Built for Power (14 page)

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Noah put a pint of mint chocolate chip ice cream down in front of Bree without saying a word. Bree sighed thankfully and looked up at a nervous Noah. She’d been a bear . . . well another word that started with a
B,
all day today. She was mad at herself and was determined to feel every second of guilt she thought she deserved.

Bree’s shoulders sagged as she took the first bite. “Thank you, Noah. I needed this.”

“What are you working on so hard today? Is it anything I can help with?”

Bree looked down at all her notes on the domestic abuse shelter she wanted to build and shook her head. “No, this is something I need to do. Have there been any problems at the work site today?”

“Nope. All is well. Oh, you did get a call from Logan who said he was going to pick you up at six for dinner. And Elle wanted me to remind you that your final dress fitting is the day after tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Noah,” Bree smiled before taking another bite of ice cream. All of her sisters had a weakness for ice cream when things got tough.

Bree licked the spoon and sent Legal her plans for the charity she wanted to start. After brooding most of the night, Bree had realized she wasn’t at fault and neither was Nikki—it was all on Trevor. But it still didn’t make her feel better.

So far his death had managed to stay out of the papers since a minor was involved, but she knew it was only a short time before some reporter found it.

Bree only had a couple of hours until Logan came to pick her up. While the events last night had kept her up all night, Logan had kept her up for the rest of the day. He’d been her hero last night. The way he’d quietly comforted Anna Beth had warmed her heart. And if she was honest with herself, he already held a special place in her heart. She’d already known it. The trouble was making herself vulnerable by admitting she loved him. A warm feeling flowed from her when she thought of him. It was the concern she had for him. It was the way she couldn’t imagine her life without him in it.

“Earth to Bree.” Bree blinked and when the world come into focus she was looking at a banner that read
Sexiness Has No Age
.

“When I have a look like that on my face, it’s usually because I’m reading one of
those
books.” Shirley sat down and fanned herself. “Phew, even I learned a thing or two from them.”

Bree just stared at Shirley as she went on talking about the books she reads. How had this come up? As Shirley continued on from cowboys to vampires, Bree felt the stress fall away. Soon she was laughing at Shirley’s commentary. Sometimes all it took was a good laugh to bring clarity into your life. Yes, she still blamed herself for what happened last night. But instead of being weighed down by guilt, she was going to do something about the problem, not sit on the sidelines. And she was in love. In love with a man who would cradle a crying child, a man who flew back to Atlanta just because she was in a car accident, a man who challenged her to be a better person while supporting her to be who she is inside.

A weight lifted with each laugh as Bree admitted the feelings swirling inside her. She’d learned her lesson about power, and while she was wrong about handling Trevor, she was never going to make that mistake again. She admitted her fears of failing to herself and found she had the strength to pick herself up. She could stand up for herself, just as her father had said she could. And she admitted to herself that she loved Logan. But could she admit it to Logan?

“And when the vampires get to sucking . . . Bree are you listening to me? I’m talking about hot vampire sex here.”

“I don’t know about Bree, but I sure am listening.” Logan grinned from where he was leaning against Bree’s office door.

“Logan!” Bree and Shirley said at the same time. Bree was nervous, but the look on Shirley’s face as she gave Logan a once-over had her laughing again.

“Yeah, you would make a hot vampire. Did you know they can have sex all night long?” Bree coughed and Logan just slowly grinned.

“Then maybe I’m part vampire after all,” he said with a wink.

For the first time in Bree’s life, she saw Shirley blush and stare at Logan completely speechless. Of course Bree was having difficulty finding her words as well. Instead, images of Logan’s slate-colored eyes glowing as he nibbled her neck filled her head.

Logan stood with a smile on his face as he watched Shirley and Bree stand there open-mouthed. He couldn’t believe they hadn’t heard him. He’d even knocked, but then he caught Shirley’s conversation and decided to eavesdrop a little. It was always a mystery as to what women talked about, and now he knew. They talk about sex—just like men do. However, he was pretty sure he had never talked about having sex while galloping across the vast Texas plains or tucked away in a plush-lined coffin.

“Logan,” Bree stuttered again. “What are you doing here?”

“It’ six o’clock. I’m here to pick you up for dinner. Or we could skip dinner and try out some of the things Shirley was talking about. I might be able to dig up some silk ties . . .”

He smiled again at the sound of Shirley and Bree gulping. He had been trying to give Bree time to come to terms with their one night together. But after listening to all this talk of sex and seeing the way Bree was eyeing him, he didn’t feel like giving her any more time or space. Dinner at the romantic restaurant was going to be dramatically different from what he envisioned. And was he going to have fun!

Logan walked into the room, took Bree’s blazer off the back of her chair, and helped her slide it on. He turned to face her and straightened the lapels, letting his fingers brush the sides of her breasts. Bree’s eyes widened and she inhaled sharply.

“Ready?” he asked, picking up her purse and holding out his arm for her to take.

Bree nodded and slipped her hand into the crook of his arm. As he escorted Bree from the room, all he heard was Shirley whispering, “Lordy!”

* * *

Logan was able to get the smallest table in the farthest corner of the family-owned Italian restaurant. He poured Bree another glass of wine and continued to rub his thumb over her knuckles. He loved her reaction to him. Her cheeks had the sexiest blush that reminded him of their one night together. With every shift of his leg, his thigh would brush against hers under the table. The way Bree was pressing her leg into his told him she was just as affected by this slow torment as he was.

His plan for tonight had been an old-fashioned wooing. He was going to take her out for a romantic dinner. Then they were going to walk under the stars where he was going to tell her how much he loved her. But after seeing the way she practically devoured him with her eyes, he decided on another tactic. He was going to show her he wasn’t kidding when he said he could make love to her all night. Then when she was completely sated, he’d tell her he’s in love with her. It sounded like the perfect plan to him.

Bree took another sip of wine to wet her dry mouth. Logan had been driving her crazy all night long. He’d shift in his seat and his leg would press against hers. She’d feel his muscles taut and warm next to hers. Her mouth would go dry as she remembered rubbing those bare legs with hers . . . and now he was whispering his fingers against the sensitive skin of her wrist. She was sure he felt her pulse leaping, and by the sexy smile on his face, he was enjoying every minute of it.

Damn Shirley for talking about sex for an hour. Her whole body was nothing but a bundle of nerves now—a bundle of nerves Logan was expertly strumming.

“Are you ready to go?” Logan asked. His voice seemed rougher and lower now.

Dammit, Shirley! She was thinking about Shirley’s cowboy story. Logan could definitely be a cowboy. The muscled thighs she’d been feeling all night could squeeze—

“Are you okay? You look flushed,” Logan whispered as he helped her slide into her blazer.

“Um . . .y . . . yes,” she stammered. Smooth, Bree, real smooth. She tried to pull away and take a deep breath. If she could only have a second to herself to gather her wits, but no, Logan kept his hand on the small of her back as he led her from the restaurant.

“There’s a great view from my hotel room. I thought we could order some dessert and enjoy it.” Logan’s voice was so low and sexy she almost came right then. She only nodded as he drove off.

Logan made sure he kept touching Bree all the way to the hotel. A hand on her knee, a brush of his arm against hers—anything to keep her thinking about them together. He was enjoying this assault on her senses and, by the hungry look on her face, she was, too.

He had kept his desire under control, but as they neared the privacy of the elevator he could feel it starting to slip. Logan followed her into the elevator and pressed the button to the ninth floor. The second the doors closed, he was stepping in front of her and pushing her back against the wall.

“I’m done waiting, Bree. There are things we need to discuss. And we will . . . in the morning. Tonight you’re mine.”

He bent his head and captured her lips in a fiery kiss. Bree responded, threading her fingers through his hair. Logan pressed his body against her. His erection throbbed with need as he ran his hands over the curve of her hips.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, but Logan paid no attention as they tugged and pulled at each other. Managing to get out of the elevator by sheer luck, Bree decided to take control. She pushed Logan against his door and began to unbutton his shirt as he fumbled with the key. The sight of her small hands on his bare chest had him shoving the door open and pulling her inside. The door slammed at the same time his shirt fell to the floor next to hers.

He never broke their kiss as he stripped Bree of her clothes. His hands moved up her ribs and cupped her breasts. They fit perfectly in his hands, and when he rolled her nipples between his fingers, she moaned into his mouth before wrapping her hand around his length, leaving him hissing out his breath.

Bree’s body vibrated with excitement as Logan moved his lips down her jaw to her neck. He felt her pulse leap as he continued to kiss his way across her collarbone before he dipped his head lower and pulled a hard nipple into his mouth. He strained to control himself as Bree let out a slow moan of pleasure.

He cupped her most sensitive area and teasingly ran his finger lightly across her wet lips. She thrust her hips forward, seeking fulfillment to her growing need. Logan grinned against her breast. Bree had finally had enough teasing and pushed him back onto the bed.

“I think I’ve let you play long enough. It’s my turn now.”

Logan fell against the cool sheets and put his hands behind his head. He watched her climb on top of him and start to explore his body, gripping the pillow to stop himself from shoving her into the mattress and taking her right this second. Instead, he clenched his jaw and let her cover his chest with light, teasing kisses. Her long hair feathered along his skin, making his muscles ripple in anticipation.

When her warm kisses moved to his erection, his whole body jerked with sexual tension.

With a growl, Logan moved his hands from behind his head and grabbed Bree by the shoulders. She didn’t even try to hide her smile as he lifted her up and flipped her onto the bed. He covered her body with his and reached for the condoms he had bought.

“I’ll get that for you,” Bree said with the look of a tigress about to go in for the kill. She grabbed the condom from his hand and slowly slid it over him, her fingers teasing him as she went.

“All’s fair in love and war, sweetheart,” Logan got out through his clenched teeth. “And I intend to win this battle and have you screaming my name so often you won’t have a voice by morning.”

“I’d just like to see you try,” Bree shot back with a smile that made his erection jump in her hand.

Without saying a word, Logan bent his head and captured her lips in a fierce kiss as he plunged two fingers into her. When he had her panting, he removed his fingers and slid into her in one strong thrust. Just as he knew from the first time with Bree, she wasn’t a bystander to sex. She wrapped her legs around his waist and met each stroke with one of her own. Her nails dug into his shoulder as they both pushed each other toward pleasure. She was fighting him for control and what an enjoyable battle it was. As she screamed his name, he shouted hers.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Bree fell against the pillows and watched Logan climb from the bed. She enjoyed the view of his perfect behind as he headed to the bathroom. She rolled over and looked at the clock. It was already three in the morning. Time flies when you’re having hot sex. Apparently you become oblivious to everything around you, too. Thunder clapped and lightning lit up the room.

Bree swung her tired legs off the bed and took a couple of shaky steps to look out at the massive storm. She’d loved watching storms all her life. The way the thunder drummed and the rain played music on the rooftops soothed her.

She pulled aside the sheer curtain and peered out into the night. Lightning flashed and the skeleton of her building was illuminated. Bree smiled at it. A sense of pride filled her. This was hers and it was coming along. She had reason to believe it would be done in time and become a beautiful addition to downtown Atlanta. Lightning burst in the sky again, and Bree suddenly narrowed her eyes. She saw a man at her construction site, the person responsible for all the sabotage. She couldn’t see him clearly from this far away, though.

Bree sprinted for the door only to skid to a stop to grab Logan’s shirt and pick up her heels. “I got him, Logan!” Bree screamed before flinging the door open and shooting out into the hall. She ran past the elevator as she buttoned the shirt. She slammed her hands into the metal bar of the stairwell door and ran headlong down the stairs. Her bare feet slapped at the concrete, but she didn’t care. All she could think about was getting there in time to find out who was causing all this trouble and pain.

She pushed the bottom door open and sprinted through the luxurious lobby as the night crew stared after her. The rain soaked her in seconds, but the lightning lit her way. Her bare feet splashed through the rainwater on the street as she ran across it to the construction site. Cursing that she didn’t have her boots, Bree struggled to slip the high heels onto her wet feet. As soon as she got them on, she felt a nail lodge in the sole of her shoes and was glad she had at least some protection. Bree ignored the nails and debris and darted into the shadows of the construction site on her tiptoes.

Logan heard Bree shout but couldn’t understand what she said while he washed his face. He set down the washcloth and opened the door to the bathroom. “What did you say, Bree?”

Logan patted his face dry with a towel and slowly lowered it from his face as he realized the room was quiet, too quiet.

“Bree?”

Logan peered around the empty room puzzled. Her dress was still there, but her heels were gone. Her purse still lay by the door. It was then he saw the drapes to the window open. He hurried to the window and looked out at the corporate center in time to see Bree darting across the street.

Logan didn’t waste time. He shoved his legs into his pants and gave up looking for his shirt. He found one shoe and slid his foot into it as he frantically looked for the other one. Valuable time was passing. It felt like forever, when in reality it only took him a couple of seconds to locate the other shoe.

He bolted from the door and hoped he wasn’t too late to protect her from whatever danger was lurking in the storm.

Bree’s heels sunk quietly into the mud forming around the build. She slowed her pace and lifted her foot from the mud as she pressed herself against the newly arrived crates of building materials. Her foot hit something hard and she held her breath, hoping the man didn’t hear it. She could catch glimpses of him as he moved around the interior of the building. He had grown bold and turned on a flashlight as he moved.

Bree looked down at what she had hit and picked up the metal crowbar. It couldn’t hurt to have this with her. She snuck forward with the crowbar laying flat against her naked leg. She didn’t care, though. She didn’t care that the dark blue dress shirt was clinging to her and barely covered her bottom. All she cared about was finding out who this man was.

She stepped out of the rain and into the building. Floors and ceilings had been repaired and were keeping the worst of the weather out. Bree went up on her tiptoes as she quietly made her way toward the last place she saw the light. The sound of feet scuffing the ground caused her to spin around and peer into the darkness. Bree gripped the crowbar tightly against her leg and frantically scanned the shadows. Her heart beat loudly, and she forced herself to take slow, deep breaths. Everything looked sinister.

The impact was so sudden that Bree didn’t have time to react. She went down hard on the concrete and was quickly flipped onto her back as a weight settled across her hips. She looked into the black mask where the face of the man straddling her should have been.

“So you are watching me like I am watching you. I thought you’d get my message and come meet me. Nice outfit.” His voice was a harsh whisper that Bree struggled to hear against the storm.

“According to your letters, you like my outfits. I’m glad I didn’t disappoint.”

She felt rather than heard the man chuckle. “It’s a shame things weren’t different. Together we’d have no limits—no one getting in our way. We’d take over Atlanta together. But, alas, it cannot be.”

“Why can’t it be?” Bree asked as she slowly moved her fingers along the concrete in search of the crowbar she’d dropped when she was hit.

“Don’t play dumb. I know you’re not, so knock it off,” he hissed, agitated at her. Bree’s middle finger felt something hard and cold. She flinched at his words and managed to move her arm just enough to palm the crowbar.

“You’re right. I’m not,” she said as she closed her hand around the crowbar and swung at the same time Logan spotted them.

“Bree!”

The crowbar met with the man’s shoulder. He grunted and ripped it from her hands. “Three’s a crowd. Next time we meet, we’ll be uninterrupted.”

The man pulled back his fist and Bree covered her face with her arms to protect her face from the hit. Instead, she felt all the air rush from her lungs as his fist connected with her solar plexus. She gasped for air and rolled to her side. The pain of having the wind knocked out left her struggling as she watched the man disappear into the night.

“Bree!” This time Logan was next to her, running his hands over her, looking for injuries. “Are you okay? Where are you hurt?” Bree tried to gasp for air but panic clawed at her.

“Can’t. Breathe.”

She felt Logan’s arm slipping under her shoulders and pulling her up. “Here. You got the wind knocked out of you. Sit up and take deep breaths.”

Bree sat up straight and struggled against the panic. She continued to gasp but soon she was breathing normally again.

“What happened?”

Bree let her head fall back against his shoulder as breathing became easy once again. “When you called out, he punched me in the stomach and ran away.”

“What happened before that? Who was he?”

“I don’t know. He had a mask on. But he said he’s been watching me and knew I would come.”

Headlights filled the construction site with light as people started to rush to them.

“Freeze!”

Bree looked up at the young police officer with a mop of unruly blond hair trying to stay contained under his hat. “I’m Bree Simpson. I own this building. And this is Logan Ward. He’s the architect,” Bree said as loud as she could. It still hurt to raise her voice after the punch.

“Let me see some identification,” the officer said as he kept the gun trained on them and stepped closer.

Logan shifted behind her and pulled out his wallet. “Here’s mine. Bree saw an intruder from my hotel room and rushed out without her purse. She confronted a man in a mask who then assaulted her with a punch to the stomach as I came upon them.”

“Is this true, ma’am?”

“Yes. He knocked the wind out of me and ran off in that direction,” Bree pointed to the last location she’d seen the man.

“Stay here, please,” the officer said as he took off in the same direction.

“You may want to go with him. He’s a baby,” Bree said as she struggled to stand.

“He’s old enough to be a police officer, sweetheart. I’m sure he’ll be fine. But you are not so lucky.”

“What do you mean?”

“What the hell were you thinking about taking off alone and mostly naked?”

Bree felt herself stiffen at the criticism. “Excuse me?” she asked quietly. What right did he have to berate her? “You’re acting as if you have a say in what I do.”

“Oh, Bree, stop it. I know you’re tough. I know you feel you must stand up to bullies. But you don’t have to be strong all the time. I’m here, too, you know.”

“For a week!” Bree was embarrassed when her voice cracked with emotion. This was the real reason she’d been acting tough. She was alone. She didn’t have anyone to be her partner in life. She didn’t have anyone to stand behind her supporting her. She cleared her throat and tried to stop the tears pressing against her eyelids. “You’re only here a week, Logan. I can’t depend on you. If I start and you leave . . .”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Logan said softly as he pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her wet hair. “Can’t you tell I love you?”

Bree’s heart swelled and then plummeted into her stomach. “I love you, too. But, Logan, what are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. Whatever it is, we’ll do it together.”

The sound of a throat clearing had Logan turning quickly and shielding Bree from potential harm. Instead, it was just the young officer standing there looking uncomfortable.

“I’m sorry to interrupt. I found fresh footsteps in the mud, but the rain washed them away pretty quickly. I snapped a picture, but that won’t help too much. Do you think you need an ambulance, Miss Simpson?”

“No, thank you. I’m fine now, Officer . . .” Bree said as she peeked around Logan’s wide shoulders.

“Macey,” the young man supplied. “If you’d like, I have a blanket in my cruiser. I’ll bring it in here and take your statement.”

“That’s nice of you, Officer Macey, but I won’t waste your time. All the reports I’ve filed have all ended in the garbage anyway.”

“What reports?”

“The explosion, the cut locks, the destruction of equipment. I just got my car back from when it was vandalized. But nothing was ever done about it. Gruber made sure of that. So don’t worry about a little assault,” Bree said with a smile. She wasn’t mad. She’d stopped being mad after Gruber had been arrested. It was just the way it was.

Officer Macey’s lips thinned in a hard line as he shook his head. “Oh no, Miss Simpson. I won’t let anything happen to you or your property. Gruber is a disgrace to the uniform. He’s not the only one either, but ninety-nine percent of us are the good guys. I’m going to prove it to you.”

Bree watched Macey stalk out to the car and come back with a tablet and a blanket. “Let’s start at the beginning. When was the first act of vandalism?”

Bree looked in surprise at Logan who just smiled. “It looks like we have some help after all. Officer Macey, get ready for a long night.”

The three of them sat on upturned buckets as Bree and Logan told Officer Macey of every incident since she’d been awarded the contract.

* * *

Logan finished up the questions Officer Macey had for them as the first rays of light streamed through the steel beams of the corporate center. Bree had fallen asleep an hour ago. This certainly wasn’t the way he wanted to spend their morning, but Officer Macey had decided to champion them.

“You know, there’s an Agent Delmont with the FBI who’s heading up the investigation into Gruber. You should contact him with any information.”

Bree stirred in his arms as a ray of light hit her face. She tried to shove it away but finally gave up and cracked her eye open.

“Morning,” he said, dropping a kiss on her head as Officer Macey looked slightly embarrassed.

“I’m so sorry I fell asleep.”

“It’s all right. Mr. Ward answered all my questions and Miss Weston sent me the video footage. Unfortunately, we didn’t see a face or a car, but at least it’s something to go on. I will not let you down. I’ll get to the bottom of this. Don’t you worry, Miss Simpson.”

Logan smiled at his earnestness and helped Bree stand up. He quickly pulled the blanket around her to hide the wide span of legs she was flashing.

“Thank you, Officer. You’re right. Just a few bad apples can spoil the bushel. I should know better than to give up hope. You’ve restored that for me. Please keep me updated on anything you find.”

“Oh, I will. You can count on me!” Officer Macey hurried to his cruiser and took off.

By the time Bree and Logan had walked half-dressed through the lobby of the hotel and talked the front desk into giving them a new key, she was ready to crawl into bed for the rest of the day.

“Come on, let me run a hot shower for you, and then you need to get some sleep.” Logan led her into his room and turned on the shower. It seemed an eternity since they had been making love, when it really had just been a couple hours.

“I’d better call Noah and tell him I’m taking this morning off and tomorrow afternoon for my dress fitting,” Bree groaned, “and I have to call my family.”

“You call Noah and I’ll fill your family in on what’s going on while you take your shower.”