Simply Scandalous (Simply Series Book 2) Page 14

  She stepped aside, and as he passed her, she caught a whiff of his distinctive scent and her knees nearly buckled under her. So much for remaining detached. She wondered if she could pull off the composed and aloof routine. She doubted it.

  He walked into her small living area and glanced around at her furniture. Dressed in a black polo shirt and jeans, he looked at home in her cozy apartment. And that was the last thing she wanted him to be.

  He appraised the room from top to bottom before focusing his attention on her living room carpet, one of her favorite furnishings. He raised an eyebrow at the leopard-patterned area rug covering the hardwood floor. No way he’d understand her love of animal prints.

  “It’d go well in the cottage,” he said.

  Her heart nearly stopped beating. “What do you want from me? Don’t you think today’s proven just how impossible this is?” She gestured back and forth between the two of them, keeping a physical distance.

  He closed that fast and she found herself surrounded by his masculine presence. Reaching out, his finger brushed at her nose. “Flour?” he asked.

  She nodded, trying not to acknowledge how much that simple gesture affected her. Self-conscious now, she rubbed her nose with the back of her hand. “I’m making crepes.”

  “Sounds delicious.” His stomach rumbled and she laughed.

  “Sounds more like you’re hungry,” she said.

  He grinned. “So, feed me.”

  Without another word, she walked over to the pass-through area between her walk-in kitchen and the living room. “I hope you’re not starving because I don’t have much,” she warned him. She was due for a supermarket run. Her cupboards were almost bare except for junk food and the standard things she kept for elaborate baking.

  “Whatever you’ve got is okay by me.” He made himself at home, sitting on one of her barstools that doubled as her kitchen chairs.

  She sighed and decided junk food would do just fine. She dug into her cabinets, grabbed her only choice, and headed back to Logan. “Here you go, eat up.” She tossed a bag of potato chips at him.

  He shrugged. “Love them.”

  “Figures,” she muttered aloud.

  He took the tie off the bag and held it toward her. “Want some?”

  She shook her head. “No, thank you.”

  “Then don’t let me keep you.” He popped a chip into his mouth, then gestured toward her baking ingredients. “I’d love to watch.”

  She sighed and glanced at the batter, which still needed thinning.

  “You shouldn’t have had to go through what happened this morning,” he said.

  The sudden change of subject caught her off guard. She glanced at his serious expression, not sure what to say in return.

  “I don’t know if the picture will hit the news or not,” he said when she remained silent.

  “What you can’t control, you ignore.” Or tried to. She’d spent the afternoon trying to come to terms with the fact that she’d be plastered all over the Internet. “Any chance they’ll bury the story?” she asked.

  “Doubtful. And I wish it hadn’t happened.”

  She met his gaze. “Maybe so, but did it accomplish your goal?” she asked.

  He raised an eyebrow. “You can’t believe I had anything to do with that press conference.”

  She shook her head. If there was anything in life she was certain of, it was Logan’s integrity. “Of course not.” She wrapped her hand tight around the whisk. The edges of metal bit into her skin. “But can you deny that getting caught half-naked with the woman of the day will help derail your father’s campaign?”

  She held her breath, waiting for his answer. As if whatever he said would change what had happened, what was or wasn’t meant to be.

  “I wish I could.”

  And she wished he’d denied that she was his woman of the moment and felt let down that he hadn’t. What a bundle of contradictions she’d become, Catherine thought. Pushing him away with one breath, wishing he’d come back with the next. Never in her life had she been at such loose ends, so confused over her feelings.

  No, that was wrong, she amended. She was quite certain of her feelings. She loved a man she couldn’t have.

  “So, how did your father take the news that there wouldn’t be a run for mayor?” she asked.

  No way Logan would repeat the judge’s tirade. Logan grunted. “Not well.”

  He took another potato chip in hand. “As usual, I disappointed him.” And as usual, Logan felt the same swell of disappointment in his father because they couldn’t find any common ground, and this time, the rift would be permanent.

  “I’m sorry.” She’d braced her hands against the counter and studied him. “Will he get over it?” she asked.

  Logan shrugged. “I really couldn’t tell you.”

  “But you want him to, don’t you? You’d like to be some sort of family?”

  “Not if the judge is going to act like a pompous, overbearing…”

  “No cursing in my kitchen,” she said before he could get his next words out.

  He laughed. “You know me too well. But yes, if there was a way to come to an understanding without compromising my life, I’d take it.”

  “Then try with your mother. You never know.”

  Logan nodded slowly. Catherine was right. He hadn’t exhausted every avenue toward peace. When his father had turned pale and grabbed for the wall, Logan realized how badly he’d wanted the judge to come around. The idea of losing him permanently had frightened him. But the older man had recovered quickly, both his pallor and his temper.

  He crunched on a chip. Catherine was busy stirring and ignoring him. He dug into the bag once more, thinking as he ate. Until he’d told his father he intended to marry Catherine, he hadn’t realized that was exactly what he planned. In his gut, he’d known it all along.

  Not that she’d take well to the idea. Not yet. She needed time, which was fine since it would give him more time to get to know her as well.

  Without warning, Catherine reached through the pass-through and touched his arm. Her soft gaze settled on his. “Family’s family. Don’t you think your mother would want to help you and your father reach a compromise?”

  After the way his father had treated Cat, he was amazed she could still push for him. But she had no father to speak of and less family than he did. She obviously felt the loss and wanted to prevent him from suffering the same emptiness. Emptiness he wanted to fill for her.

  And he would, his family be damned.

  “I’ll think about everything you said. But unless he stops interfering in my life, there can’t be any compromise. Now, can we stop talking about a mayoral race that isn’t happening?”

  She shook her head. “I thought we were talking about your need for family.”

  He met her gaze and his mouth twisted into a smile. “I guess we were.” He propped his elbows on the bleached wood counter. “So, let’s talk about us.”

  Her reluctant grin pleased him. “You never give up, do you?” she asked.

  “Nope.” And he wouldn’t. Not until she looked at him with trust and love shining in those green eyes.

  He’d put the old man in his place. Regaining Catherine’s trust couldn’t be nearly as tough—as long as no other outside forces interfered again.

  * * *

  Catherine glanced at Logan and shook her head. It wasn’t fair, that charm and charisma he possessed. He could twist her around his finger so easily. Too easily, she thought with chagrin. She spun the whisk back and forth between her palms.

  “So, tell me why you’re so afraid to let yourself go, Cat.”

  She was suddenly grateful she had something to do with her hands and began beating the mixture in the bowl without meeting his gaze. “Because I can’t. Did I tell you my father ran out on my mother?” she asked, unsure why she was revealing such personal information, why she’d chosen this particular time.

  She’d never discussed her childhood with any
one but Kayla. Yet with Logan, it seemed right.

  He leaned forward in his seat. “You alluded to it.”

  “Well, he took off on her and two kids.”

  “And you think any guy you’ll get involved with will do the same?”

  She shook her head. “It’s not that. But life comes with obstacles. It doesn’t matter if you’re poor and have a hard time paying the bills or the happiest couple with everything in common, life will throw you a curve.”

  She shrugged, finding the explanation more difficult than she thought. She took some time to compose her thoughts and he seemed to understand, granting her the silence she needed. Another special thing about Logan was his ability to listen and the comfortable silences they were able to fall into together.

  She shook her head. She was supposed to be explaining their obstacles, not finding things they had in common. “If you’re different people to start with, or have problems on the horizon, you’ve already got the deck stacked against you.” She let out a heartfelt sigh. “We have the deck stacked against us.”

  On the surface, Logan supposed her explanation made sense. To her at least.

  He didn’t agree. They had more in common than she wanted to admit, and few problems on the horizon that he could see. He’d already taken care of the biggest one. If his father had to choose between his beliefs and his son, he’d choose his pompous ideals. It hurt, but Logan had already accepted that reality many times in the past.

  So, now his family didn’t stand in their way. Nothing did but Catherine herself. She had her reasoning all twisted around so that she believed she had logic on her side. But the core of her fear lay in being abandoned. And because of their differences, she probably thought the risk of him leaving her was too high for her to take a chance on.

  He met her green-eyed gaze and held it fast. “The deck’s only stacked against us if you choose to believe it is.”

  “Are we back to dreams again?”

  He shook his head. “We’re back to reality. To the fact that, yes, life can intrude on the best of couples. But if they work hard enough, if they stick together, they get through it together.”

  He wondered if she was really listening and realized her eyes remained steady on his. They were suspiciously damp. She was more than paying attention. She was digesting his words. He’d give her a few minutes in peaceful silence to take his words to heart.

  Her fingers toyed with a tiny pendant at the end of a gold chain, drawing his attention to the pale skin visible between the open collar of the blouse she wore rolled up at the sleeves. The gap in the cleavage wasn’t something he could ignore, though he’d been trying for the past half hour.

  What he felt for Catherine was greater than lust, even if his growing desire and overwhelming need to make love to her on the flour-coated kitchen counter threatened to make that statement a lie. And he intended to prove it to her.

  Before he acted on need and not common sense, Logan rose to his feet. He had to get the hell out of here and home to an ice-cold shower. He doubted even the hour ride back to the beach would cool his desire.

  He’d said what he’d come to say. He’d leave her alone with her thoughts and trust she’d come to have faith in him.

  “You’re leaving?” Her voice broke the silence.

  “I’d better. You have to work in the morning.”

  She nodded, then headed out of the kitchen. She grabbed his keys from a side table and met him on his walk to the door. “Logan, you’ve been…”

  “Don’t say it.”

  She tipped her head to the side. “Why not?” she asked. Her nose crinkled in confusion. “You have no idea what I was about to say.”

  “Right. And I’d like to leave it that way.” Before she tried for goodbye, see you sometime, or some other lame line he didn’t want to hear. He dug his hands into his front jeans pocket, slipping his fingers onto the twister from the chips he’d stuck inside. “But I do want to give you something before I go.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t take anything from you.”

  He grinned. “Sure, you can.” He pulled out the tie, then opened his hand palm-up and revealed his gift. He couldn’t have planned it better if he’d tried.

  Jewels and money would turn Catherine off. He had a hunch this small gesture would mean much more.

  “What’s that?” As she asked, her lips curved and it took all his self-control not to kiss her senseless.

  “My ring,” he said and grinned. “Want to go steady?”

  Catherine looked down at cookie twister in his hand. “What are you doing?”

  “Hold out you hand.”

  She did as he asked and he twisted the tie around her finger, nice and tight.

  “It’s my ring,” he said, a grin on his handsome face.

  If Catherine’s heart hadn’t already belonged to Logan Montgomery, it would now. Such a small token that meant so much. A gift from his heart.

  How could she not accept it? How could she deny her own heart any longer, let alone his? She curled her fingers tight instead of taking it off like he probably thought she’d do.

  His gaze followed the movement. “I’ll be calling you,” he said in a husky voice. “Later tonight.”

  Her stomach coiled into a tight knot. “What if I said don’t go?” She reached out for his hand, locking their fingers together.

  His touch was hot, his gaze hotter. “Then I’d ask if you were certain.”

  That she wanted to be with him? Without a doubt. Certain she was doing the right thing? Well, maybe it was time to take that leap of faith. “I am.”

  He cupped her cheeks in his hands and lowered his head, meeting her lips with his. The warmth and tenderness in his touch caused a spiraling heat and a tidal wave of emotion to surge through her. Desire and the urge to have him inside her rose as fast as her remaining doubts fled.

  When she reached for the button on his jeans, he stopped her. “I didn’t come here for this.”

  If his breathing hadn’t been ragged and his expression tortured—if she didn’t feel the hard, heavy press of his erection where their bodies met—she might have felt embarrassed or vulnerable. But Logan obviously wasn’t saying he didn’t want her.

  “Are you afraid you’ll take advantage of me? I know what I want,” she said quietly. “I want you.” Her rapidly beating heart and the sudden liquid rush of desire attested to that.

  “No more than I want you.”

  “Then there’s no problem.”

  He groaned and touched his forehead to hers. “Desire’s never been a problem between us. Sex has never been the issue.”

  Afraid she knew where this was leading, Catherine merely sighed. The man could probably see inside her soul. She had no doubt her feelings were mirrored in her face. There was little she could hide from him anymore and even less she wanted to. She waited for him to continue.

  “We could make love now and there’d still be your fears to deal with in the morning. You admitted as much tonight.”

  “Is that what we’d be doing? Making love?” She hated the raw tone in her voice.

  With that one question, she’d not only bared her soul but her heart. By avoiding the issue of her fears, she’d set them squarely between them. She’d never trusted anyone not to trample her heart before, and by doing so now, she’d given Logan power that was frightening.

  He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “We’ve never done anything but make love, Cat.”

  Her breath caught in her throat as emotion warred with sexual need. Her heart felt full to bursting. So did her body because a throbbing, aching need had overtaken it.

  “But we aren’t going to do it tonight.”

  Despite her body’s protest to his words, she smiled. “You’re a gentleman, Logan Montgomery.”

  “A damned uncomfortable one,” he muttered, and she couldn’t help but laugh. “What can I say? My grandmother raised me right.” He grinned, but she saw the same strain in his expression she felt herself.r />
  “Yes, she did.” Catherine twisted the tie on her finger.

  “Did you ever go steady before?” he asked.

  “Not since high school.” And not all that often, she realized, thinking back to those days. She hadn’t wanted anyone to get that close, to see where and how her family lived.

  “What do you remember most? And I’m not talking about making out in the back seat of some guy’s car.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Logan Montgomery threatened by some football jock who’s probably balding and has a beer belly by now?” She patted her stomach and laughed.

  “I don’t like the thought of anyone’s hands on you—” he paused a beat “—except mine.”

  She liked the possessiveness in his voice, but that darned honesty got in the way. “Actually, I don’t remember much,” she admitted. “There really wasn’t anyone who lasted longer than a day or two.” When she was in her teens, she hadn’t been ready for a steady boyfriend. By the time she’d hit her twenties, she’d developed the ability to date and remain detached. She’d had a couple of intimate relationships but none that had truly touched her heart.

  He squeezed her hand. “Then let me be the first to introduce you to the idea.” The laughter and fun dancing in his dark eyes were contagious.

  “I’m listening.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Logan took her hand and led her back through the apartment until they reached the soft, black, faux leather couch. Pulling her down beside him, he drew her close. “Going steady involves a lot of drive-through fast-food restaurants, for one thing.” His hands eased under her shirt until his palms rested, warm and strong, against her skin.

  Her heart started beating heavily again and she licked her dry lips. “What else?”

  “Parking on a deserted road.” His hands inched upward until they settled just below her breasts.

  Her skin tingled where he touched and her stomach clenched with an aching need.

  “No bra again, Cat.” He made a tsk-tsking sound.

  “I wasn’t expecting…” His fingertips swiped at her nipple and she sucked in a startled gasp. Fiery darts of pleasure pricked at her nerve endings. “Company,” she somehow choked out.