Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy) (12 page)

Spud slept on, undisturbed by the amorous antics until Logan’s tongue sent Diana into a gasping, noisy climax. Then Spud’s collar jingled as he lifted his head, looking at the two of them as if wondering why they were on the floor.

Logan turned his head at the sound. “Time for you to get outside, old boy.”

He stood and opened the door for the dog. When he turned back, Diana was leaving the room. His face went slack for a moment. Was she going to dress and ask him to take her home? Then he heard the sound of the shower. Excellent.

             
It only took a moment to pile the dinner things in the sink, and grab an extra towel. Knocking on the open door, Logan stepped into the bathroom. “Mind if I join you?”

             
“Well, it might be a little crowded, but certainly, come on in.”

             
“Do you mind if we put the plug in? I could do with a nice long soak.” He stepped into the shower and settled down against the back of the tub, stretching his legs out on either side of Diana, enjoying the view.

             
She looked down at him, and smiled. “Poor baby. Feeling tired?” She shifted the water from showerhead to faucet and sat down herself, snugging up against his chest and taking his wrists to wrap his arms around her waist. “It’s too bad you’re all worn out.” She wiggled against him.

             
“I’ll tell you what, sweetheart. Let me rest while the tub fills. Then I’m all yours.” Logan pressed a kiss on her wet neck.

             
“Deal.” She relaxed against him, and together they watched the water level rise.

True to his word, after she scooted forward to turn off the water, Logan let Diana have her wicked way with him. Still later that starry night, they moved outside and initiated the deck.

Afterward, Diana snuggled against Logan as they watched the stars winking brightly in the sky. She lay quiet now, under the blanket from his bed, but she had driven him beyond what he’d thought possible. He had been insatiable.
Insatiable. Good word.
He smiled in the darkness. Then her hips twitched.

“Diana, darling, you’re going to be the death of me.” Even he had his limits. He slipped his hand under the blanket covering them and ran it down her body from ribs to thigh and back.
Mine.

She wiggled again,
then relaxed. “That was just a pleasant memory. I’m fine—in fact, I’m perfect. You know, I’m glad you did such a good job of sanding this wood. Not a single splinter—not that I’d have noticed the way you were distracting me.”

“Your comfort was my only goal.” If he didn’t move now, he’d be here all night. He smiled, rising heavily to his feet and reaching for her hand. “Inside, woman. The dew will be falling soon and I don’t want you catching cold.”

Diana gathered up the blanket and stood. “Fat chance,” she snorted softly. “You haven’t given me a chance to cool off all night.” She tilted her head, grinning. “Thank you.”

And she’d been a virgin? He shook his head in wonderment and smiled broadly. “Believe me, darling, the pleasure was all mine.” Thro
wing his arm around her shoulders, he walked her into the house.

Tuesday, Logan bought a new king-size bed and the two of them spent the evening setting it up and breaking it in. Wednesday night they spent at Diana’s condominium. She felt so comfortable with him, so s
ecure, that she kept expecting her wild responsiveness to diminish, but it didn’t. All it took was a heated glance to set her aflame. Logan couldn’t get enough of her, nor she of him.

“Logan, maybe we should ease up a bit. How long can you keep this up?” They were eating take-out chicken at her condo at nearly seven in the evening. Logan had just come from the factory. “You work all day at the company—and I know from experience the energy that requires—then we play all night. Not that I’m complaining!”

Logan had laughed in that gravelly, male voice she’d come to love. “We do sleep some, you know. And if I drop dead in a week or two, it will be your fault for being so damn sexy. I’ve never known a woman I’ve wanted the way I want you.” He’d pulled her to her feet then and leaning her against the counter kissed her just short of senseless. With the devil in his eyes, he’d pulled back. “Of course, sweetheart, if you’re getting bored…” He released her and began to step away.

Growling, as she’d heard him do, she grabbed his tie and hauled his mouth back to her own. “Too late, Carmichael. Now finish what you started.”

They had not discussed easing up again.

Their meetings at Logan’s office, which were normally the final item on his weekly schedule, had become a pleasure. Diana loved the way his eyes lit up when she walked into the room. More important, ever since their second meeting, the reports he provided had been complete—consistently showing figures for accounts received, detailing progress toward contract deadlines, and containing copies of the original produ
ction reports from each line.

They often discussed the progress he was making on the
pultrusion conversion. Things were rapidly moving toward the testing stage. Logan was pleased with his achievement, as was she. But her favorite part was when their meetings ended.

Instead of a parting handshake, Logan would pull her into his arms and kiss her.  Diana thought of those moments as a sensual preview of the evening to come, but one memorable afternoon as she stood in the circle of Logan’s arms, he walked her slowly backward.  Head thrown back, and nearly lost in his kiss,
she was surprised by the pressure of the door against her back and the small metallic snick of the lock. Momentarily, she disengaged. “What?”

“My office, my schedule, my woman.” His hand slipped under her silk blouse to warm the side of her waist, travelling upward. “You still hold fifty-one percent control. Do you have any objections?” His thumb was rubbing across her nipple.

Unable to speak without pulling away from his lips, Diana settled for a murmured negative as he lowered her gently to the floor.

Driving home later that same day, Diana smiled to herself.
Positively wanton. I never expected I would feel like this… and I like it. But he doesn’t get to have it all his own way.
Her eyes narrowed as she began to plan.

One chilly afternoon several weeks later, she arrived at Lennox wearing a full length mink—a coat inherited from her mother, which she had kept only because it seemed tactless, somehow, to take it to the thrift shop. The satin lining of the mink slithered along the skin of her arms and shoulders as her clutching hands kept the coat’s lapels tightly ove
rlapped. Heart racing in tempo to the tapping of her shiny black heels, she approached Logan’s office. “Mildred. How nice to see you. But you look tired. Why don’t you go home early today?” Diana hoped there was no visible flush to her cheeks. They felt hot.

“Go home? Ms. Lennox, I couldn’t do that. I’m updating the invent
ory files.”

Diana smiled at the elderly secretary.  “Mildred, just do this for me. Go home. Now.”

Mildred’s sparse eyebrows lifted toward her hairline. Then her sharp glance fixed on Diana’s hands, still holding tight to the lapels of the fur. Mildred cleared her throat and looked away. Red crept into the hollows of her cheeks. “Yes, ma’am.” Without raising her eyes to Diana’s, Mildred pulled her purse from the drawer of her desk, retrieved her coat from a hook behind the door, and scurried off down the hallway.

Diana exhaled, sagging against the desk
. Come on, girl. The hard part is over.
She straightened, lifting her head high. Reaching her hand to the brass knob, she slipped inside the door, locking it discreetly behind her. When Logan approached to take her coat, she slipped bare arms from the sleeves, revealing a tiny black lace bra and bikini. She felt him freeze in place for a moment, then fur swished against her calves as he tossed the coat aside. She never did see that week’s report.

Afterwards, he protectively insisted on driving her home himself, unwilling to let her travel the fifteen minutes to her condo alone. He was fun, attentive, and devastatingly distracting. As the days passed, she admired and respected him more and more. She had the traditional stars in her eyes, and Logan had put them there.

He accepted her and appreciated her just as she was. He enthusiastically encouraged her plans to put her CEO experience to work as an independent consultant. There was no way her heart could stay lonely when Logan filled her days with caring and her nights with passion. She knew she had finally fallen in love and that very weekend, she planned to tell him so.

Life was good.

chapter
thirteen

“Trick or Treat!”

Logan forced an enthusiastic smile to his face as he squatted down to put a refrigerator magnet with the sh
elter’s  phone number and a handful of wrapped candies into each of the treat bags extended towards him. The ghost and the witch thanked him politely. But the black cat, who couldn’t have been more than two years old, just gave him a dimpled smile and toddled off, strands of curly blond hair straggling out from under the black hood anchoring her pointed ears.

He liked kids, but this had been exhausting. On the weekend closest to Halloween, the shelter waived its small adoption fees, and handed out candy to any child in costume, or not. Now in its fourth year, the co
mbination of candy and free pets brought people in and helped increase the number of dogs adopted out.

Thank God, it was nearly closing time. He and Diana had been at the shelter since eight, along with a full complement of volunteers, who had mostly already left. Diana was finishing up adoption paperwork, and in fifteen minutes, he would shut the doors and turn off the lights in the entryway. It couldn’t happen soon enough.

She was right. It’s a madhouse.
Diana had told him it was their biggest weekend of the year, and he no longer doubted it. It didn’t help that Sally wasn’t here to run things. It was Tyler’s birthday, and Sally had taken him to visit his grandparents.
Smart move on her part.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. Only five minutes to go. A mi
ddle-aged couple with two boys came into the lobby from the hallway, leading a nearly full-grown neutered Great Dane. The dog was only half a head shorter than the smaller boy, who was walking with his hand on the dog’s neck, an expression of amazed delight on his face. Logan smiled. “Candy?” He held out the basket.

The mother answered for them. “No thanks. They got some earlier.”

As the family escorted their newest member to the vehicle—Logan was glad to see it was an Escalade—Diana entered the lobby. “Let’s lock up. The Dermotts were the last. We can go. Phil took care of the dogs before he left.”

God bless Phil. Logan helped Diana with her coat, shrugged into his jacket, and drove them both to his place.

The next morning Logan crawled out of bed much too early, and nearly froze on his way to the bathroom. Before he and Diana went back to the shelter to care for the dogs, he cranked up the thermostat. He had plans for the afternoon that didn’t include staying warmly dressed.

Fortunately, Sally and Tyler would be back by noon. He and Diana would have the rest of the day free, once
the morning chores were done. Forty minutes later, he drove quickly home, casting hot glances at Diana and thinking about what he would do when they got there. Parking the SUV in the shed, he opened the passenger door and lifted her down into his arms. Their breath fogged in the crisp air as he kissed her, and picking her up, carried her through the back door and into the kitchen.

What the hell?
A thin skin of ice covered Spud’s water dish, and the dog had curled into a tight ball on the couch.

Shit.
The heater must be out. There was plenty of oil in the tank. Logan set Diana down. “Pilot light must be out. I’ll take care of it, but we may have to snuggle together for warmth while it warms up.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.

She laughed. “I don’t mind if you don’t.”

Logan ducked his head as he clambered down the steep stairs to the basement. A few minutes later he was back. “Damn it, it isn’t the pilot light.” Disappointment lay heavy in his chest. There went his plans for the afternoon. “Why don’t you go back to the condo where it’s warm. No sense in both of us freezing. I’ll take a closer look—get a furnace guy over here if I have to, and join you later.”

“Can’t it wait till tomorrow?”

He’d love to let it go until tomorrow, but that would be irresponsible and foolish. “It’s too cold to let it go. The pipes will freeze. Go on, now. Let me see if I can fix this.”

Well, there goes my plan for the evening.
Disappointed by the unanticipated turn of events, and seeing no way to revive her original plans, Diana took the pot roast she’d been planning to cook, threw it into the freezer, and left.
So much for fixing a romantic dinner. So much for finding the right moment to tell him I love him.
She had imagined how it would be. How he would pull her into his arms, kiss her, and say he loved her, too. She heaved a sigh. Well, it wasn’t going to happen today.

Logan vented a small fraction of his frustration into the cell phone. “I think I know what it is, but I’ll have to call a repairman to get the new part.”
What, does she think I don’t want to be there?

She was beginning to sound frustrated as well. “Doesn’t anyone have twenty-four hour emergency service?”

“Sure. Half a dozen do, but the soonest anyone can get out here won’t be for another two or three hours, and then they’ll charge me three times what the job is worth. I don’t need help putting it in anyway, all I need is the part. But I can’t get it until Monday.”

“Then why not take Spud to the shelter and come over here where it’s warm?”

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t dump Spud at the shelter for the night—he’d probably think I was getting rid of him. I don’t want to upset the old guy.”

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. So bring him over here with you.”

“Bring him there? No. I’d probably have to sleep with him to keep him quiet. I don’t think I could stand coming over there and sleeping with Spud instead of with you. I’m sure I can get the part tomorrow. Why don’t you plan how you’re going to seduce me tomorrow night?” The very thought went a long way towards restoring his good humor.

Diana sighed. “All right. Stay warm, Logan.”

“Okay, darling, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Logan put the phone down and looked at the dog. “Well, Spud, it’s just you and me. Let’s pull out the other blanket.”

If old Spud hadn’t been a pretty hot potato, Logan thought he might have frozen. As it was, he and the dog had huddled under two blankets and a sleeping bag in the king-size bed, listening to the faucets dribble
all night long—he’d had to open the taps to keep the pipes from freezing. Thank God, it was finally morning. He’d run into town early and get a space heater to keep take enough chill off the house to protect the pipes, then get into work early. At least the office would be warm.

Logan and Spud arrived before Mildred. After settling the dog in a corner of his office, Logan plugged in the coffee pot. Sitting down at his desk he rubbed his hands together briskly. Spud abandoned his corner and curled up below the desk, on Logan’s feet. When the phone rang, Spud merely flicked
an ear, but Logan snatched up the receiver, eager to begin the day.

“Lennox Incorporated, Carmichael speaking.”

“Carmichael, this is Samuelson.”

Logan’s stomach dropped. Why would Samuelson, his chemical su
pplier, be calling at this hour?

“I’m calling to let you know we’ll have a slight delay in getting your chemicals delivered.”

Scowling, Logan stood, disturbing the sleeping dog. “What the hell do you mean, delay in delivery? Listen, Samuelson, I have obligations of my own to fulfill and deadlines to meet—

“Now don’t get all upset.” Samuelson’s voice took on an oily tone. “You’ll have everything you need in another month or two.”

“But we have a contract.” Logan moved to the side of the desk and began to pace, tethered to the phone by its coiled handset cord.

“Be reasonable. I’ve had some production delays. These things ha
ppen.”

“That’s not my problem. You’re legally obliged to deliver—”

“I can’t. Don’t you understand simple English?”

“Listen,
Samuelso—”

“No, you listen. You’ll have your chemicals as soon as possible. In a month or two. That’s not unreasonable. And it isn’t breach of contract either. If you don’t believe me, go ahead and ask your lawyers.”

“Damn straight. I intend to.” He slammed the phone down, swearing.

“This is just great.” If he didn’t get those chemicals, the lines would have to shut down in less than a month, his contractual deadlines would be jeopardized, and if he lost buyers, it could mean the failure of the company—there wasn’t much margin for error just now.

He pressed the intercom. “Mildred, are you there?

“Get our lawyers on the phone right now. Samuelson wants to delay delivery by two months—we’ll see about that!”

Waiting for Mildred to connect him with McDougal & Bond, Logan resumed his pacing.

Diana set down her coffee and ran into the bedroom to pull her phone off the charger. Who could be calling this early in the morning? It was only eight fifteen.

“Ms. Lennox? This is Mildred.” Her former secretary’s voice was shaky.

“Mildred, what’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“Yes, ma’am. Ms. Lennox, please don’t think badly of me—I’m calling from my cell phone. I can’t think what else to do.” Diana could imagine a worried frown creasing Mildred’s tissue paper thin skin.

“It’s okay, Mildred, how can I help you?”

“It’s Dr. Carmichael. He’s had me call the lawyers. Mr. Samuelson can’t make his delivery. I think Dr. Carmichael wants to sue him.

“I don’t mean to be disloyal, Ms. Lennox, but I thought you should know. Your father always said when the lawyers were called the battle was lost.”

Diana braced her hand on the corner of the bedside table and lowered herself to sit on the bed. Her stomach sank as if it was filled with lead shot.

“Thank you, Mildred…” she faltered, but Mildred was still speaking, looking for reassurance from her former boss.

“No, you did the right thing. It was loyal to the company to call…

“Yes, I’ll take care of everything…” The sick feeling began to give way to stronger emotions.

“Goodbye, Mildred.” Fury and hurt rose inside Diana with equal force. Samuelson? Somehow, she refrained from throwing the phone across the room. He had dumped Douglas for Samuelson? He had abandoned their most faithful and cooperative supplier and put the company in jeopardy.

And he’d done it behind her back. Logan hadn’t asked her opinion about the supplier switch. He hadn’t sought her advice. He hadn’t even had the common decency to tell her what he had done.

Hurt was winning. She had trusted him, thought he respected her—Diana gave a short, bitter laugh as she dashed tears from her eyes. She had even thought he was in love with her. What a joke. It wasn’t love. It was never love. It was only sex. Thank God she hadn’t told Logan she loved him. He might have laughed in her face. He didn’t care about her, he’d only pretended to care because he wanted her body. And she’d been foolish enough to be taken in by him.

With her emotions in turmoil, Diana visualized telling Logan she loved him—version two. She pictured a cocky grin on his face, saw his smug smile and heard his response. “Well, sweetheart, that’s just fine. Why don’t you come to bed and show me how much?” With a crash, her cell phone hit the bedroom wall and broke apart.

Diana the CEO would have fired him. Diana the inadequate would have blamed herself. But those Dianas were gone. It was the real Diana he was dealing with, and the real Diana didn’t take treatment like that from anyone. In less than thirty minutes she was out the door.

Logan looked up in surprise as his office door burst open and Diana Lennox stormed in, closing it hard behind her. As always, seeing her caused a wave of heat to roll over his skin. But it paled in comparison to the rage she brought with her.

She placed her palms on the shiny surface of his desk and leaned towards him. “What do you think you’re doing, changing suppliers when the company is in a critical and vulnerable position? Are you trying to ruin Lennox, or just destroy our reputation?”

He surged to his feet. “What are you talking about?” Then, as his brain caught up, “Who told you I changed suppliers?”

She straightened. “Never mind that. Who
should
have told me was you. Why didn’t you check with me first?”

Logan frowned down at her. “I don’t have to check with you for ev
ery little thing. I’ve given you everything you asked for in your weekly reports.”

“And not a bit more.” She paled, and her voice was tight. “You’ve been stringing me along.”

That hurt. “No, I haven’t. Stop making a big deal out of this. I’ve got it covered.”

“Really? How?”

“We have a contract. If Samuelson doesn’t deliver, I’ll sue.”

“Oh, great.” She whirled to pace in front of his desk. “That will be so helpful. The company will be out thousands, maybe tens of thousands, in legal fees and we still won’t have the chemicals we need. Deadlines will be missed, our own contracts will go unfulfilled, and someone with more machismo than brains might even end up suing us.” She came to a stop, glaring at him. “Clearly, you have it covered brilliantly.”