Playing with Temptation (18 page)

“Are you okay?” he asked, his deep voice full of concern. “I lost you somewhere along the ride, and you suddenly look like you’d rather be anywhere but here.”

She pasted on a bright smile, refusing to blurt out all her stupid insecurities. “I’m fine.”

Clearly seeing through the fib, he turned his body toward hers and brushed his fingertips along her temple. “I think there’s way too much going on in this head of yours,” he said, much too perceptively as he lowered his mouth to hers. “So how about I help you refocus on something more pleasurable so you can relax?”

She knew what was coming, and she was helpless to resist him. Especially when he slid his hand around to the nape of her neck and gently gripped her hair so he could tip her head at just the right angle for his lips to seal softly, warmly, against hers. One touch, and she was completely and utterly his.

She had little willpower when it came to Logan and what he wanted.

Her lips automatically parted on a low moan, and he swept his tongue inside, tangling seductively with hers. The kiss was slow and deep and hot. Teasing and tempting her. Making her melt and draining the tension from her body and replacing it with the delicious, arousing thrum of pleasure.

Too soon, he lifted his head, his heavy-lidded gaze capturing hers. “Much better,” he murmured huskily. “Though I’d be happy to provide an orgasm to
really
make you feel relaxed.”

His free hand slid beneath the hem of her dress, his fingers skimming up the inside of her thigh. She caught his wrist before he touched her and she no longer cared that they were parked right outside his sister’s house. “
Red
,” she whispered weakly, somehow managing to summon the one word guaranteed to make him stop.

He chuckled and withdrew his hand. “Well played, sugar. Well played. That’s twice that you’ve cock blocked me in less than an hour. We’ll continue this little power play later this evening.”

She had no doubt they would.

He got out of the car and came around to her side of the Camaro and opened the door for her. She stepped out, inhaled a deep breath, and smoothed her hand down the front of her dress to make sure she looked presentable. They started up the pathway leading to the front of the house, and Logan grabbed her hand and threaded their fingers together, startling her with the intimate, and possessive, gesture.

She pulled her hand back, but he held tight. “Logan, I don’t want them to think—”

“That I actually
like
you?” he interrupted, his tone wry.

She sighed. “I don’t want to give them the wrong impression, that we’re dating or a couple.”

They reached the front door, and Logan rang the doorbell, her hand still secured in his. He glanced at her and grinned. “I like the idea of dating you, so how about we make this our first official date.”

Before she could argue, the door swung open, and a pretty young woman with dark brown hair and friendly green eyes was standing there, with a mini five-year-old version of her peering up at the two of them with bright, curious eyes.

He finally released her hand to give the woman a warm hug and ruffle the child’s silky-looking hair. “How are my two favorite girls doing?”

“We’re good,” Emily said at the same time Hannah hopped from foot to foot and said exuberantly, “I’ve been waiting for you all day, Uncle Logan!”

“Well, I’m here now,” he said with a grin. He turned back toward Raina, introducing the two as his sister, Emily, and his adorable niece, Hannah, before doing the same with her. “And this is—”

“Your girlfriend,” Emily said before Logan could finish, a mischievous look in his sister’s eyes as she extended her hand in greeting.

Startled by the assumption, Raina quickly shook her head as they clasped hands. “Oh, no, I’m not his—”

Emily held up a hand to interrupt her. “Too late. Your cover has already been blown,” she said, laughter threading her voice. “Hannah already tattled on the two of you. She was looking out the front window when you drove up and parked outside. She informed me that the two of you were kissing, then holding hands on your way up to the house. In her words, ‘Uncle Logan has a girlfriend.’”

Raina felt a mortified flush sweep across her cheeks.

“My mommy and daddy kiss a lot, too,” Hannah said, adorable and precocious as only a five-year-old could be. “They told me that’s what two people do when they really like each other.”

Logan swooped down and picked up his niece, holding her in the crook of his strong arm so they were face-to-face. “Anybody ever tell you that you’re a smarty pants?”

“You do!” she said and giggled, clearly enamored of her uncle Logan.

“That’s because it’s true.” He tapped her affectionately on the nose.

“She’s
way
too smart and inquisitive for her own good,” Emily said, glancing at Raina with a welcoming and amicable smile. “And it’s very nice to meet you, Raina.”

Raina smiled back, already liking Emily and her easygoing personality. “Nice to meet you, too.”

They stepped inside the beautifully decorated home, and Logan set Hannah back down on her feet. He sniffed the air and gave his niece a wide-eyed look that was animated for her benefit. “Do I smell brownies?”

“I made them for you! I told you I would!” She jumped around and clapped her hands in delight. “Come and have one.”

Hannah grabbed Logan’s hand and pulled him toward the kitchen. He glanced over his shoulder and gave Raina an impish grin so unlike the hot, sexy, alpha guy he was with her. “She clearly has her uncle Logan wrapped around her finger, doesn’t she?”

“Oh, yeah,” Emily agreed as they followed behind. “The feeling is mutual between those two.”

They walked into the kitchen just in time to see Logan biting into one of the brownies from the plate on the counter as he handed one to Hannah.

The little girl shook her head, her expression wistful as she watched him eat the chocolate confection. “Mommy said I can’t have one until after dinner.”

He crouched down to her level. “Yeah, well, this will be our little secret, okay?” he said in a low voice.

Hannah grinned as she took the offered brownie. “Okay,” she whispered, then took a big bite.

“Logan Whitney Cruz!” Emily scolded her brother in a playful tone. “You are such a bad influence on your niece.”

Raina glanced at him with wide-eyed humor upon hearing the feminine moniker. “Your middle name is seriously
Whitney
?”

He groaned and scowled at his sister. “Are you trying to emasculate me in front of Raina?”

“I think she should know
all
about you,” Emily said, clearly enjoying ribbing her older brother. “The good, the bad,
and
the ugly.”

Logan exhaled a long-suffering sigh and explained. “My parents gave me the middle name of Whitney, after my great-great-grandfather.”

Raina bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “It’s very…
pretty
. Do the guys you work with know about this lovely middle name of yours?”

He narrowed his gaze at her. “No, and I’d like to keep it that way.”

“I’ll
try
not to let it slip,” Raina said. She definitely liked having something on Logan to tease him about later.

Emily laughed at the flirtatious banter between them. “Looks like my brother has met his match,” she said gleefully, then looped her arm through Raina’s to give it an affectionate squeeze. “I think you and I are going to get along just fine.”

“Uncle Logan!” Hannah said, tired of the grown-up conversation and wanting his attention again. “Daddy bought me a ring toss game for the backyard. Wanna play with me?”

“Sure.” He gave the little girl an indulgent smile as she tucked her small hand in his much larger one.

“Here’s drinks for you two, and an extra beer for Pete, who’s out back,” Emily said of her husband as she retrieved two bottles of beer for the men and handed them to Logan, then gave her daughter a juice box. “Raina and I will join you in a few minutes.”

Hannah, pleased to have her uncle all to herself, pulled him toward the sliding glass door leading to the patio and backyard.

Once they were gone, Emily turned back to Raina and asked, “Would you like a glass of Chardonnay?”

Raina nodded, feeling very comfortable and relaxed with Emily. “That sounds lovely. Thank you.”

Emily set a chilled bottle of white wine on the granite counter and grabbed two crystal glasses from the cupboard, filling them both before handing one to Raina.

“I wanted to apologize if I embarrassed you earlier about the whole girlfriend thing,” Emily said, her tone suddenly serious and sincere. “You’re the first woman Logan has brought around since Charlotte, and it’s so nice to finally see him dating again and happy.”

There was so much in Emily’s comment that grabbed her attention—like Logan dating again, and being happy, and the fact that she was the first woman he’d brought to meet his sister since… “Charlotte?” she asked, the name a question in and of itself.

“His ex-fiancée,” Emily automatically said as she took a drink of her wine, just as an
oh crap
look spread across her face when she realized her blunder. “Logan hasn’t told you about Charlotte?”

Raina shook her head and took a sip of her own Chardonnay. “No.”

“Oh, shit,” the other woman muttered beneath her breath, looking miserable. “I’m
so
sorry. Me and my big mouth. I just assumed that he would have mentioned her—”

Raina reached out and gently grabbed Emily’s arm, not wanting the topic to make things awkward between the two of them. “Hey, don’t worry about it. It’s really not a big deal.” It wasn’t like she and Logan were in that kind of relationship, where they exchanged painful stories about exes and the emotional upheaval that came with those breakups. Lord knew she had her own baggage that had made her cautious and wary when it came to opening herself up to a man again.

Yet yesterday morning at breakfast, she’d told Logan about her awful family life, her father’s manic episodes and abuse, and how she’d been alone and on her own since the age of eighteen. She’d revealed deeply emotional things with him that she’d never even shared with her own ex-fiancé, and he’d listened without judgment, and it had felt so damn good to finally get all that old crap out in the open with someone she was coming to trust. It had been a huge first step for her, and she was beginning to wonder if maybe, possibly, there really could be more between her and Logan. Yet he hadn’t opened up to her.

“I’m sure Logan will tell you about Charlotte at some point,” Emily went on, still trying to smooth things over. “But it’s really not my story to tell.”

“I understand.” And Raina truly did. Whatever was in Logan’s past, she didn’t want the details from his sister. But she was definitely curious about Charlotte and what had happened between her and Logan.

“Come on, let’s go sit out on the patio,” Emily said, clearly eager to leave their current conversation behind.

Raina followed her out the sliding glass door to a large, beautifully landscaped backyard and a custom-designed patio, complete with a comfortable seating area, a fire pit, and built-in outdoor grill area. Between the exclusive area where they lived and the gorgeous house, Emily’s husband obviously did
very
well as a software designer. As soon as they came outside, a nice-looking man who was playing ring toss with Hannah and Logan came up to the patio area, wearing a collared shirt and a pair of khaki shorts. He was tall and lean, with short blond hair and wire-rimmed glasses, looking very much like the IT geek Logan had called him.

He came up to Raina, hand outstretched in greeting and a warm smile on his lips. “Hi, Raina. I’m Pete.”

“Nice to meet you,” she said, liking him just as much as she liked Emily. They were both so friendly and welcoming, and she was suddenly glad she’d come. “Thank you for having me.”

“It’s our pleasure.” He hooked a finger toward the kitchen. “I’m going to get Logan and me another beer. You two want anything?”

Emily raised her glass for him to see. “We have our wine, so we’re all good.”

Raina and Emily spent the next hour sitting on the patio, watching as Logan and Pete played endless games of ring toss with Hannah—and being competitive with one another on the side. Their conversation was light, casual, and easy, with Emily talking about how much she loved being a stay-at-home mom, but now that Hannah was in kindergarten and she had more free time on her hands, she was starting to dabble in graphic design, which was her major in college, and was selling custom stationary to friends.

Raina deliberately kept the steady stream of conversation focused on Emily, which was much easier and safer than her having to answer curious questions, and after two glasses of wine, she was feeling very comfortable and relaxed.

A squeal of laughter had Raina glancing out to the yard, where Logan was chasing Hannah and demanding in a gruff voice that she give him the red plastic ring she’d stolen from him. He let the child evade his grasp time and again, and the little girl giggled in pure delight each time she managed to escape his clutches.

“I swear, Hannah has boundless energy, and Logan has the patience of a saint when it comes to her.” Emily finished off her second glass of wine and smiled as she watched her brother interact with her daughter. “Then again, he loves kids and has always wanted a big family of his own.”

The comment was very matter-of-fact, but something in Raina’s chest tightened in a combination of regret and envy when she thought of Logan with a wife and kids. She could easily see that he’d be a wonderful dad, and any woman would be incredibly lucky to have him for a husband—he was sexy as hell, chivalrous and caring, and inherently protective.

But for as much as she and Logan were currently enjoying a hot, provocative affair, she had the feeling that Logan was a man with very traditional values when it came to having a wife and family. And she was the furthest thing from traditional a woman could get.

Logan finally caught Hannah and hefted her over his broad shoulders, carrying her up to the patio like a sack of potatoes while she giggled and squirmed, loving every minute of her uncle’s attention. Pete followed behind, grinning and shaking his head at the sight.