by Cara Marsi
“God help me.” He pulled her close. His mouth took hers, demanding and hard. She returned his kiss with all the frustration and yearning she’d kept inside her since the day he’d walked back into her life. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, brutal and unyielding. Moaning, she melted against him. She wanted him, wanted his body, his soul. But most of all she wanted him to hold her and cherish her with the love they’d once shared.
With a wrenching groan, he pushed away from her. His breathing harsh, he stared at her. She put a trembling hand to her lips, swollen and warm from his kiss.
“Damn you, Doriana. Damn you.”
She saw the anger and desire in his eyes. She’d kept his son from him. He wanted her.
He turned away and grabbed his suitcases, then strode to the stairs and started up, taking the steps two at a time.
“Where are you going?” She ran after him.
He stopped before the open door to her room. Her bed, covered in a pure white spread, seemed to mock her. Would things be different between them now if he’d taken what she offered the morning after Thanksgiving, or would this anger still throb between them?
She put her hand on his forearm. “You can’t stay, Logan. You just can’t.”
He shrugged her off and continued down the hall. He hesitated at the doorway to Josh’s room. “I didn’t notice this room before.” He gave a short, bitter laugh. “I really must be slipping.”
She followed him into the last bedroom at the end of the hall. He stopped so suddenly she collided with him.
He dropped his bags on the floor and scanned the room.
Doriana suppressed a smile at the horror in Logan’s expression as he gazed at the overly feminine room with its ruffled curtains and pink and green flowers adorning the walls and repeated on the ruffled skirt of the small table. She heard his sharp intake of breath when he saw the large canopied bed, covered in a flowered spread.
“Still want to stay?” she asked.
He slipped off his jacket and threw it on the bed before turning to face her. She squared her shoulders and gave him a look of triumph. He took her chin between his fingers and tilted her face toward his. She widened her eyes.
“I’ve stayed in worse places,” he said. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
“We’ll see.” She turned and marched out of the room, slamming the door closed behind her. * * * *
Logan sank onto the small, flower-covered chair and laid his head back, closing his eyes. He’d told her he’d stayed in worse places. He’d lied. He’d rather sleep outdoors on the cold ground than be smothered by this bastion of ruffles and flowers. But he was here for Doriana. And his son. He’d let Doriana think he was a wanderer with no permanent home or job. Would the truth calm her and make her agree to let him be part of Josh’s life?
She’d never really had faith in him. They’d shared a wild passion, a passion that still burned between them. But Doriana never forgot that they came from different worlds. He wanted to be in Josh’s life. Wanted to be the kind of father he never had. Doriana thought him unstable, not a fit father. He would prove her wrong.
Maybe she’d think him father material if she knew about the thriving business he owned and his house in the exclusive Tucson suburb. He could provide well for Josh. His son.
He sat up and rubbed a hand over his eyes. He wasn’t being fair to Doriana. She only wanted to protect her son. Their son. He’d come clean with her, tell her the truth. His chest constricted. Was that what he wanted—for her to accept him because of what he owned, what he’d accomplished?
Hell, no. He jumped up from the chair and stalked to the window, hands fisted at his sides. He’d make her accept him for the man he’d become and not the successful businessman with all the outward trappings of success. He’d keep up the subterfuge. She’d take him for himself or not at all.
~~~~
CHAPTER TWELVE
Doriana turned from her computer to stare out the window at the comforting sight of old Billy Penn perched on City Hall. She rubbed her tired eyes. Stress at work and at home took its toll in sleepless nights.
An uneasy truce had developed between her and Logan since he moved into her house three days ago. They spoke in guarded pleasantries at home. At work their conversations never veered from business. To her relief Logan didn’t take meals with them. She had no idea where he ate and told herself she didn’t care. But she wondered. And cared more than she wanted.
To her amazement, Josh didn’t barricade himself in his room, as he usually did each evening. The last two nights he’d even finished his homework in record time and was seated on the sofa watching TV when Logan came back from dinner. Logan sat in one of the side chairs and watched with him. Tension hung heavy in the room and neither male spoke to the other but she caught Josh stealing curious glances at Logan.
Feeling twinges of jealousy that Josh seemed to tolerate Logan’s company more than he did hers, Doriana retreated to her bedroom at night to work at her computer. She took work home now rather than stay at the office. She wanted to be around if things got too tense between Josh and Logan. But they seemed to handle each other’s company just fine.
She was the one feeling left out. Father and son, looking so much alike, didn’t appear to need her at all. They seemed content to gaze at the TV watching cars race around a speedway. All that testosterone threatened to overwhelm her. And the constant whirring of cars gave her a headache. What was it with men and fast cars?
The fax machine in her office came to life, signaling a transmittal and reminding her she had work to do. She jerked out of her reverie and glanced down at the papers strewn on her desk. She couldn’t concentrate on her job. Even the weak December sunlight straining through the windows couldn’t lift her spirits.
She leaned on her desk and cupped her face between her hands. Try as he might to hide it, Josh seemed eager for a father. Josh needed someone stable and steady. How long would Logan be around this time? She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain that stabbed her heart. Logan had managed to twist his way into her life again. Her throat thickened. She tried to focus on old Billy, but the statue blurred with her tears.
Logan’s accusation that she’d been ashamed of him all those years ago punctured her with doubt. Would she have treated him and their relationship differently if Logan had been part of her elite crowd? Would she encourage a real relationship with Josh now if Logan had a steady job? She rubbed her forehead, fighting the beginnings of a major headache. She’d never thought of herself as a snob. But maybe she was.
Doriana glanced at her watch. Noon. She wasn’t hungry but she needed a break. Maybe a trip to the cafeteria and a light salad would clear the cobwebs from her mind. Grabbing her purse, she headed out of her office, then froze in the doorway to the outer room.
Candi, legs crossed, short skirt hiked to her thighs, sat on Logan’s desk. Doriana hadn’t heard the woman come in. Candi turned toward Doriana. Triumph sparked in the blonde’s blue eyes.
Something passed between them, something primal that made shivers run up Doriana’s spine. She felt like a lioness in the jungle, preparing to fight another female for the alpha male’s attention. With an effort, she tore her gaze from Candi’s. She wasn’t an animal and she wouldn’t behave like one, even with Logan as the prize.
“I’m heading to lunch,” Doriana said to Logan.
He nodded. If he felt the vibes between her and Candi, he hid it well. His hazel eyes were shadowed, devoid of emotion.
Lifting her chin, Doriana walked out of the office.
* * * *
When Doriana closed the door behind her, Candi let out a soft laugh.
“I guess the line’s been drawn,” she said.
Logan frowned. “What do you mean?”
Candi ran one of her red-tipped talons over Logan’s lips. He rolled his chair back slightly, putting himself out of her reach. He’d thought he had Candi under control, that she understood they were just friends. His tastes ran
to a different type of woman, a woman who hid her smoldering sexuality under a cover of respectability. Like Doriana.
“You saw what just happened between me and Boss Lady,” Candi said. “She wants me to keep away from you. She wants you for herself.”
Logan pushed away from the desk and stood. “You’ve got an overactive imagination. Doriana doesn’t care what I do.” Did he want her to care? He tried to ignore the little voice that whispered, yes.
“You can’t fool me,” Candi said, laughing. “I’ve seen the way she looks at you.” She slid off his desk and smoothed her hands down her skirt. “She’s way out of your league, Logan.” She gave him a sly smile. “Maybe she’s just playing you.”
Candi’s words unleashed Logan’s old insecurities. “Let’s go to lunch.” He headed out of the office with Candi following.
Hours later, Logan unlocked Doriana’s front door. A feeling of peace stole over him every time he entered her house. His son was here. So was Doriana, the woman he’d never forgotten, the woman who had excited and tormented his dreams for the last sixteen years.
He closed the door and leaned against it, inhaling the scents of rosemary and oregano and other spices he couldn’t identify. The odor of roasted chicken made the turkey sandwich he’d eaten at a diner seem paltry and dull.
Doriana never asked him to have dinner with her and Josh and he didn’t want to push it. He wanted Josh and Doriana to accept him willingly. The softening of his son’s attitude the last two nights gave Logan the hope that helped him get through the tense days and tortured nights. If only Doriana would soften right into his arms.
Josh came running down the stairs, wearing a jacket, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He stopped when he saw Logan.
“Going somewhere?” Logan asked.
Josh stiffened. Logan braced himself for “It’s none of your business.”
“I’m going to study with a friend,” Josh said.
Josh’s civil reply made Logan smile. In time he’d win over his son. He wasn’t so sure about his son’s mother.
A horn honked outside. “Mom, I’m going.” Josh bounded the rest of the way down the stairs.
Logan moved aside, opening the door for him.
Doriana came into the hall. Dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, her thick dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail, she looked young, sweet, and sexy as hell. She looked like the Doriana he fell in love with all those years ago.
She hesitated when she saw Logan. Pink rode her cheeks and her chocolate eyes widened. Tension arced between them. Her beauty took Logan’s breath and he fought the desire that gripped him. He wanted her. But on his terms.
The car horn blared again.
“Mom!” Josh’s impatient voice cut through the thick air.
Doriana turned to her son. “I already talked to Steven’s mother. She knows I want you home by ten.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Josh said.
Doriana leaned over and gave Josh a kiss on the cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too.” Josh nodded at Logan before sliding through the door. He stopped and looked back, a mischievous grin on his face. “Behave yourselves.” He shut the door.
Logan turned to Doriana. “Why do you think he said that?”
She shrugged. “I can’t imagine.”
He closed the few steps between them and cupped her chin, tilting her face toward his. “I think we both know.”
Her pale smooth skin turned pink. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away.
“What do you mean?” she whispered.
He took her face between his hands and stared into her eyes. Apprehension and desire mixed in their caramel-laced depths. “We can’t deny what’s between us. We share a son, but it goes much deeper than that.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” She shrugged free and walked into the living room.
He followed. When he placed his hands on her shoulders, she stiffened and stopped, her back to him. He bent to place a gentle kiss on her nape. She shuddered. The slight softening of her body urged him on. He pulled on the satin cord holding her hair and released the silky strands to slide over his fingers. She sighed.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. Brushing aside her thick rope of hair, he trailed kisses along the soft skin of her neck. She leaned against him. Her scent of roses and woman enveloped him in a sensual heat.
“I’ve never forgotten you,” he whispered.
She tensed. “I wasn’t on your mind this afternoon when Candi was wrapped all over your desk.”
He tightened his grip on her shoulders. “That’s just Candi’s way. There’s nothing between us. Believe me.”
She would have pulled away but he held her.
“You’ve been gone sixteen years, Logan. Why should I believe you?”
“Can’t we get past this?” he asked.
She turned in his arms. Her large liquid eyes searched his. “We can’t go back. What we had was a long time ago. It’s gone.”
Logan ran his thumb along her quivering bottom lip. “Not gone.”
He bent his head to take her lips. Desire darkened her eyes.
The ringing of the phone cut through the sensual haze around him. Years of military training made him jump back, on high alert.
Doriana swayed toward him. Logan grabbed her elbows, steadying her. Then releasing her, he walked toward the phone and lifted the receiver, not speaking.
“I know you’re there, prick. You think you can move in with her and keep me away. She’s a sweet piece of ass. And I’ll have her. I’ll have them both.”
Dial tone replaced the crude voice. Anger rolled through Logan and he gripped the receiver. He forced himself to stand very still, calling on the coping skills he’d honed through countless dangerous missions. He had to be strong. For Josh. For Doriana. He slowly replaced the receiver.
“It was him, wasn’t it?” Doriana asked.
He nodded. “The son of a bitch knows I’m here.” Logan moved to her side and gathered her into his arms, holding her close. “It will be all right, Dorie,” he said, kissing the top of her head. He pulled her tighter.
“I’m afraid, Logan.”
“He won’t hurt you or Josh. I’ll make sure of that.”
“I know.” She pulled away to look up at him. Tears glistened in her eyes.
Her trust filled him with longing for the life denied him all those years ago. Denied him by the accident of his birth to a man who loved the bottle more than his only child. Logan forced his mind from the past. Despite his dad he’d made something of himself. And he’d be a good father to Josh if only he got the chance. He was nothing like his old man.
“What will we do now?” Doriana asked.
He held her at arm’s length. “I’ve got a contact at police headquarters now, thanks to your father. Will you be okay for a few minutes?”
She smiled. “I’m no shrinking violet.”
“I know you’re not.” He kissed her temple. “Why don’t you go in the other room while I make my call.”
“I’ll make tea.” She turned to leave.
“Doriana.”
She looked at him.
“Your caller said something strange. He said he’d have you and then he said ‘I’ll have them both.’”
She paled. “You don’t think he means Josh?”
Logan shook his head. “No, it was clearly sexual and I had the definite sense he was talking about another woman.”
“What other woman?” she asked, frowning.
“I haven’t a clue, but we’ll figure it out.”
* * * *
Doriana grabbed her meeting notes and rushed out of her office, glancing at Logan’s empty desk as she hurried by. How long had he been gone on his break? She’d lost all track of time.
Shaking off a vague sense of unease, she punched the elevator button, her mind on Logan. Since he’d moved into her house she felt more secure than she had in years. She didn’t want to acknowledge that, but she co
uld no longer ignore her feelings. Even when Logan was a wild teen, she’d known he would protect her.
Despite the disturbing phone call last night, she’d felt safe, knowing Logan was by her side. Josh had come home early and the three of them watched TV together. Like a real family. Apprehension, mingled with hope, stirred a melancholy brew in her heart, a longing that they could be a real family.
The soft whoosh of the elevator doors made her sigh with relief. She got in, feeling as if a benign monster had saved her from her own treacherous thoughts. She punched the number for the fifth floor. She needed to stop by the sales department to pick up some papers for the meeting.
She stepped off the elevator and froze. At the end of the long hallway, Logan and Candi stood talking. The intimacy of their expressions and the closeness of their bodies hit Doriana like a physical blow to her chest. Logan had said there was nothing between him and Candi. Had he lied?
The elevator doors started to close. Doriana slid back in, wanting to put the heart-wrenching sight of Logan and Candi out of her mind. Before the doors closed completely, she hit the open button. Damn it, she would not act like a weak-spined teen. She had every right to confront Logan and Candi. This was her company. And Logan was her man. Her man? She must be under more stress than she realized to give voice to irrational thoughts like that.
Squaring her shoulders, Doriana left the elevator and marched toward the couple. They turned at her approach. Candi looked down at the floor, but Logan’s intense gaze held Doriana’s.
“There you are, Logan,” she said in her best professional voice when she reached them.
“I’ll get back to the office in a few minutes,” he said.
Doriana waved a hand. “It’s okay.”
Forcing a smile, she turned to Candi. Her smile froze and she sucked in her breath. An ugly purple bruise on Candi’s jaw marred the woman’s fair complexion.
“My God, what happened?” The sadness and humiliation in the other woman’s eyes told Doriana all she needed to know. She reached out to touch Candi’s arm, as if through mere touch she could release the other woman from her personal hell.
