Page 14 of An Heir For Her Enemy

“I can handle it.” Delaney gripped the strap of her bag and strode towards the plane, not looking back to see if Logan was following her. She climbed a small flight of stairs, her free hand on the railing, and stepped into the plane. It was surprisingly roomy inside. The seats were large and looked comfortable, more so than the couch in Delaney’s studio, a fact she found annoying. Why should his plane be better than her house? Delaney took a calming breath. As much as she hated to agree with Logan, it was best to be professional.

She chose a forward-facing seat, set her bag in the overhead compartment, and settled in. Logan sat across from her.

“Tell me,” Delaney said. “What is the painting you want me to authenticate?”

“It’s calledThe Cherished Infant,” Logan told her. “Apparently, it could be a lost Botticelli.”

“A Botticelli?” Delaney raised her eyebrows. “That would be something.”

“It would. It should be just the piece I need to give my collection a little prestige.” Logan sat back in his chair, looking pleased.“Finding a lost piece by a famous painter would give me more than a little clout in the art world, don’t you think?”

“Let me get this straight.” Delaney leaned forward. “You want to buy this painting so that you can hide it away and show it only to your rich friends? If it really is a Botticelli, that means something — and not just to you! I can’t imagine the history of this piece or the beauty of it. Theworlddeserves to see it, not only the people who you want to impress.”

“People hide paintings away all the time. Pieces like this would hardly be noteworthy if everyone had them, would they? It’s simple supply and demand.” Logan sounded annoyed, which piqued Delaney’s own annoyance. She’d known he wanted to collect art to build his reputation, but this was going too far. So much for keeping things professional. Within moments of sitting down, they were already fighting.

Delaney shook her head. “I just don’t understand how someone who has so much can constantly strive for more. If you only care about the next billion, or about fitting in with a bunch of people who, quite frankly, are often shallow, you’ll never be happy.”

“Let me get this straight.” Logan folded his hands. “You’re accusingmeof chasing money and hiding art whenyou’redoing the exact same thing. You make your living by enabling people like me to acquire art like this. You should look for a different line of work if you’re going to look down on me for using art the same way you do.”

“Are you calling me a hypocrite?” Delaney’s temper flared. “We arenotthe same.”

“We’re a lot more similar than you want to believe.” Logan shrugged. “You took this job, after all, even though I know youdon’t like me, even though you don’t approve of what I’ll do with the art. You must need the money for something. How is that any different from whatIdo?”

Delaney opened her mouth, then closed it. She was furious, but it clearly wasn’t going to do anyone any good for her to fight with Logan. He was only going to throw whatever she said back in her face.

“Maybe we are the same. But at least I know when to stop.” She reached into her purse, pulled out her phone and earbuds, and cued up her favorite playlist. Then she put the earbuds into her ears and turned up the volume to drown out anything else Logan might say. She fixed her gaze firmly on the tarmac outside the window and tried to pretend that he wasn’t there.

As Delaney listened, the plane began to roll. She watched out the window as they picked up speed and, with a gentle tilt, lifted into the air. Below her, the ground fell away until the streetlights and cars below blurred together. In the distance, she caught sight of the glowing New York skyline. It could have been a postcard. All the noise and dirt disappeared into nothing this far off the ground.

Delaney glanced at Logan to see if he was as impressed by the view as she was, but he was absorbed in something on the screen of his tablet. It figured. He’d probably made this exact ascent a hundred times and no longer found it interesting or special.

Delaney looked back out the window as the darkness of the ocean opened up below them. The land faded into the distance and she grinned — she was officially leaving North America for the first time in her life. She’d imagined coming on a different sort of trip with a less frustrating man, but she’d take what she could get. One of her dreams was already coming true.

As they flew on, her head resting against the window frame and an upbeat song playing over her earbuds, Delaney felt her anger slowly drift away. Logan was a jerk and always would be, but she wouldn’t have to spend much time with him. She’d assess the painting and she’d spend a little time in Rome. Perhaps she’d try some real Italian food.

She definitely wouldn’t spend any more time with Logan Banks than she absolutely needed to.

Delaney woke with a start. Several hours must have passed, because her playlist had ended and there was a crease from the edge of the window against her cheek. A glance out the window showed that the sea below was dotted with ships and white-capped waves. Delaney rubbed her eyes.

“Did you sleep well?”

She looked up to see Logan peering at her over the edge of his laptop screen. Delaney was immediately annoyed, both with herself for falling asleep and with Logan for his irritating little smirk. He hadn’t asked her that question after the night they’d spent together, but now, on his private jet, he deigned to make a little conversation. It was infuriating.

“Does it matter?”

“Of course it does.” Logan looked hurt. “I need my art consultant in top condition to check out the painting tomorrow.”

Of course. That was all she was to him — an art consultant. It was another stinging comment.

“I wouldn’t want to let you down.” Delaney crossed her arms. “Is there a bathroom on this thing?”

“Of course. Straight back.”

Delaney got up and stalked past Logan to the bathroom, where she splashed cold water on her face and gave herself a stern look in the mirror. She wasn’t going to let Logan ruin her first big international trip.

Back in the main cabin, she took her seat and looked studiously out the window, just in time to see the green-and-brown ripple of a coastline far below. She was officially in Europe — that must be Italy down there. The corners of her mouth curved into a smile and she watched as small villages, mountains, and lakes unfolded beneath her.

A short while later, they began their descent. Delaney clutched the arms of her chair as they swooped down for a slightly bumpy landing, but once they rolled to a stop, her nerves were forgotten. She got up and stretched. Across the way, Logan did the same.

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