Between You and Me(21)

Time flew by on the mountain. The light of the sky changed, the late  afternoon bringing hints of the darkness that would soon fall. "Okay,  I'm wiped," she told him. "Totally ready for some hot cocoa and to sit  for a long time in front of the fire. Kind of starving too. How about  you?"

"Same," Logan said. They headed back toward the main lodge. "Aww, you  know what would be the capper? All that and then a soak in a hot tub.  Maybe I'll pop by the gym after I drop you at your house and do that."

The thought of him soaking naked in a hot tub was too hot for her to  handle. "The tub in my master bathroom doubles as a Jacuzzi," she said,  "which you know, of course. When you bring me back, you're welcome to  stay for a while and use it before you go home."

He shot her a sideways glance, a mixture of uncertainty and a spark of flirtation that made her knees wobble. "Really."

"Yeah, really," she said. "I'm starving, I need to eat something first,  but why not? If you'd like to have some time in a tub, I have one. I'd  be more than happy to let you." And I wish I could watch, she thought,  biting her lip.

His gaze smoldered as he considered it, making a few butterflies stir in  her belly. Then, his voice low, he said, "I tell you what. You paid for  the lift tickets and everything so far today. Let me buy you a late  lunch, and I'll feel better about taking you up on that offer. Which I  just might."

Her insides went hot and wavy with pure lust. She was shocked she'd made  such a suggestion, and ten times more so that he was possibly saying  yes. The thought of this towering man, exuding testosterone and rugged  sex appeal, being naked in her tub just beyond her bedroom . . . it sent  her heart rate up a notch. But she played it cool and said, "There are  three restaurants in the lodge. Get me fed, and you have a deal."

He grew quiet as they got to the ski check. They got their skis off and  he grabbed the claim check before she could. But he smiled brightly at  her as they approached the building, and held the door open for her as  they headed into the side entrance of the magnificent lodge.  Picturesque, all warm woods and glass, the Ajax Mountain Lodge was  crammed with people also deciding to finish their skiing for the day.  Christmas decorations were still everywhere, strings of white lights and  bright red poinsettias added color and sparkle. Conversation and  laughter echoed throughout, and off the high beams of the ceiling. Logan  reached for her hand and led her through the crowd toward the elevator  in the middle of the lobby.                       
       
           



       

"Tess!" a male voice rang out. "Tess Harrison, I'll be damned."

Logan saw how when she looked up, her features froze in shock for a few  seconds. Total deer in the headlights, before she covered with cool  disdain. Tess was friendly, always open and sociable; for her to react  like that had Logan's intuition blaring. Immediately on alert, he didn't  let go of her hand as a tall, dark-haired man in neon-green and black  ski gear approached them, a curvy, Botoxed blonde woman in hot pink at  his side.

Tess mumbled, "Great."

"Right here if you need me," Logan quickly murmured, squeezing her fingers between his as the couple stopped before them.

"I can't believe this," the man said jovially, not bothering to hide the  way he looked Tess up and down. "I mean, it's not every day you run  into your ex-fiancée. You look great, Tess."

Ex-fiancée? Logan didn't know anything about the guy, but the look on  Tess's face before she'd shuttered it was all he needed to know.

"Hello, Brady," she said coolly. "You look . . . older."

His grin hinted at a sneer. "Well, it's been a few years, hasn't it. Six  or seven, right? Who keeps count." He smiled down at the blonde, then  back up to Tess as he said proudly, "This is my wife, Chynna."

"Hello," Chynna said, looking both bored and haughty.

"We have twin boys," Brady went on. "Precious little things, but real  handfuls, two years old. They're upstairs with the nanny. We wanted some  time to ourselves today, since we head back home tomorrow."

"We've been here since the twenty-third," Chynna said. "I'm so over all of this now. So ready to go home."

Tess merely inclined her head, a hint of a nod.

Logan wanted to grind both of their faces into the carpet. The arrogant vibe off these people made him want to vomit.

"Brady Hillman," he said, holding a hand out to Logan. "And you are . . . ?"

"Logan Carter." He glanced at the man's hand but didn't shake it,  leaving him hanging there awkwardly. Instead, he slid an arm around  Tess's waist to pull her close. "That's funny, sweetheart," he said as  he looked down at her. "All this time together, and you never mentioned  you were engaged before."

Tess didn't miss a beat. "Not worth mentioning, honey," she said sweetly  as she smiled back at him. "Besides, like he said, it was a long time  ago."

Chynna huffed, offended for her husband.

"How's New York these days?" Brady asked as he crossed his arms over his  chest. "Glad I left. So dirty, crowded, and noisy. Philadelphia's a  much more civilized city."

"Huh, that's why you left?" Tess's voice was placid as could be. "I  thought it was because the firm you worked for forced you out and turned  your name to mud amongst all the top firms in Manhattan. At least,  that's what I heard through the grapevine."

Brady's eyes turned cold and hard. The malice there made Logan  unconsciously pull Tess closer. "And you're going to look me in the eye  and tell me you had nothing to do with that?" Brady challenged, his  voice dropping low.

Tess didn't even flinch. "Nothing at all. I had better things to do with my time and energy after I dumped you."

"How about your father, then?" Brady growled. His refined mask had  fallen off, hinting at the rabid animal he truly was. "Maybe he had  something to do with it. That was always my bet; if it wasn't you, it  was him."

The corners of Tess's mouth turned up a bit. "That's . . . fascinating  to contemplate." Her smile was sharp, and Logan admired the hell of out  of it as she added, "My father is definitely not someone you want as an  enemy. Anything's possible, I suppose. But if you're still harboring a  grudge after all this time, my only suggestion for you would be  therapy."

"Oh my God, you're rude," Chynna snapped.

Tess's perfect brows arched as she lifted her chin just enough to look  at the other woman from down her nose. Drawn to her full height, she was  easily six or seven inches taller than the blonde. Her bearing was  powerful, regal, reminding Logan yet again of royalty. Tess didn't say a  word; her withering stare was a challenge in itself. Chynna opened her  mouth to say something, then shifted uncomfortably and looked away.                       
       
           



       

"Don't mind her, babe," Brady said to his wife, swinging an arm around  her and yanking her closer. "She's probably just a little jealous  because she never got married, never had kids." His dark eyes glittered  cruelly as they focused on Tess. "I remember how you used to go on and  on about wanting a big family. Didn't happen for you. That's a shame.  Our kids, they made our life complete. You, now . . . close to forty . .  . guess that ship sailed, huh?"

Logan fought back the urge to grab Brady by the front of his ski jacket  and pound him into the wall. Brady was about six-foot-two, lean with a  bit of a paunch. Logan had two inches of height and a hell of a lot more  muscle on this worm. It took a lot to rein in his temper just then.  Snide prick, rubbing Tess's past dreams in her face, especially now that  Logan knew how much Tess still wanted children . . . and Chynna stood  there grinning like they'd won a victory. Rage burned hot in Logan's  veins and he clenched his jaw, not trusting what would come out of his  mouth.

But he'd forgotten who he was with. Tess Harrison didn't need a knight  in shining armor, or a bouncer, or anyone to do her dirty work for her.  She laughed. A gorgeous, light tinkle of amusement that made Brady and  Chynna blink.

"I'm very happy," Tess said. "My life is full. And the bonus is I didn't  end up married to a lying, cheating, pathetic man like you. Add to that  I dodged a bullet. The thought of having had kids with you, tying  myself to you for life?" She let out a huff of a laugh, pure  condescension. "I'd say I came out way ahead."

Logan smiled. Atta girl. He looked down at her and asked dryly, "Is that how this went? Just a no-good cheater?"