Your Captivating Love (9 page)

Nadine: Why did you send them?

Logan: I’m spoiling you. It’s a mandatory step in “The Bennett Book of Seduction.”

I laugh with gusto as I enjoy my croissant, and then decide to tease him.

Nadine: You’re trying to impress me, so I don’t cancel our date on Friday.

Logan: Nah, I wanted to make you smile.

Damn, this man is perfect. So perfect, in fact, that I’m scared.

Nadine: Careful, Logan. You’ll make me fall for you.

Logan: Maybe that’s what I want.

Oh
. I was fully expecting my last statement to send him running for the hills but, of course, he’d surprise me. I’ve never met a man this determined, and. . . honest. Time to switch the tone to playful.

Nadine: Our kiss really left a lasting impression on you, didn’t it? Or was it my display of boobs in Ava’s office?

Logan: Both did. Can’t wait to see you again. By the way, if you cancel our date, I’m not above throwing you over my shoulder and kidnapping you.

My knees turn to rubber instantly, and I know what’s causing it. The alpha vibes coming through the phone from Logan.

The following week is crazy. I’m running around non-stop, talking to location owners, securing permits, and a million other things. Logan sends me breakfast each morning, and by the time Friday comes around, I’m bursting with excitement at the thought of seeing him again.

Unfortunately, something gets in the way.

“I need to cancel our date,” I say breathlessly into the phone.

“Why?” Logan doesn’t bother to hide the disappointment in his voice.

“Because I just received the keys to my very own shop, thank you very much. It’s in dreadful condition, so I need to start working on it right away.”

I’m standing in the shop right now, and it looks every bit as decrepit as it did when I first saw it. But I already bought part of the supplies I need for renovations, so I might as well start.

“Congratulations. I thought you were going to show me your best options.”

“I was going to, but the owner of this place called me this morning and told me I had to make my decision today, or he’d give it to someone else.”

“I’ll come by now.”

“You’ll try to convince me to go out.”

“It’s Friday night, so of course I’m going to try to, but I also really want to see your place. Tell me the address.”

I dictate it with a grin on my face. He called it “your place.” There are a number of people I could’ve called to tell them about this monumental moment in my life, and yet it’s Logan I called first. It wasn’t just because I had to cancel our date, but because I knew he’d understand how important this is for me. Even though I have a million things to do, I’m happy he’s coming over to share this with me.

I can see past the dilapidated walls and ceiling. Instead of them, I imagine spotlights sprinkled on the ceiling. At least the floor is in great shape; it’ll need some polishing, but nothing more. My dream is finally in my grasp. There are three rooms—two in the back, which I’ll use for storage, and one in the front, where the actual shop will be.

Logan walks inside the store half an hour later, and I lick my lips at the sight of him. He wears his suit jacket open, and my imagination runs wild thinking about what’s under his white shirt. Logan oozes masculinity, no imagination required. Something about the way he owns any room he walks into makes me feel safe when I’m with him, even though he’s a danger to my senses.

After a quick inspection of the room, he sets his jaw.

“I know this looks dreadful,” I say.

“Dreadful? That’s one word. I would’ve gone with shithole.”

“Don’t be mean.”

“I’m worried about you. It’ll be hellish work to get this place up and running, Nadine.”

It’s been a long time since a man worried about me, instead of the other way around. It feels good. Better than good. Most of all, it feels right—and that scares me.

“It’s the only one I can afford.”

“Why do you want to start working on it right away? Surely, no renovation crew will begin working this late on a Friday.”

I barely keep from laughing as I point at myself with both thumbs and say, “Logan Bennett, meet the renovation crew.”

“You want to do it yourself?”

“I have to. No money for a crew. I made a list of everything I need to do.” I hand him the list, and he scans it quickly.

“I’m impressed. Do you know how to do all this?”

“Believe it or not, I do. I waitressed for years while in college, and whenever something needed fixing, the owner would make us do it. One summer, he closed for renovations, and I stayed to help. I needed the money, and I gained some extra skills. After I moved home, a friend of mine had a business fixing up houses, and selling them at a profit. I worked for her during weekends, so my skills are top-notch.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Thanks.”

“Now, seriously. You’ll need a crew to—”

“No money for that. I’ll do it myself. It’ll take longer than I’d hoped, but it’ll work.”

“If you want to do all the things on your list by yourself it’ll take you three months at least.”

“Yeah.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “You’ll be paying rent three months without making any revenue.”

“Logan, stop. I’m aware of all that, but I don’t have another option. I’ll suck it up and work.”

“I probably already know the answer to this, but would you let me pay the crew? I’d be investing in your talent.”

I put my hands on my hips. “You want to be an investor? Why?”

“I saw your designs. They’re brilliant.”

“Yeah, but that would be a conflict of interest.”

“How so?”

“We’re dating. I can’t accept it.” Even though I can see in his eyes that his offer is honest, the term “sugar daddy” rings in my mind. I don’t want to depend on anyone except myself to see this all the way to the end. 

“I thought you might say that. I’ll help you with the renovations then. On weekends.”

I was expecting a lot of things from Logan, but not this. Ava told me how hard he works, and that he saves his precious spare time for his family. Now he wants to give that up for me. I recognize this for the significant commitment it is. Who is this man, and why didn’t I meet him at a more appropriate moment in my life? Say, one year from now, when I’ll have all my affairs in order?

“It’s very sweet of you, but you don’t have to do this, Logan.”

He smiles. “I know. I want to.” He closes the distance between us with a few strides. When he’s close enough to me that I can smell the woodsy scent of his cologne, he adds, “You said ‘we’re dating’ like it’s a regular thing.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “That’s a big statement for you, considering I nearly had to blackmail you to earn a second date.”

“Well... ” My voice fades as Logan’s eyes turn darker, zeroing in on my lips.

“I made an impression last time, didn’t I?” His voice is low and breathy. My body immediately responds to it, desire billowing in my center, coiling through my veins.

“You’re a good kisser,” I say matter-of-factly.

“Good? I never settle for good, Nadine.”

“I might consider upgrading that to excellent,” I tease. “Depends on you.”

“I do love your challenges. Now, back to helping you renovate. I want one thing in return.”

“What’s that?” I already know I’ll agree to anything he says. It’s the side effect of inhaling his intoxicating scent. It must contain pheromones; I’m sure of it.

“The promised second date. Tonight.”

“You’re playing dirty.”

“I’ve been accused of doing that to get my way.”

“You always get your way, don’t you?”

Leaning in to me, he whispers, “Yes.”

“Okay, but we’ll have to go somewhere that a dress code isn’t required.” I point to my jeans and black cotton T-shirt. I have rags I plan to use for the renovation work in the back, but nothing else. “If we go to my apartment to change, it’ll take forever.”

“Fine by me.”

After I grab my purse, we step outside and I lock the door to the shop.

“I can’t believe I found a space on this street. The location is perfect.”

I glance around the area with a huge smile. “Perfect” doesn’t begin to cover it. This is a posh shopping area. A designer shoes and bag store is next door, and a high-end restaurant across the street. I’ve researched statistics, and there is plenty of foot traffic here. Parking opportunities aren’t as good as I’d hoped, but they’ll do.

“The only downside is that it’s a million miles away from my apartment.”

Logan puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk to his car. The gesture isn’t sexual at all, but it still makes my heart race. No, his caress speaks of safety, caring, and familiarity. Without thinking, I cuddle closer to him. Glancing up, I let out a slight sound of surprise. The sky is clearer than I’ve seen it since I arrived, and it’s the first time I can appreciate the multitude of stars sprinkled above me. They resemble tiny diamonds.

“Actually,” Logan says, opening the door of his car for me. Once I’m inside, he continues. “The location is the best part. It’s two blocks away from where I live. I foresee endless opportunities to convince you to stay overnight.”

With that, he closes the door. Wiping my palms on my jeans, I try to calm my heart. It beats even faster than before. What does Logan have in store for us?

When he climbs in the driver’s seat, I immediately try to fill the silence. “I don’t know why I’m surprised you live downtown.”

“Yeah. Sebastian lives in a quieter neighborhood. I’m all for the hustle and bustle.”

“So, where are we going?”

“Dancing. Thought you should see my wild dancing skills, since you thought I could only go slow. I can do slow, and I can do wild.” He guns the engine. “It’s mind-blowing either way.”

“Are we still talking about dancing?”

“I am.” Glancing sideways at me, he adds with a smirk, “Are you talking about something else?”

“No, not at all.” Heat creeps into my cheeks, but I’m counting on the darkness to hide it. “I feel guilty for not working tonight, but I’m happy we’re going out. You’re the first person I called.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Nadine.”

***

M
idway through the drive, Logan’s phone rings.

“Pippa,” he mutters, putting it on loudspeaker. “Hi, Pippa,” Logan answers.

“You told me to call you if I need anything. You seemed to mean
anything
, but can I still hold you to it?” Pippa speaks in a low voice, and there is commotion in the background.

Logan’s grip the wheel tighter. “Of course.”

“Good. Can you pick me up from my date? I’m at Ember. It’s on—”

“I know the restaurant.”

“How fast can you be here?”

“Twenty minutes, tops.”

The call ends.

“What was that?” My head spins as I try to make sense of it.

“My sister wants a rain check from her date.”

“Wow, you have a code or something?”

“No, but I told her to call me if she needed anything.”

Logan sports a killer expression afterward, so I don’t ask for more details. We arrive in front of the restaurant exactly twenty minutes later, and he texts Pippa to let her know we’re here. Ember is similar to the high-end restaurant across the street from my shop, except larger. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, I have a perfect view inside. Elegant black and white furniture fills the interior, the only patches of color coming from the guests’ clothes. Pippa walks out the front door before I finish inspecting the restaurant. Wearing sky-high black stilettos and a fitted red dress showing off her gorgeous curves, Pippa is by far the best-dressed person around. She looks like a woman on a mission. And right now, her mission seems to be fleeing the scene, though I believe she had an entirely different goal in mind when she dressed up for the night.

“Drive,” she instructs after she sits in the backseat.

“Your apartment?” Logan asks Pippa, hitting the gas pedal.

“Yes.”

Logan drives in silence. He opens and closes his mouth a few times, glancing in the rearview at Pippa. Eventually, he asks, “Pippa, are you... Did anything happen? Did he do something?”

“Nothing happened, I just panicked. Turns out I wasn’t ready to date after all.”

Seeing her sad expression in the rearview mirror, I finally realize what this was about. I’ve heard about Pippa’s divorce and, unless I’m mistaken, this was her first post-divorce foray in the dating world. I sigh sympathetically, and that’s when she seems to realize I’m in the car too.

“Crap,” Pippa says. “You two were on a date, weren’t you? I’m sorry. Why didn’t you tell me, Logan?”

“It’s no problem,” I assure her.

“You told me to call you if I needed anything, but. . .” Her voice fades. “I didn’t call Sebastian because I knew he and Ava were at the theater, but it didn’t occur to me that you two were as well.”

She looks out the window as her words fade. I’ve only met Pippa a few times, but she always had an air of exuberance that was contagious. Now there’s no semblance of that girl.

“I had a mini-panic attack,” she continues. “Poor guy didn’t know what hit him. Come on, Logan, you’re dying to say ‘I told you so.’”

Logan huffs. “I’d never say that.”

“Well, you were right. I’ll put dating on hold for a while.”

More silence follows, and then the car comes to a halt in front of what I assume is Pippa’s building.

“Are you sure you want to be on your own?” I ask her. “You can go out with us, or I can stay with you and have a girls’ night in.” She seems to need company.

“Yeah, thanks, but I’ll read a steamy romance, and drink a glass of wine. You two have fun. That poor dude probably has blue balls; no reason for me to cock-block the two of you too.”

I flush while Logan says, “Really smooth, Pippa.”

“I’ll try dating again... eventually. It’s never too late to start fresh, is it?” Pippa asks, hope and desperation warring on her expression.

“It’s not,” I respond. “I have a degree in it.”

Pippa gives me a sheepish smile that tells me she already knows my story. I’m wondering if Ava or Logan is to blame. Pippa exits the car, blows us both kisses, and heads to the entrance of her building; her steps slow, her shoulders drooped.