Reaching for the Moon by ThePekingNoodle
AN: Thanks to China Doll for the inspiration of what is going to be happening in the next few chapters. ;)
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Chapter Twenty: Lace or Leather?
Logan gets an eyeful…
Logan heaved a sigh of relief when Max and Kendra left the apartment. Once he was sure they were gone, he headed in to the computer room.
Bling looked up from where he was working, but said nothing as Logan dropped down into his usual chair and began to open up his latest investigation files. The two men worked in silence for a while and then Logan leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath as he stretched out his legs and arms.
"Looks like I'm going to have to go in personally to get the final information I need to prove Harrison Ratburn has been embezzling from the Save the Space Needle campaign. The stuff I got from the latest disk is good but it doesn't directly name him."
"How you planning on doing that?"
"There's a fundraiser for the campaign in two nights and it's being held at his house. I have an invitation to it somewhere. I'll slip into his study and, according to my informant, the proof I need is saved on his personal computer."
"So you going take Max with you to this shindig?" Bling asked.
"Take Max? Why would I do that?" Logan asked in honest confusion.
"Because if you don't, everyone's going to be wondering why you aren't showing off your new bride. Not the least your Aunt Margo. You know she'll be there."
Logan groaned. "I have to take her don't I?"
Bling just looked at him and nodded.
Logan thought a moment and then smiled. "It shouldn't be a problem. Max knows how to handle herself at these kinds of affairs. I'll just introduce her around, get her settled and slip off to get the disk. She'll actually be a great diversion. Everyone's going to be too interested in her to notice me."
Bling just raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. "On another matter, Logan, what are you gonna do about your marriage? You promised Max you'd straighten it out."
Logan sighed, "That was before the tabloids got into the act. Even Eyes Only can't do much to fix that. We may have to just wait it out for six months or so. Then when everyone forgets about us, we can get a quiet divorce."
"So you and she are going to live here together pretending to be married for the next six months?"
"Why not? There's a guest room. Max can use it. It's not like anyone but you would ever know."
"You're seriously going to go without a woman for six months, Logan?"
Logan shot Bling a look. "It's not like I don't have some self control, Bling. I'm not some eighteen year old who's at the mercy of his raging hormones."
"Man, since I've known you, you haven't gone more than a week without having a woman in your bed. Unless you plan on Max being there while you two wait it out?"
"Max isn't like that… we aren't like that…I wouldn't do that to her…" Logan floundered.
Bling just laughed at Logan's discomfort. "This is gonna be interesting. By the way you ever figure out who it is who's after her anyway?"
"The information Nathan said he was sending never arrived." Logan frowned. "Looks like I'm going to have to do some of my own digging."
"Any idea of where to start?"
Logan thought a moment, "Gillette, Wyoming. Nathan told me something about finding Max near there and about some government program that he thought might have been involved. And she has an odd tattoo on the back of her neck. A barcode…"
* * * *
Max and Kendra had made it back to Fogle Towers without any incidents and Max had talked the garage attendant into letting her into the garage. Kendra directed her to the spot where Logan's car was parked, and Max slid her motorcycle into a space next to it.
Within moments they were in the elevator, laden with their bags, on their way up to the penthouse. When the doors opened and they stepped out Kendra put out a hand to stop Max before she hit the door chimes. She pulled out a hairbrush and handed it to Max who quickly ran it through her tangled hair. Then she straightened her leather jacket and with a wink at Kendra pushed the button.
Bling opened the door within moments and the two girls breezed in, dropping their bags next to the door. Max turned to Bling with a smile letting him see her outfit, and he let out a low whistle and then gave her a conspiratorial wink.
"Bling, is it Max and Kendra?" Logan came around the corner and stopped dead at the sight of Max. She had struck a pose that seemed oddly familiar and then it came back to him in a rush. A long ago night, and a beautiful fifteen year old dressed in black leather asking him to teach her to play pool. That same fifteen year old teasing him mercilessly, and that forbidden whisper of a kiss.
Now that fifteen year old was grown up and even more beautiful than she had been then. She was old enough for real kisses and more. She was also technically married to him and living here with him in his apartment. They were going to be spending long nights alone together …
"Logan?" Max was talking to him. He took a breath and tried to gather himself together, looking around for Bling and Kendra. At least they were there. For the present anyway. He'd deal with later, later. "If you're looking for Bling and Kendra they left. Kendra said she had to get home, and Bling said something about being allergic to raging hormones. I think maybe he had a doctors appointment."
Logan just stared at her in disbelief then turned and walked away before he did something he knew he'd regret. Something like grabbing Max and kissing her senseless, and then carrying her into his room where he'd spend the rest of the night making love to her.
"Logan?" Max stood there staring after him, and then a small smile formed on her face. She looked down at herself. Kendra might think that silk negligees were the key to a man's interest but there was definitely something to be said for black leather…
End of Chapter Twenty…TBC…
