Flirting with Fate (6 page)

“Not if you’re going to judge me. I came to Castle Alainn to get proof. It’s the only reason I’m here.” She gave Logan a go-to-hell look and stood. Carrying the laptop, she walked past him to the bar in the common room.

“You’re damn proud of breaking the law.”

“My battery is low. Hang on while I get the cord.”

He caught her by the arm as she passed. She turned into him. Her breasts brushed against his chest, stalling his brain for a second. “Damn it, Elle.” Frustration bubbled up. “You could’ve been seen.”

“I opened a list of client names, but there are other larger files that I haven’t opened yet. There’s a lock next to them. With or without your help, I’m going to get them open.”

“Elle.” He wanted to be pissed, but honestly, hadn’t he known what she’d planned to do today? He was as guilty as she was.

“You understand. Don’t you?” Her eyes were full of hope.

“Yes.” Logan, lost in her nearness, lowered his head fully intending to taste her lush mouth. She rose on her toes to meet him. A second before contact, his brain started working, and he stepped back. “Get your cord.”

He turned away and quickly rearranged himself. What would she think if she noticed his erection? Two hands slid up his chest to his shoulders. She leaned into him.

“You almost kissed me.” Her warm breath caressed his neck.

“But I didn’t.”

“Why did you stop?”

“You know why.” His resolve was slipping. Her breasts pressed into his back, sending streaks of fire south. “Kissing you would change everything. The dynamics of our relationship would never be the same.” Erection be damned, he had to make her understand. He took a bolstering breath and turned to face her.

Eyes dark as night stared up at him. The gold specks he’d always admired seemed to sparkle even brighter than usual. Lush, pouty lips parted slightly, begging to be devoured.

He did the only thing he could. He buried both hands in her hair and kissed her.

Her lips parted as she pressed against him, moaning softly. An explosion came from somewhere deep inside, and he swept his tongue inside her mouth, probing and tasting the sweetness that was uniquely Elle. This was no soft and easy exploration to see if a flame existed and might grow. This was a full-on assault between two starving people who could only be satisfied by intimate contact with each other. A battle that had been brewing for years.

Her hands roamed up and down his back, stopping at his waist. Cool air hit his skin as his shirt slid from his pants. Logan’s breath caught as her warm fingers massaged his tight muscles. He looped one hand around her waist and tugged her snug against his body. His erection pushed against her soft flesh, but she only dug her fingers in deeper as their tongues fought for supremacy.

Insanity had taken hold of them both. Somebody had to slam on the brakes. Could he stop? This would be the hardest task he’d ever faced. Logan tore his lips from hers.

“Elle, baby. We can’t.” He lowered his forehead to lean against hers. Both of them struggled to catch their breath.

“Sure we can.” She’d spoken so softly he’d had to strain to hear her words. She took a couple of steps backward. Looking up at him, she hit him with a piercing look. “Maybe you meant to say that we shouldn’t?” Her gaze dropped to the most painful erection he’d ever had. “Saying we can’t? That’s crap.”

Shit. He’d really screwed things up. “You’re making jokes?”

“There’s nothing funny about that kiss. Or your reaction to it.” Her breathing was irregular, and her pupils had dilated.

“Elle.” God, he was truly a bastard. If she took a single step forward, he would pull her into his arms and kiss her until she begged for release. “You’re a beautiful woman. I’d have to be dead not to want you. But you’re excited because of your recent acquisition.” He nodded toward the flash drive. “Adrenaline is pumping through your veins, like water through a fire hose. After you crash, I don’t want you to regret how you celebrated.”

The air between them chilled as they stared at each other. No way could he tell her that he’d fallen for her years ago. Up here in the mountains, snowed in and on an adventure, she was too vulnerable.

“One of these days, you’ll figure out that I’m capable of making my own choices and decisions.”

Her independence and strength just made him want her more. “I don’t want you avoiding me after we get back to Texas because you regret one of those decisions.”

A shrill ring ended their discussion. Logan turned to the bar and picked up the room phone. “Hello.”

“Mr. Ford, Alana Fitzgerald here. I’ve ordered coffee and a plate of our special recipe homemade muffins for our meeting. Is there anything special you’d like to add?”

She’d caught Logan off guard, and he paused to get his brain back on track. “Sounds like you’ve thought of everything.” He glanced at his watch. “We’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Yes. Fair warning, Liam is still a bit miffed and needs convincing.”

“I can do that. He might feel better if he calls the Fort Worth Police Department and asks for Eric Reagan.” Logan ended the call and repeated the conversation to Elle. “Give me a few minutes to shower and change. We have to persuade Liam to let this play out.”

“And wasn’t that call perfect timing? I’ll change and be right out.” Elle leaned around him and picked up her laptop. She tucked it under her arm and walked to her room.

Logan considered going after her, but didn’t trust himself near a bed and her at the same time. As bad as he needed a long cold shower, he settled for a quick in and out. Until the day before leaving for Castle Alainn, he’d owned very few dress clothes. His wardrobe had consisted of casual stuff and various styles of boots and a couple pairs of tennis shoes.

He slid on his black, hundred-percent virgin wool slacks that had set him back a pretty penny, a blue Italian cotton shirt, and then slipped his feet into calf leather loafers. Damn, how anyone got used to dressing this way was a mystery. Give him a pullover, a pair of jeans, and western boots any day.

Elle was waiting in the common room. “Wow. You look like a million bucks.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Logan tugged at his shirt collar. “As usual, you look great. Of course, I’m a little prejudiced.”

She wore brown boots, a long tan skirt, and a brown sweater. A low ponytail held all those dark waves off her face, highlighting her cheekbones and creamy complexion.

“Thanks.”

Her tone, low and flat, cut through him. A snake slithering though the grass couldn’t have felt any lower than Logan did at that moment. No way could he leave the room with her feelings hurt.

Logan walked to her and cupped her cheek in his hand. “When the time is right, you’re going to make a decision about us. Left to me, you’ll be whispering my name before dark.” He kissed her softly, rimming her lips with his tongue before stepping back. She smiled at him, lifting a huge weight off his shoulders. The front of his pants got tight again.

“I like being the decision maker.” She ran her fingers across his chin.

“You’re going to be the death of me,” Logan said, behind a laugh.

Five

“I
wish we didn’t have to go.” Elle’s heart pounded against her rib cage. Logan’s kiss had sent desire gnawing at her very foundation. All these years, he’d ignored her, treated her like a little sister. Had he thought she didn’t care for him, or had Eric interfered?

“Me too.” Logan opened the door for her, paused, and looked up and down the hall.

“What are you looking for?” Elle struggled to get her brain back on track. Logan appeared to have returned to normalcy.

“I’m wondering if you made your film debut when you broke into the Ethridge suite.”

“I checked before the first time. There aren’t any cameras in the halls or elevators.”

“Good. You being arrested for breaking and entering would be a surefire way to end this project.” Logan walked the length of the hall, returned, and then pushed the elevator button.

“I’d tell them you weren’t involved. You’d just have to work without me.”

“Like that’s going to happen.” He tugged her ponytail. “You okay?”

“Me?” Elle decided she had nothing to lose by telling the truth. “Of course not. I keep remembering how I felt when we kissed.”

“It was worth remembering.” Logan wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “I don’t know about you, but nothing gets my mind off wanting to have hot, sweaty sex, like strong coffee and warm muffins.”

“So you’re not pissed at me for breaking the law?”

“I’m still working on that.” His mischievous smile said he was joking.

“Try to see it from my point of view. When my parents died, Nan opened her arms and house to Eric and me. She never once complained. She worked hard, provided us with everything we needed, and taught us to put a little money into a nest egg. Her savings was her way of ensuring she had a simple but decent retirement.”

“I love her too. With Mom and Dad always working, your grandmother gave me the guidance I wasn’t getting at home. I feel your sense of loyalty, but there’s a right way to bring Ethridge to justice. Nothing we learn from the information you stole is admissible.”

“So you’ve said. But if it points us in the right direction—” The elevator doors opened, and Nicki Ethridge stepped inside.

“Logan.” She stopped halfway inside. The smile she’d given him vanished when she saw Elle. Nicki took a card from her purse and handed it to him. “When you have a minute, give me a call.” She stepped back and let the doors close.

“Wow. That was awkward.” Elle laughed, but jealousy rested right under the surface. “My skin should be burning from the blistering look she gave me.”

The elevator stopped, and the doors swished open, ending their conversation. Right before they entered the Fitzgeralds’ office, Logan caught her arm.

“You’re sure no one saw you?”

“The maid who let me in. If by chance someone does question her, she’ll remember that a blonde woman asked for help.”

“Damn it, Elle.”

The conversation ended when Alana opened the door. “Come in. The muffins are still warm.”

It took less than an hour for Logan and Elle to share all the information they had on Brandon Ethridge and his investment scheme. Elle told her grandmother’s story. She tried to show that he had no conscience.

She had never seen Logan in a professional capacity. Her heart expanded with pride as he presented his plan to Liam and Alana. He was not only precise, he was personable.

“Ethridge is smart. He has good lawyers who protect him, and he’s proven he can outsmart the authorities. We intend to stop him from destroying anyone else’s retirement.”

Liam had been full of questions. He’d listened intently but had remained noncommittal the entire time. His gaze scanned the documents Logan had laid out on the conference room table.

Alana reached across the table and rested her hand on top of her husband’s. “All they’re asking for is our silence. It’s the least we can do.”

He looked up at Elle. “How’s your grandmother?”

“She’s gone back to work. Moved into a smaller house.” Elle’s eyed filled with tears. “My brother and I are all the family she has left. Nan is a proud woman. She refuses to accept financial help from us.”

Liam smiled, patting Elle on the shoulder. “Your grandmother is fortunate to have you. We lost our grandson in a skiing accident last year. We’ve been considering selling the resort or turning it over to a management team.”

“Brandon Ethridge will try to use your grief to his advantage,” Logan said.

“It won’t work,” Liam said. “Not after hearing the truth about him.”

Elle and Logan said their good-byes, but she stopped at the door and returned to Liam. “This place wouldn’t be the same without you and Alana. Your charm and love for each other makes the castle warm and welcoming. I’ll bet your grandson loved being here and wouldn’t want you to sell.”

Elle hugged Liam and Alana, then hurried out. Logan paused. His dark eyes sparkled.

“What?” Elle asked. Her heart expanded. Breath caught. His expression confused her. Was it pride, confusion, or affection radiating from his face?