The pad of his thumb slid over my cheek, wiping away a traitorous tear. I sucked in a cleansing breath, ceasing further tears as I watched him swallow. Almost instantly, I was enveloped in his strong embrace: the one place I belonged. He tipped my head back, his lips massaging mine, soft and gentle.
“How can I ever deny you? Anything you need, it’s yours. Let’s go inside. I want you warm in my bed first.”
“No. Here.” My voice cracked, but I didn’t think. I only moved from his lap and tugged at the waistband of my sweatpants.
He grabbed my hand, stopping me. “It’s freezing. You’ll catch a cold—”
“Logan, please…I don’t want to be afraid out here. I want to be free—safe.” I nearly yelled it, expressing my need to the wind, then pulled on a coaxing hint of a smile to prove I was ready. “Besides, I know you’ll keep me warm.”
Logan stood wearing only his unbuttoned dark wool coat, grey pajama pants, and unlaced boots. He regarded me with an intense stare, reading me, until his lips began curling up. His hesitance lifted into determination when I whispered the challenge.
“I’m waiting.”
“Come here,” he replied hoarsely, kissing me hard before taking my hand and leading me back up the steps to his front door. “Don’t move.”
I waited as he disappeared inside. Alone outside, I felt no fear—only anticipation.
When Logan emerged a moment later, it was with the grey throw from his living-room sofa. He placed it over the railing, then turned his attention back to me. He pulled me into his arms, his stubble warming my cheek as his lips ran over my ear.
“I love you,” he whispered.
There was no time to reply. I gripped his shoulders for support as he grasped the waist of my sweats and lowered them down my legs. I’d bent quickly to remove my boots when his hand grabbed mine.
“Keep them on,” he rasped.
“What? No!” I replied, conscious of how ridiculous they’d look. I attempted to kick them off again, but he wasn’t having it.
“I want those cute toes of yours nice and warm.”
He removed one pant leg over the boot, then lifted my other to do the same. I didn’t fight him. His expression lightened when he glanced up, feasting on my nearly nude state, and hooked his fingers in my panties. The look wasn’t one of lust, but pure adoration. With the slowest movement I’d ever seen him make, he dragged the pants down my legs and over the boots.
The security light flickered off, and his aqua eyes glistened in the darkness surrounding us. Ever so slowly, he unzipped my coat, pulled it down over my shoulders, and let it fall. The freezing temperatures didn’t have time to attack as he directed my arms up over my head, freeing me of my sweater before immediately wrapping the blanket around my shoulders. There I stood on his porch, in only my brown UGGs and a fleece throw.
Logan’s hands slipped inside the blanket, encasing me as he stepped closer. Without warning, his lips collided with mine, loving and tender. I lost myself in the moment, which was over too soon when he stepped back to release me, then slowly worked his lips down my neck before dropping to his knees.
I watched my beautiful man, staring up at me, take my ankle and place his mouth just above my boot. His lips trailed up over my leg, then paused at a small cut on my shin, where he placed a lingering open-mouthed kiss.
“I’ll always keep you safe,” he murmured, slinking up to the next cut just above my knee. “Always.”
My body woke with vigor, trembling as I braced myself against the front door. He placed my leg back down and took the other, repeating the movements. His hands began kneading the backs of my thighs, holding me in place as his tongue ran up over my knee. The heat of my arousal melted away the anxiety our setting had brought. My fingers weaved through his messy short hair, my body relaxing, legs widening to welcome him.
He lifted my foot and rested my calf over his shoulder, then maneuvered his head to trace the dip below my knee with his tongue. “You’re mine. My angel.”
A moan sang out as I moistened my bottom lip, my stomach buzzing with eagerness.
Logan’s tongue swirled, working its way up until his nose brushed below my sex. “Every part of you. Only
my
hands are allowed here. I’ll kill any other man that thinks otherwise.”
His words soothed me, refueling the power that had drained from my soul. It felt amazing; his body against mine, his lips trailing around my sex, was everything I could want. My body would only ever answer to him. Kurt was becoming a distant, foggy memory.
“I love you,” I managed, my eyes focused solely on Logan.
His only reply was the raise of his head, showcasing the familiar glowing smile that consumed my heart. He slipped my leg back down, then opened the afghan to reveal my raw stomach and placed a warm kiss over my belly button.
“I’m the luckiest man alive…an undeserving beast, but I’m too greedy to care,” he spoke against my skin. “I finally have you—all of you—and I’ll guard you with my life.”
I whimpered when his left hand slipped up and intertwined with mine, holding me there with him. His lips placed one last kiss over my stomach, and the pain from the wounds disappeared. “These hands belong to a man that could never bring you harm,” he said, running his fingers up over my breasts.
He rose up and took my nipple into his mouth, suckling. My gaze never strayed from him. The overwhelming desire to feel him pressed inside me, connected to me in every way, grew unbearable.
A reverberating snap sounded around us and my entire body shuttered, nearly jolting me from his arms. Logan held me tightly while he surveyed the area carefully. Together, we watched a small raccoon sneak from around the corner of the house.
“Sorry.” I covered my face with me hand, relaxing, embarrassed at my overreaction.
Logan stood and peeled my hands away. “Shhh, don’t be. I’ve told you never to be sorry. I’m the only person out here with you. It’s only ever going to be me this close to you. I promise.” He reached under my ass and lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around his waist instantly, locking my ankles together. “God, how I wish I could help you forget,” he said in barely a whisper.
“You do more than that,” I replied, holding him close and crushing my lips to his.
My foremost need for him was stronger than ever. I reached between us, slipped my hand into his pajama pants, and freed his erection. Not waiting for his response, I lifted up slightly in his arms and plunged down, filling myself with his thickness.
He sucked in a hiss through gritted teeth, his face tight, eyes closing as I took all of him.
“Cassandra,” he growled as I began to rock against him.
“Yes.” I rode him harder, faster, my mouth on his neck, tongue tracing his jaw. I was wedged in place between him and the door, and I used them both to support me as I took what I needed—what he gave me.
I parted his lips with my tongue and delved in. The kiss was fierce, hungry, and alive with passion. It was as though everything was right in my world. Our bond, our connection, diminished everything else.
My moans were lurid and uninhibited as I ground myself harder down onto him. He filled me with everything I was seeking. His mouth broke our kiss and lowered down to claim my breast that ached for his caress. A thick, desperate whimper rang out from somewhere deep inside me.
Biting down on his shoulder, I felt the first heavy tear fall. Then another. His sweet lips pressed to the dampness on my cheek. My eyes squeezed shut as I lost myself fully in him. My right hand slid from his neck, covering his on my breast. He closed his fingers around mine.
“Slow…no rush.” He bit back a hard grunt. “Too good—” His lips ensnared mine, kissing me with ferocious tenacity.
I couldn’t slow—couldn’t do anything except lift up, and with each plunge down the remnants of Kurt’s touch were wiped away.
Logan was panting, a thin sheen of sweat covering his strong body. He lifted me up higher, holding me in place, and grabbed his cock in his hand. I wasn’t sure what he was doing until he tucked himself back in his pants, not yet enjoying his release. Neither of us had.
I was still locked around him when he rested his forehead against mine. He’d seen what I’d been avoiding: the endless tears spilling out in a vast wave of vulnerability.
It must’ve had a sobering effect on him. His eyes were soft, and filled with not pity or sympathy, but love.
No longer hard and wanting, Logan cradled me in his arms selflessly and carried me back inside. He didn’t stop until we were in his room. He maneuvered us over the bed, resting down on a pillow with me sprawled across him. My sobs finally broke out of the tomb they’d been locked inside. They came fast and painfully, showing no mercy. He stroked my hair as I trembled and shook.
My sobs grew into heavy cries as I clutched the sheet under us. An ungodly roar sneaked up from somewhere deep in my soul and danced off the walls. Logan didn’t try to silence me, even as I looked back and wondered if Oliver had heard. He allowed me to release it all.
It felt incredible, freeing, and, above all, needed. And Logan was there, holding me the entire time, keeping me safe while my mind replayed the events of the day. Each tear that fell washed it away. It wouldn’t destroy me, and the only mark it would leave was the power I found in overcoming it. I wouldn’t let it control my life.
By the time my body was numb with both physical and emotional exhaustion, Kurt was nothing but a name I never wanted to speak again. It was up to the courts now to handle him.
Logan held me in silence, but I knew he was awake. I wasn’t sure when I fell asleep, but his warmth never ceased to comfort me throughout the night. The hazy memory of him reminding me how perfect I was infiltrated my dreams.
I was safe there with him, and nothing else mattered.
Chapter Five
Misconceptions
I woke from what felt like a winter’s hibernation to the sound of hushed voices. Lying on my stomach, buried in a heap of cozy blankets saturated in Logan’s natural scent, I smiled at the familiar laugh that greeted me.
“Please, Daddy, can we wake her up now?”
The moment of panic happened instantly, my eyes popping wide open. Shit, was I dressed?
Oh God!
My hands slid to my sides, running stealthily over the feeling of expensive cotton. I breathed a sigh of relief, ignoring the fact that I had no recollection of dressing. I’d been in his bed for more than 24 hours, and he’d let me sleep the entire time.
“I think she heard us,” Logan said, chuckling.
I rolled over and faced the two handsome faces standing in the doorway, watching me.
“Yay! She’s up!” Oliver stumbled forward with glee and Logan’s hand shot out to his shoulder, stabilizing him.
“Careful,” Logan said.
Oliver walked over with precise steps, slow and determined, careful not to spill the tall glass of orange juice in his hands.
I sat up, smiling. The precious view of his cheerful face first thing in the morning was the perfect start to any day—especially when paired with Logan’s.
“This is for you. I made it all myself,” Oliver boasted, wearing a proud grin and holding the glass out to me.
“I’d like to think I helped a little,” Logan added, with a playful smile aimed at me.
I took the glass carefully and brought it to my lips. As I swallowed, my brows rose. I was impressed.
“Delicious!” I praised. It wasn’t an exaggeration, either—the juice was freshly squeezed and ice cold. I took another drink.
“She likes it!” Oliver looked over to Logan, then back at me. “I do too. I picked the biggest oranges. Aunt Katie says those are the best.”
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so relaxed. His smile was infectious. “It’s perfect. Thank you.” I set the glass down on the bedside table and noticed the clock. It was close to nine. “Ah, I’m sorry. I was exhausted and overslept. You better get going so you’re not late for school.”
“I will. But promise to drink lots of juice, ’kay?”
I giggled at the persistence that rivaled his father’s. “You got it.”
Logan stepped forward just inside the door. “I’m going to drop him off at school, then I’ll be back. You sleep, and if you need anything, I’ll be here.”
“Don’t you have work?”
He shrugged. “I can take a few days.”
I sat up straighter. “Logan, you need to work. I don’t want to be a burden. Plus, we both know I won’t be getting much resting done if you’re close by.”
He cocked a brow, that playful smirk creeping over his enticing lips.
“How come?” Oliver asked suddenly, reminding us we weren’t alone. “You bot’er her, Daddy?”
I bit my lip to stifle a laugh, my cheeks flushing.
“Never. I give you my word: I’m always
very
nice
to her,” Logan told him, eyes still on me. My insides melted at those seductive baby blues.
“Good,” Oliver said, watching me lift the glass and finish the last of the juice. “More?”
I shook my head, sobering as I tore my gaze from Logan’s. “No thanks. We can have a glass together when you get home, though. With some cookies, maybe?”
“I love cookies. But I love them with milk, not juice.” He scrunched his nose.
Makes sense.
“You’re right. Milk is better with cookies.” I smiled, then glanced back over to Logan with a cocked brow. “So you’re going to work then.”
“If you insist. I’m sure I have plenty to do at the office to distract me from the fact that you’re here, in my bed.” His tongue peeked out, wetting not only his bottom lip but my entire sex. “But you best stay in that bed and
sleep
. You need it.”
His eyes spoke volumes over his words.
Yeah yeah. Sleep—got it.
“Yes, sir.” I saluted, and Oliver giggled. My laughter joined his, and I reached out for a hug. He was too adorable to resist. He hugged me back tightly. “You have a fun day at school, and when you get home you can tell me everything you learned. Deal?”
“Deal.” Oliver stepped back, staring at me—or, more accurately, at the small bandages on my face, hesitant to inquire about something clearly on his mind.