Page 30 of An Heir For Her Enemy

“It had a tear in its ear and huge red eyes.”

“That describes literally every rat I’ve ever seen in New York.” Logan raised his eyebrows at Delaney, and she laughed again.

“Okay, okay, it may not have been the same rat. But it was nicer to imagine that George and I were friends than that New York was just infested with rodents.”

“That makes sense.” Logan paused in front of a bakery, which displayed a row of miniature cakes. “I love New York, though. No matter where else I travel, I’m always happy to go home. There’s just something special about the city.”

“I feel the same way. Sometimes, when you find the place where you’re meant to live, you just know.”

“You just know.”

They walked more, wandering down narrow alleys or along the sidewalks of busy thoroughfares, just talking. After the discovery of their shared upbringings, it seemed that they couldn’t stopfinding things in common, from a mutual love of chocolate gelato to both having had rescue dogs as children.

Eventually, they meandered back to their hotel. Logan and Delaney both paused outside as if by unspoken agreement, even though they’d be going up to the same floor together.

“I’m sorry for thinking you were just a rich jerk.” Delaney bit her lip. “I may have been a little harsh on you at times.”

“I deserved it. I can be a rich jerk at times — but I’m trying to be more.”

“Youaremore.”

They were standing in a pool of golden light under a streetlight high above. It felt like they were the only two people in the world — the streets of Rome were quiet at this time of night and only a few cars still passed. Delaney’s chest hurt. She wanted to tell Logan that she’d had a nice time on the trip. She wanted to tell him that he shouldn’t take the Botticelli home and hide it in a dusty closet somewhere — did he even know how to store paintings? She wanted to kiss him.

“Delaney.” Logan was very close to her. There was the smell of his aftershave that Delaney remembered so well from their night together. There were those gray eyes that always seemed to see right into her. There was the ripple of muscles under his perfectly tailored button-down.

“Yes?” Delaney’s answer came out higher-pitched than she’d intended.

“We should go inside. We have an early morning tomorrow.”

“Yes, we do, and yes, we should.”

But neither of them moved. They stayed rooted to the spot, just looking at each other in the warm glow of the streetlight. When they went inside, the night would end, and they’d go back to being just colleagues on a rather strange business trip.

“I think?—”

And then they weren’t standing there anymore. In one quick movement, Logan closed the gap between them, threaded a hand around Delaney’s waist and slid another into her hair, then brought his lips down on hers in a tender yet deep and insistent kiss.

CHAPTER 12

DELANEY

For a long moment, Delaney was aware of nothing but Logan’s lips on hers. Their first kisses, on the night they’d met, had been exploratory and tentative, yet this kiss was anything but. Logan’s hands on Delaney, his lips on hers, and his soft groan into her mouth made it clear that he knew what he wanted — and he wanted her.

Delaney could have melted into a puddle right there on the sidewalk with the intensity of that kiss. Logan’s hands on her were firm yet gentle and his lips were equally so. Desire pooled in her. She wanted nothing more than to keep kissing him, perhaps to go up to his room…

And just like that, she saw how the night would go. She and Logan would sleep together and it would be just as magical and earth-shattering as the first time had been. Then, in the morning, they’d hurry to the authentication appointment and never speak of it again. Delaney would try to pretend that everything was fine, but she’d secretly feel heartbroken that Logan didn’t want a real relationship with her.

Just as clearly, Delaney knew that couldn’t happen.

With all the will she could muster, Delaney took a step backwards. Logan released her so quickly that she stumbled, and his hand shot out, cupping her elbow to stabilize her. Those gray eyes were all concern.

“Delaney—” Her name was a spell on his lips, drawing her back in, telling her that there was no harm in one more night.

“It’s getting late.” She smiled in her best no-nonsense, professional way. “I’d better get some sleep before tomorrow.”

“I’d better do the same.” Logan hesitated. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“You didn’t.” In fact, the memory of his lips on hers was still so vivid, so recent, that it took all Delaney had not to leap into his arms to continue where they’d left off. “But we do need to go inside.”

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