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allthevmff · 6 years

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Trust Me, I'm a Gentleman

by CubbieGirl1723

“C’mon, Veronica, it won’t be that bad.”

Lilly sets Veronica’s paisley patterned duffle bag on the king-sized bed with a huff.

“Logan’s not—”

“Lilly,” she interrupts her roommate sharply, “I’ve met him, remember? Multiple times. So yeah, it will be that bad.”

“This bed is so big, you won’t even notice that he’s in it.” Lilly’s persuasion does nothing to alter the glare on Veronica’s face. “Okay, I’ll double your fee.”

At that, Veronica feels her resolve start to slip. “Well…”

“Seriously. I’ll double it AND let you have the master suite in our apartment.”

Veronica sticks out her hand for a shake. “Done.”

Lilly sinks down onto the mattress of what looks like a very luxurious, gigantic bed and Veronica glances around, taking in her surroundings. The afternoon sunlight filters in through the windows overlooking the backyard and gives the space a peaceful feel. The Kanes’ fourth-best guest suite really is lovely—plush carpet, vaulted ceilings, soothing grey walls, sumptuous bedding—but the prospect of sharing it with Logan Echolls takes most of the joy out of it for her. Sure, he’s handsome and charming but he also flirts with everything that moves. Anyone who’s that hot surely can’t be trustworthy.

She sits down on the bed next to Lilly and sighs. “Honestly, Lils, I can't figure out what you used to see in him.”

Lilly giggles. “Mmm, yeah, we were pretty terrible together. But the boy has skills, Veronica.”

She bobs her eyebrows, leaving no doubt in Veronica’s mind what kind of skills she’s referring to.

Veronica rolls her eyes. “Ugh. Lilly, I do not want to hear about that! I can’t believe I agreed to this case.”

She flops down onto her back on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling. Is that a small chandelier hanging above the bed? This house is so much nicer than any place she’s ever stayed before.

“I can’t believe I just agreed to pay you double.” Lilly lays down next to her, their heads touching. “I just have a really bad feeling about this girl he’s marrying, Veronica. You have to help me.”

The door clicks open with a soft snick, making them both sit up.

“Lilly Kane. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Leaning against the door frame with a sardonic grin on his face is none other than Logan Echolls, jackass extraordinaire. He draws out the last word in a particularly naughty fashion. His dark jeans and tight maroon cashmere sweater hug his body and Veronica gulps.

He goes on. “Fulfilling my two blondes in bed fantasy?”

He closes the door behind him, still smirking.

Lilly laughs. “You wish, Logan. I know you miss me, but it’s time for you to move on.”

Her eyes glint, not with malice but merriment, and Veronica can tell that while Lilly might be able to admit their on-again-off-again relationship was a disaster, she still has fond feelings for Logan. He’s ridiculously good looking but the effect is almost spoiled because he obviously knows it. Veronica can’t stop herself from glancing at his hands and remembering Lilly’s comments about his skills.

“In fact…” Lilly’s voice trails up the scale, building suspense, and she clears her throat. “I’ve arranged it all for you. You’re dating Veronica.”

He sputters and Veronica rushes to explain.

“It’s not like that!”

Lilly laughs again at her roommate.

“I’ve hired Veronica to look into Kendall. I think she’s a conniving little gold-digger and I can’t let her sink her claws any deeper into Duncan. Veronica’s going to help, but I had to tell my parents that she’s here as your date, since it’s just a small, family wedding.”

Logan’s mouth drops open in shock. “What the hell, Lilly?” He moves away from the door and strides into the room. “You can’t just — ”

“Look, I hate this as much as you do!” Veronica jumps in, yelling back at him, but Lilly cuts them both off, waving her hands.

“Logan, do you honestly trust Kendall any farther than you could throw her?” She eyes his biceps, outlined nicely by his tight sweater, and amends her statement, smirking. “Okay, any farther than I could throw her?”

He doesn’t meet her eyes, so she charges on. “She’s the worst, and I know you must think she’s terrible for Duncan. You have to help me.”

Logan’s mouth opens again, this time hesitantly, as he perches on the edge of the bed. He stares at Veronica, and she feels like he is evaluating her. His eyes rake up and down her body, making her flush hot and then cold.

“Kendall’s pretty awful.” He swallows and looks down, pleating the white duvet cover between his long fingers. “I never told anyone this...but right after she started dating Duncan, she made a pass at me. I don’t think he knows. She played it off later like I had misunderstood but…” He stares intently back and forth between Lilly and Veronica for a second. “I definitely didn’t.”

He clears his throat and goes back to his examination of the bedspread before continuing.

“I was actually hoping I’d be able to talk him out of this. Or at least a longer engagement.”

“I know, right?” Lilly rolls her eyes. “A month is crazy if she’s not…” She rounds her hand in front of her stomach, indicating a baby bump.

“He says she’s not.”

Logan has virtually ignored Veronica for most of this conversation but his focus shifts to her now.

“What I don’t understand,” he sneers, “is what she has to do with it.”

Veronica hops up off the bed, incensed, but before she can yell at him, Lilly intervenes.

“Logan! Play nice.” Lilly gives his arm a playful swat. “You know Veronica. She’s building up her PI business and has taken some cases for friends on campus. She’s good. But this was the only way I could get her an invite.”

He looks skeptical.

“No offense,” although his face implies the absolute opposite, “but why didn’t you have Celeste hire a professional? I know the look of disdain is permanently etched on her features but I can tell that she hates Kendall even more than you do, Lils.”

“She did.”

Veronica’s ears perk up at this new information. “Who did she hire? What did they find?” She grills Lilly.

“Some guy named Vinnie? And Kendall came out smelling like roses.”

Veronica snorts. “That’s her first problem. Vinnie Van Lowe is a hack for sale to the highest bidder. She should have called my dad.”

“But she didn’t, so I hired you.”

Logan flops down dramatically on the spot Veronica vacated on the bed. “Let’s be clear. I’m only agreeing to this terrible idea for Duncan’s sake, so he’s not saddled with that sack of silicon for life.”

At Lilly’s raised eyebrow, he elaborates. “Yeah, they’re fake. I told you she made a pass at me.”

Lilly just smirks. “Good to know.” She sighs deeply, like she’s distraught, but Veronica has lived with her for two years and knows better. There is nothing Lilly Kane loves more than secrets and intrigue.

“Well, I should be going.” She moves across the room, stopping with her hand on the doorknob, smiling back at them wickedly. “I’ll let V settle in and you two lovers can figure out your cover story.”

“What are you talking about? You said we’re dating. That’s it, cover story done.” Logan brushes his hands together and hops up off the bed, giving Lilly an alarmed look.

“Of course, but how did you meet? How long have you been dating? What’s your favorite sexual position? These are all questions that could come up at dinner.”

Logan sighs and runs a hand down his face, haggard. “Only if you ask them, Lils,” he says to the door as she disappears through it.

He turns and glares at Veronica.

“Was this your idea?”

She huffs, hands on her hips. “As if!”

His face loses a measure of its aggression. “Yeah, it has Queen Lilly written all over it. Sorry.”

He flops back down on the bed. “Um, maybe we got off on the wrong foot the first time we met,” he mumbles to the ceiling.

“Which time would that be? When I found you wearing my bathrobe in my kitchen, drinking my special Lavazza Espresso Super Crema coffee? Or the time I came home to find you and Lilly, naked on the couch? Or what about when — ”

He cuts her off. “To be fair, I thought it was Lilly’s robe and I bought you a new one. And that can’t have been the first time you’ve found Lilly naked on the couch with a guy. I guarantee if you continue living with her, it won’t be the last.”

Despite her efforts to the contrary, Veronica laughs and decides to accept his olive branch. His sexual charisma might make her uncomfortable, but she realizes she may need his help this weekend.

“She warned me as much when we moved in together. And I do like my new bathrobe. I never thanked you for it.”

She gingerly sits down on the edge of the bed, keeping a careful distance from Logan.

“So we met through Lilly, obviously. And how long have we been dating?”

“Lilly and I stopped fooling around about a year ago. So...eight months?”

“No good. Why wouldn’t Duncan or Kendall know if we’d been dating that long? He’s your roommate and best friend, right?”

“Ah, good point. How about two months, then? And I just haven’t told Duncan because...he’s been so busy with Kendall planning his wedding?”

“Sounds good. Long enough that you’d ask me to be your wedding date, but short enough that we still like each other.”

“Whoa, Ms. Cynic. Who broke your heart and left you so bitter?”

“None of your business,” she answers sharply and decides to change gears.

“Now what can you tell me about Kendall? I’ve heard Lilly’s views, obviously, but I haven’t met her yet.”

Logan grimaces and, still lying on his back, covers his eyes with the crook of his arm. He’s probably not doing it to purposely show off his arm muscles but she can’t help but notice. Yum . Veronica squashes that traitorous thought quickly and makes herself focus on what he’s saying.

“Lilly’s a drama queen; she’s probably exaggerated but...she’s not wrong. Like I said, I’ve been planning on talking to Duncan myself. I just got...busy.”

Veronica scoffs and raises an eyebrow. “Right.”

“Hey!” He throws off his arm and sits up. “I’ve brought it up a few times but Kendall is always at our place and then I had finals and…” He sighs. “You’re right, I probably should have done more.”

“So Kendall…” she prompts.

“Right. Duncan met her at a party at the start of the semester. He brought her back home and the next morning...she maybe got confused about which room she had been staying in.”

His face says this is doubtful.

“She was in your room?”

He nods. “Yeah. Naked in my bed. She came onto me and then when I turned her down, she pretended like she was embarrassed and in the wrong place.”

“Is she a student at UCLA?” Veronica asks, her brow furrowing as she dives into investigation mode.

“I guess.” He shrugs. “I’m pretty sure she’s majoring in General Studies and sorority parties.”

Veronica can’t keep from making a face at that fact. “Ick. What else? Where does she live?”

“When she’s not at our place she has a room in the Delta Gamma house, I think? I actually don't know much about her background...I think she transferred to UCLA this year? Not many people know her.” Logan runs his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. “She was just suddenly...there...in our apartment all the time. So I started making myself scarce.”

“Suddenly crashing with her super rich boyfriend? New transfer student? Yeah, Lilly’s instincts might be founded on something more than sibling rivalry this time.”

Veronica hops off the bed and begins digging in her black studded messenger bag. She emerges with a tiny notebook decorated with unicorns and a pen and scribbles some notes and reminders to herself.

“What time is dinner?” she asks Logan without looking directly at him. She can still feel his gaze on her, observing her movements. Apparently ignoring him would not actually make him go away. His constant piercing stare is beginning to make her flustered.

“Uh, seven, I think?”

She makes another face as she glances at the clock on the nightstand. “Great. An hour is just enough time to raid Lilly’s closet and get ready.” She looks back at Logan. “We might be stuck sharing this room but I’m getting dressed by myself. So you can do your thing now and find Duncan. I’ll see you at dinner and we’ll put on our couple show.”

“Are you going to make a schedule of when we’re each allowed to shower?” he teases her, heading into the bathroom and turning on what she assumes is the hot water because of the issuing steam.

“Don’t tempt me,” Veronica calls as she exits the room. She doesn’t know where the thought of Logan, hot water running in rivulets down his body in the steamy shower, comes from.

_____

Veronica steps into the formal dining room of the Kane mansion and takes a deep breath, looking around for Logan.

She spots him leaning against the fireplace, glass of scotch in hand, talking with Duncan. Presumably the tall brunette on Duncan’s arm is Kendall. Her dress is purple with sparkles, utterly tacky, but her curvy figure fills it out well. Her long brown hair is pulled to one side with just the perfect amount of curl and it highlights her slender neck. The heels she’s wearing make her almost the same height as Duncan and she’s clutching him possessively.

Logan is wearing his tight maroon cashmere sweater from earlier that begs to be petted but has switched out his jeans for charcoal dress pants. He catches sight of her and his eyes widen as they rake up and down her body.

Veronica had grabbed a variety of outfits from her closet as she packed but a family dinner at the Kane mansion was a more formal affair than she was used to. Thankfully, Lilly let her borrow a dress from her closet. It’s strapless red satin, gathered under her bust and it flares out flatteringly over her hips. It hits few inches above her knee and since Lilly’s bust is larger than hers, they had employed some safety pins and duct tape to keep it secure but nothing could change the fact that she’s showing way more cleavage than usual.

Based on Logan’s indrawn breath and lingering eyes, it’s noticeable. She touches the diamond star pendant resting in the hollow of her neck that Lilly had lent her for the weekend and plasters a fake smile on her face, making her way over to Logan’s side.

She grabs his forearm and pushes up on her tiptoes—at least her silver heels help close some of the gap between their heights—and plants a kiss on his cheek.

“Hi there, Love Muffin.” She goes into full-on perky mode, trying to appeal to Kendall’s sorority girl nature, and her eyes sparkle as her traitorous fingers stroke the soft cashmere covering his arm.

“Sugarpuss! You look beautiful tonight.” He’s overly jolly as he places a kiss on the top of her head, probably angling for a glimpse down her dress.

“Veronica! I had no idea you were Logan’s date for the weekend!” Duncan turns to her, his open, guileless face full of happiness for his friend.

She actually feels a stab of guilt for lying to him. She’s met Duncan a few times before and while he doesn’t shine as brightly as Lilly— who could? —she’s always gotten the vibe that he is sweet, if a little clueless. Being taken advantage of is his fault, really, for being so damn trusting but she can see why Lilly wants to protect him and if Kendall really is lying to him, she needs to pay.

“Yep! He and I kept in touch after Lilly dumped him again, poor guy. I actually felt bad for him! He was so mopey—”

If she had to pretend to be dating him, she could at least have a little fun.

“And I just hadn’t had a chance to tell you, man,” Logan quickly interjects before Veronica can do any more damage to his reputation. “Things got so busy there for a while.”

“Well, I’m happy for you.” Duncan claps Logan on the shoulder and turns to the brunette on his arm.

“I guess you haven't met Kendall yet. Kendall, this is Veronica Mars, Logan’s girlfriend and Lilly’s roommate. Veronica, this is my fiancee, Kendall Shifflet.”

Veronica tears her fingers away from where they’re resting on Logan’s arm and shakes Kendall’s limp hand. Kendall’s eyes gleam with malice as she gives Veronica the once-over and for the second time today, she feels like she’s been measured and come up short. It’s as if Kendall can tell she’s borrowing Lilly’s dress and jewelry, as if she knows she definitely doesn’t belong at a fancy dinner at the Kane’s.

“Lilly’s roommate?” She sneers and turns back to Duncan, placing her hand on his chest, not-so-subtly showing off the four carat Harry Winston on her ring finger as she fawns over him. She smooths over his blue dress shirt, then runs her hand down the sleeve of his sports coat. Her haughty glance reminds Veronica of the mean girls in her high school and she’s even more determined to expose any potential secrets Kendall might be hiding.

“My girlfriend,” Logan clarifies firmly and puts his arm around her but Kendall, no longer interested, ignores them. Logan’s affront on her behalf is sweet, if unnecessary.

Veronica takes a minute to rethink her strategy. Originally she’d been planning on adopting a vapid sorority girl persona to befriend Kendall but that doesn’t look like it’s going to work. The best way to fight mean girls is to be one, she thinks to herself with a sigh.

She leads Logan away—Duncan and Kendall don’t notice—and whispers in his ear. God, he smells good.

“She seems lovely. Any insight here?”

Logan just shrugs, helpless.

Thankfully Lilly chooses that moment to appear at her side.

“So, did you meet the Wicked Witch yet?”

“Mmm. I couldn’t call it a pleasure, but yes, I was introduced and I see what you mean. Want to come with me and try to pump her for information?

Lilly rubs her hands together gleefully. “God, yes. I knew this was going to be fun!”

Veronica rolls her eyes and turns to Logan. “As long as you can bear to be apart from me, Honeybunch?”

He gives her a fake pout. “I suppose I’ll live, Snookums.”

Lilly snorts and rolls her eyes at their exchange, then turns and shasays over to Duncan and Kendall, Veronica trailing in her wake.

“Kendall, you get to talk to Duncan all night! Come ’ere, Veronica and I need girl talk time!”

Kendall’s eyes widen in horror before she can school her features. “Oh, I don’t know—”

Duncan cuts her off. “You should go, Babe. You don’t really have any girlfriends to share this all the wedding stuff with and Lilly and I are close. I want you to get to know her better.”

Lilly doesn’t bother to hide her triumphant grin, and Veronica notices that Kendall can’t successfully hide her moue of distaste. Duncan moves over to talk to Logan, though, so Kendall gives a fake smile and lets Lilly pull her over to a secluded corner of the elegant dining room.

“So tell us everything! All the details!” Lilly squeals.

Kendall looks like she just bit into a lemon. “Um. Well, you saw my dress when we went shopping for your bridesmaid dress a few weeks ago…”

Veronica waves this away. “What about ceremony details? Those are my favorite. Is your dad giving you away? Tell us about your family coming in for the wedding.”

Does anyone ever say that? Veronica thinks to herself. Oh well, Kendall doesn’t question it.

“No, no family.” Her tone is harsh and at Veronica’s obvious recoil, she clears her throat and tries for a softer note. Veronica knows con-artists, though, and this girl is not a very good one.

“I mean, my parents died when I was little. No extended family.”

“No aunts and uncles who raised you?” Veronica questions.

“Nope.” Kendall pops the P on the end of the word, obviously annoyed with her pushiness. “I don’t like to talk about it.”

“Right, sorry. So who are your bridesmaids?”

Kendall gestures at Lilly. “Just her. Look, I really don’t know much about that stuff; I let Celeste plan the whole thing. The only thing I wanted—” she tries to turn wistful, but lays it on so thick that Veronica wants to gag “—was a Christmas wedding.”

Behind Kendall’s back, Lilly rolls her eyes and Veronica agrees with the sentiment. Facing Kendall, though, she keeps her face neutral and makes a small “oh,” sound, like she’s interested.

Kendall doesn’t elaborate, though. “I think Duncan needs me,” she says, and glances over at her fiance. He is deep in conversation with Logan and his dad and definitely doesn’t seem to ‘need’ her.

“Oh, wait,” Veronica quickly pulls her cell phone from the lace garter holster she wears specifically to hold her phone. “Let’s take a quick picture, just us girls. I promised my dad—”

But she doesn’t have to finish her excuse because Kendall interrupts her. “Oh, no, I hate having my picture taken. I’m terribly unphotogenic.” She hurries over to glue herself to Duncan’s side.

Veronica had been hoping for a picture to aid her background search but apparently it was going to be harder than that. She is just about to whisper something very mean in Lilly’s ear when Celeste interrupts them. Her cream-colored suit looks offsets her auburn hair nicely and looks very tasteful but her sneer of distaste ruins the overall effect.

“Lilly, no gentleman escort tonight?” she asks her daughter in a berating tone. “You’re throwing off the dinner party numbers.”

But Lilly is breezy and unaffected by her mother’s scorn.

“Mom, you know I don’t get a Flavor of the Month at Christmas! Gifts tend to make them...attached.”

Celeste huffs at her and calls everyone to dinner.

Veronica has met Lilly’s mother a few times before, and as Logan had alluded to earlier, Celeste does not seem like a terribly happy person. Usually she’s upset with Lilly, which seems to bother her roommate very little. During one of their first late-night tipsy evenings, Lilly confessed that Duncan had been the favorite for so long that she had given up on ever getting her parents’ approval and embraced her wild side. But if Duncan, the heir-apparent and child-who-can-do-no-wrong, is marrying someone they don’t approve of, Celeste is likely to be more upset that normal.

Logan quickly finds Veronica and escorts her to the chair next to his. Thankfully it’s across from Lilly and she catches her friend sticking her tongue out at her as they all sit down.

Jake Kane, software magnate and CEO of Kane Industries, taps his fork on his glass to get everyone’s attention. He clears his throat.

“Thank you, everyone, for joining us tonight.” He looks around the table and Veronica takes notice of the guests. There are two older couples, she would guess them to be Duncan and Lilly’s grandparents, seated at the far end with Duncan and Kendall across from Jake and Celeste. She, Logan, and Lilly round out the other end of the table.

“While we are saddened that Kendall doesn’t have anyone special to join her tonight, we hope she will feel like a part of the family.”

Kendall glances down demurely and Jake continues.

“So please raise your glasses: to Duncan and Kendall. May they have many happy years together.”

Everyone clinks their glasses together after his toast and Veronica notices that Celeste looks pained.

Lilly raises her eyebrows meaningfully at Veronica. “We’ll see,” she mouths silently.

Veronica gives her a tiny head shake. “Be good,” she mouths back.

Lilly nods like she’s agreeing but then sticks her tongue out again.

Oh, god. Veronica should have known this was really a case of babysitting Lilly.

As if he can read her mind, Logan puts his hand on her arm and whispers in her ear, “Don’t worry. I’ve had years of experience keeping Lilly out of trouble at family events.”

She glances at him, grateful, and realizes how close their heads are. She swallows, her mouth suddenly dry, and can’t help staring at his lips, inches away from hers. They look soft, and supple, and she’s hit with a memory of Lilly describing his kisses in vivid—and flattering—detail. All she can manage is a nod.

They are too far away from Duncan and Kendall to try to hear their conversation, which turns out to be a good thing because Veronica is so distracted by Logan’s presence that she has a hard time focusing on dinner. She’s pretty sure she ate, and took small sips of her wine, but she can’t remember what the meal was because Logan’s arm kept brushing hers and once—it was probably an accident—his knee bumped hers under the table.

Why does he have to be so damn sexy? Now she can’t stop thinking about the time she walked in when he was screwing Lilly on the couch...or wearing her much-too-tiny bathrobe, and how incredible his body looked.

He is patently a jackass, though, and amazing cologne and soft cashmere can’t do anything to change that. She tries to make herself think of his sneering contempt at her investigating this case...and not the plush bathrobe he thoughtfully left on her bed from La Perla, or the extra bag of Lavazza that magically appeared in the cupboard. She can’t afford to let herself get distracted by Logan Echolls.

Suddenly, dessert appears before her, and this she definitely notices because it’s the most decadent slice of chocolate cake she’s ever seen. The cake is dark, decorated with thick ganache and extra shavings of chocolate curl on top. Her mouth instantly waters as she inhales sharply at the beautiful sight and Logan leans over to whisper in her ear.

“Yeah. The Kanes’ cook is a pearl above price when it comes to chocolate cake.”

HIs whisper sends a shiver down her spine.

“Oh, are you cold?” Logan thoughtfully puts his arm around her and rubs his hand up and down her arm, as if trying to warm her. It definitely has the intended effect as her insides heat up at his touch.

“Thanks,” she manages to choke out. “I’m fine.”

He stops rubbing but keeps his arm around her.

“Mmm.” She takes a bite of the cake and her eyes roll back in her head a little. Between her proximity to Logan—she gets a whiff of his cologne again—and the tingle of chocolate on her tongue, she’s practically in sensory overload.

He takes a bite but then pushes his plate over to her. “You can have mine.”

If her mouth wasn’t full of cake, she would question him. As it is, though, she merely raises her eyebrow.

“No, it’s good. And I like it. But I like watching you eat it even more.”

Veronica looks around carefully. Lilly is busy teasing Duncan; Jake and Celeste are having a whispered argument across the table and the grandparents are too far way to have heard anything. So if he didn’t say that to cement their faking dating relationship...is Logan Echolls flirting with her?

She’s not sure how she feels about that. But she finishes her piece and slides his plate of cake in front of her. She never has any doubts about extra helpings of dessert.

_____

“Oh, shit.”

Veronica is locked in the en suite bathroom in the Kane’s fourth-best guest room and she has just realized that she and Lilly safety-pinned and duct-taped her into this dress so well that she can’t get herself out.

She looks for her phone on the bathroom counter, but she left it charging on the nightstand. She can’t call Lilly to help her. She supposes she could walk down the hall to Lilly’s room but she forgot her plush bathrobe at home and she really doesn’t want to be wandering around the Kane mansion in her pajamas.

She takes a deep breath. She can do this.

She cracks open the door to the bedroom. Logan is lying on the bed with his hands behind his head, contemplating the ceiling. He’s taken his shoes off but otherwise he’s still in the clothes he wore to dinner.

“Logan?” she whispers. “I need some help. Can you…?”

He glances over at her, immediately alert, and hops off the bed. Concern is etched on his face as she opens the door fully.

“Are you okay, Veronica?” He leans against the door frame, and damn, that man can lean.

“Oh, yeah, nothing bad. It’s just, um, kind of embarrassing.” She giggles and can’t meet his eyes. “I’m stuck in this dress. It’s Lilly’s and she finagled it.” She waves her hands to encompass whatever Lilly did to make this dress fit. “And now I can’t get it off.”

Logan’s eyebrows practically hit his hairline. “Well, lucky for you, I’m an expert at such things.”

Even knowing that some sort of quip was coming, she rolls her eyes. “Lucky for me.”

He turns her body to face the mirror and moves the soft waves of her hair over to one shoulder, baring her back. His fingers gently brush the skin along the top of the dress and she can’t help it; goosebumps break out over her body and she shivers.

“Oh, sorry, are my hands cold?” Logan bends to examine the back of her dress and all the clever ways Lilly kept it from falling down.

Veronica tries to look anywhere else—around the luxurious bathroom, at the glass walls of the shower or the jacuzzi tub, at the marble countertop or tiles along the wall—but her eyes are drawn back to Logan in the mirror. His movements are sinuous, like a cat, and thinking about how sexy he is makes her shiver a second time.

“Okay…” He bites his lip in concentration, and dips his hand below the top of the dress. “Sorry, I just have to undo this safety pin…”

She can feel his fingers move all along her back, scrabbling to open the safety pin—

“Oh, shit!” she breathes again. She can feel his fingers along ALL of her back because her bra didn’t work with the neckline of this dress and Lilly convinced her not to wear one. A fact that slipped her mind but must be taking root in his right about now.

His head pops up at her expletive and he eyes her questioningly in the mirror. “Did I poke you with the pin?”

“Um, yeah,” she lies. “I’m fine, it just startled me.”

“Okay...that should just about...do it.” Logan concentrates as he successfully unzips her dress.

She carefully clutches the red satin material to her front to keep from giving him a peek.

“Thanks for your help.” She keeps her eyes fixed on the marble countertop and she’s sure her cheeks are scarlet.

“Anytime.” He clears his throat and they both stand there awkwardly until he apparently realizes that he needs to leave so she can change.

“Oh, yeah, sorry, I’ll just…” It’s his turn to be uncomfortable as he jerks his thumb in the direction of the bedroom.

Veronica giggles at the flush that covers his face now and playfully—one hand still holding her dress up—shoves him out the door.

“Yeah, nice try, Echolls.”

His smirk is back in place as she firmly closes the door and she’s glad the moment of tension passes.

She definitely doesn’t let herself think about Logan’s hands on her skin as she soaps up in the shower. At least, not too much.

When she slips out of the bathroom later, clad in her favorite soft nightshirt—which is a few inches shorter than she would have picked if she’d known she was sharing a room—Logan is sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing black jersey pants but no shirt.

He’s facing away from her and, god, his back is marvelous. A freaking work of art. He should be sculpted, immortalized in marble for future generations.

She lets her eyes linger as she fantasizes about running her hands over those beautiful muscles.

“So…” Veronica gulps, her mouth suddenly dry, and perches on the edge of the gigantic bed.

He turns to face her, and his eyes rake up and down her body, taking in the expanse of her thigh revealed by her too-short grey nightshirt. At least the scoop neck isn’t too revealing.

If she thought his back was gorgeous, it’s nothing compared to the front view. There’s a sparse scattering of hair—with a slightly reddish tinge, perhaps?—across his chest and she’s surprised to note that he’s freckled. It should mar the perfection but it doesn’t. His chest is well-defined, his abs are magnificent, and she definitely wants to follow the happy trail of hair below his navel and see where it leads.

She shakes her head to clear it when she realizes that he’s speaking.

“I know I should do the gentlemanly thing and offer to sleep on the floor, but this bed is plenty big and way more comfortable than floor. So, is this okay?”

Veronica nods. “It’s fine. I mean, we’re adults, right? It’s no big deal.”

He smiles. “Thanks. I’ll be right back.”

She slides under the covers as he heads to the bathroom and keeps her eyes closed until she feels the bed shift upon his return. She can tell through her eyelids when he switches off the light. Maybe if she doesn’t look at his bare chest again, she can stop thinking about all the hollows where she wants to put her tongue.

She balances on the edge of the bed, keeping her eyes tightly closed and putting as much space between them as possible. Just don’t think about it, she tells herself. Don’t think about the incredibly hot, half naked man in bed. Think about his jackass sneer instead.

“Veronica-ca-ca-ca!” Logan whisper-yells her name from the other side of the bed, adding a fake echo to the end. “You’re so far away, you’re going to fall off the edge of the bed. You can trust me, I’m a gentleman.”

He can’t see the glare she shoots him for that smarmy line thanks to the darkness but he’s not wrong about falling off the bed. She mentally weighs her options and then rolls over to face him, giving herself a little more room to get comfortable.

There’s enough ambient light coming in through the windows for her to see he's lying on his side, his head propped up by his hand as he stares at her.

“So we got through tonight okay, but I figure if we are going to keep up this ruse for a couple more days, there’s probably some background information about my girlfriend that I should know.” He clears his throat. “In case anyone asks, of course.”

“Of course,” she murmurs. “What do you want to know?”

“Well, tell me about your family for starters. Where did you grow up?”

“Oh, actually not too far from here. I went to Pan. That was how Lilly and I connected. A mutual friend, Eli, thought we’d get along so we decided to room together at San Diego State.”

“What about your family?”

“It’s just me and my dad.” She stumbles a little over the words and wonders how much to reveal. A boyfriend would obviously know more details by now but it’s not like she’s really dating him… “My mom’s...out of the picture.” There. That’s enough of an explanation for their little ruse. She rushes on, skipping over that painful subject as much as possible.

“Dad was the Sheriff while I was growing up but then he got injured in the line of duty a few years back and made a change. He’s a PI now. So I picked up some of his tricks along the way and got my license, started working little cases as favors for friends.”

She shrugs in the dim light, aiming for modest, but really, she had been bursting with pride when she passed her PI exam and worked her first case at San Diego State. She loved investigating, the thrill of secrets and stake outs and unraveling mysteries. The fact that Lilly trusted her with this, well, it was a huge boost for her.

“So what’s your major? What do you want to do after graduation?”

“Criminal Justice.” She shifts, mirroring his pose so that her head is propped up by her hand. “I’d really like to work for my dad, but we’ll see. So far he’s not sold on the idea.”

“Over-protective?”

“You have no idea.” She clears her throat. “What about you? Family?”

He scoffs. “You really don’t know?”

“Well…”

She’s glad it’s dark and he can’t see her flush. She grew up only fifteen miles away so she did know something of Logan Echolls’ background. It would be impossible not to. Son of two-time Oscar winner Aaron Echolls, mother Lynn jumped to her death off the Coronado Bridge when he was sixteen, rocky relationship with the press—and pretty much everyone else for a while there.

She decides to try a different track. “Okay, so how about you and the Kane’s? How’d that happen?”

“Ah.” He sits up in bed and turns on the lamp on the nightstand next to him. “That’s actually a good story.”

Veronica shifts and sits up as well, trying not to stare at Logan’s bare chest as he speaks.

“So when I was in junior high, we moved to Neptune from L.A. My first day there, this really horrible girl, Madison, kept trying to befriend me, mostly because she wanted to meet my dad, I think, and Lilly swooped in and saved me from her evil clutches.” Logan’s face is animated as he talks, and he gestures expansively with his hands. “She pretty much claimed me as her own and that was that. Duncan and I became friends along the way, surfing together and stuff. After my mom…”

He clears his throat and glances away.

“Well, I spent a lot of time at the Kanes’ house after that. They’re like family to me.”

“And you and Lilly?”

Now he looks abashed, and runs his hand over his face. “Yeah, we were kinda a train wreck. I guess you could say we dated in high school. After my mom died, I was a mess for a while. Lilly and I kept ending up together but it wasn’t a real relationship; it hadn’t been for a long time.”

He’s looking at her earnestly now and she realizes that she didn’t really need to know that for their cover story. He told her anyway, though, like it matters to him that she knows the truth.

“And it’s not weird between you?”

“Nah. We’re better off as friends and we both know it. She really is like my sister these days.”

Veronica moves to face him, sitting up further and tucking her legs under her, tugging the fabric of her too-short nightshirt down to cover them. “And what’s your major?”

“Anthropology.”

“Really?” she asks, incredulous, before she can think about it, then claps a hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, that was mean of me—”

But Logan is laughing. “Yeah, I know. But I like history and sociology so it’s a good fit. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it after graduation, though. Archeological digs would definitely cramp my style, so not that, and academia is getting a little old.”

He shrugs. “I kind of only picked the major to piss off the department head. He hates me.”

Veronica giggles. “Masochist?”

“Yeah, I guess. But it turns out I like it so it’s okay, even if I have zero job prospects.”

“Forensic anthropology is cool,” she offers. “We learned about it in one of my criminology classes.”

“Too much anatomy for my tastes. But you’re right, it is cool.”

He smiles at her and she’s disappointed that she can’t think of anything else to say to prolong their conversation.

“Um, I guess we should probably go to bed. I’ve got my work cut out for me tomorrow.”

“Oh, yeah, right. Gotta save The Donut from the Evil Queen.”

She laughs. “I’m practically a fairy godmother.”

She lays down and pulls the covers up to her chin but instead of rolling away like before, she stays facing Logan. He turns out the light and lays down. She can see his eyes, shining darkly in the dim light.

“‘Night, Veronica.”

“‘Night, Logan.”

_____

Veronica wakes the next morning with her head pillowed on something...odd. It’s not soft and plush like her pillow, but firm and warm. As her eyes flutter open, she realizes that she is laying on Logan’s muscled chest. She can hear his heart beating under her ear and his chest hair tickles her cheek slightly. He smells incredible up this close and he has his arms wrapped around her tightly. Oh, god, what happened? With all this room in the giant king-sized bed, how did she end up on top of him?

She rolls away, but he stays wrapped around her, with her back to his chest now. He sighs in his sleep and mumbles something unintelligible. He seems quite content...and is divinely warm and comfortable. It’s been a long time since she’s wakened in someone’s arms. Logan is practically a stranger; this should definitely bother her—but she’s surprised to discover that it doesn’t. She figures she might as well enjoy it, and presses closer against him. She sighs, contentedly, and lets herself fall back asleep.

______

Veronica wakes again later, still cocooned against Logan’s chest with his arms around her. She’d really love to stay there all day...but on second thought, she’d rather avoid the awkwardness of waking up this close to him and she does have to get ready. She gently disentangles his arms and rolls out of bed, grabbing her clothes and heading for the bathroom. For a second, she thinks she hears him whisper her name in his sleep...but she’s probably imagining that.

______

“Good morning.”

Logan is sitting up in bed, still shirtless, with his finger keeping his place in a paperback copy of ‘Guns, Germs, and Steel.’ He looks adorably sleep-rumpled still, with his hair mussed and sticking up. He is wearing a pair of thick-rimmed glasses and instead of looking like a dorky bookworm, he looks like the Mr. July spread on the best Naughty Librarians calendar ever. What can she say? Smart is sexy.

Veronica adjusts her black blazer over her polka dot blouse, cuffs up her sleeves, and tucks her jeans over her boots, fluffing the soft waves of her hair. She shakes her head, trying to banish the image that flashes into her mind of making love to him on top of the checkout desk at the Malcolm A. Love Library on campus. Clearly she is sex starved if she’s now having library fantasies.

She clears her throat. “Morning. How did you sleep?”

“Really well. I hope I didn’t bother you on your side of the bed?”

She flushes. “Nope. Not that I know of.” She jerks her thumb in the direction of the door behind her. “Bathroom’s free.”

“Great. Thanks.”

He gets up and pads to the bathroom while she tries not to stare at his chest as he brushes past her.

Down, girl, she tells herself fiercely.

She makes her way downstairs to the dining room of the Kane mansion where a brunch spread is laid out. There is coffee, french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon, plus muffins and scones, on the sideboard so she helps herself and fills a plate. The spacious room is decorated in a modern style, and Veronica thinks that it suits Celeste implicitly—it’s cold and unwelcoming, with the vast table, recessed lights, and marble floors.

Duncan and Kendall are already sitting in the middle of the long table and while Kendall doesn’t look like she wants any company, Duncan waves her over. He looks like an ad for Brooks Brothers in khakis and a blue polo shirt.

“Hey, Veronica,” he greets her. “I’m glad you found breakfast. Did you sleep okay last night?”

She smiles. “I did, thanks. You?”

“Oh, definitely.” He turns his eyes to his fiancee. Compared to Duncan’s casual monied look, Kendall appears out of place. Her clingy red v-neck sleeveless blouse shows too much cleavage to be classy and her black pants are practically painted on. “I mean, I didn’t sleep as well as I will when I have Kendall with me next week, but yeah.”

Kendall glances up briefly from her phone, where she’s been furiously texting someone. She gives him a distracted smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Yeah, you, too, Baby.”

Duncan takes a bite of eggs and sighs in contentment, still moony-eyed over Kendall. He doesn’t seem to notice that her response doesn’t quite make sense and Veronica would love to get a hold of her phone and read those text messages.

She takes a sip of coffee. “So what’s on the agenda for today?’

“Um, I’m not sure about you ladies. I know the guys are going golfing. Kendall?”

She doesn’t answer, just continues to tap on the keys of her phone.

“Kendall? What are you girls doing today?”

She looks up, startled, and her doting fiancee mask falls back into place. “Oh, sorry, Baby. I don’t really know.” She gives a ditzy smile and waves her hand. “I’ve left most of that up to your mom.”

“Well, luckily, that’s what I’m here for.” Lilly bustles into the dining room, brandishing a folder of papers and a beguiling smile.

“Celeste just gave me the schedule,” she waves a piece of paper in the air, “and put me in charge.”

Kendall’s face falls at that news and Lilly’s smile widens.

“Hurricane Lilly,” Duncan quips affectionately at her as she sets down her papers and fills up a cup of coffee and a plate.

“Hey, now,” she teases as she sits down next to Veronica at the table. “You and Logan desperately needed my...direction..when we were younger.”

He laughs. “Sure we did, Lils.”

Veronica swirls a bite of French toast through the river of syrup on her plate—it’s divine—and pops it into her mouth before turning to Kendall.

“They’re cute but I don’t really get the sibling thing. I’m an only child. You?”

“Yep, me, too.” Her response is short and predictable. Veronica contains her sigh. It’s hard to look into someone when she has so little to work with.

“So, Kendall, did you grow up around here? Where are you from?”

Kendall waves her hand vaguely. “Oh, here and there. We moved around a lot.”

Lilly zeros in on this. “How old were you when your parents died? When did you start moving around?”

Kendall turns fidgety and starts playing with her spoon. It looks like she only had coffee for breakfast.

“Uh, I was just a kid. I moved around a lot because of foster care and stuff.”

This could be legitimate, but the way she says it just sounds so fishy. Veronica keeps pushing.

“Logan said you just transferred to UCLA this year? Where did you go to school before that? Where did you live when you graduated high school?”

Kendall practically throws her spoon down on the table. “God! What is this, the third degree? I told you, it’s very painful, I don’t like to talk about my past.”

Duncan puts a soothing hand on her shoulder and Veronica apologizes.

“We just want to get to know you better, is all.” Lilly gives her a fake smile. “Not trying to upset you.”

“Yeah, Babe,” Duncan placates. “Lilly is like your sister now. She’s just curious. You should open up to her. Maybe it would help you to talk about it with someone.”

Kendall obviously realizes that she has to say something and Veronica watches her squirm as she considers what story to tell.

“Uh, I actually moved to UCLA from Tennessee. I went to Handley High School in Tennessee, right outside of Memphis, and then I went to the University of Tennessee. But I decided it was time for a change and I’ve always wanted to live in LA.”

She turns to gaze adoringly at Duncan. “It must have been fate that we met at that party.”

Veronica glances at Lilly, who is pretending to stick her finger down her throat. She stifles a giggle and looks away, only to see Logan enter the room.

He’s wearing artfully ripped jeans—the kind Veronica rolls her eyes at because spending money on torn clothing is ridiculous—and a fitted charcoal short-sleeved Henley. She watches out of the corner of her eye as he grabs a cup of coffee—black—and sits down beside Duncan at the table. Remembering how his chest felt under her cheek, she takes a large gulp of coffee and winces when it burns her mouth.

Duncan claps him on the shoulder. “Man, I didn’t get to talk to you much last night. I still feel bad that I didn’t know about you two.”

He gestures between Logan and Veronica and she can see guilt filter across Logan’s face as he takes a sip of coffee uneasily.

“So when did that happen?” Duncan asks.

Veronica jumps in. “About two months ago, right, honey?”

“Yeah.” Logan nods and picks up the narrative. “I didn’t say anything at first because it was just casual, you know, and then I didn’t see you for a while there.”

“Yeah, totally, man. Sorry if I’ve been a bad roommate.” Duncan looks so sincere and Veronica vows once again to protect him from Kendall’s possible schemes. Someone needs to.

“And Lilly?” He turns to his sister with a teasing smile on his face. “Normally she hates the girls you date.”

“Oh, I set them up,” Lilly interjects, her eyes glittering with glee. “You’re right, normally Logan dates bimbos, so I knew this was another situation where I had to intervene. I think they’re perfect for each other.”

She gives Logan a dramatic, put-upon sigh. “What would you do without me?”

Veronica expects Logan to tease her back but he just stares at Lilly thoughtfully.

Kendall, still preoccupied with her phone, jumps up when it begins to buzz. She mutters something about having to take the call and heads for the patio doors off the dining room.

Veronica spots an opportunity and excuses herself to use the bathroom. After winding down the hallways and pretending to get lost, she ends up on the other side of the patio where she opens the French doors a crack to listen to Kendall’s conversation.

Kendall sounds agitated. “Listen, just back off. We’re not married yet,” she snaps into the phone.

She pauses a second. “Give me a few weeks to get your money.”

Another pause. “Of course there’s a prenup; Celeste’s not as trusting as her son. But it won’t be a problem. I’m not leaving him for a while yet.”

Kendall drops her voice menacingly and Veronica presses her ear to the crack in the doors to hear her. “Don’t call me again at this number or you’ll live to regret it.”

Veronica eases the door open slowly and surreptitiously snaps a picture of Kendall with her phone before the other woman huffs and ends her call, storming off. The only sound is her high-heeled sandals clacking on the patio tile.

Veronica has no doubt that Kendall is conning Duncan. She just needs to figure out how to prove it. The photo is not the best quality—nor is it flattering—but hopefully it will be enough.

She makes her way back to the breakfast table. Thankfully, Lilly and Logan are still sitting and chatting over their coffee cups. Duncan and Kendall are nowhere to be seen.

“You about ready to go, Veronica Mars?” Lilly looks up at her with a smile. “We’ve got a full day of pampering and girl talk ahead of us.”

Veronica winces. “Actually, Lilly, I’ve gotta do some research. I’m gonna head over to my dad’s office. Can you make an excuse for me?”

“Veronica! You can’t leave me alone with her and Celeste all day! That’s torture.” Lilly’s eyes are wide with horror. Logan chuckles softly at her plight.

“I know, Lils, and I’m sorry, I really am, but I’ve gotta do some digging.”

“You rode with me. You’re stuck.”

“I’ll take a cab.”

“Oh, I’ll drive you,” Logan hurries to offer. He quickly drains his coffee cup and sets it down decisively on the long dining room table.

“Oh, no,” Veronica protests. “I don’t want to keep you from your best man stuff.”

He grimaces. “I hate golfing. Please let me go with you?”

His pouting puppy dog eyes are too much for Veronica and she relents, laughing. “Yeah, okay. As long as you can come up with a good excuse. Go talk to Duncan and meet me back down here in ten minutes.”

Logan tosses her an eager smile and lopes off to find Duncan while Lilly turns to her with a calculated look.

“So...you and Logan, huh?”

Veronica stammers and hopes she’s not blushing. She throws down the cloth napkin she was unconsciously pleating between her fingers.

“It’s not a big deal, Lilly. He’s not as horrible as I first thought, yeah, but I’m still mad at you about this fake dating thing.”

“Sure you are, V. Sure you are.” Lilly’s eyes glint with mirth as she stands, pulling Veronica with her. She links their arms and saunters off, dragging Veronica in her wake.

“I still can’t believe I have to brave this by myself,” she grumbles.

“I know, Lil. But hey, you can keep prodding on your end and text me if you learn anything else. I’m gonna go to my dad’s and see what I can learn from her school records.”

“Fine, fine. But I’m still not happy about it.”

The wide smile on her teasing mouth belies her words. Lilly is nothing if not up for a challenge.

_____

“Wow, this car, it’s...”

Veronica searches for the word as she pats the interior of the passenge door of Logan’s black Range Rover.

“Luxurious? Sumptuous? Pimpin’?” Logan looks over at her, his hands tapping on the steering wheel, and smirks.

“Um, I was going to go with ‘ostentatious’. It would never work for a stake-out. But it is nice.” She strokes her fingers along the tan leather of the seat.

“A stake out? Is that how you judge cars? ‘Cause I base my decisions on the back seat.”

Before she can stop herself, she glances reflexively in that direction. He bobs his eyebrows at her and she can’t help but laugh.

“Do those lines actually work on the girls you date?”

“Not the keepers, no.” His brown eyes are warm as he looks over at her and she curses her traitorous heart for the flutter that she feels. Logan might be fine as a friend but she can’t let herself get involved any further than that. Not after what happened with Troy.

“It’s up here,” she points out the window at the shady storefront that houses Mars Investigations. “Sorry, there’s only street parking.”

Logan is faux aghast. “Will my baby be safe?”

“I know, the mean backstreets of Pan are pretty dangerous. Not like your pampered existence in Neptune. Especially for you rich pretty-boys.” She smirks at him as she hops out of his car.

“Aw, you think I’m pretty?” Now it’s his turn to grin at her.

Her dad’s PI office, Mars Investigations, is sandwiched between the sketchy law offices of Cliff McCormack, Esquire, and a nail salon. The strip mall also houses a Subway and used to have a Blockbuster on the end but that space has been sitting vacant for a few months now.

The bell dings above the door as she pushes the glass—embossed with her dad’s All Seeing Eye logo—open and she calls out, “Hiya, Pops!” as they enter.

The space is cramped and narrow but the bright sunshine streaming in the storefront windows helps keep it from feeling too dark. The waiting area is decorated with old issues of People magazine on the coffee table—Veronica grimaces at the Aaron Echolls Sexiest Man Alive edition—a scattering of uncomfortable chairs, a ficus tree, and a rickety receptionist desk, currently empty.

“Still no applicants for the receptionist job, huh? I guess my shoes are hard to fill.”

“Veronica!”

Her dad comes bustling out of the back office. He is wearing a blue dress shirt, slacks, and a sportcoat and a wide grin lights his face as he envelops her in a hug.

“I didn’t expect you! I thought you had that thing with Lilly in San Diego this weekend.”

He places an affectionate kiss on the top of her head as she explains.

“I do, and the thing is actually in Neptune. I just need a little bit of help.”

Her dad glances at her companion and raises a questioning brow.

“Oh, right. Dad, this is Logan Echolls. He’s kind of, um, my partner on this one.” Logan shakes her dad’s outstretched hand. “Logan, this is my dad, Keith Mars.”

“Nice to meet you. I hope she’s paying you well,” Keith jokes.

“Not so much. She’s actually doing me a favor right now and getting me out of golfing so I figure we’re even.”

Logan glances at her with affection in his brown eyes and her stomach gives a flutter. Maybe she should just sleep with him and get him out of her system.

She snaps out of it when her dad gets her attention. “Well, Veronica, what sort of help do you need?”

“Okay, I’m looking into Duncan Kane’s fiancee. I’m pretty sure she’s conning him, that she’s not who she says she is. So I was hoping to access your database.”

“Sure, sure.” He gestures at the empty receptionist desk. “It’s all yours. I was actually on my way out. Can you lock up when you leave?”

She pats her messenger bag as he grabs his coat off the rack by the door. “Yep. Keys are in here somewhere. I’ve got it.”

Keith shrugs into his coat and plants another kiss on the top of her head. “Good luck with the case, kid. I’ll see you soon, right? Home for Christmas and all that?”

“Of course, Dad. Wouldn’t miss it.” She gives him a wide grin and sits down behind the desk, booting up the computer.

“Nice meeting you, Logan. Don’t let her walk all over you,” Keith calls on his way out the door.

The bell jingles as it closes and Logan laughs softly. “You two are cute.”

She smiles up at him, distracted by the research ahead of her, and waves at the pitiful reception area.

“Sorry, I don’t have much to entertain you while you wait. But there’s a water cooler in my dad’s office if you’re thirsty and we have a lovely assortment of outdated magazines.”

“It’s no problem, Veronica. Still better than golfing. I do think I'll grab some water, though.”

She quickly removes the offending issue of People magazine while he’s gone and then settles back at her desk.

Logan finds a true crime paperback buried under the magazines and seems content to sit quietly and read—well, he jiggles his leg the whole time, but it doesn’t bother her—while she types furiously at her computer and makes phone calls. Occasionally he glances over at her, eavesdropping on her phone conversations, but he doesn’t interrupt her to ask what she’s doing.

After countless phone calls and—she glances at her watch—hours of digging, Veronica jumps up from her desk, holding a sheaf of papers, triumphant.

“The real Kendall Shifflet is dead. The girl we know is named Priscilla Banks.” She can’t keep the wide grin off her face.

Before Veronica can turn back to her desk chair, Logan is across the room at her side. He grabs her around the waist and spins her around.

“You did it! That was awesome.” He sets her back down on her feet and gazes down at her and the look he gives her is so full of affection, her stomach drops and her breath catches.

His arms slowly leave her waist but he grabs her hand.

“I’m gonna be honest, watching you do this Nancy Drew stuff—it’s really hot.”

Veronica self-consciously tucks a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Logan, no one is here. We don’t have to pretend to be dating.”

His eyes widen and he drops her hand, taking a step back. She immediately misses the contact and mentally kicks herself for opening her stupid mouth.

“Oh, yeah, right. Sorry about that.”

“But, um, thanks for your enthusiasm. Most guys, uh, most people don’t feel that way.” She leans back against her desk, trying to smooth over this awkward moment.

“Really?” He is genuinely skeptical. “What do you mean?”

“My boyfriends haven’t always been very supportive. Troy...well, he probably didn’t like the investigation stuff because when I finally turned my skills on him, I found out he was a drug dealer and got him arrested for it. And Leo, he kept freaking out and smothering me, thinking it was too dangerous.”

He grabs her hand again. “Ah. I’m starting to understand your bitterness about relationships last night.”

“Maybe they did have something to do with it, but I’m starting to think I have terrible taste in men.”

She huffs a laugh, trying to break the moment with a joke. Logan continues to gaze into her eyes, though, and she gets a sneaking suspicion that he might try to kiss her. As much as she would like that—and she’s pretty sure she would enjoy it immensely—if Troy, the ‘nice guy,’ and Leo, the sheriff's deputy, both broke her heart, there’s no chance that it would be a good idea to get any cozier with celebutante playboy Logan Echolls.

His thumb caresses her knuckles, and sends a jolt of warmth through her. She allows him to step closer to her and cup her face in his hand. Her breath quickens and her lips part as she stares up at him before she’s even realized what’s happened.

She takes a step back and gestures at the waiting area. “So what did you think of the book?”

Logan looks dazed. A moment later, she can tell when her words her words register with him because the light dims in his eyes.

“Oh, yeah. It was good.” He clears his throat. “But how will I survive without knowing the end? Think your dad will let me borrow it?”

She gives him a hard, speculative look. “What are the odds that you will be back to return it?”

He stares at her steadily, picking up on the undercurrents of what she’s really asking.

“I’d like to. That is, I’d like to have a reason to come back.”

And before she can change the subject again or flee, he takes two steps forward, cups her cheek and the back of her neck, and kisses her.

She’s sure that something shorts out in her brain when his mouth meet hers. His lips are soft and gentle but urgent and she takes deep drags from his mouth as her arms wrap around his waist, pulling him closer. She lets her tongue rub against his and, god—he tastes good. Lilly wasn’t exaggerating. She lets herself get lost in the moment, feeling his hands on her face and his soft t-shirt gripped in her fingers, and she’s pretty sure her legs have turned to jelly.

The kiss doesn’t end so much as lengthen and slow down. They break apart reluctantly, like they can’t quite bring themselves to stop.

“Well, now.” Logan clears his throat, uncharacteristically at a loss for words. “I’m glad that’s out in the open.”

She should protest. She should fight this attraction harder. But he’s still cupping her face and gazing into her eyes. He places a sweet kiss on her nose and she just—melts. Maybe her first impression of him was wrong. Maybe she needs to stop looking for ‘nice guys’ and take a chance on this one in front of her who’s actually been way better than ‘nice.’

So she swallows and says, “We should probably talk about this. But right now, we have a wedding to ruin.”

______

Much like the previous evening, Veronica is seated in the same spot at the dining room table in the Kane mansion. This time, however, her slinky black v-neck cocktail dress is her own and she feels more at ease than she did 24 hours ago.

Jake raises his glass for another toast.

“To Duncan and his bride, Kendall.”

Lilly, who couldn’t resist the spectacle of it all, recognizes their pre-established cue and before everyone can clink their glasses, she clears her throat. Her forest green lace dress offsets her green eyes, sparkling with mischief.

“Actually…”

All eyes—grandparents, parents, Duncan, and Kendall—flash to her. Logan, who knew a little bit about their upcoming production, smirks down at his plate. He looks delectable in a well-tailored suit that hugs his frame snugly.

“That’s not quite right. Is it, Priscilla?”

Kendall shoots a venomous look at Lilly and clenches her jaw. She flushes and her complexion clashes with her chartreuse dress—although, what wouldn’t? Jake and Duncan look confused, and Celeste sputters, “What?”

Lilly is triumphant. Really, Veronica can’t blame her. The ‘big reveal’ at a dinner party is definitely a rush and Lilly lives for this sort of drama.

Lilly stands behind her chair—did she block this out earlier, Veronica wonders—and gestures expansively at her roommate.

“Veronica! Would you like to do the honors?”

Veronica stands as well, adjusting the hemline of her dress. Might as well play along with Lilly’s big moment. After all, it is kind of fun.

“The real Kendall Shifflet is dead. This,” she waves in Kendall’s direction, “is Priscilla Banks. She’s not an orphan, not a Delta Gamma, or even a student at UCLA. She’s a twenty-five year old con artist with a rap sheet as long as my arm. Convicted in Tennessee but never served time. She took off and stole the identity of a girl from her school who was killed in a drunk driving accident.” Veronica levels a glare in her direction. “She was the drunk behind the wheel.”

Kendall slinks further and further down into her seat during this revelation. Duncan’s eyes are wide and his face has gone pale, in stark contrast to his black suit coat. Lilly grins like the Cheshire Cat and Logan continues to smirk, clearly enjoying the show.

Celeste sputters again and manages to get out, “But this can’t be! I checked! I hired a PI.”

Veronica looks at her with faux-pity. “You got what we call the ‘Vinnie Van Lowe Special.’ He discovered all this but then decided to blackmail Kendall for her silence.”

Celeste gasps and turns to Kendall, swearing like a sailor. She lunges for the woman, screaming something about the Harry Winston and Jake has to physically hold her back to keep her from attacking Kendall across the table.

Kendall leaps up—self-preservation is clearly a skill she’s honed—and tries to placate Duncan. “Baby, it’s not like that. Maybe I haven’t been totally honest about everything but I love you!” She grips his forearm with her talons.

Everyone else leaps up from the table and Celeste knocks over a chair in her rage. The grandparents slink out the dining room, shocked looks on their faces.

Duncan’s eyes flash with anger as he shakes Kendall off. “How could you? Get out!”

The gleeful look slides off Lilly’s face and Logan stands protectively by Duncan, fixing Kendall with a fierce glare.

“The Harry Winston!” Celeste hisses again.

Kendall drops all pretense of love and remorse. “Fine!” She slams the four carat ring down on the dining room table and huffs off.

Celeste sinks down into Jake’s chair and gapes at them. “Someone needs to follow her to make sure she leaves without taking anything else!” From the way she speaks, this job is obviously beneath her. “Lilly!”

Lilly glares at her mother. “As if! It’s thanks to me and the reliable PI that I hired that you even know the truth!” She links arms with Veronica in a show of solidarity.

Logan claps Duncan on the shoulder. “I’ve got this, man. I’ll let you know when she’s gone.”

He shoots Veronica a meaningful look and mouths, ‘Later’ at her before following Kendall, the sound of her clomping high heels still echoing through the cavernous house. Duncan sits back down into his chair woodenly, shellshocked.

Celeste lowers her head down onto her crossed arms on the table and Jake shoots a pointed look at Lilly and Veronica as he tries to comfort her.

“You’re welcome!” Lilly sarcastically hisses at her parents as she and Veronica make their way around the table to Duncan. Lilly lets go of Veronica and drops down onto her knees next to Duncan’s chair, turning his shoulders so that she can look into his unfocused eyes.

“Duncan, I’m really sorry this hurt you. I thought it would be better to know the truth. I hope you can forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Lils,” he whispers, his voice raw, and covers her hand on his arm with his own. “Thanks.”

She places a gentle kiss on top of her brother’s head as she stands up and once again links arms with Veronica.

As they make their way upstairs, Lilly allows a small smile to grace her features. “That was both more fun and less fun that I expected. Thanks for being awesome at your job, Veronica.”

They halt outside the door to Veronica’s room. “Yeah, it’s a rush—until you remember it’s someone’s life, huh? You’re pretty good at it, though, Lil. I might have to take you on as a consultant sometime.”

Veronica winks at her and Lilly pulls her into a quick hug.

“I’m sorry I made up that story about you dating Logan,” she gestures at the guest room door. “Although it looked like maybe there was some chemistry there?”

Lilly eyes her knowingly and Veronica opens the door and pulls her roommate in after her. It’s not a conversation she wants to continue in the hallway.

Her cheeks turn a pretty pink shade as she admits, “Maybe. But how would you feel about that?”

Lilly squeals loudly. “I’ve been trying to set you up for the longest time!”

Veronica’s mouth drops open in surprise. “Is that—is that really all this was? A set up?”

“No, of course not, Veronica Mars.” Lilly scoffs and shoves her shoulder gently. “I had utter faith in your PI skills and genuinely needed your help.” She grins mischievously. “Setting you up with Logan was just a benefit.”

Lilly bounces over to the bed and perches on the edge. “So! Tell me everything.”

Veronica shrugs and sits next to her. “There’s not much to tell. I think...maybe...there could be something between us, but…”

“But what?”

She sighs and flops down on the bed to contemplate the ceiling. “I dunno, Lilly. He just doesn’t seem like my type.”

Lilly lays down next to her. “Wanna know why it didn’t work between us?” Without waiting for Veronica’s answer, she continues. “Because Logan is way more into monogamy than I am. His playboy reputation is mostly smoke and mirrors to keep girls like Kendall—or whatever her name is—away. He was never the one who wanted a casual fling but I pushed him into it and I knew he would agree because we’ve been friends for so long. He just didn’t have anyone else in his life, not for real, and I took advantage of that because the sex was so damn good. It was selfish of me.”

Veronica sits up, suddenly, a faux-shocked look on her face. “Lilly! Don’t tell me you’re getting all deep and self-aware here!”

Lilly laughs. “I know. It doesn’t suit me. But honestly, V, you should give him a chance.”

Their conversation is interrupted by Logan, pushing the door open and peering inside.

“Lilly, seriously.” He groans. “You’ve gotta stop this—” he gestures at the two of them on the bed “—or I’ll never get over imagining all the topless pillow fights.”

He winks, though, and Veronica can see now that he’s teasing. Maybe he and Lilly will always tease each other like that. Now she knows there’s really nothing between them, maybe she can live with that. Like Lilly said, maybe it’s worth finding out.

She takes a deep breath. “Yeah, Lilly. Get outta here.”

Lilly sits up and turns wide, surprised eyes on Veronica and slowly gives her a wicked smile. “Anything for you, dear,” she murmurs as she slips out of the room.

The door closes behind her and Logan comes to stand at the foot of the bed, staring at Veronica speculatively.

“So. Is everything…?” She waves her hand around to encompass the dinner drama.

“Yeah. Kendall—Priscilla?—is gone and Duncan...well, he’s in his room. I checked in on him a little bit ago. He’ll be okay, I think, eventually.”

Veronica pats the space on the bed next to her and he sits down.

“The pursuit of truth is good, I think, but sometimes…” She trails off and clears her throat. Logan grabs her hand and caresses her knuckles with his thumb. “It’s better to know, right?”

He nods. “It is. And like I said before, the Nancy Drew thing you’ve got going on is hot.”

His eyes are twinkling and it helps pull her out of her worry about bearing the bad news to the Kanes.

“Oh, it is, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He moves his hand to the back of her neck and leans in to kiss her again. It’s just a soft brush of his lips against hers but it sends shivers along her spine and she’s aching for more when he pulls away.

His eyes look a little glazed over, too, and she’s glad that she’s not the only one affected.

“Hey, Veronica?”

She bites her lip and tries to focus on his words. “Yeah?”

“Can I confess something? I’ve wanted to ask you out all weekend. I really like you and—”

She can’t help it, she starts to laugh. He stops talking and looks slightly offended.

“Really? That’s your big confession? You’re asking me out? I thought for sure it was going to some quip about the bed and how we should test it out.”

He bobs his eyebrows at her suggestively. “Well, I’d hate to disappoint you. Should we test out the bed?”

She playfully swats his arm and leans over to kiss him again. “Is this some roommate thing? Like, points for dating girls who live together?”

He laughs softly and she can feel his breath against her cheek. “No, I—is that what’s holding you back? My history with Lilly? Because—”

She cuts him off. “Actually, Lilly and I had a little chat and things are cool. She maybe kinda orchestrated this,” she gestures, encompassing the bed and the space between them, “on purpose.”

Logan’s eyes light up with delight. “Little minx. I’ll have to thank her for the wingman assist.”

He grabs her hand earnestly. “You didn’t actually answer my question. Will you go out with me?”

Veronica pulls her hand from his grasp and hops off the bed, walking around to the nightstand where his cell phone lays.

He raises an eyebrow as she types in something and tosses it to him.

“It’s Christmas,” she explains, twisting her hands together, “and I doubt the Kanes want me sticking around. You probably should stay, though, to keep an eye on Duncan. So there’s my number. Call me sometime.”

He checks his phone while she pulls her duffel bag out of the closet and starts packing.

“Wait, Veronica.” Logan’s hand on her arm stills her movement. “It’s late. You should at least stay the night.”

She gazes into his eyes and sees genuine affection reflected there. It makes her bold.

“And share your bed?”

“Well…” She thinks he might actually be blushing a little bit, something she didn’t think was possible. It’s adorable. “I was a perfect gentleman last night, right? Trust me. I can behave again.”

He bobs his eyebrows in a way that totally negates his words and takes a step closer to her, moving his hand to rest on her waist. His voice is husky and it resonates low in her belly, warming her. “Or not. It’s up to you.”

He bends his head down to capture her mouth with his, and she’s helpless to resist the pull she feels towards him. She wraps her arms around his neck, tugging him closer, and kisses him deeply. Sparks zip along her spine and heat continues to build in her core. She lets him maneuver them over to the bed, sitting down on it and pulling her on top of him, across his thighs.

Maybe, she thinks as he sucks on the side of her neck in a delightful way, Logan Echolls isn’t as bad as she expected. In fact, she could get quite used to this. His lips send jolts of pleasure through her and she pushes him down on his back, tugging the hem of her dress up so she can settle herself more comfortably astride him. He looks at her with wonder in his eyes and slides his hands up her thighs.

“Veronica…” His voice is seductive, wrapping around her, and she didn’t know her name could sound like that. She wants to hear him say it again. Everyday, perhaps.

She puts her finger over his lips. “No more gentlemanly behavior tonight, please.”

He nips her finger and sends shivers down her body. “If you insist.”

via AO3 works tagged 'Veronica Mars (Movie 2014)' https://ift.tt/2HjEFjj March 20, 2019 at 11:36PM

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