Logan's Redemption (9 page)

Doriana picked up a pencil from her desk and twirled it between her fingers. Her nervous habit made Logan smile, and he wondered if she did that only when he was around. Was she bothered that Anita walked in, or that they’d been about to kiss?

“Anita, what brings you to Center City?” Doriana asked.

The brunette strolled into the room, her hand outstretched to Logan. “I’m Anita Santisi, Doriana’s cousin.”

Logan took her hand and smiled. “Logan Tanner. Temporary assistant.”

“Temporary? Pity.” She glanced at Doriana. “He’s a keeper.”

Doriana narrowed her eyes and gave Anita a quelling look. Logan grinned.

Dimpling, the brunette continued to hold his hand. “Have we met before? You look familiar, but if I’d met a gorgeous hunk like you I’d remember.”

Laughing, Logan pulled his hand free. “We’ve never met.”

Frowning, Anita studied him.

“What brings you here, Anita?” Doriana asked in a tight voice. “Don’t you have a client with a hair emergency somewhere?”

“Meow,” Anita said, laughing.

Logan rubbed a hand over his mouth to cover his grin. Was Doriana jealous? He hoped so.  

The phone rang. Doriana lunged for it as if she welcomed the intrusion. “Yes,” she said into the phone. Her face paled and she handed the receiver to Logan. “It’s for you.”

The short rings told him the call was internal. Dan wanting an update? Logan picked up the receiver. “Logan here.”

“Logan, it’s me.” He stiffened when he heard Candi’s breathy voice.

“Yes?”

“Can you talk?”

“I’ll call you back.” He replaced the receiver. “I’ve got some work to do in my office, Doriana. Can we talk about the chart later?”

She nodded, pink staining her cheeks.

He left the room, leaving the door slightly open.

“What a hunk,” he heard Anita say. “I’ll bet that was a woman calling him.”

“You bet right,” Doriana said.

“Why, Miss Doriana, I do believe you’re jealous,” Anita said in a fake Southern accent.

“Close that door, Anita. Right now.”

Before closing the door, Anita winked at Logan where he stood just outside. He grinned back at her.

Was Doriana jealous of other women? He shrugged off the thought, but couldn’t shrug off his rush of pleasure.     

He picked up his phone and punched in Candi’s extension. He hadn’t had a chance to talk to her alone since Monday. “What’s up?” he said when she answered.

“I need to talk to you.” She sounded stressed. “Away from work.”

“Are you okay, Candi?”

“No. Yes, I’m fine. I need to see you. I know a little coffee shop at the Italian Market. Can we meet there tomorrow morning?”

Logan got directions to the coffee shop and hung up the phone. He hoped Candi would give him information that would help break this case. So far there had been no further thefts or vandalism. He wanted to catch the culprit before he struck again. Jo was Fed-Exing the information on Bryce James. Maybe he’d resolve this case and head home to Arizona sooner than he thought.

Home. Hot. Sunny. Lonely. He suspected his life would be even lonelier now that he’d found Doriana again. Logan rounded his desk and signed onto his computer. He tried to concentrate on work but thoughts intruded. He didn’t belong in Doriana’s world and he’d better remember that.  

* * * *

Doriana averted her gaze from her cousin. “I do not care what women Logan sees. He’s a temp doing Lisa’s job until her leave is over. Then he’ll be gone.”

At the thought of Logan’s going, regret washed over Doriana. Despite her attempts at a professional attitude with him, Logan brought a vividness into her life that had been missing.

“Sure looked like there was something going on between you two when I walked in.” Anita sat in the chair opposite Doriana’s desk and stretched out her legs, encased in the latest stiletto boots.

“There’s nothing going on,” Doriana said. “Logan’s not my type and he flits from job to job. Not very stable.”
And not good father material
, she thought, glancing over at Josh’s picture. Josh’s three-year-old face smiled back at her, all trust and innocence. Where had that little boy gone?   

“Don’t be embarrassed, Doriana,” Anita said, drawing her attention. “If you’re having a little fling with hunky Mr. Temp, no one will think anything of it. It’s been three years since Karl, jerk that he was. My God, woman, how can you stand being without a man that long?”

Doriana stood and pressed her palms on her desk. “That’s enough. There is nothing between Logan and me. He works for me. And I have a fifteen-year-old to consider.”

“You’ve always put Josh first. You’re a good mother. But you need to do something for yourself.”

“How would it look if I jumped into bed with every man I met?” Doriana asked.

“Settle down.” Laughing, Anita leaned closer. “It wouldn’t hurt to let loose once in a while. You can be discreet. Kids nowadays are pretty smart. Josh would understand if you have a boyfriend.”

“I’ve never let a man stay overnight at my house with Josh there, and I’m not about to start.” Doriana cut the air with her hands and sat down. “Enough about my love life, or lack thereof. What are you doing here? The most sought-after hair stylist in Philadelphia must have clients clamoring for her time.”

“Thanks, I think,” Anita said with a wry grin. “I scheduled a free afternoon to pamper myself for a change. I figured I’d stop by to see what time you want to meet at the Italian Market tomorrow morning. You know Nonna will only use meat from Vito’s for her wedding soup.”

“The wedding soup.” Doriana massaged her temple, fighting the beginnings of a headache. “I may have to cancel. I’m swamped with work.”

Anita narrowed her eyes. “You’re not getting out of it, Cuz. Nonna looks forward to this every year. She gets to spend time with her two favorite grandkids. You can’t disappoint her.”

“You know all the right buttons to push.” Doriana released a deep sigh. “Okay, I’ll meet you at the Market at nine.”

“Great,” Anita said, standing. “And Sunday I’ll take you to my shop and cut your hair. You need a new style. Something hot that will make Mr. Eye Candy out there sit up and take notice.”

“Stop that. I don’t care what Logan thinks.”

“Yeah, sure,” Anita said. “You were never a good liar.”

“Subject closed.”  

“Okay, then. Get a haircut to make
you
feel better. It’ll be my Christmas gift to you, so you can’t refuse.” She smiled. “Do you know how many of my clients would sell their souls for a free haircut from me?”

“I know. I can’t get an appointment with you.”

Laughing, Anita turned toward the door. “Gotta run. See you tomorrow.”

* * * *

The morning sun seeped into her bones and Doriana shivered as she waited for Anita at the entrance to the Italian Market. Despite all the work waiting in her office, Doriana determined to put aside business and personal problems today. She wanted to enjoy the annual wedding soup day with Anita and Nonna and Mom. Josh had promised to stop by later, offering to be their official taste tester.

Doriana smiled. She and Josh had been getting along well lately. She loved him so much. Regardless of the hurt Logan inflicted on her by leaving all those years ago, he’d given her Josh. And Josh was so like Logan. They had the same expressions and mannerisms. They even walked alike.

What had possessed her to kiss Logan in her office Monday evening? She’d not been able to focus on anything else during the charity dinner. All she could think about was the feel of Logan’s lips on hers, the touch of his hands and his heated skin.

Every night since, she’d tossed and turned, unable to sleep, her body and mind filled with yearnings that Logan had awakened in her. She’d tried to keep her distance from Logan the rest of the week, fighting her attraction to him, but she’d lost the battle.

“Sorry I’m late.” Anita approached, dressed in her usual black, clutching two paper cups. “This coffee will warm you up.” She handed one of the cups to Doriana.

“Thanks. I needed this. Let’s get going. It’s cold standing here.”

They threaded their way through the crowd, walking past vendors and shops selling everything from fish kept cool on layers of ice to delectable looking cannolis. With smiles and small waves at the shop owners who sent good-natured whistles their way, the two women headed for the meat market at the other end of the street.

“Those cannolis are calling my name.” Anita pointed to the cream-filled delicacies in the window of a pastry shop.

“Let’s get some for Nonna,” Doriana said. “You know how much she loves them.”

“Great idea,” Anita said.

They started to cross to the pastry shop when Anita grabbed Doriana’s arm, stopping her. Doriana frowned. “What?”  

“Isn’t that your hunky temp over there?” Anita inclined her head toward the coffee shop next to the bakery.

Doriana followed Anita’s gaze. Logan and Candi were seated by the window inside the small shop. Logan was brushing back the long strands of Candi’s blonde hair and caressing her cheek.

Doriana’s heart plummeted like a wrecking ball loosened from its chains. Shock cemented her to the spot.

As if he knew she watched, Logan turned his head and his gaze locked with Doriana’s. The loud shouts of the boisterous crowd and the honking of car horns faded as she and Logan stared at each other. Electricity arced between them across the crowded street.

Someone jostled Doriana, breaking the connection.

“Let’s get to the meat shop.” She grabbed Anita’s arm and dragged her away.

“What about the cannolis?” Anita asked.

* * * *

Candi jerked away from Logan and let her hair fall into place, covering her jaw again. She glanced out the window and back to him. “Who would have thought Boss Lady shops the Italian Market? She looked upset. She’s got a thing for you.”

“There’s nothing between me and Doriana,” Logan said. Doriana wasn’t upset to see him with Candi. Doriana didn’t care about him. He’d be a fool to believe she did.

The waitress came with their coffee. Logan used the time fixing his drink to get his twisted emotions under control. Regardless of how Doriana felt about him, he didn’t want her to believe he was the kind of guy who dated any woman who threw herself at him. Maybe he hadn’t had Doriana’s respect all those years ago, but he’d have it now.

First he had a job to do. He turned his attention back to Candi. “Forget Doriana. Tell me about that bruise on your jaw, the one you tried to hide with your hair. Who did it to you?”  

Candi stirred her coffee, looking down at her cup.

Logan had seen enough bruises to know the one on Candi’s jaw was about a day old and put there by someone’s fist. Anger roiled him. He’d been on the receiving end of his father’s fist more times than he cared to count.

Candi looked at him, and tears welled in her eyes. “I walked into a door.”

“I’ve heard that one before,” he said. “Who is the bastard who did that to you?”

“No one,” she whispered.

“Candi, tell me the truth.”

She sipped coffee, avoiding his gaze and looking around the room crowded with breakfast patrons. Sighing, she put her cup down and looked into Logan’s eyes. “He really loves me. He doesn’t mean to hurt me. He needs me. He says he’ll stop, but lately he’s gotten worse. But it’s not his fault. Life hasn’t been good to him.”

“Damn it, Candi.” He banged his fist on the Formica table. Several other diners turned to stare. “Quit enabling him. It’s not love when a man uses his fists on someone smaller and less powerful. There are groups to help. I’ll put you in touch with some of them.”

A mask came over her features and he knew he was losing her. He leaned over the table and took her chin between his fingers. “Listen to me. Whoever the bastard is, he won’t change. And you can’t change him. I know. You need to get out of this relationship now. Before he kills you.”

Fear flickered in her eyes. He’d been harsh, but he needed to be, for her sake.

Logan gave her an encouraging smile. Beneath her brashness and overt sexuality lurked a scared little girl. “You don’t deserve this kind of treatment. No one does.”   

She blinked and pulled free of him to grab her coffee cup. She drank quickly and set the mug on the table.   

Logan signaled the waitress for more coffee.

When the waitress had refilled both their cups, Candi turned to Logan. Sadness shadowed her blue eyes. “I haven’t been straight with him. I’ve done things. He needs me. And I’ve betrayed him.”

Laughter at the next table drew Logan’s attention. He looked over, using the distraction to gather his thoughts. He needed to convince Candi to leave the bastard, but he knew he faced an uphill fight.

He turned back to her. “His abuse is a betrayal. He won’t stop. Let me help.”

She shook her head. “He’ll kill me for sure if I leave him or call the police.” Desperation laced her voice. “You’re a nice guy, Logan. But I’m not really a good person.”