Page 76 of Mine to Love

“I, uh, I’m sure I’ll be in touch tomorrow.”

Did I read too much into the word or did he emphasize it? It has to be the wine messing with my hearing, even though I haven’t had a sip in two hours. He doesn’t flirt when he emails me or when we’re on a conference call. Granted, there are always others in the meeting as well. He stays true to his word and has kept business and pleasure separate. The only time he uses euphemisms or innuendos is when we are about to get naked.

“Sure. In the meantime, I’ll be dancing around my office with my Expo marker listening to the stock market reports.”

Logan glances up and around the room then meets my gaze with his. His expression is unreadable. The old Logan is back, or at least the stoic, expressionless Logan. I haven’t seen this side of him in a long time. Granted, the only modes I’ve seen him in are work mode and sexy mode.

We both don’t know how to act with each other in front of others, especially his family, especially since we haven’t told anyone about our relationship. Heck, we haven’t even talked about it with each other.

“Bye,” he finally says, and leaves.

I stay another hour, playing cards with his family and thinking of him the entire time.

***

MONDAY MORNING’S CONFERENCE call with Logan, Doug, Melinda, and Thomas is just like every other call. We go through the week’s projects, they ask me how I’m doing with my clients, then I work with Thomas, my newly appointed point person from the Austin office.

He’s been with Pierce Financials for five years and is working on a promotion to the management team to help Melinda’s load since she’s been taking a lot of Logan’s cases. I have a lot of questions about their roles and the handing over of new positions, but don’t feel it’s my place to ask since my time with them is temporary as LP Financials builds its clients.

“Rough Monday,” Thomas jokes.

“What do you mean?” I scribble a few notes on the pad of paper I keep by my computer and glance up at the screen.

“Mr. Pierce. He’s back to his old ways.”

Doug is always tight-lipped when it comes to his boss, never crossing the line by talking about anything personal, which makes getting the dish on Logan impossible. Thomas, on the other hand, while very good at his job, isn’t as dedicated to Logan Pierce’s privacy.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. He’s great, don’t get me wrong. I have no complaints. It’s just that...” Thomas taps a few keys on his keyboard, multi-tasking, as everyone does when on conference calls. “The past few weeks he’s been...different. I think I heard him laugh once or twice. Today he’s back to how he was before. It’s not bad. It’s not good. I can’t explain it.”

“I’m sure it’s all connected to his workload.”

“No doubt. I don’t know how the man does it. He’s brilliant and always so calm. Mastermind, for sure. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be taking as long for us to learn how to do his job.”

“His job?” I’m aware there have been changes in command among his management team, and that he’s been lightening his load so he can dedicate more time to the Credit Union and to LP Financials, but his job completely? Or maybe I misunderstood.

Someone distracts Thomas. He looks over his computer screen, holds a finger to me and mutes himself. I scribble more notes on my paper while I wait for him to finish his conversation.

“Gotta wrap this up quick. Bossman needs me in five.” Thomas runs through his feedback on the plan I proposed last week for Downeast Lumberyard, suggests a few angles for the Lobster Claw Art Gallery, and gives me a thumbs up on the Wildflowers Florist Shoppe plan.

The rest of the week goes by quickly. I was being honest about my love of my white board, a new addition a few weeks ago. Beyonce plays on my Bluetooth speaker, and I have my notes spread out on the floor as well as pulled up on my computer when I see a shadow standing, or rather looming, in the doorway of my office.

I jump and bang my hand against my racing heart. “Logan. You scared me.”

“My office. Now.” He spins around and crosses the hallway.

I cap the marker and toss it on my desk, frowning at the blue smudge on my white shirt. The music is too loud for a meeting with Logan, but I don’t feel like turning it down. Am I sour because he hasn’t been on any of the conference calls since Monday? Nope. Am I upset he hasn’t emailed, texted, or called? Nope. We don’t have that type of relationship.

Lies.

“So serious,” I mumble to myself as I leave my office and go into his. His desk chair is empty. I glance at the conference table and don’t see him there either.

The door closes roughly behind me and then my body is pushed against it. Logan’s strong, hot frame is pressing into mine. His hands are flat against the door on either side of my face.

“You think I’m too serious.”

I stare into his intense, dark eyes trying to read what’s going on in that brilliant and guarded mind. He holds my body against the door with his, while he does nothing to hide his growing erection rubbing against my stomach. His mouth is inches from mine, and all I want is for him to kiss me.

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