‘Mr Carrington?’ The man frowned. ‘I was led to believe that the two of you were dining here.’
‘Oh, we are. But—Oh, never mind,’ she dismissed. ‘Maybe I’d better just go inside.’
‘Certainly, Miss Day.’ He held the door open for her.
Thank goodness she was wearing her best dress; this place was for the elite with a capital E. There was a bar to the left of her, where several people were having a pre-or after-dinner drink, the women dripping diamonds, the men all in meticulously tailored suits, cigar smoke drifting to the ceiling. It was the sort of place Logan would feel at home in, but she wasn’t so sure she—
Then she saw him, and the diamonds and obvious show of wealth didn’t mean a thing. He had been sitting at the bar, but he was coming towards her now, the black dinner suit and snowy white shirt emphasising the darkness of his hair, the tan of his skin.
‘Callie!’ His hands came out to grasp hers, his gaze warm as he looked at her.
‘Logan…’ she breathed, spellbound, sure that she was falling in love with this man. She blushed with the confusion of her thoughts. ‘I’m sorry I’m late. Mike said he would call—’
‘He did,’ Logan confirmed huskily.
‘It was so disastrous. He forgot to give me your message, all the lights were against me, the lift was out of order, my dress had a stain, and then—’
‘Hush,’ Logan placed gentle fingertips over her lips. ‘You’re here now, that’s all that matters.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed huskily, knowing that it was, that Logan was as aware of the spell of love being wound about them as she was.
CHAPTER FOUR
THEY gazed into each other’s eyes for timeless minutes, and Logan was the one to finally break the spell. ‘Are you ready to eat? Or would you like a drink first?’ he asked briskly, probably as puzzled by what was happening to them as she was. ‘I think I should warn you,’ he added ruefully, ‘I’ve already spent an hour in the bar.’
Callie laughed, as the mood lightened, the tension eased. ‘Then I think we’d better eat. This is the last place you want to be thrown out of for being drunk and disorderly,’ she teased, giving her jacket to the waiter.
Logan’s hand on her arm was compelling. ‘I’m not drunk, Callie—at least, not with wine. You understand?’
She swallowed hard, understanding perfectly. ‘Yes,’ she said huskily.
His arm was about her waist as he hugged her to his side. ‘I really think you do. Let’s go and eat,’ he said more practically. ‘We can talk over our meal.’
She didn’t even care what she was to eat, leaving it to Logan to order the food for them both, gazing at him with adoring eyes as they talked.
‘How is your friend’s father?’ he asked once the waiter had left with their order.
His thoughtfulness warmed her. He was a busy man, he must have had many other things on his mind all day, and yet he hadn’t forgotten Marilyn’s father ‘He’s a lot better. Actually, that was another reason I was late. Marilyn called just as I got home, and—’
Logan laughed softly, his hand holding hers across the table. ‘The odds really were against you, weren’t they?’
‘Yes,’ she smiled too, her expression suddenly serious. ‘I want to apologise for last night—yes,’ she insisted as he shook his head.
‘No,’ he said firmly. ‘Over the years I’ve received a lot of criticism from a lot of hotheads who don’t seem to realise there has to be people like me, that this country needs industry. I think I overreacted to some of the things you said, took out my frustrated anger towards them on you. I’m the one who’s sorry.’
‘No—’
‘Oh yes. I’m also sorry I couldn’t pick you up this evening. A family crisis involved my driving out of town, and it was late when I got back.’
‘Your mother…?’
‘Is fine. It’s the rest of them I could do without. Let’s not discuss them,’ he dismissed with impatience. ‘I get angry just thinking about them.’
‘And do you still get angry when you realise you’re out with a twenty-two-year-old?’
‘I asked for that,’ he groaned. ‘I wouldn’t want you another day older than you are—but neither would I want you a day younger,’ he added hastily.
Callie laughed. ‘Poor Logan,’ she teased.