Playing with Temptation (24 page)

Yes, it was a nice community with stunning homes, as well as a safe place to raise a family. And while Logan might have moved on from Charlotte, he was clearly still holding on to that image of having a conventional marriage with a woman who would be that perfect, quintessential wife and fit into his ideal of a picturesque life.

And that classical, traditional woman wasn’t her. Not by a long shot.

“We’re here,” he said, pulling Raina out of the reality of her thoughts as he turned into a brick-laid driveway.

His single-story house was located at the end of a cul-de-sac and occupied the biggest corner lot. The home itself was big but not monstrous, and Mediterranean in style, with a stucco exterior, low-pitched tiled roof, and a front yard that was impeccably landscaped and maintained. He drove his car into the garage, pressed a button on a remote to close the rolling door behind them, then turned to Raina with an irresistible smile.

“Come on, I’ll give you a tour of the place.”

She followed him inside, and as they walked from room to room, she had to admit that the interior was spectacular, with clean white walls and open, airy living spaces with beautiful columns. The ceilings were high, with rustic wood beams, and the decor was simple yet inviting, and he gave credit to his sister, Emily, for her help in that department. He showed her the bedrooms first, all of which had been furnished and decorated, and when they came to the master bedroom and adjoining bath, he proudly showed her the infinity walk-in shower that he’d installed himself during the remodeling process.

As she followed him back out of the bathroom, she couldn’t help but notice just how spotless the entire house was, which wasn’t normal for most bachelors. “Okay, your place is
way
too clean. Do you have OCD?” she teased.

“No,” he said with a laugh. “I’m fairly neat because the military was strict about keeping things orderly, but my housekeeper comes in on Monday and Friday mornings, so the timing was perfect.”

He opened a sliding glass door in the master bedroom, which led to a wraparound patio and the backyard. There were palm trees and floral shrubbery, a fire pit with chairs, and a built-in barbeque and outdoor bar for entertaining. Not to mention the big pool out in the middle of the yard, complete with a rock-formation waterfall. They followed the patio around to another glass slider, stepped back inside, and ended up in the kitchen, which was gourmet size, with travertine countertops and custom cabinetry Logan had also done himself with the help of a few of his co-workers.

“Have a seat and I’ll open a bottle of wine.” He waved a hand toward the wrought iron stools tucked under the counter.

She slid into a chair as Logan retrieved a chilled bottle of wine from the refrigerator and two glasses from the cupboard. “I thought you’d be more of a beer kind of guy.”

“I can appreciate a good bottle of wine,” he said with a grin as he set the stemware on the counter and poured them each a generous amount. “I like a cold bottle of beer after a hot afternoon of doing yard work, and if I’m going out for the evening, I’ll order a high-end Scotch whisky.”

She took a drink of the white wine, savoring the crisp, cool taste while Logan went back to the refrigerator and pulled out a container of defrosted chicken breasts and some fresh vegetables and set them on the wooden island in the middle of the kitchen to make them dinner.

“Can I help with the prep work?” she asked.

“Nope,” he said as he grabbed a bottle of quick-set marinade and smeared it over the chicken breasts. “You just sit there and relax. I’ve got dinner covered.”

She had to admit that it was nice to let someone else make dinner, to take care of her for a change, and she certainly didn’t mind watching this gorgeous man as he moved around the kitchen with purpose. He used a metal grate on top of the stove to grill the chicken while he roasted the asparagus in the oven with garlic and butter. The delicious scents made her stomach growl hungrily.

She finished off her glass of wine, and when Logan walked by, he filled it right back up again with a flirtatious wink. It didn’t take long for the wine to make her mellow and relaxed, which was very nice after the day she’d had.

They ate dinner around casual conversation about him and some of his funnier antics in the military that made her laugh. When they were done, Logan insisted on cleaning up the dishes and the kitchen, then took her hand and led her into the living room. He sat down on one end of the plush, comfortable couch, and she sat down beside him, suddenly realizing that he had a serious look on his face as he turned toward her.

“I really hate to bring this up, but I need to talk to you about a few things,” he said as he retrieved his phone from his front pocket.

She had no idea what he wanted to discuss, and despite the wine that had soothed her mood, she felt a wariness building up inside of her. “Okay.”

He opened a video and met her gaze, seemingly just as reluctant to broach this particular topic with her. “This is a clip from the security camera by your apartment, and it shows the guy putting those handcuffs on your door. Unfortunately, he was wearing a bulky jacket and a ball cap to hide his features, so there’s no real good shot of his face. But you need to take a look and tell me if this guy looks at all familiar to you.”

She glanced at his phone, hoping that she’d be able to identify the person who was wreaking havoc with her life and her emotions so it would finally be over. She gave Logan a slight nod, and he pressed play, allowing her to see the video of that night. Just as Logan had told her, the oversized jacket and the way the man hunched his shoulders and purposely averted his face away from the cameras made it impossible to distinguish anything about the guy.

She shook her head in frustration. “I don’t recognize him at all.”

“He knew about the cameras and made sure they didn’t catch his face.” Logan set his phone down on the glass coffee table in front of the couch. “Dean made a suggestion about what we should do next, and when I tell you about his idea, I want you to keep an open mind, okay?”

A sense of dread swirled in her belly, and she pulled her legs up under her on the couch, as if she could somehow protect herself from what was coming next. “What’s his suggestion?”

Logan stretched an arm across the back of the sofa. She was close enough to touch, and he gently brushed his fingers along the curve of her neck and shoulder. “He wants you and me to go back to The Players Club on Thursday, to see if you can identify the guy who came on strong last week. I don’t like making you go back there, but I agree that it’s the best way. You’ll be safe.”

She swallowed hard, not entirely sure how she felt about that.
Scared?
Maybe.
Nervous?
Definitely. “You’ll be with me the whole time?”

“I’ll never leave your side,” he promised, his voice low and possessive enough to make her shiver. “This is all about going to the club and trying to find the man who wasn’t happy about you turning him down, so Dean and the management can talk to him.”

She had no doubt that Dean would interrogate the shit out of the guy and intimidate him as well. Going back to the club for the sole purpose of singling out the arrogant man who’d wanted to bound, gag, and flog her was not her idea of a fun evening, but if it meant the end of all this harassment, she was willing to do it. Ultimately, she trusted Dean, and she trusted Logan to keep her safe and protected while they went in search of this guy, and that made all the difference to her decision.

She exhaled a deep breath and nodded before she changed her mind. “Okay. Let’s do it.”

“I’ll let Dean know.” He paused for a moment, his fingers continuing their soft, languid caress across her bare skin, as if he were soothing a skittish kitten. “Now I want to discuss what happened this morning at the shop, since we haven’t had any time alone today to talk about it.”

She glanced away from his searching gaze, afraid he’d see too much vulnerability in her eyes. “What’s there to talk about?” she said flippantly, even though the reminder of those slurs brought some ugly memories rushing to the surface.

“
You
, and how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine,” she lied, still not looking at him, her posture way too stiff. “They were just words, Logan.” It was the same thing she’d told Paige, but damn if those
words
hadn’t made her feel worthless and
ashamed
, which she’d hated the most.

He touched his fingers to her chin and turned her face toward him again, not giving her the chance to hide anything from him. Not her insecurities that she knew reflected in her gaze, not the hurt that still ran bone deep, and not the painful emotions that were trying to break through the protective wall she’d built around her heart so she’d never have to experience that kind of degradation again. Her throat grew tight, and burning tears she hadn’t shed in years stung the backs of her eyes. She was
not
going to cry.

“They were harsh, cruel words that have no reflection on you, personally,” he said adamantly, his jaw clenched in anger—not at her, she knew, but the situation. “You know that, right?”

She wanted so badly to say
yes
, but the truth was, there was a small part of her that believed those awful slurs—that young eighteen-year-old girl who’d done nothing more than make out with a boy and had been berated and punished and cast out as a tramp and a slut by her own father.

“The night my father found me with my boyfriend, he called me every single one of those names and
meant
them.” Her voice cracked, and those stupid tears filled her eyes as her ex-fiancé’s words looped through her mind, as well:
Choose me or your business, because I don’t want my friends and family to think I’m marrying a whore
who gets off on selling porn.

“I know that’s not who and what I am just because I own an adult boutique, but that’s how people tend to label me.” She blinked, and a tear escaped, which she quickly wiped away. But another one fell just as quickly. “And for the most part, it doesn’t bother me, until someone I trust or care about calls me those names.” Then it felt personal and real and true. A stigma that was always there, reminding her that she wasn’t good enough for anyone to love.

“C’mere,” Logan said, his voice rough with emotion as he reached for her and pulled her onto his lap.

She went willingly, curling into the warmth and strength of his body, needing to feel safe and protected, which Logan did so effortlessly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his throat as an unwanted and painful sob unraveled out of her, then another.

“Aww, baby,” he said, pulling her closer and holding her like nobody ever had before, as if she mattered to him, and that caused another convulsive catch of her breath. “I’ve got you. Just let it all out,” he whispered as his hands stroked along her back, comforting her. “You’re always so strong and independent and brave. Just let me take care of you for a little while, okay?”

As if he’d given her the permission she’d needed, the dam broke, and there was no holding back the torrent of emotion that came with it. Years of suppressing her pain and heartache all came to a head and poured out of her. It was an ugly cry—loud and inelegant and gut-wrenching, and she didn’t even care because it felt so cathartic to finally let it all out.

Her sobbing eventually subsided and turned into those spasms that came after a long crying jag, leaving her spent, exhausted, and utterly drained. She closed her eyes as he stroked his fingers through her hair, calming her and lulling her into a deep, heavy sleep.

R
aina woke up
the next morning alone in Logan’s big king-sized bed. She rolled to her back and pried her puffy eyes open, trying to remember how she’d gotten there. Bits and pieces came back to her—the way Logan had carried her to bed after she’d fallen asleep on him in the living room and how she’d been so tired that she hadn’t protested when he’d gently pulled her clothes off her limp body, leaving her in just her panties, then stripped off his own shirt and jeans and slid beneath the covers until he was spooned against her backside. Then he’d tucked a strong arm around her waist to hold her close, cocooning her in the warmth and the familiar male scent of his body. Feeling safe and secure in his arms, she’d fallen right back into a deep, dreamless sleep.

It was the first time in days that she’d crashed through the entire night, without abruptly waking up because she’d thought she’d heard something in her apartment, with her heart hammering in her throat and images of some deranged stalker attacking her.

Unfortunately, there
was
some crazy person terrorizing her, and until that ordeal was over, those nightmares would probably continue to haunt her.

She stretched the kinks from her body and glanced around the room for a clock. She found a digital one on the nightstand, the red letters glowing 9:23 a.m. Normally she’d be in a panic for sleeping in so late, but the last thing that Aaron had told her when she’d left the store yesterday afternoon was that he would open the shop in the morning so she didn’t have to rush in, and she could arrive later and take the closing shift. She was grateful for the switch, because she still needed to head back to her apartment for a clean change of clothes.