An Extraordinary Match (The Match Series Book 3) Page 4

  Logan knew why he was doing this, and he accepted it for what it was. He was in high school all over again, trying to impress a hot girl. Though, now that he’d made up his mind, part of him was looking forward to the adrenaline rush.

  Balancing his paddle across the front of the kayak, and stabilizing himself on a rock, he settled into the seat, fastening the skirt around the opening. He checked his helmet and goggles. Then he pushed off into the river, paddling hard to take up the best line at the head of the rapids.

  He hadn’t been in any really fast water since last summer, but he wasn’t worried. He knew this stretch of the river, and his balance was sharp, kept in practice through rock climbing and clambering around on airplane floats. The water boiled and churned around him as he paddled, then it disappeared from beneath him, and his weight fell away.

  He landed with a thud at the bottom of the first drop, a wave washing over him as he took a hard right line, dragging himself around a boulder, through an eddy, picking up the main current, then keeping himself straight over the next drop and heading into the left-hand shoot.

  Body humming with exhilaration, he pulled hard on the paddle, fighting for the best angles. Spray splashed up in his face, waves rolling over him. The eddies tried to spin him around, but he powered through, keeping his momentum up. Then he was over the final, longest drop, bobbing into the pool below, where the river widened and the current smoothed out.

  He heard Jade’s excited whoop along with Hans’s and Monica’s shouts of congratulations. His goggles cleared, and he could see them all on the shore. He turned the kayak and paddled into the little bay, beaching the craft and clambering out.

  “You weren’t exaggerating,” called Jade, awe in her tone. “That was amazing.”

  “I don’t exaggerate,” he informed her, pulling the kayak fully onto shore and setting down the paddle.

  He battled an urge to pull her into his arms for a celebratory kiss. It was ludicrous, but he felt like he’d earned it.

  Then suddenly, he came up with a better idea. It was silly and reckless, but it seemed utterly appropriate. He moved closer to her.

  “What?” she asked, obviously reading something in his expression, her eyes going wide on alert.

  He peeled off her jacket, tossing it to Monica.

  “What are you—”

  He hoisted her into his arms.

  “I don’t under—”

  He paced toward the water, stripping off her boots, dropping them to the ground as he walked.

  She shrieked.

  “It’s cold,” he warned her.

  “You wouldn’t.”

  He waded in to his thighs. “You think the water’s too chilly? I didn’t take you for a big talker, Jade.”

  She glanced wildly around, wriggling in his arms. “I never talked. I never bragged about anything except my brain. You want me to think about something for you?”

  He coughed out a laugh, letting her go.

  She shrieked again, clinging to his neck while Hans and Monica gaped at them from shore.

  Her legs were dangling in the water, but her arms were wrapped solidly around his neck, and it was clear she wasn’t going to let go.

  He sat down.

  She gasped, eyes like saucers as the water engulfed her chest.

  “Chilly, isn’t it?” he asked.

  “I can’t believe you did that.” But her expression of shock turned into a reluctant grin.

  “I can’t believe you goaded me into kayaking.” He rose, scooping her up in his arms to carry her back toward the shore.

  She was light, easy to hold, fit perfectly curved against his chest.

  “Did I mention I was good with my brain?” she asked as he made it to shore.

  “Did I mention I was good with my body?” Though he didn’t intend it, the tone of his voice went reflexively deep, sexy, suggestive.

  “You got her soaking wet,” Monica admonished, meeting them at the water’s edge. “You come with me, Jade.” She took Jade’s arm along with control of the situation. “I’ll find you something dry.”

  Logan reluctantly gave her up, missing her as soon as she was out of his arms. Endorphins, he decided. Endorphins, adrenaline and exhilaration combined with a very pretty woman. His body couldn’t be blamed for wanting a certain conclusion.

  Hans slapped him on the back, admiration clear in his tone. “Nice one.”

  “She’s pretty sporting for a girl.”

  Logan suddenly realized it was lucky for him that she was sporting. He’d taken a chance there. How crappy would he have felt if she’d been genuinely upset by the stunt?

  *

  Dressed in a roomy, scruffy pair of sweatpants and an old, pink flannel shirt provided by Frieda, Jade sat across from Logan in the lodge’s dining room. Their small table was next to the window with a view of the falls, the mountains, and the blue sky beyond. The chef had brought them Kobe beef burgers on homemade buns and sweet potato fries with a creamy sauce. They were also sipping their way through hot chocolate in stoneware mugs.

  “You’re right,” Jade breathed. “Food does taste better after a little excitement.”

  “It does. Though I’m not sure you earned both a burger and hot chocolate.”

  “I got soaked to the skin. And that water was cold.”

  “I carried you into the river. You didn’t expend much effort.”

  She made a show of popping a fry into her mouth, chewing and swallowing. “There’s a quota?”

  “Next time, I’m taking you hiking up the ridge trail.”

  She tried to ignore a little flash of eagerness at the thought of spending another day with Logan. She knew he was talking in the abstract, only making a point. He wasn’t truly suggesting they come back here a second time.

  “What’s up the ridge trail?” she asked.

  “A fantastic view. But it takes you fifteen hundred vertical feet over three miles.”

  “Are you trying to kill me?”

  “I’m trying to whip you into shape.”

  “I happen to take the stairs every day at the office.”

  “What floor?”

  “Fourth.”

  Logan smiled. “Twice a day? Three times?”

  “Once, anyway.”

  “Okay.” He nodded. “Well. You’re off to a start.”

  “What about you?” she asked. “Do you jog, lift weights, use a home gym?”

  He’d lifted her so easily into his arms, as if she weighed nothing at all. She’d felt the strength and breadth of his chest, the solid muscles of his shoulders, and the impressive power of his arms.

  “I have fun,” he answered. “I guess my life is pretty active. Honestly, I can’t wrap my head around exercise for exercise sake.”

  “You were very impressive out there.” She wasn’t sure what she’d expected class-four rapids to look like, but there were moments during his run when she’d held her breath, worried he was about to come to harm.

  “I was showing off.”

  “I all but double-dog-dared you.”

  He smiled, taking a sip of hot chocolate. “It was rather juvenile, wasn’t it?”

  “Maybe a little.”

  His eyes warmed. “I had fun.”

  “So did I,” she admitted.

  “Until I dumped you in the river.”

  “Yeah, that part wasn’t very much fun.” Not that she held it against him. She’d learned a long time ago that if she was going to dish it out, she had to be able to take it in return.

  Logan glanced at his watch. “We better get going. There’s a system forecast from the north this evening, and I want to be through the pass before things get ugly.”

  After quickly finishing their burgers, they headed back down to the sheltered bay. Jade climbed into the Cessna, putting her headset in place and stowing her wet clothes in the back. Logan cast off the plane and made his way along the floats to the pilot’s door, swinging inside and connecting his seat belts.

  Ja
de anchored her hand on the handle, remembering how the plane had rocked and bounced over the waves last time. But the takeoff was quick, and soon they were soaring into the sky, climbing past the huge waterfall, between the peaks, and through the valley back to Mirror Lake.

  The sun was setting behind them when they landed on the water, and Logan taxied expertly up to his home dock. He quickly hopped out and tied them off before opening her door. As he had at the lodge, he took her hand while she navigated the small footholds. But this time it felt different, intimate somehow.

  She stopped in front of him, and he didn’t back away, searching his way around her expression.

  “That felt like a date,” he told her.

  She knew exactly what he meant, but she tried to keep things light. “It must have been the lunch. I don’t think it was the part where you threw me in the river.”

  “Never done that on a date before?”

  “Never have.”

  “Upshot is,” he said, gazing down into her eyes, “I feel like I should kiss you good night.”

  She wanted that, too. But she couldn’t help but think it was a bad idea. She couldn’t exactly remember the reasons at the moment. But it had to be a bad idea.

  “You promised you weren’t going to hit on me,” she reminded him.

  “You can rat me out to my sister.”

  For some reason, the situation felt complicated. It should have been simple, a good-night kiss from a great-looking guy after a fun and completely unexpected day.

  Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling. “I don’t want this to turn into something weird.”

  “It’s a kiss. What’s weird about that?”

  Without waiting for her answer, he brushed his lips gently against hers. It was a tease more than anything, but she instantly wanted more.

  He kissed her again, more firmly this time, his lips settling against hers with purpose. His hand moved up to cradle her cheek, and she automatically stepped in, touching her body to his.

  His free arm slipped around her waist, firming up the contact. His lips parted, and she followed suit, tipping her head back, allowing him greater access. Her hands anchored on his upper arms, feeling the play and power of his biceps.

  His tongue touched hers, and passion ignited. Her muscles contracted, hands gripping him tight. He enfolded her fully into his arms, and she instantly felt safe, warm, ridiculously protected. Not that she needed protection from anything. But he was such a rugged, capable man, the feeling came to her anyway.

  The kiss lasted far too long. But far too soon, he drew back. She only just stopped herself from begging for more.

  His voice was a sensual rumble, but it was also laced with humor. “Okay, now I feel like I should walk you home.”

  She tried to think up a lighthearted retort, but she came up empty. “No need.”

  He slipped his hand into hers. “I’m walking you back to the hotel.”

  “I’m fine on my own.”

  But he turned for the shore, drawing her along. “This town is crawling with thieves and conmen.”

  She found that hard to believe. “Seriously?”

  “Mostly the descendants of my great-great-grandfather. And they haven’t done anything illegal for a few generations. But, with our questionable genetics, why take the chance?”

  She should have pulled her hand away from his, but the connection felt too good. “Are you afraid they’ll try to sell me illicit liquor?”

  “I’m afraid they’ll try to buy you liquor.”

  She gestured to the pink shirt and faded sweatpants. “Dressed like this?”

  “My cousins don’t have a lot of taste.” He paused. “Okay, that didn’t come out right.”

  “And up to then you were doing so well.” They came to the sidewalk on the edge of Main Street. “Seriously, Logan. You don’t need to walk me back to the hotel.”

  He kept walking. “It’s only a few blocks.”

  “My point exactly. And the streets are full of tourists. There’s not a thief or a conman in sight.”

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  “How can it not matter?”

  “Because, while it might be slightly inconvenient to walk you home, it’s a whole lot more inconvenient for me to feel guilty later.”

  “So, this is all about you?”

  He smirked in the glow of a streetlight. “This is all about me.”

  “You’re a good debater, you know that?”

  “It helps to be right.”

  She laughed. “You’re not even remotely right. You just talk in circles, and eventually a woman gets tired.”

  They passed the jewelry store that had caught her eye earlier in the day. There was a necklace she liked on display in the front window. She wouldn’t have minded checking out the price, and the store was still open. But she was afraid Logan would insist on hanging around while she shopped. And then she’d feel rushed, and that wouldn’t be any fun at all.

  “You want to go in?” he asked, obviously taking note of her gaze.

  “Maybe tomorrow.”

  “What did you like?”

  “The sapphire necklace. But it’s not something I need.”

  “You dress up a lot in New York.”

  “Sometimes. Not often. My girlfriends and I do dinner or hit the clubs every once in a while, but I don’t have a lot of free time.”

  “What about a boyfriend?”

  “I don’t have one of those.” It occurred to her that she’d never asked him the same question. “If you have a girlfriend, you are in big trouble, buddy.”

  There was a slight hesitation before he answered. “I wouldn’t have kissed you if I still had a girlfriend.”

  “Still? So you had one?” She couldn’t help but wonder if it was recent.

  “You’ve never had a boyfriend?”

  “Not recently.”

  “Here we are.” He pulled open the glass and oak door that led into the hotel lobby, then he followed her inside.

  “You don’t have to—”

  But he was already past her, heading in the direction of the elevators.

  Jade gave up and followed.

  But halfway there, he stopped, his attention obviously caught by something in the lounge.

  “What?” she asked, attempting to follow the direction of his gaze. “Is there someone in there you want to talk to, because I’m perfectly capable of—”

  “Do you know those guys?”

  “Which guys?”

  Logan put a hand on her shoulder, turning her slightly. “At the bar, under the blue and gold light.”

  Jade squinted into the dim room. “No. Do you?”

  “They were out on the street this morning.”

  “Okay.” She wasn’t following his logic.

  “It seemed like they were watching you then, and now they’re here.”

  “This is a hotel. Maybe they’re tourists.”

  “I guess,” said Logan, frowning.

  It didn’t seem to Jade to be anything worth worrying about. “Thanks for taking me along today.”

  His expression smoothed out. “I really did have fun.”

  “So did I.”

  Neither spoke for a moment, and things suddenly felt awkward.

  She forced herself to step back. “I’ll probably see you around town.”

  “You probably will.”

  She took another step back. “Good night, then.”

  “Good night,” he echoed.

  She turned away, making a beeline for the elevators. She needed to be alone for a while and let her emotions calm down. She hadn’t met a man like Logan in a long…well, she’d never met a man like Logan. And she was seriously attracted to him, which was both exhilarating and unnerving at the same time.

  Her thoughts humming, she got out at the third floor. At the end of the hall, she opened the door to her cozy, corner room. It had a king-size bed, a sofa and armchairs, with huge picture windows on two sides that overlooked the lake and the
town. She dropped her small purse and the bag with her wet clothes, crossing to the windows without turning on any lights.

  She could clearly see the float-plane dock, the Dog Trails Café on shore, and the airport runway beyond. She found herself wondering where Logan lived. Did he live with his family? Did he have his own place? His extended family seemed to make up a serious percentage of the town’s population, and she couldn’t help wonder what it was like to be surrounded by so many relatives.

  She kicked off her boots and dropped into a big armchair, gazing out at the lights of the little town. Her focus meandered to the dock, resting on the spot where Logan had kissed her.

  Her fingertips moved to her lips as she remembered the heat of his mouth, the sizzle of his touch, the flat-out arousal that had hijacked her brain. Even now, her skin felt sensitized and strangely alive. She couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if she’d pushed it further, dropped a hint, maybe invited him up to her room.

  She blew out a breath. “Get a grip, girl.” Then she reached for her tablet, determined to focus on something else, anything, besides Logan Edwards.

  Last night, she had successfully logged into the hotel’s complimentary guest Wi-Fi. It was slow but good enough for checking her personal e-mail. She’d tried to access her Seaboard Development account again, but it was still suspended. Though she would have loved to check up on her projects, she was hesitant to hack into her own company’s computer.

  Tonight when she tried to use the hotel’s guest connection, it wasn’t listed as an option. The signal had been weak last night, so she moved to another part of the room, trying to pick it up, but there was still nothing.

  After ten minutes, she moved on to plan B, checking the list of other available Wi-Fi connections. She found a few personal links, presumably customers in the hotel or people in the neighborhood. But she was reluctant to piggyback on their accounts, in case they were paying by the megabyte. But she also found another Twin Peaks Hotel connection, and it was a simple matter to bypass its security.

  Pleased with her success, and delighted with the increase in speed, she logged into her personal e-mail. There was a note from her mom and one from her sister Jillian, who was in the midst of moving from DC to Phoenix to be with her fiancé, Devlin. There were also several e-mails from her coworkers at Seaboard.