Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy) (11 page)

Tammy laughed, and Diana joined in easily, though she noticed L
ogan only smiled.

When Tammy excused
herself at the end of the meal, Logan reached across the table and captured Diana’s hand. “Forgive me?”

“Not a problem.” She smiled.

“Have dinner with me tomorrow?”

Diana hesitated briefly. She still didn’t know where this relationship stood, but how else would she ever find out? “Yes, I will. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up at six-thirty. At your condo?”

Diana nodded,
then rose as Tammy returned to the table. “I really must be going, and I know you two have more to do.” Diana smiled at them both. “Thank you for lunch, Logan. It was a pleasure to get to know you, Tammy.” She turned to leave, but Logan pulled her back. He folded her gently in his arms, pressing a parting kiss on her lips.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Diana.”

“Yes, tomorrow.” She felt as if she’d drunk a glass of Chablis on an empty stomach. Some of her questions were answered. Confidence bubbled up and she gave a quick skip as she walked back to her car. Things were looking up.

Later that afternoon, Diana sat amid the welter of bright pillows on her couch with her legs stretched across the cushions, analyzing the ups and downs of the day. She still didn’t consider herself in love with L
ogan, but she felt better than she had when the day began. He had introduced her to his cousin Tammy, so at least he liked her well enough to let her meet some of his family. And he hadn’t had to come chasing after her in the food court at all. In fact, Diana was feeling pretty happy with how Logan had behaved… but in retrospect, she was not so pleased with herself.

When Tammy came into view, I ran head-on into Mom’s old list. I thought I’d gotten past that
. Diana frowned, remembering the waves of inadequacy that had ripped through her. It hurt to realize how easily her confidence had been undercut. Then, to complete her defeat, she’d coped by putting on her old CEO mask. She shuddered, remembering slipping into the fake persona. It was depressing. She needed a pep talk, so she picked up her cell phone to call Sally.

“For Pete’s sake, honey, cut yourself some slack.” Sally had little p
atience with Diana’s tendency to castigate herself. “You’ve put in thirty years being the old Diana and less than sixty days as the new improved version. Besides, seeing Logan with another woman after his phone call was bound to be a bit of a shock. You made a pretty quick recovery, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I guess I did.”

“Then let it go. You’re over-analyzing. That’s old-Diana, too, you know. So stop it. Just relax. Go with the flow.”

Diana laughed. “Now that sounds like the captain of my college ba
sketball team.”

“Yeah,” agreed Sally. “I was good then, too.”

Diana smiled and huffed out a happy sigh. “You were indeed. Thanks. I’ll try to be patient with myself. ”
But it’ll be a whole lot easier once I know where I stand with him.

“She’s good, Spud. I almost forgot about her Ms. Executive self, but this morning she let it slip out for a moment.” He paused. “Then she covered it up again, like it had never been.” Logan frowned at Spud, who responded by wagging his tail. The two were sprawled on Logan’s deck, watching the last light of day fade from the sky as Logan idly scratched Spud’s neck and behind his ears. In return, the old dog listened atte
ntively.

“It was a wake-up call, that’s for sure. I was so blown away by the sex, I forgot I was dealing with a career woman—I forgot how deceptive they
can be. I’d have swallowed anything she told me, hook, line and sinker.”

Not that Diana had tried to get him to swallow anything—yet.

“I’ve been lucky, Spud, not careful. If I was really smart, I’d keep my distance.” Logan pushed his fingers through his hair… Her hair was longer. It lay heavy in his hands, and soft, like running his fingers through a warm bath. She responded to his every touch. And she’d been a virgin. No deception there—that had been real.

Logan laughed in his throat. Lifting his head, he observed the pro
minent bulge that had appeared in the front of his shorts. “Damn, Spud. Looks like keeping my distance has been vetoed. Guess I won’t stop playing with fire, but at least now I’ll remember not to get burned.” He let his head fall back onto the deck and switched to rubbing Spud’s ribs. “The thing to remember, old fellow, is you can’t trust ‘em. Never let them get to your heart.”

His pronouncement didn’t feel as satisfying as it should have. As one by one the stars began to appear, part of him idly w
ondered why.

chapter twelve

Diana couldn’t focus any longer. She’d intended to work all day on the business plan for her new venture. She envisioned herself as an independent consultant, using her expertise to help other small businesses navigate through their inevitable problems and crises. That type of problem-solving was fun. It had been the only truly satisfying part of running Lennox Incorporated. Now she intended to do what she loved all of the time, instead of only occasionally. But she couldn’t get the situation with Logan off her mind.

By four o’clock, in between speaking with prospective clients and jo
tting down possible names for her new business, Diana had worried herself into distraction. When she found herself shuffling through the same stack of papers for the third time, looking for she didn’t even know what, she put her notes aside and sat down at the condo’s breakfast bar.
I won’t move until I figure this out.
How was she going to handle the thing with Logan?

First she needed to decide what it was…
An affair?

She cringed at the implications of that word…
A romance?

Not yet… A fling?

Argh, no… A relationship?

Not a very satisfying word—too generic—but it would have to do. So how was she going to handle this relationship with Logan?
I need to get a handle on this. I must have a plan. Where do I want this to go?

Part of her mind leapt immediately to hearts, flowers, and forever. She slapped those thoughts down. Unrealistic. She wasn’t the kind of woman he’d be looking for in the long term, and she knew it. No, she was going to be sensible about this. Deliberately she considered her o
ptions…

It could be a couple days of fun and games, then over.

That thought left a terrible taste in her mouth, and tied her stomach in knots.

It could be a long-term love affair.

No. She visualized emotional involvement on her side and, eventually, a wife by his. Never.

What ever it was, it was hot. Sexual.
A sexual relationship?
But not only sex.
She refused to be that shallow.  How about…
a sexual relationship based on mutual attraction and respect? Yes.
That is what it would be. She could live with that.

And it would last as long as they both wanted it.

She glanced at her phone. Five twenty-six. Logan would be here in an hour. Grabbing her honeysuckle shampoo, she stepped into the shower. Now she knew what she wanted. All that remained was to share her expectations with him. As water streamed through her hair and sweet-scented steam filled the room, she barely noticed part of her was hurting at the thought.

Hair glossy and swinging free, Diana stepped naked from the bat
hroom and into her closet. She pulled on lace panties and a strapless bra, then slipped into a halter-necked sundress with a wrapped bodice and bias-cut skirt.
Good no matter which restaurant we go to.
The black fabric was solid above the waist, but had large white polka dots on the skirt. They reminded her of Julia Roberts’ dress in
Pretty Woman
—all she needed was the hat. She smiled at her reflection as she fastened a necklace of polished snowflake obsidian mounted in silver and added gleaming black obsidian ovals to her earlobes. Deciding against the silver bangles, she slid a large platinum-mounted pearl on her finger and stepped into her strappy black heels. Ready to go.

The doorbell buzzed.

Just in time. Grabbing the strap of her small black bag, she opened the door.

He had come from the office, and was wearing a charcoal gray suit. His crisp cream-colored shirt was open at the throat, he looked fresh, and she smelled a hint of cloves and pine.

She took a deeper breath. Surely a better choice than simply throwing herself into his arms as she’d like to do. She smiled and stepped back, inviting him to step past her into the room.

Instead of moving, he stood looking at her for a long moment, his gaze running from her face to her shoes and back. “Beautiful.” Then he stepped, not past her, but right into her space as if it was his to enter at will, gathered her in his arms and nuzzled at her neck. “I’ve been missing you all day. Missing you more than you could know.” His deep voice caressed her senses.

Her body responded instantly, knees weak, breath shallow, and mind beginning to haze over even before his lips met hers. When he lifted his head to speak, she scrambled to bring her brain back online.

“So, would you still like to eat out, or would you like to eat at my place?” He smiled, dropping his voice a bit. “I have a charcoal grill and a steak with your name on it.”

His place. Just the two of us.
Muscles still sore from Saturday clenched in anticipation. Diana hesitated. If she went to his place, they would wind up in bed again. It would be much wiser not to. They needed to discuss this relationship, make sure they were both on the same page. A restaurant was much the better choice.

“Grilled steak sounds wonderful.”

Big mistake, said her brain, but warning given, slid promptly back into the haze of sensation generated by her body. A body that clearly had no reservations. She was tingling with anticipation, and didn’t really care whether she got dinner first, or at all.

Logan’s eyes narrowed at her answer, and a slow smile crossed his face. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he escorted her to his Jeep.

The first time she’d been by Logan’s house, so he could feed Spud and change, she’d waited in the car. It had been dark, and she hadn’t been paying much attention. Today, driving up the lane in daylight, she could appreciate the surroundings. Logan’s homestead had been fallow for over ten years and looked like one rambling meadow except for lines of scrub and trees marking the boundaries of the overgrown fields. Growing grasses and wildflowers scented the air. The small farmhouse with its fresh coat of gray paint was fronted by a large deck running its full width.

“Logan, it’s beautiful.” Diana swung her hand in a gesture that i
ncluded both the house and the meadow. “Like a little piece of forever.”

Logan smiled. “Don’t get too carried away. The inside is still pretty rough.”

He led Diana into the postage-stamp sized living room. Spud lay sprawled on the soft, scarred leather of a couch that filled most of the space. The windows looking out over the meadow were bare, and a brass floor lamp sat on the battered oak floor, plugged into a socket on the far wall. The room felt clean, but bare, like a vacant house up for sale.

“Out, Spud.” Closing the door behind the dog, Logan turned and reached for Diana’s hand. He tugged and she floated into his arms. “You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve dreamt of having you here.” His narrow
gaze held her as he ran his hands slowly up and down her back, and the corners of his mouth drew back in a thin smile. “How hungry are you?”

His caress was sending chills racing across her skin. She smiled into his eyes. “Very. The steak can wait.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled his mouth down.

Without taking his lips from hers, Logan swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She kept her arms locked behind his head as, still kissing her, he stood her at the end of the bed and undid the big button that held the halter top of her dress and the little zipper that secured the skirt. The dress fell to the floor.

She rubbed her body against him as he shrugging out of jacket and shirt. They fell unheeded behind him, and his slacks dropped to the floor on top of her dress. He reached up and tugged on her arms.

Tightening her grip, she refused to relinquish her contact with him. Her tongue was busy plundering his mouth and wasn’t ready to stop.

So he held her tight against him with hot, strong hands on her back as he toed out of his shoes. Fingers massaged their way up, one
vertebrae at a time, and her bra dropped onto the pile of clothing at their feet. His hands covered her breasts, thumbs massaging taut nipples.

Ribbons of contraction ran from the tense buds clear to her core, and lower still she felt a powerful contraction, as if he was already inside her. She pushed closer to him. Her grip on his neck relaxed as she pulled her head back a fraction and sucked his lower lip between her teeth. The sensitive tissue tasted of mint and male. Alternating between nibbling and soothing with her tongue, she almost bit him when one arm clamped her to his chest, and he bent over to finish removing his boxers. As she clung to him, startled, he shifted his grip to her waist and straightened, lifting her off her feet and sliding her lace panties down and off. Pulling his face away, he tucked her head against a hard-muscled shoulder, held her tight against him and dropped sideways onto the bed.

With a crash that set Spud to barking, Logan’s ancient second-hand bed collapsed. Diana squealed as they jolted to the floor, and then—with the mood of the moment destroyed—she began to laugh.

Logan wasn’t laughing—at all.

So she tried to restrain herself, but it didn’t help any that the look of shocked disgust on his face was so comical.

“Damn bed!”

Diana burst into fresh peals of laughter. Finally she sobered enough to speak. “Oh, come on, Logan. Lighten up. Let’s pull the pieces out from under the mattress and lean them against the wall. You won’t want to sleep with the springs on the floor.” She scrambled to her feet.

“
I won’t want to? Don’t you mean
we
won’t want to?” He sat amid the wreckage of the bed and gave her a heated look.

It set her blood boiling again, but she refused to drop her good h
umor. She tossed her hair and deliberately stuck her nose in the air. “I have a perfectly good bed at my condominium.

This time the look he gave her carried more humor, though no less heat. “Damn. Now that’s a measure of real class—the ability to look snooty while stark raving naked. By the way, I love the heels—they add a real upscale touch to your look.” He rolled to his feet in one swift motion and lifted the mattress on edge.

Laughing again, she quickly cleared a space on the floor. As she leaned the rectangle of coiled, metal springs against the wall, Logan let the mattress fall back on the floor with a thud, stepped across it and grabbed her by the hips. Pulling her backwards, he dropped his fine buns onto the mattress, pulling her down with him.

“Laugh at my misfortune, will you?” His voice was low and fierce. He growled low in his throat.

She burst into laughter again.

“You’re going to pay for that.” He shifted her beneath him, capturing her wrists with his hands and her mouth with his own.

At the demanding invasion of his tongue, Diana shot straight from laughter to need. Logan teased her mouth, while keeping her wrists trapped beneath his hands as he held himself above her. She longed to feel his weight on her body, but instead he slipped a knee between her legs and slid it up against her. She rocked back and forth, pressing herself forward.

He gave her a look that she supposed was meant to be a leer, and spoke in a mock-threatening tone as he nudged tighter against her. “That’s right, sweetheart, enjoy it while you can. That might be all I d
ecide to give you.”

Understanding he wanted her to go ahead, Diana continued to rock, and then began to writhe as Logan left her mouth to nuzzle and nibble at her breasts. Her movements became frantic with need. As he finally took one rosy tip and suckled hard, pulling it deep into his mouth, she exploded against him. Dimly, she heard his satisfied laugh.

“Change of plans, sweetheart. I find I want you after all.” And while her body still trembled with aftershocks, he slipped deep inside her. As he released her wrists to brace himself she felt the weight of his body on hers and, taking advantage of the moment, wrapped her legs tight around his hips.

“Afraid I was going to leave?”

“Not taking any chances.”

He laughed and drove himself deep inside her, again and again. He felt her hands moving on his shoulders—felt her touch change as need built in her again. For once he had a good long ride before his sweet, hot Diana exploded again, driving him to climax.

Logan awoke to the hungry rumble of his stomach. Diana still slept, snuggled against him on the mattress. He sat up, slipping his arm out from under her head. Murmuring something unintelligible, she repositioned herself and slept on. Affection mingled with pride in his satisfied chuckle. He’d done right by her. Best let her sleep and rest up for later. Rolling to his feet, he dug out a clean pair of worn jeans and pulled them on. He’d promised her a charcoal-grilled steak.

They ate a picnic meal sitting on the living room floor while Spud slept on the couch. Logan watched Diana close her eyes and tilt her head back at the first taste of steak. It didn’t matter whether her enjoyment was due to his cooking or the after-effect of great sex—either way it was his doing. He felt himself starting to grow hard, just watching her. By the end of the entrée Logan had scrapped the idea of serving ice cream. Instead he slipped an arm around Diana’s waist and drew her close. She was what he wanted for dessert.