Kenzie was too tired to argue that she wasn't snooping, but investigating. She closed and locked the door behind her and flopped down onto the bed. Why did Logan have to be so attractive, and so kind? Why couldn't he make this so much easier by being a jerk?
He'd even respected her wishes of not mentioning the previous night's kiss. She felt her heart speed up as she thought about that.
Finally, spent, she closed her eyes and curled up to take a nap.
********************
Kenzie wasn't sure how much time had passed, but when she looked at her watch, it said it was 6:00. She remembered that she'd left Ms. Fitzgerald's house around 1:00. She really had been tired.
Stretching, she sat up in bed and contemplated what to do. She finally decided to see if Jillian was online. But to her dismay, she wasn't. She was probably still moving things into her new bungalow. Kenzie made a mental note to visit her best friend in her new house sometime.
Her parents weren't online either, though that wasn't surprising - her father was a workaholic, so he was probably doing something important on the only computer in the house. She could call them. But she feared what they'd have to say about Logan. She didn't need their permission for anything. But she was afraid of what they might say regardless.
The sky was still dark, promising rain. With a sigh of resignation, Kenzie knew what she had to do. It was time to stop procrastinating. She had to tell Logan they had to keep their relationship on a professional level.
But first she changed into warmer clothes and took out her "cute" pigtails.
********************
10 Poker Flats Drive. That's what Logan had told Kenzie his address was. She read the street signs and gripped the steering wheel as her heart began beating faster. She couldn't tell if this was due to excitement or regret. Or even nervousness.
Jillian would say she was clearly smitten. And she'd be inclined to believe it.
At last, she pulled up in front of Logan's house. It was a simple place that looked not unlike a shack, though it was the nicest looking house on Poker Flats Drive. At least the house had siding instead of weathered shingles.
Sighing, she turned off the car engine and stepped out. She approached the front door, took a deep breath, and rang the doorbell.
No answer. But Logan was definitely home; his truck was parked next to the house.
Suddenly, Kenzie heard noise coming from the back. She walked around the side of the house and saw Logan holding a hammer, driving nails into a board on a wall. It looked as though he was constructing something.
Great, he was even handy. Another trait that was starting to make him irresistible.
"Logan?" she called.
Logan jumped, nearly dropping the hammer. He spun around and his face softened when he saw Kenzie.
"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"You had to change clothes to talk to me?" Logan laughed.
"Well...it's getting cold, so I just changed into something warmer."
"Uh huh. Well, this must be important, if you just came here instead of calling."
"I...uh...I was going to call. But I figured this would be better if I said it in person."
Logan set the hammer down and approached her. "What is it?"
Kenzie took a deep breath. "It's just...Logan, I don't think it's appropriate if we see each other except on a professional level."
Logan raised his eyebrows. "Uh...as far as I know, that's all we've been seeing each other as. With the exception of that...thing you don't want me to mention."
Kenzie's face heated up. She hated when that happened.
"I mean," Logan continued, oblivious to the blush, "you've already made it clear that's what you want. For us to just have a professional relationship. I've got that. So who are you trying to convince here? Me or you?"
Kenzie was taken aback. Her first instinct was to argue. But all she could think about was how Logan was right. Except for that kiss, he'd been strictly professional. She was the one obsessing over him.
Maybe she was just trying to convince herself.
Changing the subject, she asked, "What are you building?"
Logan just chuckled, obviously aware of what Kenzie was trying to do. "I'm working on building an observation shed. I don't know if you can see my telescope up there on the porch, but I've always loved the stars. I need somewhere safe to keep my telescope besides outside. Whenever it rains, I have to bring it in, and believe me, it gets heavy. With a shed, I can just point it out the window, even when it's storming."
"I've got a telescope back home. But I have to carry it up on the porch when it rains. It's a covered porch, so it's okay."
"Lucky you."
Logan looked thoughtful. As the sky got darker, he said, "Hey, come with me."
"Where?"
"Inside. I'll get you something to drink."
"No, thanks. I'll just get back to the hotel."
"Come on. Stop being so stubborn."
And Kenzie found herself being reluctantly pulled into Logan's house. It was a typical bachelor pad. There were sports magazines strewn everywhere, and there wasn't a plant in sight. Some video gaming equipment was on the floor, and the living and kitchen areas were connected, similar to her own house.
"Have a seat," Logan offered as he gestured toward three empty bar stools. Kenzie sat down on the end one while Logan began preparing drinks.
"So..." Kenzie said in an attempt to make polite conversation. "This is a nice house."
"Thanks. It wasn't much when I first bought it, but I was able to make it look better."
"I like that lava lamp."
"Oh yeah, I've had that thing forever. It's just one of those things that are hard to explain. How exactly does the lava move like that, you know?"
"I guess some mysteries can't be solved."
"Good point."
Logan sat a plate of drinks in front of Kenzie. He then took one of the cups and began to drink the hot liquid inside.
"So what is this?" Kenzie asked as she took the second cup.
"Extreme Triple White Chocolate Latte Lite with Chocolate Whipped Cream."
"Wow, that's a real mouthful."
"Tell me about it. But it's good!"
"Well, I do love chocolate."
So Kenzie put the drink to her lips...
...and almost melted. It tasted unlike anything she'd ever tasted before. It was so delicious she was afraid of being tempted to ask for seconds.
When she and Logan both finished their drinks, Logan looked outside. Stars were beginning to stud the sky. Logan looked back at Kenzie with a mischievous grin.
"Have you ever gone stargazing?"
"Not for a long time."
"Would you like to?"
Kenzie wasn't sure what to say. It sounded like a lot of fun, but she shouldn't be doing that.
And yet...what harm could stargazing do? She couldn't do much more with the case tonight. She couldn't get in touch with the Tollivers, nor could she get into their house. And from the sounds of it, the threatening rain would botch any evidence-gathering plans anyway.
So she finally said, "Okay, sure."
"Great. Let me just change into something else. This outfit's all dirty from working outside. I'll be right back."
Kenzie nodded and Logan disappeared down a hallway. Her heart drummed with excitement. What was she so excited about? They were going stargazing. It was not a date. Neither one of them had even mentioned a date. Still, why was she staying? She'd come to tell him something, which she'd done. Why did she stay? Why didn't she leave?
Still, when Logan emerged from what must have been his bedroom wearing a very nice dress shirt and pants, Kenzie found it even harder to leave.
"Come on," he said. "I know a great place for stargazing."
And Kenzie found herself standing up and following him outside.
********************
Logan took Kenzie to Willowglen Amphitheatre. It was, he said, not only good for plays and concerts, but great for stargazing due to the soft, flat ground and an open sky.
They sat down on a soft patch of grass and gazed up. Kenzie couldn't remember the last time she'd seen so many stars. It was beautiful, seeing those amazing twinkling lights so many miles away, gazing down upon them.
"Look!" she said as she pointed toward a certain cluster of stars. "There's Taurus, my horoscope."
"Awesome. Well there's mine, Leo."
"The stars are so beautiful," Kenzie breathed. "It's just like this big blanket is covering us up."
"You know, I didn't notice until tonight."
"What?"
"You have really pretty eyes."
Kenzie looked at Logan. "Thanks."
"I mean it. I see the stars, and I look at your eyes, and they're so blue. Have I mentioned blue's my favorite color?"
"No, you haven't. But I'm glad to hear that."
Logan chuckled. Then he placed his hand over Kenzie's.
Kenzie looked down at their hands, then looked into Logan's deep brown eyes. She felt an invisible force tugging at her heart strings. And a spark. But this spark had nothing to do with the arson case she was trying to solve. This was a spark of chemistry. The last thing she'd expected to find on her trip to Twinbrook, and certainly with a bounty hunter.
As if by a magnet, their lips moved closer and closer together. But suddenly, a bright flash ripped across the sky and a large boom of thunder shook the earth. Kenzie and Logan jumped up, just as rain started to fall.
"Come on!" Logan yelled as he grabbed Kenzie's hand and pulled her toward the truck. But they were parked pretty far away. The rain began coming down harder and harder. Kenzie could barely see where she was going, not only because of the heavy rain but because of her glasses getting pelted with huge raindrops.
By the time they reached the truck, their clothes were soaked. Kenzie climbed in and Logan jumped into the front seat. He put the key in the ignition and started the truck. Then he turned on the lights and headed back toward...
his house. Not the hotel.
"Logan?" Kenzie asked as she tried not to shiver as cold rain water coated her clothes and stuck to her body. "Where are we going?"
"We're going back to my place."
"Why not just take me back to the hotel?"
"My house is closer, and it's dangerous to drive in weather like this. I can hardly see where I'm going as it is. But I know how to get to my house a lot easier than the hotel. Plus, your car's at my house anyway."
Kenzie saw out the windshield that the rain was coming down even harder. She could barely see three feet in front of her. There was no way she'd be able to drive back to the hotel. She didn't know the way well enough, since everything looked the same through the rain.
More thunder rumbled overhead and lightning cracked against the dark sky. The beautiful stars were now invisible due to the rain.
Finally, the two made it back to Logan's house. They ran inside as fast as they could, but they were still soaked by the time they got in.
"What a mess!" Logan declared as he shut the door behind them. "I hate storms in this town. They just show up with no warning, and you get this."
He gestured to himself, his clothes soaked clean through. His hair had also become messy. Kenzie looked down at herself. Her clothes were soaked too. Her hair lay matted against her head and neck, and it felt like her makeup was starting to run.
This was why she preferred to not wear makeup. You never knew when a sudden rainstorm would show up, causing it to run down your face, thus making you look ridiculous.
Still, when they looked at each other, they burst out laughing.
Then, Kenzie let out a sneeze.
"Whoa," Logan said. "That's it. Off with your clothes."
Kenzie's eyes bugged out. "Excuse me?!"
Logan laughed. "I mean, you'll get sick if you keep those wet clothes on. I'll throw them in the washer."
Now Kenzie was even more shocked. A man who could do his own laundry? Was there any end to this guy's talents?
"But what am I supposed to wear?" Kenzie inquired skeptically.
"Don't panic. I'll let you borrow one of my shirts and a pair of my shorts."
As he spoke, Logan began to disrobe himself. He took his shirt off (was that really necessary?), then gestured for Kenzie to follow him. Like a zombie, she did so.
Logan led her to his bedroom, where he withdrew a not-very-becoming shirt and a pair of shorts out of his dresser. He handed them to her and said, "The bathroom's right across the hall if you want to change. Which I strongly recommend. I'll change in here."
Kenzie managed to stop staring at Logan's ripped abs long enough to say, "Thanks."
She took the shirt and closed the bedroom door behind her. Then she went into the bathroom, closed that door, and pulled her wet clothes off. She then pulled Logan's shirt over her head and put his shorts on underneath. The shirt was so long on her that she couldn't even see the shorts. But at least they were clean and dry. She did, however, leave her undergarments on. No way was she taking those off, no matter how wet they were. Besides, Logan didn't need to see, when he did the laundry, that she wore granny panties and a typical bra instead of matching lingerie.
Kenzie longed to wash and brush her hair, but that was something she wouldn't be able to do here. She wasn't going to use Logan's shower, nor was she going to ask to use his brush. That wasn't sanitary anyway. At least she was able to wipe off her glasses and wash the runny makeup off her face.
When she emerged from the bathroom, she saw that Logan had already put on something else. Yet, for some torturous reason, he'd put on a white tank top. At least he wasn't going shirtless. Still, the tank top really defined the muscles underneath, and showed off his biceps as well as his tattoo.
"Here, I'll take those," he said as he reached for her wet clothes. Her mouth could no longer form words as she handed the clothes over and Logan took them down the hall to the laundry room.
Instead, she went back to the living room and sat on the couch. The rain was coming down just as hard, and it didn't look like it would let up anytime soon.
Great. She would probably be stuck here all night with this bounty hunter. That was the last place she wanted to be.
Logan came back from the laundry room and said, "The clothes are in the washer. Then I'll throw them in the dryer. You want something to eat or drink?"
"No thanks," Kenzie replied, surprised her mouth could formulate words again. As if she'd be able to eat anything after seeing Logan like that.
She really needed to get a grip.
"So," Logan said as he sat down next to Kenzie on the couch. "I've been wanting to ask you something."
"Okay..."
"Why didn't you become a private investigator? Why a detective? I mean, you'd be behind the scenes more and wouldn't have to do as much evidence gathering and questioning. You'd just follow people."
"Following people around like a stalker isn't my idea of a good time. I prefer finding evidence to put criminals away, not following suspected cheaters around."
"Ah, I see."
"What about you? Why don't you go back to college? You could be a detective if you wanted to."
"Well, I'd honestly rather be a PI."
"Well, you could do that too. It's never too late."
"Where will I get the money?"
"Student loans."
"And how would I pay those back? Trust me, bounty hunters don't make much of a salary."
"Just pay it in portions. And when you get your dream job, you'll make even more, so you can pay more back."
"I'd like to, but I just don't know...school's never really been my thing."
Kenzie chuckled. "I'm sure you could do it. If you want something bad enough, nothing can stop you from getting it."
Just then, Kenzie heard her cell phone ring.
"Oh no! Is that still in my pants?!"
"No," Logan laughed. "I took it out. I put it on top of the washer."
"I'll be right back!"
Kenzie ran toward the laundry room, found her phone, and saw that it was her parents calling. She answered it with a breathless, "Hello?"
"Kenzie?" her mother's voice said. "Are you all right? You sound out of breath."
"I'm fine. I just...couldn't find my phone."
"Since when do you not have it with you?"
"I've just been busy."
"Oh, okay. Well we just heard on the news that there's a bad thunderstorm over there. Just wanted to see if you were okay."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm at...the hotel."
"Good, stay there until this storm passes."
"I will, Mom. How are you and Dad?"
"We're doing good. Waiting for the news to come in for when you solve this case."
"I'm working on it. I've got a few leads."
Kenzie heard footsteps and saw Logan approaching.
"Hey listen, Mom, I have to go for now, okay? I want to charge this phone before the battery dies, because the power might go out."
"All right, just be safe."
"I will. Bye."
Kenzie hung up and faced Logan.
"My parents," she said as she rolled her eyes. She probably looked like a big baby to him now.
Logan just grinned as the two began to walk back toward the living room. "Only child?"
"How did you know?"
"I've heard they've got parents that are really overprotective."
"Yeah, they just wanted to tell me about the storm, that I already knew about."
"You didn't tell them where you were, did you?"
"Should I have?"
"Hey, that's up to you."
Kenzie sighed.
"My parents need to realize I'm not a little girl anymore and that they don't have to check up on me all the time."
"You seem pretty grown up to me."
"I'm glad you think so. I don't need them to check up on me for everything. But I guess it's just a habit."
For a few minutes, the only sound came from the rain outside. Finally, Logan said, "So...about what you said about wanting something bad enough, nothing being able to stop you from getting it?"
"Yeah?"
"I think I know one thing I want right now."
"And what's that?"
And then Logan brought his mouth down upon hers.
To Kenzie, the kiss was intense. It was filled with desire and passion, more so than the first kiss he'd given her, and she found herself kissing back in the same way. It clouded her mind so much that her hands reached over to pull Logan's shirt over his head.
Kenzie knew she was playing with fire now. Her head was screaming, "What are you doing? You're on a case, you can't be getting involved with anyone, especially this guy." But her body was reacting just the opposite, as if to tell her brain to shut up and just go with it.
And go with it, she did. She went with it as Logan's shirt that she'd put on only moments before came off as fast as it had went on. She went with it as layer by layer, both of their clothes disappeared (oh great, he ended up seeing her less-than-flattering undergarments anyway).
And she went with it all the way to Logan's bedroom, not fighting it when he picked her up and carried her there (though she was surprised he could support her weight)...
...where they started a fire she had no desire to extinguish.
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