I groan at that. I have to remember to wear perfect-coverage bras when I’m around Logan. Or when I’m about to meet Ava. I’m sure this won’t be the last setup she pulls on me. Mental note: Logan is not only sexy and stubborn, but also blunt. I shouldn’t ask him a question unless I want to hear the goddamn honest truth.
Looking up again at Logan, I catch him licking his lips. I whip my thoughts together. “It’s not a good idea. I have a lot on my mind; I’m not much fun.”
“I disagree.”
“Shocker,” I murmur.
“I love your energy and your will to go after what you want. You’re fun and open, and with the risk of sounding like a total man, you’re sexy as hell. “
I laugh again. God, I love that he puts me at ease no matter what we’re talking about. My mother often says, “When you find a man who makes you laugh without even knowing why, marry him.” I wonder what she’d have to say about Logan. She’d probably like him. Hell, that line of thought will lead me nowhere.
Shaking my head, I chuckle. “I can’t think of anything but the shop right now. I simply have too much at stake. You understand that, right?”
He steps aside and points one arm at the door, as if telling me I’m free to go. His eyes say something different, though: You’ll be mine.
“I perfectly understand what I have to do.” He doesn’t take his eyes off mine. Raising his other hand, he twirls a strand of my hair between his fingers. Then he pushes it behind my ear, his fingers lingering at my earlobe for a few brief seconds. My skin simmers at his touch, and I catch my breath. “Convince you.”
Chapter Five
Logan
What has been seen cannot be unseen. The image of her gorgeous breasts is branded in my mind. I think about Nadine the entire afternoon, and the next day. Every man with blood in his veins would find it hard to control himself in her presence. Being near her yesterday was intoxicating. Even now, I’m still high on her laughter. I could hear that woman laugh all day long. In fact, I want to be the reason she laughs. She deserves to be happy, especially after having so much bad luck.
She doesn’t trust me, though; I saw that yesterday. I have no idea if it’s just me, or men in general, but I’m going to earn that trust.
My phone rings as I enter my office—Pippa’s calling.
“Hello, sister.”
“What are you doing tonight? I thought we could meet up at Alice’s restaurant after work. She has a new chef. I hear the tiramisu is to die for.”
“I can’t tonight. I’m meeting the senator.”
“Oh. That made you sound very important.”
“News flash, Pippa: I am a very important person.”
“You’re also my brother,” she states, as if that somehow nullifies what I said. No matter what I do, my siblings still treat me as just their brother. To be honest, that’s great. I wouldn’t want it any other way. There are plenty of people kissing my ass as long as it fits their agenda, but when I’m with my family, I can be myself. They’re honest, and we stick together.
“What about tomorrow?”
“Free.”
“Great. I’ll move this to tomorrow.”
“Sure. Will Nadine be there?”
The thought of seeing her again makes me smile. Her fierce determination stirs something powerful in me. I’d love to listen to her talk about anything, all day long, which is saying something, since I’ve never been this interested in a simple conversation with a woman before. There’s something about Nadine’s excitement—it’s contagious.
“Of course. Now, before you go all ‘I can find a woman on my own’ on me, this isn’t about you.”
I couldn’t be happier that Nadine will be there, but I’m not about to share that with my sister, and give her the satisfaction of knowing that her little matchmaking game is working. I’d never hear the end of it. Besides, it’s good to be the one with the inside information for once.
“She’s all alone here,” Pippa continues. “We’ll make her an adopted Bennett if you don’t want to date her.”
Adopted Bennett my ass. “Adopted Bennett” is a term my family uses to refer to close friends. Platonic friends. I have other plans for Nadine. Her mix of vulnerability and strength makes me want to hold her in my arms, and not let her go. Her mouth begs to be kissed, and hell, I’d kiss that sinful mouth of hers into oblivion. I wonder if she tastes as sweet as I imagine, how her full breasts would fit in my hand. Asking her out on a date felt right, even though we clearly both have doubts. Repeating to myself all the reasons why dating her isn’t a good idea obviously wasn’t working, so I had to do something about the attraction between us.
“See you at dinner, Pippa.”