“Logan?” she’d whispered, her eyes big as she stared somewhere over his shoulder.
He’d squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on becoming visible again.
“Oh, my God.” Her words sounded hoarse and Logan had opened his eyes to see his mother now looking straight at him. “How—what—when...”
She had sat hard on the couch, still staring at him. “How did you—?”
“You really couldn’t see me?” he asked, excitement growing in him.
“You were invisible.” His mother had reached for him and she’d drawn him into her arms and held him. “Your father and I were beginning to wonder when or if you would manifest some kind of paranormal talent.”
“I was in-di-visible?” He still remembered trying to figure out what “invisible” meant. At the time he wasn’t sure what “manifest” meant or “paranormal talent”, but he guessed they had something to do with him becoming invisible.
His mother brushed hair from his face with her fingers. “We weren’t sure if you would get your father’s or my talents. I never expected you to be able to disappear and I doubt your father did, either. Neither one of us can do that.”
He had scrunched up his face. At four he was having a hard time understanding what she was talking about.
But it had been so much fun that soon he was turning invisible every chance he had and about drove his parents nuts. At six, when he discovered he could turn invisible and transport from one location to the next, he really made everyone crazy.
When his brother, John, would get mad at him, he would use his skill to avoid his brother’s strength. John was abnormally—or paranormally—powerful and strong from an early age. Being able to disappear came in handy for Logan when he didn’t want to be pummeled by his brother.
John was a good guy, but Logan liked to get a rise out of him, just so that he could turn invisible and transfer away before John could get his hands on him. John hadn’t been allowed to play sports because it wouldn’t have been fair to the other kids who didn’t have his power and strength.
They’d had a private tutor who taught them how to use their powers and how to blend in with society. Paranormal talents were rare, and it wasn’t a good idea to let anyone know you had any. The next thing you know you might be taken away from your parents and put into some kind of government research program.
He had friends with paranormal abilities, and he was sure that had happened to them. One day they were there, the next day just gone. The explanation given to everyone was that the child had moved to live with an aunt or another relative.
His mom had finally explained what might be behind it after the third sudden move of a friend. She swore that would never happen to him, but it had always been in the back of his mind.
So he’d learned how to blend in as he grew older. He’d learned the difference between good and bad, and right and wrong when it came to using a talent that could easily be exploited if anyone outside his family found out about it.
The premonitions he had always kept to himself. Sometimes they were good, sometimes bad. He’d grown up thinking they were dreams but they were usually symbolic of something that was going to happen. It wasn’t a paranormal skill that had ever fully developed.
He wondered what it meant when he’d seen Tori in his premonitions…
But instead of Tori, when one premonition came true it was Carla in her place.
* * * * *
Logan walked up the stairs to Carla’s townhouse and pressed the doorbell. He shoved his hands in his pockets as the door opened.
“Come on in.” Carla flashed her brilliant smile. Somehow it seemed more genuine than it ever had.
As he closed the door behind him he took a good long look at her from her elegant ankles to her shapely calves and toned thighs that her short black dress didn’t hide. His gaze moved on up to the sparkly sequined material, her slender waist, and on to her full breasts that were barely covered by the low cut dress.
Her golden blonde hair was pulled up in an elegant style and she wore an erotic red lipstick that made him think about her lips wrapped around his cock. He could easily picture the two of them, her hair spread out on the pillow, her legs around his hips, their bodies slick with sweat as he took her. At the same time he felt an odd twinge of guilt—he had fallen for another woman yet now he was feeling this way about Carla.
His gaze met hers and she gave him a sensual smile. He had no doubt that she knew what he was thinking.
“You look fantastic.” He took her by her hands and brushed his lips over hers. “But then you always do.”
She straightened his collar. “You look pretty darn sharp yourself.”
He wondered at how easy it was to fall into the role of suitor even though they hadn’t been together for months. And there was something about her that seemed more appealing now than ever. She still smelled of jasmine, a scent he would never forget.
“Are you ready?” A slight huskiness edged his words.
“Yes.” She chose a dressy cover-up from the coat closet and Logan helped her into it. Then she reached for a black sequined clutch purse on the entryway table. “Where are we going?”
He took her arm and escorted her through the door to the landing before she locked the door behind them. “How does the Herbfarm sound?”
“Wonderful.” But then she paused. “Why don’t we go to that little place we used to go when we first met? It’s so cozy and relaxed.”
“Perfect.” Logan put his hand at her lower back and felt a tingling in his fingers followed by a rush of warmth. He’d never felt anything like it before.
He guided her to his sleek black Jaguar and his fingers lingered on her when he helped her settle into the passenger seat of the low-slung car. He didn’t want to stop touching her.
Once they were settled inside, he looked at her and shock hit him hard for the second time that day. Two weeks ago he had seen Tori in his premonition exactly as Carla was now. In a black sequined dress, looking at him with the same smile, an almost mysterious smile.
“What’s wrong?” Carla said as she looked at him.
He mentally shook his head, as if it might straighten out the images in his mind. “You’re gorgeous,” he said and leaned over and kissed her.
As he drew away from the kiss, he wondered what in the hell was going on.
The Herbfarm? She had almost choked when Logan had named the restaurant then realized she shouldn’t have been surprised at all. Logan owned Savage Industries, which meant he could afford to go to any restaurant he wanted to, including a renowned restaurant with nine-course dinners.
But she didn’t feel comfortable enough to embark on that little adventure and she wanted uninterrupted time to get him to fall for her, hard enough that she could get anything out of him. Nine courses were too many interruptions as far as she was concerned. So she’d grabbed something far simpler and cozier from Carla’s memories. Thankfully he’d agreed.
Despite the fact that he was the enemy, he continued to turn her on in ways she didn’t want to think about. She had to get her head into the game, remembering exactly whom it was she was dealing with.
It was difficult, trying to reconcile the fact that he was an enemy of the U.S. government and she had to stop him from selling valuable and dangerous secrets and technology to other countries.
The thought made her set her jaw as anger flashed through her. With all of that in mind she had to force herself to smile at him.
She wondered at how easy it had been to get him to date her as Carla, even after Carla had left him for another man. But she’d had a couple of weeks to work on him and she apparently had done a good job of it. At times he’d seemed torn and she wondered if he still thought of Tori. Of her.
When he was about to get into the car, he’d looked at her for a moment as if he’d seen a ghost. Like earlier today, it was as if he’d seen straight through her.
As he drove to the restaurant she found herself drinking in
every bit of him from his over six-foot frame to the power in his very presence. How could he be one of the bad guys? He seemed so honest, so straightforward, that it was hard to bend her mind around him being the devil himself.
His dark hair was a careless casual style, his jaws smooth-shaven and she had caught the scent of the shaving cream he’d used. She’d seen the body beneath the shirt and suit jacket and she wanted to touch it all over again. She thought about how good it would be when she took his cock into her mouth and sucked on it.
He glanced over at her and she met his blue eyes. Tingles traveled through her belly and on down, straight between her thighs.
When they reached the restaurant, Logan assisted her in getting out of the car. While driving he had called ahead to make reservations and had canceled his reservation at the other restaurant. Once the car was valet parked and they were inside the place, the hostess showed them to a corner table with a great view of the city.
Over a glass of wine, they made the usual small talk that couples tended to do when dating. He asked her about her family and she told him she hadn’t talked to anyone in a while, which was true. Carla wasn’t very good about keeping in touch with anyone. He, on the other hand, made a point of staying in contact with his brother, something that Tori did as well with her own brothers.
From what she’d learned of Carla from her available memories and activities, she wasn’t a very sociable person and tended to be on the shallow side. That had made things a little more difficult in getting Logan to fall for her again, but not insurmountable.
“Something about you is different.” He studied her as if he’d just read her mind. “Whatever it is, I like it.”
Warmth flowed through Tori’s—Carla’s—veins. She smiled. She should probably try to be a little less open and friendly—not quite a cold bitch, but not as warm as she had been to him. But she needed to get in good with Logan and being more like her real self seemed to be appealing to him.
“I’m just me,” she said, “stripped down to what I am on the inside.” Wasn’t that the truth. “I’ve been keeping up with appearances for far too long.” As he watched her, she hoped she hadn’t blown anything.
He raised his wine glass. “To being who we truly are.”
She clinked her glass with his then took a sip of the fine wine. She normally drank beer, but a person could get used to wine as good as this.
Soon he had her laughing over his childhood exploits, which was something she couldn’t share as Carla. Only her memories within the last few years could be accessed—especially anything over ten years or so was out. She managed to change the subject before it was her turn to relate any stories of her own. She asked him questions about how work was going for him.
“Why are you re-administering the CVP to company employees?” she asked after she took her last bite of her meal and swallowed it.
“To appease the government.” Logan shook his head. “Reportedly they have intelligence that factions from the Middle East and China are after the CVP. I really believe they think I am dealing with them.”
She didn’t have to widen her eyes to make it look like she was surprised by what he’d told her. “That’s awful.”
The fact that he’d just given her that information raised a question. Why would he tell her about the danger to the CVP if he was the one who was supposed to be selling the CVP to other countries?
“So the government believes there might be a leak in the company?” she asked. “That’s why the re-test?”
He reached for his wine. “Something like that.”
She tilted her head to the side. “What are your plans for the CVP? Selling it to our government?”
“The government wants it as a defensive spy device.” Logan leaned back in his chair. “It’s also wanted to replace conventional lie detector tests at higher levels of government and law enforcement.”
She folded her hands in her lap as the server took her plate away.
“I’m in contact with the defense department about their desire to acquire the CVP,” he said after the server left. “They want one of their agents to be at Savage Industries to oversee the project. I’m not allowing that.” He continued, “I didn’t take any government funding as I didn’t want anyone telling me what to do. I will do the right thing at the right time, but I want to finish the project.”
She didn’t say anything. She just listened. He hadn’t really answered her question—was he going to sell it to the U.S. government or just telling her that they wanted it? He wasn’t going to let them oversee the project…what did that mean? Likely he believed the right thing to do was to sell the technology to the highest-bidding country.
According to the intelligence the PIA had, apparently, Logan Savage had no intention of selling the CVP to the U.S. government.
She decided she’d better turn the conversation elsewhere to keep any question about her interest to a minimum.
After dinner, she excused herself to go to the ladies room and took her purse with her. It was nine and she wanted to catch Jeremy before he went to bed. She went into the restroom, checked under the stalls, and dialed his number.
“Hello?” His voice came over the phone as he answered the call.
She kept her voice low. “It’s me, Carla.”
“Carla?” He sounded surprised. “Carla Winston?”
“Yes.” She gripped her phone tighter. “I think I left my wallet when I dropped my purse. Can you tell me if it’s there?”
“Yeah. Hold on.” A moment later. “It’s here, under the desk.”
“Great.” She smiled to herself in relief. “Do you mind if I stop by late tonight? Say after midnight?”
“Uh, sure,” he said and she had the feeling that he was pleased. “I’ll put it someplace safe until you get here.”
“Thank you so much, Jeremy,” she said. “You are a lifesaver.”
She disconnected the call and returned the phone to her purse. After reapplying her lipstick, she went back to the table to see Logan staring out the window into the Seattle night. He turned to look at her and smiled as he stood and then he pushed her chair in after she sat.
“Would you like dessert?” he asked.
“That sounds great,” she said before she realized Carla would have said no. “If you’d like to share one with me,” she added.
“Good.” He asked her what she wanted then signaled the waiter and ordered the crème brulee for them to share.
After dessert and coffee, Logan escorted her outside. The valet had retrieved the car when the server took Logan’s valet ticket so that it would be waiting when they came out of the restaurant.
“I’m not ready to end the night,” she said once they were in the car and he glanced at her. She bit the inside of her lip. That was exactly what she’d said to him when she first met him as Tori, and had invited him to her house. “Why don’t we go to your place?”
“All right.” He smiled and turned his attention back to the road.
A flutter went through her belly. She had no doubt that she was going to have him again. Although she wasn’t sure how she felt about that—being with him but not. Being Carla was temporary and he might just fall in love with her.
What then happened to his interest in Tori?
What the hell was she thinking? According to the agency that she worked for, he was the bad guy. She wasn’t going to have any kind of relationship with the man as Carla or Tori once this assignment was over with.
Chapter 9
Tori knew from Carla’s memories that Logan’s home was spectacular. But memories didn’t do the real thing justice. Not at all.
The foyer had a beautiful chandelier with dangling crystal teardrops. The crystals were so clear, so beautiful, that they glistened and glittered, sending fractured rainbow light on the warm taupe walls. Tiles imported from Italy covered the floor, a fact that Carla’s memories told her.
They hung their coats in a closet in the foyer and then walked into a l
arge, open room with high vaulted ceilings. The walls were all a light taupe color that warmed the room and the décor was rich and elegant yet masculine at the same time.
According to Carla, he collected wind… Statues with hair blown behind them, carried by wind were around the room. Paintings of clouds moving in the wind with trees bent over from the power of the gusts. Photographs of weathervanes and modern windmills in motion added to his collection.
She set her purse on a burgundy and forest green couch and stepped out of her heels so that her bare feet sank into the thick taupe Berber carpeting.
He faced her, his eyes dark with desire. “Would you like a drink?”
She’d had more than enough wine and she felt tipsy and warm. She reached up and gripped his collar in her hands. “I’m in the mood for something much stronger,” she murmured before she kissed him.
He brought her into his embrace and returned her kiss. His taste was just as amazing as it had been the first time she’d kissed him—as Tori. She loved his wonderful masculine scent and the smell of his shaving cream and soap.
She was wearing Carla’s favorite perfume and when he buried his face in her hair she knew he was drinking in the scent. Was he perhaps comparing Carla’s scent to Tori’s? Some perverse part of her hoped that he was.
He kissed her again, more roughly this time. A thrill went through her belly and she wondered if it was going to be a night of good hard sex like they’d had two weeks ago.
As they kissed she pushed aside his suit jacket and moved her hands up his muscled chest, feeling the hardness of his muscles beneath her palms. He moved his hands down her thighs then pushed her short dress up so that his palms were on her silky black panties. He pulled her up tight against him so that she felt the power of his erection against her abdomen.
Carla was taller than Tori so his body fit hers differently. His hands found her breasts and he cupped them and rubbed his thumbs over her nipples through the sequined dress, and she moaned. She might be in a different form, but her body was just as sensitive.
“Come on.” His voice was husky as he drew away and he clasped her hand in his.
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