by Amelia Judd
“Damn it, Kat. Can you please stop that?” He ground his teeth and turned his head to look blindly out the large window.
“What? Trying to seduce you?”
“No. Yes. Damn it.” His voice boomed. “Just stop all of it. I can’t sleep with you.”
“Why the hell not?” she demanded.
“Because I promised your father I wouldn’t touch you.” Belated warning bells sounded in Logan’s head as he watched Kat’s face register simultaneous shock, outrage, and fury.
“You did what?” she roared.
Logan lifted his hands in a palms-out gesture. “Calm down. It’s not a big deal. He’s worried about you, that’s all. Besides, even if I hadn’t promised your dad, Pax would kill me if I ever touched you.”
Kat eyed him for a long, hard ten seconds. An instant later, she sighed and all the tension slipped from her body. “Phew. That’s a relief. I thought you were going to tell me you aren’t attracted to me.”
“What?” Logan asked, eyes wide and incredulous. “Are you crazy? You’re gorgeous, smart, funny, tough as nails, and sexy as hell.” He blew out a breath and shook his head. “I couldn’t be more attracted to you.”
“You keep that up and you’re going to make me blush,” she said with a chuckle. “Are you sure you’re not afraid that you could become too attached to me if we had a fling? I’d hate to break your heart.” She shot him a cheeky smile.
The tension eased from his body. Kat wasn’t pissed at him after all, just relieved to know his reasons for not sleeping with her had everything to do with her dad and Pax and nothing to do with her.
“No worries, darl. My heart doesn’t do broken. Which means in most cases, you’re right, I am perfect fling material.”
“So my dad and brother are the only reason you don’t want to have a hot, steamy affair while you’re in Silver Bay?”
“Absolutely.” He nodded, thrilled she was taking this so well.
“Thanks for being honest, Logan. That’s really helpful to know.” She sat down at the table and gestured for him to do the same. “We should eat before the food gets any colder.”
Exhaling a sigh of relief, he took his seat again, grabbed a piece of bread from the basket on the table, and slathered on some butter. “Thanks heaps for making dinner. Living with someone who can cook is a major bonus. I have a good feeling about the next few months,” he said and popped the piece of bread into his mouth.
“I’m confident a lot of things are going to feel really, really good during the next few months.” Kat locked her smoldering gaze on him as she gently swirled the wine in her glass.
The warning bells fired back up in his head. “But, your father—”
“I’m a grown woman, Logan,” Kat interrupted. “I have no intention of letting the unrealistic and chauvinistic wishes of my father or brother eff up my sex life.” Her determined gaze burned into him “You just admitted those two idiots are the only reason we’re not having hot, crazy sex right now. That’s a total bullshit reason to forgo the fling we both want to have.” She leaned forward and arched her back, drawing his wayward gaze back to her cleavage. “I’ll do what it takes to convince you I’m right.”
Logan cursed under his breath, tore his gaze from her chest, and glanced toward the front door. While tempting, he knew running from the house would only be a temporary solution. Why the bloody hell had he been stupid enough to crash with a tiger?
Chapter 5
BRIGHT rays of morning sunshine slipped through the blinds on Kat’s windows, filling the room with cheerful warmth and the dazzling promise of a new day. She stretched her arms over her head and grinned. She hadn’t slept so deeply or so peacefully in almost a year.
Man, she felt great. Watching Logan squirm through dinner last night was the most fun she’d had in ages.
When she first heard about the idiotic deal he’d made with her dad, she considered throttling him. Thankfully for him, just before she relocated his boys with her knee, she realized how much fun she could have persuading him to break the stupid promise instead.
For as long as she could remember, probably dating back to the arrival of her breasts, boys had hit on her. Not that she was all that, but she was reasonably attractive, and her body was firm where it should be firm and soft where it should be soft. In her experience, that was more than enough to draw attention from the opposite sex.
But until last night, she’d never realized the exhilaration of being the sexual aggressor in a situation. For the first time since that crappy night in DC, she felt strong and in control, like she wasn’t a goddamn wuss afraid of the frickin’ boogeyman.
Of course, it helped a ton knowing Logan wanted her. No way could she ever come on to a guy that strongly if he wasn’t one hundred percent interested. Now that she knew Pax and her dad were the only things stopping Logan from sleeping with her, she felt confident in tempting him.
Pumped to start the day, Kat hopped out of bed, slipped on a sporty tan skirt and her favorite top—an über-soft, formfitting red T-shirt that suggested SAVE WATER DRINK BEER. One trip to the bathroom and two flip-flops later, and she was ready to go.
She slung her large tote over her shoulder, sauntered out of her room, and spotted Logan standing in the kitchen, rushing through a bowl of cereal. The poor guy hadn’t even taken time to sit down. If his hurried breakfast wasn’t a big enough clue, the look of panic that crossed his face the moment he saw her made it perfectly clear he’d hoped to avoid her.
“Relax, big guy.” She patted his shoulder as she walked by. “I’ve got a busy day. No time for seduction, I’m afraid.” She snagged an apple from the fridge, dropped it into her tote, and began rummaging through the large bag in her daily key-hunt routine.
“Nice shirt.”
She looked up to find Logan’s gaze locked on her chest, a sexy smile playing around his lips.
“What can I say? I’m a conservationist.” She shrugged and continued digging blindly for her keys.
“I’m pretty sure that’s not the message it’s trying to send,” Logan said dryly.
She waved away his comment. “We can argue semantics later. Right now, I’ve gotta find my keys. I swear my purse has a portal to another dimension hidden in there somewhere.” She started dumping the contents, scattering a hairbrush, multiple lip glosses, a pair of dangly earrings, her phone, an e-reader, and a can of tuna across the countertop. “One time I put a set of dentures in there and couldn’t find them again for three days. No way were they in there the whole time. They must have crossed into another dimension. Obviously, it’s the only explanation.”
“Obviously,” Logan agreed, a look of amusement quirking one eyebrow north. “Wait. Why did you have fake teeth in your purse? And what’s the tuna for?”
“Found them!” Kat pulled her yin-yang keychain from the oversized bag and thrust the keys dramatically into the air while she strutted out a few victorious dance moves.
Logan chuckled and poured a glass of orange juice. “This is a big deal for you.”
“My day is packed. I’d hate to start off behind schedule. That reminds me: I have you penciled in for six tonight. Does that time work for you or is later better?”
Juice glass halfway to his mouth, he froze and shifted his gaze to her, panic etched in his features. “I thought you didn’t have time for seduction today?”
“Yes, today I’m busy. But my night is free.” She waggled her eyebrows at him.
A strangled sound came from his throat.
She laughed and rolled her eyes at the insane level of tension gripping his body. For being such a carefree guy, he sure looked ready to implode. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I bought a couple of steaks yesterday. I thought you could be a good mate and throw them on the barbie, ay.” She threw in an Australian accent for fun.
“Now that’s something I can agree to.” He tipped his glass to her in a mock salute, then drained the juice in one gulp. “But I’ve got a late meeting this afterno
on. I won’t be home by six. Is seven too late for dinner?”
“Seven is perfect.” On her way to the front door, Kat trailed her hand along Logan’s very fine butt as she walked past him. “See you then, big guy,” she murmured, channeling her best inner vixen.
She hustled out the door before he had time to change his mind about dinner, and jumped into her car. She hadn’t been joking—she really did have a busy day. She needed to get Bruno’s air conditioner checked, get a job, take an old dude to his doctor’s appointment in Green Bay, hit the grocery store with Mrs. D., and squeeze in time to slut-up her wardrobe. Seriously. That was a lot of stuff for one day.
Twenty minutes later, Kat dropped her car at Danny’s shop and headed to Hannah’s café on foot while she munched on her apple. It was still early, so the temperature hadn’t rocketed past tolerable yet, and as a bonus, a nice breeze was blowing off the lake. With any luck, today wouldn’t reach the same hotter-than-hell level of the past few days.
A few blocks later, she tossed the core of her apple into the trash, crossed Main Street, and tugged open the glass door leading into Fresh.
Only two blocks from the lake’s shore, her sister’s coffee shop held a piece of prime real estate directly on the town’s much-loved downtown square. Stepping into the eclectic room, Kat sucked in a deep breath. The smell of rich coffee and warm pastries instantly convinced her she needed more to start her day than an apple.
Walking toward the counter, Kat scanned the shop. Hannah had a special touch when it came to design, and she’d done a great job making Fresh a welcoming oasis. The walls were original brick, the artwork colorful, the tables and chairs artfully mismatched, and the atmosphere buzzing with caffeine-induced happy chatter.
She recognized about half the people there. The ones she didn’t know were likely tourists in town to enjoy the lake on the hottest days of July. Like many lakeside towns, Silver Bay’s numbers went up in the summer and dropped off with the arrival of winter temperatures in late fall. When the weather went south so did the tourists.
Still three back in line, Kat spotted Hannah rushing out of the back room carrying a tray of fruit tarts in one hand, two bottles of flavored syrups balanced in the other, and a huge pack of napkins tucked under her arm.
At thirty, Hannah was two years older than Kat and third in line of the four Bennett kids. She shared Kat’s dark hair, light complexion, and wide smile. In contrast to Kat, however, Hannah reached medium height and with high enough heels could actually look tall. She was also way nicer to people—likely the unfortunate outcome of being a peace-making middle child in Kat’s opinion.
“Hey, sis. Heard you need a hand, and I’m looking for a job.”
Hannah glanced up and smiled. “If you can start now, you’re hired. Justin called in sick today, and we’re slammed.”
“You’re in luck. I’m free for a few hours.” Kat circled behind the counter, slipped a teal apron around her neck, pulled her hair back into a messy knot, and scrubbed her hands before moving to the register. “But I’ve got to head out by eleven.”
“What’s at eleven?” Hannah asked, efficiently filling a large cup with coffee.
“Really hot date with an older man.” At least it would be if Danny didn’t get her air conditioner fixed by then.
Hannah quirked an eyebrow in interest but didn’t comment until after they’d handled the worst of the morning rush a few hours later. “Okay, it’s rarely empty here, but it should be slower now until lunch. You mentioned a hot date. I want details.”
“I’m not sure you could handle hearing those details.” Kat winked and clicked her tongue at her sister. “I wouldn’t want to make you blush.” Which was a total lie, of course. Kat loved teasing Hannah.
“Please.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I’m older than you.”
“Age doesn’t equal experience, honey. When’s the last time you got laid?”
“Shh!” Hannah looked around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. “My customers don’t want to hear about my sex life or lack thereof.”
“Hannah, there are four, count them, four tables with single men at them.”
“So? A lot of men like coffee.”
“True, but each of those guys is sitting in a chair facing the counter rather than looking out over the square.”
“That doesn’t mean—”
“And they all keep glancing up to watch you work when you’re not looking.”
“Really?” Hannah asked, her voice rising to a squeak as she shot a nervous glance toward the front of the café.
“Yup.” Kat tipped her head in the direction of one poor dude sitting solo at a small table along the outside wall. “Look at Mike Saunders. You remember him, right? He was in Pax’s class. The guy hasn’t turned a single page in that mammoth novel stationed in front of him. How often does he lug that thing in here anyway?”
A second after Hannah shifted her eyes to Mike, he looked up, caught her staring, and smiled like he’d just won the frickin’ lottery.
Kat shook her head. “That’s just sad. I’ve never seen a guy so excited over eye contact. Talk about low-hanging fruit. You should totally go out with him.”
“I’m too busy to date a bunch of guys right now. Fresh is my priority.”
“I said to date one of them, not all of them at once.”
“I. Am. Not. Dating. Anyone.”
“All right. Fine. But, seriously, Hannah, you’ve gotta throw these guys a bone. At least start wearing short skirts instead of jeans every day.”
“I can’t wear short skirts to work.” Hannah looked as if Kat had suggested she serve coffee topless on Tuesdays. “It would be a peep show every time I bent over to wipe down a table.”
“Exactly.” Kat poured herself a cup of coffee and snatched a yogurt parfait from the chilled case. “Mind if have a snack?”
“Please do. You’re making my eyelid twitch.” Hannah pressed her fingertips to her closed eye. “If your mouth is full, I won’t have to hear any more of your crazy ideas.”
“You love me.”
Hannah sighed. “I do, but you don’t make it easy.” She grabbed a towel and began wiping off two recently vacated tables. “So is your hot date with Logan?”
“Nope.” Kat grinned. “But I am going to live with him for the summer.”
“Really?” Hannah asked, clearing away empty cups from a high-top table in the corner. “Claire told me about your conversation yesterday. I assume you took her advice and refused to move out.”
Kat’s grin widened. “Actually, I’ve decided to take all of Claire’s advice regarding Mr. McCabe.”
Hannah spun around to face her, her hazel eyes wide. “You mean a wild, passionate fling?”
“That’s the plan.”
“You sure that’s a good idea? Guys can cause a lot of problems.”
“That’s the beauty of the whole thing.” Kat smirked. “He’s in the country for less than three months. How much trouble can he cause in that amount of time?”
“Famous last words,” Hannah mumbled, skepticism etched on her delicate features. “Have you guys mingled limbs yet?”
Kat cocked her head to the side. “Huh?”
“You know … ” Hannah looked around to make sure no one was close enough to hear their conversation. “Have you parallel parked? Played a game of horizontal Tetris? Churned the butter?”
“Sex,” Kat said dryly. “The word you are looking for is sex. And, no, we haven’t had sex yet. But we will soon. No way can he hold out much longer.”
“Hold out? He turned you down?” Hannah asked, her tone a flattering combination of outrage and shock.
“Well, yeah, sorta.” Kat shrugged. “But he wasn’t very convincing. I’ll change his mind.”
“And if you don’t?”
“Please. I’m crashing with a guy who’s easier to do than a ten-piece jigsaw puzzle.” Kat leaned into the pastry counter and picked out two plump chocolate chip cookies. She slip
ped them into a pastry bag and dropped the bag into her tote. “Mind if I take a couple cookies with me?”
“Are you planning to use chocolate chip cookies to bribe Logan?”
“Nah. These are for my hot date with Harry.”
“Wait. Who’s Harry?” Hannah asked, wrinkling her nose in confusion.
“The older guy I mentioned earlier.”
“What about Logan? Doesn’t he get a cookie?”
“Nope.” Kat winked at her sis. “He hasn’t earned a cookie yet.”
•••
Two hours before her dinner date with her hunky roommate, Kat pulled her sweatbox car to a slow, tired stop in front of the cottage. She blew out a sigh of relief, peeled her sweaty thighs from the leather seat, and stepped from the car. Unfortunately, Danny had to order a part to fix her air conditioner that wouldn’t arrive until Monday. Which meant she had another four days of transporting seniors in a sauna. Super.
Sauntering toward the house and carrying two shopping bags full of new and hopefully lust-inspiring clothes, Kat tilted her head from side to side, enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of her neck. After listening to Harry rave about his chiropractor’s magical hands on the drive home from Green Bay, her own neck and back felt like they had more knots in them than the cottage’s pine floors.
She needed to cool down and unwind before Logan returned. Since a relaxing dip in Lake Michigan would accomplish both, Kat beelined to her room and yanked a teeny black bikini from the shopping bag. Rather than taking time to dig for scissors in the kitchen, she strong-armed the tags off, kicked off her sticky clothes, and wiggled into the suit.
After a few minutes of adjusting the top—which looked more like two eye-patches laced together by a shoestring—she had all the essentials behind fabric. Glancing at the mirror, she swallowed down a moment of doubt at the suit’s lack of coverage. Unlike every other bikini she owned, this one didn’t hug her body, providing support and assistance in the process. Nope. This frickin’ suit was draped across her, held loosely in place by a few flimsy strings and a whole lot of luck.
