Carly Phillips - Simply Scandalous

They weren’t meant to happen. Not without someone getting hurt. She being the someone who came to mind. One reckless night wasn’t worth a sacrifice in self-worth.

And he obviously wasn’t interested in pursuing more.

Over the next hour, the clouds darkened and the guests began a slow trickling out of the estate. The budget on this party had enabled her to splurge on everything, including cleanup, and the crew was waiting to take over. The woman they’d hired as manager would supervise the next shift. By this evening, no remnants of the party would remain. Catherine had no reason to stay.

She edged past the few remaining guests and slipped into the wide entryway that led to the coatroom in the foyer. Yellow and white satin wrapped around the circular staircase in the corner and draped like border paper high on the walls. More than once, she cringed as her sneakered feet squeaked against the freshly waxed marble floor. She entered the closet that was larger than the room she’d shared with her sister growing up and hit the light switch on the wall.

Despite the ominous clouds, the day had started off with potential and the closet was empty of jackets and coats. Catherine’s rain slicker, brought more out of foresight than need, stood out in the empty room.

“Gran!”

Catherine turned at the sound of the deep, compelling voice in time to see Logan glance inside the walk-in closet. “Gran!” he called once more. “Is that you?”

“Not unless this party has aged me more than I thought,” Catherine said from the back recesses of the room.

He continued his path straight toward her. “Not a chance.” His gaze settled on her face, intense and focused. “Beauty and a smart mouth—you’re a lethal combination.”

She chose to detour around that remark. “I thought you already left.” She curled her hand around the soft plastic of her coat, as if a solid grip would keep her safe from her rioting hormones and a sexy man.

“Keeping tabs on me?” he asked with a cocky grin.

“Guest awareness is part of my job.”

“Seems to me hiding behind your job is part of your job.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked, although she already knew. Logan had obviously seen through her feigned disinterest.

He walked up beside her. His masculine scent tantalized and seduced. A swirling ribbon of desire unfurled in her belly and reached straight to her core.

“I meant every time I try to get close, you scurry behind the job description. Do I scare you, Cat?” His voice lowered a dangerous, seductive octave.

His gaze never wavered. Warm eyes she could drown in locked and held with hers. Did he scare her? More than he could imagine.

“Because that’s the last thing I want.”

“Then what do you want, Mr. Montgomery?”

He laughed deep in his throat. “Semantics won’t keep me at a distance. It’s Logan.”

“I…”

“Say it.”

She licked her dry lips. His gaze followed the movement. “Logan,” she murmured more to appease him than to become more intimate.

“Nice. Now as I was saying…I want to erase that cynicism from those beautiful green eyes. I want to make your dreams come true.”

His words struck Catherine in her heart. Unfortunately she still didn’t believe he saw her as more than an interesting diversion from the more cultured, more beautifully dressed women at the party. Women who would trip over themselves for a chance at landing one of the state’s most eligible bachelors.

“You want a good time,” she said.

He had the audacity to grin. “That, too.”

She wanted to give in to that handsome face and easy smile, which meant she had to get out of here, to her empty apartment where safety and reality would reassert themselves.

“Logan,” she said, not wanting to give him further reason to believe he affected her. “I think…”

A loud thud cut her off as the closet door slammed shut behind them. She jumped at the unexpected sound.

“Hold that thought.” He touched her lips with one finger. Heat traveled between her mouth and his skin.

A shiver took hold. Desire? Fear? Probably both. Though she liked to flirt, she’d never reacted to a man with such carnal, sensual awareness before.

Before she could think further, he strode to the door and jiggled the door handle. The muted sound of metal hitting the marble floor sounded from outside. He muttered a curse.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing as long as you aren’t claustrophobic.” He held the doorknob aloft in his hand. “Looks like the old lady has her own agenda. Not that I mind.”

An uncomfortable feeling arose in the pit of her stomach. “What are you saying?” She eyed the doorknob in his hand and shook her head.

He banged on the door with his fist. “Open up, Gran.”

“What’s your hurry? The company’s good and the way things look, you’ve got plenty of time. I’ve got to find someone in this house who understands hardware. I think I did serious damage,” she called back. The click of heels on the floor sounded as Emma Montgomery walked away.

“She didn’t,” Catherine said, glaring at the door through narrowed eyes. She wasn’t claustrophobic but she disliked the feeling of being trapped. Especially with this man.

“She did.” Logan shrugged. “Sorry. She tends to get carried away.”

“She?”

“You wouldn’t be suggesting I set you up?” Disbelief and humor lit his gaze. “I’m interested, not desperate. I can get my woman without Gran’s help.”

“Your woman?” She swallowed a laugh. “That has a Neanderthal sound to it.”

He shrugged. “I kind of liked it.”

“You would. So how about breaking down the door, Tarzan?”

“If I give it a shot, will you have that drink with me?”

“You wouldn’t stoop to using your grandmother, but bribery is okay?”

“Is that a yes?”

She believed he had nothing to do with their current predicament. The eccentric older woman would definitely pull a stunt like this. The only question was why. She certainly couldn’t think Catherine was an acceptable choice for her grandson, nor could she believe Logan incapable of getting his own dates.

Speaking of dates, she had a decision to make. The closet, which had seemed so large when she’d first entered, was shrinking by the minute. She couldn’t breathe without inhaling the scent of spice and man, an erotic combination that stole her breath and threatened to take her sanity next. One drink in a public place was much safer than hanging out alone with him now.

She glanced at his handsome face and forced a casual shrug. “One drink,” she agreed.

She hoped she didn’t live to regret those two little words.

RELIEF AT HER ACCEPTANCE warred with the steady beat of desire pounding inside him. “Should I be flattered that you accepted?” Logan asked. “Or insulted you want out of here so badly?”

“Neither. I accepted because I’m thirsty. Now give it your best shot.”

He wouldn’t have an inflated ego as long as Catherine was around. Logan was honest enough to admit he wanted her by his side for a long while. Long enough to get to know the cautious woman with the sassy mouth.

He needed time, but time freely given, not under duress. He eyed the door and slugged it as hard as he could with his shoulder. His bad shoulder. Hell, after years of college baseball, both shoulders were bad and this one rebelled against his attempted escape. It rolled in the socket and he groaned in pain.

Catherine was by his side in an instant. “I’m sorry.”

“Not your fault,” he muttered through gritted teeth. He counted to ten and waited for the pain to subside. Since it often popped out in his sleep, Logan was used to the routine. Slowly the shoulder numbed as the pain eased.