Tossing the Caber (The Toss Trilogy) (5 page)

“I understand. How about I pick you up here, say six o’clock?”
Good move.

She waited a moment, then nodded again without meeting his eyes and stepping away from him, hurried through the door to the outer o
ffice.

Logan watched her go; fascinated in spite of
himself by the way she became skittish when he got close. It didn’t fit the picture he’d formed—didn’t add up. She had one damn good act.

Tonight
he’d find out what made Ms. Diana Lennox tick. Once he knew, he’d be able to handle any maneuvers she tried to pull. Satisfied with his plans, he followed her from the room.

chapter five

He was gone, at last. Back in the privacy of her office, Diana slouched low in her chair and leaned back her head, relieved. He hadn’t mentioned the debacle Saturday afternoon.  The tension that held her shoulders rigid all morning relaxed a bit. One hurdle was past. Now if she could just restrain her response to him…

The way he moved, with pent-up energy always threatening to break free from control, had strung out her nerves on a fine wire of arousal. He used his hands as he talked, and watching the wide-palms and blunt-tipped fingers
, she kept imagining how they would feel caressing her skin. Only years of executive experience had saved her from letting her distraction show, and allowed her to bring their negotiations to closure without embarrassing herself further.

Even with the distraction, she had still been keenly aware of his r
esponse to her proposal. He’d been very wary. So… it was distrust that she had sensed hiding in him that night at the Yorktowne. But why? There was no reason for him not to trust her. It didn’t bode well for their business arrangement. Fortunately, she knew her own skills would be sufficient to keep matters even-handed between them. One didn’t survive six years as CEO, even of a small company like Lennox, without learning how to work with all types of people—including those who were difficult. No, she wasn’t worried about Dr. Carmichael’s attitude. She could handle him.

But, could she handle her own attr
action to the man?
That remains to be seen, and soon.
What had she been thinking, agreeing to have dinner with him?
I’m afraid I let his shoulders cloud my judgment.
But pride prevented backing out now.

Besides, he was new in town. Perhaps he wanted to go out and didn’t feel like going alone. She understood not wanting to be alone.
I’m sure I’m not at all his type.

Pulling a file of reports from the drawer, she straightened her chair and got back to work.
Let’s see how converting one line to his process will affect our production rates…

The afternoon flew by
productively. At five forty-five, the timer on Diana’s cell phone went off. She jumped to attention. It was time to set aside the report she’d been reading and freshen up. She pulled open the desk drawer and snapped up her purse. A quick check in the small mirror from her make-up bag, a light touch of mascara—
Slow down. Relax
—and fresh color for her lips. She pressed her mouth shut to keep from nibbling the gloss off, as her unsteady hands unpinned the neat twist and fluffed the hair out.

Someone
knocked on the office door. Diana shoved pins and comb into her purse. She took a deep breath and exhaled. Then she walked steadily over and opened the door. Logan stood there, waiting. Hoping he wouldn’t notice her heart pounding, she allowed him to steer her to the parking lot and his SUV. He opened the door of the derelict vehicle.

Diana hid her initial dismay—
I am so overdressed for this
—and climbed into the seat, careful not to scuff her pumps on the rust below the door or scrape her legs on the loose bit of piping at the edge of the seat. At least it was clean.
Thank goodness I took my hair down.

I can’t believe I am
doing this.
Going to dinner—again—with Logan Carmichael. The first time had been business, of course. He’d wanted her to look at his proposal. She had, it was good, and they’d made the deal. But why had he asked her to join him tonight?

A man like him deserved success. He’d have it, she knew, and eve
ntually a partner—a woman as bold and unafraid as he was. Not someone like her. Her catalog of flaws was legion.
Thanks to Mom and Dad, I know that.

Being with Logan was
an amazement. Being visible to a man like him, his being willing to spend time with her outside of business, put a tingle in her blood like champagne running through her veins. Naturally, it would be absurd to expect the feeling to be mutual. He was just looking for company. She’d felt the need for simple companionship many times, and understood.

Resigned to the way things were, Diana leaned back in the seat as he came around the Jeep and climbed in. The interior was hot from the sun.

“Do you mind if we leave the windows open? My AC is on the blink.” He turned toward her. “Here, let me help you off with your jacket.”

If she thought he had any interest in her as a woman, she’d have wondered if the broken air conditioning was a ploy. The cut of her suit jacket, like all the business wear she owned, was designed to camouflage her breasts—to avoid inappropriate distraction. As Logan’s wide hands reached out, her shoulders began to hunch, protecting her corporate armor.
Stop that. He isn’t looking for anything more than company, and tonight isn’t business.
She forced her shoulders to relax.

Nevertheless, her heart rate bumped up another notch. Nervousness and uncertainty threatened to swamp her. She had no script for this. What was her role here?

The voice of her mother’s constant disapproval echoed in her head—‘Diana, please try not to be so embarrassingly gauche.’ She didn’t want to make a fool of herself in front of this man.

Just be friendly
. She leaned forward as he pulled the suit jacket off her arms. The blunt tips of his fingers slid down the sleeves of her blouse, leaving a trail of heat behind. Her whole body tightened in response and heat raced over her skin. Maybe the role of friend wouldn’t be so easy to play.

Glancing toward him, she caught a look in his eyes that was so purely male it took her breath away. She yanked her gaze away, staring down at the small slice of knee exposed by her conservative skirt. Her thighs were tingling, as her mind imagined heated embraces, silken caresses, and
... With a mental gasp, she pulled her thoughts back in line. She must have misread his glance—she was here to be a friend.
Friendly. Find a friendly thing to say.

“How was your afternoon?” Ouch! So trite!

“Busy.”

In contrast to her tension, he seemed totally at ease. It wasn’t fair.

“I took Spud to the vet and painted the shed behind my house.”

The mundane response reassured Diana. “So you adopted him. Is he working out for you?”

“Working out? He’s a dog, not a business deal. I adopted him and now he has a new home—a home for the rest of his life.” He shook his head abruptly and tossed a grin her way. “Sorry, I don’t mean to climb on my soapbox. It’s just that I feel strongly about people living up to the responsibilities they take on—whether to a spouse, a child, or even a pet.

“Yes, he’s a good old dog, and he’s starting to perk up a bit. I think he was just lonely. He likes my couch—so much so that I may have to get him one of his own.” He smiled and glanced her way. “So, did you get a traffic ticket?”

“What?”

“A traffic ticket…for parking, probably? You don’t look like the type to drive over the limit.”

“I’m sorry.” Diana frowned and tried to determine how she had been left behind. “I’m just not tracking this conversation.”

“The shelter. Community service?” He smiled helpfully. “Isn’t that why you were there?”

Community service. She wasn’t sure whether to be offended or amused. Amusement won out and she started to laugh. “Community service? I’ve never had a ticket in my life! No, I work at the shelter every weekend.”

“My mistake.” He smiled in her direction. “I didn’t have you pegged as the volunteering type.”

Let it go.
No reason to tell him her whole life story. “I like dogs. They don’t care what you look like or what your job is. They just take you as you are, and are glad to have you around.”

He nodded in agreement and let the conversation lapse as they moved into traffic.

Diana studied him as he drove, glad his attention was elsewhere. His hands were broad and powerful, sliding easily over the wheel as he negotiated the Jeep through the streets. Dark jeans clung to the hard muscles of his thighs, and the short-sleeved knit shirt he wore in deference to the hot summer weather displayed massive shoulders and biceps so large her two hands would not have fit all the way around them. Where had he gotten those muscles? Servicemen were fit, of course, but he was an engineer...

“What did you do in the service?”

“Army Ranger.”

Diana stomach slipped at the thought. He hadn’t served his country with the desk job she had imagined. That explained his build and the sense of absolute self-confidence he projected.

He looked over at her and changed the topic. “What about you? What are your plans now that you’re selling the plant?”

“I honestly don’t know. I was only a couple years out of college when my folks died and I took over running the business. Even during college, I expected to work in the company.”

“Expected or was expected to?”

She gave a small grimace. “Was
expected to—definitely. When the company is finally in your hands, I’m going to take some time and figure out for myself what I want to do.”

“You could do that starting now. I wouldn’t complain.”

She raised her eyebrows and gave him a small smile. “I can’t. I have a responsibility to my employees. You should understand that.” She was thinking of his speech about the dog. “For all I know you may be a natural-born CEO. But until I see proof that you’re a good executive officer I would be ducking my obligations if I left. You’re stuck with me, Dr. Carmichael—at least for the short term.”

Logan swept his eyes from her face to her toes and back, then gave her a cocky grin that shot her blood pressure into the stratosphere. “I’m beginning to think I might not mind that so much, Ms. Lennox.”

Diana blushed and looked out the window.
Say something friendly—quick!
They were coming around a turn in the winding rural road. Ahead, she could see a sunny meadow full of wildflowers with the inn at the far end, backed by a half circle of mature trees. She didn’t care if it was trite. “I always love the way the Homestead fits into its surroundings.”

“Very nice.” The dry tone made it obvious her comment had been recognized as an attempt to deflect his attention. She felt heat rise in her cheeks again as he turned the Jeep up the drive.

At the front of the inn, the meadow merged into skillfully planted clumps of wildflowers and native grasses. But to the south, between the building and the parking area, lay a magnificent rose garden. As Logan handed her down from the Jeep, Diana breathed in the sweetness of the roses, the scent of meadow grasses beyond, and the heady musk of sun-warmed male.

She wanted to press her face to that broad chest and simply inhale the scent of him. Bad idea. Tonight’s battle was already being fought on two fronts, as she tried to act like Logan’s friend while denying the sex
ual response his presence spawned.

“Watch your step. The path is rocky.”

Too true.

Inside, Homestead Inn was pleasantly rustic, and comfortable. Diana noticed how the forest green of the walls set off warm browns in the worn leather on lodge-style chairs. It gave her the same feeling as walking in the woods on a quiet afternoon—relaxed and natural. In the dining room, the same scale of furniture was arranged in more intimate clusters. A massive stone fireplace looked large enough for roasting a whole sheep. Someone had filled its cavernous interior with huge baskets of fresh meadow flowers and grasses. Diana and Logan were led to a table nearby.

As Logan
seated her, Diana felt him turn his face to nuzzle her hair. She tensed from neck to shoulders, her heart began hammering against her chest, and the heat of arousal enveloped her body once again. The friend role wasn’t going very well.

“You smell wonderful…like honeysuckle.”

Was his voice deeper than normal? “Uh, shampoo…” She studied her plate as he sat down. “It does have a nice scent to it.”

When Diana looked up Logan’s gaze burned into hers. She jerked her eyes down to stare, unfocused, at the silverware. Goose bumps crawled slowly up her thighs and down her back. What was going on here? He looked like he planned to have her for dinner. She realized the evening called for a role different than the one she had chosen. She had been wrong.
What do I do now?

The ghost of her father’s voice echoed in her head—‘Your behavior is an embarrassment to us.’

Her feeling of inadequacy escalated alarmingly.
I don’t know what to do!
She had to escape and regroup.

As Diana prepared to jump to her feet, Logan’s hand, warm and strong, closed over her wrist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. R
elax and enjoy your dinner. Let’s have a pleasant evening together.”

She froze in place, indecision robbing her of the capacity for mov
ement.

“Come on, Diana, look at me. I’m sorry I upset you.”

Diana took a shaky breath. Hesitantly, she raised her eyes to his…and saw warmth and friendship in them. Nothing more. The rhythm of her heart steadied and began the drop back to normal. He looked friendly. She could handle this.