Way to be optimistic, Piper.
But she couldn’t help it. Everyone knew Logan was a bit of a playboy who never dated any woman more than a handful of times. She supposed she should consider herself lucky that she appeared to be the exception to the rule, but she also knew why.
At some point, they really had become friends, and she was thankful he hadn’t just done a one-night thing with her and moved on. It showed that he respected her and, in turn, it made her respect him too.
The only issue was…she wanted more.
With him.
Yeah, she hadn’t seen that one coming at all.
Piper had gone into this…fling…with her eyes wide open and somewhere along the line, she started having more than just sexual feelings for Logan. If he asked her to come with him to Boston or wherever it was he landed, she would seriously consider telling the guys she couldn’t accept the job and would start a new search in whatever city she and Logan moved to. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but she needed to acknowledge her feelings so she could deal with them.
Even if Logan couldn’t.
Or…if he never knew.
Sighing, she got up off the couch and went to grab herself something to drink and to check on the stew that was simmering in the Crock-Pot. As much as she didn’t enjoy cooking, she didn’t mind cooking in the Crock-Pot. It smelled delicious and she felt good about making something for her father and not letting Logan feed her yet again. She’d tried everything on the menu at the Vault and, as delicious as it all was, she had a craving for some comfort food today.
Not that she’d turn down anything Logan happened to bring home tonight. Late-night snacks were kind of her thing and when they involved fresh seafood, she definitely indulged.
Then she planned on indulging in him.
Just the thought of things they’d done–and the things he’d done to her–had her blushing and tingling all at the same time. They were completely in sync with each other and even though she enjoyed spending time doing other things than…well…each other, she had to say she looked forward to that point in the night when he would reach for her hand and lead her to his bed. She missed getting a full-night’s sleep, but she was fairly certain she’d more than make up for it once he left.
Her heart ached at the thought.
The easy way out was to just pretend she didn’t have feelings for him, to simply enjoy their time together and then have a pity party for herself when it was over.
But she wasn’t someone who shied away from challenges.
So where did that leave her?
“Ugh…I have to talk to him about this,” she said, hoping that saying it out loud would prompt her to actually do it.
She was about to think about what she was going to say when she saw Logan tonight when her father walked in the door and gave her a warm smile.
“There’s my pretty Piper,” he said as he kicked off his work boots. “How was the rest of your day?”
Where do I even begin?
“Shoot! Shoot, Logan! Gah, what are you doing?”
“I…am…trying!” he cried with frustration, suddenly feeling like he was all thumbs and nothing was working right. “I think…dammit!” Throwing his game controller down, he growled with frustration as he stood and stalked over to the kitchen. “This game hates me!” Pulling a beer from the refrigerator and a bottle of water for Piper, he took a minute to cool down.
It didn’t matter what game they played, she kicked his ass and he was getting tired of it. He understood that gaming is Piper’s career, but how could she possibly be good at all of them?!
When he walked back over to the sofa, he saw the knowing smirk on her face.
“Yeah, I was pouting. Sue me,” he grumbled, handing her the bottle of water.
“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. We just haven’t found the right game for you yet,” she said sweetly, and with just a hint of condescension.
And yet…he couldn’t hold it against her.
“Piper, we’ve played sports games, shooter games, racing games, puzzles…we even played that Disney game for kids and I can’t win.” Sitting down beside her, he took a long pull of his beer. Resting his head back against the cushions, he turned and looked at her. “If I had a white flag, I’d be waving it right now.”
With a soft chuckle, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “You just need more practice, that’s all.”
“Or…we can find something else to do and just claim you as the champion.”
“Stop. You beat me at pool, remember that?”
“Hmm…” He paused. “I think we should start doing some of the things that I’m interested in and we’ll see how you do.”
She gave him a bland look. “I thought that’s what we do every night after we finish gaming.”
Such a sassy mouth, he thought as he leaned in and kissed her. And not just a peck on the lips like she had just given him; this was a conquering kiss–one that told her he was done playing. He didn’t want to talk about gaming or why it bothered him so much that she always won. Hell, he was done talking.
Piper let out a small squeak of surprise when he scooped her up in his arms without breaking the kiss and carried her to his bed.
“Logan,” she panted breathlessly when he broke the kiss, but whatever it was she was going to say turned to a moan as he lifted her shirt up and cupped her breasts.
And Piper had some spectacular breasts.
Hell, he could lie here and worship them all damn night.
But he had other plans and they all involved pleasuring every inch of her.
Her nails raked through his hair, scratching his scalp and he welcomed it. She was so damn responsive to his touch that he could bring her to the brink of exhaustion–which he had–and she still would react to even the tiniest of caresses.
Soon he was back to kissing her lips as they both worked together to get undressed. There was an urgency to her tonight that he wanted to question, but he was too busy enjoying it. By the time he had her naked, he felt a little out of control himself. The need to take her and be taken by her warred within him and for the second time tonight, he suddenly felt like he was all thumbs.
In between kisses, he began talking to her–breathlessly throwing out random phrases that he couldn’t seem to stop.
And wasn’t sure he wanted to.
“God, Piper…” He kissed her neck as her legs slowly wrapped around him. “You always feel so good. So soft.” Her hands anchored in his hair again and she brought his lips to hers and kissed him. It was one of those kisses that were deep and wet and so damn sexy that he swore he felt weak.
Lifting his lips from hers, he began kissing his way down her body.
“I think about you all the damn time,” he said between kisses. “All day. All night.” More kissing. “What are you doing to me?”
Oh, God…shut up! Why are you talking?
He quickly made his way back up to her mouth and knew the only way to shut himself up was to kiss her again. Piper was more than willing and her hands scratched up and down his back. She lingered and grabbed his ass before coming back up and pulling his hair to break the kiss. Her dark eyes were sexy and a little dazed as she looked at him, and he swore in that moment that he would never grow tired of looking at her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “So perfect.” A kiss on the tip of her nose. “You’re everything.”
Say what now?
Piper’s eyes grew wide at his words and rather than examining too closely why he was suddenly so damn chatty about his feelings toward her, he rolled them over so she was straddling him.
Now there was a sight.
His hands moved from her hips, up her rib cage, and back to her breasts. “Piper, I…I…”
She leaned down until they were nose to nose. “Logan?”
“Hmm?”
“Less talking, more moving.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
N
o need to ask me twice…
Crisis averted.
9
For the better part of the morning, Logan read over the business plan Piper had given him. He might not know a lot about the video game business–or how to play them apparently–but it seemed like these guys had a solid plan.
They just had no idea how to execute it.
Or all the funding they were going to need to make it happen.
For whatever reason, Piper didn’t want him talking directly to her friends. If he had any questions, he could ask her and then she would relay them to the guys.
That wasn’t going to work for him.
It wasn’t hard to get phone numbers–both names and their contact information were in the proposal–but it would mean going against Piper’s wishes. There was a part of him that felt a bit guilty about going behind her back, but if he was going to be able to fully understand their business and offer advice on what it was they should be doing, he needed to talk to them directly and not through Piper.
He was about to make the call when his phone rang.
Nana.
It was a little like divine intervention, because he knew he could talk to Nana about this and figure out the best way to handle it.
“Hey, Nana,” he said, smiling. “How are you doing today?”
“I’m bored and thought I’d take you up on your offer to go to lunch,” she stated in her usual, blunt way.
He looked at his watch and saw it was five minutes to eleven and laughed softly. “I can’t guarantee I’ll be there to pick you up in the next five minutes,” he teased. “You sure you’ll be okay eating a late lunch today?”
“I had some fruit and crackers a little while ago, just in case.”
“That’s my girl!” Looking around, he knew there wasn’t anything he had to do before he left. He had already showered and was dressed to head into work so… “How about I pick you up in twenty minutes?”
“Make it fifteen and you’ve got a deal.”
He laughed again. “Okay, fifteen it is. I’ll see you then. Love you!”
“Love you too, baby boy,” she said before hanging up.
All the files were on his laptop and there was still more he wanted to look over, but it would have to wait until after lunch. If he took Nana to lunch at the Vault, he’d still have to drive her home afterward. He grabbed it and figured he’d keep it in the car until after lunch. Then he’d simply go back to the Vault and make the call from his office.
Unless Nana talked him out of it.
Fifteen minutes later, he was helping her into his car and wished he had something a little higher off the ground for her. “You sure this is going to be okay? Maybe I can go grab the Range Rover from up at the big house or something.”
“Oh, stop. Granted, this isn’t exactly easy, but you’re strong enough to haul me out of this thing when I need it, right?”
“Um…yeah. Of course!”
“Good. Now get in and let’s go. I’m starving,” she said, even as she primly smoothed down her floral dress.
Only Nana…
Sure enough, he had to practically lift her out of the car when they arrived, but they both got a good laugh out of it. Once they were inside, everyone came over to say hello to her and made a bit of a fuss over her–which she loved.
Before their server could even go over the daily specials, Fiona was ordering. “I’m going to start with the crab cake appetizer. Then I want a cup of the corn chowder–and don’t bring them too close together. I need some time between courses.”
Morgan looked at Logan and smiled before returning her attention to Fiona. “Okay, and what would you like for your main course?”
“I’ll have the salmon BLT–extra B, okay?”
“Nana, do you really think…”
She smacked his arm without breaking eye contact with Morgan. “Don’t listen to him. Extra bacon and make sure it’s crispy.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Morgan looked back at Logan. “And for you, Mr. Blackthorne?”
“I’ll take the same. With the normal amount of bacon. Thanks, Morgan.”
Once she was gone, he turned and smiled at his grandmother. “I’m glad you called today.”
“Really?” she asked, seeming surprised.
Nodding, he explained, “I have a slight moral dilemma and I’m hoping you can help me with it.”
Her eyes lit up, clearly delighted that he was seeking her advice.
“Okay, let’s hear it.”
Logan did his best to explain the whole situation–from his offer to help to Piper wanting to be the go-between.
“She must have her reasons, Logan. Maybe she doesn’t trust you.”
“What?!” he cried, offended. “Why would you even think that? We’ve been spending a lot of time together! There’s no way Piper wouldn’t trust me. No way.”
She shrugged. “Okay, then why do you think she put that stipulation in there?”
But he was stumped. “I honestly don’t know.” Letting out a long breath, he studied his grandmother. She had more insight than people gave her credit for and he had never been anything but honest with her. “There’s no reason for Piper to hide anything from me. She should trust me.”
Reaching over, Nana patted his hand. “I’m going to say something and you’re probably going to get a little huffy about it.”
He was already dreading whatever she had to say.
“Logan, you’re a fun, young man. You’re handsome and charming and not only do all the girls chase you, but men want to be your friend.”
O-kay. Not hating this so far…
“But..”
Here we go…
“You’re the good-time boy, the one people look to for a good time. You don’t take anything seriously–especially relationships with women. So if Piper doesn’t trust you, it’s probably because of your reputation. Ever thought of that?”
“Wow. That was a little harsh,” he said quietly, not quite meeting her gaze.
She squeezed his hand. “Of course, I could be wrong, but you have to think about the way others see you, Logan. I know your father is always saying how you don’t take things seriously. Especially where work is concerned.”
Then, before he could stop himself, he told her about their latest confrontation on that topic.
“I’m very aware that your father can be like a bull in a china shop sometimes. He’s not particularly eloquent when he has a point he’s trying to get across. On top of that, he’s stubborn. I don’t always agree with the way he handles things–like how he’s handling this situation with your mother–but deep down, he just wants what’s best for you. For all his sons and nephews.”
“Does he? Because it seems like he’s more interested in what’s best for him. I don’t think he gives much thought to what we want.”
“And what is it that you want?” she asked carefully. “You’re not getting any younger, my dear boy. This can’t come as a surprise that you have to pick a career.”
“But I have one,” he argued. “Or…several. I go wherever I’m needed. I keep up with all the company reports and finances. I do presentations and schmooze clients and…”
“It’s all pretty superficial, Logan. By now you should have some idea of where you want to be.”
The conversations he and Piper had on this topic came to mind and he contemplated running her theory by Nana.
Might as well throw it all out there while I’m at it…
“I want the whole thing. I want to be the one to take over when Dad retires,” he stated and then sat back and waited for her response.
“Interesting,” she said, and smiled up at Morgan as she served their appetizers. “Thank you, dear.” She took a small bite of her crab cake without even looking at him.
How could she eat? They were in the middle of a major conversation. “Um…Nana?”
“Hmm?” She placed her fork down and smiled. “I don’t care what anyone says, those are the best crab cakes I’ve ever
had. I know this place is famous for the chowder, but these crab cakes are an absolute delight!”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, they’re delicious,” he murmured.
With a frown, she faced him. “I knew you were going to get huffy.”
“Could we please go back to what I told you? And can you please say something other than ‘interesting’?”
“Why do you want that position, Logan? You barely have any responsibility now, so why would you want to make the leap to having all the responsibility? It doesn’t make sense!”
“Because I know about all of our divisions,” he reasoned. “So it does makes sense!”
“Not particularly. Trey is familiar with all the divisions and has been groomed to take your father’s place. After him, I would say Brock.” Then she gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think it’s the right fit for you, and honestly, I think you’re choosing it as an easy out.”
“What?!” People were staring but he didn’t care. “How could you say that? Did Piper talk to you?”
“No, she didn’t, but it’s fairly obvious. It’s a convenient option–now you don’t have to choose, you just want to oversee it all. And personally, I’m a little disappointed in you for it.”
What was happening here? Why did no one understand why he wanted–no, deserved–that position?
“Nana…”
She held up a hand to stop him. “I’m serious, Logan. No one starts at the top. You have to work your way up. I know you don’t think it’s fair and being the youngest means you’d have the longest wait.”
He shook his head but couldn’t think of a thing to say.
“It’s not the way to get your father’s approval,” she said quietly. “He’s not going to be impressed by you making that announcement. If you’re looking to make a name for yourself, that’s not the way to do it.”
“Piper sort of said the same thing,” he said, reaching for his fork.
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