Conviction (Club Destiny 1)

The party was dwindling down, and couples were heading home with excuses about kids and laundry and other family things that needed to be taken care of. She knew she better make her way out before she ended up being the only guest left, and that would be uncomfortable for both her and Logan. Especially after what had transpired between them earlier in the hallway.

Sam didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to Logan, although it would just be easier to sneak out than it would be to face the man again. She had made a grave mistake earlier when she’d allowed herself to get lost in his touch for even that brief moment. And then, when he’d mentioned he wasn’t going to be able to forget what happened, she knew she wouldn’t either.

The fact that he had actually come onto her was weighing heavily on her conscious. Never, in as long as she could remember, had she felt such a strong sexual pull toward a man.

But with Logan, Sam felt like an entirely different woman. She wanted things she’d never wanted before. Her body ached for him, her skin tingled with wanting his touch, and she didn’t seem to care when or where, just as long as she could have him.

Shaking off the thought, Sam looked around, finally locating Logan leaning against the railing surrounding the veranda, talking to a couple of guys she didn’t recognize. Again, their eyes met when she turned toward him, and she felt as though the world was spinning faster, throwing her off balance again. She shook off the feeling, tried to compose herself and was just about to head in his direction when Alex walked up.

“Hey. Leaving so soon?” Alex asked as he moved to stand directly in her path.

“I had thought about it. Seems to be dying down and I have things to do tonight.” Sam lied. She had nothing to do except escape to the confines of her small apartment and think about what had happened between her and Logan in his hallway. That was too pathetic to admit to anyone.

Alex was smiling at her, and she recognized the mischief in his grin. Although she wasn’t personally attracted to Alex McDermott, she could certainly see his sex appeal. The man was immensely attractive, nearly as tall as and possibly a little broader than Logan, but he didn’t have that air of confidence that Sam found so damn appealing.

“So, did you enjoy yourself?” Alex asked, but Sam noticed he kept glancing over in Logan’s direction.

Sam turned to see what he was looking at, and she was met with a glare from Logan. “I did.” She admitted, turning her attention back to Alex. “I was hesitant about coming, but I’m glad I did. How about you? Do you normally come to these parties?”

“Logan and I have known each other for a while. I try to stop by whenever I can.” Alex responded moving a bit closer. “So, what are the plans for tonight? Going out?”

Sam watched Alex closely, picking up on the fact that he seemed to be trying to antagonize someone. And that someone appeared to be Logan.

“Just going home to get some work done. The days are long, but there never seems to be enough time to get everything done.”

“I know what you mean.” He said, smiling unusually.

“What are you smiling about?” Sam asked as she glanced behind her again, noticing Logan was still staring back in their direction. She could see the heat in his gaze from across the patio.

“Who me? Just smiling. Is that ok?”

“It would be if you didn’t have this mischievous look on your face and if you weren’t trying to get Logan’s attention.” Sam declared with a little reprimand in her tone. There wasn’t much space between them so she had to look up to see his eyes, and she was sure from Logan’s place on the patio that their positioning looked intimate.

“But it’s fun. It’s so easy to get a rise out of him. Even more so when I know I was right.”

“Right about what?” Sam asked, getting irritated with the game Alex was playing.

“Seems my friend Logan has a thing for you. If you look over there right now, you’ll see he’s trying to kill me with a glare. He’s probably just a little jealous of me talking to you.” He laughed as he stepped aside so Sam had a direct view of Logan.

Sam noticed Logan didn’t look happy, but when she smiled at him, he quickly smiled back, raising his glass in her direction. Unhappy or not, the man looked like he could hold his own. It didn’t take her long to figure out what Alex was doing.

“Ahh. So you thought you’d try to add fuel to the fire?” As if Sam and Logan needed any fuel added to the fire that ignited when they were together.

“You could say that.” He admitted, then smiled down at her again. “I guess my job here is done, so I should be heading out. Got a hot date tonight and it seems as though someone wants to talk to you.” Alex stated as he glanced back at Logan, making the other man tense.