Your Captivating Love (The Bennett Family 2)

“Well, good is relative. Interpretable.”

Logan groans, circling the table to stop right next to me. My body buzzes with life at his proximity.

“Also in the interest of starting with a clean slate, please tell me what you’ve been told. I need to debunk those myths.”

“Nothing too bad, don’t worry. That you’re smart, competitive.” With a smile, I add as an afterthought, “And that you have a giant-sized ego.”

Logan gives me an I-told-you-so look. “See, that last bit is entirely untrue.”

“Is that so?”

“You have my word.”

“Mmm... Actions speak louder than words. Time will tell.”

“Am I on a probation period of some kind?” He leans toward me, and I take a deep breath. Big mistake. He smells amazing: ocean and sandalwood and inherent masculinity. My knees weaken.

“Maybe,” I answer playfully. He laughs, a sound that puts me at ease and makes my heart gallop all at once. Logan Bennett isn’t just sexy; this man is sex on a stick.

Logan trains his eyes on me. “I’ve heard a lot about you too.”

“Do I need to prepare my defense?”

“No need. I’ve heard only good things.”

“Really? What did you hear?”

“That you’re smart, passionate, and driven.”

I grin. “Ava can pitch a person, can’t she?”

“She can, and she’s rarely wrong.”

Ava works with Logan, Sebastian, and Pippa at Bennett Enterprises. My friend is brilliant, and I love her. We met in New York during college, and we’ve been friends ever since.

Someone knocks into me from behind, sending a sharp pain through my shoulder and hip. An inebriated asshole grins at me, staring languidly at my cleavage. I ball my hands into fists, preparing to apply what I’ve learned in my self-defense lessons if he makes as much as one inappropriate comment.

“Apologize to her,” Logan booms, and the asshole cowers under Logan’s gaze; I suspect his impressive height and build also contribute.

“Sorry,” the guy says and scurries away. Logan rubs his palm up and down my back in a protective gesture. His touch burns me and, at the same time, a sense of safety grips me.

“I heard you want to open a clothing store,” Logan says in an obvious attempt to get over the asshole incident.

“I do. A luxury gowns boutique.”

“It’s a great idea.”

“You really think so?” Aside from Ava, people usually don’t react enthusiastically, often countering with “Wouldn’t a job be safer?” Yeah, I’m chasing a dream. But if I don’t do it, no one will do it for me.

“Yeah, I’m all up for people striking out on their own.”

“It’s risky, but I’ve decided not to put it off any longer. It’s been my dream for a long time. I’ve had a few hiccups on the road, and now I’ve decided to do it.”

“Hiccups” is putting it mildly. I’ve been saving for this ever since college and hoped to open the shop by the time I was twenty-five. Then life happened. My parents lost their jobs, and I moved back home to help them, which depleted my savings. I don’t regret it, though. I would do anything to help my parents. After they were back on their feet, I started saving again for my shop.

Then I met Thomas, and things went south once again. I shake my head, steeling myself. I won’t think about my ex now; he’s in the past, and that’s where he belongs. I bounced back after his betrayal, working harder than ever. This time, I’ll make it. Logan’s staring at me, a mix of worry and curiosity in his eyes. Damn, am I so easy to read?

I give myself a mental slap. I have all the reasons to smile, after all. I moved to a new city, close to my best friend. I have a sexy man in front of me, who may or may not be flirting with me. He’s completely off-limits, but that’s something I’ll worry about later on.