“I’m doing what any friend would do.” Ellery lifted her chin.
“I can see arguing with you is futile.” Kara returned to the table and took another sip of coffee. “Honestly, I’m glad you’re going. It can’t be as awful as the wedding. At least you won’t have to deal with people being antagonistic toward Logan. Or assaulting you.”
“That’s true. Maybe it won’t be so bad. Cole and Brooke will be there, so at least I’ll know someone.”
“If you don’t want to go, I’ll go.” Kara’s hands came together in a prayer stance at her chin. “I’d love to meet Cole Miller in person.”
“Did you notice I mentioned his wife would be there?”
“I know it’s hard to believe this, considering how hot I think that dude is, but I just want to work with Cole Miller, not marry him.”
“Just teasing you.”
“Yes, I know you are. And I like it.” Kara grinned, lifting her coffee in the air. “Here’s to having my feisty Ellery back.”
Ellery tapped her mug against Kara’s.
“You hung with me for a year when I was sad and depressed. I’m not going to do that again.” Ellery swallowed the last of her coffee and slammed her mug down, rattling the silverware on her breakfast plate. “Oops.”
“Good for you!” Kara said with a chuckle.
“I’m going to this meeting.” Ellery gave a sharp nod. “And I’m going to have a positive attitude.”
“Good for you!” Kara pumped her fist in the air.
“And when we get back,” Ellery said, lifting her chin high, “I’ll figure out how to break up with him.”
“Arghh!” Kara’s head came down, her face buried in her arms on the table, her muffled voice croaking, “What did I do to deserve this?”
CHAPTER 14
“I could get used to this.” Ellery wiped her hands and face with the warm wet cloth the flight attendant had provided after her dinner of steak and baked potatoes. “I mean, it wasn’t the best steak I’ve ever had, but it beats pretzels and peanuts.”
“You should get used to it.” Logan couldn’t help smiling at her enthusiasm. He’d long gotten over the thrill of flying first class. “I’ll take you anywhere you like. Where do you want to go? Paris? Spain? Hawaii?”
Her back went rigid as it always did when he mentioned anything in the future. He gave himself a mental kick in the behind. Two months, and he’d made no headway breaking through the barriers around her heart. He, on the other hand, liked her more every day.
Logan wasn’t kidding himself. He couldn’t possibly be in love already. Look how wrong he’d been about Allegra. But he enjoyed being with Ellery and didn’t see any reason why they couldn’t keep dating indefinitely. It was a bit awkward to be so physically attracted to her when they were trying to stay in the friend zone, but well worth the effort, in Logan’s opinion.
Her constant approval and encouragement was addicting. Logan thrived on it after a childhood of craving it from his stepdad. Her kind words, easily given, might’ve had Logan worried she wasn’t sincere—that she was playing some sort of game by flattering him—if she hadn’t made it clear she had no intention of pursuing a permanent relationship.
But she had made that clear. Very clear. Crystal. After every bone-melting kiss, which inevitably ended when the five-minute timer she set at the start jerked him back to harsh reality, she would smooth her hair and clear her throat and reiterate that very fact.
There was no doubt she didn’t love him, and very little doubt she ever would.
But there was that tiny bit of uncertainty, garnered from the speed of her heart when his lips found that pulse-point on her neck. That and the flush on her cheeks at the end of the kiss were his only clue that she might have more feelings than she admitted.
And he clung to that vague hope like a lifeline. Because he might not be in love with Ellery at that very moment, but he was sliding down that hill at a rapid pace. All the while, he was trying to keep a clear head and avoid a repeat of the last fiasco.
I have a bad habit of falling in love with women who don’t return the feeling.
“Let’s just get through this weekend,” she whispered.
“Right. I wasn’t implying anything. I just meant it would be fun to travel together… if you were interested… someday.”
“I know you didn’t mean anything. Let’s just forget it.”
Her hand patted his, and he pretended her touch didn’t affect him. No need to give her one more thing to worry about.
Landing in New York, they made it to their hotel via subway and a short walk, forgoing a cab or limo for Ellery’s sake. Though Logan had visited the city on several occasions, it was Ellery’s first trip. Her bubbly excitement spilled out, completely eclipsing any annoyance he might’ve had from dragging their rolling suitcases around on the subways, up escalators and down the sidewalks of New York.
“Oh, look! He’s making art with spray paint! That’s amazing!”
Logan kept a firm hold on their luggage while they stopped to observe the talented street artist. From the rapt expression on Ellery’s face when he splurged a whole twenty bucks to buy one, he might as well have given her a diamond ring. No, she would’ve probably fainted if he’d given her a diamond ring. The twenty-dollar painting was much better.
They arrived at the hotel and settled into their adjacent rooms to freshen up. An hour later, when he knocked on her door, there was no immediate answer. Thinking she’d fallen asleep, he pulled out his phone to call her. But before he could dial, the door opened and Ellery stepped halfway out and froze.
“Ellery? What’s wrong? Are you having a panic attack?”
She smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “No, but I forgot to brush my teeth. Be right back.”
As he listened to the water running in the bathroom, he couldn’t help smiling. Brushing her teeth before dinner could be a good sign. It might mean he’d be able to steal a quick kiss. Lately, she’d been lax about those short ones, not including them in the daily five-minute maximum.
She stepped back into the hallway, a casual dress exposing her shapely legs. He seldom got the opportunity to admire them, so he took advantage.
“I probably should’ve worn pants,” she said when she caught him ogling her legs. “Do you think it’s a little much to show all my scars the first time I meet these people?”
