Less-than-Innocent Invitation Read Free Page B

happened between us, Logan Voss. You are and you know it.”
    Logan stared at her in disbelief. “Me?”
    â€œYes, you!”
    â€œYou’re the one who left, Melissa.” His tone was sharp as he tried to speak over the music. He glanced around the room, irritated as people started to turn toward them. Damn, this was getting out of hand, and he wasn’t about to give anyone a show. Frustrated, he grabbed her wrist.
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    â€œI don’t know about you, but I’m not too crazy about providing tonight’s entertainment. Let’s take this outside.”

Two
    â€œL et me go!” Melissa’s voice rose a notch. At that moment, the music ended and she realized he had a point. Many of the guests had stopped dancing and were watching them with something between amusement, surprise and blatant curiosity. Heat burned her face. Back in Royal only one day and already Logan was turning her life upside down
    Logan dropped her hand. “We can go out the quiet way or not. The decision’s yours.”
    Forcing herself to smile, she nodded. “Fine.” He started walking toward the door. She kept up with his long strides, her heels clicking on the polished hardwood floor.
    As soon as they entered the impressive foyer, Logan came to an abrupt halt beneath the glow of a rustic antler chandelier. Preventing herself from running into him, Melissa steadied herself with her palm on his sculptured back.
    She sucked in a breath. As his muscles shifted beneath her hand, memories of making love with him dulled her senses. Giving her head a shake, she stepped back.
    â€œAre you crazy?” she demanded, glaring at him. “People were beginning to stare at us back there.”
    Logan glanced toward the door, then back at her. “They wouldn’t have even noticed us if you’d just answered my question.”
    Melissa tossed her head back. “I have no intention of getting into a discussion about…about…” She stopped speaking and took a calming breath. Why hadn’t she heeded her inner warnings about returning to her hometown and the possibility of seeing Logan again? If her promotion hadn’t been riding on this assignment, she would never have come back. Never have taken the risk of seeing him.
    Ever.
    â€œLook, this is ridiculous.”
    â€œIs it?” He leaned toward her. “Ridiculous is the way you suddenly left, Melissa.” His hands went to his hips. “More than once I’ve tried to figure out why. What went wrong between us?” Cursing under his breath, he held her gaze. He didn’t admit that thinking about what had happened that last day, thinking about her and what they’d shared, could still drive him crazy.
    â€œI didn’t just take off,” she reminded him, her tone scorching. “I came to see you.”
    He made a sound of disgust. “Yeah, to toss my ringin my face and tell me you were leaving. Why?” he demanded. “Was it because you fell in love with someone else?” Though he braced himself for her answer, he didn’t want to believe she’d been seeing another man. It would kill him.
    â€œNo!” Her face drained of color. “Is that what you thought?”
    â€œHell, I didn’t know what to think. I believed you loved me. Then all of a sudden, you were telling me you didn’t want to be married.” His voice softened. “Do you even remember what we had together?”
    Melissa licked her lips. “Of course I do.” As soon as she said the words, she wished them back.
    Logan closed the distance between them. Unable to stop himself from touching her, he cupped his hand around her neck. Despite the anger that had simmered inside of him for so long, he wanted to pull her against him. “Do you, Melissa?” Something drove him to find out if she’d thought about him since she’d been gone, if she’d ever regretted