Page 27 of Risky Game

This time when I pulled up to Logan’s house, he was not outside waiting for me. I took the extra second to steady myself. Remind myself that this was a job. He was my employer. And he was well over a decade older than me. And I was his player’s younger sister. All of those things made my crush on him completely ridiculous.

I would never act on it. Would never jeopardize my job or Jassen’s relationship with his coach.

I had this in the bag.

I only hesitated at the door, finger raised to ring the doorbell. Technically, I lived there. Did I have to knock anymore or could I just walk on in?

I pressed the doorbell. Maybe he’d appreciate knowing I was there instead of barging into whatever he and Amelia were doing. Logan hadn’t specified what time he wanted me to return, just that he wanted me to give them the day together and then we could all get together for dinner.

It was five o’clock, early enough I figured he wouldn’t have fed her yet, but when I left, Molly and Jassen were getting started on their family’s dinner.

The door opened, and once again, I hadn’t prepared myself for Logan Caldwell. Not nearly enough. And this time the universe had to be playing with me because he didn’t open the door dressed in his typical T-shirt and shorts with his tousled hair and full gorgeous lips.

Oh no… this time, he was naked.

At least the top half, except for the kitchen towel slung over his shoulder.

“Uh… hi… I’m back?”

Logan’s eyes, those dark iron-ore eyes, blinked slowly, and then those freaking great lips curled at the corners. “You don’t have to keep ringing the bell, you know.”

“Right. Of course not.” Because I lived there and all.

He swallowed, and I followed the path of his Adam’s apple, straight to the divot between his collarbones. The man really needed a shirt on.

He blinked and stepped back, but not before he took in my dress and quickly yanked his gaze back to mine. “Come on in. Amelia and I are cooking dinner. She’s excited to meet you.”

“Sorry. Am I overdressed? I wanted to impress Amelia.”

“You’re perfect.” He cleared his throat and I jumped at the door slamming shut behind me. “Dressed perfectly. She’ll love it.”

He headed off to his kitchen and lifted a hand, swiping it across his forehead.

That meant nothing. Just a slip of his words. Or innuendo like I’d done the other night and didn’t mean. Right?

“Right,” I whispered to myself and slipped out of my sandals. Leaving my purse and overnight bag at the door, I followed the path to his kitchen, where the most beautiful, gorgeous little girl I’d ever seen in my life was kneeling on the kitchen counter island, hands on her thighs.

She was dressed in a white, one-piece swimsuit covered in cherries and her hair fell all the way to the counter.

“Amelia, meet Miss Ruby. She’s the friend I was telling you about, remember?”

“Yup.” She nodded and grinned at me. And wow. I hadn’t looked up Logan like Gina had, but maybe I should have. This little girl was absolutely stunning, and when she smiled, she flashed me a whole mouth full of little white teeth. Her mom had to be gorgeous. “Like Brownie, right?”

Logan coughed, covered it with his fist, and I was certain also trying to hide a laugh. “More like Nana and Papa when they watch you.”

“Oh.” She crunched up her nose. “Are you going on vacation too, Daddy?”

His smile that had appeared vanished. “No, sweetie. We talked about this. Daddy has to work, so you’re going to stay with Ruby while I go to work. Remember?”

“I can go to work with you like I used to sometimes.”

I stepped into the kitchen. “I can take you to your daddy’s work sometimes, sure, if he says it’s okay.”

Her tiny pink lips pressed together, and she gave me a quick once-over. As she did, she frowned and turned back to Logan. “I’ll go with you every day. We don’t need Miss Ruby.”

“Oh,” I whispered, and ouch. Denied and brushed aside by a four-year-old. I looked at Logan for direction, but he was watching his daughter, as stunned as I was.

“Sometimes you can come, and sometimes you can come to my games if you want to, but I’m sure Miss Ruby will have you doing all sorts of fun things during the day.”

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