Free The Real Thing by Paige Tyler Page B

photo-op?”
    The woman smiled at him. “Raine has graciously agreed to take a photo with you for the newspaper.”
    His frown deepened. “I appreciate it, Evangeline , but I can’t take advantage of Raine that way.”
    “You aren’t taking advantage of her,” Evangeline insisted. “She doesn’t mind. Do you, Raine?”
    Raine smiled. “Not at all.”
    She didn’t mind. Especially since the critic who’d given Logan that crappy review worked for the Times . This was her chance to make him and every other opinionated know-it-all eat their words. Raine Montgomery didn’ t buy paintings that were “juvenile” and “unrefined.”
    Logan looked as if he wanted to protest some more, but finally he nodded. “ Okay. Thanks.”
    Evangeline smiled. “I’ll go call them right now. Be right back.”
    Logan shook his head as he watched the woman practically run toward the back of the gallery. “Sorry about that. She can be a force sometimes.”
    Raine laughed. “It’s okay. I really don’t mind taking the picture.”
    They stood there in silence, the only sound coming from the muted phone conversation Evangeline was having in the back of the gallery. There was so much Raine wanted to say, but she couldn’t.
    Logan cleared his throat. “ Do you want to grab dinner or something? If you don’t have other plans. ” When she didn’t answer right away, he added, “It’s okay if you do.”
    She quickly shook her head. “I don’t. Have other plans, I mean. It’s just that sometimes I have a hard time going out in public.”
    “I didn’t think about that. ” He regarded her. “We could alway s have dinner at my place.”
    Her heart started beating like crazy again. “I’d like that.”
    Evangeline breezed in before either of them could say more. As it turned out, the newspaper couldn’t do the photo-op until the following day. That was fine with Raine. The sooner she could be alone with Logan, the better.
    She had to wait a little longer because he lived out on Bainbridge Island, so they had to take the ferry across Puget Sound. After seeing his cabin, she expected Logan’s house to be equally outdoorsy looking, but it was a modern-looking two-story set against a backdrop of tall fir trees.
    “I’ll get us something to drink,” Logan said when they got inside. “ Make yourself at home.”
    Raine took off her jacket and tossed it on the back of the couch. With a loft that overlooked the living room, a huge kitchen and a set of French doors leading out to a back deck, the interior of the house was just as beautiful as the outside.
    “I know you don’t like red meat, so how about salmon?” Logan asked as he handed her a glass of wine.
    “That’s fine.” She smiled. “You don’t have to go to any trouble, you know.”
    “I don’t, huh?” His mouth quirked. “How about a can of beef stew then?”
    She laughed. “Okay. Maybe a little trouble than that . Can I do anything? ”
    He glanced at her as he opened the fridge. “You could make the salad if you want.”
    Raine hadn’t done something as simple as cook dinner alongside a guy since she’d made it big and bought her Hollywood mansion. It was one more thing she hadn’t realized she missed.
    “I read the review that critic in the Times wrote about your watercol ors,” she said as she cut the tomatoes. “For what it’s worth, I think he’s crazy. Your watercolors are beautiful.”
    Logan gave her a wry smile. “You’re the only one who thinks so . But who knows? Maybe when word gets around that you bought one, I’ll sell a few more.” He set the salmon steaks on the stove’s cooktop grill. “You didn’t have to go along with that whole publicity picture thing, you know. I appreciate the gesture, but I’m sure you’d rather not have any more people taking your picture.”
    “I’m happy to do it. Besides, I’m used to having my picture taken. ” She cringed as soon as she said the words. “I didn’t mean that to come out as