“Lacy.” His voice broke through her concentration.
“I’m paddling. I really am.” The sound of a chuckle reached her ears. She had whirled around with the intent to tell him off when she saw he was pointing at something. In the distance an island rose out of the sea. She swore. “Is it real? Not a mirage?”
“It’s real.” The dry voice came over her shoulder again. “And it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours for us to reach it.” A couple of hours of paddling. She had been all set to cheer and do the happy dance, but the prospect of another couple hours of paddling sucked the joy right out of her.
Reading her thoughts, he said, “Think about how good a shower, food, and sleep will feel when we get there. You can do it. Just keep paddling.” She started rowing again, but now all she could hear in her head was Dory from Finding Nemo saying, “Just keep swimming,” over and over again. Great. At this rate, she was going to go insane by the time they reached land.
As the sun rose and she hummed Dory’s song, they crept closer and closer to shore. “Are we just going to paddle right up to the beach? Look at us.” She glanced down at herself. “I’m wearing what used to be a green cocktail dress in a material that apparently wasn’t intended for salt water.” The dress had shrunk so much it was a second skin around her chest and ribs. It was so short now it barely covered her ass. “And you—” She whirled around to look at him. “You look…”
Damn, if he still didn’t look fine. His complexion, which had been slightly pale when she’d first seen him on the yacht, no doubt from hours spent indoors, was bronzing up nicely. His previously white shirt was all wrinkly and somewhat off white, but it still hugged his chest and made him look delectable. She licked her lips. She had no doubt his wrinkled dress pants would outline his butt in the best way.
He cocked an eyebrow. “You were saying?”
“Suffice it to say, we look pretty rough.” The difference was that rough looked damn fine on him. She turned back. “What if people ask questions?” she called over her shoulder.
“No one will ask questions. Don’t you recognize what’s ahead?” She looked around, this time taking in the whole area, not just the beach.
“Is that Sand Dollar Quay Resort?”
“Yes! We’ve been paddling south all night. I was aiming for this. I haven’t lost my navigation skills.” There was a note of triumph in his voice.
“Ah, that’s great but, ah…were you aiming for here, specifically?” This was one of the nicest resorts in all the Caribbean. And expensive. Very expensive. They had no money on them.
She thought about her father. The rules were quite clear, and they had been set up by her father’s security people years ago. If disaster struck, she was to be at a specific place at a specific time by herself. No calling for help. No deviations from the plan.
She bit her lip. She should just be happy they’d finally reached land. And she was, most definitely. Sand Dollar Quay was amazing, but she didn’t have the energy to walk anywhere. Town was several miles away on the other side of the bridge, and the hotel they were registered at was on the far side of the island.
Logan didn’t answer her question about the resort, and she didn’t want to appear ungrateful, so she held her tongue. Even so, she immediately started brainstorming ways to get to town that didn’t involve walking or money or—shudder—kayaking.
They paddled the last few strokes and rode the momentum up onto the beach. It took her several tries to get out of the kayak. Her legs were so stiff she wasn’t sure she could walk.
Logan gave her a hand out of the kayak and walked her out of the surf and onto the beach. People were watching them. And why not? Two people in disheveled evening attire crawling out of a kayak in the middle of the morning was quite the sight.
She tried to act like this was normal, but it was hard. She kept tugging down the hem of her dress to keep it from rising any higher. He grabbed hold of her arm and kept her moving.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” They walked past the vacationers on the beach, many of whom were still openly watching them, and continued past the people by the pool. The wait staff all paused to watch as well. She could feel the flush creep up her cheeks.
They followed a path around and right up to the entry to the hotel. “You don’t plan on going in, do you? They’ll call the cops, and I can’t have the cops involved.” She was starting to panic, but he wouldn’t let go of her arm. “Logan,” she tried again.
“Trust me.” He kept a firm hold on her arm as he moseyed right up to the check-in desk. The hotel was decorated in marble with fresh flowers on the tables and large comfortable sofas and chairs scattered about for guests to relax in. It was all so normal, which made the situation feel even more bizarre.
“Hi Cecil. How are you?” Lacy whipped her head around to stare at Logan. Cecil? Logan knew this guy?
“Mr. Callahan! How good it is to see you! I didn’t know you were coming to town.” Cecil appeared to surreptitiously take in Logan and Lacy’s attire.
Lacy was trying to create a plausible story in her head that might explain their appearance, but it was unnecessary. Cecil just focused on the computer screen and dashed off a few quick keystrokes. Looking puzzled, he said, “There must be a mistake. We have no record of your visit.”
“It was a last-minute thing, Cecil.” He put his arm around her and brought her in close. “You know how these things go.” And he winked. He winked! She seethed silently.
Cecil glanced at them and then nodded. She could only imagine what he must be thinking. Though she’d never felt more embarrassed, she smiled and tried to look convincing.
“No problem, Mr. Callahan. Your suite is always ready to receive you. I’ll just have one of the bellmen bring up your luggage.”
“We don’t have any.”
Cecil, after the barest of pauses, nodded. “Of course, Mr. Callahan. Could I have the boutique send some clothing up for you both?”
“That would be wonderful, Cecil, but could you give us some time to settle in before sending up the clothing?”
“Of course, Mr. Callahan. Why don’t you call when you are ready?” Cecil came out from behind the counter, and they all started walking toward the elevators.
“Thank you so much for your help, Cecil. I knew we would be well taken care of in your capable hands.”
Cecil held the elevator doors open for them and then handed Logan a key. “Of course, Mr. Callahan. Wonderful to have you back with us.” His gaze flicked over her again. “Enjoy your stay.” He stepped back, and the doors closed.
“Unbelievable.” She turned to look at him. “Care to explain all of that?”
He just gave a concise shake of his head, and they spent the rest of the ride listening to elevator music. The doors opened, and she followed him down the hall to a set of double doors. He used the key to unlock the door and pushed it open for her.
She stepped into one of the most luxurious hotel suites she had ever seen, and that was saying something. The marble floors gleamed. The floor-to-ceiling windows offered an almost one hundred and eighty degree view of the ocean. The furniture was as sumptuous as the space. She ran her hand along the back of a sofa that was as soft as silk. There was even a fully stocked bar at one end.
“I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
He laughed and immediately handed her a bottle of cool water. She had never tasted anything so good. “Here.” He handed her a thick book. “It’s the menu. We’ll order room service before showering.”
Her eyes danced over the menu choices while her mouth watered. She made several selections. “I know my eyes are bigger than my stomach, but I’m willing to give it my best shot.” He grinned and made the call to room service, adding several choices of his own to the order.
“Seriously, though, I didn’t think Callahan Security would keep this kind of suite.”
“We don’t. It belongs to my old firm in New York.”
Sh
e frowned until she remembered their conversation on the yacht. “Right. You said you were down here to do some work for them. Why didn’t you stay here in the first place?”
“Ah, I wanted to relax in my own space, away from prying eyes. Being here always makes me feel like I am under a bit of a microscope. Anyway, I’ll make a call and let them know I’m here.”
She didn’t want to be, but she had to admit she was impressed. She knew money. Understood money. But her father’s power was based on what he could get people. Logan’s power was totally based on his intelligence and personal accomplishments. She wondered if he was aware of how sexy that was? Probably. She sighed.
“Where is the shower? I am in desperate need.”
“There’s a bedroom on either end. Take your pick. They’re dual master suites, so both have attached baths.”
Before she could stop herself, she blurted out, “Do you stay here often?” She could picture him here with all sorts of women and parties.
His lips twitched at the corners. “Sometimes.”
She should have known better than to ask. She turned away and took the bedroom on the left. Just like the central room, it boasted floor-to-ceiling windows with incredible views. The bathroom was glorious to behold, all marble with a huge tub and a separate shower stall that could accommodate half a dozen people.
She opened what appeared to be a linen closet and pulled out a towel and one of the bathrobes that was hanging there. After turning on the shower, she stripped off her ruined green dress and stepped under the hot spray, letting out a moan of absolute pleasure.
Forty-five minutes later, all pink-cheeked and smelling like citrus, she emerged from the bedroom. She immediately took a deep breath. The food smelled fantastic. Her mouth watering, she tucked her oversize robe close around her and shuffled into the central room where all the room service trays had been laid out on the dining table.
“You look—” Logan paused—“refreshed.” She turned to find him sitting on the sofa. The clothing had obviously arrived because he was wearing a pair of jeans and a blue button-down shirt that made his eyes look even bluer, if that was possible. She swallowed as she remembered his kisses. Heat trailed up her cheeks.
She put a hand up to smooth her hair and then swore silently. She had pinned her hair directly on top of her head after getting out of the shower and had forgotten to take it down. She probably looked like some kind of Muppet. “Are you laughing at me?” she asked.
“No.” His eyes sparkled.
“You are obviously lying, but I’m so hungry I don’t care.” She plopped down on one of the seats by the dining table and started lifting covers. He sat down opposite her and helped her get the serving dishes sorted. He then handed her an empty plate so she could fill it with whatever she wanted. He followed suit after pouring her more water and some champagne.
“What’s the champagne for?” she asked as she swirled the liquid in the glass.
“After what we’ve been through, I thought we could use a nice treat.”
She took a sip. It was delicious. She loved a good champagne. “Thanks for this. It all looks so good.” The mountain of food on the table was more than she could ask for. There was steak and seafood and everything in between. It was so overwhelming, she almost didn’t know where to start. She slowly filled her plate with a little bit of everything.
“Bon appetite,” Logan said, and then the rest of the meal was consumed in silence.
Stuffed to the gills, she declared she was finished, got up, waddled over to the sofa and crashed down on it. It felt like being enveloped in a warm hug. After that long, hot shower and their room service feast, she could feel her eyelids drooping.
“Go to bed.”
She gawked at him. How could he not be as tired as she was? “Why aren’t you exhausted?”
He smiled slightly. “I am, but I have a call or two to make. I’m going to crash after that.” Did you want to call your father?”
She frowned. “Um, that’s not really possible.”
His eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean? Why not?”
Sighing, she stood up. “Look, my father can’t talk openly on the phone at the best of times. In case you haven’t noticed, this isn’t the best of times. Technically, I’m not even late for work yet. I wanted to meet earlier last week, but he told me not to come before Monday. He was quite clear.”
“So, who were you going to call when we were stuck on the island?” Logan asked.
“Um, well, I thought you would call someone for help.”
Logan was staring at her like he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. She bit her lip. How could she explain that there was no one for her to call? It sounded awful, like her father had left her in the lurch on purpose. She shrugged, but that’s just the way it had to be.
“Anyway, there is a certain protocol that has been set up for this type of situation, and it very specifically does not involve calling my father.”
He blinked slowly as he digested that news. His face then went blank, and he said, “I had them bring up some clothes for you to try on. He gestured to the opposite sofa. Why don’t you take a nap and then find something that fits? We can plan our next step after that.” He had turned to face the windows. She didn’t blame him. Her life was very confusing to an outsider. Hell, it was confusing to her.
She watched him for a minute, drinking in every nuance she could. Though she had to follow protocol— and that certainly didn’t include bringing an outsider into the mix—she had to admit the thought of parting from Logan made her feel a bit lonely. She liked him a lot. But at the moment, Logan Callahan was just another worry she didn’t need.
Chapter Nine
He turned and watched her go, willing himself to stay exactly where he was. He wanted to go after her. He wanted to shake her and tell her that the life she was leading was crazy. That she needed to distance herself from her father. Actually, he wanted to beat the hell out of her father. Who would endanger their kid like this? It was fucked up.
Then he wanted to spend the rest of the day making love to her. She was so damn cute in that huge robe with her hair piled on top of her head. He wanted to touch and taste every inch of her.
Enough. He had to get his head on straight if he was going to take care of business. And that meant keeping all his thoughts strictly above the belt.
He waited for her door to close before heading over to the desk. It would cost him, but it was worth it. She was so happy in her fluffy robe, eating twice her weight in food. It made him smile to remember the moan she’d made while biting into the chocolate lava cake he had ordered for dessert.
Damn. All his thoughts kept revolving back to Lacy. If only there was someone she could call, someone he could trust to keep her safe. She grew up in this world, he reminded himself. She doesn’t need you, remember?
Sighing, he walked back to the table to grab a cup of coffee. Maybe it was time to check in with his brother.
He was exhausted, but he took a big gulp of coffee, sat down at the desk, and started dialing. First up was a call to his old boss to smooth the way for the hotel stay. He wasn’t looking forward to this call. Carl Montgomery III was not a generous man. He would not be happy at all about Logan using the suite. He would want his pound of flesh for it for sure.
“Logan! This is an unexpected surprise. I couldn’t believe it when Janet told me you were on the phone.” Carl’s voice boomed down the telephone line.
“Carl. How are you doing?”
“Excellent. What about you? How are you doing?”
Logan frowned at the phone. Carl’s tone was off. It was too jovial. He was only like this with clients, or with his wife when he knew he screwed up somehow.
“I’m fine, Carl. Listen, I’m in the Bahamas, and I was wondering if I could borrow the suite for a few days?” Logan’s gut clenched waiting for the yelling to start.
“Of course. Stay as long as you like,” Carl said. “Please enjoy it. You always work
too hard, Logan. You need to take more breaks.”
Logan damn near dropped the phone. Who was this man and what the fuck happened to his old boss? “Ah, thanks, Carl. I, um, really appreciate it.”
“No problem. Gotta run. Talk soon.” Click.
Carl was gone. Now that was the Carl Logan knew and hated. Logan put down the receiver. Strange was the only word to describe that whole interaction. Logan took another sip of coffee and tried to figure out what just happened. Nothing. Nada. But no looking a gift horse in the mouth.
Picking up the phone again, he dialed. “Callahan,” came the voice from the other end. His brother Gage.
“Hey, it’s me.”
“Logan, what’s up? How’s your semi-vacation going? Do you miss us yet?” He could hear a snort of laughter in the background.
“Mitch is with you. I can hear him laughing. When did he get back from Europe?”
“Just last night,” Gage replied. “There’s been some developments with Drake. Here, let me put you on speaker.”
“Yo, how’s the sun and surf?” Mitch called out.
Logan sat back in his chair. “Not as much fun as I anticipated.”
“What’s wrong, bro? Things not going your way with the ladies? Try relaxing. Maybe ditch the suit.” Mitch sniggered.
Logan ignored his brother. “What’s going on? What are the new developments?”
“Someone took a direct run at Drake. They tried to grab him.” Gage’s voice had gone serious.
Logan sat forward in his chair. “Did anyone get hurt?”
“No. We’re all fine. It was a bit intense, but we got him out of there.” Mitch gave a dry chuckle.
“Glad you’re OK, Mitch.” Logan realized just how much he meant it as he said it. After what he’d gone through over the last forty-eight hours, he had a brand-new appreciation for what his brothers did in the military and what they continued to do for Callahan Security.
There was a brief silence. “Um, thanks,” Mitch said.
He and Mitch had never had a great relationship. He’d always thought Mitch was lazy and a goof-off but, now, he realized his brother deserved any downtime he got.
Smash and Grab: Action-Packed Thrilling Romantic Suspense (Callahan Security Series Book 2) Page 10
