“And you’d appreciate it if I did the same for you.” A whisper of a smile touched her lips. “I think you caught me revealing my bias against the upper class.”
“Instead of judging me based on what you know about me.”
She glanced at his hand extended in invitation. “But I hardly know you.”
“Oh, I think you do.” He kept his palm faceup and never let his gaze stray from hers. “Trust me.”
She hesitated. To Logan, those seconds felt like an eternity, until finally, she joined her hand with his.
Soft and smooth, her skin felt like silk to his touch. Enjoying the feel of her, he brushed his thumb over the pulse point in her wrist. She merely stared, her eyes glittering like emeralds as she waited for his next move.
“So, tell me about yourself.”
She blinked, obviously startled by his question.
But Logan had his reasons. He didn’t plan on wasting one minute of the time he had her to himself. “Why don’t you start with your family?” he asked when she didn’t answer right away.
She shrugged. “Not much to tell. Like you, I have a sister. We share the running of the business, but right now, she’s pregnant and on bed rest. She’s married to an arrogant cop.” Her grin was at odds with her choice of words. Obviously, she didn’t dislike the man as much as she proclaimed.
“Anyone else?”
She shook her head. “My mom died years ago, and Dad walked out when we were young. I don’t even remember him. And then I had an aunt and uncle but they…” Catherine paused, and Logan sensed she was debating revealing her family history. “They died last year.”
He didn’t blame her for keeping quiet. Emma’s revelations about her uncle probably weren’t something Catherine considered first-date conversation. He wasn’t bothered. She’d have plenty of time to learn to trust and confide in him.
“That’s a lot of loss,” he said.
She shrugged. “It’s life.”
He wondered how much of that cavalier attitude had been shaped by necessity, how much by being so alone. “Is your sister older or younger?”
“Kayla’s younger by only ten months but she’s the more centered sister.”
He narrowed his eyes. Logan didn’t like the hint of self-criticism in her words. “Something tells me you’re not giving yourself enough credit.”
She cocked her head to the side. “I think I know myself better than you.”
He glanced down at the hand he still held in his. He turned her hand palm upward and traced the fine lines in her skin. A subtle tremor shot through her and her body visibly shook in reaction.
He smiled, pleased. “Maybe so. But I’d like to know you as well as you know yourself. And I just watched you cater an entire party under stressful conditions—successfully, I might add. So, putting yourself second to your sister doesn’t cut it for me.”
“There’s a difference between putting yourself second and knowing your strengths and weaknesses. The only way to be successful in life is to know yourself. Inside and out.”
“You impress me, Ms. Luck.”
She grinned. “Thank you, Mr. Montgomery.”
“It’s Logan, remember?”
Catherine remembered. Every minute inside that closet was etched in her memory. She licked her dry lips, and his gaze followed the unconscious movement.
“Now, care to tell me why a party that had the guests raving had you so uptight?”
* * *
Catherine’s emotions warred inside her. Pleasure that Logan approved of her job performance fought with wariness of his motives for complimenting her. Alone in his house, seduction couldn’t be far from his mind. Heaven knows it wasn’t far from hers.
He held her hand in a gentle yet strong and self-assured grip. That light touch alone sent her senses soaring. “I cater parties for a living. This one wasn’t any more stressful than most.”