Swinging her legs off the side of her bed, she pushed her hair out of her face and looked around. It was late afternoon. Where had the day gone? How had she ended up here, in her bed?
Padding barefoot to her kitchen, she immediately noticed the bottle of wine and stopped short. Wine? Open wine? GOOD open wine?
Logan. As soon as she saw the label on the bottle of wine, she knew that the only person in her acquaintance who could afford that bottle of wine was Logan.
The note beside the bottle explained everything. “See you tomorrow. Food in the fridge. Sleep well, my beauty.”
Gaia swallowed, her eyes captured by that one word. “My”. There were so many ways to take that but she dismissed all of them, not wanting to believe in the possessive pronoun. He hadn’t meant it, she told herself as she peered into the fridge. Sure enough, there was a box with an exclusive restaurant’s label on the outside. Picking up the box, she peered inside. Oh no! Pasta! She loved pasta! There were several vegetables and delicious smelling chicken on top.
She should ignore his gift, she thought, even as she reached into a drawer for a fork. Her first bite had her closing her eyes. She was starving! That happens, she supposed, when one didn’t eat enough for dinner and then skipped breakfast. Smiling at how thoughtful he was, she stabbed at an heirloom tomato, loving the way the flavor burst in her mouth. Goodness, the man had good taste!
Picking up her phone, her fingers hovered over the keypad, wondering what she could possibly say to the man. He’d carried her into the building, fed her, brought her wine and…what could she say?
“Thank you,” was all she typed in and pressed the send button. They seemed to be the only appropriate words.
Almost immediately, “You’re welcome” came back to her. “See you tomorrow night. Rose dress. Nothing black.”
Gaia burst out laughing as she read and re-read the words. Sweet and yet, still with that core of arrogance, she realized. What’s a woman supposed to do?
Chapter 8
Friday.
The night of the gala.
Gaia still had no recollection of how she’d gotten home yesterday afternoon but she was fairly sure that she owed Logan something more than a texted “thank you” for his efforts. She hadn’t spoken to him yet and had barely answered his text messages. She’d briefly said thank you to him for the wine and the dinner, and had devoured both. She’d voraciously eaten the meal he’d left her, too hungry after waking up to even heat it up. Even the red wine was gone, having been consumed over the course of the evening as she’d worked on designs for several model condos that Logan had assigned to her.
Now it was Friday. And Logan wanted her to wear that rose colored dress he’d sent her. The one that was still under her coffee table because she was too afraid to bring it out and put it on again. She remembered what had happened the last time she’d worn that dress. Her body remembered, her mind remembered…her soul craved a repeat, even as her conscience told her it would be a bad idea.
She wouldn’t do it. No way. She couldn’t wear that dress! It was too sexy, too out of character for her. And the memories were too…vivid!
By six o’clock that night, she’d already received three texts from Logan, letting her know that he was picking her up, to wear the rose dress, and to relax.
She wasn’t going to allow him to pick her up and let him know that she would arrive at the event by herself. As she walked into her bedroom, she kept glancing at her cell phone, waiting for him to contradict her. Or maybe he would simply show up at her door. Gaia had no idea what that man might do. She pulled on the high-necked, black sheath dress with a simple pearl necklace and pearl stud earrings.
She put extra effort into her hair and makeup, adding a bit more to glam herself up. When she stepped back, she thought she didn’t look half bad. The dress was still a bit too large, but it wasn’t horrible.
She still felt special. Or maybe that trembling awareness, that bubble of excitement, was just anticipation at seeing Logan again.
She sighed, shaking her head and admonishing herself for being silly, even as she grabbed her evening purse and tucked a credit card, lipstick and a credit card into the small interior, grabbed her keys and hurried out the door.
No, this wasn’t anticipation, she told herself firmly. She wasn’t excited to see Logan, she was only excited about meeting new people tonight. She would tell him a very polite “thank you” for driving her home yesterday and taking care of her. She had no idea how he had lugged her up to her apartment and, yeah, that was embarrassing. But it was still very sweet of him.
It occurred to her that he really was spoiling her, doing all of these nice things for her. She was going to have to think of some way to pay him back. Not sexually. No way! Maybe she could make him some cookies. Of course, she wasn’t a baker. Most of her cookies sort of…adhered to the baking sheet. Maybe she should just grab something at a bakery and give that to him as a thank you. Yeah, that would be better, she thought. No need to ruin yet another baking sheet, she thought. Especially since she’d already thrown out her last one. Well, and sworn off of trying to bake after her last debacle. Why in the world did construction people put smoke detectors in the kitchen? Seemed like such a stupid idea, she thought as she slipped into her car.
Twenty minutes later, all of her anticipation had melded into fear. Total, mind numbing, foot-tripping, stomach-clenching fear. Stepping into the hotel that evening was terrifying. For some reason, being at a formal event like this was much more intimidating than the other functions she’d attended in a professional capacity over the past few years. Maybe tonight was more intimidating because the people here would be the elite of Seattle society. Or maybe it was just that she knew that Logan would be here tonight. She wasn’t sure, nor was she going to examine that worry too closely.
She was just about to step into the ballroom when a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her up against a tall, strong, muscular body that smelled incredibly wonderful. She knew immediately that it was Logan and not some other man. There was just something about Logan that her body, or maybe her mind, recognized at once. And reacted to.
Another issue she wasn’t going to examine. Not at all! Boy, was she doing that ostrich thing a lot lately! The head in the sand was a good defense against what Logan made her feel. It didn’t stop her from feeling all of those crazy sensations, but at least she was able to avoid examining what all of those feelings meant.
He swung her around and she reached out, bracing her hands against his broad, muscular chest. Almost immediately, she felt breathless anticipation. Just one touch could reduce her to this state, wondering what might come next, hoping he would touch her or….
“Don’t you need to be with your brothers?” she asked, her fingers gripping his arm and turning slightly so that her breasts weren’t plastered against his chest. When she looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat. Goodness, he was handsome! He’d shaved recently, so his jaw was smooth and clean, showing off that hard edge that some women - not her, but other women - loved so much. And those eyes! How did they look so green behind his glasses?
“You aren’t wearing the rose dress,” he said, stating the obvious as his eyes roamed over her features one by one.
Gaia felt his hand slide against her back, his strong fingers holding her in place even as she wiggled ever so slightly against him. She wasn’t struggling so much as…well, she wasn’t sure what her goal was but it felt…good. He felt good.
Focusing on his words that seemed almost amused when she’d been anticipating anger or maybe an accusation, it took her a moment to start the defense that she had been rehearsing for the past several hours. “No. It wasn’t appropriate.”
He laughed softly and slid his hand higher onto her waist. “It was completely appropriate. The only reason you didn’t wear it is because you wanted to defy me.” He kissed the base of her neck, smiling when she shivered. “That’s okay.” He kissed the top of her head. “You sti
ll look gorgeous.” He took her hand and placed it on his elbow, lowering his head as he said, “How is your condition?”
She looked back up at him, but he was too close so she looked away, pretending to take in the beautiful dresses of the other ladies present. She didn’t really see any of them though. Not with Logan holding her hand like this.
“Condition?” she asked, not sure what he meant. Did she have a condition?
“Yes. Your period? Is it over?”
She stopped and he turned slightly, blocking her view of the others in the brightly lit ballroom. “Oh. Um…,” what was she supposed to say about that? She had no idea how to respond. Looking up into those green eyes, she was startled when she realized he had taken off his glasses. Darn it, why was he so blatant? Why couldn’t he beat around the bush just a little?!
“You weren’t on your period earlier this week, were you?” he asked gently. His other hand came up to brush against the skin of her cheek, then smoothed along her neck, sending shivers of awareness everywhere. “You just weren’t ready for us. That’s okay. I’m not mad. I completely understand.”
She shook her head. “Yes,” she gasped, trying to think. “I’m still…”
His thumb covered her lips and he slid his glasses back on. “No. Don’t lie, Gaia. Not tonight.”
She stared up at him for a long moment, then closed her mouth. She couldn’t do it. For some reason, she couldn’t lie to him tonight, even to protect herself.
“Thank you,” he said and bent lower, kissing her softly. “Let’s go socialize.”
She took a deep breath as he led her through the ballroom. He seemed to be heading in a specific direction, but she had no idea where they were going. When he stopped in an almost private area of the ballroom, back behind one of the bars, she spotted a man that looked exactly like Logan and remembered that his twin brother’s name was Luke. The handsome man seemed to be arguing with a woman who had fiery red hair and gorgeous curves. Gaia was jealous of the woman’s figure, feeling skinny and anemic compared to the redhead’s breasts, which were pushing against the material of her dress.
And then there was Teague, who immediately lifted his glass in a salute to her. He had a stunning blond woman on his arm who was smiling in her direction, giving her a look that seemed to be expressing both compassion and understanding. Since Gaia didn’t understand, she smiled back as politely as possible.
Yet another giant, dark haired man stepped into the group and this one looked so mean and terrifying that she actually moved closer to Logan, as if the man she’d been trying to avoid for the past week could somehow protect her.
Next to the tall, dark, and scary man was Marcy, looking splendid and exuberantly happy. She was beaming a smile as Gaia approached that helped her relax. It was amazing how the men could glower while the blonde woman and Marcy countered their husbands’ almost angry dispositions with bright, welcoming smiles.
“You made it!” Marcy exclaimed, pulling away from her husband, who released her reluctantly. Marcy hugged Gaia and pulled her into the group. “We were starting to think that you might miss the event.” She glanced behind Gaia at Logan, then back. “Some men don’t understand how much courage it takes to appear in public with them,” she teased.
A moment later, Marcy was pulled back against the scary man’s side. Marcy simply glanced up at him, smiling and laying a hand on his stomach as if his furious demeanor didn’t scare her in any way. “Honey, this is Gaia, the woman I told you about.”
The scary man’s eyes softened as he looked down at his wife, then over at Gaia. “You’re the designer who recommended the waterfront renovation. It’s a great idea! Teague and Logan have been running numbers over the past two days. Thanks for bringing it to us.”
Gaia took the man’s extended hand, wary of the praise. “Well, don’t thank me yet. It might not be a good idea. There is a lot of structural damage to the building and it might be too expensive to renovate. It might be better to just tear it down and do something different with the land.”
Teague piped up. “We’re evaluating all options, but your idea has a lot of merit.” He turned to the blond woman by his side. “Gaia, this is Gabby, my wife.” His arm never left the woman’s shoulders as he performed the introductions. “And this is our other brother, Luke, who is too annoying to have a woman on his arm.”
Gaia shook the blonde’s hand and then smiled to the Logan look-a-like. She’d met him before, that first day in Logan’s office, but she was struck all over again by the fact that the two brothers were equally handsome, but there was just something different about Luke. Besides, what had happened to the redhead? Hadn’t they just been arguing about something?
The other woman was gone and Gaia mentally shook her head, thinking she needed to focus or she’d lose track of what was going on. Luke was just as charming, so the missing redhead might be just a business acquaintance, although, it hadn’t seemed like a business relationship a moment ago.
“Ah, but I have my ways,” he told the crowd. The brothers all just rolled their eyes.
“He thinks he has ways,” Teague came right back, but his green eyes were bright with humor.
Luke was too laid back for anything other than humor. “Ah, the ladies love my ways,” he returned.
Zeke rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t seem like they are loving much about you at the moment since you’re standing there, holding a drink instead of….” Zeke stopped when Marcy nudged him gently.
Luke just laughed. “You all are just jealous because I don’t have to…” he stopped speaking as he looked down at Marcy and Gabby. Gaia watched, fascinated as the two tiny women had the very large man stopping whatever it was that he was about to say. She almost giggled when Luke chuckled and shook his head. She felt Logan’s arm tighten ever so slightly around her waist, as if silently telling her that he was equally amused.
“I think everyone needs more drinks,” Luke announced. With a self-deprecating laugh, he spun around and headed for one of the open bars that lined the outer areas of the ballroom.
“Smart man,” Zeke said.
“Stupid man,” Teague countered, pulling Gabby closer. In response, she smiled up at him and Gaia felt her throat tighten as she witnessed the look that passed between the pair.
She wanted that. Badly. A man who loved her like that, unconditionally, always supportive and a man who couldn’t seem to keep his hands off of her, even in public.
It suddenly occurred to her that Logan hadn’t left her side since she’d been about to enter the ballroom. And his hand had been around her waist the whole time as well.
Her eyes glanced up into his green ones and she was struck by the desire she saw there. Her choice of a dress hadn’t suppressed his desire at all. In fact, she almost suspected that he preferred her choice. Why, she wasn’t sure. All she knew was that he was looking at her as if…maybe…he actually liked her.
Goodness, that happy, giddy feeling rose up once again. Because yeah, she sort of liked him too. She liked that he held onto her waist, she loved the way he made her tremble with just a look. She loved being with him, laughing with him, the way he could laugh at himself and she loved how he made her feel. When he looked at her, it was like she was the most beautiful woman in the room. In the world!
“Let’s dance,” Logan suggested and he took her hand, leading her away from his brothers towards the dance floor. It was already filled with people moving slowly to the jazz band playing on the slightly elevated stage.
“You look lovely tonight,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. “I’ve been wanting to hold you ever since you walked in.”
Gaia sighed as she moved in his arms and he felt her breath against his skin. Every time this woman moved, he wanted her more. Seeing Marcy with Zeke, and the way Gabby smiled up at Teague, he realized how much he wanted that same thing…with Gaia. He’d seen his brothers with their wives in the past and he hadn’t felt this way. It hadn’t been until Gaia had walked
into his office that thoughts of the future, of forever, had popped into his head. Until then, he’d been perfectly happy dating the lovely ladies in Seattle. Now, he only wanted Gaia.
He felt her fingers through the material of his tuxedo, the soft wisps of her hair against his neck. She was loyal, smart, funny, creative, and sexy as hell. She was his woman in every way. She just needed to accept their fate.
Smiling, he spun her around, enjoying the way her breasts pressed against his chest, the way her fingers clutched him. She trusted him completely. She just didn’t know it yet.
“Thank you for the wine,” she said, her voice lower and sexier than normal.
Logan smoothed his hand against her back, absorbing her shiver as he moved her around the dance floor. “You’re welcome. Did you like it?”
Her hair moved against his skin, almost making him groan as lust hit him hard. “It was amazing.” He looked down at her, noticed her pretty white teeth biting her lower lip and wanted to help her with that. “The food was great too. Just what I needed. Thank you for that.”
He laughed again. “How many meals did it take you to finish it off?” He almost cursed as another wave of need hit him when her cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink.
“I had some for dinner last night.”
“And?”
She laughed and his hand tightened slightly on her back. “Maybe some for breakfast this morning as well.”
“And?” he prompted again. He could see the truth in her eyes.
“Okay, fine!” she chuckled. “I finished it off for lunch today. Satisfied?”
A Taste of Paradise Page 11
