Best of Bosses 2008(175)

Tonight, she’d looked into his eyes and she’d seen his soul stripped bare. His vulnerability had given her new courage. She longed to offer him comfort, support, strength, humour—whatever he needed. Everything she had. Heart and body and soul.

He turned off the street and drove into the ground floor garage of a tall apartment block, a pillar of glass and steel. A flurry of nervous excitement rose from Sally’s stomach to her throat. Logan turned to her and smiled gorgeously, and she took a deep breath.

‘Let me guess,’ she said. ‘You live on the top floor.’

‘I do. I hope you’re not afraid of heights.’

‘I’m absolutely terrified of them.’

About to get out of the car, he hesitated and looked concerned.

Sally grinned. ‘Only joking.’

‘Minx. I’ll bet you climbed all the tallest gum trees when you were a kid.’ Reaching out, he pretended to cuff her cheek, then he leapt out of the car and Sally quickly opened her door.

As they walked to the lift, Logan took her hand and she could feel the warmth of him running through her like a current.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and smiled. ‘You OK?’

Her only reply was to squeeze his hand.

They were alone in the lift as it climbed upwards and he drew her to him and kissed her cheek. Floating on a cloud of desire, she turned in his arms, lifted her lips for another kiss and Logan obliged with enchanting slowness.

‘Now that we’re being honest with each other, I can tell you that’s been a recent fantasy of mine,’ she murmured against his jaw.

‘To be kissed in the lift?’

‘To be kissed by my boss in the lift.’

He chuckled. The lift doors slid open and they stepped out. Sally’s heart drummed as Logan swiped a plastic tag over a keypad and the door to his penthouse opened.

It was like stepping into a movie set. Logan’s open-plan penthouse was stunning, with acres of white carpet, über-modern furniture and sleekly minimalist kitchen fittings. Discreet mood lighting and walls of glass revealed the magic of inner Sydney’s nightscape.

Sally looked about her with wide-eyed delight. ‘Wow! This is fabulous.’ His home was the complete opposite of Chloe’s cosy town house and yet, despite its grandeur, Sally thought it offered a sense of welcome and surprising serenity.

‘This place suits my needs for the moment.’ Logan reached for her hands. ‘Are you hungry? My housekeeper leaves frozen meals. I could zap something in the microwave. Do you like Vietnamese food?’

‘I don’t know,’ Sally said. ‘I’ve never tried it, but I’m sure it’s delicious.’ She looked at him from beneath lowered lashes. ‘But I’m not really hungry.’ Not for food.

He took the hint and drew her closer. ‘So, tell me, have you ever been kissed in a penthouse?’

‘Never,’ she whispered, slipping into his arms easily, happily.

He nuzzled her ear and sent delicious shivers scampering over her skin. ‘Is it one of your fantasies?’

‘I’ve just added it to my list.’

Her eyes drifted closed as he kissed her with lazy and tantalising thoroughness.

‘Nice,’ she murmured dreamily. ‘Now, what’s your fantasy?’

He chuckled. ‘You’re taking a risk, aren’t you?’

‘I don’t think so, Logan. I trust you.’ How wonderful it was to be able to say that.

For a moment the amusement in his eyes faded. Gently, he traced the curve of her cheek. ‘I hope I deserve your trust, Sally.’

She gave him a playful punch in the midriff. ‘Stop worrying.’

‘I can’t help feeling responsible for you.’

‘I’m a grown woman. You’re supposed to feel lust for me.’

‘That’s a guaranteed certainty.’ He tucked a curl behind her ear. ‘I’ll happily share my fantasy with you. It’ll only take a minute to organise.’

Scant minutes later, Sally was curled beside him on a big red sofa with a glass of chilled wine in her hand, while the rich and glorious sounds of the Brahms violin concerto rolled over them.

‘I’ve listened to this music every night since we talked about it at the team-building workshop,’ he told her. ‘And I imagined you here, listening to it too.’

Stunned, she set her shaking glass down on the coffee table. Every night? It was incredible that Logan had been thinking about her all this time. Incredibly fabulous.

‘And…and what did I do?’ she asked. ‘In your fantasy?’

‘Oh, you sat very close.’ With his arm around her shoulders, he kissed the top of her head. The gorgeous music swelled and soared above and around them and Sally closed her eyes and nestled against him. He smelled so good—a musky male scent mixed with the clean fragrance of his laundered shirt.