once upon a romance 09 - hoodwinked by a wolfe

by leclair, laurie

  “We both know she won’t get as big a deal with a smaller company, but she may just propel them upward and gain consumer ground.”

  “Who’s got an offer for her?”

  “You think I’m telling you that?” Logan couldn’t, because he’d bluffed. Yes, there were feelers out there and interest, but nothing solid. His first and only choice for Rachael and her RED Line was the best—King’s. He banked everything on this moment.

  “Didn’t think you would.” He shot him a quick glance. “Why?”

  Logan shrugged. Because I like her. Really like her. Six long months away with spotty communication had made him ache for a connection with his friend again. Earlier, she’d shown up and he’d realized friendship had shifted into something more. Awareness seemed too mild to describe it. He didn’t want to admit it. Didn’t want to make her hate him.

  “You getting money out of this? Is that how you made your billions?”

  “I don’t need or want it.” He hesitated for a second. “I owe her.” For all the hurt she had to deal with, the loss of her parents and her grandfather, along with his parents, in the accident on the way to the airport that horrible day years ago. Thank God her grandfather wouldn’t let her ride along with him as he attempted to deliver the two couples on the first leg of their exciting second honeymoon trip to Paris.

  “You were both innocent kids.” Somehow he’d pinpointed the reason.

  “I got to keep my grandfather and my grandmother. She only had one. And the Dame was saddled with a financial mess.” The gambling had left its toll.

  Griffin rubbed the back of his neck, and then abruptly stopped again to face him. “Wolfe, if you’re lying about any of this, I will take you down. This is my family we’re talking about here.”

  A smile inched up the corner of his mouth. “Damn, James, you and a family? Some things do change.” No one had been more surprised than Logan to hear the Griffin James had fallen in love with the daughter of his biggest rival and had taken over running the beloved family business.

  “I’m dead serious.”

  He sobered, giving a short, curt nod. “Understood.”

  Now Logan had to walk a very fine line. He had to sidestep this guy and navigate his way through lying to Rach.

  Losing her trust would be his downfall, costing him her friendship.

  A sinking sensation dropped in his gut.

  ***

  Rach gasped the moment she walked into the large, open design room. Several women were at work at tables dotted throughout the brightly lit space. Mannequins stood nearby, some with the beginnings of dresses taking shape. Boards hung with spectacular, colorful images.

  “Logan, is this really real?” Her dreams of a studio like this seemed to be coming true right before her very eyes.

  “It’s yours if you want to be a part of it,” he coaxed.

  “You knew. You’ve always known.” He’d been the keeper of her hopes and dreams all these years and he’d tapped into them now.

  “Trust me.”

  But his voice held doubts. “Can I?” She had her own reservations about him and about her wayward feelings.

  “Well, what are you waiting for?” Peg nudged them both into the room. “The gang’s anxious to meet you, Rach.”

  Locking gazes with him, she wondered what he was thinking. He’d turned all male and mysterious on her again.

  “Your people are waiting.” His smile played around his lips.

  She couldn’t contain her chuckle. Nudging him in his rock-solid gut, she said, “That’s the Grans. Not me. And you will pay for that one.”

  “I’m telling you there’s something something,” Peg said, half dragging Rach by the arm all the way to the first table. She whistled shrilly, gaining everyone’s attention. “Pickles and pancakes, folks! We got a star—”

  “OMG!” A stylish man rushed to Rach, embracing her.

  “Too tight,” she said, trying to suck in air.

  “My bad. Rico, at your service.” He let go abruptly; she fell back and bumped into Logan.

  “Does everyone around here do that?” she asked, rubbing her side. But it was Logan’s warm, strong hands on her shoulders, steadying her that made her think she needed a medic and quick. Heart palpitations!

  There were three women who rushed to her and squealed, each taking a turn in squeezing her. The fourth one dragged her feet, shooting her a shy smile.

  “I like that one the best. She doesn’t cause injury or harm.”

  Rico swatted her arm. “You’re a hoot! You fit right in here.” He tsked. Pointing to the young woman, he said, “Paige. Hates the spotlight.”

  “You’re in the poster,” Logan said.

  She groaned. “I get that a lot. Nice meeting you, kind of. I’ve got a rush job, so I’ll leave you to mingle.” Her departure was met with murmurs.

  “That’s our Paigey. Dolly here. This is Gigi. We’re seamstresses. Evelyn is the events coordinator.”

  “Previously, one of the wedding consultants and Rico’s backup.” The pretty, dark-haired woman lurched forward.

  “Girl!” Rico grabbed her and stopped her fall. “You can trip with your feet stuck in quicksand.”

  The others joined her in a chuckle. “Of all the things I’m known for it’s the klutz part.” She shook her head.

  “Lasting impression?” Logan asked.

  “How’d you guess?”

  “Lookee here.” Rico nearly purred, placing a hand on Logan’s arm. “Mr. Divine, is it?”

  “No, Wolfe.”

  “Oh, I likee even better.”

  “A new fan, Logan?” Rach asked, her eyebrow raised. Why did she just get that sinking sensation in her middle? He had his admirers. Mostly female. There would come a day—and soon—that he’d have another on his arm. How was she going to keep it together and under wraps then when she could barely do it now?

  “Holy guacamole, look at the time,” Peg said. “Go, make nice. I gotta shake a leg. Boss 3’s probably sending out a search party for me.”

  “Peg, want company on the way back?” Logan asked. Tilting his head toward the others, he said, “I think we can leave them to talk shop, don’t you?”

  She gulped hard. “Logan?”

  He leaned down and whispered in her ear. “You’re a hit. You’ll be fine on your own.”

  “Oh, my,” Gigi said. “Is it warm in here?”

  “H-O-T, to the max, honey.” Rico picked up a nearby folder and fanned himself.

  “Who’s the hit around here now, Logan?” she asked, watching as he nodded and backed away. He winked at her and she thought she melted right there and then.

  Hot, to the max described him very well, indeed.

  Getting her designs from paper to product in short order seemed highly probable with her association with King’s. Seeing Grammy would have to wait.

  But Logan. In full, spectacular living color. Smiling like that. Winking and teasing. Now, that would be a Herculean task to distance herself from him.

  But distance herself, she must.

  Danger lurked and tugged at her more and more.

  Could she save herself in time?

  Chapter 5

  “Why am I here again?” Rach peered out the long floor-to-ceiling window, getting a breathtaking glimpse of downtown Dallas as the sun faded and lights twinkled.

  “Bunking down.” His short, clipped answer sliced through the space.

  Rach jerked around and dropped her tote. It landed on her foot. “Ouch!” She swore her pointy end of her journal left bruises. She nudged it away, but couldn’t push the misgivings out of her clamoring mind. This wasn’t in her new plan. Yards away, his shadowy silhouette did the strangest things to her. “Me? Here? With you?”

  “It’s all you got. The Dame’s house, including your sanctuary, is under construction. Your bags are in the guest room.”

  “No need to impose. I can get a hotel room for the duration.”

  “Ten days, maybe longer.” He shru
gged. “Weeks, if your grandmother stalls more.”

  “Is that why you sent her away?” Was it whisper-quiet between them or her imagination? Alone. With Logan. Her pitter-pattering heart bounced against her ribs.

  “She needed time to…decompress, shall we say.” He took a few steps toward her.

  Even in the big, modern living space, she felt it closing in. “And left the remodel?”

  “Griffin’s wife is the interior design consultant for King’s. With her help, they’ve narrowed the choices and could get to work. Furnishings and accessories to be determined.”

  This wasn’t like Grammy at all. She’d wielded her decisions with decisiveness and quick thinking, sharpening both with practice through the years. “This isn’t normal.” She meant both Grammy and being this attracted to her friend.

  “You’ve both changed in the time you were gone. Some good. Some not so good.”

  “What’s the not so good part?”

  He drew near.

  Even in the semi-darkness, she felt his intent stare. The butterflies in her stomach fluttered. “Logan?”

  “We’re not the same. You. Me.”

  Only a puff of laughter came out. “So dramatic?”

  His silence unnerved her. Had he guessed?

  With her thoughts scattering the closer he got, she struggled to find something to ease the tension. “I don’t know about you, but I’m starving. I haven’t eaten since the flight and that was lame.” Nada, because she’d been too jittery about seeing him again. “Got anything in this place? Oh, and by the way, this,” she raised her hands, palm side up, “isn’t your style. When did you get so pretentious?”

  That pulled him up short. His chuckle, soft and warm, wrapped around her. “Subleasing from some rich dude who fancies himself a ladies’ man. Mid-life crisis, I think.”

  “Take notes, maybe you’ll need them when you hit that age.” There, they were back on solid footing. Okay, maybe he was. Her? She doubted if her nerves could take much more of this.

  “Oh and I suppose you’ll get a couple dozen cats to live with you to keep you company.”

  “Ew! I’m more of a dog person.”

  “The little scrappy kind you fit in your tote bag and barks and nips at everything but you? Please!” He shuddered, which made her laugh.

  “Scary images, right? Maybe that’s why the Grans are the way they are.” There was an underlying truth there. His grandmother lived like there was no tomorrow, gobbling up life. While Grammy worked as if demons were breathing down her neck and poured all she had left into Darling Enterprises. Looking at him, she wondered if the both of them would end up alone, too afraid to take a chance at life when it had already dealt them several blows.

  “About that food…” He coughed.

  “Yes.” She cleared her clogged throat. “Can we order?”

  “Anything you like.”

  “Fast food. No pizza. Or pasta. I don’t think I’ll ever find any as good as in Italy. Egg rolls. Oh, burgers and fries. Corn dogs. Subs, you know, piled high with all that bad stuff for you. Do they deliver?”

  “Whoa now!” But she heard the smile in his voice. “I think I get the idea. I’ll call downstairs to that little restaurant in the building to see what they offer.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “In the meantime, you can take a bubble bath.”

  “Tell me that’s not a line.” Getting naked in front of him popped in her mind. Erase that! Don’t go there!

  “I already told you, I don’t do pick-up lines.”

  “No, ’cause you’ve never needed to.” She smiled sweetly. “On that note…where am I staying again?” Does it have a lock on the door? Better yet, does yours? Because I may be too dangerous to stop myself so you’ll have to for both our sakes.

  He directed her to the room down the hall. “Your things are already there and put away.”

  “You touched my things?”

  “My housekeeper. Nice lady. She comes with the place and she was happy to help.”

  “Th…thanks,” she stuttered, incapable of comprehending how long he’d planned on her staying with him. Hours? Days?

  Rach snatched up her tote bag with a determined effort. She made a wide path around him and continued down the hall, knowing he watched her. God, what was he thinking? Did she just wobble? Or jiggle?

  “Rach,” he called softly. When she halted in her tracks and didn’t turn around, he continued. “I’m glad you’re home. It hasn’t been the same.”

  Thick emotion stuck in her throat. No, nothing had been the same since over six months ago when she became aware of him in that way. The way he laughed. The things he said and how his voice lowered and made her shiver. The scent of his heady cologne drifting to her and the delicious curl of heat that tugged at her center each and every time. The feel of his hand brushing hers or lightly pressed against her back, sending an ache of want through her. The warmth of his touch and presence. The dreams of what his lips would taste like against hers.

  “We’re good, right?” There was a shadow of doubt in his question.

  “Bath. Food. Friends. What’s not good?” The unpacking had been done for her, the luxurious bath was just yards away, and her dinner would arrive shortly. So she was getting everything she wanted today. Why wasn’t she happy?

  Glancing over her shoulder, she found the reason why. Logan Wolfe, with his legs slightly apart and his hands on his hips, stared at her. A quiver raced down her spine.

  No, she hadn’t gotten everything she desired.

  Not today. Not ever.

  He was out of her league, in so many ways. So why did she want to cross that fine line so badly at this very moment?

  Chapter 6

  Logan’s quick shower did nothing to wash away his concerns. With little time to spare before their food would be there, he dragged on jeans and hustled out of his rented ultra-modern, black-and-white bedroom.

  Brushing back his wet hair, he strode through the too-large penthouse and into the kitchen. The cupboards revealed the basics and he grabbed the black plates with gold edges. “Black plates?” He shivered. “This guy’s taste runs on the decadent.”

  He found a nearby tray and began piling items on it. The silverware jangled as he made his way to the living room and plopped it down on the oversized coffee table.

  “Like old times,” Rach said from behind him.

  Straightening, he turned to see her. She wore her big fluffy white robe, her bare feet with red polished nails sticking out the bottom. The flaps were loose and he got a glimpse of nothing but skin. She yanked the ties tighter. He gulped hard. Was she wearing anything at all under it?

  “Coffee table, remember?” Her wet, dark hair looked almost black, making her piercing blue eyes stand out even more against her pale skin.

  “The best times.”

  “Even with the Grans. And your Grandpa before he died.” Her mouth tugged up at the corner. “Food, games, cards…just us. Simple times.”

  “Happy times,” he agreed, thinking that’s why he’d selected this spot. Hopefully it would get them back to where they’d been, as far as their friendship went.

  The doorbell buzzed, jerking him back to the present. “The eats are here.” He walked around the couch and headed toward the door.

  Her smile lit up her face. “What did you order?”

  “You’ll have to wait and see.”

  “You did like to torture me with the wait, didn’t you?” But she pushed away from the wall and stuck her tongue out at him. “Race ya!”

  “Come on, you’ve got a head start.”

  “Never stopped you from winning before,” she called out just before she took off. The edges of her robe fanned out behind her and he groaned at the sight of her long bare legs.

  “No fair, Rach!” He rushed to keep up and they got to the door at the same time, tagging it. She was laughing and practically in his arms. It felt right. Perfect. He shook his head. “You win this round.”
<
br />   “Once in a lifetime…” Her voice faded as her eyes captured and held his stare. Her smile flickered and faded.

  The rippling current running between them buzzed in his veins. Awareness crackled. His glance skimmed her face and dropped to her now naked shoulder; the robe hung down and he wanted to brush it off completely.

  The loud knock on the other side of the door jolted him. “Hey, you there, Mr. W.? I heard noises. You okay?”

  Logan breathed a huge sigh of relief at the interruption. Unlocking the door as Rach moved back, he said, “Everything’s just fine, Arnie.”

  Swinging the door open, he confronted the overfriendly, red-headed kid juggling three large bags with the restaurant’s name and logo on it. Mouthwatering scents drifted from the delivery order. Hunger rumbled, low and deep. But for food or her? Shock raced through him at that terrifying thought.

  “Oh, God, that smells so good.” Rach nudged Logan in his bare ribs.

  He sucked in a sharp breath at the lancing touch.

  “What did you order? The whole menu?”

  Arnie stood stark still, gazed at Rach and then at Logan. “Mr. W., good one.” A big, wide smile stretched across his thin face. His eyes lingered a little too long on her.

  “Cover up, will you?” he asked under his breath. Thankfully, she did. To the kid, he said, “We’re friends.”

  “Yeah, with benefits. I get it. I got a few like that, too.”

  “That’s not us,” he bit out.

  “Yeah, right. Guys and girls can’t be just friends.”

  It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. Rach and he were different. Always had been. Until now… A ripple of shock arrowed through him. No! “How much do I owe you?”

  “Bill’s attached to the top one. Hundred something.”

  “Logan, you did buy one of everything.” Her glee was infectious. “Here, I’ll take these.” She took two of the large bags and waited.

  He nabbed the long receipt and dug out his wallet from his back pocket. Finding the bills, he forked over a hundred and a fifty. “Thanks, Arnie.”

  Handing over the last bag, the kid jumped at seeing the generous tip. “Really? Man, this is great! You need anything, just ask for me. Anytime, dude!” He practically danced down the hall to the elevator.