AT LONG LAST (The Playas Series - Book 4)

by Brenda Jackson

Logan wondered if Claire realized what she’d just hinted at? That though this was her first time flying with him, it might not be the last. He liked the way her mind was working.

  “So, how did I do with the accommodations?” Claire asked as they rolled their luggage into their room at the Skyway Canyon Lodge. Since they were sharing the cost, she figured this type of setup would work for them. It was a two-bedroom bungalow-style suite with a hot tub on each patio. Upon opening the door, you immediately walked into a huge living room with a brick fireplace. Then there was a large kitchen and eating area, and in a split concept, each bedroom had a private bath. This was more cost effective than getting separate lodgings. And it had an added bonus of having a high gate all around it. She’d read that there was plenty of wildlife roaming about freely in the area, since it was so close to a national park. The last thing she wanted was to open her door and be confronted with a bear or wolf.

  “You did great. This is a nice place.”

  “Thanks. I figured we would eat out in their guest dining room. I saw the menu that was posted. Today’s special is smothered pork chops.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  “What time did you want to go to dinner?”

  He grinned as he glanced over at her. “Hungry again already?”

  She smiled, shaking her head. Once they’d gotten the rental car from the airport, they had stopped at a café for lunch. The burgers and fries had been quite filling. “Nope, but I’d like to take a nap before dinner.”

  “So would I.” He checked his watch. “It’s three o’clock now. How about if we meet back here in two hours,” he suggested.

  That sounded good to her. “Fine. I think I’m going to take a few minutes first to make reservations for our next stop.” They would spend five days here, which included touring The Wave and Antelope Canyon. She couldn’t wait for their adventure to begin.

  The sound of the phone woke Logan from his nap. Flipping to his side, he reached for it and clicked on, recognizing the ring tone. “Lyle, what’s going on?”

  “I understand you’re hitting the friendly skies with Claire.”

  Logan rubbed his hand down his face to wipe sleep from his eyes. “Yes, that’s right.”

  “I hope you guys plan to make a pit stop in Texas. Monique and I would love to see you.”

  Logan raised a brow. “You guys are back? Lance said you’d taken a trip to Johannesburg and wouldn’t be back for another two weeks.”

  “That was the original plan, but it was changed when Monique got sick.”

  Logan eased up in bed. “Is she okay?”

  “Yes, she’s fine now. It was just a severe bout of morning sickness.”

  Logan blinked. “Morning sickness? Are you saying Monique is pregnant?”

  “Yes!” Lyle said, his voice filled with excitement. “Can you believe it? I’m going to be a dad.”

  Yes, Logan could believe it. Jeremiah Montgomery had raised some awesome boys. Granted, Lance had gone a little off the deep end with his pro-playa platform, but those days were over for his younger brother. He was a father now. And if Lance could be a father, anyone could.

  “You’ll make a great dad. Have you told Pop and Carrie yet?”

  “Yes, I talked to them earlier today. They’re both thrilled. For a man who thought he would never have grandkids, Dad’s getting more than he probably bargained for. After I talked to Dad and Carrie, I called Lance. He’s the one who told me where you were and who you were with. I like Claire a lot. I hope things work out for you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “How is she dealing with the loss of her friends? I’m sure it’s still rather difficult for her.”

  “It is. I went with her to the memorial services a couple of days ago. She barely got through it. I wished she would just break down and let it out. She did once.” He recalled the way she’d cried in his arms the first day he’d arrived in DC.

  “I guess you heard Carrie and Connor’s news,” Logan said, deciding to change the subject.

  “Yes. I’m happy for them. And I’m guessing you heard about the woman Dad met on the side of the road, the one who invited him to dinner.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard. But not sure why Carrie is making such a big deal of it. Women have been inviting Dad to dinner for years. Remember all those ladies from his church?”

  “Maybe that’s what’s different. He’s known those ladies from church forever. And they’ve been making moves on him for just as long. The fact that Pop hasn’t made any moves back indicates he isn’t interested in any of them. Carrie thinks the fact that this woman is someone he doesn’t know is a game changer. He told Carrie he’s anxious to get to know her.”

  Logan talked to Lyle a few moments longer. His brother had just gotten married in April and for Monique to be pregnant already meant they had been anxious to start a family. Logan knew the feeling. He was ready, too. But first, he had to acquire a wife.

  He lay on his back and stared up at the ceiling. In a little while, he would get up, get dressed and meet Claire for dinner. He wasn’t sure at what point she would realize there was a purpose behind his request that she join him on this adventure. When she did, he hoped she would be just as excited about the possibilities as he was.

  Deciding there was no way he would fall back asleep, Logan eased from the bed and decided to try out the hot tub on the patio.

  8

  Oh, Logan, I just love this place.”

  “Tell me what you love about it.”

  Claire glanced over at the man at her side as they walked back to their suite. She figured Logan had to be kidding. She loved everything about the lodge. Didn’t he? “Our accommodations are awesome, the food in the restaurant was delicious and everyone was so friendly. I enjoyed meeting that couple from England. This is their first time in the States and the Grand Canyon was the first thing on their list to see.”

  “They couldn’t believe we’ve lived here all our lives and yet, we’ve never been here.”

  “I know,” she said grinning. “I probably wouldn’t be here now if you hadn’t convinced me to tag along. Thanks again.”

  “You’re most welcome. I’m enjoying your company.”

  And Claire was enjoying his. Maybe a little too much. She hadn’t counted on her reaction to seeing him in the hot tub earlier today. She had awakened from her nap when she’d heard a humming sound outside her window and had eased from the bed to investigate.

  That’s when she’d seen Logan. Dressed in swimming shorts, he was walking toward the hot tub. She had seen him in swim shorts before, when they’d been on Paradise at the same time. However, for some reason, seeing him at that moment had caused a reaction she hadn’t expected. Especially when she’d stared at his hard-muscled chest.

  Why had the thatch of hair covering it sent heat swirling within her? And when she studied how the hair tapered down into a thin line as it trailed below the waistband of his shorts, she felt even more heat. She swallowed, realizing, at the moment, that moisture was starting to gather between her thighs. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had such a strong reaction to a man.

  If that hadn’t been bad enough, a few hours later, when they’d met to go down for dinner, she hadn’t been ready to see him dressed so casually in jeans and a chambray shirt. Maybe it was the color of the shirt--a shade of electric blue that seemed to bring out his features and the deep brown coloring of his skin—that got to her. Or it could be how good he looked in the snug jeans.

  What was going on? She was sure she’d seen him dressed similarly before. Why, all of a sudden, was everything Logan did—or wore—getting her all worked up?

  “You want to take a walk outside before we go back to our suite?” he asked breaking into her thoughts.

  “Is it safe? What about all the wild animals that guy told us about? The ones he claims can jump over the gate?”

  “I think he was pulling our leg. But don’t worry. I’ll protect you,” he said as he held out his hand.r />
  Claire quickly placed her hand in his and he tightened his fingers around hers. She suddenly felt safe and secure. But then she felt something else. That same heat she’d been battling all day. What in the heck was going on here? The uncertainty made her shiver.

  “You’re cold?” he asked her.

  “No, I’m okay. It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?” she said, quickly changing the subject and looking up into the sky. There was a full moon and stars filled the sky all around them.

  “Yes, it is nice. Hard to believe it’s the same moon you see at night, no matter where you are, no matter what side of the planet you’re on.”

  “I know.” They were still holding hands, although they were standing in one place in a gated area of the lawn. She should pull away, but for some reason, she liked having her hand in his.

  They both stared up at the sky for a moment. It was as if the stars were slowly descending on them, wrapping them in a halo of something she couldn’t explain. She felt irresistibly drawn to Logan. At that moment, though, she resented the attraction she was beginning to feel toward him. It wasn’t right. This was Logan, her friend. But her mind was suddenly reminding her of something she’d conveniently ignored. He was also Logan, a very good looking, sexy-as-sin man.

  “You’re shivering again.”

  Was she? Maybe holding hands with him wasn’t so smart after all. “I don’t know why.”

  “I think I do.”

  Was that a husky tempo in his voice? “You do?”

  “It’s the stars. They are twinkling.”

  She wondered if that was supposed to mean something. “And?”

  “And there’s a proverb that says that kissing under twinkling stars leads to lasting prosperity.”

  She raised a skeptical brow. “An old Chinese Proverb?”

  He smiled. “No. A new American one.”

  She shivered again, but this time, from total awareness. She knew exactly what was about to happen when he began lowering his mouth toward hers. She was tempted to stop him—after all, this wasn’t who they were--but then the thought of lasting prosperity had its merits, so why not? It was just a kiss.

  With that thought in mind, she lifted her mouth to his and leaned in for his kiss.

  Whoa! He needed to stop this. It was too soon. He had wanted to give Claire time to feel comfortable with him, to make sure she didn’t suspect his motives for inviting her to come with him. But with his lips mere inches from hers, he wasn’t sure he could give her anything but the tongue tangling kiss he’d been hungering for. But if he did, all his planning and hard work could be ruined. He had to retain control, somehow, even though just the thought of it was killing him. She wasn’t ready…yet.

  So grudgingly, he did the only thing he could do at that moment—he dropped a friendly peck on her lips, and said, “Long prosperity, Claire.” Was that a flash of disappointment he saw in her eyes?

  “The same to you, Logan.”

  He drew in a deep breath before looking at his watch, deliberately breaking eye contact with her and trying to fight back the urge to pull her into his arms and ravage her mouth anyway. “It’s still early, but we need to be ready when the tour guide calls. You know what that means, right.”

  She nodded. “We need to get a good night’s sleep.”

  “You got that right.” Logan noticed he was still holding her hand when he led her back inside. Neither of them said anything as they walked down the long corridor to their room. He couldn’t help glancing over at her and noticed that she was looking straight ahead, apparently lost in thought. That allowed him the time to study her profile. Claire Fowler was a beautiful woman. She possessed the lissome stature of a runway model, and had the graceful walk to match. He liked the way she’d worn her hair tonight. Instead of flowing down her shoulders or pulled back in a ponytail, it was gathered up in a twist with a few strands curling around her temple. Although she was thirty-three, she looked like a woman in her late twenties. He figured it must be in the genes--neither her, Asia or their mother looked their real age.

  To break the silence, he said, “Lyle called. He wanted to let me know that Monique is pregnant.”

  “Oh, Logan, that’s wonderful. I am so happy for them.”

  “Me, too. Lyle loves children and so does Monique. I could tell it wouldn’t be long when I saw the way they were carrying on about Leland. I just didn’t think they would try this soon.”

  “I guess there’s no time like the present. Why put off until later what you can do now?”

  Logan couldn’t stop the smile that touched his lips. He wondered if she would prescribe to her own principle. If she did, how would she have responded to the kiss he wished he’d given her earlier? The kind that wouldn’t have left any doubt how much he wanted her. “True.” He then glanced over at her. “You want kids one day, right?”

  “Sure. But I won’t let my life be dictated by some biological clock, the way some women do. When it happens, it will happen, whether I have a husband or not.”

  No husband? Was she talking about being a single parent? No, she couldn’t be. Claire was part of the “oldest sibling” club, and a prerequisite for membership was to have a high degree of responsibility.

  He released her hand to unlock the door to their room and immediately felt a sense of loss. The moment they entered their suite, he knew housekeeping had come in while they were out. The fireplace was going, the lights were dimmed and soft music was playing, all setting a romantic tone.

  “Ahh, how nice.”

  He glanced over at Claire. She honestly thought so? Didn’t she know that compared to the twinkling stars, this was a notch up in the romantic category? Couldn’t she see how badly he wanted to kiss her—really kiss her.

  “Let’s share a glass of wine before bed, Logan. It will help us sleep,” she suggested.

  She clearly had no clue how her very presence fired his libido. But he couldn’t lose control, didn’t dare venture off course with his plan. Besides, he didn’t need anything to help him sleep. Knowing he would dream about her was incentive enough. But then he noticed the look of excitement on her face and in her voice. “Sounds like a good idea. You grab the glasses and I’ll get the bottle. Red or white?”

  “Either will do.”

  They went into the kitchen and he grabbed a bottle of white wine off the counter. Both bottles were compliments of the lodge. He glanced across the way and saw her reaching up to get the glasses from a top shelf in the cabinet. Just as one of the glasses was about to fall down on her, he placed the wine bottle aside and rushed over to her.

  “Here, let me help with that, Claire” he said, leaning up and grabbing the second glass. “I didn’t realize you were so short.”

  “Hey, watch it. I don’t consider 5’8 to be short, Logan.”

  He grinned. “Since I’m 6’3, I do.” They were standing close, nearly as close as they had been standing earlier under the stars. Darn, but she smelled good.

  Logan knew he should take a step back. He’d given her the glass so there was no reason he was still there, almost right in her face. “I’ll go back and grab the wine,” he said, moving to the counter to pick up the wine bottle.

  “Okay. Thanks again for your help.” She turned to leave and he watched her go, appreciating the sway of her hips under the skirt she was wearing.

  Suddenly, she stopped, then glanced over her shoulder and caught him staring. She met his gaze, looking at him a little dumbfounded. “Is something wrong?”

  “No, nothing is wrong. I was just thinking about something.” That was the only excuse he could come up with for having been caught ogling her ass.

  “Oh. I just wanted to remind you to grab the bottle-opener.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  Then she left the kitchen, leaving him behind to fight the desire he felt racing through his body. His erection throbbed, and he wondered if she’d seen it. Hopefully the wine bottle had blocked it from view.

  He took a deep br
eath. It was time to pull himself together.

  Claire placed the glasses on the table in front of the fireplace. Had she imagined it, or had she caught Logan checking her out? Okay, so she was a woman and he was a man—attraction happened. But would it happen between two individuals who were just friends? Then again, hadn’t she been checking him out, earlier. And, of course, there was that incident under the stars. She honestly thought he’d intended to give her more than just a peck on the lips. Had she thought--or had she hoped? It didn’t matter now but…

  She glanced toward the kitchen and heard him opening and closing drawers. Should she tell him the opener was on the counter, near where the wine bottle had been? What was the saying? Had it been a snake, it would have bit him.

  She glanced at the fireplace. Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to suggest they relax in front of the fire with a glass of wine. But she hadn’t been ready to leave his company yet, and thanks to the nap she’d taken earlier, she was wide awake.

  “Found it.”

  She glanced over and watched Logan walk toward her, all six’ three of him. Why did he have to be so easy on the eyes? “For a moment there, I thought I was going to have to help you look for it,” she teased, scooting over to share the sofa with him.

  When he sat down beside her, she was struck by how the denim of his jeans molded to his thick, muscular thighs. She swallowed. What was she getting herself into?

  He opened the wine bottle with a proficiency that spoke of practice, then poured wine into their glasses. “Not too much. Otherwise I will sleep through the alarm,” she warned.

  “Then I’ll have to wake you up.”

  The thought of him entering her bedroom while she slept kicked her pulse into gear. She tended to wear very little clothing when she slept—sometimes

  nothing at all. If he had to come and get her, they’d both experience a very different kind of awakening. “I’ll set my backup alarm to make sure you won’t have to do that.”