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I circle my hand in his general direction. “Oh, there’s plenty more where that came from, with you being so damn uptight all the time.”
I know I’ve struck a nerve when he tugs at his earlobe—a classic Logan tell that he’s irritated or uncomfortable.
“I’m not uptight.”
“That’s the most uptight response you could have given.”
Situating his ankle over his knee, he brushes me off with a half-hearted humph, and returns his attention to the water.
Alrighty, then.
“I suppose you did okay for your first time.”
“Just okay?” I gawk. “In case you’ve somehow forgotten, I got us the advertising agreement, exactly as you wanted.”
He traces his lower lip, studying me thoughtfully. “How did you know that would work?”
“What?”
“Trying out the course. It seemed to loosen him up some, made him more willing to accept our offer.”
“Oh, the game wasn’t part of the plan. I just thought it sounded fun.”
That earns me a glare. Lowering his leg, he shifts so he’s facing me fully. “You had me running around the jungle all afternoon, sweating my ass off, and neglecting responsibilities because you thought it looked fun?”
“Um, sh-yeah. Are you telling me it wasn’t?” My brows pinch as I watch him check his phone for what has to be the millionth time. “I believe you thanked me for shoving you headfirst into said ‘fun,’ if I heard you correctly.”
More silence before he finally sighs. “Sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind, and there are some things I need to take care of back at the office.”
“Do you do anything else besides work?” I don’t mean for it to sound so harsh, but the judgment is out there, flapping in the wind like a sail on a boat.
“I bake,” he says after a beat. “Not well. But I’m learning.”
That takes me completely by surprise. “The CEO of Summit Estates is a closet baker. Who’d have thought?”
“It’s relaxing. Helps take my mind off the strict schedules and never-ending meetings. But I can never get the measurements right. I’m always under or over pouring.” A charming smile plays across his lips as he ducks his chin. “I accidentally turned cookies into pancakes once… It was a whole thing.”
“Heavy emphasis on the ‘not well’ part, then.”
That I’m able to pull a laugh from him, no matter how soft, makes my chest constrict.
I wince when I shift in my seat, these damn heels digging into the blisters around my ankles.
“Here, let me help you,” Logan says abruptly, scooting to the very edge of his seat and reaching for a foot.
“I’m fine. No biggie.” I jerk it back, grinding my molars when the back of my heel digs deeper.
When I shoo his hands away, I’m met with a stern scowl that’s darkened by the shadows the night brings. “It’s a massage, Pen. Not an attempt to seduce you.”
I want to argue that foot massages are, in fact, quite seductive, but I throw my hands up instead. “Fine, fine. No need to get testy.”
He’s not satisfied until I finally settle back, and I’m surprised by how soft and warm his hands are when his fingers curl around my ankle.
“Ah,” I hiss through my teeth when he pries the back of the first shoe from my aching heel.
Sharp eyes flick to mine in the waning daylight. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay.” I swallow hard at the delicacy of his touch, watching him pay extra care to where he presses his fingertips.
