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She smiled at him, honestly thankful for Logan’s presence. She’d been trudging through life ever since she got back to San Jose, but Logan had changed all that. Not only did she feel like she had a sense of direction again, but she wanted it to be by his side. She’d fallen fast for her brother’s blue-eyed best friend during their weeks together. She could only hope he felt the same way.
Logan stared at her, his eyes shining with emotions she couldn’t name. He worked his strong jaw and a tiny thought line appeared between his eyebrows. It was like he was assessing and calculating the risks of being with her. As if she were another restaurant opening. Rachel tried not to throw him a teasing smile. Relationships weren’t something you could assess in a spreadsheet. They would just have to play along and see if this was meant to be.
The heart had no logic. It was something her father had never managed to figure out.
“Enough of that depressing talk,” Rachel said, her eyes glinting with humor. “Let’s talk about the gala. Got a date lined up?”
Logan snorted. “You know that I don’t.”
She clicked her fingernails on the counter and grinned. “What a coincidence. Neither do I.”
“Rachel...” Logan grimaced and shook his head. “I made a deal with your brother to keep you focused on work and school. It already feels like this dinner is breaking that promise. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to let things continue.”
She closed her eyes, pain lancing through her chest. Logan’s hang-ups had seemed so minor only yesterday. She wasn’t a child and her brother didn’t rule her life, but if Logan couldn’t see that, maybe it was best to end it right here.
“You know, I thought there was something between us,” she said, grasping the top of her legs and staring down at the floor. “Something real. But maybe I was wrong.”
She waited for him to say something. To tell her she was crazy and that she hadn’t imagined the sparks between them, but only silence answered.
“I should go,” she said, breaking the painful quiet.
If he didn’t want to be more than friends, then she wouldn’t push him any further. She knew what it was like to be pursued by someone who wouldn’t take a clue. She slid off the counter and started walking toward her purse sitting on the entryway table.
“Rachel, wait.”
A warm hand enclosed around her upper arm and tugged her back, causing her to collide with a solid chest. Strong arms wrapped around her and she melted into his embrace, relishing in the cool masculine scent of his cologne. Logan sighed into her hair, his cheek resting on her temple.
“There is something between us. Something unbelievably strong,” he whispered in a hoarse voice. His trembling hand worked its way up her shoulders to the back of her neck, sending goosebumps down her spine. “You’re not wrong. I just don’t want to mess things up.”
She pressed off his chest just enough to look him in the eyes. “You won’t.”
“But your brother...”
“My brother will come around.” She smiled sweetly. “I’m pretty sure he couldn’t think of someone better for his baby sister. He’s always telling me I need to date a guy with a solid career.”
Logan huffed, although the right side of his mouth twitched in a grin. “I suppose I have that going for me. But I don’t like going behind his back.”
“Tell you what.” She splayed her right hand on his chest, feeling the thumping of his heart. “Go with me to the gala tomorrow and we’ll figure out a way to break it to him before the end of the night.”
His eyes glinted with hesitation. “You’re saying I’ve got to ask your brother’s permission to date you?”
“Yes, I suppose so...” She placed a fingertip to her lips, her mouth curling into a teasing grin. “And if you’re lucky, I might just save a space for you on my dance card.”
He threw his head back in laughter, the sight bringing a wide smile to her face. She liked the sound of his laugh. It was something she could listen to forever.
“All right, you win, Rachel Knight.” He looked down at her and brought his hand to her cheek, caressing it softly with the pad of his thumb. “You are irresistible. I hope you know that.”
She smiled, although her insides were turning to jelly.
“I’m glad to hear you say that,” she answered, her eyes narrowing. “Because you should see me in my red dress. If you think I’m irresistible now, wait until tomorrow night.”
She could’ve sworn she heard him gulp as his Adam’s apple bobbed. He dropped his hand from her face and took a quick step away. Disappointment blossomed inside her chest. She’d wanted so badly for him to take that next step. To press his lips against hers.
“Just so that there are no misunderstandings tonight, I think I should tell you that I really want to kiss you right now,” he said, his voice low an
d throaty. It was her turn to gulp. She pressed her lips together, willing him to continue. “But, until I have Michael’s permission to see you, I have to hold myself back. It’s the only way I can make it through this deal and still feel like I have some bit of honor left.”
Her throat went dry and she nodded slowly. He really was a good guy. Her brother couldn’t possibly turn them down.
