Page 25 of Logan

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 threwherself 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.

“It gets dark so early this time of year,” she commented.

“Uh-huh,” he agreed, not looking up from the laptop perched on his lap.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve spent any time here…not since college. The last years in California have me spoiled to more daylight and warmer autumns.”

“Uh-huh,” he muttered again.

Stifling a laugh, she said, “Do you want me to run around the house clucking like a chicken or crowing like a rooster?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Logan!”

“What?” he asked, his brows drawn down as he looked at her over the top of the computer. “What’s wrong?”

“You haven’t been listening to a word I’ve said!” She pulled her feet off the coffee table and plopped them on the floor, leaning forward. “I know you’re busy, but you still haven’t told me what I’m supposed to talk about with Farrah.”

Turning toward her, he set his laptop down and offered a slight grin. “I’m working on our backstory. I only created one for myself before I came, and frankly, the whole thing about supposing to be married has completely thrown me.”

She forced a blank expression on her face, refusing to admit his words stung.Is it that hard to imagine me in a romantic light?“What have you come up with?”

“Okay, you’ve given your name as Vivian, which is fine. I can still be Logan, but our last name is Preacher.”

“Preacher?”

“Old name from my SEAL days…never mind. Just go with it.”

“Vivian Preacher. Vivian and Logan Preacher.” She tried the names out, and a smile spread across her face. “I like it.”

“I’m thrilled,” he muttered. “My cover job is working as a mechanic at the airport. Before I came, it was arranged for meto have a part-time job at a little airfield a few miles from here. Usually, I’ll leave each morning but return in midafternoon.”

Bobbing her head in agreement, she listened more eagerly. “And me? What’s my cover?”

“You’re working on a college degree but taking online classes for now until you start at the University of Alaska next semester. That gives you a reason for being at home during the day. And they can’t check to see if you are a student since you won’t be enrolled until later.”

“My major?”

“I think we’ll stick to the truth. Biology.”

Her eyes widened. “But?—”

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