Heat Wave(97)

I give her a wry look. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Soon the restaurant is pretty much packed, a few more guests showing up than we had planned but everyone is having a great time. The catered food is just fine – sorry, Johnny – and Dan’s drinks are keeping us all loose and lubricated.

“How are you doing?” Logan asks, coming over to me and Charlie while we mow down on coconut shrimp.

“Great party,” Charlie says, munching away. Even he’s managed to dress up – a white and red Hawaiian shirt and dark pants, his normally spiky hair smoothed into a mini pompadour. “Though I’m waiting for someone to get wild.”

“It’s still early,” Logan says, checking his watch. “Another two hours, then we’ll see.” He raises his glass at me. “Aren’t you drinking, Freckles?”

I look around. “I put my glass down somewhere, not sure what happened to it.”

“What are you having?”

“The champagne punch.”

He nods, a small smile on his lips. “Coming right up.”

As he turns and walks over to the drinks, I take a moment to admire his firm ass as it disappears into the crowd.

I can feel Charlie’s eyes on me. He clears his throat.

I glance at him, raising my brows. “What?”

“Remember when I thought you and Logan hated each other?”

“No.”

“Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I’m pretty sure you’re his favorite.”

You’re right, I think but I can only hide my smile by shoving another shrimp in my mouth. I shrug. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right,” he says slowly. “You’re not a very good liar, you know that Ron?”

I roll my eyes. “Well if I’m Logan’s favorite, it’s because I show up to work on time.”

Logan comes back with the glass of champagne, his eyes not leaving mine as he hands it to me. “Cheers,” he says, clinking his glass against mine, giving me a sly smile, a moment for just us.

Suddenly Charlie’s drink appears between us, trying to clink against ours. “Yes, hello, hi,” he says, glancing between the two of us and pouting. “I’m here too, you know.”

“Yes, of course you are,” Logan comments dryly.

Charlie frowns. “Fine, I know when I’m not wanted,” he says and then stalks off toward Johnny and Kate, who are dancing.

“Touchy, touchy,” Logan says, watching him go off.

“He said he thinks I’m your favorite,” I tell him.

He grins and takes a step toward me. “Because you are my favorite,” he says, lowering his voice to those irresistibly sexy levels. “Let him be jealous.”

I laugh. “Oh, I’m not sure he’d want to be your favorite after all. There’s a lot of inappropriateness and work harassment.”

“Yes, I’m quite the scoundrel when it comes to that,” he says, leaning in even closer. I have to still myself, afraid that he might kiss me here in front of everyone. That’s what this is starting to look like. “Though I’m pretty sure Charlie doesn’t want what I want from you right now.”

“If you’re going to say something dirty, please don’t bring Charlie’s name into it.”

“I would never,” he says, cocking his head as he looks me over, like I’m a dessert tray and he doesn’t know which treat to try first. “But,” he whispers, leaning into my ear. “I wouldn’t mind hauling you off to the bathroom right now and fucking you up against the wall. I bet you’re already wet and ready under this dress.”

“You’re awfully optimistic,” I manage to say, closing my eyes. Thing is, he’s right. He just has to look at me a certain way and I might spontaneously combust.

“Optimistic because I have a great track record with you,” he murmurs, lips still to my ear. “Perfect, even. If only your dress were shorter, I could have my fingers inside you right now and no one would know.” I automatically clench at the thought. “Finger fuck you right here, among all these people, until your knees gives out.”

“Logan,” someone’s voice breaks the spell. I’m not even sure whose, I’m too turned on to function and he hasn’t even laid a finger on me.

Slowly he pulls away from me and I open my eyes to see Daniel staring at us.

Logan clears his throat. “Yes?”

“Uh, sorry to interrupt. We’re running out of champagne for the punch. Should I dip into the stash you got for midnight?”

“Nah,” he says, taking a sip of his. “We’ll just move onto the Mai Tais. You do a good job with those.”