Logan’s expression warmed. “Tonight,” he said softly.
When the door closed behind him, Pepper sank down to her couch.
She was in too deep, and worse, she liked it.
* * *
THREE DAYS LATER, Pepper watched the sunset with Logan while sharing an ice-cream sundae. The mood was relaxed and mellow—until her phone rang.
Their gazes met.
He said, “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
No, he wouldn’t, but she knew it had to be Rowdy. No one else ever called her. “I’ll be right back.” She pushed up from the lounge chair on his balcony and stepped inside. On the fourth ring, she had her phone out of her purse. “Hello.”
“What took you so long?”
“I was…busy.”
“With your neighbor.” Rowdy made a sound of displeasure. “It’s looking awfully cozy.”
Her heart hung heavy in her chest. “Yes.” Very cozy. She relished her every minute with him.
And she missed the sex a lot.
“Should I check the GPS tracker?” Impatient, he asked, “Has he had any unaccountable time away? Any reason for suspicion?”
“No.” And with every day, she became more convinced that Rowdy was chasing down a dead end. Other than quick trips to the grocery, where Logan often invited her along, he went very few places. Occasionally he jogged, and she so badly wanted to join him…
“His hand’s still injured?”
“Yes. But it’s better.” He’d even grumbled about being bored.
“Do you know when he’ll get back to work?”
Logan remained on the balcony, his back to her, seemingly uninterested in her conversation. But just in case he could hear her, she lowered her voice more. “Tomorrow.” And she’d grown so accustomed to having him around she would miss him while he was gone.
“I’ll give him a little time, then, before I check it. If he’s making any stops he shouldn’t, we’ll know.”
“Yes.” But she just couldn’t imagine it. From what she could tell, Logan was exactly what he claimed to be: a bachelor who liked her company.
They watched rented movies, shared newspaper articles, cooked meals together. They talked and laughed. She liked him and admired him.
She loved the casual company.
Not quite as much as she’d loved the physical release, but close enough to cherish their time together.
“While you’re making yourself at home there,” Rowdy said with an edge in his tone, “at least scope out the place. Keep your eyes open to anything that seems out of place, any clue that’ll tell us more about him. Don’t let your infatuation—”
“Okay.” Oh, shoot. She hadn’t meant to snap. Logan looked back at her, smiled and then stood to lean over the railing, watching the street traffic beyond. Pepper dropped her head forward, took a breath. “Of course I will.”
Rowdy was quiet for several seconds. “I’ll call again in a few days. Just don’t do anything crazy, okay?”
Like have sex with an almost-stranger whom her brother suspected of nefarious dealings? She let out a sigh. “All right.”
“Love ya, kiddo.”
“You, too.” She disconnected the call but hesitated to rejoin Logan.
He fixed that by coming in behind her, and though he didn’t quite look at her on his way to the kitchen, she felt the tension surrounding him.
She cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” He set the empty ice-cream dish in the sink. “Not a big deal.”
He waited, but what could she tell him?
She shook her head and said again, “Sorry.”
Clearly disgusted, he smirked. “You can keep your secrets, Sue. If you have another guy calling you, hey, we don’t have any agreements, right? We’re not even having sex anymore. Is that why? You’ve found someone else?”
What? That’s what he thought? She laughed at the absurdity of it.
Eyes narrowing with menace, he crossed his arms. “That’s funny?”
“Well…yes. A little.”
“Glad I could amuse you.”
Wow, he really did sound angry. “I’m sorry.”
He muttered, “Fuck.” Then with just as much annoyance, he said, “Stop apologizing already.”
She approached him. “That wasn’t another man.”
“Then who was it?”
Blast. She’d really gotten herself into a corner. “I mean, it was a man, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“What other way is there?”
She made a split decision. A good way to test him would be to give him just a tiny taste of information—and watch how he reacted to it. “My brother.”
Chagrined, he took that in, then smiled. “Oh.” After an awkward moment, the smile turned into a laugh. “Shit.”
She tipped her head, gauging the sincerity of the sound. “Now you think it’s funny?”
“Considering I was jealous, yeah.”
“Jealous?”
“What did you think?” Taking her by surprise, he kissed her, quick and light. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
Jealousy was outrageous and sort of endearing. “We don’t see each other often.”
“How come?” As if it didn’t really matter, he took her hand and led her to the couch. “You’re not close?”
When the door closed behind him, Pepper sank down to her couch.
She was in too deep, and worse, she liked it.
* * *
THREE DAYS LATER, Pepper watched the sunset with Logan while sharing an ice-cream sundae. The mood was relaxed and mellow—until her phone rang.
Their gazes met.
He said, “Go ahead. I don’t mind.”
No, he wouldn’t, but she knew it had to be Rowdy. No one else ever called her. “I’ll be right back.” She pushed up from the lounge chair on his balcony and stepped inside. On the fourth ring, she had her phone out of her purse. “Hello.”
“What took you so long?”
“I was…busy.”
“With your neighbor.” Rowdy made a sound of displeasure. “It’s looking awfully cozy.”
Her heart hung heavy in her chest. “Yes.” Very cozy. She relished her every minute with him.
And she missed the sex a lot.
“Should I check the GPS tracker?” Impatient, he asked, “Has he had any unaccountable time away? Any reason for suspicion?”
“No.” And with every day, she became more convinced that Rowdy was chasing down a dead end. Other than quick trips to the grocery, where Logan often invited her along, he went very few places. Occasionally he jogged, and she so badly wanted to join him…
“His hand’s still injured?”
“Yes. But it’s better.” He’d even grumbled about being bored.
“Do you know when he’ll get back to work?”
Logan remained on the balcony, his back to her, seemingly uninterested in her conversation. But just in case he could hear her, she lowered her voice more. “Tomorrow.” And she’d grown so accustomed to having him around she would miss him while he was gone.
“I’ll give him a little time, then, before I check it. If he’s making any stops he shouldn’t, we’ll know.”
“Yes.” But she just couldn’t imagine it. From what she could tell, Logan was exactly what he claimed to be: a bachelor who liked her company.
They watched rented movies, shared newspaper articles, cooked meals together. They talked and laughed. She liked him and admired him.
She loved the casual company.
Not quite as much as she’d loved the physical release, but close enough to cherish their time together.
“While you’re making yourself at home there,” Rowdy said with an edge in his tone, “at least scope out the place. Keep your eyes open to anything that seems out of place, any clue that’ll tell us more about him. Don’t let your infatuation—”
“Okay.” Oh, shoot. She hadn’t meant to snap. Logan looked back at her, smiled and then stood to lean over the railing, watching the street traffic beyond. Pepper dropped her head forward, took a breath. “Of course I will.”
Rowdy was quiet for several seconds. “I’ll call again in a few days. Just don’t do anything crazy, okay?”
Like have sex with an almost-stranger whom her brother suspected of nefarious dealings? She let out a sigh. “All right.”
“Love ya, kiddo.”
“You, too.” She disconnected the call but hesitated to rejoin Logan.
He fixed that by coming in behind her, and though he didn’t quite look at her on his way to the kitchen, she felt the tension surrounding him.
She cleared her throat. “Sorry about that.”
“Don’t be.” He set the empty ice-cream dish in the sink. “Not a big deal.”
He waited, but what could she tell him?
She shook her head and said again, “Sorry.”
Clearly disgusted, he smirked. “You can keep your secrets, Sue. If you have another guy calling you, hey, we don’t have any agreements, right? We’re not even having sex anymore. Is that why? You’ve found someone else?”
What? That’s what he thought? She laughed at the absurdity of it.
Eyes narrowing with menace, he crossed his arms. “That’s funny?”
“Well…yes. A little.”
“Glad I could amuse you.”
Wow, he really did sound angry. “I’m sorry.”
He muttered, “Fuck.” Then with just as much annoyance, he said, “Stop apologizing already.”
She approached him. “That wasn’t another man.”
“Then who was it?”
Blast. She’d really gotten herself into a corner. “I mean, it was a man, but not in the way you’re thinking.”
“What other way is there?”
She made a split decision. A good way to test him would be to give him just a tiny taste of information—and watch how he reacted to it. “My brother.”
Chagrined, he took that in, then smiled. “Oh.” After an awkward moment, the smile turned into a laugh. “Shit.”
She tipped her head, gauging the sincerity of the sound. “Now you think it’s funny?”
“Considering I was jealous, yeah.”
“Jealous?”
“What did you think?” Taking her by surprise, he kissed her, quick and light. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”
Jealousy was outrageous and sort of endearing. “We don’t see each other often.”
“How come?” As if it didn’t really matter, he took her hand and led her to the couch. “You’re not close?”
