even
~~ ** ~~ ** ~~ ** ~~
Exactly two months to the day had passed since Sam formally accepted the VP job. Thankfully, Jeff agreed to stay on for a few weeks after her official transition, and in that time, Sam had managed to shadow him while she gathered her bearings in the organization.
She reluctantly agreed to go to the happy hour they threw in his honor and Sam received a warm welcome from most of her new managers as they all said their final goodbyes to Jeff. Only one, a tenured manager named Tricia Shoenrock, didn’t seem quite so ecstatic about her arrival.
According to Deanna, Tricia believed she was a shoe in for the position, and when she wasn’t even considered, the woman turned bitter.
That night, Sam shared a couple of drinks with her new team, spent a little time talking to Deanna, and managed, thanks to a tremendous effort, to avoid Logan for the most part. Their only interaction had been when he insisted on buying her a drink when she was attempting to say her goodbyes, hoping to sneak out early and avoid him altogether. His tactics worked and she stayed, spending half an hour talking to him.
When she finally managed to call it a night, she’d been relieved when he didn’t walk her to her car. She wouldn’t have been able to control herself at that point and for the entire time she’d been in the Dallas office, she’d fought hard to put the needed space between them.
Outside of what was absolutely necessary, strictly business of course, Sam tried to do most of her communication with him via email. He wasn’t making any extra effort to have face to face contact with her either and that both disappointed and relieved her.
She did find it difficult not to try and catch a glimpse of him as he came into the office each morning. Her office was at the opposite end of the building from his, but from her desk, she could see the third floor landing, where most employees came and went. That was the only indulgence she would allow herself though.
After accepting the offer, XTX had done what they promised to do. They bought out her apartment lease in San Antonio, allowing Sam to select a nice, comparable apartment relatively close to the Dallas office.
She didn’t want to do something as final as buying a house just yet, at least not until she was convinced Dallas would be the right place for her, so she figured renting would be the best avenue to take. It probably wouldn’t take much convincing for her to make a final decision to stay in the area, but until that moment came, she wanted to play it safe.
After a couple of weeks, Sam had gotten into the groove of things, established her routines and ensured her projects were on track. Every Thursday she gave a project update to the impacted vice presidents who also reported to Logan.
Luckily, with all of the work that surrounded her, she didn’t have much free time and while she was avoiding Logan, she still had to report to him.
Since she utilized Deanna’s assistance when she could, it didn’t take long before the two of them developed a close relationship. They’d consistently gone to lunch at least twice a week for the last month. So when Deanna left Sam a voicemail the night before to meet her at her desk first thing, it didn’t surprise her.
“Hey, good morning.” Sam greeted the pretty blonde sitting at her desk as she approached.
“Hey. How are things going? I couldn’t reach you by phone, but I knew if I summoned you here, you would come.”
“I guess I’m easy like that.” Sam joked.
Samantha glanced over at Logan’s office, and she felt an intense sense of relief seeing that he wasn’t there yet. Most days they managed to only pass one another in the hall, or sit in the same room at one meeting or another for a limited amount of time. Since Sam still reflected on the lunch date they shared when she first arrived, she knew that given half a chance she would easily be distracted by him which was definitely not an option.
“He isn’t in yet.” Deanna stated, obviously noticing Sam eyeing the man’s office door. “He called to say that he would be a little late. He needed to pick something up for the party.”
“Party?” Sam hadn’t heard of anything, but she didn’t necessarily expect to. Although she had become a familiar face within the Dallas offices, it wasn’t as though she had been there for long. There were probably many events that had been scheduled prior to her arrival that she wasn’t invited to.
“Yes. We’re having a pool party at Logan’s house this afternoon. It starts at three o’clock, so we’re letting everyone go home early today.” Deanna stared back at Sam with a look that told her she was expected to make an appearance.
“That’s great. What’s the occasion?” Sam asked, not necessarily wanting to know what went on at Logan’s house after hours. The intrigue that came along with that thought scared the shit out of her.
“We all try to get together at least once a month and do something outside of the office. Logan says it builds relationships within the team. You’re invited.” Deanna said, a sweet smile on her face as she waited for Sam’s response.
“Well, I don’t know. I –“
“You what? You have other plans? Doubtful, especially considering it’s during working hours. You have to come. I’ll need someone to talk to.” Deanna wasn’t beyond pleading when it came to getting the office personnel to do what her boss wanted them to do, and Sam found herself on the other end of the woman’s kind hearted manipulations now.
“You can bring anyone you’d like. I’m bringing Tommy. I’d really like for you to meet him.”
Well, hell. How could she say no to that? Sam looked into the bright blue, begging eyes and found she couldn’t refuse Deanna’s sincerity. “Sure, I’ll be there. Can you send me directions to where it is?”
“Sure.” She typed a quick note on her computer. “Done. And don’t worry. You’ll have a fabulous time. This group of people is a hoot when they are out together. Just watch out for Alex McDermott.” Deanna laughed.
This was the last thing Sam needed right now. She was already worried about what Logan thought about her reaction to him. She wasn’t a particularly convincing actress and knew how transparent she was.
“I guess I’ll see you at three o’clock. Oh, and about Alex. You don’t have to worry about me,” Sam leaned in close, “he and I go way back. He’s harmless.” Sam grinned and then quickly headed down the corridor to her office, shutting the door behind her.
There was no way she could get out of this now.
She was thirty minutes late to the party, but it had taken her that long to convince herself she was seriously going to go. Then, it had taken her that much more time just to figure out what was appropriate to wear.
Going home to change had been her first priority. With the brutal Texas sun beating down, she’d burn up in the one hundred and two degree heat wearing what she was wearing. August in Texas wasn’t much different than June or July – hotter than hell with enough humidity to make it necessary to take a shower more than once a day. The jeans she’d chosen for work had proven to be too hot even as she walked to her car.
Back at her apartment, she’d opted not to wear a swimsuit after trying on the only two she owned. Although she hadn’t been dissatisfied with the way she filled them out, modesty had been her deciding factor, and she resigned herself to not get in the pool.
Not that she didn’t want to submerge herself in the cool water; she did, just not under these circumstances. Partly because this was a company function, but mostly because Logan would be there. She wouldn’t be able to hide the telltale reaction she had when he was around.
Obviously the security guard stationed at the gates to Logan’s upscale neighborhood knew he was expecting company because once Sam gave her name, he opened the gates and allowed her entry.
If that encounter hadn’t been intimidating, Sam found herself feeling way out of her league as she maneuvered through the wide, paved streets, immaculate two and even three story mansions lining both sides. Their lawns were impeccably landscaped, the cars that dotted the circular drives worth more than she made in an entire year.
When she finally arrived at the address Deanna had given her, the wide circular drive lined with lush, green boxed hedges welcomed her as she pulled her SUV into an empty spot. Logan’s large stone home sat several yards from the street, surrounded by a freshly mowed, thick, green lawn with bright, blooming flower beds outlining the beautiful house.
With a little reservation, Sam climbed out of her truck, grabbed her bag from the backseat and then finally coaxed her legs into moving. As she made her way up the winding path that led to the front door, Samantha admired the brilliant colors that bloomed in the vast gardens on both sides.
Although she shouldn’t have been surprised, Sam still had a hard time wrapping her mind around the vast differences between her and Logan.
She was the type who pinched her pennies, letting her savings grow as though she actually had a plan for the future. Rather than owning something of her own, she chose to waste her money on rent so she didn’t get tied down to anything. She had contemplated buying a house in the recent past but because of her commitment phobia she had yet to even begin looking.
By the looks of the grounds surrounding Logan’s exquisite estate, he didn’t mind dropping money here and there on things that were obviously important to him. She envied his ability to settle down at least that much.
Although he seemed to be her polar opposite when it came to residences, her body heated with every thought of him and she woke repeatedly every night from erotic dreams that starred Logan. And recent dreams had definitely been filled with the man. Each night seemed to be more man, less clothing.
Almost to the oversized front porch that resembled more of a pavilion than something on the front of a house, Sam wished she could just get in her truck, drive back to her apartment and hide for the weekend. But, if nothing else, she needed to make an appearance, just to show her employees that she was a team player and supported team functions.
The front door was open when she reached the porch, the only thing between her and the room full of people was a solid glass storm door. She took a deep breath and reached for the handle. The moment she entered, she was almost knocked over by a huge animal, resembling an enormous black bear.
“Bear, sit.” Jim Jeffries, one of her project managers, said from across the room as he headed her way.
Sam took in a deep breath and stared into the face of what had to be the biggest German shepherd she had ever seen. Not that she had personally seen many.
“Hi.” She greeted the dog, her voice trembling.
Sam relaxed a little when the dog didn’t move, simply began vigorously shaking his hind end, his tail wagging back and forth against the Travertine tiled floor.
Looking up from the dog, she saw that no one appeared alarmed, so she slowly held out her hand, giving the dog the opportunity to smell her. When he pressed his massive head into her palm, she took it as an invitation to pet him.
Instinctively, she squatted down to greet him appropriately and was greeted back with a lick to her face. The laugh that escaped allowed all of the tension to fade away and Bear seemed to think that was a sign to give her more affection. The friendly, overgrown animal pressed his warm, furry body against her, and she had to lock her legs to keep from falling to the floor.
“It’s great to meet you too, boy.” She said as she gave him a full body rub and slowly stood. “I think I better go talk to some of the humans, but don’t worry, I’ll check in with you later.” She spoke to Bear as though he would understand.
She took in her surroundings, trying to put names with the faces of those she could see from the doorway. Looking back down at the dog, she suddenly wished she could just hang out with him for the remainder of the afternoon. She’d always had a deep affection for animals, but due to her schedule, she’d never felt she could provide enough attention to an animal of her own.
“Hey, Sam. Glad you could make it.” The same voice that had called the dog earlier spoke again, and Sam turned to see Jim standing only a few feet away, beside him an extremely attractive red head.
“I wouldn’t miss it.” She replied, then held out her hand to shake his in greeting.
“Sam, this is my wife, Paulina. Paulina, this is Samantha Kielty, my boss.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, Sam.” Paulina greeted as she shook her hand.
“Very nice to meet you. Jim talks so much about you.” Sam smiled, noting the dreamy way Paulina glanced over at her husband. The pretty red head couldn’t have been older than twenty two, maybe twenty three. Her bright green eyes sparkled as she looked at Sam and back down at Bear.
“I think you’ve made a friend there.” Paulina laughed.
Sam looked down to find Bear sitting beside her, his big body pressed up against her leg. “Looks like it. Is he Logan’s?”
“His brother’s actually. His name is Bear.” Jim confirmed, taking Paulina’s hand in his and pulling her closer. “You’ll find the rest of the gang out by the pool. Logan’s running around somewhere.”
“Thanks. I guess I’ll go and let them know I made it. `I hear this is a frequent thing.” Sam said a little shyly. “I hope I’ll fit in.” Suddenly blushing from embarrassment, Samantha realized how insecure she sounded.
“I don’t think you have to worry about that. In case we haven’t mentioned it, we’re extremely glad to have you. It’s been an interesting couple of months, and quite frankly, I think all of us are just excited to see the progress we’ve made since you came on board. I don’t think we’ve seen this much cooperation and streamlining of projects in the entire time I’ve been with the company.” Jim boasted, sounding genuinely happy.
This time the blush was due to Jim’s compliments. She hadn’t been given much feedback from her direct reports, probably because they were still trying to get comfortable with her. “That’s great to hear, Jim. And it was so nice to meet you, Paulina. If I don’t see you before I go, I hope you have a great weekend.”
Sam gave Bear another loving pat before she turned to go in the direction of what she assumed was the back of the house. She tried to take in the decor, noting the warm colors on the walls, the large vases full of fresh flowers, and the dark, masculine wood furniture. She wondered if Logan had decorated the house himself. He didn’t come off as an interior design type of guy, so he’d probably hired a designer. With him, though, she didn’t want to make any assumptions. She’d more than likely be wrong.
When she headed down the long hall, Bear fell into step beside her, and she looked down to speak to him. While she was mumbling sweet words, paying no attention to where she was going, Sam collided with something hard. And warm.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where –” Stumbling more as she tried to gain her balance, Sam fell head long into a very familiar, very broad chest.
“Sam. I’m glad you made it.” Logan’s deep voice rumbled through the darkened hallway.
When his hands braced her shoulders, an apparent attempt to hold her upright, Sam felt his entire body go taut. She had the same reaction, her body tensing as she became aware of how close they actually were. And just as it had in the parking lot at their first lunch meeting, Sam felt the underlying sexual need spark between them.
For a brief second, she entertained the idea of relishing the feel of his large, calloused hands on her bare shoulders. She wasn’t sure if she was moving closer, or he was, but neither of them seemed to be able to back away.
His presence overwhelmed her, the warmth of his hands on her shoulders, the intoxicating scent of musk and man had her knees feeling like jelly. And then, before she was ready, the heat from his palms left her, and she suddenly ached for them to return. Feeling embarrassed and highly aroused, Sam turned her attention to the traitorous dog who now sat at Logan’s side.
“Sorry, I was having a conversation with Bear.” She admitted, trying to lighten the tension flaming like a wild fire around them.
“Bear? Well, he’s a decent conversationalist.” Logan admitted as he took a step back, his eyes boring into her.
So much for all of the distance she’d managed to put between them for the last few weeks. One single touch and her body betrayed her. Sam hated that she couldn’t muster up any of her control from her never ending supply.
This tall, well-built man was out of her league, yet he intrigued her, not to mention he smelled so damn good. What was it with him? She had never been around a man that smelled that good. It must be the pheromones.
When her gaze collided with his piercing blue-gray eyes, his presence overwhelmed her, his confidence filled the air around them, making it hard to breathe while his muscular body towered over her. She wondered if he felt the strange connection that seemed to linger between them. There was an odd sense of comfort, a sort of security that she felt when he was near.