hannah said, offering her the stewed apple. She scraped the remains of the bowl thoughtfully. “So I gather you didn’t put your seduction plans into motion?”

  Amber picked up a carrot stick and bit savagely into it, debating how much to tell Hannah. “Well, I’m not sure who seduced who, but the end result is the same.”

  Making a silent O with her lips, Hannah set down the bowl. “Wow. I thought I was kidding when I predicted you’d either be scratching each other’s eyes out or crazy about each other.”

  “We’re not crazy about each other,” Amber hastened to say. “It’s just…unfinished business from years ago.”

  Hannah nodded. “High school. I always knew something was going on. So, how long has this mutual seduction been going on?”

  “About a week.”

  “Every night?”

  Amber nodded guiltily. Six incredible, unforgettable nights. “Do you think I’m terrible?”

  “Of course not. I know what it’s like not to be able to resist a man, even when you think he’s the worst possible candidate.” Her face turned mushy as she glanced at the photo of her husband on a nearby wall. “But you’re much more pragmatic about these things than I am. You won’t lose your head over Logan, so it’s okay for you to have a little fun with him.”

  At least Hannah had faith in her, Amber thought. “Yes, it’s just a bit of fun, nothing serious.”

  Hannah threw her a cheeky grin. “So he’s good in bed, then?”

  “Oh, gawd, is he ever! If you want the details, be prepared to blush.”

  “That steamy, huh?”

  Before they could continue, a tall young man sauntered into the kitchen. “Hey, guys. What’s happening?” It was Caleb, Hannah’s younger brother. He stooped to kiss his sister, ruffled his niece’s hair, and then turned to Amber, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

  “Hi, Caleb,” she said, kissing him back. As she sat back she caught a speculative expression on Hannah’s face. She knew the cause. Some people, including Hannah, thought Caleb had a crush on Amber. It might’ve been true at one point, but he had quickly gotten the message that she regarded him like a younger brother. She liked him a lot and was always pleased to see him.

  “So what were you two chatting about?” Caleb said, taking a seat at the table. “Or is it some secret women’s business?”

  Caleb had been out of town for a few weeks and knew nothing about Logan’s hardware and garden center and its impact on Amber and her neighbors. Amber decided to enlighten him. When she had finished, it was gratifying to see Caleb’s incensed reaction.

  “This is bullshit!”

  His sister frowned at him. “Not in front of Amelia.”

  “Sorry. It’s—it’s an outrage, that’s what it is, and you can’t let those up-themselves Wrights win, Amber.”

  “I wasn’t planning to,” she said mildly.

  Caleb swept on, “You’ve got to mobilize the opposition. Organize petitions. Get the people worked up.”

  He banged his fist on the table, and Amelia copied him, grinning toothily. “Ba-ba-ba!” she babbled.

  “I’ll help you,” he said, planting his hands on the table.

  Amber was surprised and touched. “Oh, that’s good of you, but I haven’t had a chance to think through my strategy yet.”

  “Well, what are the negatives about the mega center?”

  “Increased traffic, air and noise pollution. A large development that’s incompatible with our small town. An ugly building—I haven’t seen the plans, but I’m sure it will be ugly.”

  “All excellent points. Anything else?”

  “Yes, the most important one, in my opinion. A loss of personal service. These big box stores might offer a big range of stock and lower prices, but they don’t know their customers like I do.”

  Hannah nodded. “Yes, customers like Giovanni. I’m sure a mega center wouldn’t let him use tomatoes to pay for his goods. And then there are all the older customers who come in and ask you for vague things and you know exactly what they’re talking about. They wouldn’t get that kind of service at a big-box store.”

  “If you make a list of all your regular customers,” Caleb said, eyes shining with enthusiasm, “I can contact them and get them to lodge an objection to the proposal. The planning committee will have to consider each and every one of them.”

  “I can help with the list, too,” Hannah said, wiping her daughter’s face before lifting her out of the high chair. “And Derek will lend a hand when he gets back from LA, as will Nicole and Craig. Even Grandpa Otto might feel ornery enough to chip in, and no one can ignore him.”

  Amber felt a weird prickling at the back of her eyes and realized with shock that she was close to tears. “Thanks, guys,” she murmured, choked with emotion. “You don’t know what this means to me.”

  “We all love you, sweetie.” With her daughter on her hip, Hannah paused to kiss Amber on the hair before heading for the door. “Just off to change a diaper. Be back in a minute.”

  Alone with Amber, Caleb grabbed a carrot stick and crunched it between his teeth. “So,” he said conversationally, “what’s the deal with you and Logan? Are you two sleeping together, or what?”

  Amber’s mouth fell open, the red tide on her cheeks trumpeting the answer.

  …

  Logan blamed his preoccupation with Amber for not paying attention to his mother and falling into one of her little traps. Ever since that Jet Ski trip and the night at Amber’s apartment, something had changed. He still thought about her constantly, but now his thoughts weren’t solely dominated by sex, although that still took up a major proportion. Instead, he contemplated her upbringing, her life in the trailer park with her mom, her struggle to break free from the cycle of underachievement. He thought about her
sense of responsibility and her ties to her mother, as complex as the love he had for his parents. And he couldn’t forget her tiny apartment, the bright and cheerful home she had fashioned out of very little, and how much it meant to her.

  He was desperate to see Amber again and spend the night with her, but she was avoiding him. Yesterday she’d made up some excuse, and the same had happened when he’d texted her this morning. He wasn’t used to chasing after a woman; usually they kinda fell into his lap, but Amber was unique. Despite their rivalry, she was into him, he knew, so why was she playing hard to get?

  With so much on his mind, he wasn’t paying much attention when he absentmindedly agreed to meet his parents for dinner at the country club. He felt uncomfortable going to the club, his memories of Amber serving their table still raw—if only he’d known then she was filling in for her sick mother—but there was no breaking his parents’ lifelong habit. Luckily, this time his mother had secured her favorite table by the windows. A waiter brought him a beer, and he was just settling in when Heloise sprung her trap.

  “Oh, there she is.” Heloise started waving at someone over Logan’s shoulder. “Over here,” she cooed, before murmuring to him, “I knew you wouldn’t mind if I asked Emily to join us. She’s been working so hard, and the dear girl could do with a break.”

  Logan set down his drink with a sharp thunk and glared at his mother. “Emily Claybourne? Don’t tell me you invited her.”

  “Hush, dear, or she’ll hear you and think you’re being rude.”

  “I think it’s extremely rude of you to trick me into—”

  “You’re not going to make a scene, are you? Not here, in front of all our friends.”

  Logan glanced at his father. Blaine sipped his mineral water, looking unconcerned. So he and Heloise were in cahoots. Logan growled under his breath, exasperated with his parents’ shenanigans.

  “You’re about as subtle as a sledgehammer,” he muttered at Heloise.

  But his mom was barely listening to him as she beckoned once more, and Emily Claybourne glided up to their table. The men stood. Swathed in a black silk dress, Emily smirked at Logan, her mouth a crimson slash.