Logan, page 9
“No, I’m sure they won’t,” she floundered, feeling the blush heat her cheeks.
“You do not go inside that house by yourself. Ever. I won’t yield on this, Viv, so you’ve got to promise.”
“Okay,” she agreed hurriedly, hoping to reassure him.
“What do you need to do for your analysis?”
“I brought equipment with me, but honestly, I haven’t figured out where to set up—”
“How big a space do you need?”
“A room about as big as one of our bedrooms, but not in this house. It could be potentially deadly materials—”
“I found a shed.”
His constant interruptions would typically drive her crazy, but she quickly realized this was the way Logan worked. It appeared his mind was so efficient he was already ready with an answer halfway through a question.
Sighing, he said, “I’m sorry.”
“What for?”
“Just…just for…hell, being me, I guess.”
A smile slipped out, and she accepted his apology, knowing this situation was as difficult for him as it was for her. “No problem. And, yes, a shed would be good, but where can we find one that’d work?”
“On my run last night, I was doing a reconnaissance of the area—”
“That’s why you were gone so long?” she asked, now the one interrupting.
“I had limited time to gain knowledge of this area before coming, so I wanted to check it out myself. Going on a run was the perfect way to explore the neighborhood and surrounding woods. My people looked into the area and discovered a shed at the back of the property, and I found it about fifty yards to the west in the woods. It’s abandoned. It hasn’t been used in years.”
“To the west…that’s away from their house, isn’t it?”
He nodded. “Makes it perfect for you to get to the shed without being seen.”
“So can we make this work?” She couldn’t hide the hesitation in her voice as her eyes searched his.
Rubbing his hand over the back of his neck, he said, “Truthfully? I have no idea. But I’ve never failed in a mission before, and I sure as hell don’t plan on failing this one either.”
Her smile widened as she took his words to heart. Slapping her hands on her legs, she said, “Okay then. Tell me what’s next.”
13
An hour later, Vivian stretched her arms over her head, working out the kinks in her neck and back. Her shirt rode up slightly, and Logan averted his eyes, trying not to look at the sliver of skin now exposed. They had reviewed the pictures of the major occupants of the suspect’s house and formulated a basic plan of action.
Viv would monitor the neighbors and catalog their movements, including cars, license plates, and descriptions. He’d explained that while his people could monitor some intel from satellite images, there was still value to boots-on-the-ground reconnaissance.
Logan explained his part-time job at the small airfield as a mechanic, just enough hours to provide cover until the covert part of his mission kicked in, which was something he did not divulge, assuring her that it was best for her not to know. He would be running often at night and had intel to gather. “I brought some cameras for the outside but will put them up tonight when it’s dark. Once they’re up, you can watch the cameras and won’t be stuck right at the window to keep up with their comings and goings.”
He also let her know that as soon as he could get inside, he would smuggle samples for her to test. But before that, she needed to look at the shed to let him know if she deemed anything else essential to complete her work.
With a plan in place, she glanced down and groaned. “I’m still in my flannel pajamas.” Grinning, she added, “Dibs on the shower!”
Watching her jog down the hall, he was unable to keep the smile from tugging at his lips. Once the bathroom door was closed, he sat and leaned back in his chair, his mind in motion as he reviewed their plans. Closing his eyes for a moment, he wondered if this mission had any chance of succeeding. When he heard the water in the shower turn on, his mind slid down another path—one where he imagined her body, wet and naked.
Jerking his eyes open, he stood quickly, forcing those thoughts away. Fuckin’ hell…she’s a scientist… coworker… fake wife… not some girl for me to pant over. Grimacing, he thought of her innocence in this situation and wondered why Donald set her up on this mission based on her heritage and not her experience. The mere thought that she could be in danger caused him to pace the room before heading into the kitchen, where he gripped the counter, his knuckles turning white. Not on my watch, he vowed, knowing part of his mission was keeping her safe.
While the water still ran, he called back to the compound. “Sadie, what have you got for me?” Last night during his run, he’d called to ask the night duty Keeper what they found out about Vivian Sanders. When they had nothing to report, he asked them to check again.
“Boss, there isn’t much. She’s twenty-nine years old. She has no record, not even a speeding ticket. Everything she told you is true. I talked to her supervisor, and Donald chose her because he felt like she had what she needed to work with you on this assignment.”
Landon was also on the line. “Is there a problem? It’s not too late to change the plans.”
“I can fly up,” Sadie offered. “We can have Ms. Sanders stay in a hotel until you get the samples, and I can work the case with you in the house next to the terrorist group.”
Logan considered the offer for a few seconds, then sighed as he dismissed it. Since she parked in the cul-de-sac, he felt sure the neighbors had already seen Vivian going in and out of the house. “No, that’s fine. I don’t want to take a chance that the neighbors see too many people come and go. But it’ll be nice to know I’m not alone in this and have you all as backup.”
“Whatever you need, let us know,” Landon said.
He disconnected and bent down to grab the tools he’d found under the sink, planning to replace the locks on the doors. As he performed the mundane task, he thought of what he’d said to Vivian earlier about working with his SEAL team. Then after a few years of being alone, he had to develop the skills of a leader again and utilize his new team. He’d been so quick to throw in the towel with this mission at the first sign of a problem, and that wasn’t like him.
But the problem had deep brown eyes, so dark it was hard to distinguish the pupil from the iris. Dark chocolate. His mom used to make a rich, dark chocolate cake for his birthday because that was his favorite when he was a kid. He slowly shook his head… I haven’t thought of that memory in years. But all it took was Vivian’s eyes to remind him of something he’d loved—decadent dark chocolate.
Finishing the locks, he placed the tools back where he’d found them and stood at the counter once again. Scrubbing his hand over his face, he sighed heavily. The last thing he needed to do was think of Viv’s eyes. This mission may not be fucked, but I sure am.
While inside the bathroom, Vivian lathered her body and quickly washed her hair, unsure how long the hot water would last. Closing her eyes as the water sluiced over her, the image of her fake husband filtered through her mind. Tall, dark, and handsome. A strangled snort erupted as she realized how conventional her description sounded. How about towering, somber, and athletic? Soaring, shadowy, and muscular? Another snort slipped out. He’s more like glowering, angry, and irritable.
Shaking her head, she knew there were infinite ways to describe him, each one accurate. Rinsing her hair, she turned the water off, knowing she also had to turn off her physical attraction to Logan. It was time to do her job and do it well. Determined to accomplish that feat, she dressed for the day, hoping the new alliance she and Logan had begun would make their working relationship easier.
That afternoon, Logan drove to the small airfield to work for a few hours and check on his helicopter while Vivian sat by the window waiting to see the neighbors. Reading on her e-reader, she lifted her head to see a woman coming out of the house next door. Hurrying to her car, she intended to take out a bag she had left in her trunk for the express purpose of having an excuse to go outside. From a distance, it was hard to see if the woman was Farrah, but she was desperate to make contact as soon as possible.
“Hello!” she shouted over at the woman.
The woman looked over quickly, her gaze jumping from Vivian to her house, then back to Vivian again. Finally, a shy smile crossed her face, and she nodded slightly.
Vivian began walking toward her, smiling widely in return. Recognizing Farrah, Vivian noted the black skirt, white blouse, and the hijab worn by the young woman. A beautiful leather belt cinched Farrah’s waist, but the stylish leather boots on her feet were most surprising.
Feeling frumpy in her jeans and heavy sweatshirt, Vivian thrust out her hand. “I guess we’re neighbors. I’m Vivian. My husband and I just moved in.”
“And I am Farrah,” the woman said, shaking her hand delicately. “I also live here with my husband.”
“The houses seem nice here although kind of old.” She shrugged while still smiling. “But we just got married, and the rent fits our budget.”
Nodding, Farrah agreed. “We have not been here long, but I have tried to make it our home.”
“We should get together sometime,” Vivian blurted, her heart pounding as she wondered what Logan would think of that plan. They hadn’t worked out all the details of what she was supposed to do when she met the neighbors, and she realized, belatedly, that she had no clue what she was doing.
Farrah’s eyes widened at the suggestion. Thinking she was going to deny her outright, Vivian pressed, “We’ve got a grill out back that I’d like to try sometime. Um…you and your husband could join us.”
“That is very kind of you to offer,” Farrah said, her smile not reaching her eyes. “But I will have to speak to my husband. He…does not often have time to socialize. His work with university students takes up a great deal of time.”
“Well, he has to eat sometime, doesn’t he?” she asked, returning her smile. “But if not, then we can get together for coffee or tea or something. You could tell me the best places to shop.”
Farrah’s smile faltered. “Of course. It would be an honor to have tea with you sometime. I… well, my husband has me go to the grocery on Thursday afternoons, and there really is only the one store close by.”
A slight movement in her peripheral vision caught Vivian’s eye. A man looked out of the window, his hand pulling the curtain partially back. Too far away to determine whether he was one of the men in the pictures, she continued smiling at Farrah.
Hearing Logan’s truck rumbling down the road, she quickly stepped back. “Oops, I need to get dinner started. I’ll talk to you soon, and we’ll figure something out. Nice to meet you, Farrah.”
“You too, Vivian.”
Hurrying back to her car, she reached inside the trunk to take out the bag she had placed there earlier. Seeing Logan’s narrowed eyes on her, she smiled as he parked next to the house. Rushing over to him as he stepped out of the truck, she threw her arms around his neck while giving a little hop, causing him to catch her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.
Logan’s arms encircled her waist as she plastered her front to his. She had no doubt his fast action was due to surprise and instinct, but she was also shocked at how her body reacted to being held by his. It was as though she fit perfectly against him. Her romance novels would have described it as two halves creating a whole. Or maybe the steamier ones would have said his hold awakened the parts of her that had slumbered too long. And she knew just what parts they would have referred to.
“Viv,” his deep voice rumbled in her ear, jerking her back to the present.
“Hey, sweetie!” she called out, tamping down her desire and plastering a joyful smile on her face.
14
Stunned, Logan held on to Vivian as she clung to him. He’d seen jungle monkeys not hold on to trees as tightly. Concern sent his heart racing. “Viv, what’s wrong?”
Placing her mouth close to his, she whispered, “Is she looking?”
Blinking slowly, he crinkled his brow as he glanced over her shoulder, then returned to her face. “She was, but she’s headed back inside.” He held her easily, finding her weight in his arms comforting. And as she wiggled slightly, his comfort quickly became discomfort as his cock reacted to the beautiful woman plastered to him. Her breasts were pressed against his chest, the soft feel against his hard body making his growing erection hard to ignore. He was still uncertain of why she clung to him so tightly, but the smile on her face gave evidence she wasn’t in danger.
“Just in case she or the man inside who was peeking out the window earlier are at the window watching now, we should stay like this for a moment,” she whispered. “I told her we were newlyweds, and she’d expect me to greet you this way.”
Dawning slid over him as he continued to hold her in his arms, enjoying the feel of her body pressed to him more than he wanted to admit. “Oh, she would, would she?” he said, keeping his mouth close to her cheek.
“I tried to invite her over for tea, thinking that would be a way to get to know her without her getting suspicious.”
Holding her close, Logan felt her warm breath wash over his cheek, and he fought the urge to wish her lips were closer. “I think it’s safe now.” His gruff voice effectively sliced through the distraction that was Viv in his arms. Irritated that she had made contact with the neighbors without a plan or him around, he forced his arms to loosen, afraid they might go from holding her waist to throttling her neck.
Startled, she settled back on her heels with a jolt. “Uh…yeah. Right.” Turning quickly, she walked toward the front door with him following. Once inside, she faced him again, only this time from a respectable distance. “I went over to introduce myself to her.”
Cocking his head to the side, he placed his hands on his hips and said, “You should have waited for me.”
“Oh, no. I didn’t go to their door. I just waited until I saw her come out, and then I went out like I was going to my car to get something. I stowed a bag there just in case the opportunity arose. And it did! It was easy to introduce myself to her.”
“And what name did you give her?” he asked, his voice unyielding.
“Uh…Vivian?” she said, a question in her tone. “You and I didn’t talk about names, did we?” Her smile fell as she muttered, “Damn.”
“You should have waited, Viv. I’m the one with experience planning. I’m the one who has to anticipate what they might think or do.” He worked to keep his voice steady, but his words held an undercurrent of anger.
“But it seemed like such a good idea. Really spontaneous.”
“Did you give your last name? Did you say Sanders?”
“No. No,” she hurried to say. “I just told her my name was Vivian. And she just said she was Farrah.”
A relieved breath rushed out of Logan as he dropped his chin to his chest, closing his eyes on the way down. A soft touch reached his arms, and his eyes jerked open again. Vivian stood right in front of him, her face peering up into his, her dark eyes searching.
“I’m sorry, Logan. I just saw her and wanted so much to make contact. I figured they might get suspicious of us if they never saw us out together. Now they know we’re a newly married couple who just moved in. I thought you being gone would be a good thing, not knowing if she would approach if you were here.”
Nodding slowly, he reached up. His fingers itched to cup her cheek but rested on her shoulders instead. “Right. It’s done, and it appears nothing untoward occurred. But”—he pinned her with a stormy stare—“from now on, you don’t make a move unless I know about it. I don’t want them inside this house any more than I want you over there. Agreed?”
Vivian pursed her lips, appearing to try to hide her irritation but failing at the effort.
“Does that include the labs as well?” she asked, unable to keep the snarkiness from her voice. “I might not be a covert operator, but I’m sure as hell not stupid.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she slumped her shoulders. Sighing loudly, she said, “What a mess this is.”
Logan stepped backward, his thoughts tumbling once more. He was used to precise planning and execution, so this mission drove him batty…and it’s only been one day. “Okay, let’s plan more after we eat. I stopped at the bar in town and grabbed some burgers.”
Seeing her eyes light up, he turned and headed back to the truck to retrieve the bag he had abandoned when she threw herself at him. It reminded him it had been a long time since a woman had jumped into his arms.
In the Navy and then SEAL training, the bars near the bases were full of women just waiting to bed a SEAL for bragging rights or wanting to snag one as a husband. Leaning into the truck to grab the bags, he knew how different it was for Vivian to be in his arms. Sure, it had been for their cover, but it still felt…real. He could have sworn she was glad to see him return and not just for their cover.
Shaking the thoughts from his head, he stalked back inside, his earlier grumpiness returning.
Vivian quietly grabbed water bottles for them as his dark mood filled the room. She sat at the table, reaching for her food and thanking him softly. He sat down, hating that his bad mood permeated their meal, and tried to think of a way to apologize.
She bit into the burger, and her eyes closed as she groaned as though in ecstasy. Logan leaned back in frustration, hearing the sounds emitted as her mouth closed over her hamburger. He knew all too well he would love to listen to those sounds in a different context.
With her woolen sock-covered feet on the coffee table and toes pointed toward the wood-burning stove, Vivian crunched on an apple as she watched Logan work on his plan. His dark brown hair was the color of milk chocolate, and while it was thick, it appeared silky, not coarse. He had reading glasses perched on his nose, giving him the look of a sexy professor. Thinking back to the lab she had worked in, no men had his virility. Sighing, she shifted her gaze out the window, watching the sun as it dropped behind the tree line.
