Page 25 of An Heir For Her Enemy

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

They walked, side by side without touching, down the darkening streets of Rome. It was overcast, but Logan spotted a few stars peeking through the clouds above and pointed them out to Delaney. She smiled at him.

“What a nice evening.”

“Very much so.” When they were almost back at the hotel, though, the skies opened up and it began to pour again. Withinmoments, rain was soaking through their thin jackets and pouring off the buildings in waterfalls. Logan grabbed Delaney’s hand and pulled her under the awning in front of a pizza place. They were out of the rain, but it still fell in sheets just inches away.

“Let’s make a break for it!” Delaney suggested. She sounded more excited than anything and her blue eyes were dancing with enthusiasm.

“Or we could shelter in place,” Logan suggested.

“Nah. I see our hotel. Let’s go!”

Delaney grabbed his hand and they raced along the sidewalk, across the street, and up a small embankment to their hotel. Inside the lobby, they came to a stop, both soaking wet and slightly winded from the run. Delaney’s blond hair was flattened against the sides of her face, and her wet sweater clung to her, outlining the curves Logan knew so well from their night together. She was grinning like they’d just won a marathon.

“That was great!”

“Was it? We got caught in the rain and now we’re soaked through.”

“True, but we also had fun.Andwe managed to avoid the rain until the very end of the day, when we can go right upstairs and warm up. I’d call that a win.”

How do you suggest we warm up?The flirtation danced on the tip of Logan’s tongue before he swallowed it. Friendship was all he and Delaney could offer each other, nothing more.

“I suppose you’re right,” he said instead. “Maybe it’s good we didn’t bring our phones. They would have gotten soaked too.”

“Nowyou’re getting it.” Delaney nudged him with her shoulder, still grinning. “And hey, you’re right. You did make it the whole day without your phone. So, I’ll forgive you for what happened the night we met.”

“You don’t have to.” Logan shoved his hands into his dripping pockets. “I know I was rude to you and that is inexcusable. Even if we don’t have a future together, we could have sat down for breakfast. I could have let you know how much our night together meant to me — because it meant a lot, Delaney. Truly. I will never forget the time we shared, and it will always be meaningful to me.”

Delaney had been looking down at the small puddle of water forming around their feet on the tile floor, but now she lifted her chin until her blue eyes met Logan’s gray ones. A shiver of warmth swept him at the feeling of her eyes on his, despite the chill of the rainwater.

“Really?” She sounded vulnerable, more so than Logan had expected. He knew he’d hurt her. Her comment the night they’d arrived had brought that home for him. But he hadn’t known just how upset his quick exit had made her feel.

“Are you kidding?” Logan took a step closer and took her hands in his. Forget boundaries and the need to maintain distance between them. He needed Delaney to know how special she was. “You’re the most beautiful, smartest, most insightful person I’ve ever met. Plus, you’re incredibly sexy. How could you think, even for a moment, that the night we spent together wasn’t important? I can’t offer you a relationship or a future, but telling you that is the least I owe you.”

“Okay.” Delaney bit her lip. Her blue eyes were still wide. “Thank you. For saying that. And I do forgive you. Consider it water under the bridge.”

“Speaking of water…” Logan released her hands and stepped back to look at the puddle around their feet. “I think we need to alert the hotel staff to the lake we’ve made.”

“Yes.” Delaney laughed softly. “And we need to dry off.”

“We do.” Logan held up one arm as water drizzled off the end of his sleeve. “You go upstairs. I’ll find someone to help with the lake.”

“Are you sure? I can help.”

“It’s all right.” Logan smiled at her. “Go and get warm. This won’t take long.”

“Okay. Thanks. See you at breakfast tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

Delaney tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and grinned. “All right — good night, Logan.” She waved, then hurried across the lobby towards the elevators. Logan watched her go, regret and desire warring for control, until she disappeared into an elevator. Delaney was amazing and Logan had wanted badly to kiss her just now. He was almost certain she would have kissed him back.

Yet he couldn’t. Logan’s truest love would always be his work and it wouldn’t be fair to Delaney for him to try, and fail, to have a relationship alongside that.

He let out a short sigh, then went to find someone to help clean up the puddle. It was for the best that they were only in Rome fortwo more days. He might not be able to resist Delaney’s playful grins and teasing jokes and beautiful eyes much longer than that.

CHAPTER 11

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