Chapter 36

CHAPTER 36

MIRA

J ust before sunset, Logan and I stood shoulder to shoulder on the helipad. The skies had cleared since the storm and the water was calm, the waves now back to being gentle swells rather than furious, foaming monsters trying their best to destroy the rig.

Logan's hand was so close to mine that I could feel the heat of it on my skin, and my fingers twitched to reach out and wrap around his. My body was more than sated after our quickie in my office, but my needs now were about more than sex.

They were about closeness, an emotion I hadn't often experienced after a roll in the hay. Unfortunately, we were on the helipad to meet Slate, who'd been delayed by the storm but was about to land any minute now.

Which meant I couldn't reach for Logan.

Sigh .

The distant thud-thud-thud of helicopter rotors drew my eyes to the sky, and a few seconds later, the craft itself appeared in the golden glow of the sun as it sank closer to the horizon. Although I'd certainly taken advantage of the time Logan and I had been alone, I was glad my brother was almost here .

Sure, it meant holding off on even discreet physical contact with his friend, but we needed to discuss what had happened today and Slate was the best person to do that with. I didn't need reassurance that I'd done the right thing by ordering Andrew to stay put. I already knew Slate would've done the exact same thing, but Slate and I had been preparing to welcome the environmental crew aboard.

If they weren't coming, we needed to make a few adjustments again. Plus, since Logan really did want to make an effort to make our operations greener, we'd have to see what we could offer him in the meantime.

At least until he found a different external contractor to come in.

Ultimately, whatever other roles he played in both of our lives, he was also still a client and we needed to do whatever we had to in order to give him the best service possible. The professional portion of my brain was all over that.

I'd done some research myself about the environmental aspects of an oil rig—the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I had a few basic ideas we'd be able to implement ourselves. But I'd need Slate's buy-in and help to be able to do it.

As the heli started descending to the rig, Logan glanced at me with a soft smile playing on his lips. "You ready?"

I smiled back at him. "Yes and no. You?"

He arched a playful eyebrow at me, the upward slant of his lips still making his gorgeous eyes sparkle just like the ocean below. "Am I ready to get grilled about what you and I did together while he wasn't here? Nah, but I have to be. Besides, it'll be fine. Enough happened that he shouldn't be able to focus on us for at least a couple hours while we get him caught up."

"Let's hope, but knowing Slate, he'll make time to quiz us anyway." I was joking, but also not.

My brother would be burning with curiosity about whether we'd followed his directive to stay away from each other. He'd also be worried that we hadn't, but I wasn't sure if he'd come right out and ask .

We were about to find out, though. The helicopter touched down on the deck and the door slid open.

Slate hopped out, sunglasses shielding his eyes and his hair flattened against his head under the wind of the spinning blades, but I felt his gaze burning into me as surely as if I could see it. He didn't waste any time getting out from under the rotors, approaching us with sure, quick strides.

As he did, I felt Andrew moving out from behind us. He and his crew would be taking Slate's place on the chopper for the return trip. In the end, Logan had backed me up and I couldn't remember ever having felt more validated.

An electric current had shot through me when he'd confirmed my declaration to everyone just a few minutes ago. He'd done it publicly too, marching back into the cafeteria and asking Andrew whether he'd packed his bags yet.

Our guys had seemed pleased while Andrew and his men had appeared to be surprised that he was taking my side. Either way, his public display of support for my perceived authority onboard would go a long way for me on here—and beyond, since these workers had friends and former colleagues on many other rigs.

I was over the moon about it. I'd worked hard to gain their respect since we'd started, and while I had gained it, it was great to be backed by someone other than my own brother for a change. A definite win and another pretty feather in my professional cap.

Slate frowned as he stopped in front of us, pulling off his sunglasses and sliding them into the deep V on his shirt as he watched Andrew and the guys making their way toward the helicopter. "Aren't those the environmental consultants? Where the hell are they going?"

"Home," Logan said decisively. "We'll fill you in once we get inside, but trust me when I say that you don't want that team on your rig. Unless you feel like dealing with the heaps of paperwork that come along with every safety violation and incident."

My brother winced. "No one ever feels like dealing with that. Everyone's okay though, right? Something must've happened while I wasn't here if they're leaving. I trust your judgment, but please tell me we didn't have a serious injury or worse onboard."

"Physically, everyone is fine," I said as I opened my arms to embrace him. "Andrew's ego is a bit bruised though, so you might be receiving a complaint about me from their corporate head office."

Slate chuckled, pulling me closer and hugging me tight. "I wouldn't have it any other way. If you did something to warrant a complaint, they deserved it. I'd rather deal with a complaint than an injury. Thanks for holding down the fort. I'm sorry I got delayed."

"Why?" I asked jokingly as I pulled away. "Did you put in a special order for the storm that delayed you? Because if not, it's hardly your fault."

"Should we go inside?" Logan asked, watching as Andrew and his crew climbed aboard the helicopter. "Now that they're gone, I feel like we've earned ourselves a top-shelf scotch."

"No alcohol on the rig." Slate groaned emphatically, shooting Logan a disapproving look. "How many times do I have to tell you that?"

"Relax, bro." Logan reached out to pat him on the back. "I said we'd earned one, not that I have any. I'll settle for a very big cup of very strong coffee instead."

Slate rolled his eyes as he laughed at him. "You had me going there for a minute, but sure. I could use some caffeine myself."

I nodded my agreement as I turned and led the way to my brother's office. While he and I got caught up, Logan went to get our coffees from the conference room where he'd plugged in the machine he'd brought.

"Fill me in," Slate said as he sat down behind his desk. "What did I miss? What happened with the environmentalists?"

"The head of their crew is an irresponsible, disrespectful dick. That's what. We were on the production platform when the storm hit. I got them to safety, but he refused to wait it out over there. He completely ignored both Logan and myself, and headed on over the bridge to the cafeteria despite the winds. "

Slate grimaced. "In that case, I say good riddance. We won't even wish him luck as we wave him goodbye. He could've gotten himself and our guys killed. I was worried to death about you guys, but at least I knew you'd keep everyone safe. I just wish I'd been here to help. What a mess. You must've been frantic when he left."

I'd neglected to mention that Logan and I had shut ourselves in a room alone when Andrew had taken off, and I didn't add that particular fact now. Instead, I skipped over the part where we hadn't been present when he left and just nodded.

"Yeah, it wasn't great. We spent six hours wondering if he'd gone over, but as soon as we got back, I told him he wasn't welcome here anymore and then I fired him."

Slate blinked hard before amusement erupted behind his eyes and he grinned. "You fired him? Had Logan even hired him yet?"

The man himself walked back in then, chuckling as he handed over our coffees. "No, I hadn't, but it was the idea that counted. Mira made it perfectly clear that you didn't tolerate insubordinate behavior and that he wouldn't cut it here. The least I could do was to support her assessment that he wasn't the right guy for the job."

Slate's lips tightened for just a beat as he looked between the two of us, but then he nodded and brought his mug to his lips. "What a mess. I completely agree with the way you handed it, but I'm still sorry you had to."

"You should've seen her though, man. She was great. She took the lead and she knocked it out of the park. It was my first storm that bad out on the water and I wasn't even scared for a minute. Irritated with the situation, but not scared. I knew Mira had it under control."

Slate turned to him, his mug still hovering in front of his lips, but he hadn't taken a sip yet. "She is great, but if you don't mind, I'd rather not hear it from you just yet."

Logan inclined his chin, settling back in his chair while I spoke to my brother about the things we had to do to take care of operations now that the storm had passed. Though most of it must've been Greek to Logan, he listened with rapt attention and a weird surge of pride shot through me. He was listening to me like I had something to teach him. Something he wanted to learn.

And while it was true that I could teach him a lot, it wasn't often that men around here looked at me that way. Today really has been good for my self-confidence. With him, anyway. Fuck Andrew.

Logan stayed until I got to the nitty-gritty of crew schedules, but then he seemed to lose interest. Picking up his mug, he leaned forward and shot me an apologetic smile. "Sorry for interrupting you, but I think this is my cue. I'll be in the cafeteria if anyone needs me."

"Thanks for having Mira's back today," Slate said to Logan's back once he'd gotten up and had turned to leave. "It means a lot to both of us that you supported her. As the owner, it would've been easy for you to choose the outsider's side in all that."

"Never," he promised, shooting Slate a quick grin as he opened the door. "I trust you two and I'm grateful for all the work you're doing here. Have a good night."

"Thanks, bro," Slate said.

I waved goodbye, wondering if "good night" meant "good night" or if I'd be seeing him again later. Personally, I hoped the latter was true, but maybe I could make it happen anyway. Even if he didn't come to me first.

I'd have to decide later, though. For now, my brother was looking at me with a pensive expression on his face. His eyes searched mine, his lips drawn to one side as he steepled his fingers in front of his chest.

"What?" I asked after the click of the door told me that Logan was gone and that Slate and I were alone now.

He tipped his head to one side, that intent gaze still searching mine. "Have you ever considered branching off and working independently from me?"

Offense rattled through me until I realized his tone hadn't been defensive or angry. I breathed through it, allowing the curiosity to take hold instead. "Excuse me? Why would I do that?"

"I think it's time, Mira," he said. "You're ready to go out and start acquiring your own clients. You'd get to charge for your own consulting skills."

Saying that I was shocked was an understatement. "You really think I'm ready for that?"

Slate nodded, a slow smile spreading on his lips. "You've been ready for a while. I think I've just been too selfish to consider letting you go, but we could still work together. You can do your own thing completely or keep operating under the Spiers banner. You're a natural at this, sis. Really."

Radiant under his rare praise, I grinned at him. Slate was my only family these days and his opinion carried a lot of weight for me. I cared deeply about what he thought of me because I had so much respect for him, and knowing that he actually believed I could do this was an incredible feeling.

"Just something for you to think about," he said before he glanced at the door. "How did Logan handle everything today? It must've been wild. Is he improving?"

Oh, wild it was, all right. Just not only because of the storm.

"He's definitely getting better," I replied honestly. "I'm actually growing quite fond of him. He's dependable. Trustworthy. He makes me feel…"

When I saw Slate's eyes narrowing, I trailed off and finally shut my mouth. He arched a steep eyebrow at me, his expression grave and all the light in his eyes going out. "You're not catching feelings for him, are you?"

"No. I, uh. I mean. No. Of course not," I stammered, wondering how the hell I was supposed to respond to that. "No. All I meant was that I like him as a friend. A colleague. I don't hate him being here anymore."

He stared at me for another beat before he nodded. "Good. That's good because Logan has a dating history fatter than his ego, and my little sister isn't about to join that club."

"But," he added a second later. "On the friend front, you can't do much better than Logan Jones."

My stomach swirled, my heart raced, and my head suddenly got all foggy. I didn't say anything in return because I didn't know what to say. I didn't know how I felt.

The only thing I knew for an absolute fact was that Logan Jones and I were not just friends, and that I didn't know if we'd ever be able to be no more than that.