Chapter 6


    No expense had been spared for this auction at Logan’s insistence and the finance department’s not so


    silent consternation.


    It had given Hannah a much-needed boost at the time to know that her far too sexy and overbearing


    boss was behind this project every step of the way. Clearly, he’d decided that this auction was


    beneficial for business, and if she’d learnt one thing about him in thest few weeks of very much being


    on his radar it was that for this man business was everything. He pursued an avenue he was interested


    in with ruthless determination. Judging by the ridiculous amount of money he’d spent on securing her at


    the auction and his subsequent refusal to let her wriggle out of it, he had now set his sights on her.


    Hannah wasn’t at all sure she wanted to be histest acquisition, as it were.


    No, that was a lie. She had to face up to the truth at least in her head. Her body was more than up for


    the idea of getting to know her boss on a far more intimate level, if only he wasn’t her boss. Things in


    the office would be awkward enough as it was with everyone thinking she’d slept with him.


    The little devil sitting on her shoulder smirked.


    You might as well do it then. No one will believe you haven’t, let alone Monique.


    Hannah ignored that insidious voice trying to lead her down the path of sinful temptation and took


    refuge in her fury over Monique’s underhandedness instead. Far better to think about that than to


    wonder what Logan Bryce would look like naked.


    Grief, stop it, already. Think about the trollop instead.


    She knew full well what the other woman’s n had been, namely to humiliate Hannah in front of


    everyone. Well, that had rather spectacrly backfired on her.


    When she drew face to face with her nemesis, Hannah knew her smile was as fake as Monique’s.


    Logan pulled her closer into his side and slid his hand down her back slowly in a far too arousing


    disy of familiarity and ownership. Monique’s eyes narrowed, and Hannah could almost see the


    malicious wheels turning in her head, as she dipped her head in acknowledgement.


    “Hannah.”


    “Monique.” She tried in vain to shake off Logan’s hand. All she achieved was for his hand to slide


    slower, and she swallowed a gasp when he tapped her butt just once. What on earth was he ying


    at? They were in full view of anyone. And why was his caveman act such a turn-on?


    “I take it you will be all right to oversee the rest of the evening, Monique.” Logan’s deep voice held that


    note of censure, which only served to rev Hannah’s hormones into yet more of a frenzy. The effect his


    voice had on her was really rather ludicrous.


    Seeing Monique snap to attention as though a bee had crawled up her bony backside to sting her, did


    wonders for Hannah’s fra


    gile equilibrium. She wasn’t the only one affected by the man’s sheer presence then.


    “I, yes, of course, sir, but you’ve put Hannah in charge and—”


    “And an admirable job she has done tonight. She’s also now off the clock, which means I expect you to


    step in. This will not be a problem, I take it?”


    One dark eyebrow rose in an elegant arch, when Monique seemed on the verge to disagree with him,


    before she snapped her mouth shut and shook her head. The look she angled Hannah’s way from


    under her fake eyshes sent a shiver of unease down her spine, however. Hannah nudged her chin


    up and stared the other woman down.


    Bring it on, bitch.


    She sensed rather than saw Logan tense beside her. Naturally, he’d picked up on the undertones. That


    man never seemed to miss anything work rted, and even though they weren’t in the office, he was


    still paying attention.


    “Good. Also, report to HR first thing Monday morning, will you, Monique? They will have something to


    give you.”


    Monique pulled in a sharp breath, and the champagne flute slipped out of her fingers. The fine crystal


    bounced at her feet, and the expensive bubbles floated on the top of the luxurious carpet for a few


    seconds before they were absorbed.


    “Careless, I suggest you’ll be more careful in future.” Logan’s voice was almost a snarl as he


    continued. “Actions always have consequences, my dear, as you’ll find out. Don’t for one second


    believe I don’t know what’s been going on.”


    Monique made a rough sound at the back of her throat at this unmistakable threat, and Hannah almost


    felt sorry for her. Almost. Before she could say or do anything, however, Logan had propelled them


    through the thinning crowd, and out of the double doors. The Master of Ceremonies announced


    another victim on the stage, and when they were safely out of sight Hannah wrenched her elbow out of


    his grasp.


    “Will you stop manhandling me, and what was that back in there?” Hannah inwardly flinched at the


    breathy porn star impression of her usual voice.


    Jeez, focus!


    She might as well hang a big sign around her neck saying, “Fuck me”. While that idea definitely had


    merit, and the mere thought of a tangle in the sheets with her boss meant her knickers were in serious


    danger of giving up any pretense of disguising her arousal, she hated being this obvious.


    And, hello, he’s your boss. This will not end well. Get a grip.


    Logan stopped his forward movement, and she swallowed hard when his full attention settled on her.


    Even with her high heels on he still towered over her by a good head, and she had to crane her neck to


    meet his gaze when he stepped right into her personal space like some sort of avenging dark angel.


    The very air seemed to leave the room, and the world narrowed to just the two of them under his focus.


    “I’d have thought that was obvious, little dove.” Lordy, the way he dropped his voice on thosest two


    words and his gaze grew more intense … selfbustion seemed a real possibility right now.


    From somewhere she found her backbone and her voice.


    “If it was I wouldn’t be asking, would I, and I have a name. You might want to try using it, Logan.”


    She hadn’t really meant to put quite such a flippant intonation on saying his name. His jaw tensed, and


    his eyes shed in something akin to silent fury, which really shouldn’t make her heart beat faster, but


    did so nheless. Considering she knew firsthand the damage a man’s temper could do, she ought to


    be already running away from him. Instead she found herself unconsciously leaning toward him,


    seeking his presence and his protection, which should have been an oxymoron. She was an


    independent, sessful woman, for goodness’ sakes, so why then did she have that insane urge to


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    submit to him in all ways?


    The horrifying thought that she might be more like her mother after all didn’t sit well with her, but she


    couldn’t think about that now.


    Besides, if she chose to indulge in the horizontal shimmy with this man, it would be her choice. A world


    of difference from the fucked-up rtionships her mother had indulged in at the expense of her


    children. Hannah only had herself to answer to, and she could and would do as she pleased. With that


    in mind she inhaled deeply and barely suppressed a groan. It should be illegal for any man to smell so


    damn good.


    Logan held her pinned in ce with his sheer presence for what felt like ages, but could have only


    been seconds, before he gave a shortugh. The action broke the tension between them, and softened


    the harsh angles of his jaw, which was already beginning to sport the first evidence of stubble. How


    much stubble would he havee morning, and how would it feel on the tender flesh of her inner


    thighs?


    Hannah fought and lost the battle of holding back the immediate heat invading her face, and a dimple


    appeared in his cheek as a genuine smile transformed the man in front of her. He looked altogether


    more approachable and if possible even sexier.


    “Now, I do wonder what you were just thinking to cause such a pretty blush, little dove. And for the


    record I call you that because you remind me of one.”


    It was Hannah’s turn tough. Okay, that strange honk she managed to produce made her sound like a


    constipated goose, but really. He was so full of shite. She chose to ignore the way her heart stepped up


    into country dance and her hormones were shouting “yee-haa” to boot. This man was a yer, she


    knew that, and this was no doubt one of the lines he spun women all the time. A darn good one, but a


    line nheless.


    That eyebrow of his came up again—how did he do that to such devastating effect—and what’s more


    who knew so much could be said by that one move?


    “Nothing, I was thinking nothing, other than spare me the lines. Besides, I’d have thought I’d be more of


    a round pigeon than a delicate little dove. Either way, those birds have sharp beaks, and I’d hate for


    you to have anything important pecked off.”


    Logan froze, and she knew she was in trouble when he stepped back and let his ck-eyed gaze


    slowly roam over her body. He stayed the longest at the girls, of course. Naturally, her nipples took that


    as an invitation toe out to y. Good grief almighty, they might as well get out little white gs,


    signaling their surrender. As for the rest of her erogenous zones … she was discovering a few she


    didn’t even know she had under his silent assessment.


    When she couldn’t stand the silence anymore, she blurted out the next words.


    “Cat got your tongue now? And stop staring at me as though you’ve never seen a woman before.


    It’s…”


    Whatever she was going to say fled her mind because Logan brought his arm around her waist and


    pulled her flush into his body. On any other man that move would have earned him a dressing down.


    With him, however, pressed as close to every one of his hard muscles as it was possible to be while


    still fully clothed … well, what was she doing again?


    “Enough, little girl. Know this, if you were mine you’d have just earned yourself one hell of a sore ass


    for talking to me like that.” He pulled back slightly and grinned at her far too telling gasp. “Bear that in


    mind when youe to see meter.”


    With that he turned and walked away. Before her hormones had stopped sighing, he’d disappeared,


    and Hannah did the only thing she could do to save face among the curious nces she was


    attracting. She turned back to the ballroom. While he’d said she was off the clock, this was her baby,


    and she would see this through. She didn’t trust Monique as far she could throw her, and as the other


    woman was more than likely going to be firede Monday morning, there was even more likelihood


    that she was going to do something else to sabotage the event.


    Then again, after her brush off maybe Hannah would find herself out of a job. Even as she thought that


    she dismissed the idea. Logan had a reputation for being ruthless, but never unfair, and he didn’t


    usually get involved with someone at work. He didn’t get involved, period, had spelled his terms out for


    her most sinctly in fact, so why was she hesitating?


    If he could turn her on this much by simply talking about sex, what would the real thing be like? Fun,


    he’d said, and she had no reason to disbelieve him. It hadn’t been said with any of the usual swagger


    men put behind such statements. No, he’d simply informed her as though he was telling her what the


    weather was like. As for his threat to spank her ass… Jeez, if she got any wetter she’d leave a stain on


    her dress, and she had her answer. No wonder she felt so drawn to him. The dratted man was a


    walking, talking, advert for every one of her sexual fantasies.


    Hannah made a beeline for thedies’ room to freshen up andpose herself, and the flushed


    woman who stared back at her in the mirror … was that really her? Good grief, if she got this worked


    up just by hearing him talk about the things he wanted to do to her, she would never survive an actual


    sexual encounter.


    With a sigh, Hannah nced at the key card she’d shoved in her clutch bag. He would appear to be


    staying in one of the river view suites. Of course, he was. While she’d booked many of Premiere


    Events’ rich clientele into such amodations, she’d never stayed in one. Not that she would be


    staying now. This was, in effect, just a one-night stand. No strings attached sex with a man who set her


    pulse askew with just one nce. Would she even be debating this with herself were Logan not her


    boss?