“I’ve missed you,” he said. He reached for her hand and entwined his fingers with hers. She kept a smile on her face, but gently disengaged herself. A frown creased his brow at her action, but he didn’t say anything.

     “It’s good to see you too,” she said.

     He looked amused. “Hmmm, I get more enthusiasm from my dentist.”

     Chandler laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that.” She paused. “Richard, we need to talk.”

     “You’re right. I called because I want to ask you a question. An important question.”

     She shifted in her seat. “Okay. You go first.”

     He took her hand again, more firmly this time. “Since we’ve met I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. I enjoy your company. Besides having a good time, we have a lot in common. And I have feelings for you.” She opened her mouth to say something but he stopped her. “No, let me finish. I’m getting older. I want to be with a woman who has the same goals. A woman who wants to have children and a family.”

     “Richard—”

     “I want you to marry me.”

     The sounds of a Chinese flute drifted across the room and filled the sudden silence at the table. Struggling for composure, she took a deep cleansing breath. An odd urge came over her to laugh. The man across the table should be her soul mate. She should be overjoyed at finding someone so right, and accept his proposal. Damn Logan Grant for ruining it. Damn him for making her feel things she shouldn’t.

     “I’m honored,” she said softly. “It’s been a long time since I’ve met a man I can have a friendship with. But it’s not enough to base a marriage on.”

     “Friendship is the strongest foundation a couple has. The rest fades away.” He squeezed her hand. “Let me make you happy. I want to build a life with you.”

     Her lower lip trembled. “I don’t love you. I care about you, but not enough to get married. You’re my friend, but I—”

     “It’s Logan Grant.”

     She pulled back with surprise. “What?”

     He let out his breath and turned slightly away from her. “You’re having delusions about Grant. The sad part is I’ve seen this before. Many times.”

     A cold chill settled over her. “I don’t want to talk about this.”

     He shook his head. “Don’t you get it? He always has an agenda. He seduces women for two reasons. Business and sportsmanship. With you, it’s probably for both.”

     She kept her face calm, but her stomach twisted into a knot of fear. “This has nothing to do with Logan.”

     “Oh, yes, it has everything to do with him. You know something? I’m tired of being the nice guy all the time. I thought you were a woman who could see past all that smoke Grant throws out, but I guess not. Do you think you can trust him?”

     “I—”

     “Because you can’t. The truth is, he personally warned me to stay away from you. When I told him our relationship was none of his business, he threatened my job.”

     She gasped. “He would never do that. I know he likes to control people, but he lives by a code of ethics.”

     Richard laughed humorlessly. “Ethics, huh? He doesn’t care about truth or ethics unless that can get him what he wants. I’m worried about you. He’s after something and you’re the target.”

     “That’s crazy. I don’t have anything except a yoga school.”

     “Then why did he order a dossier on you?”

     Iciness crept up her spine. The room swayed but she forced her voice to remain calm. “How do you know he ordered a dossier?”

     He sighed. “I went into his office to get something signed and found some papers with your name on it. I was curious, so I asked him. He told me not to worry about it. When he left I went back and searched his desk. Those papers detailed the story of your life. Ordered straight by a private investigator.”

     The roar in her ears grew but she fought it back. “Maybe it was just a background check. We do have a business contract.”

     Richard stared at her with cold eyes. “I do all the background checks. They’re one page documents. They don’t detail what you ate for breakfast when you were five years old.”

     The truth slammed through her like a hurtling freight train. Richard was right. Dear God, if Logan had read about her past, that meant he knew about her father. Michael. Her father’s obsession with marriage.

     And his need to marry her off to a businessman.

     Goose-bumps broke out over her arms. Their past encounter flashed before her mind. The total focus and concentration Logan showed, intent on giving her pleasure. The threats regarding Richard and Harry. His need to be the only man in her life.

     Now she knew why. He wanted to marry her to gain her father’s business. He was a professional, just like Michael had been, and wasn’t about to take any chances of her getting involved with another man. Logan didn’t want her. He wanted the money.

     When she looked back up from the table, Richard regarded her intently. Concern shone in chestnut brown eyes. Anger burned through her, pure and hot and demanding. Last time she’d run away and started a new life. This time she’d track down Logan Grant and make him pay.

     “Chandler? Are you okay?”

     She forced a nod. “You’re a good friend. I know the popular saying about killing the messenger, but I don’t blame you for telling me the truth. I needed to hear it, I guess.”

     “Then let me ask you a question. Now that you know about Grant, will you give me an honest shot?”

     Chandler bit her lip. Reality hit full force. No matter what she knew about Logan, she did not love the man across from her. It wasn’t right to lead him on and hope her feelings would change.

     She gently squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry, Richard. I think we should remain friends. That’s all I can handle right now.”

     For one moment, she thought she caught a glitter of hatred, but it was gone so quickly she figured it was her imagination. He nodded. “Okay. But I’m not giving up. With a little time, you’ll see how right we are for each other.”

     He didn’t give her time to answer. He threw some money on the table and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. Then he was gone.

     Chandler sat in the cafe and stared at the table. Someone had carved Nancy loves Ray into the battered wood. The chanting switched to a familiar Bohemian rhythm. Raw emotions rose up inside of her in tune to the pulsing music, and she closed her eyes. The same nightmare all over again. A man she was falling for only wanted her for the business. This time she wasn’t about to meekly sit around and wait for Fate to decide.

     She rose from the table and grabbed her coat. She needed to find him. There were a few things she wanted to say.

     Chandler paced her daffodil carpeted floor like a tiger in her cage. She tried the office but nobody knew where he was. She’d called his house and reached his answering service. She'd sent a text, left a message on his Blackberry, and still heard nothing. Damnit, she wasn’t about to wait for Monday morning and have a blowout with him at his office. If there was any way she could continue her program, she needed to talk to him in private. He was a millionaire CEO in Manhattan and he refused to answer his phone? Where the hell would a high powered executive be on a Sunday afternoon?

     Laura.

     She blinked. Laura Weatherall had mentioned something about Logan disappearing on Sundays. She dove for the phone book and dialed her number. Laura’s cheerful voice came over the receiver.

     “Hi, it’s Chandler Santell. Do you remember me? We went out for dinner.”

     “Oh, of course, Chandler. I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

     “I’m fine.” She paused. “Actually, I’m not so fine. I need to get a hold of Logan and I can’t find him anywhere. Do you know where he is?”

     A short silence settled between them. “Yes, I do. Is it an emergency?”

     “Yes. It’s important.”

     “You can find him at Greenbriar Home for the Elderly. It’s in Westchester. Let me just get the address.”

     Chandler jotted down the number and thanked her. She locked up the house and jumped in the car. As she made the drive upstate, she tried to imagine why he would be spending his afternoon at an elderly home. Did he have a grandmother there she didn’t know about? Friend? Not that it mattered, of course. She just wanted to clear the record between them, and try to keep their relationship on a business level. After telling him exactly what she thought of his rotten, underhanded ways.

     The three level building was surrounded by evergreen trees, and gave off a rustic environment. She pulled into the parking lot and made her way up the twisting path, nodding to a few residents as they were maneuvered in wheelchairs back and forth the sidewalks. She stopped at the front desk, where a woman gave her a cheerful smile.

     “Can I help you?”

     Chandler realized she had no idea where he would be. “Ummm, I’m looking for a particular person. He may be visiting someone but I’m not sure who.”

     “What’s the name?”

     “Logan Grant.”

     The woman’s smile grew warmer. “Oh, Mr. Grant. He’s in the community room. Second floor. Make the first left out of the elevator.”

     “Thank you.” She walked through the hallways, noting the clean, simple atmosphere of the rooms decorated in soothing blues and greens. Sunlight poured generously through the windows and fell upon cherry wood tables and comfortable cloth chairs. She wondered if the building catered to an exclusive crowd. Most nursing homes she knew gave off the scents of disinfectant and a gloomy glow. When the doors slid open on the second floor, she made a left and followed the frequent bursts of laughter echoing down the hall. She paused in the doorway and studied the scene before her.

     A group of eight elderly men and women sat gathered around a large table. Most were in wheelchairs, others sat on high cushioned chairs. The sounds of Frank Sinatra boomed from the speakers and filled the room. Brightly colored chips were stacked up in piles in front of each person, and they all held cards in their hand. Logan sat at the head of the table with a fierce scowl upon his face. Then he threw one of his cards in the pile.

     “I’m taking one card,” he announced to the group.

     A woman on his right giggled. “I think you’re bluffing, babe. And I’m raising you five bucks to prove it.”

     She threw her chip into the circle with a confident air. The man next to her chewed on a toothpick and squinted at his cards. “Evelyn, you’re a lousy player. You think everyone bluffs. That’s why you’ve lost every hand.”

     “Well, one day someone’s gonna bluff and I’m gonna win.”

     The man snorted with disgust. “You shouldn’t even be allowed to play for a theory like that. Women.”

     Another woman threw her chip in. Chandler noticed she had two glasses full of water in front of her. One of the cups held her teeth. She gave a toothless grin and cackled. “Come on, Jim, you’re pissed cause you lost the last three deals. Women have been beating your butt for years, and you can’t handle it.”

     Jim chewed harder on his toothpick. “Hey, Shirley, I noticed you checking out that new guy in room 212. Pretty hot, huh?”

     Shirley blushed and reached for her teeth. “I didn’t notice.”

     Jim laughed. “Didn’t notice, huh? Is that why I caught you staring when he leaned over to grab a soda in the cafeteria?”

     “Shut up and play!”

     “Fine, I’m in.”

     The rest of the group threw in their chips. Chandler watched Logan fight the smile on his lips, but his eyes lost the battle. For one moment, she caught him completely unguarded. Genuine affection warmed his gray eyes and turned them to smoke. His face softened into a playful expression, as he contemplated his cards and put on a show, pretending he had a hand that would blow them away. He teased them back, played the role of peacemaker when they fought, and made them laugh. Then his gaze slid up and locked with hers.

     She held her breath. He stared at her for what seemed like hours, until she felt like a prey in his trap. She waited for his carved features to settle back into stone, but his expression didn’t change. For those few seconds, he let her in and allowed her to see a part of him he kept hidden. Her stomach dipped and plunged. She glimpsed a man who experienced laughter and pain and caring.