No Two Are Alike

12 | hot tubbing and hijinx

Logan never really saw Chloe Cartwright's appeal.

It wasn't that Chloe was unattractive, exactly. She was — he begrudgingly admitted — actually pretty cute, if you were into that sort of thing. Little dark plaits. Ski-slope nose. Rosy cheeks from blushing too much, or too much tequila. Sometimes both.

But Chloe was also short. And clumsy. And she had a tendency to blurt out whatever came to her mind, usually at inappropriate times.

No; Logan had never seen the appeal.

But now, he got it.

She was standing by the terrace doors, a white towel draped over one arm. Her dark hair was loose over her shoulders, and she was dressed in a tiny red bikini that left very little to the imagination.

Logan whole-heartedly approved.

"You ready to go, Winters?" she called.

"Oh, yes," Logan said, smirking. "I most definitely am."

"Hang on!" Jack lurched forward. "You forgot your towel." He pressed it into Logan's hand, hissing into his ear. "Touch her and I kill you."

Logan's smile widened. Oh, dear. Didn't Jack know by now that only made it more tempting?

"I make no promises," he murmured.

Jack went white. "I swear to god, if you—"

Chloe yanked open the door. "You sure you don't want to join us?"

"Oh, no," Logan said airily. "I'm sure they have plenty of work stuff to catch up on." He smirked at his brother. "Don't you, Logan?"

Jack looked positively murderous. Kate rolled her eyes. She was propped up on the sofa, a pair of red reading glasses perched on her nose. A book lay open on her lap. Logan peeked at the cover, and then did a double take. Ropes. Ripped bodices. Heaving bosoms.

Christ.

What sort of book was Kate reading? Fifty Shades of Grey for pirates?

Kate caught him looking and winked.

"You two go on," she said. "We'll see you after."

Logan trailed Chloe outside. The village below was plunged into darkness, illuminated only by yellow windows that twinkled like stars. Snowflakes whirled in the floodlights, guiding any brave night skiers back to safety. Chloe stepped gingerly into the hot tub.

"I'm happy it's just us," she said, flicking on the jets. "I feel like I haven't seen you properly in ages."

"I saw you last week."

"Exactly," she sighed. "It's been a lifetime."

Logan winced as he settled into the hot water. Christ. How often did Chloe and Jack hang out? They might as well move in together. Save some money on transit fees.

"How was skiing?" he asked.

Chloe grinned. "Logan was atrocious."

"He was?"

"Terrible," she confirmed. "It's a miracle he didn't break anything, actually."

Logan groaned. Well, there went his reputation; he could never show his face in the Alps again. Au revoir, France.

"How was Kate?" she asked.

Logan paused. Chloe was picking at her nail polish, her eyes downcast. But there was something odd in her voice.