Page 24 of Not By the Playbook

My stomach growls, “Feed me, you bitch.” I haven’t eaten all day. Nerves won’t let me keep anything down. When I find myself in front of Lacroix, where Logan and I had brunch on Saturday, I duck inside.

After a small snack, my head lolls against the cool window adjacent to the booth. I must have dozed off because I jerk when my phone rings and scramble to answer.

“Anything?” Logan’s voice comes through.

My heart trips, but I force a calm, “No. I haven’t heard.”

I wonder what he’s thinking. Was it a waste of his weekend? Does he regret going along with my scheme?

“Where are you?” he asks.

“The coffee shop by your place, but I’m about to go home to Brooklyn.”

“Wait. Stay there. I’m about to leave the stadium. Will be there in twenty minutes.”

Elation ribbons through me. I should demur and go home. I open my mouth, ready to protest.

“Okay,” is what comes out instead.

Twenty-five minutes later, a familiar Maserati pulls up by the café. Logan hops out, and has the passenger door open before I’m outside. He brushes his lips against mine, once, and then again. The tension inside me loosens, and I return his kiss.

It’s my own soft moan that has me pulling back. I don’t get far. His hands remain on my hips.

Logan straightens up, taking in my rumpled appearance. “Have you been outside all day?” His brow creases at the sight of my bag. “Were you leaving?”

I don’t answer because I have no idea what I’m still doing here. Instead, I thrust the paper cup I’m clutching at him. For some reason, I didn’t want to meet him empty-handed. It’s shocking that I didn’t drop it during our impromptu make-out session. “Iced coffee with almond milk and lactose-free whipped cream.”

His brows quirk up at my offering, but he accepts it and takes a sip, his eyes fixed on me.

A devious little grin breaks on his face. “Needs a little sweetener.” He ducks and steals a kiss. The line is so cheesy I’m almost embarrassed by the sappy smile that blooms on my lips.

Temporary, remember?Even less than temporary. We’re in overtime here. I don’t even know where here is, except that Logan is in front of me.

He fishes around in his pocket and then presses something cold into my grip, “Here, take this, so you don’t have to wander around all day again.”

I blink at the object in my hand. A key. To his penthouse? It must be. Unless he’s got some hidden red room he hasn’t told me about. I slide him a covert glance before returning to the matter, literally at hand.

“Are you sure?”

A key in exchange for a cold coffee. Huh. Even Jenna didn’t get one. The doorman always buzzes her up. Logan says she’s a vampire he doesn’t want to invite in.

“I’m sure. There’s a spare at home. Now let’s get you back there before Cruella shows up.”

Once in his apartment, Logan drops his gear by the door while I plant myself on a counter stool. I gnaw on my lower lip, and my fingers lock together to keep from fidgeting. A furrow grows between Logan’s brows as he studies me. I’m not doing the best job of camouflaging my stress.

“I can ask—” he starts, crossing the room to me.

“No!” The last thing I need is him stepping in and speaking to Jenna. I put my hand on his bicep. “I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough.”

Logan tilts his head and cups my cheek, his blue gaze trained on me. “Don’t worry, okay? No news is good news and all that.”

I lean into his warm hand. “Yeah.” The first wave of relief comes over me since he left this morning.

A smirk appears at the corner of his mouth. “C’mon.” He grabs my hand and leads me to the bedroom. “I know just how to take your mind off things.”

Chapter Fifteen

Wednesday

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