Never Let Me Go: The Complete Set (3 page)

My phone buzzed in the pocket of my coat and I pulled it out to answer Faith’s call.

“It’s an emergency, come quick.” She laughed into the phone.

“I’m already gone.” Regret colored my words. I had known this wouldn’t work, but I had hoped it would.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I felt too guilty about not wanting to be there. I couldn’t do it.” I sighed.

“Okay, so you’re not ready to date then?”

“No, that’s not it. I’m just not looking for an Eric.”

“What are you looking for?”

“Someone who makes me feel something. Someone who makes me feel wild and out of control.” I sighed dramatically.

“So you want the world?” Faith laughed.

“No, just Logan.” I sniffled into the phone.

“So you are asking for the world, then.”

“I just want to feel the way he made me feel again,” I said sadly.

“Come home and we’ll drink away your sorrows.”

“Don’t you have a date tonight?”

“I’ll cancel. I can get laid whenever, and you need me more than I need a dick.”

This was what I loved about my sister, she was so brash. “Okay, I’m walking home as we speak.”

“I’ll play
Cocktail
and whip you up something amazing,” she said cheerily.

“See you in a few.” Faith was an amateur bartender. I’d been telling her for years she should open up a place. So far she had yet to listen. She was too into her modelling career to want something more.

She was waiting at the door with a glass full of something lethal when I walked in.

“Here, drink this. It will cure what ails you.” She clinked glasses with me and tipped the cup back until I had drained it.

I coughed. “Wow, what’s in this? Lighter fluid?”

“Close. Vodka, rum, and some other random stuff.” She grinned at me. “Want another?”

“I know I should tell you no, but what the hell, pour me another.”

That was the last thing I remembered about that night. Lots of laughter and too many drinks.

“DID YOU HEAR WHAT I
said Mr. McFadden?” My assistant Brooke waved her hand in front of my face. I blinked at her and motioned for her to repeat the question.

“I asked if you were all set for your trip to L.A. Do you need me to run through your itinerary again?” She looked at me expectantly, her green eyes wide. There was a time when I would have considered taking her to bed. Brooke was every man’s dream—no matter what she wore, it looked like it was painted on her curvy frame.

“No need, I know where I’m going and who I’m seeing. You can head out for the day if you’d like.”

She frowned slightly. “Are you sure? I could order you some dinner and we can go over the Lowery file again.”

“Go on home, Brooke. I’m leaving in a bit myself.”

“Have a safe trip, Mr. McFadden.” She smiled and clicked out of the room in her Louboutins.

I had to stop thinking about Grace. It had been a month, and I still couldn’t get her out of my head.

I picked up the phone and called the one person who could snap me out of it.

“Smith, it’s Logan. How would you feel about a trip to L.A. tonight? Meet me at the plane in two hours if you’re interested.” I hung up after leaving my message and finished up the work in front of me.

My limo met me in front of the building and drove me straight to the airport. Smith was leaning against the hood of his car when we pulled up. We had a similar build, but his hair was black as night. We were quite a pair when we were stalking our prey.

He didn’t say a word until we were in the air. “How bad is it then?”

“It’s not good, I’ll tell you that. I can't get her off my mind, man. She’s all I can think about.” I raked a hand through my hair.

Smith Janner and I had been friends since we were kids. He was the closest thing I had to a brother.

He looked at me thoughtfully. “What’s to be done about it?”

“Women, and lots of them.”

A slow smile formed on his lips. “How much trouble do you think we can cause in the two days we’re there?”

“I’d put my money on a lot.” I motioned for Sarah, my regular flight attendant, to bring me a scotch.

“Is this going to solve anything for you? Or delay the inevitable?”

“Too soon to tell.” I leaned back in my seat.
Grace. What the fuck had she done to me?

“Why on earth are you fighting this so much? From everything you’ve told me, she sounds pretty damn perfect.”

“I don’t do perfect, and I don't do relationships. I’m not comfortable with them. They’re too familiar.”

He laughed. “You and your rules.”

“I like things the way they are. I have no room in my life for change.” I shook my head. “Everything has a place. Sex is just recreation for me, I don't need to be held accountable to anyone to get it.” I downed the scotch in front of me and signaled for another.

“Pace yourself, it’s a long flight from here to California.” Smith nodded toward the drink Sarah had put in front of me. “The last thing I need is you being too drunk to get off the plane.”

“Okay, that was one time, and it was ten years ago.” I shook my head.

“I’ll never forget it, nor will I let you.” He laughed.

“You’re such an ass.”

“I’ll own that.” He lifted his drink in a salute. “Who are we meeting when we get there?”

“The usual suspects. Shaileen was more than happy to take my call today. She promised to show us a good time while we’re in town.” I smirked. Shaileen was a woman who both Smith and I had dated at one time or another. It was never serious in any of the relationships and somehow we remained friends. We sort of looked at her as one of the guys now. A sexy as hell bro. She could drink us both under the table, and usually travelled with a pack of women just as good looking.

“Sounds like we’re in for a fun couple of days then.”

The flight was overnight, and we awoke just as we touched down in Los Angeles.

“Mr. McFadden, Mr. Janner, enjoy your trip.” Sarah smiled as we stepped out into the morning light.

I needed to stop thinking about her. It was only one night, nothing was
that
good. I had meetings in the city all day, but Shai had promised to be by our hotel by seven to take us out on the town. I needed the diversion.

Grace.
She was all I could think about these days. I wondered what she was doing, or if she was thinking of me.

“I still say you should just call her.” Smith’s voice brought me out of my stupor.

“Call whom?” I shot back.

“The girl. The one you're running from.”

“I’m not running. Even if I wanted to call her, I don’t have her number.”

“Bullshit. You have a dossier on every girl you’ve fucked.”

He was right, of course. I knew that Grace’s last name was DeLeo, and that she owned her own PR firm. I knew how much she had in all of her bank accounts as well. I could call her, but I wouldn’t.

“I’m not going to call her.”

“You are such a chickenshit.” He shook his head.

“I’m not. I just prefer things the way they are. Women expect too much, and most only want me for my last name and what it can bring them.” I’d only had one serious relationship in the past, and she had proven to be very disappointing. I hadn’t made the same mistake again.

“I’m letting it drop for now, but it’s not over.”

Smith was a good friend, but he didn't get it. No one ever did. I still had my mom pestering me all the time about finding a nice girl to settle down with and give her grandbabies. No chance in hell. Not to mention my sister Leah was always trying to set me up with her friends. They didn’t understand me. I didn’t need the messiness of a relationship, I just needed the sex part.

“Are you going to be at the hotel while I work? Or should we drop you somewhere else?” I asked, changing the subject.

“The hotel is fine,” he answered as he scrolled through his phone.

After dropping him off at The W, the driver took me to where I was meeting my clients. I was supposed to be buying out a failing record company, but truth be told, I didn’t care why I was here. I only cared that it was new and that I was going to get laid later in the evening.

Spreadsheets were set in front of me in the glossy conference room.

“As you can see Mr. McFadden, with your company’s backing we can achieve a profit within the first year of the merger,” a nervous looking brunette said, fidgeting with her glasses as she spoke.

“I see your projections.” I tapped a finger to my lip. “Why my company though? Make me see why we are a good fit.” I needed to hear passion from her, to know that she was hungry for it.

The woman, Casey Woodright, spent the next hour telling me all about the company and how she started it from nothing. She explained that they just needed some backing to make the leap into signing bigger named clients. If I was looking for hungry, she was ravenous.

“We’ll meet at noon tomorrow to speak again,” I instructed as I stood to leave. “I expect you to show me what you’re working on.”

“Does this mean you're going to sign the contract?” she asked me anxiously.

“That remains to be seen, I’ll make my final decision tomorrow.” My mind was already made up, McFadden Industries would become a partner with them. I just wanted her to work a little bit more for it. Nothing worthwhile should be easy to attain.

SMITH WAS RECLINING ON MY
bed watching TV when I walked into the suite.

“Was there something wrong with your room?” I threw my jacket on the closest chair.

“No, your TV is bigger.” He grinned.

“Whatever. Did you speak to Shai?”

“She’ll be around in twenty or so. Did she tell you her news?” He arched a brow.

“No. What news?” I narrowed my eyes.

“I suppose I’ll leave it to her to tell you.” His smirk was annoying.

I huffed out a breath and grabbed my phone out of my coat pocket.

“Shai, it’s Logan.”

“Logan, darling, what can I do for you that can’t wait twenty minutes?” I could hear the smile in her voice.

“Smith alluded to some sort of news you have to share. He says he won’t share, so rather than spend the next twenty with his smug face, I’m calling you.”

“I’m pregnant and engaged.”

“Fuck me.” I blew out a breath.

She laughed. “I’ll take that as a ‘congratulations’ and hang up now so I can concentrate on driving. See you soon.” She hung up and I dropped my phone on the chair next to me.

“Pregnant.”

“And engaged, don’t forget engaged.” Smith grinned at me.

As long as I had known Shaileen, she was wild. She was the one girl who could party just as hard as me. The one who never wanted commitment or a ring from anyone.

“What are your thoughts?” I sat down on the edge of the bed.

“She seems really happy, so I’m happy for her. Not much that we can do about it anyway.”

“Why the hell did she not tell me sooner?”

“She probably thought you’d be pissed.”

“I’m not pissed. I want her to be happy, of course. I’m just surprised.”

“I was, too. Promise you’ll be nice when she gets here.” He eyed me.

“I’m always nice.”

“Right.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m going to go and change for dinner; I suggest you do the same.” He went through the adjoining door to his suite.

Pregnant. Shai was pregnant. What was the world coming to? I changed into more casual clothes since it appeared that hitting the town was not on the table. So much for the distraction I needed.

Fifteen minutes later, Shaileen breezed into my room. “Okay, tell me what you really think?” She flopped down onto my bed. She was gorgeous, of course, and her long strawberry hair was piled on her head in a messy bun. Her blue eyes held the question she had just asked.

“I don’t know, Shai, I’m in shock.”

“I told you a while ago I was dating someone,” she countered.

“Yeah, but dating doesn’t always add up to a baby and a marriage, especially in our cases.”

“I guess I just reached a place in my life where I wanted more. I’m not a kid anymore, and I don't want to be sleeping with random men for the rest of my life. Don’t you ever want more?”

Grace. She was more.
“I don’t know. Sometimes I do.” I went to the bar and poured myself a scotch.

“Smith told me you met someone,” she said hesitantly.

“He has a big mouth.” I glared in her direction. “She’s nothing, just a girl I met in Chicago, not serious. It was a night, nothing more.” I pounded the drink and grimaced as fire descended my throat

“I can tell by your tone it wasn't nothing,” Shai said softly.

“I don't want to talk about it.”

“Maybe you need to,” she challenged.

“Did Smith put you up to this?”

“No, he didn’t. I’ve known you for a long time, Logan, and I want to know that you're going to be happy and taken care of.”

“You make it sound like you’re dying. I don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy. I’m happy the way I am, with no attachments.”

“No, you aren’t. The sooner you realize that, the better off you will be. I thought I was happy, too. It was all meaningless before I met Alex. The partying, the sex with strangers, it’s not going to make you happy, but she will.”

“How do you know that? You never met her.” I crossed my arms defensively.

“I can see it all over your face. She got under your skin.” She gave me a look that told me she knew I was full of shit.

I sighed. “She did get to me. I can't stop thinking about her. The way her hair smelled, and the curve of her spine as she was lying next to me in bed. She’s in my head.”

“Why aren’t you doing something about it then?” Shai demanded.

“It’s been too long. I let her walk out and didn’t try and stop her. She doesn’t know who I am really, only my first name. It was only a night, but it was more at the same time.”