It must be obvious, a blind man could sense the chemistry still lingering between Logan and me because it’s permanent now. I can’t help but shoot Logan a little look of my own, relieved when his lip curls for just a second, letting me know it’s okay.
I leave it to him to take care of the situation, hoping it leads to him taking care of me again as soon as possible.
I love my dad, and I’ll be eternally grateful for him for today…
But seriously dad? Just not now, I’m busy!
I’m trying to give dad my best ‘what the heck?’ look, but he’s got a determined look all of his own.
I know my dad, and no matter what, he’ll always put his daughter first.
“Mr. Parker! I really have to see my daughter. I’m not sure I’m comfortable with you just whisking her away like this,” he says loudly.
Logan gestures towards me with an open hand.
“There’s your daughter, Mr. Foster. I was hoping to speak with you too, about a promotion. You handled the press conference very well, I thought, but now you burst into my office, unannounced and I have to say... interrupting me, which I don’t like. Not one bit.”
I can only make a more pained expression in my dad’s direction. Even if nothing else had just happened between Logan and me, my dad’s making a fool of himself, in front of his boss and dragging me down with him.
“Mr. Parker,” The other two men start to say, trying to talk over each other, but Logan’s hand is up and his brow is creased, giving his flaming eyes an even darker look.
“Promotion?” my dad echoes, everything else seems to slip from his mind as he looks from me to Logan again, who’s nodding slowly as he brings his fingertips together, tapping them in silent contemplation.
Promotion?
I do a little double-take myself, but those other two men are vying for Logan’s attention.
“But, Mr. Parker?!” they both say desperately.
Logan’s eyes silence them both and they shrink back toward the door, proving they’ve seen that look before and what comes after it.
Logan leans over to me, excusing himself for a minute, and making me smile to myself as his arm expertly hides his still raging hard on, he ushers my dad and the man from the press conference out into the lobby.
Mike, slinks a little closer to me, hissing a warning under his breathe before Logan comes back in.
“I know what’s happening,” he says factually. “I’ve seen it a thousand times, you’re nothing special just one of a thousand girls. See that stack of files over there?” he asks cuttingly, jutting his chin to a huge yellow pile of manila folders.
“Take a peek when you get a chance, kid. Get to know the real Logan Parker.”
He sneers a little, and then stands erect, smiling once Logan slips back into his office, back to his seat after having a quiet word with my dad and the other guy, who disappeared without a sound.
Odd.
My dad would never just back down like that, and I feel a strange itch in my mind from what this Mike guy has just told me too, making me stare fixedly at the stack of folders behind Logan on a heavy shelf.
“That’ll be all, Mike,” Logan clips in the man’s general direction, waving him away and already fingering the electronic door lock.
Mike opens his mouth to speak, but only shoots me a sly look, and a little wink before he leaves.
Logan catches it but once we’re alone he asks me if I want to carry on where we just left off.
I can’t help but keep looking at those files, the sudden exit of my dad, and what that guy just said, still swimming in my mind.
It’s not true, I know it isn’t. Logan would never…
“Chrissy?” Logan asks, looking concerned as he studies my expression. “What’s the matter? If it’s about your dad,” he starts to say, but I have to ask him what’s on my mind.
If nothing else, Logan has a right to know what his employees are saying behind his back.
“What’s in those files?” I ask, pointing behind him, registering his confused look.
“These?” he asks, swiveling in his chair, glancing over at the stack of files. “They’re the Father-Daughter participants, employees, and their daughters who’re part of Father-Daughter week,” he says without blinking.
“Why do you ask?” he adds, looking to the doorway, his jaw flexing as it tightens.
“Why did you really pick me?” I ask him, suddenly not so sure of my own opinion anymore.
Whoever Mike is, he has a certain way of planting a seed of doubt in a person’s minds, and very quickly.
“What did Mike tell you?” he asks, suddenly looking deadly serious.
“He said you’ve had a thousand girls, that you use them up and throw them away,” I stammer, feeling my cheeks flush and my heart starting to pound.
It all sounds so real when I say it out loud like Mike was telling the truth, maybe… because a huge part of me still thinks Logan could have any girl he wants. Why would he choose me?
Nobody’s ever so much as looked twice at me except to make fun.
As if Logan Parker, millionaire CEO would or even should look at me… unless he’s up to something, just like that creepy guy seems so sure he is.
Chapter Eight
Logan
I should’ve known better than to let that weasel in here for one second. Mike Collins…
I make a low growling noise, vowing to finish that man off somehow, once and for all.
Trouble is, he’s the Playboy of the board, bringing in millions in revenue for the fat, greedy board members who count their share price all day instead of trying to better the company.
My company.
In a single moment, it becomes so clear to me what I need to do with my company, but the only thing that really matters to
