“Good because I don’t want one.” That deep, sexy voice was unmistakable.
Ohmygosh!
It is Logan. What in the hell is he doing here?
Her heart beat so fast she thought it was going to beat right out of her chest. Lily buzzed him in then quickly ran her fingers through her hair. She was a mess in a ripped t-shirt and sweatpants. Thank goodness she’d at least taken a shower and brushed her teeth—today.
Lily jumped when she heard him knock on the door. She took a couple of deep, steadying breaths before looking through her peephole just to make sure he was alone. He wasn’t, but the man with him seemed to be security.
She opened the door, and there he stood. It had only been a couple of days, but it felt like a lifetime. Greedily, her eyes feasted upon him.
His voice was low and husky. “May I come in?”
Lily nodded. “Of course.”
When he walked inside, Lily closed the door behind him.
He seemed unable to take his eyes away from her too. “I’m sorry about all the commotion outside.”
She swallowed deeply and looked down at her hands. “It is a little crazy.”
“You didn’t say goodbye.”
Her eyes shot up to his. Her voice came out in a whisper. “I didn’t know how. I thought it might be easier for everyone this way.”
Logan wanted to touch her but didn’t. “Lily, nothing about this is eas
y. I haven’t been able to…” He didn’t finish his sentence. There was no point in giving her false hope when he was still trying to figure out what to do.”
For a brief moment, Lily’s eyes were hopeful, but when he didn’t finish his thought, she tried to hide her disappointment. “How did you find me?”
“I called Jackson, and he gave me Megan’s phone number. She gave me your new cell and address, but you weren’t answering. I got a little worried, so I came over.”
“You could have sent someone.”
“Probably, but I couldn’t seem to stay away especially after seeing this circus out front on the news.” It was an excuse, but it was all he had.
“Yeah, the press has been ridiculous. I just decided to unplug from everything for a little while.”
“Right. That’s why I’m here. I think I’ve figured out a way to get them off of our backs.”
She looked skeptical. “How do you suppose you can do that?”
“How would you feel about doing a joint press conference?”
Lily pushed her glasses up on her face and chewed her bottom lip. “I-I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. I’m just a regular person. I don’t talk to the
press
and wouldn’t know the first thing to say.”
“I know you’re not used to this kind of scrutiny, and honestly, it’s never been this intense for me either; but I think if we talk to them maybe that will tamp down some of the interest.”
“What if they ask about us?”
Logan couldn’t take it any longer. He needed to feel her, touch her even if it was only by holding her hand. He reached out for it then looked into her eyes. “We’ll tell them the truth. We helped each other survive a difficult time and will have a bond for life.”
Lily was mesmerized by his gaze. It was piercing and so sincere. His hot eyes drew her in so deeply that her heart went from racing erratically to not beating at all. She couldn’t breathe. In a near whisper, she responded. “Okay, if you think it’ll help.”
They were staring at each other neither able to pull away. Lily licked her lips and pulled her bottom lip into her mouth.
It was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. If Logan stood there for even another moment, he wouldn’t be able to keep himself from nipping on that lip himself. He tore his eyes away and dropped her hand. “Great. I’ll set up everything for tomorrow morning. He glanced around her apartment looking for her phone. “Where’s your cell?”
There was
something
between them, and it was strong. Lily felt it, and now she knew he did too. Maybe she did have a chance at winning his heart. Lily walked over to her kitchen counter and grabbed her phone then handed it to him.
Logan programmed his telephone number into it. “When you see my personal number, please answer it. I can’t go from talking to you every day to nothing, Lily. I need to make sure you’re all right.”
She nodded feeling the first bit of hope she’d had since they returned from the island. “You don’t have to protect me anymore.”
“Some habits die hard.” He pulled his lips into a thin firm line as if to prevent himself from saying more than he should. “I should probably get going.” Logan walked toward the door then abruptly turned around. “Do you need anything?”
Other than you, no
, is what she wanted to say but kept her emotions in check. “I can’t think of anything right now.”
“Sure?”
“Sure.”
Neither of them wanted to say goodbye, but he forced himself to. “Then, I’ll call you later.”
She gave him a small smile. “I’ll be waiting.”
The Press Conference
Lily rode to the press conference in a limo that Logan sent. She couldn’t believe he had a team of people show up to her apartment to get her ready for it. They did her hair, makeup, and helped select her clothing. She was going to meet him at the hotel where the event was going to be held. When they spoke on the phone the night before, all Lily did was mention that she wished she was able to at least get her hair done, and like magic a team of people showed up at her door.
It was a nasty habit that she thought she’d broken in grade school, but Lily was so frazzled she bit her nails. To say she was nervous was an understatement. When her cell rang it startled her and brought her thoughts back to the present. She was more than a little uptight, but once she realized it was Logan, she relaxed. A small smile formed on her lips.
“Hi.”
The familiar sound of his voice was soothing. “Hey. How are you feeling? You ready?”
“I’m okay. Nervous - but I’m as ready as I think I’ll ever be. By the way, thank you for sending people over to help me get ready. I’m sure they did the best they could with me.”
He was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly. “You are already beautiful, so I’m sure there wasn’t much they needed to do. If it made you feel better then I’m glad I was able to help in some small way.”
Lily blushed. “I don’t know about that, but thank you again.”
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I hope you know that.” Logan exhaled deeply. “Somehow, we’ll get through this.” Lily heard someone speaking to him in the background. “Hey, I’ve gotta go. I still have a couple more things to do before the press conference, so I’ll see you when you get here.”
“Okay. See you in a little while.”
Logan’s Public Relations person, Shelly Pryor, was standing with is mother and father. She was frustrated that he wouldn’t take her advice. She put her hands on her hips. “Look, Logan, I know you’re against it, but Bree should be here. I can tell you there will be more questions raised if she’s not. You two have been tied at the hip for years. Your wedding date had already been set and announced in the papers. For her not to be here is going to seem odd, or at the very least have people questioning the nature of your relationship with Ms. Huntington.”
He was firm. “No. I said no, and I mean no. I don’t give a damn about any of that. Bree has been through hell. Seeing Lily and me together up on that platform on an endless tv loop is going to be difficult enough. I’m not going to allow her reaction to our answers to be dissected and scrutinized endlessly too.”
“I understand that I really do.” She turned and pleaded to his parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Tremont, please help me convince Logan he’s wrong.”
Dr. Tremont spoke. “Whatever decision Logan makes we’ll support.” Mrs. Tremont nodded her agreement.
“Fine, then I’m warning you there will be more questions.”
Logan didn’t try to hide the irritation in his voice. “That’s why I hired you. Handle it.” He was done discussing the issue and walked away. He had barely moved before Lily entered the room. He stopped walking mid-stride.
Damn. She was simply breathtaking, stunning.
Forming words was almost impossible. He’d never seen her like this. His mother’s glam squad transformed an already beautiful woman into a goddess.
Lily spotted him immediately. His intense gazed caused her to feel self-conscious. She looked down at herself to make sure everything was in place then walked slowly towards him. “Is something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. You’re . . .” Logan searched for the right words. It finally came out in a whisper. “Perfect.”
Lily smiled shyly as she tentatively touched her hair. “It’s all the makeup and the contacts.”
Logan’s parents along with everyone else in the room couldn’t help but notice the energy surrounding the two of them. Shelly leaned over and spoke into Mr. Tremont’s ear. “If they can’t stop looking at each other like that—it’s going to be nearly impossible to hide the heat between them. We want to stop the wagging tongues not invite more. You’ve got to talk to him.”
Dr. Tremont couldn’t dismiss it. Shelly was right. He was going to have to have a talk with Logan.
*****
Logan and Lily were being prepped by Shelly and her team when Dr. Tremont came over. “Excuse me, Logan, can I have a quick word?”
He glanced up. “Yeah, dad. Of course.”
It wasn’t until they moved out of earshot from Lily and Shelly that he began to speak. “Logan, I—” He wasn’t quite sure how to say what needed to be said, so he started with a question. “Why are you doing this press conference?”
Logan rubbed the back of his neck. “Why? Do you really need to ask? Lily is a prisoner in her own home, and the media has been camped outside of her apartment twenty-four seven. I live in a secured building, so it’s not as intense for me. I feel responsible for her. They need to back off, and this is the only way I can think to make them do it.”
Dr. Tremont nodded. “So, this is about Lily? You’ve made your choice then?”
Logan was uncomfortable. He hated that so many people were going to be hurt by his decision. “Well, no. I didn’t say that.” Sighing deeply. “I just need to give us all some breathing space to figure things out.”
“Well, I’ve got, to be honest with you. You say that you haven’t made a decision, but your face when you look at Lily tells a different story.”
“It’s no secret I have strong feelings for her.” He paused. “But Bree and I have a history. She’s stood by my side through so much. I don’t want to hurt either one of them.”
Dr. Tremont wasn’t so sure that Logan’s heart was truly divided but decided to save that discussion for another time. “Son, when you and Lily are in the same room, all of us can feel the energy between you. I hate to say this, but Shelly’s right. With Bree not being here, I think this press conference might do more to feed the media’s insatiable need for soap opera drama than calm it. Unless you figure out a way to be more guarded with your responses but more importantly, your expressions when it comes to Lily, this press conference will do more harm than good.”
Shelly called out to him. “Logan, it’s time.”
*****
All the flashing lights from the cameras wasn’t anything Lily was used to. It was somewhat blinding as she looked out into the packed audience. For a moment, she almost freaked out. Her hands shook so badly. It seemed as if every newspaper, blog, and television network showed up to ask questions.
She and Logan were the only two people sitting on a platform behind a long table that was covered with a royal blue tablecloth. It came down so low that it almost touched the floor. Shelly’s team and Logan’s parents were standing off to the side but were strategically placed in their line of sight.
Lily swallowed deeply as she looked longingly at the pitcher of water someone had set up for them. She could certainly use a sip since her mouth had gone completely dry. Considering how shaky she was, if she tried to pick up a glass, she would spill water all over the place. Logan noticed her nervousness and reached out underneath the table to hold her hand. He laced their fingers together and squeezed while giving her a reassuring smile.
Staring into his eyes gave Lily the feeling that she could do anything with him by her side. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to be here too long answering questions.
Shelly walked over to the microphones. “Excuse me, ladies and gentleman. We are about to start so, please take your seats.” She murmured low before walking away. “If you get stuck on a question just look over at me. I’ll give you the signals we discussed earlier.”
There was a bit of shuffling around but within moments, they were ready to begin. Logan had been given a sheet of paper with the names of individuals he was supposed to call on for questions after he read his and Lily’s official statement.
Logan squeezed her hand one last time. Then he removed his fingers from hers and placed his hands on top of the table folding them one on top of the other.
His voice was deep and confident when he spoke. “Good morning everyone. Thank you all for coming. Before we get started, I would like to read a statement on behalf of both Lily Huntington and myself.” When he turned to Lily, her eyes showed that she had complete faith in him. However, the look on her face reminded him of his father’s words from earlier.
He turned back toward the press and leaned into the microphone. “On the evening of September twenty-fourth, Lily Huntington and I were aboard the Lady Jane yacht when apparently there was an engine failure. After being instructed by crew members, she and I made our way to a lifeboat. Unfortunately, there was another explosion that sent our life raft into the South Pacific Sea where we were separated from our friends and the other crew members. After spending a little more than a day at sea, we eventually made it to an island only to discover that it was deserted. We did our best to remain hopeful that we would be rescued and reunited with our loved ones. Days and nights on the island were very long, and the days felt more like weeks. Eventually, we developed a routine and started planning long-term for our stay on the island. After two months, we were found by a fishing boat that had been thrown off course due to the weather. The strange interest in this story, after being back stateside over the past couple of days has been intense. Lily and I decided the best way to claim our lives back and answer all of your questions was to schedule this press conference today. It will be our only interview on this subject. With that being said, we will take a few questions.”