No. If I need one for any reason, I run by my folks or over to one of my brothers homes. They have all the latest high-tech toys.
Which does me no good. Hell, this paint you put on my face is starting to itch like mad. Ill at least go wash it off, if you dont mind.
Theres a half bath off the smaller bedroom down the hall on your right. I, uh, am going to shower in my bathroom. Sorry, but I have a closetful of clothes. None youd want to share, she said, grinning mischievously.
Ha, ha. Well, maybe our shadow will give up and leave by the time I get this gunk off. How hard is it to remove? Will I peel off a layer of skin?
Daphnes smile broadened. I happen to have this handy-dandy magic cream. Momento! Ill go find you an extra jar.
Logan cooled his heels and inspected her living room as Daphne disappeared again into what he assumed was her bedroom.
He stood in the center of the high-ceilinged space and swiveled in a slow circle. Nothing matched. Not woods, not fabrics, not colors. Oddly enough, the crazy mixture held a homey appeal. The potted plants everywhere added a natural charm.
Personally, Logan didnt own much in the way of furniture or knickknacks. What he and Lizzy had bought during their brief marriage went to her in the divorce.
Or should he call it a bloodbath? By about the third meeting with both of their lawyers, Logan figured hed be lucky to end up with a shirt. Hed been so naive about what could happen during a divorce. Hed gone into it assuming theyd be fair and split things down the middle because their marriage had been a mutual mistake. But that piranha Liz hired as her attorney had made him out to be the most unfeeling bastard on the planet. Between her and the judge, theyd stripped him of everything except his pride. Even that was rocky for a while.
Logan didnt like remembering how Liz had taken every opportunity to undermine him in the department where theyd both worked in D.C. If it hadnt been for Simon Parrish being transferred to L.A. to head up a team, and the fact that hed asked Logan to come along, thered be no telling how his career might have fared.
Daphne popped back into the room. When he glanced in her direction, Logan noticed her face was free of greasepaint. She smiled and passed him an open white jar filled with an opaque cream. I thought I had a second one of these, but I couldnt lay my hands on it. So I quickly washed my face. You can take this to the bath I pointed out earlier. Youll find washcloths and towels under the sink.
Thanks. Ive gotta say, youve been decent about all this.
No problem.
I doubt many women wouldve faced the situation as calmly as you did.
She uttered a self-conscious laugh. I didnt feel calm. You had me at a disadvantage from the start. It helped to find out you were on the right side of the law.
Logan remembered how her heart had fluttered when hed flung his arm around her in order to pull her over to the window. He also had a sudden, distinct memory of exactly how shed looked standing before him in lacy blue underwear. And how soft and velvety her skin felt under his own rough fingers.
Clearing his throat, which had gone bone dry, Logan nervously juggled the jar of cream. He gave a couple of jerky nods and sped off down the hall to the guest bath.
Daphne noticed the sudden tension in the air as she watched Logan vanish into the back bedroom.
Men could be so touchy at times. Obviously, shed said something he deemed unacceptable, but she had no idea what. And of course her brothers always claimed she let her mouth run away without ever connecting with her brain. She guessed that was true enough.
Deciding it was just too bad, she ducked back inside her own room, intent on showering. Her hand hovered above the lock for all of ten seconds. Then she curled her fingers into her right palm and went into her bathroom. He was, after all, an FBI special agent. And if hed had designs on her body, hed already passed up a chance to ravish her at Aprils. Of course, his mind had been on other things. Turning back, she engaged the lock. Not that Logan had given the slightest sign he found her even vaguely attractive, or that hed make a pass if the opportunity presented itself. But better safe thanDaphne frowned. That was exactly what her mother would say.
LOGAN HAD LONG SINCE returned to Daphnes kitchen by the time her door opened and she emerged a different person. Shed put on blue jeans and a shocking-orange T-shirt that read All Men Are Animals, Some Just Make Better Pets.
She missed his fleeting grin because she was busy toweling dry her riotously curly black hair. Logan fought an urge to bury his fingers in the frothy dark ringlets.
I take it those scumballs havent gone, she mumbled from under folds of terry cloth.
No. He eased a bare shoulder away from the wall where he stood to one side of the glass. Long shadows were falling as the day waned, and he hadnt turned on any lights because he didnt want the goons to see him watching them.
As Daphne appeared from beneath the towel, she did a double take at seeing the clown suit hanging loose around Logans narrow hips. Hed slung a hand towel around his neck, which did nothing to hide whorls of glinting blond hair that fanned across his chest.
He saved her from stepping on her lolling tongue by attempting to explain his unruly state. That hot-water faucet in your sink needs fixing. I wrenched it too hard and the water shot out, giving me a shower. I hope you arent squeamish about seeing a half-naked man.
She shrugged to show it was of no consequence. And it shouldnt have been. After all, shed lived a good part of her life in a one-bathroom house with three growing brothers. Why didnt this feel the same?
Considering the issue settled, Logan turned the conversation back to her earlier question. Unfortunately, it looks like those dirtbags are determined to stick around. Does this historic building have a back door? And if so, where does it lead? Logan didnt know when hed ever been this restless. His adrenaline still ran high, and suddenly he had to battle masculine urges he didnt need interfering with his good sense at the moment. He began pacing the small kitchen.
My building has two fire escapes with window exits at the end of every hall. Folding her towel, Daphne fluffed her still-damp hair with her fingers. The fire escapes actually dump you out on the sidewalk. My brother Danes always harassing me about this building not meeting new city codes. But I checked, and historic buildings are grandfathered in the citys fire plan. Theyre considered safe if they provide fire escapes, a monthly check of extinguishers on every floor, and if the building undergoes a yearly wiring inspection. This one does.
Which one is Dane?
My oldest brother. Hes a fire captain. And a know-it-all, she said, making a face.
Look. Id love to stay and chat, but I need to either go find my boss or get a message to him ASAP.
Theres a phone booth a block down the street on the southeast corner.
Right! I saunter out partially dressedlike a clown. Guaranteed our surveillance team will see me and gun me down. And say I did, by some miracle, give them the slip. Id have every beat cop in the area pouncing on me for indecent exposure. Without any ID on mewell, you fill in the blanks.
You didnt let me finish. I can go make the call for you. Those guys have no way of knowing what I look like dressed normally.