Authors: Rachel James
Sonny frowned. Why did her ego choose to throw her aunt's favorite adage at her?
You know why
. Yes, she did. She was teetering on the edge of a cliff. She would have no problem pretending she and Logan were more than business associates; however, having the information splashed across headlines for the world to see would be devastating for her family and the retreat. She had never had a steady boyfriend, and the paparazzi knew it. They'd pounce on an engagement like fleas on a dog.
Never mix
business with pleasure
, her inner voice cautioned again
. Pleasure will always win
out.
Sonny brought her mind back to the roadway. The turnoff to the retreat was only a few miles away, and she would need to decide whether to let Logan continue to serve as her shadow. She peeked at his profile. She wished she could've met him under different circumstances. In a different space and time, they might've become friends, and the friendship might've led to romance, and the romance to a hot marriage bed of gratifying sex.
“Wake up, Sonny,” Logan said. “We're at the turnoff.”
Sonny shook off her reverie, resorting to sarcasm as the truck sailed off the state road and turned onto the tarred street leading to the main building. “Yes, dear,” she mocked him.
Emitting a chuckle, Logan wheeled the vehicle past the large outdoor sign announcing the retreat. He then turned the car onto a second roadway, angling behind the hotel building and towards a row of bungalows nestled behind the hotel. Seconds later, the truck was slowing down and braking behind a terra-cotta cottage. Turning off the engine, Logan spun to face her.
“Are you going to allow me the privilege of your company for a few more hours?” he asked. “Or are you going to listen to that insane voice of yours saying to ditch me?”
“Ditching you would be rude,” Sonny said. “And I'm never rude to handsome agents, especially those who fall madly in love with me at first sight.”
“I see you've found your sense of humor again.” Logan grinned.
Sonny sobered quickly. “What else can I do? Sobbing hysterically didn't work; it sent me into a tailspin.” She threw open the passenger door and slid out of the car. Following her lead, Logan slipped from behind the wheel and then came around the front bumper. With matching strides, they struck off for the front of the cottage.
“I intend this meeting with Ned to be in and out and gone,” Sonny said. “And please, don't get caught up in Ned or Brad's macho crap if they start. Ned is prone to outbursts, and we ignore them. Besides, the sooner we take a look at the cards you sent, the sooner we'll know who has it in for me and lure them out of hiding ⦠What, no comeback?”
“None. As always, your reasoning is superior to mine.”
“What a nasty thing to sayâgiven the fact that I've bent over backwards to keep you from being ousted from the retreat.”
His voice was resigned. “And you'll go on doing so, because we both know you don't have a chance in hell of getting through the next hour without me by your side.”
To her dismay, Sonny's voice broke. “Never say never.”
He made no further comment, but Sonny saw a dangerous glint enter his eyes. What was he really planning on doing when they got inside? She was sure he had already decided on a course of action. Would she be agreeable to it, if she knew? The question hammered at her, but Logan gave her no time to think it out. He grabbed her shoulder, whirled her around, and marched her up the front steps.
“Be a good little mouse,” he said. “Don't rock the boat unless we have to. And if at all possible, let me do all the talking.”
Sonny started to object but then thought better of it. What good would it do to argue with him? He never listened to anything but his own counsel. He was an odious, arrogant toad ⦠She halted the slur, suddenly comforted by the thought that there was no one better to probe her father's murder than an obnoxious, arrogant toad.
Taking a deep breath, Sonny turned the doorknob and pushed the front door open. The foyer was deserted as they entered, and she craned her head, listening for the sound of muted voices.
“They're in the living room,” she finally said. “I hear Uncle Brad's voice.” She headed towards an open archway, a stirring of fear suddenly exploding in her heart. Five steps later, she placed a hand on her throat and slowed her steps. “Not now,” she breathed. She glanced at Logan. “I think an unwanted vision's coming through.” She swayed on her feet, and Logan grabbed her shoulders.
“Can't you halt the vision?”
“Not unless I ground myself,” Sonny said, gasping.
“Well, ground yourself, dammit!”
The thought was so preposterous that Sonny laughed. The action sent her senses spinning in a new direction. To her dismay, she found her hand snatched and her body hauled into Logan's arms. She had no time to think of anything as his mouth descended on hers. Nothing could've prepared her for the explosion of pleasure that suddenly rocked her body, throbbed through her ears, and short-circuited her pulse.
Unable to stop herself, and uncaring whether she initiated a vision from the pressure of his lips on hers, she threw her arms around Logan's neck and parted her lips. His tongue slid into her mouth, sending new shock waves coursing through the pit of her stomach. To her delight, she remained rooted to reality, enjoying the kiss immensely and molding her body to Logan's. The kiss soon became surprisingly gentle, and her body quivered at the sweet tenderness of it. All too quickly, his mouth lifted, hovering inches from hers.
“How's that for grounding?” he asked.
Stunned, Sonny opened her eyes and met his stare. He winked broadly at her, and to her surprise, her eyes suddenly misted with tears. The kiss had only been a ploy to short-circuit the vision and realign her brainwaves. It had been a means to an end, and it had worked thoroughly. The thought left her sadly disappointed, and her heart dropped like a lead balloon. And then Logan surprised her by raining a series of light kisses on her face. The first skimmed the tip of her nose, the second caressed her right cheek, and the last ended in a sensual nibbling of her right earlobe.
“Sonia Madeline Blake! What is the meaning of this?”
The couple sprang apart, her aunt's disapproving voice breaking the romantic moment. Sonny lifted her head, scrutinizing Logan's wry grin.
“Now see what you've done,” she declared. She glanced around Logan's shoulder and faced her aunt's frigid expression with a bright smile. “Hello, Aunt Charlotte. Is my thirty minutes up?”
Annoyed, her aunt whirled on her toes. “We've been waiting an hour for you,” she threw over her shoulder, disappearing back into the living room.
“She's furious, and it's your fault.”
“You needed grounding; I obliged.”
“And what next? You'll pour water over my head and plant me like a flower?”
“Don't tempt me.”
Her aunt's blistering tone shattered the air. “We are waiting, Sonny.”
Sonny's hackles rose immediately, and she followed the voice. “For heaven's sake, Aunt Charlotte, if the press release is done, it calls for no further discussion.”
As if suddenly hit by a bolt of lightning, her aunt sprang from her chair. Sonny could see her barely contained fury; however, Logan forestalled her venom by stepping forward.
“I assure you that I meant no disrespect by kissing Sonny. I was attempting to divert her from falling into one of her damn visions. Kissing her seemed better than dealing with her nosebleeds.”
“You kissed Sonny?” Brad Fletcher bolted from his chair, and seeing the fire behind his eyes, Sonny stepped in front of Logan.
“Yes, he did, and I enjoyed every second of it,” she stated.
Flabbergasted, her aunt sank back down into her chair, while her uncle came to a screeching halt in the middle of the room.
“Are you insane?” he demanded. “You met the man only an hour ago.”
Sonny's posture changed rapidly. “Don't you dare lecture me as if I were still sixteen years old, Uncle Brad. I'll kiss whomever I please, whenever I please, and that's the end of this discussion. Now, where is the press statement we're releasing?”
No one answered the question, and Sonny realized she had stunned them with her attack.
But at what cost?
her inner voice asked. An answer came a moment later.
The loss of our life?
“That could've gone better,” the lieutenant said a few moments later.
Logan eyed the group gathering around the table. “Her temper certainly matches her hair,” he remarked.
“With good reason. Her aunt smothers her, her uncle patronizes her, and as for her father, he idolized her while secretly wishing her talent would go away.”
“And Ned?”
“Smoke and mirrors. The guests either love him or hate him.”
“Any baggage?” Logan asked.
“None that I can find. Outside of parking tickets, he's a model citizen.”
Logan reached into his jacket pocket and removed a business card. He handed it to the lieutenant. “Call this number and ask for Monica. Give her Ned's name and tell her I said she should go where no man has gone before.”
The lieutenant studied the card. “Is it ethical for you to intervene like this?”
“I'm offering a suggestion, nothing more. You do want to solve David's murder, don't you? This might help.”
The lieutenant's glance narrowed. “I see now why you're such a legend in Meta Corps. You manipulate a case where you want it to goâwithout getting any blood on your hands, I might add.”
“They're bloodyâ”
“Don't start with me, Ned,” Sonny said, springing from her chair. “I said no.”
The men twisted their heads, startled by Sonny's angry tone.
“I'm not starting anything,” Ned declared, “I don't understand why you refuse to speak with the press on behalf of the retreat.”
“It's not my place. I don't own the retreat.”
“You're its star attraction, though.”
“What? So now The Sanctuary is a zoo, and I'm its trained monkey?”
“Don't twist my words. You are the most qualified to speak on your father's behalf.”
“I won't do it,” Sonny exclaimed. “You're asking too much of me.”
“Why do you always have to be such a contrary bitch?” Ned railed.
“Why do you always insinuate that I owe the retreat an undying loyalty?”
“Because you do,” Ned responded. “The Sanctuary has made you a very rich woman over the years.”
“I earned that money on my ownâwithout Sanctuary backing. And if you don't believe me, I'll take my gloves off and prove it to you.” She began pulling her right glove off, and Logan moved from the window. Sonny's temper had gotten the better of her. He needed to power it down.
Seeing him come, Ned waved him back. “Stay where you are, Agent Reed. Sonny doesn't need your protection.”
“Then change your tone,” Logan said, reaching Sonny. He took one look at her angry stare and grabbed her chin with his hand. “Put your glove back on. An empath should always pick their battles. This is not the right one. There's too much testosterone flying around.”
She studied his face, and he saw the fire go out of her eyes. His grin surfaced.
“Do you need another grounding?” he teased.
She laughed, the fire completely extinguished. “I'm good for now. Maybe later.”
Logan chucked her nose. “I look forward to it. Now, apologize to Ned for being a bitch.”
She made a face at him but turned towards Ned. “You win. I'll do it.”
The tension in the room evaporated, as if sucked through a black hole and out the other side. Sonny returned to the table and took a seat. A second later, a hand descended on Logan's shoulder.
“When I'm right, I'm right,” the lieutenant said. “You're a master manipulator. You shifted that argument exactly where you wanted it to go.”
“Quit it, Lieutenant. You're making me blush,” Logan said.
The lieutenant chuckled, smacking the business card against his pant leg. “I'll go make that callâunless you need me to stay and keep you from kissing Sonny again.”
“I make no promises since she enjoyed the kiss thoroughly,” Logan remarked.
“Tread lightly, my friend. Sonny has the ability to look into a person's soul and decimate it if she doesn't like what she finds there.”
The lieutenant strode off, leaving Logan to ponder his words. Would Sonny exact payback for the kiss? No way. She had been tempted to return the kiss. He had felt it in the subtle shift of her body weight against his. And then he had powered down the kiss, just as surprised as her when he didn't end it outright. He had caressed her lips with feather-light touch, letting the soft union of their mouths communicate an unexpected, radiating pleasure between their bodies. And then her aunt had ruined the moment.
Feeling eyes boring into his back, Logan knew it would take an intelligent handling of the group to earn their trust. The family was tight-knit, and they didn't welcome strangers into the fold easily. He replayed the last few minutes in his mind. How did one proceed after defusing Sonny's anger? The matter was taken out of his hands by Brad Fletcher.
“That was a nifty piece of work,” he said, crossing the room. “Sonny doesn't take kindly to being bossed around.”
Logan whirled about. “I sensed she didn't really want to make a scene.”
“No, I didn't,” Sonny said, joining the men. She rubbed her forehead vigorously. “Daddy's death has put me in a tailspin. My thoughts are disjointed, and I can't concentrate. It's as if I am being warned. I'm struggling to sift through the emotions and get out of the whirlpool.”
The room went quiet, and Logan saw the swift change in postures. Noting her faint smile, Logan realized that, in meeting Sonny Blake, he had met a new breed of womanâan elegant wench with class and brains. She was the first mouse he knew with that intriguing combination, and he didn't know why, but the knowledge upset him. Before he knew it, Sonny was surprising him even more.