Jennifer Probst - Heart of Steel

     Logan smiled as if he knew her thoughts. Then he led her outside.

     “Hi.”

     “Hi.”

     “Why are you—”

     “I tried to—”

     They both stopped at once and laughed together. Logan moved further into the conference room. Chandler shifted her feet. Her eyes roved over his figure, and she knew a silly grin tugged at her lips. She’d tossed and turned most of the night, haunted by erotic images dancing behind her closed eyelids that kept her from sleep. Now, with him standing before her, she felt like a teenager seeing her boyfriend after a night of heavy necking. “What were you going to say?” She fought the impulse to pull his head toward her for a long, passionate kiss.

     His gaze focused on her mouth. “No, I interrupted you. Ladies first.”

     The musky scent of his aftershave drifted in the air and teased her senses. “Why are you here so early? I thought you had a big meeting.”

     He took a step forward and reached out to grasp a stray tendril of hair. Slowly, he wrapped the silky strand around his finger. “The meeting was rescheduled. I can’t make class tonight.”

     She fought to keep the disappointment from showing and nodded her head. “Oh, sure, I understand.”

     He released the lock of hair and trailed his fingers down the line of her jaw toward the wildly beating pulse at her neck. “I tried to call you this morning but I got your voice mail.”

     “I had an early class. I didn’t sleep well, so I decided I might as well get up and do some work.” The moment the lack of sleep admission left her lips Chandler felt heat rush to her cheeks. Logan pounced.

     “Didn’t sleep?” He gave a lazy smile. “Any particular reason?”

     She cursed his sexy good looks and his damn confidence. Yesterday had been perfect. They played a rousing poker game, ate lunch with the residents, and took a stroll around the lake. He showed her a different side to his personality, a softness, and when the day ended he walked her to the car with a polite kiss good-bye.

     His eyes told her he wanted to strip her naked and make love to her. His body told her he remembered every intimate detail and would claim her soon—when the time was right. Somehow, his polite kiss only made her fire burn hotter.

     She wondered how many “morning-afters” had he gone through in his life? Was he used to putting a woman at ease and setting her up for the next time? Was it all just a bunch of bedroom games after all? He was way out of her league. Women probably threw themselves at him on a daily basis, all of them sexually experienced and quite capable of clever repartee after an encounter.

     “No particular reason.” She tried to look unconcerned by the hand gliding down her throat to hover at the top of her breasts. Already, her body began to melt under his touch. Her nipples thrust toward the material of her sweat suit in bold demand. “I got caught up in an old movie. It ended after midnight.”

     He laughed. “Liar,” he taunted. “You were up all night imagining what it would have been like if I made love to you.” He leaned over. His warm breath rushed over her lips. “You wondered what it would be like if I thrust deeply inside your body, over and over, until you were part of me.”

     Chandler trembled. She wanted everything he described. “Yes,” she said, halfway terrified of the intense feelings she had.

     Satisfaction carved out his features. He cupped her face with his hands and lowered his mouth. “Then kiss me. Let me show you how much I want the same thing.”

     His lips covered hers. He sipped from her mouth lovingly, and slid his tongue between her lips to touch hers, imitating the merging their bodies would do. With a low moan, she opened and invited him in, shaken by the sweetness of the kiss.

     He pulled away and smiled down at her. “Can we have dinner after my meeting?” he asked.

     “I can’t. I’m meeting Harry for dinner.”

     “Cancel.”

     She sighed at his dark scowl. “No.”

     “Why not?”

     “Because I’m not going to let you bully me! I told you Harry is a friend and nothing more. He needs to talk and I can’t let him down.”

     He studied the stubborn tilt to her chin. “Is he gay?”

     “No!”

     “Girlfriend? Wife?”

     “No.”

     “Then I don’t trust him. He wants to be more than your friend. I know how men work.”

     She took a deep breath. “Most of the conversation tonight will center around the woman he’s had a crush on for months. He hasn’t been able to get up the nerve to ask her out yet.”

     “Who is she?”

     She tried to keep the smile from her voice. “Her name is Rachael. She’s a stenographer who does a lot of work for McKenzie & Tetenbaum. Harry’s had a crush on her since she started, but he’s afraid she isn’t interested.”

     He digested that, his face stony. “I still don’t like it.”

     “I’m going, Logan. You’re going to have to trust me.”

     For a while he didn’t speak. Then he reached for her. He dragged her against him and kissed her with combined frustration and hunger. Chandler surrendered, recognizing his need to assert control over the situation.

     Breathless, she waited for his response when the embrace ended. A shutter dropped over his face. His hands clenched into tight fists. Knowing he had no choice but to accept her decision, Chandler waited for him to admit his uneasy feelings but concede defeat.

     “I’ll call you tonight at nine thirty. That should give you two plenty of time to catch up and return home.” His tone held a firm warning. “Be waiting for my call or take the consequences.” He turned and strode out of the room and left her gaping at his back. By the time she recovered her power of speech, he was gone.

     So much for compromise.

     Cursing fluently under her breath, she stomped over to the easel and dragged it to the front of the room to set up her display of nutritional charts. The man was impossible. As soon as she started to think he could learn to be fair and open-minded in a relationship, he pulled a stunt like this. Demanding she be available for his call? Caveman tactics that should be extinct. He actually thought every woman he met would meekly accept the ground rules he threw out, grateful for the honor of being involved with the mighty Logan Grant.

     Well, this yoga teacher would show him a lesson or two.

     “Chandler?”

     She shook off her thoughts and turned at the sound of a voice in the doorway. Jim Chrisetta hovered in the entrance of the conference room, a tall, lanky figure with dark hair and serious brown eyes. He always seemed to be the most somber in the group, taking her instructions as intensely as he did his financial sheets. They had spoken a few times and she’d been impressed with the responsibility he felt toward his wife and daughter. But Chandler knew responsibility sometimes took a drain on one’s own energy and left a person vulnerable to the stresses of life. She only hoped Logan recognized the sensitivity in Jim and saved his job.

     With a bright smile, she waved him in. “Come on over, I was just setting up for class. Boy, do you have an exciting night ahead. By the time you leave, you’ll know everything about the fat contained in food, the benefits of vegetables, and how to discipline yourself not to have that second piece of chocolate cake.”

     He smiled back and took a tentative step toward her. “I wondered if you had a minute to talk. I know I’m early and I don’t want to take time away from your preparation.”

     She dropped the charts on the table and walked over. “Don’t be silly, I have this stuff memorized.” She studied him for a few moments, noticing the slight droop to his shoulders and the deep worry in his eyes. She dropped down on the mat and eased herself into Lotus position. “Come and sit down. Relax for a few minutes.”

     He looked down at his business suit and then at her. He seemed to think it over, wondering if he dare wrinkle his freshly pressed slacks. Then with one determined motion he sat down on the mat. Chandler bit her lip at the satisfied look on his face from the tiny act of rebellion. “What’s up?”

     “I’m going to be fired.”

     She managed to keep her expression neutral. Had Logan spoken with him already? Were there rumors floating around? She kept her tone calm and even. “What makes you say that, Jimmy?”

     “I don’t know if you’re familiar with the deal Logan’s working on with Thomas Weatherall. Tommy has a pretty healthy investment business, and the merger between them is friendly. We won’t have to set up new management, so Tommy will remain on top, with Logan overseeing the whole project. Anyway, Tommy gave us an important tip about a small computer company called Vicomdata that he wanted to acquire. Saw great potential in the creative staff. Vicomdata wanted nothing to do with a merger and wanted to remain independent. Logan was able to finagle placing one of his people into the company to get information about a specific loan. Once confirmation was received, Logan would be able to buy the loan out and force the company’s hand.”

     “He used a corporate spy?”

     He looked uncomfortable with the term but nodded. “Yeah. We all got a confidential fax regarding the status, and were warned not to leak any information. Well, the guy at Vicomdata used to work with me, and is actually a friend. Name is Charlie. Rumor must have gotten to someone over there—God knows how, and one night I get a call.”