“Well, well, well,” Reid drawled sardonically. “Look who finally decided to show up.”
“Don’t start,” Logan muttered.
“Landrieu’s looking for you,” Viggo informed him. “You’d better get in there and do some world-class schmoozing. You know these meet-and-greets are part of the deal.”
Logan glanced darkly toward the lounge. He looked like he’d rather wrestle a thousand-pound alligator than step foot inside the party.
Meadow felt her face grow warm when his teammates suddenly shifted their attention to her. Their eyes were so strikingly intense, it was like getting caught in three supercharged laser beams. They were ridiculously good-looking. She wasn’t even a hockey fan and even she was starstruck.
Hunter smiled slowly. “Why don’t you introduce us to your lovely friend, Logan?”
Logan shifted closer to Meadow. Close enough for his muscled arm to brush her side and set off another chain reaction of tingles. “Jupiter, I’d like you to meet Hunter, Reid and Viggo. Fellas, say hello to Jup— er, Meadow.”
She smiled at his teammates. “Nice to meet you all.”
“Likewise,” they chorused, shaking her hand in turn.
“Jupiter?” Hunter queried with an amused quirk of his brow.
Meadow laughed. “Logan used to call me that because I loved astronomy.” She gave him a sideways grin. “Up until a moment ago, I wasn’t even sure he remembered my real name.”
The guys chuckled.
“So how do you two know each other?” Hunter asked curiously.
Logan smiled down at Meadow. “We met at a group home when we were kids.”
“Is that right?” Hunter exchanged a look with Reid and Viggo. It was an “aha” look, like a mystery had just been solved.
Logan suddenly appeared uncomfortable. “You guys heading out?”
“Yeah,” Reid answered first. “Nadia’s on her way back from the fundraiser. I told her I’d be home soon.”
“And Scarlett’s show just ended,” Viggo drawled, “so I’m swinging by the club to pick her up.”
Logan nodded before explaining helpfully to Meadow, “Reid’s fiancée is a college recruiter. And Viggo’s fiancée is in a rock band. You probably heard some of their music during the game. ‘Fahrenheit 32’ is our new intro song.”
“I love ‘Fahrenheit 32,’” Meadow enthused. “I hear it on the radio all the time. It’s a great workout song. Really motivational.”
Viggo grinned at her. “I’ll pass along your compliments.”
“Please do,” she said with an answering smile.
Hunter was observing her with keen interest. “So are you just visiting, or do you live in Denver?”
“I flew in for a job interview,” she replied. “I’m only here for the weekend.”
“Which means we’d better make the most of the time we have to catch up,” Logan said pointedly to his teammates.
They chuckled, taking the hint. “Pleasure meeting you, Meadow. Good luck on your interview.”
“Thank you,” she said appreciatively. “Good luck on the rest of the season.”
As the guys sauntered away, Logan stepped back in front of Meadow with a look of focused intensity. “What do you say we get out of here and grab something to eat?”
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. “I already ate.”
“So did I. We can get ice cream or something.”
“Ice cream? In this weather?”
“Sure, why not?”
She laughed. “It’s freezing outside, Logan. And I’m on a job interview. I can’t just leave.”
He flicked his wrist to check his expensive-looking watch. “It’s after ten o’clock. I’m sure the interview’s over.”
“You don’t know that. Anyway, I have to use the bathroom.”
“Go ahead.” His eyes glinted. “I’ll wait for you.”
Her knees went weak. “You don’t have to—”
“I haven’t seen you in fifteen years, Jupiter. I don’t mind waiting another five minutes to spend some time with you.”
Oh God, she thought as a melting warmth spread through her limbs and curled in her tummy. To mask her reaction, she gave him a teasing look of challenge. “How do you know it’ll only take me five minutes in the bathroom?”
His full lips twitched up into a half grin. Then he moved away from her to lean back against the wall, folding his arms across his massive chest. For the first time she saw that his other hand was covered with tattoos. The contrast between the badass ink and his custom suit was insanely sexy. She normally wasn’t attracted to tatted-up guys. But Logan’s bad boy hotness had every hormone in her body zapping to life.
“Go do your business,” he said in a lazy drawl. “I’ll be waiting.”
His words made her shiver.
She unglued her feet from the floor and headed off in the direction of the bathroom. She could feel the heat of Logan’s gaze on her back. The thought of him checking out her butt brought a warm flush to her face. She quickened her stride, practically sprinting down the corridor.
The ladies’ room was empty so she had her pick of vacant stalls. She slipped into the third one and quickly emptied her bladder, then flushed the toilet and stepped out.
As she washed her hands at the sink, she studied herself in the mirror. Large amber eyes peered back at her from behind black cat-eyed glasses. Her dark hair was swept back in a high ponytail, a classic low-maintenance style. She didn’t wear a lot of makeup, just a few swipes of mascara and nude lip gloss.
At the bottom of her handbag was a tube of red lipstick she’d bought on a whim and worn only once. As she stared at her reflection, she wondered if she should put on the more daring lip color. It would make her face pop. And maybe she could let her hair down to look…what? Prettier? Sexier?
For who? Logan?
Her pulse trip-hammered at the mental image of him leaning against that wall. Waiting for her.
She shook her head at her reflection. Don’t. Even. Go. There.
Logan Brassard was trouble and she’d had enough trouble in her life. She would be crazy to go looking for more.
When she came out of the bathroom, she found him in the same spot she’d left him. But he wasn’t alone. He was surrounded by a group of fawning girls decked out in his jersey. They were giggling and simpering as he signed autographs with that tattooed hand of his. The man had heartbreaker written all over him.
As Meadow watched, one of the girls tugged her jersey down to expose her lace-covered cleavage. Tossing her blond hair back, she thrust her chest out and boldly asked Logan to sign her breast. Without batting an eye, he grinned and leaned down to scrawl his signature across the top of her boob. The other girls burst into high-pitched squeals and giggles, practically swooning at his feet.
So the rumors about him were true. He was a player.
When he finished signing the blonde’s boob, she did an excited little shimmy and leaned up to kiss his cheek. Meadow was mid eye roll when Logan glanced over and saw her approaching.
He winked.
She ignored him, sidestepping the horde of groupies as she headed back to the party.
“Hey, wait up,” Logan called after her.
She kept walking.
He left his simpering fangirls and caught up with her. “Let’s get out of here.”
Her belly did an Olympics-worthy backflip. “I told you I’m in the middle of an interview.”
“I can get you off the hook.”
“Who says I want you—”
“C’mon.” He grabbed her hand, tugging her along behind him.
“Logan, wait!” She struggled to keep up with his ground-eating strides even as the heat of his massive palm made her weak in the knees.
He paused at the entrance to the executive lounge and leaned down, putting his lips close to her ear. “Who’s the employer?”
Tingling from the minty warmth of his breath, Meadow stood on tiptoe and scanned the crowd until she l
ocated Dirk and the rest of the management team. She pointed to them.
Logan followed the direction of her finger. “The Gamenetic people?”
“Yeah.” She stared up at him. “You know them?”
“Sorta. They contacted my agent once to ask if I’d be a spokesman for some mobile hockey game they were developing.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But we had to turn them down because I already have a contract with a competitor. C’mon.” He began leading Meadow across the room. His presence caused an immediate stir, turning heads and drawing excited whispers.
Dirk and the others looked stunned when they saw Logan approaching with Meadow. She could feel her cheeks burning. She was mortified and nervous. If anything went wrong, she was going to strangle Logan—provided she could find a ladder to stand on.
As they reached the group, she tugged her hand free of Logan’s grip and maneuvered herself in front of him. “Um, everyone, I’d like you to meet—”
“We know who he is, Meadow.” Dirk had the world’s goofiest grin on his face. “Good to see you, Logan.”
“Hey, how’s it going?” Logan went around the circle shaking hands with everyone. All of them looked positively starstruck. They reminded Meadow of high school nerds meeting a popular jock at a house party.
Dirk was the first to regain his composure, flashing a rueful smile at Logan. “Tough break tonight.”
Logan clenched his jaw and grunted noncommittally. Clearly it was still a sore spot.
Tech Exec divided an amazed look between Logan and Meadow. “So you two know each other?”
Meadow nodded. “We—”
“—go way back.” Logan smiled down at her. The warm gleam in his eyes did crazy things to her heartbeat.
He turned back to Dirk. “Hope you don’t mind if Meadow cuts out early. We have some catching up to do.”
Dirk couldn’t have looked more delighted. “I don’t mind at all.”
Blushing, Meadow interjected, “If you’re sure it’s not a problem—”
“I’m sure. We’ve kept you long enough.” Dirk grinned at her and Logan. “You two go have fun.”
“Oh, we will.” Logan reclaimed Meadow’s hand and started backing away. “You guys should hire her. You won’t find anyone better.”
Dirk and the others exchanged speechless glances.
Meadow felt her face burning with embarrassment as Logan led her away. “I can’t believe you just did that!”
He angled a grin at her. “You should be thanking me.”
“Thanking you? You might have just cost me a job!”
“Nah,” he drawled. “You’re good. Trust me.”
A few people stopped him for an autograph. While he signed their hats and jerseys, Meadow noticed several others whispering and pointing. Then more people started heading over.
As the crowd closed in, Logan grabbed Meadow’s hand and bulldozed his way toward the exit, ignoring her shocked sputtering. Even after they cleared the lounge he kept going, tugging her along as she huffed protestingly, trying not to trip over her booted feet.
“Would you slow down? I can’t keep up with—”
Suddenly he stopped, turned and swept her up into his arms as if she weighed no more than a hockey puck.
“What’re you doing?” she squeaked.
“You’re impeding my escape, Shorty.”
She held onto his neck, feeling his muscles flex and ripple under his suit jacket as he carried her purposefully down the corridor. He smelled so freaking good, and the heat coming off his body seeped into her veins and made her dizzy.
When they reached the elevator, he pressed the down button. The elevator arrived within seconds.
Instead of putting her down, Logan carried her into the elevator and pushed the button for the ground floor.
As the doors glided shut, she stared at the sexy dark stubble on his jaw and wondered if it would feel rough or soft against her skin. He was so big and broad, his body radiating power and brute force. Yet he cradled her as gently as if she were made of delicate porcelain.
“Man, you’re tiny.” He bounced her in his arms and grinned down at her. “How much do you weigh?”
“I’m not telling you that!” she said indignantly.
“What’s the big deal? It’s just a number.”
“It’s rude to ask. How much do you weigh?”
“Two thirty.”
“Good Lord. You’re practically Bigfoot.”
A deep laugh rumbled out of him. It made her breasts feel full and achy.
She squirmed in his arms. “You can put me down now.”
He chuckled at her request, then slowly set her down.
Her feet barely touched the floor before she backed away from him. Her legs were wobbly and her body was tingling all over. “You’re crazy, you know that?”
He gave her a devil’s grin. “I’ve been called worse.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.” She pushed her glasses up her nose and tugged her jacket back into place. “You should have stayed at the party and signed more autographs. I don’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” When he winked at her, her senses went a little bonkers.
His lawless days of hotwiring cars and vandalizing property might be behind him. But something told her Logan Brassard was more reckless than ever.
Not just reckless.
Downright dangerous.
Chapter Four
MEADOW
* * *
They left the arena and started toward the parking lot. The temperature had dropped by at least fifteen degrees, causing Meadow to shiver in her leather jacket.
“I don’t think I could ever get used to this cold weather,” she asserted.
Logan chuckled. He was clearly unfazed by the cold, though only his suit jacket protected him from the elements. “You’d get used to it. I have.”
“You’re a hockey player. You have a higher tolerance to cold than the rest of us mere mortals.”
He laughed, taking out his key fob as he led her to a black GMC Sierra Denali.
Her heart sank when she saw that he drove a truck. Climbing into trucks was always a challenge for her, especially when she was wearing heels. She’d had more than a few embarrassing moments.
Logan opened the passenger door for her. When she hesitated, his eyes flickered down her body and up again. Realizing her predicament, he grinned.
“Here, Shorty. Let me help you out.” Before she could protest, he picked her up and gently lifted her into the crew cab truck. As little flickers of heat shot through her veins, she met his eyes.
He stared back at her until she cleared her throat and quickly swung her legs into the cab.
He winked at her, then stepped back and closed the door. She turned her head to watch him through the windshield. That was when she saw the small clay pendant dangling from a silver chain on the rearview mirror.
“Oh my God!” Her stunned gaze flew to Logan as he hopped up into the driver’s seat. “You still have the pendant I gave you?”
He glanced at the pendant as if he’d forgotten it was there. An embarrassed look came over his face.
Fighting an unexpected rush of tears, she marveled, “You actually kept it all these years?”
“Sure,” he said gruffly without meeting her gaze. She thought she saw a faint blush spreading across his cheeks, but it was too dark to be one hundred percent sure.
She reached over and gently took the pendant in her hand. It felt cool and smooth against her skin. “You keep it in your truck where you’ll see it every day,” she murmured.
Logan merely grunted. Yup. He was definitely blushing.
His adorable reaction made her melt. She sniffled and smiled as she let go of the pendant, watching it swing back and forth on the chain.
“You always said such nice things about my artwork,” she softly reminisced. “I figured I’d leave you a souvenir.”
“I appre
ciated it.” He flashed her a cocky grin. “I always knew you liked me.”
Now it was her turn to blush. “I didn’t like you.”
“You totally did.”
“Did not,” she insisted.
“Did, too.”
“Did not!”
“Okay.” His lips were twitching.
She glared at him another moment, then turned toward her window to hide her smile.
When he started the engine, rock music blared from the speakers. He turned the volume all the way down before backing out of the parking space.
Meadow glanced over at him, still smiling. “You weren’t serious about getting ice cream, were you?”
“I was.” He met her gaze. “You don’t want that?”
“Um, no. It’s way too cold for ice cream.” She shivered for emphasis.
He chuckled. “Then let’s go somewhere and have a drink. Downtown has some cool skybars. I know a nice quiet one where we can just sit and talk and enjoy the view.”
She smiled. “Sounds good, even though I’m not much of a drinker.”
He slanted her a teasing grin. “Can’t hold your liquor?”
“You could say that.”
“Yeah?” His grin turned wolfish. “So if I ply you with enough drinks, you’ll throw yourself at me?”
She snorted. “In your dreams.”
He laughed as he navigated out of the parking lot and pulled onto Speer Boulevard, the main thoroughfare running through downtown. He drove with restrained power, as if he were trying to be on his best behavior for her sake.
When his phone rang from his jacket pocket, he ignored it. Meadow figured the caller was probably a woman. She could only imagine how many women he had calling him night and day.
As she stared out the window at the twinkling lights of downtown, Logan asked conversationally, “This your first trip to Denver?”
“Yup,” she answered. “I’ve been meaning to visit ever since my aunt moved here four years ago. But I was super busy with school and internships and work. I just never found the time.”
Logan nodded, slowing for a red light. “What made your aunt move here?”
“She got a job at KUSA.”
“The TV station?”
Sin Bin Page 5
