to break down all of her defenses, all of her firm resolutions.
Dessert was abandoned and they drove home quietly holding hands and sharing heated glances in the car.
When Logan escorted her into the house, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind where she would sleep tonight. Whatever this was between them, whatever Logan thought of her and however she was supposed to change his mind, she couldn’t stop the compelling magnetism that linked her to him. She couldn’t deny what seemed like her destiny.
She placed her faith in him, depending on his sense of fairness and decency. Judging by their personal history it was a giant leap for her to make.
Logan wouldn’t betray her trust, would he?
Nine
Sophia had never slept with a man on a first date, and with wry amusement she decided that waking up in Logan’s bed this morning after an incredible bout of lovemaking was worth the distinction. Making love in the tack room the other night didn’t count. At least in her sleep-groggy mind it didn’t. She rationalized that that had been an impulse born of desire and lust with no promise of the future. She’d been seduced by something far greater than her own willpower. But ever since Logan had sent her flowers and written a note claiming he was going to try, asking her out on a genuine, pull-out-all-stops kind of date, Sophia had come to conclusions that meant lowering her guard and taking a risk.
The evening had been magical for her. And when Logan actually gave her a chaste good-night kiss, attempting to keep his promise of best first-date behavior, Sophia had put a halt to the charade. She’d taken Logan’s hand and together they walked into his bedroom with no words spoken.
Now, Sophia lay sprawled out on his bed, a soft cotton sheet covering her naked body and a smile on her lips.
Logan walked into the room and whipped off her covers. “Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Mmm,” she said, grabbing for the covers. “I’m being lazy before I have to go into work.”
“What? And leave all this?” Logan shook his head. “You’re not going into work today, honey,” he announced. “I have it all arranged.”
“I wish you weren’t kidding.”
“I’m not.” He winked and spoke with smug satisfaction. “Your meetings are postponed and Lois Benson will cover for you today. She’s in line for assistant manager and she’s eager to prove herself. Besides, I have the day planned for us.”
Sophia was beside herself with joy. She didn’t have anything pressing on her schedule today and the idea of spending the entire day with Logan was beyond appealing. “Does it involve more sleeping in this big comfy bed?”
Logan bent to land a solid kiss on her mouth. “It does involve this bed, sweetheart, I will damn well guarantee you that.”
Sophia chuckled and laid back on the mattress. But her rest was short-lived before Logan whisked her up into his arms. “First I think you need to try out my shower.”
“Are you joining me?” she asked, intrigued with the notion, kicking her legs playfully as he carried her toward the bathroom.
“Sure am. I have to show you what buttons and knobs to turn on.”
Sophia giggled and just minutes later they were soapy and steamy and covered with moisture. Logan loved her with his mouth until she was adequately tortured and fully spent. Sophia coaxed a similar response from him when she put her lips around the silky skin sheathing his manhood. The intense sound of three showerheads raining down couldn’t drown out Logan’s groans of completion. He held her tight in his arms as the water continued to cleanse them.
“You’re an amazing man,” Sophia said, her heart bursting. She’d almost told him how much she loved him then but at the last moment she held back, too unsure of his reaction.
“We are good together, Sophia,” he murmured, sprinkling kisses over her throat, her chin and her lips. She closed her eyes and held on for dear life, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
The rest of the day was spent riding mares along a stream that ran through the backwoods of Slade property, stopping for a picnic lunch near the trickling waters and making lazy, crazy love in the middle of nowhere on a blanket by the stream’s bank. It was the perfect day and later that evening when they’d returned to Sunset Ranch, they got comfortable in Logan’s bed and watched old classic Westerns. Sophia fell asleep in Logan’s arms never feeling more content.
The next week was blissful heaven. Sophia shared her mornings and nights with Logan Slade. She’d wake to kisses drizzled on her cheek from a man who was seriously dangerous to her equilibrium. They’d shower and dress, and then eat a light breakfast together before going their separate ways. Sophia poured her concentration into Sunset Lodge, working as hard as she could to prove to herself and Logan that she was capable and deserved the inheritance Randall Slade had bestowed upon her. She beamed inside and that spark kept a smile on her face through every task, every duty she took on.
Logan seemed happy, too, for the most part. But every once in a while she’d catch him in a moment when his expression would falter, as if something cold and foreboding had wrestled itself into his mind. When that happened, dreadful shivers crept up her spine.
If there was any buzz about her relationship with Logan at the ranch or Sunset Lodge, it hadn’t reached Sophia’s ears. There wasn’t much she could do about it if there was. She wasn’t going to let gossip stand in the way of what she wanted.
She never had.
On Thursday afternoon, Sophia sat at her office desk and typed in a text message to Luke. How is my friend doing today?
A couple of days ago, Sophia had decided the best way to avoid a conversation she didn’t want to have with Logan’s brother was to text him. She could use a minimum of words to ask how he was doing and those brand-new audio texting applications allowed him to answer. For a man with a broken arm and healing ribs, voice-activated texting couldn’t be beat.
She received an immediate message back. I’m healing. Feeling better every day. Miss you and the ranch.
I miss you, too, but all is well here. She punched in three smiley faces and decided that was over the top. She erased two of them, and then hit Send. Conversation over.
She was a coward. She admitted it. Logan wouldn’t tell Luke what was going on between them. It landed on Sophia’s shoulders, but it was an awkward situation to say the least. So she’d avoided the subject altogether. She was concerned for Luke, but yet her lack of courage kept her from having a real conversation with him.
The sound of Blackie’s sharp barks took her out of her deep thoughts. She got up from her desk and walked out of her office in search of the dog. She exited through the lobby doors and walked along the path toward the side of the lodge. She chuckled when she spotted Blackie jumping off the ground, all four legs in midair at once as Edward teased him with a rib bone. The dog nearly toppled the boy over trying to get to the bone.
Edward cackled with laughter and Sophia’s mood lightened. She walked up to them, and both boy and dog stopped playing.
“Hello, Edward. I see you have something Blackie wants.”
Edward looked at her shyly. She hadn’t
