Untamed Passions (2 page)

   
“And?” Robert felt like he was pulling teeth trying to get Sienna to part with the details. She’d
been his best friend for several years now. While she was cute and totally date worthy, he had
decided that being friends with her was much better.

    
“And nothing. My tongue got all tangled and I looked like an idiot. End of story.”

    
Robert sighed. “Look, I’ll give you thirty minutes to shower and throw on some clothes. I’m
coming over and if I have to I’m going to drag you to the damn opening!”

    
Sienna knew he would do it too! “Alright, you win. Can I at least have fifteen minutes to get
some coffee?”

    
“No, go shower! I’m on my way over.”

    
Hanging up the phone, Sienna sighed. She knew it had been a mistake to give Robert the key to
her place. A smile crossed her face. Then again, he was a really good friend. It wasn’t often a
woman could have a straight guy for a best friend; even if he was a pain in the ass at times.

    
Heading into the bathroom, she started the shower. She took her time washing her hair and her
body, shaving, and just standing under the water, letting the hot spray run down her body, relaxing
her. When she turned off the water, she could hear Robert rummaging around in her kitchen.
Grabbing her large bath sheet, because let’s face it, a towel just doesn’t go around a large chest and a
pudgy body, she wrapped it around herself and went to investigate.

    
Cracking open the bedroom door, she peered into her living room. She could see part of the
kitchen, but couldn’t see Robert. If he was dressed casual, that meant he was going to trust her to
go solo to the opening. If he was dressed in business casual, it meant he was going with her just as
he had threatened and she was sunk.

   
The door jerked out of her grasp and she gasped, stumbling backwards. Robert stood in the
doorway, hands on his hips, glaring at her. “What are you doing?”

    
Sienna lifted her chin a notch, giving him a stubborn look. “I was just making sure it was you in
the house and not a thief.”

    
Drat the man, he had on khaki’s and a polo shirt, which meant she couldn’t duck out of the
opening. She was going whether she wanted to or not. Life was just so not fair sometimes!

    
“Uh-huh. Tell it to someone who believes you.” Robert’s gaze travelled over her wet dripping
hair to the arms she had crossed under her heaving chest down to her toes with pink polish. Why
the woman thought she was unattractive was beyond him. If he didn’t value her friendship so
much, he’d have dated her long ago – and most definitely would have slept with her!

    
Sienna grumbled under her breath, closed the door in his face and went in search of a decent
outfit to wear. As was typical of summer weather in California, it was hot outside. The breeze from
the ocean was nice, but it was definitely sundress and sandal weather. It was a good thing she’d had
a pedicure recently, she thought as she dug through her shoes searching for just the right pair.

    
Pulling out a pale green sundress and tan high heeled sandals, she quickly threw on her clothes.
Going back into the bathroom, she put some straightening gel in her hair and dried the short
strands. After putting on some light makeup, she checked her reflection. Sighing to herself, she
realized that it wasn’t going to get any better. She didn’t feel like the Cinderella that Robert always
called her. She felt like the pumpkin.

    
As she stepped into the living room, Robert stopped and checked her out. He nodded his
approval. “Not bad, not bad at all.”

    
Sienna rolled her eyes. “Gee, thanks Robert.”

    
He laughed and held his hand out to her. Grasping his hand, she followed him to the front
door. Grabbing her purse and keys, she locked up and walked with Robert to his car. While there
was nothing wrong with Sienna’s car, whenever the two friends went out on the town they always
took Robert’s convertible. Although, Sienna noticed the top was up for a change. It was obvious
that Robert was trying to play matchmaker and didn’t want her to arrive at the opening looking
mussed.

                                                
Chapter Two

   
Robert pulled into a parking space not far from the bookstore. They were a little early, but it
was better to be early and have a place to park than be on time and park five blocks away.
Unfastening his seat belt, he glanced over at Sienna. He knew she was scared to death.

   
Reaching over, he took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “It’s going to be fine, Sienna. Just
breathe. Logan Drake is just a man like any other.”

   
Sienna gave Robert her “are you insane?!” look. Logan Drake
just
a man? He owned several
bookstores in the area and several more across the US. He had opened his first one in Brea,
California about ten years ago and the business had taken off. The man had a knack for creating a
unique atmosphere that welcomed in people of all types.

   
His first bookstore had been designed with a Turkish theme. The ceiling and walls decorated to
make you feel as if you were inside a silk tent; lights arranged so that the ceiling looked like it was
filled with stars. Special lighting had lit the room enough to shop for books, but at the same time it
wasn’t garishly bright like it would have been with fluorescent lighting. The bookcases had all been
hand-painted to depict desert scenes. Everyone was talking about it the first week the store was
open for business and it had made national news.

   
Each of Logan’s stores were different. Not only were no two alike, but they were also unlike
any other bookstore in the country. The man had gone from being an every day nobody to being a
multimillionaire almost over night. It wasn’t long before people started seeing him with starlets and
models at every event he attended.

   
Sienna sighed. “Robert, Logan Drake ceased being ‘just a man’ when he made his first million.
Now he’s sought after by every woman on the planet. And I’d imagine that more than just a few
have actually caught him once or twice.”

   
“So what’s bothering you the most? His wealth or the fact that he’s been with so many women?”

   
She fidgeted in her seat. “Both, I think. And it isn’t the number of women he’s been with so
much as the
type
of women he’s been with.”

   
Robert gave her a blank look.

   
Rolling her eyes, Sienna decided to spell it out for him. “He’s always with thin women. Do I
look thin to you?”

    
Robert shook his head at her lunacy. “Sienna, what does your weight have to do with anything?
You’re beautiful, smart, funny… granted, you’re also sarcastic, anxious, and somewhat neurotic, but
I’m hoping we can keep those traits a secret until the man gets to know you better.”

    
Sienna gave him a goofy grin. “You really think I’m beautiful?”

    
He smiled. “Yeah, I really think you’re beautiful. Matter of fact, if we weren’t friends, I’d give
this guy a run for his money and try to claim you for my own.”

    
Sienna laughed. She knew that Robert was just kidding with her, but it was nice to think that a
man like him felt she was beautiful and worth fighting for. It’s what every woman wanted to hear,
and it was something that Sienna had never heard. Oh sure, men had told her she was pretty, but no
one had ever said she was beautiful. She knew she had self-image issues, and low self-esteem. Both
were things she was working on, but it was slow progress.

    
“Come on, they should be opening the doors any moment. We’d better go stand in line,”
Robert said as he opened his door.

    
Sienna was shaking on her way to the bookstore. It was ridiculous to feel so nervous. After all,
the man probably wouldn’t even remember her. She was getting worked up for nothing. Still… she
reached over and grabbed Robert’s hand for support.

    
He felt her trembling and gave her hand a squeeze. Robert would love to line up the men
Sienna had dated and kick the crap out of every single one of them. Every last one had left her
feeling insecure, worthless, and unattractive. They weren’t men; they were selfish assholes in his
opinion. The world would be a better place without them.

    
The line moved sluggishly. Almost half an hour had passed by the time they stepped through
the front doors and into the air conditioned store.

    
Sienna’s mouth dropped in shock and awe. The décor was fantastic! It was even better than the
other stores Logan had opened. It was designed to feel like a small Tuscan village, and Logan had
certainly pulled it off.

    
“It’s amazing,” she told Robert.

He glanced around, taking it all in. “Yes, it is. It seems that Logan Drake has done it again.”

    
“I’m glad to hear that,” said a voice off to the side.

    
As they turned, Robert and Sienna saw the man in question.

    
Sienna’s gaze took all of him in, from his tucked in blue button down shirt to his black dress
slacks. He had dispensed with a coat and tie, but looked edible just the same.

   
Logan stepped closer to them. Sienna looked beautiful today. He eyed the man next to her,
wondering who he was. He glanced at their joined hands and his eyes narrowed. Was she seeing
someone? He certainly didn’t blame the man for being smitten with her. After all, Logan had only
met her once and had wanted to ask her out on the spot.

   
“I’m Logan,” he said as he offered his hand to Robert.

   
“Robert. And I believe you’ve already met Sienna.”

   
Logan nodded. “Yes, we met briefly last night on the beach. I’m glad that you came by today.”

   
“When I heard about your grand opening I knew we had to come. Sienna just loves your
bookstores,” Robert responded.

   
Beside him, Sienna was blushing furiously. Leave it to Robert to embarrass her beyond belief.
She glanced at the floor, hoping it would conceal her red cheeks.

   
Releasing her hand, Robert took a step away. “If you don’t mind, I think I’m going to go
browse through the mystery section.”

   
Sienna looked after him with despair. Now what? How was she supposed to carry on a
conversation with a man who tied her up in knots? She could barely think around Logan Drake,
much less converse with the man.

   
“What do you think of the store, Sienna?” Logan asked quietly, moving closer to her.

   
She looked up into his eyes and her breath caught. He was near enough that she could smell his
aftershave and it was intoxicating. Her knees felt weak and she started feeling lightheaded. Sienna
thought she was going to hit the floor at any moment.

   
Logan stepped closer still, his body almost brushing against hers. “You didn’t answer my
question.”

   
“Oh, um, I… I really like it. It’s different than anything else you’ve done.”

   
He gave her his sexiest, most deadly grin. “I’m glad you like it.”

   
Sienna held back a gasp. The man was positively sinful. And was he flirting with her? Surely
not… no, she must definitely be mistaken. There was no reason for Logan to be flirting with
her
of
all people. Maybe if she remembered how to breathe, the oxygen could circulate to her brain and
she’d stop having these idiotic thoughts.

   
“And your boyfriend… does he like my other stores as well?” Logan asked, deciding to go on a
fishing expedition.

   
“Boyfriend?” she asked, dumbfounded.

   
Logan nodded toward the mystery section. “Robert.”

    
“Oh. Oh! Oh no, Robert isn’t my boyfriend. He lives next door and he’s my friend, but that’s
all.” Sienna shut her mouth suddenly. What was wrong with her? She was babbling and acting like
an idiot.

    
“I’m glad to hear that you’re just friends,” he told her.

    
“You are?”

    
Logan nodded. “Yes because I’ve wanted to ask you something. I wanted to ask you last night,
but you seemed a bit shy.”

    
Shy? He thought she was shy? Well, it was as good an excuse as any. It was certainly better than
telling the man that he scrambled her brain, gave her butterflies and made her think lustful thoughts.
She’d love nothing more than to strip him naked, tie him down, slather him with honey, and lick
him from head to toe… there was one part in particular she
really
wanted to lick.