Ulterior Designs (House of Evans Book 1) (24 page)

As she continued to talk, he glanced at her time and time again and tried to etch into his memory each of her contrasting personality traits—bold yet bashful, calm yet exuberant, centered yet impetuous, and cautious yet willing to take risks. Then, each of her unique mannerisms—the way she sat on the edge of her seat when speaking, the manner in which she would pull her hair up into a bun when discussing something with passion, or demonstratively using her hands to get her point across, and the most charming of them all—the way she would pause mid-sentence to make eye contact and touch him to make sure his full attention was on her before continuing.
It was
. Her questions were ceaseless, her curiosity insatiable, and her willingness to openly show affection was endlessly arousing.

Everything about her reminded him why he loved the company of a woman. He was damned lucky to be allowed to spend time with Chloe, and even if it was only for a short time, he was thankful.

He tried to imagine a different life for himself—one where he still believed in people and their ability to remain loyal and faithful. A life where karma showed him a favor the way it had with his home, and he and Chloe's time together lasted longer than merely a brief moment. A life where the stars aligned just right and this stunning creature smiling back at him could renew his faith in monogamy and love.

It was only a fleeting thought, but it was nice.

T
he home in which Chloe was standing was nothing less than stunning. The gated property on Belvedere Island reminded her of pictures she had seen of the South of France with lush gardens, brick and stone terraces, and a natural stream.

Logan took her hand as he gazed up at the vaulted beam and truss ceiling in the living room.

"This estate was designed by the famous San Francisco architect Henry Huddleston."

"It's so beautiful. Can you imagine waking up to this view every day?" she mused aloud as she stared out of the hand-leaded glass windows to the Sausalito Yacht Harbor.

He guided her to an antique telescope that sat near the window so that she could look out at the Golden Gate Bridge towers visible in the distance.

"Did you know that the original proposed colors for the bridge were carbon gray, aluminum and black?"

"I didn't," she answered as she stared out of the lens at the landscape.

"
The consulting architect who was responsible for the bridge’s Art Deco look, Irving Morrow, refused those colors. He said they were not only unappealing, but would reduce the scale of the bridge. It was the red primer that the steel beams had been treated with that inspired him, and so he finally agreed on International Orange, saying it enhanced the bridge’s native surroundings. He was right, wouldn't you agree?"

The excitement that echoed in Logan’s voice made her smile as she turned to face him. “Definitely.”

"The unusual color also makes it highly visible in the fog," he added.

"Interesting."

"I'm boring you, aren't I?" he chuckled.

"Not at all. I love it when you speak passionately about architecture. It's a turn on."

His eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah?"

"Definitely," she repeated as she pressed her body against his to tip-toe up and kiss him.

"So, how much does a place like this cost?"

"Around eight," he answered, pushing the hair away from her eyes with one hand and pulling her close with the other.

She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Eight-hundred thousand seems like a steal for this place."

Logan stared back at her with wide eyes before a burst of laughter barreled through him. "That would be the steal of the century. Eight-million,
Minou
. Eight
million
," he reiterated as he continued to laugh at her expense.

"Damn," she whispered as her eyes darted around the room. "I'd have to save my pennies for a hundred years just for the down payment."

"Most people would, I think," he agreed as his amusement died down. "My firm works closely with one of the leading luxury real estate agencies in the nation, and they task us with quite a few restorations. I was damned lucky to be involved with bringing this beauty back to its former glory."

She smiled up at him. "Luck had nothing to do with it. Your talent and creativity got you this gig."

His eyes roamed over her face before he returned her smile.

She freed herself from his grip to walk around the room, taking note of all the expensive fixtures and furniture. "Who stages these homes?"

"The real estate company employs a handful of interior decorators for that."

"What I wouldn't give to have
that
job."

"Then do it."

"Even having worked for you, I don't have enough experience," she sighed.

"You have to start somewhere, Chloe."

She shrugged her shoulders and when she did, the buttons of her uncomfortable shirt tightened around her bust, making her tug at it irritably. "When we leave, can we stop off at my house so I can change? I've been in this costume all day."

His voice oozed disbelief. "Why on Earth would you wear it all day?"

"I had a shift at the coffee shop."

"Wait,
what?
"

His horrified whisper made her peek over her shoulder. "You heard me."

"No, I don't think I did, because I
know
a smart, talented woman like yourself wouldn't still be working at a coffee shop for minimum wage when she has a job and degree in interior design."

Chloe's movement froze when she became the victim of Logan's disciplinarian tone and icy glare.

"Am I not paying you enough?"

His clipped question made her flinch."You're paying me more than you should."

Disbelief clung to his features as he continued to stare at her with an appalled look "Then why the hell are you working two jobs?"

"It's backup," she whispered.

Sarcastic laughter rumbled out of him. "Your
backup
should be your next design project. Have you even started trying to secure another job?"

The heat of embarrassment rose to her cheeks at being called out. "No," she mumbled.

"At the rate you're working on my place, why haven't you?"

Again, she shrugged her shoulders.

He sighed and shook his head, but his irritation waned. "I understand about being afraid of rejection or facing the unknown, but sometimes you just have to take the leap."

Chloe's mouth hung open in astonishment. Coming from a man who could barely acknowledge that he had relationship issues, he had a whole helluva lot of nerve talking about
taking the leap.

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pointed stare. "That's good advice. Do you ever take your own, or are you more of a
do as I say, not as I do
kind of guy?"

Logan's mouth popped open in surprise just before his eyes narrowed at her. "We're talking about you procrastinating, Chloe. Stay on topic."

"That's what I'm talking about, too," she lied. "What did you think I was talking about?" His lips parted in rebuttal, but she promptly cut him off. "Fine. You're right. I'll quit the coffee shop and look for another interior decorator job." Her arms fell to her side and she pushed her chin out in defiance. "But not because you told me to."

Two long strides brought Logan to her and the unmistakable gleam in his eyes sent a chill down her spine.

"Don't look at me like that," she said as she tried to back away from him, but his hands captured her waist and pulled her back.

"Like what?"

"Like you want to paddle my bottom."

A smile formed on his lips. "You think you have me figured out, don't you?"

"Figuring you out would be like trying to figure out the reason for mankind's existence in the universe," she huffed.

"The same could be said about you," he countered as he tugged her closer yet. "Anyway, I thought you liked being paddled?" he asked just before his lips swooped down over hers.

"I did …" she gasped for air as his kiss consumed her. "I mean … I do."

His kiss ended as abruptly as it began, and he let her loose. Not giving into his cruel, teasing ways, she casually looked over his shoulder to a small hallway.

"You didn't tell me this place has an elevator." She pushed past him. "I'm totally riding that elevator."

*

The only thing Logan wanted Chloe to ride was his tongue. She tried to make her escape, but he was quick on her heels, spinning her around and pressing her roughly against the wall of the small elevator. Her hands were in his hair, her panting breaths and moans filling the small space.

She had just started to nibble at his bottom lip when they arrived on the second level of the home, which encompassed the master suite. Casually backing out of the elevator with his eyes riveted on Chloe, he gave her a smile that said he planned on doing wicked things to her. Like a horse being led to water, Chloe followed him into the darkened room. When she reached for the light switch, he placed his hand over hers.

“Leave them off.”

With his fingers wrapped around her wrist, he led her to a deck that overlooked the bay. A storm was beginning to gather on the horizon as the last bit of sunset faded to a deep navy blue. The smell of salty sea air filled his nostrils and when Chloe slid next to him on the balcony, her sweet scent mingled with the breeze sent adrenaline rushing through his system. Spellbound, he made a conscious effort to etch every bit of the ambiance and surroundings into his mind.

The cool wind lashed against Logan, but it did nothing to lessen the heat of arousal that was overtaking him. Like the moon tugging at the tides, Chloe’s pull was inexorable. In an instant response to her allure, he pressed her body against the glass encasement, knelt before her and slid his hands up her thighs to her hips. Night pressed hard against the last rays of daylight, but not as hard as he intended on making her come.

“It’s time to finish what we started,” he breathed against her lace-covered mound.

Panties pushed aside. Fingers in his hair. Shimmering eyes watching him from above. Waves crashing against the sand in the not-so-far distance. The taste of aroused femininity on his tongue. A giggle. A moan. His name murmured on the breeze.

Logan fingered and tongued Chloe until her body quivered and her back arched against the glass railing. He wanted her so damned much, but this was neither the time nor the place to take her. With her lingerie realigned and her hair pushed away from her eyes, he led her back to his car.

The half-hour drive to her apartment was spent the same way it had been during their journey to the Huddleston Home—light conversation interspersed with longing glances.

As tempting as it was to
take the leap
with her, the feeling of distrust was ever present. More than that, it was beginning to gnaw at him and threatened to erupt and break their fragile bond. This is how things always started out for him, and the progression always followed the same pattern—more or less. Sweet and sexy followed by hot and heavy leading to impulsive decisions and a broken heart. It wasn’t even his relationship with Jess that had followed this predictable fucked-up pattern. Sure, she had hurt him the worst, but there had been numerous women before her, and every time, it was the same bullshit scenario.

Forcing his eyes forward, he tried to pull himself back to reality, but Chloe’s aroma was making it impossible. The taste of her still on his tongue proved even more difficult to ignore. When they pulled up to the front of her building, he remained in the car as she began to get out.

“I’ll drop you here. I need to go over the School of Arts original blueprints and get things sorted.”

The disappointment on Chloe’s face was clearly readable, even in the dark. “I understand,” she whispered as she gathered her bag from the backseat. “I’ll catch the ferry to your place tomorrow.”

Logan’s belly twisted into knots. He hated the thought of her utilizing public transportation, even if she didn’t seem to mind.

With the door closed behind her, Chloe walked around his vehicle to lean down into his open driver’s side window.

“Thank you for tonight—all of it,” she said with a flirty smile. “I’ll call you with the progress I’m making over the next few days and for any major decisions about design plans.”

She left him with a peck on the lips before she disappeared into her building. Her words were still lingering in his head when he saw her light flicker on above him.

In less than twenty-four hours her parent’s would be in town, meaning he wouldn’t see her again until Sunday, possibly even Monday. Three days was too damned long. Too long for what, he had no idea. For her hands on him? For her taste and aroma tantalizing his senses? For his name whispered on her lips? Yes,
all of it
. But to be inundated with the inescapable feeling of falling into this thing he didn’t want any part of—that was unacceptable. But, like everything in his life, in order to avoid that
thing,
this
feeling,
it all boiled down to the decisions he made.

Sick and tired of his indecision and romantic delusions, he threw his car into park.

Fuck the what ifs and damn the idealistic fantasies.

He was in control, not his emotions. Tonight Chloe would learn that. Tonight, he would show her that this thing between them was based on pure physical attraction, and nothing more.

*

Chloe had just undressed to take a shower when she heard a knock at the door. There was no need to try and guess who it was. After putting on a robe, she peeked through the peephole only to confirm her assumption. Loosening the straps of her robe, she swung the door open. One glance at her barely-covered body and Logan’s eyes lit up like a blue-hot flame.

“I thought you had work to do?” she asked as she stepped aside to allow him in.

As if unable to pry his eyes away from her, he licked his lips with purpose. “I changed my mind. I’m allowed to do that.”

Seemingly on a mission, he stepped into her home, pushed the door closed behind him and tugged the satin fabric back over her shoulders with a roughness she was unaccustomed to. Her bare breasts tingled as a draft of air moved across them when he stepped closer to her.