Crazy for Her (A K2 Team Novel)

by Owens, Sandra

  Dani grinned and decided to paint her toenails.

  Logan stared at the phone. “Guess she didn’t like that.”

  “Mmm? Why’s that?” Sitting on her bed, Dani painted her big toe, then stopped to admire the color.

  “She hung up on me.” He sat in the chair, stretched out his legs, and crossed his ankles.

  “Does that upset you?”

  “Do I look upset?”

  Dani tilted her head and studied him. “No, can’t say as you do.”

  “What color is that?”

  She held a foot up. “Glittering Sunshine. Like it?”

  “Not sure I’ve ever seen yellow polish before, but since it means you’re happy, yeah, I do.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “What?”

  “That it means I’m happy.”

  “I finally figured it out, but if I tell you, you’ll stop.”

  He seemed right at home lounging in her bedroom. She liked the intimacy of a man sitting in her room, watching her paint her toes. And this one was fascinating. Without doubt, he had demons. His childhood had much to do with his hang-ups, she was sure, and she wanted to know more. Not wanting to spoil his amiable mood, however, she held in her questions.

  Finished, she capped the polish, leaned back on her elbows, and wiggled her toes. “So, tell me what you think you’ve figured out.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll tickle it out of you.”

  His eyes glittered with mischief. “You can try.”

  She swung her feet over the bed. “You are ticklish, aren’t you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “How can you not know?”

  He shrugged. “No one’s ever tried.”

  The man just kept breaking her heart. Didn’t all mothers tickle their babies? “Well, we’ll have to rectify that.” She stood, but before she could approach him, she heard Regan.

  “I’ll get her,” he said, and left.

  Dani thought he seemed to welcome the excuse to leave. He obviously resented the chemistry between them, and she was determined to find out why. It wasn’t because of another woman, unless there was someone she didn’t know about. No, if he loved another, he wouldn’t be eyeing her with longing. Logan wasn’t the kind of man who played around. The only explanation he’d given was that it was a matter of honor, but honor to whom? Evan? Whatever his thinking, he held it close. Well, except for the desire he couldn’t hide, which was more obvious than he probably wished.

  She was a romance writer, after all, and had trained herself to watch lovers’ eyes. When she and Evan had gone out, sometimes he would tease her about being more interested in the undercurrents of those around them than him. Not true, she’d protested while feeling guilty that sometimes it was true, especially if she was in the middle of a work-in-progress.

  What she saw in Logan’s eyes made her want to run to her computer and find the words to capture that hot, I-want-to-devour-you look he turned her way. God, she wanted to explore the possibilities his heated glances promised. For sure, if—no, when—it happened, they would burn the sheets to ashes.

  As soon as her stalker was caught, Logan would leave. He would always be only a phone call away if she needed him, which was a comfort, but each day she was with him, he grew more captivating. She wanted to learn his secrets, soothe his hurts, but most of all she wanted to make love with him.

  Oh yes, Doxy Dani, that was her. She gave one last admiring look at her sparkling yellow toenails and then went to find Logan and her daughter.

  The next morning, after dropping Dani off at Jared and Scott’s, Logan made another round of the nearby motels. Although he kept an eye out for the black Ford truck, he thought it likely the man had changed vehicles. After the seventh stop, he decided to give up for the day. A few miles down the road, however, he noticed a seedy motel set back from the road, almost hidden by a secondhand clothing store. What the hell, might as well check it out.

  “I’m looking for my brother,” he told the man behind the counter.

  Bloodshot eyes distorted by the thickest pair of glasses Logan had ever seen peered back at him. “And I’m Santa Claus.”

  Logan ignored the sarcasm and described a bald Evan. Recognition flared in the man’s eyes before he hid it. Logan slid a twenty halfway across the counter, but kept his hand over it. “You have a name for him?”

  The man eyed the money. “Would you believe John Smith?”

  “I believe that’s the name he registered under, yes. Is he still checked in?”

  “Left yesterday.”

  Shit. “What kind of car did he drive?”

  “Never saw him driving one.”

  Logan pulled the twenty back his way.

  “Never said I didn’t see a car parked in front of his room.”

  He pushed the bill back toward the clerk. “What kind?”

  “A white one.”

  Tired of the game, Logan pocketed the twenty and turned to leave.

  “Ford Taurus. Late model.”

  “Anything else you can tell me about him?”

  “Would think you’d know him better ’n me, you being his brother and all.”

  “Humor me.”

  “Didya hear the one about the three ducks that went in—”

  Logan grabbed the man’s collar and pulled him halfway across the counter. “I don’t think you’re as stupid as you want me to believe. You know something, and I want to know what.”

  “Could be I have a thing for numbers. Let go, and I’ll tell ya.”

  Logan left with the license plate number. He considered going to the police department and giving it to Detective Langley, but decided against it. It would be better to have a heads-up on who this character was before involving the police any further.

  Seeing a McDonald’s ahead, he pulled into the drive-through, got a hamburger and coffee, and then called Buchanan. After relaying the plate numbers, he asked for an update.

  “Turner’s in Dallas, but hasn’t had much luck yet finding anyone who remembers the family before Prescott’s mother supposedly died.”

  Logan frowned. “Why do you say ‘supposedly’?”

  “So far, we haven’t found a death certificate. When did you say she died?”

  “Evan said he was two, so that would be what, twenty-six years ago?”

  “Well, we’ve looked for one from the time Prescott was born to several years after and found nothing, but we’ll keep searching.”

  “You got a copy of Evan’s birth certificate?” Logan asked.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Check the hospital records and see if there’s another one.”

  “I’m confused. Another one for Prescott?”

  Logan hesitated. The idea had been brewing, but he’d yet to put it into words. It sounded crazy, but the feeling was too strong to ignore. “No, for Evan’s twin.”

  There was a long pause. “I didn’t know he had one.”

  “I’m not sure he did, and if so, I don’t think he knew. You said the fingerprint was very similar to Evan’s, and I did some research. That’s common with twins, and there are some other things that make me think it’s possible. Call me when you know something.”

  Logan clicked off and scanned the area. There were two white Taurus cars in the parking lot. Why couldn’t Dickhead drive a purple Caddy? Crumbling up the hamburger wrapper, he stuck it and his empty cup in the sack. He’d done as much as he could for the day, so he headed to Jared and Scott’s.

  Although he kept an eye on the rearview mirror, his thoughts turned to Dani. Christ, he’d almost taken her on the floor—on a bed of popcorn, no less. His intention to be honorable was seriously at risk. Next time it happened, he needed to think of Mrs. Jankowski, and how disappointed she would be if he broke her number-one rule
and screwed his best friend’s wife.

  That damned mirror of Dani’s—the way her eyes had darkened and her breath had hitched when he’d traced the nude woman’s silhouette—had him wanting things. Things he’d managed to suppress for a very long time. And when she’d painted her toes the color of sunshine, unknowingly signaling she was happy, dangerous thoughts had crept into his mind. Dangerous to him anyway.

  Claim Dani, make her his, and never let her go.

  Yet, if he did, he’d have to face Mrs. Jankowski. From the day he’d received his first high mark in math and gotten a smothering hug from her—the first embrace of his memory—he’d begun to set goals. Get good grades, make Mrs. Jankowski happy. Work hard at the store, make Mrs. Jankowski happy. Be an honorable man, make Mrs. Jankowski happy and get a hug. Because of his self-appointed foster mother, he’d finally realized he could be more than Lovey Dovey had ever allowed him to believe.

  His debt to Mrs. Jankowski was more than he could ever repay. If not for her, he would not be the man he was today, would likely be in prison. He had to decide between his love for Dani and failing the only woman who had been a steadying influence in his life. Mrs. Jankowski had, knowingly or unknowingly, set the bar high, and he suddenly had one question.

  Was the bar fair?

  Logan pulled over to the side of the road, his heart hammering so hard he feared he would blindly rear-end the car in front of him. He had to go see her. What if it didn’t count if his best friend was dead? What if he didn’t have to decide between love and honor? But he hadn’t brought Evan safely home to Dani. Did that take away his right for a chance with her? He had questions only Mrs. Jankowski could answer.

  There were times when the influences of the two women who’d raised him clashed and his reasoning suffered for it—a weakness that he recognized and with which he struggled. Although he had turned his back on his mother’s lifestyle, he’d spent the first half of his existence living it, watching Lovey Dovey whore her way through life.

  Then Mrs. Jankowski entered the picture. She’d been the light to his mother’s darkness. Once she’d shown him what could be, there had been no middle ground, no shades of gray for a boy determined to make a better life for himself and his sister. She’d taught him to reach for the stars, that they could be his. Could Dani be his, or was she a star far out of his reach?

  Logan leaned his head back and closed his eyes, shutting out the noise of the passing traffic. What to do about Dani? Was it wishful thinking that it wouldn’t be wrong to pursue her? He could no more see the answer than he’d been able to see his hand in front of his face in a haboob, a massive sandstorm of the Middle East.

  He had to talk to Mrs. Jankowski, and he didn’t want to do it over the phone, so it seemed a trip home was necessary. Whether Dani liked it or not, she and Regan were coming with him. It would do Dani good to get away from this situation and spend a few days at the beach.

  Logan took out his cell phone and called Mrs. Jankowski to tell her he was coming home and bringing guests. He then called Buchanan. It wouldn’t hurt to meet with his team and have a strategy session to make sure they were all on the same page.

  “Get anything on the license plate yet?” he asked as soon as Buchanan answered.

  “Jesus, boss, you only gave me the numbers thirty minutes ago. Give a man a little time.”

  “And it shouldn’t take more than five minutes to run it. Do you have anything?”

  “Yes and no. The plate is registered to a company called Gateway, but it’s a dummy corporation. Gateway is owned by The Way. That’s as far as we’ve got, but it’s looking like there are layers of dummy companies here. What the hell have you stepped in this time, Kincaid?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m not liking what I’m thinking. Those names, especially The Way, have the sound of a religious group.”

  “Are you thinking cult, boss?”

  “I don’t know what to think yet. We need more information. Our man could have stolen the truck and this is nothing more than an obsession on his part. If there is some religious group involved, then what the hell could they possibly want with Dani? Get Maria on this. She has a few more weeks before fall classes start. She loves this kind of thing, and if anyone can make sense of it, she can.”

  “I was going to suggest that. She’s been hanging out here begging for something to do.”

  Logan scowled at his cell. “Romeo, you get any ideas about Maria and you’re a dead man.” The hesitation on the other end raised the hair on Logan’s neck. He hadn’t missed the little glances recently occurring between Maria and Buchanan.

  “Right, dead man. Got it loud and clear, boss.”

  Logan was about to hang up when he heard Maria’s voice in the background.

  “Is my brother threatening you again, Jake?”

  Buchanan disconnected before Logan could hear his answer. Damn it all. It was a good thing he’d decided to go home. He needed to put a stop to whatever was starting between those two before it was too late. Romeo was . . . well, Romeo. There was no way he was going to let Buchanan sniff up Maria’s skirts.

  If Maria had a problem with that, he would lock her in her room until it was time for school to start. There were plenty of nice young men at the university. She needed to find one who wasn’t nicknamed Romeo.

  Logan started the Jeep, and as he drove, he planned how he would sneak Dani away without her stalker knowing. He also prepared for the argument he was sure she would give him about leaving Asheville, one she would lose. There was absolutely no way he was leaving her behind, unprotected. Especially if there was a cult involved. If he had to toss her over his shoulder and carry her away kicking and screaming, he would do so.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Dani unloaded the groceries, curious why Logan had insisted they buy food for just two days. He had something planned, but was staying closedmouthed about it. The frustrating man had also refused to tell her if he’d learned anything at any of the motels he’d stopped at, only saying they would talk later.

  She sliced some strawberries and put them on the tray of Regan’s highchair. “Want a strawberry?”

  Regan held one up. “Wont?”

  Dani opened her mouth and let Regan feed her. “Yummy.”

  Her daughter held out another one. “Wont?”

  “No, you eat the rest. Yum, yum.”

  “Yummmm!” Regan screamed, and smashed the piece on the tray.

  Leaving her to play with her food, Dani turned to start dinner. Logan stood in the doorway, his hair still damp from his shower. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt, and was barefoot. Unable to help herself, her gaze roamed over his body, across his broad chest, over his stomach, down to lean hips, the long legs, and his feet. She clenched her hands to keep from reaching out and running her fingers over his arms just to feel the ripple of his muscles.

  She swallowed hard and lifted her gaze to his. He stared back at her, his eyes darkening to almost black, his look intense. Remembering her resolve to rattle him, she licked her lips. One side of his mouth curved in a knowing smile—one that said he knew her game. What woman didn’t love a smart man? Whoa, where did that come from?

  Logan moved toward her in the way she thought a sleek panther would stalk something of interest, something it had caught the scent of and wanted. Her heart fluttered wildly as excitement raced through her. What was he going to do? He stopped in front of her and without saying a word, cradled her face with his hands, angled his head, and kissed her.

  Her knees threatened to buckle, but she locked them in place. He didn’t try to part her lips with his tongue, didn’t do anything but frame her face with his warm hands and kiss her as if she were the most precious thing in the world. Something told her not to touch him, even though she ached to feel his skin under her palms, but she knew if she did, he would stop. She never wanted him to stop. Ever.

  “Yu
mmmm! Mama, yummmm.”

  He lifted his head, a smile playing on his mouth. “I agree. Yum.”

  Leaving her standing in the middle of the kitchen, dazed and unable to think, he moved to sit next to Regan. Dani touched her tingling lips. My God, the man sure knew how to kiss, but he confused her. One minute he was kissing her senseless, the next apologizing for doing it.

  “You’ve made quite a mess here, Regan, my girl. You must be really proud of yourself,” Logan said.

  Dani turned to see her daughter holding out the only piece of strawberry not either in her hair, smeared over her face, or smashed on her tray.

  “Wont?”

  He leaned forward and let Regan put it in his mouth. “Yummmm!” Logan mimicked.

  Regan laughed and slammed both hands on the tray, splattering strawberry juice. She then leaned down and licked the tray. Looking up at Logan, she grinned and said, “Mama.”

  “No, I’m Logan. Can you say ‘Logan’?”

  Regan waved at him.

  “You’re a smart little girl. I know you can say ‘Logan.’ Lo . . . gan.”

  She scrunched her eyebrows together. “Gan.”

  Logan’s answering smile was one of the sweetest things Dani had ever seen.

  “‘Gan’ will work.” He slid his finger through the mess and licked it. “Yum.” Turning to Dani, he grinned. “I’m not an expert on babies, but I didn’t think they talked this early.”

  Dani shrugged. Secretly, she thought Regan was the smartest little girl in the world. “It varies. She’s talking more than most at her age. Personally, I think she’s going to be a jabber mouth, and there will come a day when I look fondly on the time before she could speak.”

  He chuckled when her daughter held out her arms the way she did when she wanted to be picked up and said, “Gan.” Tears burned Dani’s eyes, her hurt for the man who would never have his strawberry-smeared daughter reach for him. She’d always been sad that father and daughter would never know each other, but seeing Logan interact with Regan painted a vivid picture of how it could have been.