Stranded with a Billionaire (Billionaire Boys Club #1)(79)

“Meeting,” he said abruptly. “I’ll be free tomorrow night.”

“All right,” she told him. “I’ll miss you tonight.”

Logan gave her a curious look, and then leaned in and kissed her fiercely, as if he’d just come to some sort of bizarre realization. “I love you.”

A bit surprised, she laughed at his expression. She almost blurted “I love you, too,” but stopped herself. “What brought that on?”

The look he gave her was intense, making her laughter die in her throat. “I want you to come to my meeting tonight.”

“You do? To a business meeting?

“It’s more of a meeting of . . . friends.”

“Are you sure that’s allowed?”

“It will be,” he said, his smile surprisingly grim.

***

Bront? was lost in thought as she walked the streets of SoHo, heading to Cooper’s Cuppa. Gretchen hadn’t been at the apartment that morning, and Bront? suspected that she had returned home late the night before and quietly left for work that morning without disturbing Bront? or her guest. It suited Bront? just fine. While they normally walked to work together, strolling by herself allowed her to clear her head and think a little.

Her night with Logan had been . . . intense. Magical. Wonderful. If she hadn’t already been in love with him, she would be by now. But it was also a little troubling. He’d wanted her to move back in with him as if nothing had happened, and she was still mentally working through some of their issues.

When all was said and done, he was still a billionaire used to getting his way in everything, and she was still a waitress. Their massive power incompatibility worried her. Men like him didn’t date waitresses. Men like him bought the establishment and slept with the waitresses, she thought wryly. That was her situation . . . and yet it wasn’t. Logan had proved he wasn’t what she’d expected, just as she wasn’t what he’d expected, she supposed.

But she couldn’t quite bring herself to fling it all away and return to being his live-in girlfriend. To have no other role in his life than being arm candy that was fun in bed.

She didn’t know what to do. Logan had said the offer stood, but what if he didn’t wait forever? What if he got tired of waiting for her to be comfortable with who he was and he moved on and forgot about her? Tears pricked at her eyes, and she swiped them away, pulling open the door to the coffee shop.

Gretchen was behind the counter already, her red hair pulled up in a messy knot, her glasses sliding down her nose. She looked up at Bront?’s entrance and gave her a startled look. “You’re here today?”

“Of course,” Bront? said stiffly, heading to the back. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Gretchen stepped out from behind the counter, following Bront? to the office. “Oh, I don’t know. Could it have something to do with the tall, dark, and rich guy who was over last night?”

“Why does everyone assume that just because Logan and I sleep together that I automatically decide to shirk all my duties?”

“’Cause that’s what happened last time?” Gretchen asked playfully.

The words were meant as a tease, but it was too much for Bront?. She sniffed loudly and stared at her locker, willing herself not to cry.

It didn’t work.

“Oh, jeez,” Gretchen said, pulling one of the spare brown aprons off of a coat hook and handing it to her. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s okay,” Bront? said, dabbing at her eyes with the apron and collapsing into a heap on a nearby stool. “I’m just all confused on the inside.”

“You want to talk? I can get us a couple of coffees, and we can steal one of the booths in the back. It’s kind of slow this morning.”

Bront? nodded.

Five minutes later, they were settled into the smallest back booth of the coffee shop, hot mocha cappuccinos in hand. Cooper looked at them curiously from time to time, but he didn’t pry, and Bront? was grateful.

“So,” Gretchen said. “You had Mr. Moneypants over last night. It went badly, and that’s why you’re crying.”

Bront? shook her head, grabbing a handful of napkins as she felt the confused tears welling up again. “It went great. It was beautiful. He told me he loved me.”

Gretchen nodded thoughtfully. “And this is bad? Admission of love pre–bl*w j*b as incentive, then?”

She giggled, the sound a little choked with tears. “Post–bl*w j*b. And no, it’s not bad. I just don’t know what to do. I still have an apartment back in Kansas City. A life. Well, such as it is. But this morning, I got out of the shower, and Logan was packing my bags as if sleeping with him meant that I was automatically moving back in.”

“That bastard,” Gretchen said ironically. “How dare he want to spend all his time with you? Do you need me to talk to him and set him straight?”

She made a face at her friend. “I’m serious. My problem with Logan is that last time we did the exact same thing—we moved in together right away, and he just kind of took over my life.”

“I see.” Gretchen sipped her coffee thoughtfully. “Took over like how?”

“He bought me some clothes.”

“That bastard.”

“Shut up, Gretchen. I’m trying to tell you. He bought me clothes, and we went to a party and . . .” She frowned in thought. “I bought books for his library.”