Page 4 of An Heir For Her Enemy

“Yes.” Delaney gave a little shrug. “My client called it a night, and there’s only so much more talk I can handle about which designer brands are the most flattering.”

“Tell me about it. Would you like to get out of here?”

“I already am.” Delaney gestured at her coat and purse. “But if you’re suggesting that I rescue you, too… sure.”

“How gallant of you.” Logan winked. “I’m not used to being rescued.”

“Well, just think of me as your knight in shining armor.” Delaney smiled back, and Logan noticed a smattering of freckles across her cheeks. Her blue eyes danced with the joke.

“I certainly will.” Logan turned to the gentleman manning the coat check. “Could I please have my jacket, as well?”

They stepped out into the cool, early September air. Delaney put on her jacket over her sleeveless dress, while Logan just draped his own coat over his arm. In his suit, he was quite warm.

“Do you know anywhere nice around here?” Delaney asked. It was only around eight o’clock, and Manhattan was as bustling as ever. A group of women in slinky dresses passed, clearly on their way to a club, while another group in suits and ties exited a building across the street, just leaving work.

“Not really,” Logan admitted. He spent most of his time in the office, so he didn’t have much opportunity to scope out local places.

“There’s a nice bar a few blocks in that direction. Carmichael’s, I think?”

“Lead the way.”

They walked down the sidewalk towards the bar. Delaney was surprisingly quick, even in her heels, and Logan enjoyed the fresh air after the stuffiness of the gallery.

“So, how long have you been an art consultant? No offense, but you seem a bit young.”

Delaney laughed. “So do you. I’m twenty-five, and I’ve been doing private art consultations for about three years now. How long have you been running Ordinal?”

“I founded it almost six years ago, when I was nineteen. I’m twenty-five now, same as you.”

There was a flicker of something on Delaney’s beautiful features, but Logan couldn’t quite place the emotion.

“And is that when you moved to New York?”

“More or less. I knew that if I wanted to be a successful investor, I needed to be here. New York is the heart of the financial world — or at least one of them.”

“The art world, too.” Delaney nodded in agreement. “I moved here for college and never left. There’s just something magical about the city, and the art scene can’t be beaten. We’re here.” She gestured to a bar down a small flight of stairs. Logan led the way and held the door for her, at which Delaney smiled in thanks.

Inside, the bar was crowded with people enjoying their Friday night. It seemed to be an even split between groups of friends and people on dates. A popular pop song played over the speakers, though it was barely audible over the chatter.

“This is a little more crowded than I expected,” Delaney said apologetically.

“Don’t worry about it. I see a booth in the corner.” Logan parted the crowd as they crossed the room. The booth was small but empty and clean. Logan slid into one seat and Delaney took a place across from him.

“I’ll go order from the bar,” Logan offered. “What would you like?”

“I’ll just have a beer. And maybe something to eat? The food at the event was good, but tiny.”

“Do you have anything specific in mind?”

“Surprise me.”

Logan threaded his way back through the crowd to the bar, where he placed their orders before returning to the table, two beers in hand.

“Here you go. The food is on the way.”

“Thanks.” Delaney smiled and picked at the label of her drink. She seemed ever so slightly shy, which Logan found endearing.

“You were telling me about your job. What exactly do you do?”

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