Page 2 of Twisted Love

“I do, actually.” She said thoughtfully. She did like the boyish look it gave him. A sudden need to touch him took over and she leaned over to place her hand intimately high on his leg. “I really do.”

The words were whispered into his ear seductively, as a mistress would, but Keily didn’t think of herself that way. She was his partner. Not his girlfriend, not really a trophy wife even, though she felt like one. She was part of the reason men found him charismatic and easy to deal with. They envied Logan the woman that accompanied him, and that brought more money to the company because they wanted a little bit of the success he had.

They hadn’t talked about what they were, but it wasn’t necessary. Not to her. She knew what she was, and it wasn’t a mistress. Mistresses were kept out of the light, hidden away, not displayed and part of a strategy. Although, if she was honest with herself, they’d never talked about a strategy for these dinner meetings either. They were usually too busy getting each other naked when they were alone to talk about anything.

“You know I don’t like it when you try to play while I’m driving, Keily.” He brushed her hand away but stroked her cheek with the same hand before he put it back on the wheel. “Accidents do happen.”

“Sorry.” She muttered but she wasn’t. It was all part of the tease, the runup to what would happen later when they walked in through her apartment door.

“It’s alright.” He turned the radio on then, putting an end to the conversation.

Just before they pulled up to the restaurant Logan turned the radio down.

“I’ve been thinking we need a nice warm vacation somewhere. Have you been to Hawaii?”

“Yes, I have.” She answered quickly but didn’t fill him in on the fact that it was a prize she’d won in one of those beauty pageants back when she was in high school, working the pageants for all she was worth.

Her mom had started her off in them on a whim when Keily was a baby and continued when she figured out that she could sell the prizes Keily won or turn them into cash. That had fueled a drug addiction that Keily still didn’t want to admit her mother had. It was another reason her parents moved away; her dad hoped a change of scenery would help her mom get clean. So far, it hadn’t worked. Keily still had no clue what happened to most of the prizes and had a feeling she’d never know. Explaining anything about the pageants might lead her to reveal too much though, so she kept it simple and sweet.

“I see.” Logan shook his head and smiled at her before he pulled into the parking lot. “Well, think of something. If we need our passports let me know.”

“Sure.” She answered, kind of pleased that he wanted to take her away on a vacation. She needed to get through this dinner before she could think about vacations, though. She checked herself in the mirror on the back of her visor and then got out of the car. Logan pulled his overcoat out of the car and put it on before he headed over to her.

They walked into the restaurant together, their hands linked. Logan gave his name to the woman at the hostess stand blocking their entrance into the restaurant. Keily noticed the way the woman’s eyes ate Logan up and how she smiled as if she’d seen the most delicious thing on the planet. The woman very well might have, but he was Keily’s. At least for now.

She had no illusions that he would keep her around forever. She hoped he would, but Logan was the kind of man that didn’t make promises he couldn’t keep. After the woman seated them at a large round table, Keily sat down next to Logan. Four other chairs ringed the table but she wanted to be by his side. That was her role now.

The waiter came and they ordered their drinks. Logan asked the waiter to hold the menus until their guests arrived. A few minutes later three men and a woman came in and were brought to their table. Two of the men were in their thirties, full of cocky self-assuredness. The one in a tailored black suit with a shimmery silver cotton shirt looked Keily over before he looked at Logan with a speculative look.

Keily knew what he was thinking, it had happened before. Was Keily part of the deal? Logan’s lips tightened and his stare turned steely. The man’s eyes went up for a second but then he smiled. “Logan, great to see you again.”

“Nice to see you too, Allen. How’s the wife?” Logan asked the man with black hair styled to within an inch of its life. The man opened the buttons of his suit jacket before he sat down as did the man in a gray suit beside him.

“She’s great, Logan, thanks. I haven’t been here before, have you Bill?” Allen asked the other young man.

Keily looked at the man in the gray suit, noted his blond hair was cut professionally but lacked the layers of styling products that Allen’s sported. He also wore a wedding band, and he didn’t look at Keily like a hungry wolf. She smiled politely as the man named Bill nodded.

“Yes, I’ve brought Lisa here before. Logan, this is my wife, Lisa, and I guess you know Shane.” Bill held his hand in the direction of the older man, around fifty, Keily guessed and smiled up at them all.

Lisa sat down beside Keily, a friendly smile on her face. Kiely liked her taste in fashion, the red Armani fitted dress showcased Lisa assets perfectly. She also liked Lisa’s smile and calmness. “Hi, I’m Keily.”

“Nice to meet you, Keily.” The woman with black hair and dark brown eyes put out her hand for Keily to shake.

Yes, she seemed like she’d be a good companion for the evening. If only Logan wasn’t so distracting.

“What are you having?” Lisa asked as she looked around the restaurant.

“I think I’ll have the steak. It’s hard to go wrong with a steak.” Keily answered. She’d need the energy for the hours later when Logan would show her just how high he could make her climb.

She glanced over at him as Lisa went quiet while she studied the menu. He was as handsome as ever, smiling confidently at Shane as they discussed something Keily couldn’t hear. Logan laughed, a real laugh, not one of those fake ones he usually gave clients. He liked Shane then.

The waiter came to take their orders and they relaxed together as they waited. A bottle of wine was brought to the table and Keily poured it expertly. Logan watched with approval, his eyes on her hands as she held the bottle. She knew what he was thinking about from the way his nostrils flared: Her hands wrapped around his neck as she rode him into oblivion. She caught his eyes when he glanced up and her cheeks went pink. Yes, she’d need that steak and maybe dessert too.

Logan caught Lisa’s attention when he started to tell a story about one of his company’s products: a self-defense device, and how it had saved someone’s life. Keily’s thoughts drifted, she knew the story, and she thought about that vacation he’d mentioned he wanted to take her on. He’d suggested Hawaii but she’d been there before.

Maybe one of the islands, or somewhere cold where they could cuddle in front of a fire. It was a hard decision when a man offered to take you wherever you wanted to go. She’d ask him to take her to Europe, but everybody went to Europe when they got the chance. Where could she go in America? she wondered. Alaska maybe, with wild secluded nights in the woods.

In the end, though, she knew it wouldn’t matter. Wherever she went with Logan, she would end up in his arms. She loved this life he’d given to her, and she planned on keeping it. She’d destroy anyone that tried to change that.