Club Destiny 1 Conviction

by Nicole Edwards

  Once his report was finished, Logan logged off of his computer, grabbing his cell phone on the way out the door. He dialed the last number on his missed call list, and it was quickly answered.

  “Xavier, I noticed you called earlier. Just wanted to give you a call back. What’s up?” Logan listened intently as Xavier told him that he needed to meet with him. Today.

  “Are you in the building?” He waited briefly for his boss’ confirmation, and once given, he replied with a quick, “See you in ten”, then hung up the phone.

  It was highly unusual for Xavier to meet Logan at his office this late in the day, but Xavier was on his way.

  According to his boss, he had something urgent to discuss, which meant only one thing. Whatever he had to say would probably pertain to his relationship with Sam.

  A couple of his V.P.’s had made offhanded comments in passing a couple of times, so he knew their relationship hadn’t gone unnoticed like they’d hoped. Since he hadn’t let them bait him, they must have gone to Xavier with their grievances.

  Stopping at Sam’s office, he pushed open her door and forced a smile.

  “Hey.” Her smile brightened her face, and he hated what he had to tell her next.

  “Hey back. Are you already done?” She asked, her attention back on her computer.

  “Not quite. Xavier wants to talk to me.”

  Sam jerked her head in his direction, her eyes wide, her face pale. “About?”

  He had already told Sam about Larry and Abigail’s comments regarding their relationship, and he knew she suspected the same thing he did.

  “I’m not sure just yet. He’s on his way now. Wait for me.” His lips turned upward, but he knew the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “I’ll be here. I don’t have anywhere else to go.”

  Remembering that he had driven her to work that day, Logan almost offered her to take his car. Selfishly, he opted not to, wanting to see her as soon as this conversation was over.

  As soon as he’d shut her office door behind him, Logan saw Xavier and Alex walking his way. Shit. This definitely couldn’t be good if Xavier had brought Alex along.

  Since Alex wasn’t exactly employed by XTX, rather his company was contracted by XTX to provide security, Logan didn’t know what the other man might be able to contribute.

  Xavier greeted when he and Alex fell into step with Logan on the way to his office. Thankfully Deanna had already left for the day. His sweet, spunky admin would probably panic at the sight the three of them probably made.

  “Thanks for meeting me this late.” Xavier said when the office door finally shut behind them.

  “Sure thing. Please have a seat.” Nodding at Alex, Logan greeted his friend, wondering what the other man was doing there. “Alex.”

  Without hesitation, Xavier took one of the spare chairs in Logan’s office and directed his attention at him. “I’m going to get straight down to business since I know you probably have plans for the evening.”

  Logan didn’t say anything; he simply sat down and looked back at the other two men.

  “It seems we have a problem. Well, not quite a problem in my book, but it seems to be a problem with a couple of your employees.”

  Unsurprised by his comment, Logan nodded his understanding. Despite Xavier’s laid back appearance, Alex looked a bit more concerned by where the conversation was headed.

  “Abigail and Larry came to me this week in regards to you and your apparent relationship with Sam. It seems they have an issue with the fact that you’re dating one of your vice presidents, and they fear it will impact their jobs.”

  “Sure. I spoke with both of them earlier in the week.” This wasn’t news to him, but, figuring Abigail’s original disapproval of Sam, he expected as much. Abigail had been rooting for Tricia Shoenrock for the position, and had been disappointed when Logan didn’t even consider the less tenured project manager for the role.

  “Why didn’t you come to me?” Xavier asked, concerned.

  “I didn’t think it would continue to be an issue, but I should have known. What do I need to do? Hand in my resignation?” Logan immediately jumped to the conclusion that the only answer would be to leave the company. It was instinct.

  He was going to protect Sam at all costs. That was certainly a new and strange feeling for him, but for some reason, it no longer scared him. He had finally come to terms with his feelings for Sam and just short of telling her that he loved her, Logan had all but admitted how he felt.

  “Hell no. That isn’t the answer.” Xavier exclaimed, using his hands to punctuate the statement. “That’s why we’re here, actually. Alex has come up with an idea that we think will work for all involved.”

  Xavier looked to Alex and then back to Logan, apparently uncomfortable with the conversation. And what could Alex possibly do about the situation? He was the head of security, not exactly the career path either of them were leaning toward.

  “It might sound strange, but it makes sense, and above all else, I think it’ll actually benefit everyone involved.” Alex contributed.

  “How big is this problem, Xavier? Does it truly require change?” Logan questioned. He wanted to get Xavier’s perspective.

  “Well, since they’ve both threatened to engage HR or walk, and I’m not exactly good with either of those choices, I think it does.”

  Interesting. He knew Abigail pretty well, and he was actually surprised his tenured vice president would threaten to leave the company. He didn’t put it past Larry though since the man had always been aggressive when it came to his position.

  “Alright. I’m listening.”

  “As you and I previously discussed, I really don’t have a problem with you and Sam dating. Actually, I’m a little relieved you pulled the stick out of your ass and actually went after her.” Xavier responded, just as politically correct as always, making Logan laugh.

  Logan noticed Alex’s grin. It definitely wasn’t the first time Xavier had come to the forefront with his honesty. The two of them shared that sort of relationship, and it was one Logan had come to appreciate.

  “Alex’s idea involves Sam though. I wanted to run it by you before we presented her with the option.”

  Option? What the hell?

  “You have my attention.” Logan stated, uncomfortable now.

  “The situation seems to stem from the fact that Sam is your employee, and you and she are… together.” Alex stated flatly. “It doesn’t appear to be going away, so we had to come up with a plan. Unless you tell me the two of you are calling it quits, I think this is our only option.”

  “That’s not about to happen, so I hope you’ve got a good plan.”

  “As you probably already know, Logan,” Xavier began, “I’m very fond of Samantha and don’t want to lose her expertise here at XTX, so Alex and I have discussed what options we have of keeping her and you, employed. Other employees feel as though they don’t have the same opportunities Sam has, due to the circumstances.”

  “Although, we did tell Larry and Abigail they were free to ask you out anytime.” Alex smirked.

  “Shut up, smart ass.” Logan glared back at him, not able to find humor in the situation. “What are the options?”

  “Dylan and I have discussed –” Alex started, but was interrupted.

  “Dylan? What the hell does Dylan have to do with this?” Logan looked at one man then back to the other.

  “Since the last time we talked, Dylan has decided to relocate back to Dallas, mostly because Stacey was accepted to UTD, but also because he’s decided to go into business with Alex.”

  Logan looked to Alex for confirmation. “Since Dylan and I agree that Sam is a tremendous asset to XTX and in order to keep her employed on the current project as well as to have her expertise in other areas, we’re willing to offer her a comparable position with CISS.”

  Alex had worked for years to build his security agency from the ground up. He owned and operated the firm, and based on his kno
wledge, if Alex was serious, he would be able to offer Sam one hell of an opportunity.

  With Dylan joining the ranks, Logan was comfortable they’d be able to take the company to the next level. To this point, they’d embedded inside of XTX and only offered some basic personal security outside, but Logan knew Alex wasn’t hurting for business.

  As good of an opportunity as this presented for Sam, Logan didn’t think she’d see it that way.

  “What’s the catch?” Logan asked as he kept his gaze on Alex.

  “No catch. Actually, we would formally hire her and then contract her out to XTX for the remainder of the project. She wouldn’t report to you any longer, rather she would report directly in to Xavier.” Alex commented as he shifted in his chair.

  Logan glanced back at Xavier to see the man still sitting quietly, his face expressionless as he waited for Logan’s input. The strange thing was, this was actually a brilliant idea, provided CISS was willing to offer her the same money she was making as well as a permanent position in the Dallas area. Sam might not require the permanent position, but Logan did.

  “Have you taken into consideration the money she is making here at XTX?” Logan asked.

  “All taken care of. We’d match her salary, and she’d keep an executive position, bonus included. And, to top it all off, we’re willing to offer her a permanent position here in Dallas. That doesn’t mean she won’t travel, but her home base would be right here.” Alex grinned. “Close to you.”

  Logan could hear Sam now. She was going to give the two men hell, and he sure hoped he could sit by and watch it as it happened. Xavier and Alex knew Logan really didn’t have a say in the matter because the situation had already brought forth a human resource violation and, truthfully, XTX probably could lose the battle in court.

  “Well, gentlemen, you both know I can’t make this decision for her. I have two questions, though. First, who will be the one to try to sell her this idea? And two, what is behind door number two if she chooses to decline?”

  Xavier leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Logan, the only other option is to send her back to the San Antonio office.”

  Logan saw the strain on Xavier’s face, heard the uncertainty in his voice as he shared that little tidbit of information.

  “She’ll have the opportunity to get James’ job when he retires, but other than that, I don’t have much of a choice. And, we’ve designated you as the man to give her this information.”

  “Me? Why the hell does it have to be me? She’s going to feel as if I’m not giving her a choice.”

  “Logan, you’re close to her, and as of right now, she works for you. We truly need her to take this offer. It’s the best for both companies, as well as for you and her. This wasn’t something we took lightly.” Xavier ran his hand through his thick gray hair, a pained look on his face. “Son, I don’t want to have to do this. You know I’ve been supportive and hell, I really am glad you found someone to make you happy. This type of thing doesn’t happen but once and I don’t want the two of you to let something like this come between you.”

  Logan looked down at his desk. He knew Xavier wasn’t speaking to him as an employee; he was speaking as if he were family. Just knowing he had his support and the fact that Xavier was willing to give them this opportunity was more than he could have ever hoped for.

  Now came the hard part. He had to try and convince Sam.

  Damn this wasn’t going to be easy.

  Chapter Twenty Four

  ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~

  At six thirty, Sam was surprised to see Logan standing in the doorway of her office. He didn’t look happy, but he didn’t look upset either, so she had delayed asking how his meeting went.

  He took her to a local Mexican food restaurant not far from the office, where they spent an entire hour talking about work and where she was at with her project.

  The conversation wasn’t one she would have had with a boss under normal circumstances, which said a lot about what was going on and what their next steps would be.

  Sam enjoyed the fact that she and Logan shared the same interests, being able to talk openly about work, both of them seeming to be working toward the same goal. It was especially nice that he didn’t treat her as his employee when they talked outside of the office. The problem was that Logan wasn’t divulging any information about the meeting he had with Xavier and Alex either.

  She was past the point of curious, but more cautious than anything, which is what kept her from asking questions. Questions she did and did not want to know the answers to.

  She could only conclude the meeting had been serious, because Logan seemed more focused on work, which normally didn’t bother Sam so much, but tonight, when he wasn’t talking about work, he just wasn’t talking.

  After the check was paid, Sam took the hand Logan offered and allowed him to lead her to the car. Once they were there, he turned his attention to her, taking her by surprise.

  “So, I was thinking.”

  “That’s scary.” Sam teased, wondering if now was the time he was going to break the news to her.

  “Funny.” Logan smiled down at her, and Sam felt the spark in the air around them.

  “Remember that treat I promised you?”

  Sam’s head jerked back to meet his gaze as her insides began to riot. After the last time he’d ‘treated’ her to something, Sam had only imagined how he would top that. She felt the wet heat between her legs, caused only by the memory of that night.

  “I remember.” She found it odd that she actually hoped it would be another night like the last.

  Did that make her a pervert? God, she hoped not. But, just the thought of what happened a month ago made her temperature rise. Based on the way his hazel eyes turned even darker, Logan must have been able to read her anticipation.

  She avoided looking down, but wondered whether he was just as affected by the possibilities as she was.

  He left her hanging, opening the car door and waiting until she was inside. Once inside, she waited for him to climb in on the other side, and as soon as he was in, she threw a question at him.

  “When you made the original offer, I thought it involved a movie?” Trying to read his expression was like trying to find a contact lens in the dark. Outside.

  The man wasn’t going to give away his little secret. Not when he knew it was driving her crazy. If he had hoped to take her mind off of the meeting he had with Xavier, Logan succeeded. Now her sole focus was on wondering what was in store for her tonight.

  “Well, I was thinking maybe a little hot tub action would be good tonight.”

  Sam pretended to give thought to his suggestion. It made more sense, since a movie would be moot being that neither of them would be paying much attention to it.

  “Hot tub, huh?”

  “It sounded like a great way to relax.”

  Sam could tell he was trying for indifferent, but the way he was squeezing her hand just a little tighter than normal, said he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended. She felt the giant butterflies take flight in her stomach. She couldn’t help but be nervous. Excited, but nervous nonetheless.

  Would it be the same as last time? She seriously doubted it would be. Not with Logan. She didn’t figure anything would ever be routine with him. And that thought excited her even more.

  Once the car was parked in the garage, alongside the Corvette and his Silverado, Sam waited to see what would happen next. The last time they’d done this, she’d exited the vehicle practically naked.

  She didn’t have to wait long because Logan exited the car, coming around to her side just as she was letting herself out. Feeling a bit letdown by what wasn’t happening, Sam forced a smile on her face.

  “Don’t worry, I promise, this’ll be good.” Logan reassured her, apparently seeing her disappointment.

  Ten minutes later they were on the veranda, Logan set about lighting candles strategically placed from the doors to the pool. “So, why haven’t
you put a television out here yet?”

  “Hmmm. Good question. I’m a man after all, and we definitely like our toys.” He retorted, grinning sheepishly.

  The atmosphere was once again romantic with candles lit along the walkway to the hot tub. The hot tub was actually separate from the pool, equipped with reclining seats, and a multitude of various jets.

  Against the house, a large couch, if you could actually call it that, lined the back wall, curving around to enclose the seating area. About fifteen feet long, and double the depth of a normal couch, with large throw pillows tossed about, the thing was a monstrosity.

  The entire area was discretely sheltered by the roof and the surrounding foliage, obviously kept high to keep out prying eyes. Sam grinned to herself – it was the perfect area to skinny dip in.

  “Would you like a drink?” Logan asked, coming up from behind and wrapping his arms around her waist. She leaned into him, her arms resting over the top of his.

  “A little liquid courage, huh? Sure. I’ll take vodka and 7-Up.”

  “Do you trust me, Sam?” This time he whispered in her ear as he continued to hold her.

  “I trust you.” She confirmed, but didn’t move to look at him.

  The words were coming out easier, more conviction behind them. And now, after all the time that had passed, not only did she trust him with her body, she trusted him with her heart.

  In the end, she might have a broken heart, but the chance to be with him, even if it didn’t last forever, was worth every bit.

  “Do you trust me to take you places you’ve never been before?” His deep voice rumbled in her ear as his tongue gently swept the sensitive area of her neck, just below her ear.

  She nodded her head, even as she tilted it to the side to allow him better access. His lips gently graced the sensitive skin, and, for a moment, she thought her knees would buckle. “I’m eager to go those places with you.”

  “Do you remember your safe word?”

  “Yes.”

  “I want you to do exactly what I tell you.”

  Nodding her understanding, Sam lifted her arms so his hands could slide out from under hers. Her spine tingled when his hands ventured beneath her shirt onto her sides, his warmth and strength penetrated her nerve endings.