by Kristi Gold
“You’re incredible.”
She opened her eyes to find him staring at her. “Why?”
“Most people aren’t brave enough to get back on a horse after a bad experience. I’m starting to wonder if anything scares you.”
She was scared by the way she felt around him—ready to jump headfirst into possible heartache. “Believe me, I have fears like everyone else. I’ve just tried not to let them paralyze me.”
Logan inched closer and streamed a fingertip along her jaw. “Would you be afraid if I kissed you again?”
She might die if he didn’t. “Not really.”
He bent and brushed a soft kiss across her cheek. “Would it scare you if I told you that you’re all I’ve thought about for the past two days?”
“Would it scare you if I said I’ve been thinking about you, too?”
“I’m glad, because I can’t get thoughts of us, being really close, off my mind.” When he laced their fingers together, the implications weren’t lost on Hannah.
“It’s been a long time, Logan. I don’t take intimacy lightly.”
“I respect that,” he said, not sounding the least bit disappointed. “That’s why I only want to kiss you. Tonight.”
After he said it, he did it, and he did it very well. The first time she’d kissed him, she’d fumbled through the motions. The first time he’d kissed her, he’d been quick about it. But not now.
He explored her mouth with care, with the gentle stroke of his tongue, allowing her to capture all the sensations. She responded with a soft moan and a certain need to be closer to him. On that thought, she wrapped her hands around his waist while he wound one hand through her hair and planted the other on her back.
When Logan tugged her flush against him, the cold all but disappeared, replaced by a searing heat that shot the length of Hannah’s body and came to rest in unseen places, leaving dampness in its wake.
Too long since she’d been kissed this way, felt this way. Too long since she’d experienced a desire so strong that if Logan laid her down on the hard ground beneath their feet and offered to remove her clothes, she’d let him.
Clearly Logan had other ideas, she realized, when he broke the kiss and tipped his forehead against hers. “I need you so damn bad I hurt.”
She’d noticed that need when she’d been pelvis-to-pelvis with him. “Chemistry definitely can commandeer your body.”
He pulled back and studied her eyes. “But I don’t want to screw this up, Hannah, so we’re going to take this slowly. Get to know each other better. But sweetheart, before you leave, I plan to make love to you in ways you won’t forget.”
Hannah trembled at the thought. “You’re mighty confident, Mr. Whittaker.”
“I just know what I want when I want it, and I want you.” He ran the tip of his tongue over the shell of her ear and whispered, “I think you want me just as badly. So let’s go before I change my mind and take you down on the ground and get you naked.”
Her body reacted with another surge of heat and dampness over Logan’s declaration. Yet they walked back to the house, hand in hand, like innocent young lovers who’d just discovered each other, not mature adults who were approaching the point of no return.
Hannah knew better than to cross that line too soon. She knew better than to lead with her heart and not her head. Yet when Logan said goodbye to her at the bedroom door, she almost tossed wisdom out the window for a night of wild abandon. Instead, she let him go and sought out the place where she would spend the night alone longing for things she shouldn’t. Wanting, needing, Logan’s words echoing through her cluttered mind...
But sweetheart, before you leave, I plan to make love to you in ways you won’t forget...
Deep down she had no doubt he was a man of his word. But if she took that leap into lovemaking, would her heart suffer another devastating blow?
Five
“What do you mean you didn’t do it?”
That was the last thing Hannah wanted to hear first thing in the morning, especially from her best friend.
After turning the cell on speaker and setting it on the bed beside her, she slid a sneaker onto her foot and began lacing it. “He happens to be a gentleman, Gina. And I didn’t call to talk about my sex life. I called to talk to my daughter.”
“You don’t have a sex life, and you can’t talk to Cassie because she’s not here right now.”
She tightened the shoestrings just a little too tight. “Where is she?”
“Out with bikers she met bar-hopping last night.”
Infuriating woman. “I’m serious, Regina Gertrude Romero.”
“You know how I hate it when you use my middle name.”
“Yes, I do,” she said as she pulled on the remaining shoe. “Now tell me my daughter’s actual whereabouts before I tell everyone in your book club that you want to be a pole dancer when you finally grow up.”
Gina let out an exaggerated sigh. “She’s with Frank at his sister’s house. Since it’s going to be close to eighty degrees today, and we don’t know how long this heat wave is going to last, the kids are going to swim.”
Hannah was poised to hit the panic button. “Are you sure it’s warm enough there because it’s not nearly that warm here.”
“I checked the weather, Hannah. And don’t forget, you’re almost a hundred miles away.”
She hadn’t forgotten that at all, and now the distance between her and her child really worried her. “I hope the adults pay close attention because Cassie—”
“Can swim better than you and me,” Gina said. “Stop being such a worrywart.”
Her patience was starting to unravel. “Did you pack sunscreen? You know how easily she burns.”
“Yes, I did, and I put the fire department on alert, just in case.”
One more acerbic comment and she might very well come completely unglued. “Real funny, Regina. And why are you home?”
“Trey kept me up a good part of the night, so Frank let me sleep in while the baby is sleeping. I’ll be heading out in an hour or so. By the way, where is your attorney now?”
He wasn’t her attorney, but Hannah saw no reason to debate that point. “I’m not sure. I just got out of the shower and I haven’t left the bedroom yet.”
“I could see where you’d still be in the bedroom if he was in there with you, but it’s almost ten o’clock. Don’t you think he might be wondering if you’ve flown the coop, leaving the rooster all alone?”
Hannah had thought about that, but so far she hadn’t heard a thing coming from downstairs. “Maybe he’s sleeping in, too. But I won’t know until I get off the phone.”
“Hint taken. Call me this evening and I’ll put your daughter on the phone, unless, of course, you’re engaged in some serious cross-examination.”
“I’m hanging up now, Gina.” As soon as she ended the call, Hannah hopped to her feet, ready to face the day—and Logan.
After a quick makeup application and hair brushing, she sprinted down the stairs, tugging at her plain light blue T-shirt and wishing she’d worn a better pair of jeans. But casual seemed to suit Logan. Very well.
She wound her way through the cowboy palace, following the scent of coffee in hopes of locating the master of the manor. When she arrived in the kitchen, there he was in all his glory, sitting with his back to her at the island. He wore a navy plaid flannel shirt and a cowboy hat, which almost sent Hannah completely into a female frenzy over her Wild West fantasy coming to life.
She stood in the kitchen opening just long enough to take a good look at his broad back before she slid onto the stool across from him. “Good morning.”
He lifted his gaze from his coffee cup and smiled, but only halfway. “Mornin’, ma’am. How did you sleep?”
Like a woman who couldn’t get his k
isses off her blasted mind. “Pretty darn well, thank you. That mattress is as soft as a cloud.”
“I’m glad you found the accommodations satisfactory.” He nodded at the counter behind her. “There’s some coffee left if you want me to get you a cup.”
“I’ll get some in a minute,” she said when she noticed the keys resting near his right hand. “Have you been out already this morning?”
“Not yet, but unfortunately I’m going to have to get a move on. I got a call from Chance Lassiter. He’s Marlene’s son and the ranch manager at the Big Blue. He needs some extra help herding a few calves that got out of a break in the fence last night.”
It figured her plans would be foiled by a Lassiter. So much for spending a relaxing Sunday getting to know him better. “How long will that take?”
“Hard to say, but it could be quite a while since we’ll need to cover a lot of land. And the ranch is about thirty minutes north of here. Feel free to turn on the TV while I’m gone, or use the computer if you want to do some research on the Lassiters. If you need supplies, they’re in the desk drawer.”
She wondered why he would invite her—a virtual stranger—into his private domain. “You’re absolutely sure you don’t mind me hanging out in your office?”
He sent her a sexy-as-sin grin. “I don’t have anything to hide. All my professional files are password protected, but if you have a hankerin’ to hack into those, knock yourself out. The legal jargon on mergers and acquisitions is pretty damn riveting. Just be forewarned you’re going to need a nap afterward.”
She wouldn’t mind taking a nap with him. “Do you want me to whip something up for dinner?”
“Don’t worry about me. As far as you’re concerned, there’s quite a bit of food in the refrigerator, so help yourself.”
Hannah admittedly was a bit disappointed he hadn’t asked her to join him on the day trip. “Thanks.”
“I really hate having to leave you, but—”
“I’m a big girl, Logan. I can entertain myself until you return.”
He reached over the counter and ran a fingertip along her jaw. “When I get back, I have some entertainment in mind for you.”
She shivered like a schoolgirl at the thought. “And what will that entail?”
After he stood, Logan rounded the island, came up behind her and brought his mouth to her ear. “You’ll just have to wait and see, but it will be worth the wait.”
After Hannah shifted toward him, Logan gave her a steamy kiss that made her want to initiate his kitchen counter. Or the floor. But he pulled away before she could act on impulse.
He snatched up his keys and winked. “I’ll let you know when I’m heading home.”
“I’ll be here.” And she couldn’t think of any place she would rather be at the moment, aside from home with her daughter. Or in bed with him.
Naughty, naughty, Hannah.
After Logan left out the back door, she hurried to the great room to peer out the picture window facing the front drive. She waited until he guided the massive black dual-wheel truck and silver horse trailer onto the main road before she returned to the kitchen for coffee. She poured a cup and doctored it with lots of sugar and cream, then ate the apple set out in a fruit bowl.
Now what? TV watching seemed about as appealing as contemplating the cosmos. She did bring a book, but she wasn’t in the mood to read. Doing a little research on Logan’s computer called to her curiosity. After finishing off the coffee, she went in search of his office and retraced her steps from when Logan showed her around. Following a few wrong turns, she finally located the room beyond the formal dining room.
The French doors were closed, but not locked, allowing Hannah easy entry into the attorney’s inner sanctum. A state-of-the-art PC sat in the center of a modern black desk that looked remarkably neat. Two walls of matching bookshelves housed several law manuals, as well as quite a few true-crime novels.
She dropped into the rolling black leather chair and scooted close to the computer, ready to start looking for more info on the Lassiters. Yet something else immediately drew her attention.
In Hannah’s opinion, a man’s desk drawer was equivalent to a medicine cabinet—worthy of investigation. But did she dare poke around? That would undeniably be considered an invasion of privacy. Sort of. Hadn’t he said to help herself to any supplies? Of course, she didn’t need any paper or pens yet, but she did have a strong need to satisfy her nosiness.
With that in mind, Hannah slid the drawer open slowly, and like the desk, the thing was immaculate. She took a quick inventory after she didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary on first glance. A few pens in a plastic divider, along with some binder clips. A box of staples. A stack of stationery stamped with his name, along with coordinating envelopes.
Not quite satisfied, Hannah pulled the drawer open as far as she could, and glimpsed the corner of something shiny. She lifted the brown address book to find a small silver frame etched with teddy bears and balloons, the bottom stamped with a date—February 15, twelve years ago. She withdrew the photo of a pretty newborn with a dark cap of hair, a round face, precious puckered lips and what looked to be a tiny dimple imprinted on its right cheek. Unfortunately, she couldn’t quite determine the gender due to the neutral yellow gown, but she would guess this baby happened to be a little girl. The question was, whose little girl?
Logan had been adamant he had no children, leaving Hannah to assume the infant could be a sibling’s child, if he had any siblings. She could clear up the mystery when he came home, but since the frame had been tucked away out of sight, she would have to admit she’d been snooping.
Right now she had another mystery that needed her focus, namely trying to find any clues indicating John Douglas Lassiter was her mother’s sperm donor.
With that in mind, Hannah booted the computer and brought up her favorite search engine. She decided to dig a little deeper this time, expand her inquiries, and learn as much about the Lassiter family as possible, beginning with where it had all begun. She read articles about the self-made billionaire and his various ventures, from newspapers to cattle to his media corporation in California. He’d married a woman named Ellie, adopted her two nephews and lived through the loss of his wife, who sadly died at forty-two just days after giving birth to a daughter.
She took a few moments to study a recent publicity photo of that daughter, Angelica Lassiter, who could possibly be her sister. The sophisticated-looking woman was tall and slimly built, with dark hair and eyes—nothing that physically indicated Hannah might be kin to the reported “brains” behind Lassiter Media. Apparently Angelica had broken off her engagement to Evan McCain, interim chairman and CEO of the company, after a reported dispute over the terms in her father’s will. High drama indeed.
Hannah surfed a little longer, trying to establish some connection between J.D. and her mother, yet she found nothing whatsoever to prove that theory.
Stiff-necked and bleary-eyed, Hannah noticed the time and realized a good part of the day had already passed her by. And as far as she knew, Logan hadn’t returned home yet. She sat back in the chair and closed her eyes, remembering his lips fused with hers, his body pressed flush against her body, how badly she had wanted him last night. How badly she wanted him still, though she shouldn’t...
The phone shrilled, startling Hannah so badly, she nearly vaulted from the rolling chair as she fumbled the cell from her pocket. Disappointment washed over her when Gina’s name—not Logan’s—displayed on the screen. “No, we haven’t done it yet.”
“Done what, Mama?”
Great. This was not the way she wanted to introduce her child to human sexuality. “Hi, sweetie. I miss you. Do you miss me?”
“Uh-huh, a little.”
That stung Hannah like a hornet. “Are you back at Gina’s?”
“Nope.
We’re still at Aunt Linda’s house and we’re swimming a lot.”
Funny how Cassie had adopted the Romero family’s relatives. But then she had very few relatives aside from Danny’s parents. For the most part, they didn’t count. “Are you sunburned?”
“A little on my nose. I’m gonna get more freckles, right?”
She was somewhat surprised that her daughter sounded almost happy about it. “If you continue to stay in the sun, yes, you probably will.”
“Or if I swallow a nickel and break out in pennies.”
“Where did you hear that, Cassie?”
“Frank told me. I like Frank. I wish he was my daddy. I mean, I love my daddy in heaven, but I want a real one. Mickey said she’d share him.”
Hannah’s heart took a little dip in her chest when she recalled how difficult it had been to grow up without a father. At least Cassie knew who her dad was, even if she’d never known him. She also had many pictures of Danny available to look at any time she desired. “Well, honey, maybe someday that might happen.”
“Are you gonna marry your prince?”
Cassie sounded so hopeful Hannah hated to burst her fairy-tale bubble. “If you mean Mr. Whittaker, he’s a lawyer, not a prince, and he’s only my friend.”
“But he’s really cute and he doesn’t have a kid. Everyone should have a kid.”
From the mouth of her matchmaking babe.
Hannah heard a background voice calling for Cassie to come on, followed by her daughter saying, “Gotta go, Mama. We’re eating pizza!”
“Okay, sweetie, tell Gina that—”
When she heard a click, Hannah checked to see if the call had ended, which it had. The conversation had been too brief for her liking, and too telling, yet she understood Cassie’s excitement over being a part of a complete family.
At some point in time, perhaps she could provide that family for her daughter, but she didn’t believe it would happen in the foreseeable future. And definitely not with Prince Logan. Though she didn’t know the details of his divorce, she sensed he wasn’t willing to travel that road again. Regardless, she would enjoy their time together and let whatever happened, happen. Now that she knew Cassie was faring well without her, she wasn’t in a rush to head home.
