by Kristi Gold
“He’ll have a great time. We’ll talk to you Sunday evening and he can tell you all about it then.”
As much as she hated David’s resistance, she couldn’t very well force the issue. “Fine. I’ll be waiting to hear from him. Give him a kiss for me, and please take good care of him, David.”
“I will. Good night.”
After hanging up the phone, Jenna released a litany of mild oaths and a few tears. She admittedly resented David’s ability to give their child the adventure of a lifetime, while all she could offer was a nightly phone call. And all of her heart.
At times like these, she hated her deficit with a searing passion. Hated that she would be stuck for a whole week worrying about her son, and going to bed every night without hearing his voice.
She could only hope that, someday soon, she’d have her sight returned so her baby could be with her again. In the meantime, she’d do what she had to do to keep her mind off her troubles, although at the moment, she had no idea how she would fill all those lonely hours.
“How did the meeting in Kansas go, boss?”
Logan looked up from the paperwork he’d been staring at for over an hour to Bob, who was standing in his office doorway. “It went fine.”
The man hitched up his pants beneath his big belly, strolled to the desk and pulled up a chair without an invitation. “So are you going to buy the planes?”
That still remained to be seen. He had enough assets to seal the deal, but he could use more capital. After building a successful business, he couldn’t help but be ambivalent over letting go of his profits, and that’s where his liaison with Avery Fordyce came in—if the man decided to cooperate. “I’ll let you know as soon as I decide.”
When Bob continued to study him, Logan lost what was left of his patience. “Anything else, Bob?”
“Just wondering what’s got you so distracted.”
A diminutive brunette. For the past two days, he hadn’t been able to get Jenna out of his head, or his fantasies. “I’m not distracted, Bob. I’m tired. It’s been a long two days.”
“If you ask me, you could use a vacation. I don’t remember the last time you’ve taken even a couple of days off.”
Neither could Logan. “Right now that’s not a priority.”
Bob scrubbed a hand over the sparse hair on his scalp. “You know, boss, I learned a long time ago that you can burn the candle at both ends until you’re burnt out.”
He wasn’t burnt out, at least, not yet. “Thanks for the suggestion. And, unless you have something business related to tell me, we both need to get back to work.”
Bob pushed back the chair and stood, looking uncomfortable. “Someone’s here to see you, but it’s not business. It’s personal.”
Talking about beating around the bush. “And you’re just now telling me that. Bob?”
“You might decide you’re too busy for a visit.”
Logan compiled a quick list of people he didn’t care to see, and came up with two. One happened to be a client who always overstayed his welcome; the other was his former flame, and hell would ice before she’d show up at his office. “Tell me who it is, and I’ll let you know if I’m available.”
“Ms. Brennan.”
The temperature just turned arctic in hell. “What does she want?”
“I didn’t ask her, boss. She just said she needed a few minutes of your time and that it’s important.”
He couldn’t imagine what Helena had to say, or if he even wanted to hear it. But he might as well get it over with because, knowing her, she’d force her way into his office. “Send her in, but tell her I only have ten minutes.” The sooner he was rid of her, the better.
“Sure thing, Mr. O’Brien.”
Before Logan had time to prepare, Helena Brennan strolled through his door, looking much the same as she had the last time he’d encountered her—the night he’d called off their wedding. She was a typical bombshell blonde—tall, long legs, great body and, at one time, he’d known every inch of it intimately. But today she wore a tailored white suit that wasn’t up to her usual “got it, flaunt it” standards and her hair pulled back in a bun. In fact, she looked almost matronly.
“Hello, Logan.” She paused too survey the area. “You’ve redecorated your office.” She ran her hand along the edge of the desk. “I like the chrome.”
He didn’t bother to respond or stand and that would send his mother into orbit. He did gesture toward the chair Bob had occupied a few minutes before. “Sit.”
She complied and folded her hands primly in her lap. “I suppose I’m the last person you thought you’d see today.”
She was the last person he wanted to see. “Why are you here?” Helena flinched at his harsh tone. “I have something I need to tell you.” He knew exactly where this was heading. “Look, if you’re wanting a reconciliation—”
“I’m here to tell you I’m getting married.”
That he hadn’t been expecting, and he couldn’t deny the blow to his ego. “I would’ve read about it in the society page.”
“It hasn’t been officially announced yet, and I wanted you to hear it from me, first. I thought I owed you that much.”
As if he really cared what she did or whom she did it with. “Who’s the unlucky guy?”
“Randolph Morrison.”
Old money uniting with old money. Figured. “Congratulations on the merger.”
Anger flared in her blue eyes. “For your information, he loves me, although you might find that impossible to believe.”
A year ago, he’d thought he’d been in love with her, too. “I hope the two of you have a long and prosperous life together.” Prosperous was a given.
She shifted slightly in her seat. “In the year you and I have been apart, I’ve realized our relationship was destined to fail, and why.”
“Was that before or after you pretended to be pregnant?”
Her gaze momentarily faltered. “I’m sorry for that. You know what they say. Desperate people do desperate things, and I was desperate to keep you. But I’ve changed, and I have you to thank for that.”
He had a hard time believing that. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve opened my eyes to what I feel is important in a man, and I’ve found that with Randy. I now understand the reasons it didn’t work with us, and it had as much to do with you as it did with me. Would you like to hear my conclusions for future relationship reference?”
He didn’t want nor need her opinions. “Is this going to take long? I have a conference call in a few minutes.” More like half an hour, but he wanted her out of there and out of his life for good.
She lifted a perfectly arched brow. “Are you afraid of taking a little constructive criticism, Logan?” Like she had the right to criticize anyone. “If it makes you feel better, go ahead.”
“Good.” She leaned forward and studied him long and hard. “You’re a beautiful man, Logan, and you have a good heart. You’re driven to succeed in business, almost too driven, but you’re generous when it comes to strangers in need. You’re a master at knocking the ground from beneath a woman’s feet and getting her flat on her back in your bed using sexy, provocative words. And you also have the talent and skills to back them up. I know that better than anyone.”
When she hesitated, Logan recognized the worst of the character assassination were yet to come. “But?”
“You have no idea how to be a friend to a woman.”
His frame went rigid. “That sure as hell isn’t true.”
“Really? Then tell me my favorite color?” Think fast, O’Brien. “Brown.”
“Wrong.”
“Is there a point to all of this, Helena?” Aside from citing his shortcomings.
She rose from the chair and clutched her purse in her arms. “The point is that if you ever become seriously involved with another woman, you might want to take her out to dinner a few times and get to know her, before you take her to bed. Ask her questions and let her
know you’re interested not only in her body, but in her mind, as well. You’d be surprised what a difference that makes.”
She was seriously wrong. They’d been to dinner on numerous occasions during their time together. He’d taken her to several business functions, even if he had taken her to bed the first night they’d met. And the only thing on her mind when they’d dated had been the husband hunt… and shopping.
Logan saw no reason to rehash old recriminations. The past belonged in the past. “Your suggestions are duly noted,” he said. “Anything else you want to rake me over the coals for?”
“Not at all, because I know that below your tough surface, there’s a really great guy just waiting to come out and shine. It’s going to take a very special woman to make that happen. I hope you find her soon.”
She spun around and swayed out the door, giving Logan a glimpse of the Helena he’d known and had thought he’d loved.
He hated her harsh assessment. Despised that she viewed him as some shallow guy on the make who didn’t give a damn about women. Hated that he’d found a measure of truth in her words, mainly when it came to the friendship part.
Fact was, he and Helena had never been friends. They’d had some good times and great sex, but beyond that, they’d shared little in common. She didn’t like sports or his brothers. Going a week without a manicure was her idea of roughing it, and walking from the four-car garage into her father’s mansion had been the only hiking she cared to do.
He doubted he would find the perfect mix of friendship and passion with a woman… unless he’d already found it in Jenna Fordyce. And that was a problem. Forming more than a casual relationship with her had several strikes against it—her father and that little issue of her refusing to see him again.
Maybe he could convince her to reconsider. Maybe he could prove to himself that he was capable of developing a solid friendship with a woman, even a woman who’d occupied his down and dirty dreams for three solid nights.
He could be setting himself up for failure if she refused to see him again, or even if she didn’t. He wasn’t sure how this would all come out in the end, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t going try.
Chapter Six
When Jenna felt the shake on her shoulder, she pulled the headphones from her ears. “Yes, Sasha?”
“Sorry to be a bother. Miss, but you have a phone call.”
For the past two days, she’d been counting the hours until she could reconnect with her son. She prayed David had reconsidered and the wait was finally over. “Is it John David?”
“No ma’am. It’s a man.”
Jenna’s heart took a nosedive. “Does he have a name?”
“He said he’s a friend, and that he enjoyed the roses.”
She could only think of one man who might fit that description. “I’ll take it.” If only to hear a friendly voice. Anything to get her mind off her moping.
Sasha placed the phone in her hand and after Jenna heard the study door close, she answered with, “Are you looking for an invitation to see my garden again?”
“Not a bad idea, but it’s fairly late.”
As far as she was concerned, Logan’s timing couldn’t have been better. “I’m still wide-awake and probably will be most of the night.”
“Why’s that?”
“No offense, but I was expecting someone else, and I’m a little disappointed it wasn’t him.”
“You have another guy waiting in the wings, huh?”
Oddly, he sounded letdown. “Yes. A little guy. I haven’t spoken with my son since Sunday. His father and new stepmother have taken him on a cruise.”
“And you’re missing him.”
An accurate assessment from a man she barely knew. “You could say that.”
“If you want some company, just say the word and I’ll pick you up in a half hour. We could go for a drive or grab some coffee.”
His persuasive voice served as an enticement, but good sense told her not to risk making a mistake when she felt so vulnerable. “I appreciate the suggestion, but—”
“Hang on a minute.”
The line went silent for a few seconds until Logan came back to the phone. “That’s a helluva lot better.”
“What were you doing?”
“Undressing.”
She had a detailed mental snapshot of that, even if she had no idea if it was accurate. “Do you make it a habit of taking off your clothes while you’re on the phone with a woman?”
His laugh was incredibly seductive. “I’m not taking off all my clothes, just this damn noose around my neck and this stiff shirt. I only wear a suit and tie when I have to.”
“The outdoorsman has spoken.”
“Former outdoorsman. Lately I’m either trapped in my office or an airport.”
She could relate to that, only, the house—and her vision loss—had led to her confinement. “I know what you mean. I really miss taking long walks. Fresh air and trees. I love pine trees.”
“So do I. And I have an idea that’s better than going for coffee tonight. We should go camping this weekend.”
Jenna swallowed around her shock. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah. We could both use some time to get away. A trip between friends. There’s an Arkansas state park in the Ozarks you’d enjoy.”
She couldn’t imagine accompanying him out of state. In truth, she could, even though she shouldn’t. “A friendly camping trip, huh?”
“Sure. No expectations. Just good company and conversation.” Jenna was very tempted to say yes but thought better of it. “Arkansas is fairly far way.”
“We can leave on Friday and get a head start. If you’ll go, I’ll make the trip worth your while. I’m an expert camper.”
She suspected his expertise went far beyond camping. “I suppose that entails pitching a more than adequate tent.”
“Yeah, and with your help, I’ll have it up in record time.”
She couldn’t disregard the suggestion in his tone, or her rather warm response to it. “Nothing like a confident camper. How are you at building fires?”
“Pretty good. I like to start out slowly, then stoke it until it’s hot enough to melt steel.”
She was veritably hot enough to melt steel. “What’s your secret to that?”
“Goodwood.”
If she didn’t stop this provocative conversation now, she’d agree to meet him tonight for a little fire building. Worse, she might agree to go away with him for the weekend. “Are you sure you don’t expect more than a friendly trip?”
He sighed. “I’m sure, and I apologize for giving you the impression I expect more.”
Quite a switch from the smooth sex talk he’d levied on her a moment before. Yet she wasn’t certain she could trust him, or for that matter, trust herself. “Again, this sounds great, but I’m going to have to take a rain check. I need to be available in case John David needs me.”
“He’s miles away, Jenna, and I’m offering you a distraction.”
He was already distracting her and presenting ideas she had no business considering. “With my poor eyesight, you’d have more of a burden with me tagging along than if you went alone.” Or with another woman, and she was certain he had more than a few waiting in the proverbial wings.
“Come to think of it, you could be right. You might not enjoy the limited facilities. Not a masseuse or hair dresser within twenty miles. Just me, the wildlife and the fire.”
He was wrong about her preferences. Dead wrong. “As I’ve told you before, I used to hike before my vision gave out on me. I’m very good at all the aforementioned camping aspects, I don’t need to be pampered and I can handle a trail blindfolded.”
“Then, prove it.”
She hesitated a few moments, chastising herself for buckling beneath the power of his intentional baiting. Did she dare spend three days with him? Three days convening with nature, something she hadn’t done in a long time. Three days outside the family mansion that had become
her personal prison. Three days spent with a man who had seduction down to a science, regardless of his insistence he only wanted friendship.
“Okay. You’re on.” She only hoped she survived all his proficiency.
“Good. I’ll pick you up bright and early Friday morning, and I’ll have you home on Sunday in time to talk to your son.”
She didn’t do mornings very well. “How early?”
“It’s a solid day’s drive, so I’m thinking 5:00 a.m., unless you can’t live without your beauty sleep, princess.”
She made a note to put a large Thermos of coffee at the top of her list of things to bring, right beneath the speech she would write about the perils of calling her a princess. “I’ll be ready.”
“Great. One more thing—” he hesitated a moment”—I’m serious about being your friend, Jenna. I think we could both use that more than anything right now.”
He certainly sounded sincere. “Can you really do that, Logan? Be only a friend to a woman without wanting anything else?”
“I’m going to give it my best shot, but I’ll need your help.”
In other words, she would have to try doubly hard to resist him if he failed to live up to his promise. Or maybe she wouldn’t try to resist him. After all, celibacy wasn’t what it was cracked up to be. They were both above the age of consent and, should the situation arise, she might decide to simply go for it while she had the chance. “One more thing. Which one of us is going to inform my father?”
“You just worry about packing, and I’ll take care of Avery.”
“Are you sure you want to do that, Logan?”
“Sure. How bad could it be?”
“If I were you, O’Brien, I’d turn right around and walk back out the door.”
Logan had been threatened by fathers before, but none had been business colleagues. He could deal with Avery better if they were seated at a conference table, hammering out a deal not standing in the living room waiting for the man’s daughter to appear so he could take her away. Even though Avery was wearing a blue robe instead of his usual silk suit, he looked formidable. He also looked like he could pick up the nearby fireplace poker and impale Logan with it if he didn’t comply with his command.
