Luck Be a Lady - Cathie Linz [8]
“And you always do the right thing?”
She nodded. “I would think a cop would be glad to hear that.”
“I’m a detective,” he said.
“One of Chicago’s finest,” Buddy said proudly. “He was recently promoted.”
“I don’t think she cares,” Logan noted dryly.
Megan tried to be polite. “I’m happy for you.”
“I’m so relieved to hear that.” His smile was mocking.
“Listen, I don’t have time to stand around and make conversation with you two.” The constant chirping and zealous beeping of the surrounding slot machines didn’t make it a good spot for talking. “They are expecting me to bring you both back to the reception.”
“And, again, you always do what’s expected of you, right?” Logan said.
Yes, she did. But he made it sound like a crime, so she ignored his question. “If I don’t bring you back upstairs, Faith threatened to come looking for you herself.”
Logan refused to be ignored. “Is this bossiness a family trait of yours?”
“We are notbossy.”
“You’ve been ordering me around since I arrived,” he said. “Or tryingto.”
“That’s not true. Tell him, Buddy.”
“Well, you have been pretty bossy,” Buddy said.
She glared at him.
“But Megan’s not usually like that,” Buddy hastily added.
“It must be the librarian in her, huh?” Logan said.
“Why does everything have to be an argument with you? It must be the cop in you, huh?” she retorted.
“Damn right,” Logan readily agreed. “It’s the cop and the detective in me.”
She took a deep breath and held on to her patience as tightly as she was hanging on to her vintage clutch. “Are you both coming or not? No, forget I asked that. You are both coming.”
“Not that you’re bossy or anything,” Logan said. “Do you plan on grabbing us by the arm and hauling us out of here?”
She refused to back away from his challenge. “I will if I have to.”
“She won’t have to,” Buddy said. “We’ll come along peacefully.”
She heaved a sigh of relief.
“But if that uncle of yours insults me again ...” Buddy said.
“He won’t. Consider this a truce during the reception. We don’t want anything ruining Faith and Caine’s wedding day.” A look in Logan’s direction conveyed the rest of her thought: Any more than it’s already been ruined.
“You’re lucky you caught us before we got to the poker tables,” Logan said.
“Are you a gambler?” she asked.
“He’s a darn fine poker player,” Buddy said. “I taught him everything I know. Well, not everythingI know. A man has to keep some things private.”
“That’s what got you into this mess,” Logan said before Megan could.
“It’s more a misunderstanding than a mess,” Buddy said before turning to Megan. “Back me up here, buttercup.”
“How about an extremely messy misunderstanding?” she suggested.
“I’ll go along with that,” Buddy said. “You know, I’d hoped that you and Logan could meet under happier circumstances. You two have so much in common.”
Megan hoped Logan’s look of utter disbelief was reflected on her own face as well.
“You do,” Buddy insisted.
“How do you figure that?” Logan said. “I’m a cop and she dislikes cops.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. Your attitude said it all.”
“What attitude?” Her voice reflected her irritation.
“That attitude.”
Megan tried staring him down before quickly discovering it was a lost cause. For one thing, his blue eyes were so deep you could fall into them and get lost forever. He had this rather uncanny ability to draw her in. She wasn’t sure what it was about him exactly. Sure, he had great eyes and a hot body. And yes, his smile was endearing . . .
Wait, where had that come from? There was absolutely nothing endearing about Logan Doyle. He was totally aggravating. The man took great pleasure in pushing her buttons, waiting for her to explode. He was playing her as if she were a mega-jackpot slot machine.
There was no way she would pay out.
His mocking, non-endearing smile told her he thought otherwise.
Clearly, Logan was accustomed to getting his own way. He possessed an aura of power and control that went far beyond mere confidence. This was a man used to dealing with danger and winning. And he was smart