Prologue

Logan

The smile on my face vanishes and the pleasant warmth from the wine turns to ice in my gut. I invited Aimee to the wine cellar so we could have some privacy before returning to the City. But now, everything is going sideways.

Quickly.

“I told you I feel a connection with you,” I say, firmly.

“I just don’t want you to feel trapped or obligated into something because of me.”

I shift from one foot to the other. My brow tightens as I try to make sense of what she’s telling me.

“Where is this coming from? Are you saying you want to leave this here?”

“It’s just… you’re busy closing this deal. And I know it’s important to you… I understand if you want this to be casual so you can focus on what matters…”

And there it is… casual. 

The ice in my gut spreads throughout my body. I can feel the walls forming around my heart, tightening my chest, insulating me from the pain. I’m familiar with this feeling. Dare I say I’m getting comfortable with it.

If this is what she wants, this is what she’ll get.

“Yeah, maybe you’re right. Things are a little crazy.” I say, shrugging a shoulder. “I don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Or the next day. So if you’re looking for some kind of commitment…”

It’s complete bullshit, but if Aimee wants out then so be it. I’m not going to beg her to stay with me. 

“You should focus on that,” Aimee says. “I don’t want to be in the way.”

I don’t say anything. I just stand there. Stunned and unable to move. I can’t believe she’s already pushing me away. Was everything she told me a lie? Was all that talk about feeling a connection just bullshit?

She stares at me for a long moment. Her beautiful blue eyes glisten in the dim light of the wine cellar as they search my face. I can tell she wants me to say something comforting—probably more for her benefit than mine. But if she’s going to walk out on me like this then I’m not going to make it easy on her.

Finally, she breaks the silence.

“I need to finish getting my things together,” she says. “Just let me know when we’re heading back and I’ll be there.”

I nod.

“I will,” I say.

The words come out cold. As cold as the ice I feel in my chest right now. I don’t budge as she gives me one final look before pushing past me. It isn’t long before the clapping of her feet on the stone floor fades into the background.

I remain motionless for what might be a lifetime. There haven’t been many times in my life when I’ve felt this paralyzed. It’s rare that anyone surprises me. I usually have such a good read on everyone.

But not this time.

Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised. Aimee has defied my expectations since the moment I saw her in the bar. I’ll admit it… I hadn’t thought much of her at first. I mean, sure, she’s hot as hell. But I got over chasing every hot piece of ass that comes my way a long time ago. It takes a lot more than looks to catch my attention.

A lot more is exactly what I got when Aimee approached me at the bar.

When she told me buy her a drink I knew I was in trouble. She wasn’t like all of the other women who troll the bars looking to hookup with a rich fund manager. I could tell right away that she had no idea who I am. More importantly, I could tell that she wasn’t interested in me because of some title, or the fact that I have my own Wikipedia page where anonymous people try to estimate my net worth.

She was interested because she could see the person I am beyond all that. Our connection cut straight through the superficial layers that protects who I really am.

So, what the fuck is going on now?

Why is she running away? Why is she trying to act like she doesn’t feel anything between us? What more do I have to do to show her how important she is to me?

She’s driving me fucking crazy!

I hate it.

And I love it.

The caged emotions are too much. They’ve got to come out.

I suck all of my frustrations into the center of my chest and then release them at the top of my lungs. The stone cellar echoes and amplifies the noise. It’s so loud I’m sure everyone in the entire mansion hears it. The echoes finally fade, leaving nothing but the sound of my heart slamming in my chest.

If Aimee isn’t going to stick around then it’s for the best that I find out now, before it’s too late. It doesn’t matter how different she is… I don’t want to be with a woman who just wants me for my money. I also don’t want a woman who is going to run every time something scares her. I want a woman who wants to be with me.

No… I want a woman who can’t live without me.

I want a woman who’s going to fight for me every bit as much as I fight for her. I made it clear to Aimee that I feel a connection with her. I’ve done everything to reassure her. But none of that seems to matter. Her ex must have left her with some serious trust issues. I wish I could be the one to help her with them, but I can’t do anything if she won’t let me in.

I let out a sigh and look at the half-empty bottle of wine sitting on the table. Things did not go how I expected this weekend. Friday night was incredible. Maybe if Mara and Lucas never showed up Aimee and I could have moved at a more reasonable pace and we wouldn’t be in this situation.

But things don’t always work out the way we want. 

I don’t believe in fate, but I do believe there’s a narrow window at the beginning of a relationship that will set the tone. Not every relationship can make it past that point. Not every relationship should make it past that point. Maybe this is one of them.

Tomorrow my life will return to how it was when I woke up on Friday, before I ever met Aimee Watson. A busy week will keep me distracted long enough to try and put this weekend behind me.

Maybe it’s for the best.

It’s not like I can do anything about it, so it had better be…