A Forever Kind of Love (Kinds of Love 1)

“Travel, Inc.'s portion of it perhaps, but what about yours? Or did you just forget about our little car ride?” I was a little afraid I was going to crush the delicate stemware in my fist and spill champagne and glass all over the garden.

He had the good grace to blush slightly. “I wanted to apologize about that...”

“Then why didn't you?” I demanded, my temper starting to boil over. “Why did you never call me?”

“Olivia, I wanted to-- I really did-- but I couldn't,” he explained. He ran a hand through his hair and dislodged another curl from his slick hairstyle. A few more passes and he would look like himself again.

“Because it is so hard to pick up a phone.” I took a step toward him and glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. “I'm not usually that kind of girl, but I did think I at least merited a phone call. The business part I could probably have forgiven as 'just business', but the fact that you led me on is inexcusable. You let me think I was... You could have at least told me that I meant nothing to you.”

He paled as my accusation hit its mark. “Olivia, it's complicated.” He started to reach out as if he wanted to touch me but thought better of it and put his hands in his pockets. “I wanted to, but my father made it very clear that I wasn't to contact you. I'm sorry.”

“Unbelievable.” I shook my head in disgust. “I'm so glad you do everything your father says. Do you st

ill get an allowance for doing your homework and feeding the dog?”

“You're right. I should have called,” he said softly, retreating further. “I should have done things differently.”

“You're damn right you should have.” I stepped back from him, wanting to put as much distance as possible between us. For all his good looks, swagger and charm, he was still a little boy under his father's influence. “You missed out on a good thing, both me and Dream Vacations.”

He held me in his eyes for a moment. His expression was bleak, as if he was calculating the extent of his mistake and finding it bigger than he had first imagined. “Believe me, I know.”

We stood there in silence for a moment, the two of us just staring at one another and trying to figure out how to get out of this very awkward conversation.

“Olivia, I'm back,” Maddy announced, strolling up beside me and breaking the strange silence. “Who is this handsome young man you've found?”

“Maddy, this is Logan Hayes,” I said flatly. “Logan, this is Maddy Sawyer, the co-owner of Dream Vacations.”

“Oh my,” Maddy replied with a blush. “You are even better looking in person. I can totally see why Olivia follows you in the paper, on myFace, and won't stop talking about you.”

I closed my eyes and counted to five. That was the last thing I wanted Logan to know. I wanted him to think I cared even less for him than he did for me. I didn't need him knowing he had broken my heart in just one night. “No more champagne for you, Maddy.”

“Why? I'm enjoying myself,” Maddy asked, puzzled. I took a big breath before I opened my eyes and glared at her. “Oh. You're that Logan Hayes. Travel-Inc-broke-your-heart-and-scared-off-all-your-investors Logan Hayes. Got it. Shutting up now.”

Logan frowned. “What do you mean, 'broke-your-heart-and-scared-off-your-investors?'”

I purposefully ignored the first part of the question. “When word got out that Travel, Inc.'s Logan Hayes had taken me out for drinks and then dumped my business to the curb the next day, everyone thought there had to be a reason. Most of them assumed it was because you learned some terrible secret about my business. I could barely get a small business loan from the bank thanks to you.” The last part was a bit of an exaggeration, but I didn't care. It got the point across.

Logan's face fell. “I had no idea. No one ever said anything to me. I'm sorry,” he stammered, losing his usual calm confidence.

“Apology not accepted,” I replied tartly. I was still pissed.

“Yeah,” Maddy chimed in, her voice slurring. “She still cries about it sometimes.”

There was an awkward pause during which the three of us just stared at the ground for a moment. No one seemed to know what to say. The celebratory sounds of the wedding drifted up and provided a strange contrast to our uncomfortable lack of festivity. Logan was silent and then shook himself awake as if he came to some sort of conclusion in his head. Hopefully, it was to leave me alone.

“Well, it was delightful to meet you, Maddy.” Logan held out his hand to shake hers. She reciprocated firmly, and pulled him in close to her.

“If you could forget the fact that I mentioned you broke Liv's heart, that would be great,” she whispered, thinking I wouldn't hear. Except I could hear every cringe-inducing word. “She wouldn't want you to know that, especially because I don't think she's over you.”

I was never letting her drink again. She couldn't hold onto a secret with duct tape and super glue. I half-expected her to give him my Social Security number and bank PIN while she was at it.

“Consider it forgotten,” he assured her with an all-too-confident smile. I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to convince myself that killing them both would be too much work.

Logan cleared his throat, and I looked up and into his eyes. They were big pools of brown velvet that, despite my best efforts to resist them, sucked me in. My heart pounded in my chest as I struggled to look away. He smiled, and I realized he didn't look quite as tired as he had before. “It was wonderful to see you, Olivia. I hope to run into you again soon.”

“I wish I could say the same.” I plastered an obviously fake smile on my face and blinked demurely. He grinned and stepped forward, leaning in so he could whisper in my ear. Maddy's betrayal had given him back his usual cockiness in spades. He now knew he could drive me crazy, and that I wouldn't be able to stop him.

“I'll take that as a challenge,” he said, his breath tickling my hair. He smelled amazing; like soap and testosterone goodness. My stomach tightened as heat surged through me. I was so mad at him, but my body craved his like a drug. Dear Lord, I had forgotten just how good he smelled. It wasn't fair that he could twist my mind and body up so easily just by standing close to me. “Someday, you'll look forward to seeing me again.”