Page 31 of Logan

Stepping out of his truck, Logan felt the weight of everyone’s gaze upon him, but the beauty running toward him captured his attention entirely, taking his eyes off the terrorists. He anticipated and readied his stance this time when she jumped into his arms. One hand supported her ass, and the other arm banded around her back. He held her close as she pressed her lips to his, catching him off guard yet igniting a fierce longing.

He angled his head for maximum contact. Deep, wet, and long, but no tongue. That last part nearly undid him, but while he wanted to take advantage of the kiss, he didn’t want to take advantage of her. He tried to tell himself he was just determined to play the part of devoted newlyweds, but he knew it was more about the desire to taste Vivian.

She leaned back slightly, eyes wide and glazed. “Wow,” she breathed against his lips.

“Yeah,” he whispered back, her face filling his sight.

Blinking, she said, “I know it’s crazy. Don’t be mad…it just all happened.”

“Viv, with you,” he growled softly in her ear, “I already know nothingjusthappens.”

Settling her feet down to the gravel drive, he peered down at her, assessing. She hid her nervousness, but she smiled up at him brightly. “Hey, sweetie, I’ve met our neighbors and asked them to eat with us. It’s such a lovely afternoon. I thought we could grill out.”

Meeting her smile with one of his own, he inwardly rolled his eyes at her subterfuge but quickly decided to make the most of their intelligence-gathering opportunity.

“Sounds good, babe.” They walked over, and she began the introductions.

Rashad and Malik greeted him with practiced smiles, but he noticed their gazes were not nearly as warm as when they were aimed at Viv. Jealousy, mixed with protectiveness, shot through him, but he tamped it down. Moving to shake hands with Akram, he observed the man’s dark, penetrating gaze as he took his hand in a friendly shake, giving his name.

Looking at the women, he noticed none of the men introduced them, but Vivian stepped forward.

“This is Akram’s wife, Farrah, and one of the university students, Nafisa.”

He greeted Farrah, not allowing his eyes to linger on her, especially with Akram eagle-eyeing him, but noted her nervously glancing toward her husband. Nafisa barely acknowledged him, giving a slight nod before turning away.

Grinning as he walked over to Vivian, he glanced at the table loaded with several Middle Eastern dishes. His arm encircled her waist, and his fingers gripped slightly as he said, “Looks like it’s going to be an interesting dinner, babe.”

19

The food was delicious, and having skipped lunch, Logan ate heartily. Chicken on skewers, falafel, and hummus with naan bread, combined with Vivian’s steaks and corn on the cob. Interested in the participants, he easily slid into the cover of just a mechanic looking for work. As they sat in lawn chairs with the late afternoon sun still shining warmly over the treetops, he sipped his drink, disguising his study of the various players. Casting his gaze back toward Vivian, he gave a nearly imperceptible nod, relieved when she seemed to pick up on his nonverbal command.

“What are you studying?” Vivian asked, smiling at Rashad and Malik.

Rashad’s mouth was full, but Malik answered for both of them. “Science. I’m a grad student in chemistry, and Rashad is working on a master’s in biology.”

Eyes wide, she exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, me too! Well, not my master’s degree… I’m just working on my undergraduate. I have most of my credits but am taking some online classes in education because I’d like to teach biology someday.”

Rashad smiled as he swallowed. “Great?—”

“Really?” Nafisa asked, her eyes narrowed. “You? Biology?”

Maintaining her smile, Vivian nodded. “Well, actually, my major is microbiology.”

Nafisa leaned forward, a sly smile firmly in place, and asked, “And what particular type of microbiology are you interested in?”

“Nafisa!” Rashad growled.

“What?” she argued, shrugging her delicate shoulder. “I’m just seeing what she’s majoring in.” Turning back to Vivian, she provoked, “If you can tell us.”

“I’m particularly interested in microorganisms used for drug delivery. Of course, they can be suitable for high-value medical applications such as tissue engineering. I studied the biotechnological production of biopolymers with tailored properties and a variety ofother biopolymers, such as polysaccharides, polyesters, and polyamides. Obviously, these are produced by microorganisms.” Smiling widely, her eyes twinkling, she focused on Nafisa. “Is that what you were looking for?”

Nafisa scowled and leaned back in her seat, and Logan hid his smile at the way Vivian had proven she knew what she was talking about, helping to solidify their cover. Rashad and Malik burst into laughter.

“What do you plan to do with your degrees?” she asked the two men. “What are your specialties?”

Malik’s smile drooped slightly as his gaze shifted to Akram. “For now, I just want to continue to learn as much as I can. I sometimes think that perhaps I’m best as a student but not so much as an employee.”

She nodded, sympathy in her eyes. “It’s so hard to have an unending love of learning, don’t you think?”

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