Chapter 141

“Hazel…?” Logan said, breathlessly, as he closed the distance between the two of us.

“It’s me,” I said, as a joke. Neither of us laughed. I was on the edge of a knife, waiting for a reaction, good or bad. Just let it be over with. I couldn’t take it anymore. “Logan, if –”

“You look so beautiful.”

I straightened slightly, startled.

His gaze slowly lowered, taking in the full sight of me. “I have half a mind to take you home right now, and keep you to myself. None of these assholes deserve to see you like this…”

I wasn’t entirely against the just going home plan, even with my previous hopes of revenge.

“But I suspect this dress isn’t just for me,” Logan began. He smiled a little. “This is a dress that wants to be seen.” Stepping closer, he lowered his voice. “But make no mistake, you are mine, Hazel Whitaker. These men can lust after you, and the women can envy your body. But when that is done…”

Logan slowly reached up. Ever so gently, he traced his fingertips across my shoulder to where the very thin strap kept my top up. He teased that strap, curling his finger under it.

“I am the only one who gets to have you.”

I shivered, lust coursing through me. Something that probably shouldn’t happen when I wasn’t wearing panties.

“Touching me breaks our rules,” I told him, hoping he would get the hint.

The dark gaze of desire stayed in his eyes, even after he moved his hands away. “Damned rules.”

“Good for us both,” I reminded him. “Your grandfather wouldn’t like it.”

The mention of his grandfather cooled us both, as I had suspected it would.

“Shall we get back to it, then? But let’s not make this a late night,” Logan said.

I agreed, and as Logan began walking back into the main crowd of the party, I fell into my usual spot slightly behind him.

Things were different now, however. Where I had been ignored before, I was now the central point of most everyone’s attention. People gawked and stared. Dancers tripped over their feet. One man spilled his champagne, staring. His date then hit him with her purse.

Logan’s grandfather glared at me from near the stage. His ice cold gaze dropped the temperature a full ten degrees.

Logan stopped here and there, to chat and network as he’d always intended, though those he spoke with seemed fully distracted looking at me.

For once in my life, I was the starlet in the room. Not my sister. Not other girls. Me.

It was like having an out of body experience, living as someone other than myself. While I felt confident and sexy, and pleased that I had managed to shut up most of the people that had previously disparaged me, the attention was starting to get to me fairly quickly.

With so many eyes on me, I was starting to feel exposed in a way I never really had before, even when I’d been standing in my underwear in the ladies’ room.

Slowly, as the evening wore on, I slunk my shoulders and hooked my hands together, trying to make myself seem smaller than I was. I tried to correct this posture when I realized it, but always it kept coming back.

Logan noticed. “Hazel. Follow me.”

I had been following him all night, but something seemed different this time. He led me through a side room and then out onto an empty balcony. There weren’t even any lights out here, just the starlight and the moon. It was bright tonight.

In the quiet of the night, the orchestra could be heard playing, even here.

Logan turned to face me. He held out one hand. “Dance with me.”

“What?” I startled.

“I’ve been waiting all night,” Logan said. “Others have had their fill, touching you with their eyes. Now, I would hold you in my arms. Here, in the cool night air, before I have to take you home and hide you away again.”

“But if someone sees…”

“My dear assistant wanted to dance,” he said, smiling. “How could I refuse?”

I slid into Logan’s arms without further prompting. His arm slid around me, safe and secure, and slowly, we began to turn in a gentle circle. Logan clasped my free hand and brought it to his chest.

“We’re touching,” I said.

“We are.”

“You are looking at me with a longing look.” Another broken rule.

“I am.”

“Shameless,” I said, though inside, a thrill rushed through me.

“Only for you.”

I closed my eyes, wishing I could place my cheek to his. Some lines couldn’t be crossed, not here, where anyone could find us at any moment. An innocent dance could maybe be explained. Two lovers caught in a heated embrace could not.

Yet, when the alternative was no dance at all, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Logan held me, and I let him. For the length of one song, everything was bliss.

“Take me home after this,” I said.

He hummed in agreement.

“Then…” I licked my lips, bold by his closeness. “Maybe you can take me out of this dress…”

Suddenly, Logan stilled. Just like that, he stepped back and our dance was done. He wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Did I say something wrong?” I asked.

“No, Hazel, it’s just… Forget it, okay? I’ll take you home.”

He started for the door. So certain that I would follow, he didn’t once look back.

Still, I followed. Of course I did, even as worry crept around in my chest.

I would follow Logan anywhere.

Logan’s fingers itched to take that dress off of Hazel, to lay her down on her bed, and make love to her in a way they haven’t since their wedding night – a night he couldn’t really remember much of, himself.

When he had Hazel again, he wanted to remember every detail this time. In fact, he would stretch everything out as much as he could so that he could properly burn every inch of her body and her noises and the feel of her touch into his memory.

But… that wouldn’t be tonight.

So Logan waltzed out of the party, confident Hazel was behind him. She knew he would follow, but the continuous looks from those lecherous old men was also a giveaway. He curled his hands into fists. He’d break bones before he ever let any of these assholes touch his wife.

Even if he had to hide her and deny her as his spouse…

Grandfather had called her a working girl. A mistress.

She was so much more than that. But until he could publically say so, what right did he have to her body?

He wanted to ravish her, leave marks all over her body, and give her pleasure after pleasure.

But to do that now… wouldn’t that only be proving his grandfather’s words true? She may be his wife, but he would be treating her like a working girl. Or a mistress.

His wife deserved better. She deserved all of him.

How could he give that to her, when he was still tangled in so much of his own drama? He needed to get out from his grandfather’s control. Somehow. Then he could be free, right?

With a sinking feeling, he wondered if even that would be enough. His role required him to always have a perfect reputation. Marrying his secretary would always be a tarnish on him.

He was a weak, selfish man. He wanted Hazel, as his wife and lover.

Yet his career was important too. So many people depended on him. He’s done such good work since joining the company.

He was so lost in thought that he moved on autopilot. By the time he returned to himself, he was standing outside of Hazel’s apartment. She had the door unlocked and was looking at him with worry.

“Come inside, Logan,” she said. “If you want.”

God, did he want to. His hands were still in fists, tighter than before. But the only person he wanted to strike now was himself.

“I can’t.”