Playing with Temptation (25 page)

Time to get moving. She rolled out of bed, and since she was still in just her underwear, she grabbed the T-shirt that Logan had worn the day before and had tossed onto the floor last night and pulled it over her head so she wasn’t walking around half-naked. A pair of socks and his jeans were also in a heap on the floor, and she couldn’t help but smile knowing that, yeah, he was a normal guy who didn’t pick up his clothes until he absolutely had to—or someone else did.

Heading into the adjoining bathroom, she emptied her bladder, then went to wash her hands when she saw a new, packaged toothbrush sitting on the counter for her to use. A thoughtful gesture he probably extended to all the women who happened to stay the night. The stab of jealousy she experienced at that thought was unexpected but there nonetheless. She hated the mental image of other women in Logan’s house and his bed.

Shoving those too-possessive thoughts aside when Logan wasn’t hers to claim, she brushed her teeth, then glanced in the mirror, cringing at the dreadful-looking woman staring back at her. She looked a wreck. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her makeup and mascara smeared around her eyes from her crying episode.

Embarrassment coursed through her. She wasn’t in the habit of feeling sorry for herself and indulging in a pity party, but last night, everything had come to a head. Feeling so vulnerable and alone, she’d succumbed to a moment of weakness. But now it was time to put her big-girl panties back on and deal with the situation without falling apart again.

Exhaling a deep breath, she washed her face, ran a brush through her hair, and followed the savory scent of bacon and coffee out to the kitchen. She entered the bright and open space and smiled to herself when she found Logan standing at the stove, removing strips of crispy bacon from a pan and putting them on a paper towel covering a plate, while scrambling some eggs in another frying pan. He wasn’t yet aware of her presence, and she was content to lean against the far counter and just watch him for a few quiet moments.

He was wearing a gray T-shirt that stretched across his broad, muscled shoulders and tucked into a pair of dark jeans that did great things for his ass. His hair was damp from a shower, a light stubble covered his jaw, and an arousing trickle of heat curled through her when she thought of how seductive that shadowed beard felt scratching against her neck, her breasts, her thighs…

A soft, needy sound rose up out of her throat before she could stop it, and Logan turned around, a ridiculously sexy smile lifting his mouth when he saw her standing there.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said and strolled toward her, making her heart race with each step that closed the distance between them. “I was just about to wake you up. Breakfast is ready.”

She flushed, knowing she looked far from beautiful, considering she’d just looked in a mirror.

As if it were perfectly normal for her to be in his kitchen, as soon as he reached her, he slid an arm around her waist to bring her body flush to his and slid his other hand along the side of her neck, using his thumb to tip up her face as his mouth lowered to hers. The kiss was slow and hot and deep, making her soften and melt against him as he slid his hand lower and found his way beneath the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing.

His palm cupped her ass, giving it a possessive squeeze as he rubbed the thick length of his erection against her mound. She moaned as desire heated her blood, and she was beginning to think,
and hope
, that she was going to have
him
for breakfast.

Much too soon, he ended the kiss. “You taste good,” he murmured huskily as he ran his tongue along her teeth and nipped at her bottom lip before lifting his head to stare down at her. “Minty and sweet.”

“Yeah, thanks for the new toothbrush you set out for me. You supply them for all your overnight guests?” She meant to be light and teasing, but damn if a bit of the green-eyed monster didn’t slip through.

He smirked at her, clearly enjoying her little flare of jealousy. “No, you’re special.”

She rolled her eyes, trying once again for humor. “I bet you tell that to all the girls who sleep over.”

She tried to step away from him, but he kept his arm firmly around her waist, his stunningly clear green eyes very serious and direct. “You’re the first and
only
woman to ever sleep in my bed. I don’t bring random women here. That’s what The Players Club was for.”

Was
. Past tense. As if he didn’t intend to go back anytime soon and she was the reason why. As if he didn’t want or need any other woman now that he’d had her.

Pain squeezed her heart, which told her just how fast she was falling for this man. She swallowed hard, knowing he might feel that way about her now, while they were in the throes of their sexual, off-the-charts hot affair, but she knew from experience that his interest wouldn’t last, that when the lust and attraction faded and he really thought of his future and what he wanted, she was the furthest thing from his ideal woman.

And that part hurt most of all, which was why she was determined to end their fling just as soon as she was safe again and didn’t need a daily bodyguard.

“Just for the record,” he said, finally releasing her and giving her the room she needed to breathe, “I buy more than one toothbrush at a time, so that was my extra one.”

“Well, thank you.” She managed a smile. “I appreciate it.”

He walked back to the stove and reached for two plates from the nearby cupboard. “Why don’t you make a cup of coffee while I dish up our breakfast.”

Welcoming the distraction, she went to the coffee maker and poured herself a cup, then mixed in her cream and sugar. Logan carried their plates back to the bar area, where they’d eaten dinner the night before, and she joined him there.

After a few bites of the fluffy, buttery eggs, Logan glanced at her. “Can you take today off from the shop? We could go to the beach for the afternoon,” he suggested.

She knew what he was doing. He was trying to give her a day to unwind and relax after yesterday’s incident at the store, and while that sounded like a fantastic idea and a wonderful mental escape, she also knew spending an entire day in Logan’s company, just the two of them, was not a smart thing for her emotionally.

She shook her head as she took a drink of her coffee. “I really should go into work today.”

He lifted a dark brow, silently countering that statement.

“Okay, I really
need
to go into work today,” she corrected as she bit into a crispy piece of bacon. “I have a bunch of things I should have finished yesterday but couldn’t think straight enough to get the paperwork done. And I refuse to let this person, whoever he is, scare me away from my own store.”

“Okay, work it is,” he said, not pushing the issue.

They finished breakfast, and while Logan cleaned up the kitchen, Raina changed into the clothes she’d worn the day before for the ride back to her apartment. Once they arrived at her place, she took a shower, washed and dried her hair, and put on a light amount of makeup.

Logan had her at the store before twelve thirty in the afternoon, and from the moment they walked in, Raina was a whirlwind of busy. Between helping customers, restocking the shelves, assisting Callie in packaging online orders, and doing inventory so she could place an order for various products they were low on for both the store and Internet sales, she was constantly on her feet and had no time to even get to the paperwork still awaiting her in the office.

Raina was grateful that there were no other incidents, and it was a normal afternoon at the boutique. The only conflict all day was when Jared arrived to pick up the boxes and packages and Logan watched the other man while he loaded up his truck, refusing to leave him alone with her. Jared glared at Logan and made the comment that he didn’t need a babysitter to do his job, and made no attempt at hiding his irritation at the situation.

The tension between the two men was tangible, like two boys fighting over the same toy, and Raina knew she was the reason, which was ridiculous because she had absolutely no interest in Jared. And she was certain he wasn’t responsible for the two incidents so far. He was just a nice guy and had never shown her any aggressive tendencies.

By six in the evening, with Callie and Aaron having been at the store since ten that morning, she sent them both home. With Logan in the shop, and only two more hours left to go on a Tuesday night, one of their quietest evenings of the week, she wanted to give her two employees an early night off.

At eight, Raina locked the front doors and started closing up the store, realizing she needed at least an hour in her office to cash out the day’s receipts, pay a few outstanding invoices, and place an order for inventory since she was getting low on items from her increasing website sales. Except her stomach twisted with hunger pangs, and she had a splitting headache because she realized that she’d skipped eating any lunch or dinner.

She sat behind her desk, rubbing at her throbbing temples and feeling a bit light-headed when Logan strolled in.

His expression immediately reflected concern. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Actually, I’m starving.” Being the healthy guy that Logan was, he’d brought two protein shakes as meal replacements and had already drunk them. She should have brought something substantial from home, as well. “And the granola bar in my desk drawer just isn’t going to cut it.”

“Want to go and get something to eat?”

She shook her head, realizing her hands were shaking, probably from low blood sugar and needing protein. “I really don’t want to leave. I’ve got to get this stuff done tonight before I go.” The receipts, invoices, and inventory order on her desk really couldn’t be put off another day. “Would you mind running down to the corner deli and picking me up a chicken sandwich?”

He braced his hands on his hips, a slight frown creasing his brows. “I don’t like leaving you alone.”

“It’ll take you maybe fifteen, twenty minutes max, and I’m locked up tight here in the store,” she reasoned. “I’ll be fine. You have a key card, and I promise not to answer anyone who might knock on the door.”

Still, he hesitated, his reluctance palpable.

Her belly gnawed hungrily again, this time with a slight wave of nausea. “
Please
? My head is killing me, and I feel like I’m going to pass out if I don’t get something substantial in my stomach.”

That
he seemed to understand, and he exhaled a deep breath. “Put your cell phone on the desk where you can grab it if you need to call me for anything.”

She did as he asked, setting her phone nearby. “Thank you.”

He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”

She heard him leave out the back door, as well as the lock clicking into place after him. She signed on to her computer, then picked up an invoice, doing her best to concentrate on getting the bills paid online so she could move on to placing her inventory order. The sooner her paperwork was done, the sooner she could go home.

Five minutes after Logan left, the back door opened again with a buzz, then shut again, then…silence. Curious as to why Logan would have returned so soon, she stood up, then rounded her desk and walked toward the office door.

“Logan? Did you forget something?” As soon as she stepped out into the hallway, she came to an abrupt stop as her gaze collided with Jared’s. She stared at him in confusion for a split second, which quickly gave way to unease since it was after hours and he was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, instead of his courier uniform. She also realized that since she hadn’t used the final exit pass code on the door, his key card was still active.

He looked at her much too insolently, and a shiver stole through her at the contempt etched across his features. Pushing away the niggle of fear attempting to claw its way to the surface, she squared her shoulders and tried to remain calm so she could assess him and the situation.

“What are you doing here, Jared?” she asked, her voice surprisingly strong and confident, despite the increasingly sick feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with food and everything to do with her instincts suddenly screaming at her that she’d been wrong, and Jared
was
the one stalking her.

He stood there, his entire body taut and controlled in a way that chilled her. “I’ve been waiting for
days
for your bodyguard to leave you alone so I could talk to you without him hovering around or interrogating me.”

The thought of Jared spying on her, watching her from afar, and following her made Raina’s skin start to crawl. “That’s Logan’s job.”

“Well, he’s not here now, is he?” he said, clearly relishing that fact.

“He’ll be back soon,” she blurted out, desperation in her voice.

He shrugged, the gesture detached and uncaring. “I’ll be done with you by then, and he can have whatever’s left over.”

Jared smirked, and she realized that in his current and clearly unbalanced mental state, he believed himself untouchable. A dangerous prospect for her. He could do a lot of horrible things in the fifteen minutes that Logan was gone, and the only thing she could think of was to keep Jared talking.

“Why are you doing this?” she asked, keeping her voice even and unthreatening. “I thought we were friends.”

“
I never wanted to be fucking friends
,” he screamed, his expression distorting with a rage that made Raina’s heart hammer hard and fast in her chest with fright and panic.

He stabbed his fingers through his hair and inhaled a deep breath, giving the perception that he was suddenly back in control of his anger. He wasn’t. She’d seen and had been the recipient of these kinds of violent outbursts in her father—an explosive flare of temper one second and seemingly rational speech the next. But the calm never lasted long, and she knew just how brutal and vicious this encounter could get.

She swallowed hard, trying not to let her growing anxiety and terror overwhelm her.

“You’ve made me very, very upset, Raina,” he said and slowly started toward her. For every step he took forward, she took one back. “I tried to be nice. I asked you out for drinks and dinner and coffee, and what excuse did you give me? That you were too busy with the store and not in the frame of mind to date anyone, yet here you are, fucking that asshole and acting like a whore.”