Page 17 of Logan

At first, she felt heart-stopping fear at being accosted in the bedroom by a man holding a weapon while she was changing clothes. She’d never been around guns, much less had one pointed at her.

When she discovered he wasn’t a threat and her breathing had returned to normal, she noticed just how imposing he was. Well over six feet tall, he dwarfed her as he had peered down. He had broad shoulders and a chest that tapered to a trim waist. He was handsome in a rough-around-the-edges way, with a chiseled jaw covered in stubble. His penetrating eyes held a hard glint that paired with his deep, gravelly voice.

His jeans fit perfectly over his ass. She’d have to be dead not to notice that particular asset, and she was definitely not dead. Yet. The way he glowered and growled, she wasn’t sure how long that would last. Despite the ruggedness of his appearance, therewas an undeniable magnetism about his raw masculinity that both captivated and unnerved her.

By now, her beer was drained and so were her emotions. She’d successfully shredded the label in a fit of nervousness but no longer had anything to do while he continued to ponder their situation silently. Taking the opportunity, she observed her partner in more detail. His square-jawed face, with its day-old scruff and short, dark hair, gave him a dangerous,don’t-fuck-with-meappearance. But it was his eyes that pulled her in. Greenish-gray. Or greenish-blue. Or bluish-gray. They seemed to change as quicksilver with his mood. Blinking, she stared…mesmerized.He’d be perfect for the cover of a romance novel.She pressed her lips together to keep from letting a nervous giggle slip out at the thought.

He shifted on the sofa, leaning forward to place his empty bottle on the coffee table.

Uncomfortable with the silence, she said, “I can see this doesn’t make you happy, but that’s what I was told. I don’t see any other way for us to make this work.” Vivian sighed as she also leaned forward, her gaze landing squarely on Logan.

He nodded and confessed, “I was basically given the same information, although I was just given the name of Sanders and had no idea we were sharing a house. I made the assumption you were male, and that was a stupid, sexist error on my part.” Blowing out a breath, he added, “And I wasn’t given any need for a cover. Certainly not pretending to be married.”

Standing, she collected the bottles and headed into the kitchen, chucking them into the trash. Her mind swirled with the new information. He wasn’t prepared for this, and she had no idea what he was going to do. There was no wedding ring on his hand, and she wondered if it was the state of matrimony or pretending to be married to her that he found so distasteful.

If he refused the mission the way it was, she would have to report back to work with nothing, and she hated not knowing what the neighbors were possibly cooking up in their house. Hearing a noise behind her, she startled, whirling around to find him standing right behind her.

“Jesus, you scared me,” she said, her hand to her throat. “You move so quietly for such a large man in boots.”

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I’ve lived and worked on my own for a number of years before having others around me recently. Guess I’ve lost my manners.”

Leaning her hips against the counter, she peered up at his face, holding his gaze. “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

“I admit to being surprised, but I agreed to the mission, so I’ll do what is needed in order to adapt.”

Letting out a huff of air, she opened her mouth, but he got there first.

“But,” he added, “I have no idea about the marriage thing. Never been married. Never figured I would.”

She burst into laughter, thinking that a man who had no problem facing terrorists and could handle a weapon as easily as he probably handled a toothbrush seemed daunted by the idea of the simple pretense. “Logan, you don’t have to know about marriage. After all, we’re just pretending. We’ll just act like a normal couple for a week or so. It’s not like they’ll be peeking to see that we sleep in different rooms. It’s no big deal.”

Logan remained quiet, and she now wondered if she had said something to offend him. Sighing, she stepped closer and placed her hand on his arm. “Come on, let’s get the rest of your stuff inside, and then we can put our heads together.”

Still smiling, she walked to the kitchen door leading outside, and he followed in her wake. “Good God, you’ve got one of thoseold gas-guzzling trucks as well,” she huffed. Shaking her head, she missed the eye roll behind her.

“I’ll get my things. No need for you to assist.”

She sighed and nodded. “Sure. I’ll just go nuke something for linner.”

His expression remained the same, but his question came in the form of a slightly tilted head. She mimicked his head tilt and said, “You know… when you eat a meal between lunch and dinner.Linner.” When he gave no response, she shooed him away with her hands. “Well, that’s what my mom used to say. Just go. I’ll nuke some food.”

Vivian dug into the food that she’d bought. She looked over, glad to see him eating but wondering what he was thinking since he’d said very few words after coming back into the house. “I should apologize for the food. It was just simple for now, but I really can cook.”

“No need,” Logan commented, keeping his eyes on his plate as he shoveled another forkful into his mouth. “I didn’t buy anything like this because I wasn’t sure there would be a microwave. You don’t need to cook for me.”

“Well, I’m certainly not going to cook for just myself.” Popping the last bite into her mouth, she took a hearty gulp of tea before standing to take her plate to the sink. Washing it, she reached her hand out for his dish as he moved toward the sink.

“I’ll get it,” he said, sliding in next to her at the sink.

“How about you wash, and I’ll dry?” she offered, smiling up at him.

Logan nodded, lifting the dour frown on his face. Once finished with the plates, cups, and utensils, he wiped his hands as she finished drying. She stood on her toes to set the cups on the top shelf, and he reached around her, his front at her back as he took them from her to place them there. Their proximity hit her, and her breathing hitched. She tried not to think about theheat emanating from his body. Tamping down those thoughts, she forced her professionalism to take over. “Thanks,” she said, twisting her head around to smile up at him. “See? We’ll get along just fine.”

“Insufferable man!” Vivian grumbled under her breath.

Their pseudo-relationship devolved quickly after they’d eaten with an argument over her phone and their rooms. She had wanted to discuss their plan, but he appeared to be as closed-mouth about it as he was about everything else. Her earlier attempts to draw him out had been met with silence, and now he was invading her space and making demands. He’d asked for her phone, and as soon as she handed it over, he powered it off before shoving it into his pocket.

“As of now, this phone is off-limits for you?—”

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