Caught Up in the Touch by Laura Trentham Read Free Book Online Page B

everything had changed.”
    “How so?” He leaned over the table and looked genuinely interested.
    “Her house was nothing special, I suppose. A typical fifties-style ranch, but she had these huge magnolia trees in the yard. I spent more time in the trees than out during my visits. But…” The shock and devastation at seeing the trees gone rolled back through her stomach, and she spun her coffee cup, sloshing a little onto the saucer. “They had been cut down, and the new owners had put potted plants on the stumps like decorating a grave. I used to dream about them, but I wonder now if those dreams will stop.”
    Her gaze lifted from her untouched coffee, and the intensity of his expression stilled her. “They’ll live on in your dreams.”
    The certainty in his voice wiped away any doubt that she’d dream about the trees still reaching for the sky. “Maybe so.”
    Understanding flowed between them, and her heart clenched from the mirroring echo of loss in his voice. Logan Wilde had kept her off-balance since they’d met, and she’d yet to regain her footing. She swallowed down the raw burn that had roughed her voice and cleared her throat.
    She had to sever the crazy connection that seemed to strengthen with every passing second. Pulling out the sheaf of papers from her bag, she laid them in the middle of the table, a physical and emotional separation from him. “I’m going to leave these contracts for you to review. The salary is outstanding. The restaurant is in the Buckhead section of Atlanta. Upscale yet accessible.”
    He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, leaving the papers untouched. The cotton broadcloth pulled taut over his biceps, tension threading his body. “What about Adaline’s?”
    Jessica swept her gaze around the room. The restaurant carried the warm essence of a woman she’d never meet. Or was it Logan’s spirit she sensed in the mortar between the bricks? Her father had lectured her repeatedly on the danger of allowing emotions into negotiations.
    With a steadying breath, she shed the shroud of sentimentality. “You could hire a manager or sell it, but you need to understand, when you accept our offer, your creations would belong to Montgomery Industries.”
    “What if I told you I’m not interested in running a restaurant? I’m more interested in running your experimental kitchens.”
    His eyes narrowed, and she sensed an imaginary gauntlet being tossed on top of the papers. Used to the sudden change of landscape during negotiations, she riffled through possibilities. She had just appointed a new director to the kitchens. “I’m not sure that’s a possibility. I’ll need time to figure some things out.”
    “You do that.” His lips quirked with a ghost of a smile, but it vanished before she could be sure.
    Like any good general, she knew when to retreat and reevaluate. She gathered the papers and stood, leaving her coffee untouched. “Thank you for the outstanding dinner.”
    He joined her and guided her through the maze of tables with a light hand on her lower back. “How’re you finding Lilliana and Hancock House?” The warm puff of his breath tickled her ear and sent goose bumps down her arm.
    “Fine.” She clipped out the word.
    “Are you going to be staying there or is it not up to your standards?” He pushed the door open. Muggy, thick air enveloped her.
    She stopped and shifted to face him. “I’ll be staying there. Can we set up a time to meet tomorrow?”
    “Not sure of my plans. Had to cut my time in the woods short to fix a stove.”
    “Will you be here in the morning?”
    “Don’t know. Maybe.”
    While his lack of commitment annoyed her, he still held the upper hand and she didn’t want to push too hard. It was a small town. She could track him down if necessary. “Well then, I’ll be in touch.”
    She turned and took half a dozen steps. He was still at her elbow. She stopped again. “What are you doing?”
    “Walking you to your