Mad Enough to Marry - By Christie Ridgway Page 0,22

her hand from his and crossed her arms over her chest, regarding him out of narrowed, wary eyes. "Maybe. Okay, probably yes."

"Well, there's a very good reason that I didn't and it wasn't that I thought you weren't good enough for

me." He paused, then confessed the truth. *lt was that I thought you were too young for me...for the way you made me feel and what I wanted to do about it. For what I wanted to do with you."

Chapter Five

Oena was half a diet cola and four pretzels into her Friday-night routine when she heard a rap on her door. Startled, she knocked to the floor the paperwork she'd been looking over while at the same time watching ''Jeopardy." Before she could regather the papers, the rap sounded again. Elena grumbled beneath her breath and rose to her feet.

Gabby had already left for a date with Tyler, but apparently she'd forgotten something, including her key. Elena strode across the floor and pulled open the door. "What—"

But it was Logan there, not her sister.

**—^are you doing here?" she finished lamely.

*1 need you..."

Her mind spun off for a delirious moment

**...not to make a liar out of me," he finished.

She crossed her arms over her chest, immediately wary of whatever he had up his sleeve this time. Late last night she'd let him in and that had resulted in the uncomfortable rehash of their shared past.

Worse, shell-shocked by his admission that eleven years ago she'd been too young for what he'd wanted to do with her, she'd actually agreed to let that past go and be his Mend!

Without waiting for an invitation, Logan strolled into her apartment and she sighed again, shutting the door behind him. In a pair of worn jeans and an oxford-cloth shirt rolled up to the elbows, he looked nothing like the scion of the richest family in town. He looked too casual for that.

But he also looked delicious. Goldenly handsome and ready to charm.

**What exactly do you want, Logan?" She didn't sound as cranky as she'd like. The fact was, whatever resentment she'd harbored, whatever image she'd created of Logan in her mind over the years since the senior prom, had mostly been put to rest months ago.

Once she'd spent a littie time with him as an adult, she'd acknowledged to herself that he wasn't the snob she'd imagined, despite his family's wealth and prominence. The barbs she'd launched his way had been for self-protection. He was still too attractive and she still didn't want to risk succumbing to the feeUng.

"I need you to go out with me tonight," he said.

'"What?" Wait a minute. That was going too far.

He shrugged. "My father was on the phone, pres-

suring me to come by the house on some business thing or another. I needed an excuse to refuse him. I mentioned you.*'

'**No/ wouldn't work?"

'*Hey, so I'm lousy at confrontation." His smile was unapologetic as well as beguiling. **But I'm great at the classic movies double feature at the coffee house."

She gestured to the TV, papers, pretzels, soda. '1 have my evening already planned."

He took it in with one glance then gave her a look filled with pity. *'And I'm offering you my help again—^you need a more adventurous Friday night than this. Grab whatever you need. If we leave now we'll just make the first show. You can thank me later."

*'Don't think I'll fall for that." Elena ahnost smiled, but it wouldn't do for him to know how easily he could persuade her—and how she knew he was right. Her Friday night suddenly seemed pitiful to her, too. **If I say yes, I'll be doing you the favor, remember?"

He only smiled again. 'Topcom with real butter. Those handmade dark chocolates they sell, the ones with caramel and pecans."

It took her two and a half minutes to get ready. It didn't require much effort, since he'd asked her for a favor and not a date. She smoothed on lipstick, but she didn't bother to change out of casual clothes. There wasn't time to arrange a babysitter for the eggs.

SO she put them in her tote bag and brought them along.

Even quick as she was, the opening credits of the first movie were roUing by the time they made it to Warm-It-Up, Strawberry Bay's newest '*hot spot." Housed in a building that had once been a movie theater, during the day the business operated as a typical coffee house from the original lobby. On weekend evenings, small tables and chairs were set