Straight from the Heart. Linda Warren

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      She breathed a sigh of relief. This she could handle. “You don’t have to be. I can take care of myself.”

      “I’m sure you can, but I had to make the effort.”

      “Well, you wasted your time.” That came out wrong, but she couldn’t take it back.

      His eyes gleamed. “Believe me, I didn’t waste my time.”

      “You said you were going to forget it,” she reminded him.

      “Forget was the wrong word,” he said with a devilish grin.

      “You’re very good with words. So don’t tell me that.”

      “I promise no one will hear about your secret passion from me, but I can’t wipe it from my memory. I have a feeling I’ll remember it late at night when—”

      She cut him off. “Goodbye, Lucas, and next time you plan on coming into my office, would you please have the decency to knock?”

      She had to get rid of him. The tension was so thick she had trouble breathing. It was sexual tension and Lucas was very good at creating it. She hated his easy flirting, which created a fear deep inside her. Over the years she had forced herself to date, to come to grips with her terror, but it hadn’t worked. Men in any kind of sexual context—the very thought of sex—stirred a revulsion in her that she couldn’t control. She was beginning to wonder if she ever would.

      With his hand on the doorknob, he said, “You have a thing about intimacy, don’t you, Blair? I was only going to say late at night when I feel…” He stopped, then added, “Hell, you were right. I did have something risqué in mind.”

      Lucas grinned all the way down the hall. Roger was the wrong man for Blair. She needed someone to unlock all those emotions she had hidden away. Someone with passion and ardor. He suddenly stopped walking. He was thinking about himself. No, he was already involved with Jennifer. He didn’t need…but he enjoyed sparring with Blair—maybe too much, maybe not enough. She made his blood rush, kept him on his toes. “No,” he muttered aloud. “No way.” It wouldn’t be the first time he’d fooled himself about a woman.

      AS THE DOOR CLOSED on Lucas, Blair picked up a paperweight and threw it. It bounced off the wall and landed on the carpet with a thud. Arrogant bastard, she thought, and immediately checked the door to made sure it was locked. She leaned against it and sank to the floor, drawing her knees up to her chin. How was she going to live this down? Lucas had seen her in a state she’d never allowed any man to see. And the way he’d gazed at her—as though she was an attractive woman he liked looking at. She could still feel those dark eyes heating her skin, her blood. Oh, no. Don’t even think it.

      She gulped in some air and did the only thing she could. She started to laugh. After a moment, she sobered, wiping tears from her eyes. Despite the turmoil of this day, she could still laugh. That was good. Maybe Lucas was good for her. No, no, no, she told herself. She wasn’t going to be like every other woman in the courthouse—bowled over by his charm. She intended to avoid Lucas Culver. Like the plague.

      CHAPTER TWO

      LUCAS DROVE to his office to check his messages and finalize his plans for a long vacation with Jacob and the family. He couldn’t believe how much he missed the kids and he couldn’t believe how much he enjoyed being an uncle. It would be nice to have his own kids, but he didn’t see that in his future.

      As he let himself in the side door of his office, Blair’s face flashed into his mind. A Blair with her blue eyes dreamy and her dark hair mussed. He shook his head, smiling. He had a feeling that picture was going to haunt him for days.

      He sat at his desk dealing with messages, when his secretary, Joan, stepped into the office. At sixty, Joan was a stoic, unflappable woman, an invaluable asset. Her hair was blond with streaks of gray that didn’t bother her. She had a husband, three kids and a grandchild, yet she managed to handle all his affairs with effortless ease. She was better than a wife, or so his friends told him. She kept his life organized but didn’t nag or complain. At the moment, though, she seemed flushed and out of breath.

      He lifted an eyebrow. “What is it, Joan?”

      She leaned over and whispered, “Sam Logan is here to see you.”

      Lucas frowned, thinking he’d heard her wrong. “What did you say?”

      “Sam Logan. He wants to see you,” she whispered again.

      “Why are you whispering? He can’t hear us.”

      “I know…but I’ve heard all these stories about him and I’ve never met him. He’s very impressive in person.”

      Lucas had heard the stories, too. Logan was overpowering in a courtroom. In college Lucas had wanted to be like him—a winning lawyer with the respect of his peers. These days Lucas just wanted to be himself.

      Why the hell was Sam Logan calling on him?

      Had Blair told him what had happened in her office? No, she wasn’t that kind of woman.

      “What should I tell him?” Joan asked.

      “Have you cleared my schedule for a couple of weeks?”

      Joan’s eyes widened in shock. “Of course, but…surely you’re going to see him.”

      “He doesn’t have an appointment, does he?”

      “No,” Joan said slowly. “But it’s Sam Logan.”

      “So what?”

      Joan planted her hands on her hips. “Lucas Culver, what are you trying to pull? You know you’re going to see him, so why are you giving me a hard time?”

      “I’ve just never seen you so flustered before.” He smiled mischievously. “If it’ll make you happy, send the man in.”

      “Really, Lucas, sometimes…” Her voice trailed away as she left the room.

      Lucas got to his feet and fastened a button on his dark gray suit. What a day, he thought. Sam’s daughter had just beaten him in court and he’d seen that same daughter in a state of undress. What next?

      Sam Logan entered the office. He was solidly built, about five foot ten and weighed maybe one hundred and eighty pounds, Lucas surmised. He had dark hair, almost black, that was beginning to turn gray, and blunt masculine features. Nothing out of the ordinary, but there was something about Sam Logan that drew one’s attention. An unmistakable aura of power and strength…

      Lucas stayed behind his desk instead of joining him at the door. He felt as if he could now meet Sam Logan on equal ground.

      Sam walked over, and they shook hands. “Thanks for seeing me on such short notice,” he said, and sat in one of the leather wingback chairs. He was dressed in a tailored navy-blue suit, a pinstriped shirt and navy tie—impeccable in dress and manner.

      Lucas glanced at his watch as he took his seat. “I have a few minutes between appointments,” he answered. “What can I do for you?”

      Sam placed his fingers together in a thoughtful СКАЧАТЬ