Page 40 of The Secret Heir Next Door

You know, Logan, I’m starting to think that getting her in a car with you might not actually be safer. You look like you’re about to explode with all that pent-up emotion.

Brant is texting me from the backseat and I’d like to flip him the middle finger, but I refrain.

Brant laughs.

Relax, man. I’m just messing with you. But seriously, try not to let her see how much she’s getting to you. Girls like that can smell weakness from a mile away.

I’m not weak.

Didn’t say you were. Just saying you’ve got to keep your cool. She’s already on edge, and you don’t want to push her further.

I nod. Brant’s right, as much as I hate to admit it. I need to keep my emotions in check.

She tased me. That’s why I’m all off-kilter.

I guess I shouldn’t worry about her so much. She can clearly protect herself.

Damn it, why does that turn me on even more?

As Dante pulls away from the bar, I glance in my mirror, seeing that Serena is directly behind me. She’s staring out the window, her expression unreadable, but I can see the tension in her posture, the way she’s holding herself so tightly.

“How about some music? Or are we going to ride in awkward silence the whole way?”

Lila laughs, and I can hear the relief in her voice. “Music sounds good. Anything but country, though. I’m not in the mood for sad songs about trucks and heartbreak.”

Dante grins, reaching for the radio. “You got it, darlin’. Let’s see what we can find.”

As the music fills the car, I try to relax and focus on the road ahead. But it’s hard when all I can think about is the woman sitting in the backseat, so close yet so far away.

“Lila, what’s your address?”

She rattles it off, and I gesture to Dante. “Perfect, it’s on the way to Brant’s.”

“Um,” Serena starts.

I turn around to see Lila giving her a look. Serena huffs and sits back in her seat. It’s not long before Brant and Lila are deposited in front of their apartments. I move to the back to sit by Serena.

“You didn’t have to do this, you know?”

“You’re an employee. It’s the only reasonable thing to do.”

“An employee?” she snaps. “Are you in the habit of sleeping with all of your employees?”

I sit back slightly and eye her carefully. Dante’s eyes are forward, trying not to be obvious that he’s in the car.

“No, we had this talk and…”

“Logan, you can’t tell me that you don’t do relationships or whatever bullshit you said and then stare at me all night long. The only reason why you offered me a ride home was because you don’t want to sleep with me, but you couldn’t stand the thought of me going home with someone else. Grow up.”

“You think I don’t want to sleep with you?”

She rolls her eyes, sits back, and folds her arms across her chest before she looks out the window.

What am I doing wrong?

It’s not long before we pull up in front of her apartment. She practically jumps out the door, and I watch her step onto the curb unsteadily.

“Maybe you should walk her to her door, sir,” Dante offers as he clears his throat.