EMILY
When I woke up, my head didn’t hurt. I wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was for the same reason that I could actually remember everything that had happened the night before. Something different about sake and my body maybe. All I knew was I didn’t seem to have a full hangover.
Sighing, I threw off my covers. The door between our rooms was open with a note taped next to the door frame. I walked over to the door and leaned over to read the paper.
At a business meeting. I’ll be back around lunch. Take advantage of the hotel and order any room service you want.
My stomach gurgled at the last part. I hadn’t escaped a hangover entirely. Even if I didn’t have a headache from my adventures with the sake, I didn’t want to risk eating anything right away.
My hand rose, and I moved to close the door but changed my mind. I wasn’t even sure why. Something about the rooms being directly connected made me happy, made me feel connected to Logan.
I don’t know why he’d done it, and I hoped he felt the same.
I stared down at my rumpled dress, wishing I could have been sober enough to undress. I couldn’t blame Logan. It wasn’t like it was his responsibility to do anything other than make sure I made it back it back to my hotel room.
Heat burned my face, thinking over the previous night. I’d thrown myself at him again. He’d not taken me up on my offer. That was a good thing. I was totally drunk after all. We would have both regretted it, or at least I would have.
So why did I feel so disappointed? Would I have actually regretted it?
Maybe the only reason I regretted our first kiss was because I didn’t remember it.
I shook my head and let out another long sigh. I remembered the night before too much to pretend anymore. Or to lie to myself anymore. Logan wanted me as more than a friend. He’d made that clear, even if he was still enough of a gentleman to put me to bed without so much as a kiss.
When we’re finally together for the first time, I want you to remember it for the rest of your life.
The memory of the words made me shiver in anticipation. If I was really trying to avoid something happening, why did I travel halfway across the world with him? He might have been playful before, but it wasn’t like I hadn’t noticed the longing looks filled with lust.
I shed my clothes and headed to the bathroom. I’d have plenty of time to think about Logan after a nice, long bath.
* * *
I followed the bath with a massage in the in-hotel spa on the first floor. By the time that was over, my stomach had calmed down, and so, I downed a little room service before settling in for a nap in the soft white terrycloth hotel robe.
The sound of a nearby door clicking woke me, and I sat up in my bed, rubbing my eyes. I didn’t see Logan for a few seconds until he passed the open doorway, a briefcase in hand. He offered me a smile.
I smiled back. Between the bath, massage, and nap, I was more relaxed than I’d been in years. Nothing weighed me down. Lionel was thousands of miles away. I had a wonderful daughter, and I had the week off from work.
Logan dropped the briefcase on his bed and took off his suit jacket to hang it. He unbuttoned his collar and tossed his tie on the bed before rolling up his sleeves.
“I thought this was going to be a bit of a bear as far as the negotiations went,” Logan said. “But this is all but a done deal. I think I’ll be able to wrap it early, and I might be able to go sightseeing with you the last couple of days.” He shrugged. “I don’t have to go back today though. So, how about some lunch?”
Watching him, something about his open collar and rolled-up sleeves made my insides clench.
I stared at him, thinking about the night before. I kept asking myself why I was holding myself back. Sure, I had my excuses. Trust, Juniper, Mama. But they were just that. Excuses.
And it was time for no more excuses.
Logan furrowed his brow and stepped into my room. “Is something wrong, Emily?”
I shook my head. “I’m not drunk now, and I’ll remember everything.”
He blinked. I untied my robe and let it drop to the ground, my breathing slow and steady.
Logan’s gaze traveled up and down my body. Lust ate away the confusion on his face. He stalked over to me, his dark eyes now locked on mine.
I wrapped my arms around his neck. Our mouths crashed together. He parted the seam of my lips before his tongue darted inside. Our tongues twined and wrestled with each other.
Logan’s hands drifted down to my waist, and he pulled me flush against him, crushing my breasts against his chest, my already hardened nipples rubbing against the fabric of his shirt. His tongue continued its eager invasion of my mouth. Warmth spread from my center. His hardness pressed against me through his pants.