Ulterior Designs (House of Evans Book 1) (29 page)

“That chair is a limited edition, you idiot!” she screeched at Tyson as she tried to free their tangled limbs.

Logan’s loud laugh suddenly filled the room. With ease, he lifted Chloe off the floor and placed her on her feet, then helped Tyson up. He continued to laugh while Chloe righted the chair and checked it over for any blemishes.

“What in the name of Mother Mary and Joseph is going on in here?” she heard her mother’s voice from the other side of the room.

“Your son can’t keep his hands to himself!”

“
Ay dios mio
, Ty!” she darted toward him, gripped him by the upper arm and dragged him outside.

“So, is this what it’s like having siblings?” Logan asked with another laugh.

Chloe straightened her shirt and pushed the hair from her eyes before meeting his gaze. “This isn’t even the tip of the iceberg. God, Logan, I’m so sorry. If he’s done any damage to the chair, you can take it out of my salary.”

“The chair was meant to take a beating, Chloe. I think it’ll be okay.”

“Looks like I missed all the fun,” her dad’s deep voice echoed off the high ceiling when he stepped back into the house.

“Tyson,” Chloe huffed with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t know how you two live with that animal.”

*

Logan’s afternoon wasn’t going as planned, but it was still turning out to be entertaining. He’d been thinking of Chloe all day and had finally given in to his craving. The bear claws were a lame replacement for the charismatic interior decorator, but a man had to do what he had to do. It was as if fate had intervened on his behalf once again when he had found Chloe and her family in the shop. He figured since he had put a kibosh on her coming to his place, she would have made other plans. He should’ve known better.

But her aloofness was starting to irk him. The entire tour of his home was spent with her arms crossed over her chest and avoiding eye contact with him. And as usual, she’d read right through his lie. He hadn’t made that statement about their visit being a bad idea because of the furniture. Though now, after seeing how Tyson had interpreted the
Adela
chair’s use, it
was
a bad idea. Funny as hell, sure, but still
very, very bad
.

Fortunately, her parents seemed to pay no mind to the other pieces.

“Walk with me, Logan.”

Dalton’s request caught Logan off guard and he momentarily wavered. Remembering how he had faltered the night before and the look on Chloe’s dad’s face when he did, Logan pushed his chest out and moved in step next to the man.

He followed along next to him until they came to his back yard. Staring out at the back of the house, Dalton held a hand over his brow to block the golden beams of sunlight reflecting off the panes of stained glass.

“Chloe was right: your place is beautiful.”

“Thank you. I worked really hard for this place,” Logan responded.

“Hard work is admirable. It’s a trait I’ve tried to instill in all my children. I hope they’ve taken it to heart.”

“Chloe has. The work she’s done here so far has gone far beyond my expectations.”

Dalton nodded and smiled the smile that only a proud father can.

“You’ve really got something special here, Logan. If you play your cards right, you’ve also got a good chance of having something special with Chloe.”

All of Logan’s courage vanished in an instant. When he turned to face Dalton, he found the man studying him with eyes as sharp as his own.

“You have the wrong idea, Mr. Stephens. Chloe is my interior decorator—that’s all.”

“Does she know that?”

Dalton’s brown-eyed gaze glowed with disbelief and Logan knew in an instant that he’d been had. And, that Chloe had gotten her ability to read people from her father.

Logan didn’t have a chance for his rebuttal when he heard Chloe’s voice over his shoulder.

“We should go, Dad. I promised Ty I’d take him to a few places, and we still need to finish that chandelier.”

By the look of upset on Chloe’s face, Logan knew he’d definitely been had. In more ways than one.

After what Chloe had just overheard, she wanted to be as far away from the House of Evans as possible. Her father had just called out Logan and he had balked. Again. While part of her was angry and hurt about Logan’s inability to admit their connection, the other part of her felt bad for him. Her father was an intimidating man, after all.

With her family rounded up, she stepped out the front door when Logan appeared with his keys in his hands.

“We’ll walk from here, Logan. It’s a beautiful day and I just …,” she couldn’t bring herself to face him fully. “I could use the air.”

Chloe’s dad and mom slid up next to them.

“Since this is most likely the last time we’ll meet, I’d like to thank you for opening your home up to us and allowing Chloe this opportunity. Best of luck with your future projects, Mr. Evans,” her dad said courteously and extended a hand to Logan.

Stiffly, Logan took it, with a mixture of compassion and sadness glittering in the depths of his eyes.

“
Mucho amor y agradecimiento,
Logan,” her mom said as she squeezed his forearm.

“Text me!” Tyson yelled from across the driveway.

Chloe had nothing more to say, so with her family in tow, they walked up the long gravel driveway toward town. Chloe’s mom pulled her close and leaned her head on her shoulder.

“Your dad told me what Logan said. I’m sorry,
mi hija
. Maybe things will turn around for you two. He’d be a lucky man to have someone as smart and beautiful as you.”

“Damned lucky,” her dad added.

They had made halfway up the drive when she heard Logan’s voice in the distant calling her name. When she turned, she saw him jogging up the path, but she stood motionless.

“Go to him, Chloe,” her mom nudged her forward.

Breaking into a light run, Chloe met him halfway.

Gripping her by the shoulders, his brows pinched together as his eyes roamed over her face. When he seemed to be a loss for words, Chloe tried to back away, but his hands tightened around her and pulled her back.

“Try to be done early tomorrow. I want to take you somewhere.”

When she nodded and turned to leave, his voice gave her pause.

“Your dad is a real piece of work,
Minou
. So are your mom and Tyson.”

Chloe merely shrugged at the look of irritated amusement on his face. They were.

L
ogan sat in stunned silence as he tried to process what had just been offered to him. When he awoke that morning, the last thing he’d expected was to be promoted to Architect Designer/III. He’d already been responsible for significant aspects of other projects, so the title was really just that—a title. However, that designation meant that he was one step closer to becoming a Senior Architect, and with that, more money and higher-profile projects.

All of that aside, the opportunity that had also been placed before him was unheard of, especially from a firm as prominent as Baker & Macy. As he sat contemplating the offer they’d made him, he could think of only one person he wanted to share it with first—his
Minou
.

His planned field trip for the evening would be the perfect place to share the news. As he walked the halls of his office, he felt a sense of pride in knowing that the ball was in his court. But he reminded himself to keep his ego in check, because he knew that it could all be snatched away as quickly as it had appeared. He’d seen it before—men with huge egos about their positions only becoming victims of their own arrogance. He wouldn’t be
that guy.

He smiled when he recalled
the guy
that Chloe thought he was. What was it? Oh, yeah—kind heart with a filthy mind. She definitely had the second part right. As for the first part, after the previous day’s mess, he wasn’t sure Chloe would still classify him as kind. He would just have to prove to her that even though he could be a major asshole at times, it wasn’t done maliciously.

With his nose buried deep in blueprints, Everett popped into Logan’s office.

“Got a date for the nomination dinner?”

Logan looked up and frowned. No, he didn’t. “I have someone in mind to ask.”

“What the hell are you waiting for? It’s this weekend. Is it anyone I know?”

“You met her once.”

Everett closed the door and seated himself in the chair across from Logan’s desk.

“Does she work here?”

“
Worked
here,” Logan smiled.

“Shit. Who? I can’t think of anyone who’s left.”

“She wasn’t here long. She worked in archives.”

“The brunette?”

Logan clicked on his mouse as he continued to work through the conversation. “That’d be her. I’m surprised you remember,”

“She’s a hard one to forget. Nice hair. Pretty smile. Tight body. Big …”

“Watch it,” Logan warned.

“
Eyes
. Big
eyes.
Gorgeous
eyes.
Perky freakin’ eyeballs, man. Like the perkiest.”

Logan narrowed his gaze at Everett. He may have been joking, but he was still talking about his
Minou
, and
no one
talked about his
Minou
.

****

Boom box and music—check. Wine—check. Fruit—check. Chocolate sauce and whipped cream—double check. Condoms—damned straight. Blindfold and bindings—hell yes.

With all foodstuffs packed in a cooler and all other unmentionables loaded into the trunk of Logan’s car, he texted Chloe. He had hoped she would be waiting for him at home when he arrived, but it was better that she hadn’t been in order to keep the element of surprise intact. He was a combination of nervous and excited to see her. Nervous for the obvious reason—his jackassery the previous day—and excited to disclose the news of his offer.

Logan:
I’ll pick you up in an hour.

Chloe:
I’d rather forego this evening. I’m not feeling it.

Logan’s heart sank. He had really fucked up. He sat with the phone in his hand for several minutes trying to figure out how to make things better. A phone call would probably suffice, but a face to face apology always went over better. Just as he turned on the ignition to drive the distance to her place, his phone rang.

“Sorry, Logan. I should’ve texted your earlier, but I just forgot. I was so busy with your place. Did you see the work I’ve done?”

He hadn’t. He was so busy preparing for his field trip, he’d overlooked everything else.

“I didn’t see it. Sorry,
Minou
.”

“Oh, well, it probably didn’t look like much. It was in your laundry room.”

“I’m sure it looks fantastic. I honestly didn’t even go in there. I’ll make sure to inspect your hard work when I get back home.”

“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you tomorrow,” she whispered.

“Wait. I really want to see you tonight. I’ve already …”

His statement went unfinished.

“I can’t. I’m really not up to it. I miss my parents already and it was an emotional goodbye. I’m sure you understand.”

No, he didn’t. Sure, he missed his mom from time to time, but their departures were never the emotional kind.

When Chloe hung up, a frown settled on his face and he sank into the leather seat of his car. He needed to see Chloe. And not just for the obvious reason—to get laid, but to share his good news. And to make amends.

*

Chloe was sulking, and sulking hard. To say her parent’s leaving had been difficult was an understatement. It probably had a lot to do with what Logan had said to Tyson and her father, but that didn’t make it any less painful. And now, to hear the disappointment in Logan’s voice only made her feel worse. She
really
wanted to see him tonight, too.

Laying on her back in yoga pants and a thrice-worn sweatshirt while staring up at the ceiling and listening to emo music was a sad substitute for whatever Logan had planned, but at least she could pout in solitude. When she rolled onto her belly to hide her face in the pillow, her mom’s parting words brought a smile to her face—
you can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
; followed by her father’s input—
and sometimes a jackass needs a kick in the butt to get motivated
.

She had dozed off for nearly an hour when a knock at the door woke her. She knew immediately that it was the pain in the ass architect who had her on an emotional see-saw. No one ever visited but him. She lay motionless hoping he would go away, but another knock, followed by a more forceful one urged her out of bed.

When she opened the door, Logan looked and smelled the part of a well-bred male model sporting pricey cologne, dark denim, asymmetrical jacket over a white tee, and perfectly coiffed hair. She looked down at herself and laughed at the disparity in their appearances. She definitely wasn't going anywhere looking the way she was.

Before she could shoo him away, Logan touched her chin to draw her head back. “I know I can be a real jerk sometimes. I don’t mean to be. I wouldn’t even know how to stop being one. Maybe you can help me with that.”

Each sweep of his thumb along her jaw line stoked the fire building in the pit of her stomach. The sincerity blazing in his eyes and the hungry kiss that followed his statement left her a smoldering pile of aroused goo in his arms.

“Let me change,” she whispered against his lips.

“Why? You look fine,” he tugged her close again when she tried to slip out of his grip.

She shook her head in protest and pushed against his chest. When she disappeared into her bedroom, she heard the door close. Quickly, she dressed in a vintage blue gingham Norma Jean dress and red wedges to match the waistband. With her hair pulled back into a side-braid and her teeth brushed, she found Logan inspecting an item from a shelf in her living room.

A double-take brought his focus onto her.

“Wow. That was quick,” he stated as his gaze roamed over her. “I love a low-maintenance gal, but damn if you don’t look like a million bucks.”

Encouraged by the lust in Logan’s eyes and his words, Chloe did a turn to flare out her dress. In a flash, his arms were around her waist and his lips on her neck.

“You really do have the perkiest freakin’ eyeballs,” he breathed against her skin as he reached a hand up to cup one of her breasts.

Confused, Chloe pulled back to give him a questioning look.

“Never mind,” he said with a laugh. “We need to get out of here before we end up on that chair again,” he sighed as he took hold of her hand and tugged her toward the door.

It didn’t sound like a bad idea to Chloe, but the look of determination on Logan’s face had her intrigued.

The drive through downtown and east of Russian Hill was spent listening to Logan talk about his newest project. His enthusiasm was infectious and when there was a break in the conversation, she began talking about what was next on her to-do-list at his place. Back and forth, they spoke of things to come, things they had already done, and things they hoped to do in the future. In those few minutes that it took to get to their final destination, Chloe forgot about Logan’s inability to acknowledge their relationship. Well, not so much forgot, as pushed it aside to enjoy the time they were spending together.

When they arrived at a darkened, wood-framed, Victorian style building, the tiny spark of intrigue she’d felt before grew to mammoth proportions.

“The School of Arts,” Logan called out as they climbed out of his vehicle.

While he retrieved several items from his trunk, including a vintage boom box, Chloe gazed at the overgrown yard and neglected landscape barely visible under the bright three-quarter moon. The air swelled with the sounds of night and the crunch of gravel underneath Logan’s suede Oxfords as he approached her overrode the cadence of the tree frogs. The scent of decaying leaves intermingled with roses wafted in the air as her eyes darted all around to get a better view of her unsettling surroundings.

Logan’s hands were full, but he nudged her forward with his elbow. Climbing the stairs to the front entrance, the brisk night air ruffled the hairs on her arms, giving her an eerie sensation. By outward appearances, the structure looked as if it would be haunted.

With the door swung open and the lights flipped on, the sense of doom Chloe had just felt vanished as she reveled in the unexpected beauty of the interior. A large foyer that led to a great room with massive moldings with a skillful blend of stones and rare woods was the first thing to catch her eye. While Logan laid out a blanket in front of one of the large bay windows and set up shop, Chloe walked around the adjoining rooms. The slightly run down conservatory could only be described as a mixture of curious, extravagant and tacky.

When she glanced back at Logan, a sense of exhilaration coursed through her. This beautiful man was going to renovate this place and make it into something truly spectacular—something people would talk about and appreciate long after they were both gone. He was going to make it into a work of art. Like the House of Evans.

Done with laying out what looked to be a small buffet, he motioned for Chloe.

“Come.”

Oh, she would
come
alright. Gliding along the scuffed wood floors, she kneeled down next to him to thrust her fingers into his hair as she nipped at his lower lip.

He smiled against her mouth, but backed away to reach behind him and retrieve a cassette tape from his coat pocket.

“I found this in a box of stuff in my garage. My mom used to record me playing piano. It’ll keep you happy and I don’t have to actually play that damned thing,” he laughed.

Loading the cassette into the tape deck, he found an available outlet and fired up the music. With classical tunes pumping through the speakers, he reached for her hand and pulled her upright. Guiding her to the ornately railed staircase, he walked her halfway up.

“Can you see it?” he asked as his head craned left, then right. “The possibilities?”

Chloe took his lead and scanned the massive rooms to the left and right of them.

“I see it, Logan. But can you
hear
it?”

Logan’s eyes darted toward her with a quizzical lift of his brows.

“Its voice. Every home has one,” she stated as she stared out beyond the great room.

“What does this one say to you?”

“It’s waited a long time for you. It wants a second chance at life and to shine again, and you’re the man to make that happen.”

Logan lowered himself down two steps to stare up at her. “What secrets has my home told you?”

Chloe pried her eyes away from the home to gaze into his eyes. “If I told you, I’d be breaking decorator-client privilege.”

When his lips parted, Chloe pressed a finger to his mouth to quiet him. “It says it’s grateful that you saved it and that it can’t wait for its full
potential
to be realized.”

He lips splayed into a grin so wide, tremors of yearning caught in her throat. As if Logan sensed her need, he swept her off her feet and carried her to the area he had prepared for them, and unclothed her.

With her dress and shoes lying in a heap next to them, Logan’s crooked smile hit Chloe full force in the chest.