Your Captivating Love (The Bennett Family 2)

Nadine: He can’t see me anymore. I can be as naughty as I want with the chocolate man.

Logan: Are you trying to make me jealous?

Nadine: Is it working?

Logan: Yes.

Nadine: Great. Jealous enough to return one day earlier?

Logan: No can do, though I’ll make sure to tell the shop to send someone else with the delivery tomorrow. Have to go to a meeting right now.

Nadine: *sad face*

Logan: Before I forget... Don’t wear panties at the gallery. I’ll just rip them apart.

Oh, my.

***

I am very optimistic on Friday, for several reasons. The first: Logan returns tonight. He’ll meet me at Summer’s gallery. No matter how the bloggers react to my dresses, it appeases me that Logan will be there.

The second reason for my optimism: I have three more customers. When I close for the day, there’s a dance in my step all the way to Logan’s. I do my hair and makeup meticulously, and put on the same dress I wore to the theater. I’ve lived in New York, so I’m aware this is a fashion no-go, but I can’t afford to waste another one of my dresses on myself. In the cab to the gallery, I force myself not to chew my lip so I don’t wipe away the lipstick. The venue is at the base of the Twin Peaks, and it’s already buzzing with visitors and press. Okay, here goes nothing. Fingers crossed. I exit the cab.

Logan waits for me a few feet away from the entrance. He grabs my waist, pulling me away into a shadowed corner, kissing me hungrily.

“I’ve missed you,” he says. “Even if you gave me a bruise.”

“I’ve missed you too, and I don’t believe I gave you a bruise.”

“I’ll show it to you as soon as we’re alone,” he says seductively. “Now, let’s go inside before I change my mind, and steal you for myself for tonight.”

“Mmm, impatient, aren’t you?” I tease.

“You have no idea. I’ve fantasized about your sweet little body for days.” He cups my jaw, rubbing his thumb across my skin.

“I’ll give you something else to fantasize about.” I drop my voice to a whisper. “I’m not wearing panties.”

His eyes darken, and his grip firms on my jaw. “Woman, you want to drive me crazy?”

“You told me not to wear any, and I thought it was an excellent suggestion. I’m all commando down here. You’re welcome to check.”

He drops his hand, taking a step back. “Go inside.” His voice sounds a lot like a growl, which makes me smile.

“Not going to join me? Going to keep lurking in the shadows? Fantasizing about the commando situation?”

He chuckles. “I’m hard. I’ll walk this erection off ‘in the shadows,’ and then I’ll join everyone inside the gallery.”

I catch my breath, not daring to lower my gaze, and leave him to walk it off.

I walk into the gallery and notice the three Bennett sisters plus Ava posing for pictures in front of a group of people with cameras.

“There’s the woman we’ve all been waiting for,” Summer says. Alice pulls me to the group. “Meet Nadine Hawthorne, the genius behind these gorgeous dresses we’re wearing.”

“These are the bloggers,” Pippa whispers in my ear as we’re asked to pose for another photo. Pippa wasn’t entirely truthful. She didn’t invite just a few blogger friends—she invited a dozen.

After the group photo, we spread out. Summer takes the press on a tour of her paintings while the bloggers assault me with questions.

“Could we come by your shop?”