Page 7 of Risky Game

Logan stared at me. One beat. Then two. A third to make it extra awkward between us before he finally nodded. “Right. Have a seat, or look around, or whatever…” He swung out an arm. Whatever what? I could see most of his main floor from where we were standing, awkwardly staring at each other. “Sorry. I wasn’t expecting all this, and it came so quick. I’m making this weird.”

“Better you than me.” I grinned, shrugging my shoulders.

“Right.” That earned me a smile, a breathtaking, knock-me-off-my-ass kind of smile I’d think about for days, and he walked away, taking it with him.

I hadn’t decided if I even wanted to do this, but I had to be blowing it already.

“Your home is nice and your backyard is gorgeous.”

“Thanks,” he called out. The fridge opened and slammed shut, but I was stuck on that backyard view. Beyond the infinity pool, the backyard sloped down and, in the distance, past rows of what probably used to be raised garden beds but were now only filled with dirt, was a small lake. It was private, had to be considering I’d pulled into a gated neighborhood complete with a security guard. But the view… I loved water. Freshwater. The ocean was angry. Loud. It was exciting and enticing.

But freshwater?

Calm. Peace. Even now, the water was practically glass it was so calm. I could have a cup of coffee every morning in one of those black metal chairs facing the water, watch the sunrise and the day awaken, and be satisfied with anything I was doing.

“You like the water.”

He’d walked up next to me, visible in the window’s reflections, and handed me my water.

I twisted the top off. “That obvious?”

He was standing next to me, and he suddenly reminded me of campfires and s’mores and burning oak and cedar. Damn… he smelled like the perfect fall night with leaves changing colors, crunching beneath my feet.

I stepped away and caught the way his jaw tensed as he looked down at me before he went back to the backyard. “I need to baby-proof the pool for Amelia. I thought I’d have more time.”

He was right. There was a fence around the perimeter of his yard, but nothing between the sliding glass door and the pool. One misstep, one moment of distraction, and that could end badly for a little girl.

I doubted he was even talking to me like a potential employee, just rattling off a list of things he needed to do.

“Jassen and Molly have one. I’m used to keeping an eye on Luke and Brittney. How old is Amelia?”

He grinned down at me this time. His sparkling white teeth were visible in the window’s reflection, and I chugged my water.

It might be impossible to work for this man if I wanted to see that smile on his face all the time.

It made my knees weak and my belly flop.

“She’s four,” he said, with all the love only a father had for his daughter. Jassen used that voice a lot. “Come on. Let’s go sit and talk.”

Where I’d have to actually look at that face.

Damn. I might have just walked into a whole pile of trouble, but whatever. I needed the money.

We took seats in his massive living room. Two full-sized couches made an L-shape and on the opposite side from where I was sitting were two chairs. A large, square coffee table filled the space between all the furniture. It was all warm, creams and pale blues, and nothing at all what I figured a guy like Logan would have in his house.

He’d gotten his own water from the kitchen and after he swallowed a large gulp, set it down on the side table between the two chairs.

“How much did Jassen tell you about what I’m looking for?”

“He said you’re recently divorced, and your daughter has to come stay with you earlier than expected.”

“That’s it?” His brows tugged in again, and I wasn’t sure if he didn’t believe me or if he was surprised. But there was definitely more to the story.

“Should there be more?”

He huffed. Not quite amused, more irritated. It was definitely not humor that made him reach up and scrub a hand through his hair. One chunk of wavy hair made the perfect curl at the center of his forehead.

“My wife and I got divorced last spring. She decided not to follow me out here when I was offered the coaching job.”

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