“That was quick,” he said.
“I’m efficient, and I don’t want to keep breathing in this smoke,” she replied.
“I don’t blame you. C’mon.”
When they got outside, he locked the door behind her. “Don’t worry about someone breaking in because all the windows are open. After I take you to a hotel, I’ll come back here. Gonna camp out in the truck for a while, then I’ll go inside to check. You know, close all the windows, take care of everything. By the time I bring you back here tomorrow morning, it’ll all be just a memory, a fun story to tell your brothers.”
She stammered, then shook her head. “What? No. You can’t stay here in your truck all night, that’s not—”
“That’s me doing my job,” he said firmly.
“No, it’s beyond the parameters of what you should have to do. It’s too cold out. Can’t you stay inside?”
“It’ll be just as cold in there with all the windows open,” he pointed out.
She grimaced and grumbled, “Of course it would. Duh.” She threw up her hands in surrender. “You’re not going to budge on this?”
“No, ma’am.”
“Okay, then. If you insist.”
“I do.” He grinned and walked to the truck. “Get in,” he told her over his shoulder. “Door’s unlocked.” Bubbles barked like crazy while he put the doggie bed in the back, then Tess’s suitcase. By the time he slid into the driver’s seat, the warmth hit him like a wall. He glanced over at his beautiful passenger, who was buckling her seat belt with one arm while trying to hold her dog with the other.
“Um . . .” Logan said. “Which hotel am I taking you to? Any idea?”
“I called the Barrington Hotel while I was up in my room. They accept pets. So they’re expecting me.”
He blinked. “You were up there for maybe four minutes. You packed and did that at the same time?”
A spark entered her eyes as her sharp grin bloomed. “I know how to multitask.”
“Well, color me impressed, then.”
Her gaze narrowed as she assessed him. “Logan . . . I may have done an unbelievably stupid thing tonight, but I’m not a stupid woman. I run a company, you know. I’m usually pretty on top of my game.”
Nodding, he shifted the gears and pulled out of the driveway, ignoring the barking dog and the faint burn of being put in his place. She never did miss an opportunity to condescend to him, did she. “I wasn’t insulting you, Tess. I was just surprised that you did so much in under five minutes, that’s all. It’s respect, not pandering.” He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from saying more . . . something he might regret.
“Oh.” She stroked her dog’s fur with her now gloved fingers. “Look, I might be a little oversensitive right now. I’m tired, cold, and most of all, I’m really mad at myself for doing something so dumb. I could’ve burned the damn house down.”
“Well, you didn’t. No harm done, learned a lesson, all’s well in the end.” He kept his eyes on the road. The turns as they headed down Red Mountain were sharp and unlit; he maneuvered carefully in the dark. “I’ll have you at your hotel in no time.”
They drove in silence for the rest of the trip. When he pulled up in front of the grand luxury hotel, she gripped his forearm.
“You’ve been amazing tonight, Logan,” she said earnestly. “Thank you so much, for everything. Really.”
He nodded. “You’re welcome. Just glad you’re okay.” He got out of the truck and reached into the backseat for her suitcase, then grasped the doggie bed. “I’ll help you inside with this,” he said as he met her outside the truck, “then I’ll come back for you in the morning. Text me when you’re ready to leave, and I’ll be here to take you home.”
“Sounds good,” she said. “But can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
She hesitated, her pretty mouth twisting as she shifted the dog in her arms, then asked, “I hate that I had to call you late at night about all this. I know I’m supposed to, you told me that. I don’t think I’ve been a pest aside from this incident. But . . . sometimes you snap at me. Like before. I feel like you don’t like me very much. I was wondering if you could tell me why.”