“You had no right to do that!” She almost added that he didn’t know what he was getting into. She wasn’t even sure she knew Logan was sincere, although she was glad to see he was looking healthier and more clear-eyed than he had since their last meeting, when she cut off her financial and emotional support. She pushed the sudden stab of guilt away, remembering that he’d told her he had to get out of Little Rock. If he was in such a hurry to leave, then he had to be in some sort of trouble, even though he wasn’t acting like it.
“You want him to sleep on your floor?”
“I want you to mind your own business!” She pushed her hair to the side and off her sweaty neck. Taking a small breath, she modulated her tone and crossed her arms so her unsteady hands were still hidden. “You don’t even know him, Sebastian. Why would you take in a complete stranger?”
“He’s your family.” He held out his hands. “Why wouldn’t I?”
His words caused warmth to spread in her chest. Of course hewould do this. Opening his home to someone in need was quintessential Sebastian. Her hands stilled and she dropped her arms. “I...” She didn’t know what to say without revealing Logan’s past. If her brother truly had turned his life around, she didn’t want to poison Sebastian’s view of him.
“I’ll rescind the offer if it means that much to you.” He turned toward the door.
“Wait.” She touched his arm. His bicep, in particular. Nice. Hard, firm, as if he still went to the gym like he used to back in Little Rock—
“Jade?”
Her eyes refocused and she saw him look at her, then at her hand. She snatched it away. “He can stay at your cabin.”
“How kind of you to allow him.”
She knew she was being unreasonable, and she wanted Logan to stay in a nice place. But his early arrival, along with her earlier, unexpected dinner invitation to Sebastian, had her all spun up. After Mabel left and they were alone for a few minutes, she simply wanted to open the door with him again and decided to be more personable. That had instantly turned into her practically asking him out on a date. Even worse, she thought it might actually be a decent idea, and after his initial shocked reaction, he almost seemed to be mulling it over. Then again, maybe she just wanted to believe he was.So confusing.For once, Logan’s timing was spot-on.
“Thank you for giving him a place to stay,” she said, measuring the speed of her words so they didn’t come out in a mangled rush. “It will only be for one night.”
“You sound sure of that.”
“We’ll go to another hotel tomorrow morning.”
“An hour away?”
“There really isn’t one closer?”
“Nope.”
That did put a damper on things. She’d lose precious hours commuting back and forth, and Logan was going to take up some of that time too. “All right, we won’t change accommodations. That way I can meet with you tomorrow to continue our discussion.”
His hands went to his hips. “I made it clear to you this morning that our discussion was over.”
She moved toward him, tilting her chin so she could look him directly in the eye. “It’s only just begun.”
And that ended up being a grave miscalculation. Her intent had been to show him how serious she was. Instead, she couldn’t breathe. She’d forgotten what it was like to be this close to him, inhaling his scent, appealing and familiar. She could also see shades of brown mixed with a little gray in his scruffy beard. His blue eyes held hers, and a jolt of heat traveled through her.
The patio door opened. They jumped apart as Logan stepped outside. “Everything okay out here?”
Jade turned to him, stunned. When was the last time Logan had asked her if she was okay? She literally couldn’t remember.
“We’re cool.” Sebastian went to him. “Everything’s set.”
“Thanks, dude,” he said to Sebastian. “I owe you one.”
For the first time since his arrival, she took a good look at him. He didn’t reek of cigarette and marijuana smoke. His hair was clean, and he was dressed in casual clothes any twentysomething guy would wear in hot weather—a T-shirt and shorts—not ripped, torn, and stained clothing. It had been a long time since Logan had looked so... normal.
“No problem,” Sebastian said. “I just need to finish my interview with Mabel, and I’ll take you there.” He turned to Jade. “You’re welcome to come along.”
She wasn’t sure how to respond. His friendly offer and demeanor seemed surreal, considering they were in contentious business discussions and Logan was unknown to him. Since Sebastian had to talk to Mabel, Jade and Logan could go back to her room and she could find out what was going on with him—because something odd was going on. After their discussion she would decide whether to go to the cabin. It might give her another opportunity to talk about negotiations with Sebastian. All she needed to do was get her briefcase—
My briefcase!
How could she have forgotten? She was supposed to be figuring out how to return Sebastian’s ledger. Hold on, she needed to keep her cool. She would just get her briefcase, go to her room with Logan, and take things from there. No need to act weird. “I’ll be right back,” she said, not waiting for a response, slowing her steps to an almost awkward gait to avoid rushing back inside.
