Logan appreciated where she was coming from. Hell, an hour ago he was pushing her away. But knowing about what had happened to her brother had changed everything.
“That's why you were here six months ago. That's why you came to the bar.” He paused, moved a step closer to her. “That's what was wrong. Why you cried.”
Her head was bent and he couldn't see her face.
“I miss him so damn much. Every day. He hadn't even been in Tahoe a year.”
She looked up at him and there weren't any tears on her face, but grief overwhelmed her beautiful features.
“I won't rest until I find the arsonist who killed him.”
“If I were you,” Logan said in a quiet voice, “I'd feel the same way. I'd be here doing the same thing, tracking down every lead.”
Her mouth twisted as if she'd tasted something sour. “You were my one mistake. God, I wish I'd never met you.”
“Ouch.”
And yet, he got where she was coming from. No one wanted to be reminded of their f**kups. No matter how unintentional.
“Putting arsonists behind bars is the only thing that matters anymore.”
He had to ask. “What about your friends? The rest of your family?”
She gave him a strange look. “What are you, some kind of mind reader?”
He took another small step toward her, wanting to get closer without scaring her away.
“No, why would you say that?”
“It's crazy, but I was just thinking about …” Her words fell away and she looked at him again, almost as if she were seeing him for the first time. “I can't be telling you these things. I shouldn't be talking to you at all.”
But he wanted to keep their dialogue going, wanted to feel out their strange connection and see if there was something to it.
“I only met your brother once, very briefly. I wish I'd known him better. That I had stories to tell you.”
“I don't want to talk about him.”
But he didn't believe her. “I'd be happy to talk to the guys I know in town, find out if there was anything weird going on the night he—” He cut himself off just in time.
She stared at him in surprise. Or maybe it was anger. “I know you're not deaf. I know you heard me tell you to drop it. What the hell are you playing at?”
He held up his hands. “Nothing. I swear. I just wanted you to know that I understand how you're feeling. How hard it is to lose someone like that, so suddenly.”
If looks could kill, she'd have struck him dead right then. “You don't know the first thing about me. And you don't have any idea what it's like to lose someone like that.”
She was wrong. He did.
“My first year on the crew, I was partnered up with Kenny so he could show me the ropes. He'd been doing this longer than I'd been alive, had fought wildfires I couldn't even imagine and come out on the other side still grinning. And then one day, we were out cutting line on a small fire when a lightning storm kicked up. He was dead before I even realized what happened.” He held her gaze. “I know I'm your lead suspect. That this is your investigation and you've got to do your job. But I still want you to know that I'm very sorry about your brother.”
Maya took a deep breath then said, “Your condolences don't change the fact I didn't meet another soul in Tahoe after … after meeting you in the bar. And whoever wrote that note met me exactly six months ago.”
“Gary and I talked for several minutes after you snuck away,” he said, and her cheeks flushed as he continued. “I went straight to Joseph's cabin from the station. There's no way I could have lit your room on fire. Not without a can of lighter fluid and a match—and a key to your room.”
Logan hadn't spent this much time defending himself since he was seventeen—and guilty as charged. This time things were different.
He was innocent.
“Feel free to search my truck. You and I both know you won't find anything. And I'd never scare a woman like that. Not with a fire. Not with a creepy little note. If I wanted to have it out with you, I'd do it here. Now. Face-to-face. Give you a chance to fight back.”
“You don't scare me, Mr. Cain.”
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she held her ground, her high cheekbones and slightly slanted eyes stunning in the moonlight.
And even though she had it in for him, he admired the way she lied to him. She was tough. Smart. And so damn sexy that even as they mentally squared off against each other, his body wouldn't let him keep a safe distance.
“Whoever wrote that note is wrong, Maya. You're not pretty.”
The words found their way from his brain to his mouth before he could stop them, and her mouth opened in surprise.
“You're beautiful. I never forgot you, never forgot the way you tasted, how sexy you were.”
He was close enough now for her to sway into him, and he caught her, dragging her luscious curves against him. He slid one hand into her hair, cradling her scalp. She was shaken, and although he hadn't convinced her that he was innocent, he wanted to protect her all the same.
He lowered his mouth to hers, and her lips were softer, sweeter than he remembered. He'd never met a woman with so much passion buried deep inside of her. Within seconds she proved him right, her kiss angry and hard, then seductive and teasing. He wanted to know all of the things that pleased her, uncover all of her secrets.
With nothing more than a kiss, she held him captive as no other woman had.
Six months fell away and it was as if they were back in his friend's bar with her fingers grasping his shoulders and his hands moving down past her waist to cup her incredible ass.
Only now she didn't think he was an innocent man.
“I didn't do this,” he whispered against her lips. “I would never hurt you.”
She pushed him away with all her might, her eyes blazing with heat. She wanted him. He was sure of it. But she was afraid to trust him. And then she blinked, and when she looked at him again he saw ice where there had been desperate need.
“Don't touch me again.” She wiped away his kiss with the back of her hand. “And you should know that I called my boss. I told him everything.”
Strangely, disappointment hit him square in the chest. She'd probably be gone by tomorrow. He should be glad to see her go, but he wasn't.
“That's why you were here six months ago. That's why you came to the bar.” He paused, moved a step closer to her. “That's what was wrong. Why you cried.”
Her head was bent and he couldn't see her face.
“I miss him so damn much. Every day. He hadn't even been in Tahoe a year.”
She looked up at him and there weren't any tears on her face, but grief overwhelmed her beautiful features.
“I won't rest until I find the arsonist who killed him.”
“If I were you,” Logan said in a quiet voice, “I'd feel the same way. I'd be here doing the same thing, tracking down every lead.”
Her mouth twisted as if she'd tasted something sour. “You were my one mistake. God, I wish I'd never met you.”
“Ouch.”
And yet, he got where she was coming from. No one wanted to be reminded of their f**kups. No matter how unintentional.
“Putting arsonists behind bars is the only thing that matters anymore.”
He had to ask. “What about your friends? The rest of your family?”
She gave him a strange look. “What are you, some kind of mind reader?”
He took another small step toward her, wanting to get closer without scaring her away.
“No, why would you say that?”
“It's crazy, but I was just thinking about …” Her words fell away and she looked at him again, almost as if she were seeing him for the first time. “I can't be telling you these things. I shouldn't be talking to you at all.”
But he wanted to keep their dialogue going, wanted to feel out their strange connection and see if there was something to it.
“I only met your brother once, very briefly. I wish I'd known him better. That I had stories to tell you.”
“I don't want to talk about him.”
But he didn't believe her. “I'd be happy to talk to the guys I know in town, find out if there was anything weird going on the night he—” He cut himself off just in time.
She stared at him in surprise. Or maybe it was anger. “I know you're not deaf. I know you heard me tell you to drop it. What the hell are you playing at?”
He held up his hands. “Nothing. I swear. I just wanted you to know that I understand how you're feeling. How hard it is to lose someone like that, so suddenly.”
If looks could kill, she'd have struck him dead right then. “You don't know the first thing about me. And you don't have any idea what it's like to lose someone like that.”
She was wrong. He did.
“My first year on the crew, I was partnered up with Kenny so he could show me the ropes. He'd been doing this longer than I'd been alive, had fought wildfires I couldn't even imagine and come out on the other side still grinning. And then one day, we were out cutting line on a small fire when a lightning storm kicked up. He was dead before I even realized what happened.” He held her gaze. “I know I'm your lead suspect. That this is your investigation and you've got to do your job. But I still want you to know that I'm very sorry about your brother.”
Maya took a deep breath then said, “Your condolences don't change the fact I didn't meet another soul in Tahoe after … after meeting you in the bar. And whoever wrote that note met me exactly six months ago.”
“Gary and I talked for several minutes after you snuck away,” he said, and her cheeks flushed as he continued. “I went straight to Joseph's cabin from the station. There's no way I could have lit your room on fire. Not without a can of lighter fluid and a match—and a key to your room.”
Logan hadn't spent this much time defending himself since he was seventeen—and guilty as charged. This time things were different.
He was innocent.
“Feel free to search my truck. You and I both know you won't find anything. And I'd never scare a woman like that. Not with a fire. Not with a creepy little note. If I wanted to have it out with you, I'd do it here. Now. Face-to-face. Give you a chance to fight back.”
“You don't scare me, Mr. Cain.”
Her chest rose and fell quickly as she held her ground, her high cheekbones and slightly slanted eyes stunning in the moonlight.
And even though she had it in for him, he admired the way she lied to him. She was tough. Smart. And so damn sexy that even as they mentally squared off against each other, his body wouldn't let him keep a safe distance.
“Whoever wrote that note is wrong, Maya. You're not pretty.”
The words found their way from his brain to his mouth before he could stop them, and her mouth opened in surprise.
“You're beautiful. I never forgot you, never forgot the way you tasted, how sexy you were.”
He was close enough now for her to sway into him, and he caught her, dragging her luscious curves against him. He slid one hand into her hair, cradling her scalp. She was shaken, and although he hadn't convinced her that he was innocent, he wanted to protect her all the same.
He lowered his mouth to hers, and her lips were softer, sweeter than he remembered. He'd never met a woman with so much passion buried deep inside of her. Within seconds she proved him right, her kiss angry and hard, then seductive and teasing. He wanted to know all of the things that pleased her, uncover all of her secrets.
With nothing more than a kiss, she held him captive as no other woman had.
Six months fell away and it was as if they were back in his friend's bar with her fingers grasping his shoulders and his hands moving down past her waist to cup her incredible ass.
Only now she didn't think he was an innocent man.
“I didn't do this,” he whispered against her lips. “I would never hurt you.”
She pushed him away with all her might, her eyes blazing with heat. She wanted him. He was sure of it. But she was afraid to trust him. And then she blinked, and when she looked at him again he saw ice where there had been desperate need.
“Don't touch me again.” She wiped away his kiss with the back of her hand. “And you should know that I called my boss. I told him everything.”
Strangely, disappointment hit him square in the chest. She'd probably be gone by tomorrow. He should be glad to see her go, but he wasn't.
